Here are some examples of what we have accomplished and/or are still working on in 2021.

Strategic Goals (4):

Education

  • Ongoing webinars & virtual events
  • Planning ahead for INSPIRE 2021

Governance

  • Addition of a Secretary position
  • By-Law amendments
  • Recruitment of 5 new Board members for 2021
  • Succession planning

Advocacy

  • Hiring (contractual) of a government relations firm, Stosic & Associates, to help with government relations, communications & marketing

Communication/Marketing

  • Integrated Job Profile
  • Raising our profile at the government level (Stosic & Associates)
  • Membership growth

COVID-19 Response:

  • COVID-19 web resources, timely educational webinars, RT refresher tab for reviews/knowledge refreshers
  • A seat at the Ministry’s daily briefings as well as the Ministry’s Collaboration and Communication tables.
  • Identifying and clarifying challenges with the management of COVID-19 patients in the diagnostics, primary care and community settings
  • Increasing provincial involvement and advocacy efforts as government groups and others reach out, seeing the need to include Respiratory Therapy in planning for future needs around surge and pandemic planning.
  • Media Relations
  • Pandemic Pay advocacy
  • Vaccine advocacy

Pulmonary Diagnostics Working Group:

  • Launching a Pulmonary Diagnostics Working Group & the creation of a living resource document, Staged Precautions for Pulmonary Diagnostic Testing During and After COVID-19 Pandemic in Ontario

PTSD and Occupational Stress Injury:

  • Sharing survey results regarding PTSD and Occupational Stress Injury (OSI) and how they affect Respiratory Therapists; data collated and shared at the Leadership Summit (2019), the Ministry and the CRTO
  • Webinars offered relating to Mental Health, PTSD & OSI with expert Dr. Margaret MacKinnon on Moral Injury in Healthcare Providers and Caring for Yourself During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Tips and Strategies for Mental Health

Research Interest Group:

  • Research mentoring and support network through the RIG, which continues to plan and voice the importance of research in respiratory therapy practices

Community RT:

  • Identifying and clarifying challenges with the management of COVID-19 patients in the community settings
  • In development: standardized spirometry medical directives

Workforce Planning Initiatives:

  • Finalizing a comprehensive, Integrated RT Job Profile to provide a broad, inclusive role description for RRTs working in a variety of practice settings across the continuum of care
  • Key role in an Applied Health Research Question (AHRQ) study being conducted at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) that will map RRT practice by LHIN sub-region across Ontario and correlate access to RRTs and health care utilization by COPD patient prevalence.

Energy in the Form of Ultrasound – Advocacy for RHPA Legislative Change:

  • Continuing advocacy at the Ministry to amend legislation
  • Survey: Impact of RHPA  Ultrasound Legislation Changes on RRT’s and Patient Care (November 2020)
  • Approved proposal for a pilot ultrasound training initiative (on hold due to COVID-19)
  • Resources and updates to the medical delegation and medical directive samples and other resources for RRTs and RRT-AA’s to implement the use of ultrasound in their facilities

Enhanced Communication:

  • Increased Social Media presence and member engagement
  • Regular E-blasts; continuous website enhancements and updates
  • RTSO Airwaves quarterly in an online newsletter platform
  • A virtual AGM (Annual General Meeting)
  • Timely, informative webinars

Advocacy:

  • Representation – MOHLTC, MOL, CORHPA, etc.
  • Facilitation of and participation in various provincial and working groups to set standards on Respiratory related topics, such as Health Quality Ontario’s Asthma and COPD Quality Standards, clinical working groups, and BORN (Better Outcomes Registry and Network) Ontario.
  • AHPDF continuance advocacy
  • Promotion of the #HCWS4FOOD challenge
  • T-shirt content with $5 per shirt benefiting Feed Ontario