college connection
COUNCIL NEWS
COUNCIL ELECTS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Dr . Steven Jacobs , of Guelph , Ontario , is the new president of the College . “ I am looking forward to the coming year and serving as Council President as Council undertakes its work in managing the risks involved in delivering safe , quality veterinary medicine in Ontario ,” said Dr . Jacobs . “ In the coming year , our agenda will include continued work on the new facility accreditation model ; a growing focus on professionalism in veterinary medicine ; continued attention to antimicrobial resistance and our role in response to this global public health concern . As well , we will continue work on initiatives regarding telemedicine and animal welfare . Dr . Jacobs graduated from the Ontario Veterinary College in 1979 and has worked in clinical practice , and also in the pharmaceutical and pet food industries . Dr . Jacobs was first elected to Council in 2013 . “ I am proud to be a member of the veterinary profession in Ontario and I am committed to the College ’ s mandate to protect the public interest . The public and the profession put their trust in the College to establish standards which enable the public to access quality veterinary medicine in Ontario ,” said Dr . Jacobs . At its recent Annual Council meeting , the College welcomed three new members of Council . Joining Council are Dr . Peter Borgs , a veterinarian from Guelph with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency ; Dr . Shannah Kavonic , a companion animal veterinarian from Toronto ; and , Dr . Lorie Gold , a practice owner and companion animal veterinarian from Oakville . All three were elected in the general election held in October . Council also elected its Executive Committee consisting of Dr . Jacobs , President ; Dr . Patricia Lechten , 1st Vice-President ; Dr . Susan Warren , 2nd Vice-President ; Dr . Marc Marin , Past President and Ms . Claudia Newman , Public Member . Appointments were also made to the College ’ s statutory committees and details can be found on the College ’ s website at www . cvo . org . As a self-regulated profession , the College ’ s governing Council is comprised of 13 elected veterinarians and five public members , appointed by the provincial government .
MODERNIZATION OF THE VETERINARIANS ACT
At its December meeting , Council approved the recommendations for modernizing the Veterinarians Act with amendments based on stakeholder feedback .
Following a thorough review of 19 proposed concepts , which have been open for consultation over the past couple years , Council approved a motion to present the recommendations to the provincial government early in 2018 .
The proposed concepts identify areas for government ’ s consideration in modernizing the legislation . Key concepts include :
• Redefining the scope of practice of veterinary medicine
• Recognizing veterinary medicine as a system and acknowledging the skills of veterinary technicians on the team
• Acknowledging that health care activities , such as massage therapy , manual therapy , and others , should be directly accessed by animal owners
• Increasing public member representation on Council / committees
• Introducing a more streamlined approach to managing investigations and their resolutions
• Introducing a mandatory quality assurance program
• Permitting interim suspensions and emergency investigations to take place swiftly in high risk circumstances
• Increasing the information on the public register including the posting of notices of a hearing
Executive Committee ( l-r ) Public Member Ms . Claudia Newman , Past President Dr . Marc Marin , President Dr . Steven Jacobs , 1st Vice President Dr . Patricia Lechten , and 2nd Vice President Dr . Susan Warren .
Modernization of the Veterinarians Act is essential to promote the profession with the best tools possible to protect animals and the public . The Council appreciates all the input that has been received throughout the consultations .
4 / College Connection