College Connection | Winter 2023
Two new members join College Council in December
College Connection | Winter 2023
COUNCIL NEWS
CVO . ORG / COUNCIL
Two new members join College Council in December
The College Council met on December 6 & 7 , 2023 . The public is welcome to attend Council proceedings in-person or to watch via the livestream . Council highlights and replays from policy discussions are available on the College website . The following items were considered by Council in December .
New on Council
Two new professional members joined Council following the October election . Joining Council for 2024 are Dr . Kathleen Day Dunbar , who has worked in companion animal medicine as an associate veterinarian , locum and as a practice owner ; and Dr . Yashvir Varma , who owns Heartlake Veterinary Hospital , in Brampton . Welcome to Council !
Annual Council Meeting
The Annual Council Meeting ( ACM ) is held in conjunction with the December Council meeting . The ACM includes reports from committees on their activities through the year ; a presentation on the audited financial statements ; and the 2023 Annual Report . The 2023 President , Dr . Alana Parisi , provided an overview of the College ’ s work and achievements in 2023 . Council extended its appreciation to Dr . Parisi and recognized Councillors Dr . Lorie Gold and Dr . Jessica Peatling who have completed their terms .
Accreditation Standard
The new facility accreditation model , approved in 2017 , brings a modern , flexible approach to accreditation and inspections . At its September meeting , Council approved its accreditation standards and requested further information on the standard concerning isolation facilities . Council was uncertain whether the in-room HEPA filter would be sufficient / effective
Dr . Kathleen Day Dunbar and Dr . Yashvir Varma joined Council at the December meeting as a result of the October election .
in mitigating the transmission risk if there are potential pathogens in the air . There was also discussion about a hospital ’ s ability to truly “ isolate ” or “ contain ” a potential pathogen .
Following review of the additional information provided in December , Council discussed and finalized the isolation facilities requirement to state a ventilation system must be in place to reduce the risk of crosscontamination from room to room .
A replay of Council ’ s discussion on the proposed isolation facilities accreditation standard is available on the College website .
Update from the After- Hours Task Force
Council received an update from Dr . Claire Beauchamp on the After-Hours
Care Task Force , which includes DVMs and RVTs . The task force was established by Council in spring 2023 . The task force is developing potential solutions to the challenges of after-hours care in Ontario . They are focused on the definition of an emergency , the role of the Registered Veterinary Technician , telemedicine , shifts in client and veterinary expectations , and shared on-call services . The task force will share their recommendations in 2024 . A replay of the presentation and Council ’ s discussion is on the College website .
Graduated Licensing
Council discussed graduated licensing to support newly licensed veterinarians . This idea was proposed
continued on next page
Public confidence in veterinary regulation cvo . org 2