Dear Members,
The College has been monitoring the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The College wishes to address some concerns and provide some guidance.
College will be operating remotely
In line with our mandate to serve and protect the public interest, the College has made a difficult yet necessary decision to protect our members, staff and the public. The College will begin operating virtually as of March 17, 2020. All in person meetings at the College have been postponed until further notice and where necessary meetings will be conducted by way of virtual meetings.
We anticipate that some services may undoubtedly be impacted, but we sincerely ask for your patience and understanding during this time. Every effort will be made to ensure a seamless transition of services to ensure that the impact to you as a member is minimized during this time.
College recommends extra protection when practising and prepare for closure
The Ministry of Health and the College recommends that health care practitioners (1) Screen patients over the phone before scheduling appointments and (2) Post signs in your reception area asking patients with symptoms to identify themselves.
The following signage has been created for health care settings:
English, French, Chinese (Simplified)
The College also recommends that members prepare for possible closure of their clinics. The Ministry may mandate this in the coming days. In the interim, the College advises members to exercise their professional judgment to determine when it is necessary to close their clinic or practice. The College understands that some services may be considered emergency, however, we ask that members exercise their discretion and sound judgment in coming to this decision. The College continues to expect our members to maintain infection prevention and control measures and ask that members remain vigilant to observe this standard. Please also see the College’s COVID-19 information and resources web page for more guidance.
For members that continue to practise, please continue to monitor the situation and follow the necessary directions from the Ministry of Health where necessary to ensure that you have the most up to date information on whether to suspend operations to ensure the safety of your patients and your staff.1
We understand that this pandemic has had significant implications on your business and your practice, however, the duty to observe the College’s standards during these times continue to apply. Our College understands that many of you may be eager to assist other health professionals during these difficult times, however, we implore our members to ensure that every effort is made to practise within your scope.2 By practising within your scope, you ensure the safety of your patients, your staff and yourself.
Contact information
For the ease of our members, we have listed the following contact e-mails for your convenience:
For general/related inquiries: please send your e-mail to info@ctcmpao.on.ca
For registration related inquiries: please send your e-mail to registration@ctcmpao.on.ca
For payment related inquiries: please send your e-mail to finance@ctcmpao.on.ca
For conduct / discipline inquiries: please send your e-mail to conduct@ctcmpao.on.ca
For quality assurance inquiries: please send your e-mail to qa@ctcmpao.on.ca
We understand how difficult this has been, but as long as we work together to maintain the standard, we will undoubtedly get through these difficult times.
Sincerely,
Richard Dong
President
Ann Zeng
Registrar and Chief Executive Officer
1 http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/publichealth/coronavirus/2019_guidance.aspx
2 Traditional Chinese Medicine Act. SO 2006, c. 27, s 3.
