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Transparency Q & A Why is the College doing this? Over the past several years, the Ontario government and members of the public have expressed that health care regulators need to disclose more information about their members. The 2014 publication of a series of prominent articles criticizing Ontario health regulators, called into question the public interest and transparency of College decisions. These articles outlined a major concern, “cautions” issued to health care providers were not made public. A seperate investigation further revealed that clients who visited out-of-hospital clinics had developed deadly infections over a period of months. Although a regulator had inspected these clinics, infection control issues went unreported. On October 4th, 2014 as a response to public concerns the Minister of Health issued a statement to all regulatory bodies, including the College of Midwives of Ontario (CMO), requiring them to take concrete steps to continuously increase transparency. On November 2014, the CMO Council solidified transparency as a core value and amended the College’s strategic plan to make transparency a key strategic priority. The CMO has worked with its Council and tives. What information will not be made public? Matters determined to be low risk will not be made public. These include complaints and reports that the Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee take no action on, as well as matters that are addressed through advice or recommendation. All quality assurance information will remain confidential, as well as the personal information of midwives, such as home or e-mail addresses and other personal contact information. When and how will the College remove information from the public register? Please refer to Article 14 of the College General By-law for removal of information. How did Council decide what to make public? The CMO Council makes its decisions through the lens of public safety and protection. A survey commissioned by the Advisory Group on Regulatory Excellence (AGRE) in 2014 showed that the public wanted to know three things about their health practitioner: criminal convictions, practitioner’s registration/license history and status, and complaints that resulted in formal disciplinary and/or educational action. Council thoroughly reviewed the feedback provided by the public, members and stakeholders before making final decisions. used the Transparency Principles adopted by the College in November 2015, as the foundation and tool for decision-making ensuring a balance of transparency and fairness. For more information about our commitment to transparency click here. Volume 8, Issue 3 | December 2015 Volume 9, Issue 1 April 2016 4 Statutory Committees to ensure consistent transparency initiaCouncil