This year holds great promise for the CPSO Board (formerly Council) as we move forward with modernizing our governance model in advance of new province-wide Board elections in 2025. As I mentioned in my introduction to you last December, professional regulation is a privilege, and it is crucial that we play our role in effectively overseeing the practice of medicine in Ontario. Our future ability to fulfill this mandate largely depends on the governance reforms we are implementing, by having the right people in place and continuing to adopt best practices.

During our recent February/March meeting, the Board had the privilege of working with Deanna Williams, an internationally recognized advisor on professional regulation and governance. In a two-day educational session, we identified the collective skills, professional backgrounds and lived experiences necessary for Board members to effectively oversee the medical profession moving forward.

I am pleased to share that through this session the Board developed two major deliverables to kick-off this year’s governance modernization project: drafts of the Board profile and Board self-assessment tool. Final versions of both will be presented for final approval at the Board’s May meeting.

In alignment with CPSO’s commitment to right-touch regulation, the Board approved an updated policy at our last meeting to assist physicians in navigating their interactions with industry. The Conflicts of Interest and Industry Relationships policy sets clear expectations in clinical practice, continuing medical education, industry-sponsored research, and in the context of consultation and advisory boards.

Additionally, the Board approved proposed regulatory amendments at our special meeting on February 16 that remove certain procedures from CPSO’s Out-of-Hospital Premises Inspection Program. This follows the provincial government’s transition of this work to Accreditation Canada as the inspecting body for integrated community health services centres, starting April 1, 2024.

I would also like to thank everyone who submitted a nomination package for the upcoming District elections. On April 3, an invitation to vote will be sent out and voting will close on April 24. I encourage all registrants (formerly members) in these districts to cast their ballots.

Last, but certainly not least, we celebrate Dr. Madura Sundareswaran, a family physician and recent recipient of the CPSO Board Award. As the founder and medical director of the Peterborough Newcomer Health Clinic, Dr. Sundareswaran and her team provide medical care for newcomers to Canada. Her dedication to supporting patients during such a vulnerable time in their lives is truly an inspiration!

Ian Preyra, MD
Board Chair