Dialogue Volume 13 Issue 4 2017 | Page 10

FROM THE REGISTRAR’S DESK ity management are numbered. We’re already learning a lot about the factors that put doctors at risk of having quality issues in their practice. And those risk factors – such as size and isolation of practice – will have a much more significant impact on our physician assessment programs. While we have had good success with our “every physician every 10 years” approach, I predict the quality management programs of the future will be much more tailored to the individual’s particular needs through the various stages of their careers. 4. Governance structure of professional regulation is going to look a lot different. At our September Council making, representatives from the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) provided an overview of a new governance model envisioned by its Council. In the model supported by the CNO, a much smaller Coun- cil would be made up of equal members of the public and the profession. The Council members would not be elected; they would instead be appointed based on merit and expertise. This system is believed to foster better, more efficient decision-making when it comes to boards, councils and other governing bodies. And I believe that it is only a matter of time before we see these types of changes introduced in professional health-care governance in Ontario. 5. And finally, I believe the term “self-regulation” is well on its way to the dustbin of history. In the future, Col- lege work will no longer be described as “the privilege of self-regulation,” but instead “the responsibility of medi- cal regulation.” I predict that this model of regulation – with direct physician involvement and participation – will remain the preferred model of regulation among the profession. It confers a sense of professionalism, and allows physicians to work with members of the public to protect the integrity of the profession. Starting on page 24, we list the names of more than 1200 physicians – all these physicians took the time away from their busy lives and practices to ensure this model of regulation remains healthy and viable. I thank them for their participation. In closing, I would like to say that serving as the Reg- istrar of this College for the past 15 years has been the greatest professional experience of my life. It has been a true privilege to work with so many talented individu- als. I applaud you for having the courage to make the hard choices in the public interest. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Registrar. MD LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ... continued from page 8 the right conditions is critical for good patient care. Our goal is to ensure that physicians have the resources and information they need to safely and appropriately prescribe opioids to their patients. When the Narcotics Monitoring System wa