NOSM Board Holds Face-to-Face Meeting in Thunder Bay

Board Members Tour Anishnawbe Mushkiki Aboriginal Health Centre and Take Part in a Case-Based Learning Exercises 

The Board of Directors of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held a face-to-face meeting in Thunder Bay on November 26 and 27, 2015.

NOSM Board members began their two-day meeting with a tour of the Anishnawbe Mushkiki Aboriginal Health Centre. Established as a primary health care facility within the District of Thunder Bay, the Centre provides primary, traditional, and alternative approaches that work to empower Aboriginal people to achieve optimal health and wellbeing.

This year, NOSM’s Board of Directors and Academic Council members participated together in quality monitoring and effectiveness sessions, first looking at the Institutional Quality Assurance Process (IQAP), led by Dr. Moira McPherson, Chair of NOSM’s Board of Directors and Lakehead’s Provost and VP (Academic), and Dr. Nancy Luckai, Lakehead’s Deputy Provost. Next, Directors took part in two Case-Based Learning (CBL) exercises typical of NOSM’s student-centred teaching approach. This session was led by Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM’s Dean, Dr. David Marsh, NOSM’s Deputy Dean and Associate Dean of Community Engagement, Dr. Owen Prowse, NOSM’s Assistant Dean of Admissions, Miriam Cain, NOSM’s Director of Admissions, and Kate Beatty, NOSM’s Director of Equity and Quality.

In the evening of the first day, Board members were able to view The Rural Challenge and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, a documentary by Dr. Hoi Cheu, a faculty member and researcher at Laurentian University. The film describes NOSM’s revolutionary rural educational model through the personal experience, insight and humour of the School’s students, graduates, faculty members, community partners, and international associates.

Throughout the two days, Board members received presentations related to NOSM’s socially accountable admissions processes, finance, and advancement, and updates from several Board committees. In addition, Board members heard about the progress made regarding NOSM’s development of a Response to and Prevention of Sexual Violence on Campus strategy.

Angèle Brunelle, NOSM Board member, and Executive Director of L’Accueil francophone, and NOSM’s Dr. David Marsh, provided an overview of the recently held fifth Francophone Symposium where more than 90 health professionals and community partners from across Northern Ontario gathered to explore dimensions of health care related to Francophone populations.

At the formal Board meeting at the end of the second day, the Board approved Financial Statements from the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee for the five-month period ending September 30, 2015.

The Board-approved A Roadmap to 2020: NOSM’s Whole School Strategic Action Plan was circulated to all members, which is a follow-up document to NOSM’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020 that describes exactly how the School will accomplish its strategic goals. NOSM publicly launched its new strategic plan in September, the details of which are available at www.nosmsp2020.ca.

Dr. Moira McPherson, Chair of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s Board of Directors and Provost and VP (Academic) at Lakehead, noted that the two-day meeting in Sudbury was a great success. “As NOSM celebrates its 10th anniversary, it’s exciting to reflect on the progress the School has made in contributing to the health of the people and communities of Northern Ontario,” says Dr. McPherson. “NOSM’s success is truly a collaborative effort, and I am inspired by the Board’s ongoing dedication to governance and fiscal management at the School.”

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s next Board of Directors meeting is scheduled to occur on March 16, 2016.