NOSM Holds Face-to-Face Board Meeting in Fort Frances

Members Tour La Verendrye Hospital and Health Centre, Participate in Learning Sessions, and Interact with Community Members 

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held its annual Board of Directors spring face-to-face meeting in Fort Frances, Ontario from May 9 to May 10, 2013.

On the first morning together, NOSM Board members enjoyed a tour of the La Verendrye Hospital and Health Centre, where every year NOSM learners undertake training as part of the School’s distinctive distributed, community-engaged learning and research model. Coordinated by Physician Recruiter Todd Hamilton, members were able to see and learn about the facility which offers chronic and acute care, including obstetrics, medical/surgical, pediatrics, and intensive care, to the citizens of Fort Frances and surrounding area.

In the evening, NOSM Board members went to the Little Beaver Cultural Centre for dinner to interact with NOSM clinical faculty members, staff and learners, and local community members. Councillor Andrew Hallikas brought greetings on behalf of the Town of Fort Frances to all attendees, thanking NOSM’s Board for engaging with Fort Frances and other communities across Northern Ontario, and for the work the School is doing to address health professional shortages across the North.

During the two-day meeting, Board members participated in several presentations and interactive sessions on the topics of strategic planning, governance, ambassadorship, and research. Board members also heard a first-hand explanation of the process of the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) from Liane Villano, MD Candidate, Class of 2013, and NOSM Board member. CaRMS is an electronic service which matches Canadian MD graduates with residency programs, based on the ranked preferences of each graduate and medical school.

Nearly 50% of this year’s graduating class has chosen to complete training in residency programs offered by NOSM. Sixty-five percent have matched to family medicine (predominantly rural medicine) residency programs.

After an introduction by Fort Frances Tribal Area Health Services Home and Community Care Program Joanne Ogden, Occupational Therapy learners Paula Voigt and Lauren Wou spoke to the Board about their rewarding experiences training in the Fort Frances area, where, before last year, occupational therapy education was not available.

At the formal Board meeting on the final day of face-to-face meeting, the Directors received reports from Board Committees, including the Finance and Audit, Quality Monitoring, Governance, and Advancement Committees. The Directors also received reports from Academic Council and the School’s Aboriginal and Francophone Reference Groups.

The Directors received a Financial Report for the 11-month period ending March 31, 2013 from the Finance and Audit Committee. The Board approved a recommendation from the Finance and Audit Committee that tuition fees for each of the next four academic years be increased consistent with the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities’ Tuition Framework guidelines. NOSM’s tuition fees remain the lowest among medical schools in Ontario.

In addition, the Board approved the proposed balanced budget of $41.75 million for the fiscal year May 1, 2013 to April 30, 2014, as presented.

The Board approved the recommendation by the Executive Committee to appoint Dr. Joel Lanphear Professor Emeritus in recognition of his long and distinguished service in academic medical education and to NOSM.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled to occur on September 18, 2013.

For a complete list of Board members, please visit our website at www.nosm.ca.

Contact:

news@nosm.ca