In response to the unprecedented strain COVID-19 has placed on healthcare human resources in Ontario, on May 1, 2020, the Government of Ontario issued a new temporary emergency order, O. Reg. 193/20, under subsection 7.0.2 (4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, which provides measures respecting hospital credentialing processes. This emergency order supports the needs of Ontario’s hospitals and healthcare workers so more of their time and resources can be spent on alleviating the outbreak of COVID-19 and administering patient care.
Under this emergency order there are two notable measures that address the management of health care human resources in hospital credentialing processes:
With respect to any aspect of a hospital’s credentialing process, the board of a hospital, or any of the hospital’s authorized officers, may take any reasonably necessary measure to respond to, prevent and alleviate the outbreak of COVID-19.
Despite any credentialing process that may apply, if it is reasonably necessary to respond to, prevent and alleviate the outbreak of COVID-19, the board of a hospital, or any of the hospital’s authorized officers, are authorized to: (i) appoint, reappoint, and define the privileges granted to a member of the medical, dental, midwifery or extended class nursing staff (“Health Care Workers“); (ii) collect information from Health Care Workers regarding their availability to provide services for the hospital; and (iii) collect information from Health Care Workers about their likely or actual exposure to COVID-19, any positive test results for COVID-19, or any other health conditions that may affect their ability to provide services for the hospital.
Although this emergency order also provides the board of a hospital with the power, by resolution, to prohibit, vary or rescind any of the aforementioned measures taken by the hospital’s authorized officers, overall this emergency order will lead to a decline in administrative procedures in hospital credentialing processes and empower the province’s hospitals to concentrate their resources on providing additional health care workers and services.
Note: This emergency order will be revoked on May 15, 2020, unless it is extended.
If you have any questions about this order, please reach out to the Fogler, Rubinoff LLP Health Law Group.
