Current Consultations Open for Feedback

Deadline for Feedback: April 11, 2023

The Provincial Government enacted the Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness Act, 2022 to improve health resource planning in emergency situations. Under this Act, the Ministry is requiring all of Ontario’s health regulatory Colleges to develop a new emergency class certificate of registration, with the aim of reducing barriers for new applicants in emergency situations (e.g., in response to a new pandemic). The Colleges have been asked to move quickly and have a draft regulation amendment ready as soon as possible.

The College of Chiropodists of Ontario has drafted regulation amendments, which would create a new emergency class certificate of registration. There are specific requirements that individuals must fulfill to be eligible for an emergency class of licensure. Importantly for patients, chiropodists or podiatrists licensed under this class will be required to practice under the supervision of a COCOO member who holds a general certificate of registration and who has been approved by the Registrar to supervise a member in the emergency class.

The proposed regulation amendment is not anticipated to result in increased administrative costs to members and/or businesses as it creates additional pathways for new health professionals to begin practicing their profession in Ontario.

• COCOO Registration Regulation – Emergency Class

Summary of Proposed Registration Regulation:

The proposed changes to the Registration Regulation to create an emergency class of registration is required pursuant to the Registration Requirements Regulation made under the RHPA. The proposed changes include:

• An emergency class of registration for both chiropodists and podiatrists when certain non-exemptible criteria are met, including: the Government or Council determines that emergency certificates of registration be issued; recognized, completed education in chiropody or podiatry that is acceptable to the College to ensure competency to practice; and successful completion of the College’s jurisprudence examination.
• The ability of the College to lift the existing restriction on registering podiatrists in an emergency.
• The terms, conditions and limitations attached to an emergency certificate of registration, including: supervision by a member of the general class who is approved by the Registrar; and engaging in practice only while holding out as a member of the emergency class who is practicing under supervision.
• The automatic revocation of the certificate within 60 days after receipt of notice of Council’s determination that the emergency circumstances have ended.
• The expiry of the certificate after one year, which can be renewed for one year, with no limit on renewals, as long as Council has not determined the emergency circumstances have ended.
• The revocation of the certificate prior to its expiry or the end of emergency circumstances if the Registrar or Registration Committee determines it is in the public interest to do so.
• The opportunity for any current or former emergency class registrant to write the College’s competency examination without charge if the registrant practiced for at least 180 hours while in the emergency class.
• The waiver of the program and jurisprudence examination requirements for an applicant to the general class who held an emergency certificate of registration within one year before submitting the application.
• A maximum of 3 attempts to challenge each of the College’s competency and jurisprudence examinations.

Please email your feedback on the proposed changes by April 11, 2023 to info@cocoo.on.ca

Deadline for Feedback: January 4, 2023

On behalf of the College Council, please find the attached proposed amendments to the College’s Registration Examination Fees By-Law that were unanimously approved, in principle, by Council at their meeting on October 28, 2022. Relevant sections of the current Registration Examination Fees by-law are also attached.

Please forward your comments regarding the proposed amendments to the College’s Registration Examination Fees By-law no later than January 4, 2023, by email to info@cocoo.on.ca. The Council will then review the proposed amendment, taking all comments into consideration, at its January 27, 2023 meeting.

• Amendments to the College’s Registration Examination Fees By-law
• Briefing Note: Recommended Amendments to By-law No. 2: FEES – Examination Fee Increase
• Appendix 1: By-law No. 2: FEES