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Executive Summary June 22 & 23, 2007 Council Meeting

The Council of the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Saskatchewan operates under an explicit set of governance policies. It strives to make its work as transparent as possible to the medical profession and the general public.

Those portions of the Council's deliberations that are not confidential are open to observation by any person subject to space availability in the College boardroom.

At the conclusion of each Council meeting an Executive Summary of the meeting is widely distributed to the District Medical Associations, related organizations and the public media. This Executive Summary provides a brief overview of issues discussed, decisions made, and/or actions taken by the Council. If any person wishes more detailed information about any of the issues which are not subject to confidentiality constraints, these can be obtained by contacting Ms. Virginia Marsh, the College's Regulatory Services Coordinator, at 211 - 4th Avenue South, Saskatoon S7K 1N1; Phone: (306) 244-7355; Fax: (306) 244-0090; e-mail: marshv@shin.sk.ca

The Council convened a hearing to set penalty for Dr. R. Kyliuk, a medical resident who pleaded guilty to charges of unprofessional conduct related to prescription forgery that enabled him to obtain narcotic medications for self use. Dr. Kyliuk was represented by Mr. Peter Fenton, legal counsel. Mr. Fenton did not oppose the position advanced by College legal counsel that Dr. Kyliuk's registration should be revoked. The penalty imposed by the Council was revocation of registration with no associated cost recovery order.

The Council met with Dr. G. de la Harpe to consider his request for extension of registration notwithstanding six unsuccessful attempts to pass Part I of the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exam. The Council declined to provide extension of Dr. de la Harpe's registration beyond June 30, 2007.

The Council met with Dr. N. Sharma to consider a request from the Saskatoon Health Region that the College of Physicians and Surgeons license international medical graduates (IMGs) for limited practice as house officers within the Saskatoon Health Region notwithstanding the fact that these IMGs do not meet the College's current statutory licensure criteria. After lengthy discussion of the written submission from the Saskatoon Health Region and the verbal input provided by Dr. Sharma the Council concluded that it would refer this matter to the Council's Registration Committee. It will ask the Registration Committee to review the policies and practices with respect to registration of house officers in other jurisdictions and to bring back a report based on its findings from this review.

The Council met with Mr. Gordon Stewart, the College's auditor, to review the Audited Financial Statements of the College for the Year Ending December 31, 2006. Mr. Stewart delivered a clean audit report and responded to a number of questions for clarification of the financial statements from members of Council.

The Council discussed a report from the Registrar in respect to the current, short term, and longer term accommodation arrangements for the College. The Council appointed Dr. Grant Stoneham, Dr. Suresh Kassett, and Dr. Mark Sheridan as an Accommodation Review and Planning Committee to be supported in its work by the Registrar and Mrs. Amy McDonald. The committee is to develop for Council a number of proposals for long range accommodation options for the College.

The Council received a progress report from Barb Porter on behalf of the Council's Strategic Planning Committee. The committee reported on the deliberations at its last meeting and indicated it will likely be able to deliver a final report to Council at its September meeting.

The Council reviewed the policies set out in Governance Policy CR-3 for monitoring of the Registrar's performance. As a supplement to this performance review procedure defined in Council policy, the Registrar requested that the Council periodically conduct a multi-source feedback survey to provide feedback to him regarding executive/management leadership skills and style. Ms. Karen Prisciak, a public member of the Council, volunteered to develop a multi-source feedback tool to enhance the Council's current strategies for Registrar performance evaluation.

The Council reviewed and discussed the monitoring reports from the Registrar in respect to the Council's Governance End of "Health Public Policy" and the Governance Executive Limitation Policies pertaining to the College's public image, partnerships & inter-organizational relationships, and information management.

The Council also reviewed its policies pertaining to:

  1. Governing Style
  2. Council Planning Cycle and Agenda Control
  3. Values re Complaints Resolution
  4. Public Access to Council Meetings.

In respect to Council agenda control the Council asked the President if he could provide more advance notice of issues that will be included on the Council agenda so that Councillors could be guided in respect to the documents it is essential they review prior to the meeting.

The Council President agreed that, after each Council meeting, he will begin immediately to progressively build the agenda for the next Council meeting on the Sharepoint Site that all Councillors can electronically access. As documents are distributed to the Council via the Sharepoint Site and/or in writing, the President will weekly identify those documents that will be discussed at the next Council meeting and populate the agenda with those items.

In respect to public access to Council meetings the Council determined it will invite medical students and residents to exercise the option to observe Council meetings. The Council felt this would help medical students and residents better understand some of the policy issues confronting the profession and also help them to learn more about professionally led regulation.

The Council also:

  1. Appointed Dr. Marilyn Caughlin as a member of the Practice Enhancement Program Committee.

  2. Expressed support in principle for the position advanced by the College's legal counsel in respect to the template that Sask. Health currently applies to amendment of professional regulatory statutes in the health sector.

  3. Adopted a formal set of reasons to support a decision the Council made at its last meeting in respect to licensure of Dr. P. Dutchak.

  4. Reviewed and discussed written feedback from a complainant who was dissatisfied with the outcome from the College's investigation of a complaint.

  5. Reviewed with College's legal counsel a status report in respect to all disciplinary investigations and/or prosecutions currently under way.

  6. Discussed options for regulation of teleradiology and deferred a decision until the Council receives a report from Mr. Salte with respect to dialogue about this issue that occurred at the Annual Meeting of the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada.

  7. Approved a bylaw pertaining to the prescribing of Buprenorphine.

  8. Discussed the potential implications of the Trade Investment and Labor Mobility Agreement that has been signed between the governments of British Columbia and Alberta and which may be extended to Saskatchewan.

  9. Discussed issues related to prescribing narcotic and controlled drugs by medical residents and directed the College's legal counsel to develop a bylaw amendment pertaining to this issue.

The Council is next scheduled to meet on Thursday, September 13th and Friday, September 14th. On the afternoon of Friday, September 14th the Council will engage in a joint meeting with the governing Boards/Councils for the College of Pharmacists and the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association. On Saturday, September 15th all members of Council will participate in an historic educational conference organized jointly by the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the College of Pharmacists, and the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association. The educational conference will focus on interdisciplinary collaborative practice with a particular emphasis on the potential for collaborative practice arrangements to enhance patient safety.