Registrar's Report June 2020 Registrar's message
Dear Colleagues,
Spring has finally arrived and with it comes a semblance of normality. I’d like to thank everyone for their hard work surrounding the Pandemic Practice Directive, both during consultation and implementation.
It’s hard to believe how much work has gone into re-opening chiropractic clinics over the past month. Pivoting your business practices, sourcing PPE and working out the logistics for offering treatments during this pandemic is no easy task. I applaud your efforts and commitment to your patients. The reward for your hard work goes beyond just returning to practice. The public’s trust in chiropractors is strengthened by the measures we are taking to protect our communities. These actions are not overlooked.
The competence that chiropractors display plays an irreplaceable role in keeping our profession self-regulated. However, this self-regulation is not a task done solely by the College or by the ACAC Council, but in partnership with ACAC members.
Practice permit renewal is a significant demonstration of self-regulation and the ACAC is here to help make this process as seamless as possible. While the renewal period has been extended to September, we urge you to consider what you need to renew your practice permit through the new database in advance. The step-by-step guide and video tutorial on the ACAC website will give you an idea of what to expect and any documents you may need ahead of time.
We encourage members to reach out early if you have questions or concerns. ACAC staff are ready to support you with renewal and with your overall practices.
Thank you again for your tireless efforts to support your patients and each other through the pandemic and leading into renewal. Here is to the beginning of a “new year,” the great work we have all accomplished and the successes ahead of us.
Regards,
Dr. Todd Halowski Registrar
Free resources available for returning to practice The ACAC prepared a variety of free materials to help chiropractors and clinics adhere to the ACAC COVID-19 Pandemic Practice Directive. We encourage you to use these materials as they are easy to use and take the guess work out of creating these materials yourself, allowing you to focus on your practice and your patients.
The resources and materials can be accessed and downloaded from the ACAC website. While we aim to continue adding to these resources over time, the following is currently available:
Please continue to check the COVID-19 resource page for new e-communications and non-ACAC resources that may be helpful for your clinic and your practice. While dedicated COVID-19 updates are no longer being published and distributed every Tuesday and Thursday, we continue to maintain and update this page.
Information to help you prepare for renewal Annual membership renewal will now take place from June 15, 2020 to September 30, 2020.
Failure to complete renewal by the September 30, 2020 deadline will result in a $400 late fee. Your practice permit will be suspended or cancelled, and this will result in an additional $300 reactivation fee.
To begin the renewal process:
Click the image above to watch the ACAC renewal video tutorial. Conditional requirements:
All conditional requirements must be submitted to the ACAC by September 17, 2020. Please note that if you require a letter of standing, processing times may vary for different regulatory bodies. Ensure you request these documents with enough time to meet the deadline or you will be assessed a $400 late fee.
Conditional requirements include:
Professional Liability Protection:
Proof of your Professional Liability Protection (PLP), if your coverage is not with the CCPA, will be required. You will need to upload a PDF copy of your PLP while you are completing your renewal. Screenshots and other formats other than PDF will not be accepted.
Paying dues:
Once all the online renewal forms have been completed and all conditional requirements have been received and verified, you will be able to access the payment page. Payment may be submitted by cheque or credit card.
Cheque payments must be received in the ACAC by September 17, 2020. A post mark of September 17 is not sufficient. If the cheque is not received in the ACAC office by this date, and you have indicated that you are paying by cheque, you will be assessed a late fee to complete renewal.
Only one form of credit card payment is accepted (either by Mastercard of Visa). Payment cannot be split between two different cards. If renewal is not completed by September 30, 2020, you will be assessed a $400 late fee.
Recognizing the extraordinary circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Council has approved an additional relief measure; a one-time 10 percent discount for the 2020/2021 renewal year. To receive this discount, members must fully complete renewal by September 30, 2020.
After you have completed renewal, you can print your practice permit found in your members’ centre under “Receipts” and “Permits”. Your practice permit will be available three to five business days after you complete the renewal process.
For more information regarding the annual membership renewal and to watch the renewal video tutorial, please visit the ACAC website.
View last month's ACAC-hosted webinars online On May 7, 2020, the ACAC hosted a free webinar for members, titled “GLA:D Back: A group-based program to help people with recurrent and/or persistent low back pain” featuring researcher Dr. Greg Kawchuk. More than two hundred members attended the webinar and took advantage of the free CC credit awarded for full attendance.
The hour-long webinar highlighted the research findings from studies completed in other countries, as well as an overview of the work currently underway here in Alberta. Once the presentation concluded, Dr. Kawchuk and his students answered questions from the membership.
If you’d like to watch a recording of the webinar, you can see it and other past webinars on the ACAC website.
Call for Council nominations Serving on Council is an incredibly rewarding experience. It also requires a significant commitment of time and energy. If you are interested in running, please ensure your nomination is received by 4 p.m. on June 11, 2020.
Any eligible member can run for Council, provided they complete the two-step nominations process outlined on our elections page. We encourage all potential candidates to read the Council Nomination Information Package to gain a full understanding of what Council service entails.
If you are not interested in running for Council but still want to participate, we encourage you to vote from August 1-30. You will receive an email on August 1 directly from Simply Voting to cast your vote. This email will be sent to the email address on file in your member's centre, so please confirm it is up to date before July 25, 2020. Call for resolutions, nominations and awards for the 2020 AGM Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Council has decided to proceed with a virtual AGM for this year. Details about the virtual AGM will be provided as they become available. Nominations and Council elections will continue as previously planned. Voting for Council elections will be conducted on an online voting platform. For more information about the nominations and election process, please visit our website.
Call for resolutions
Call for long-service awards
Call for ACAC awards
Written working diagnosis in record-keeping There are certain concepts that are universal in the iteration of a useful diagnosis. In Practice Reviews, the written working diagnosis is an element of record-keeping that regularly requires coaching for members. As there may be some confusion about what this element of record-keeping entails, this article hopes to bring clarity to the matter of diagnosis.
The diagnosis represents the practitioners ability to identify through history and examination the name and identity of the patients' presenting complaint. The ACAC Standards of Practice 5.1 and 5.2 speak to the diagnostic requirements for chiropractors, specifically the requirements that must be delivered include:
The objective of a written diagnosis is to inform the reader of the clinical conclusion reached by the writer. The diagnosis must be descriptive enough that the reader can refer to the treatment plan and the treatment provided and see the rational link between the two. There must be a direct and rational connection between the patient’s presenting complaint, the diagnosis and the recommended treatment.
A consistent observation in practice reviews is the failure of practitioners to provide that direct rational connection between the patient’s presenting complaint, the diagnosis and the recommended treatment. In addition to not meeting the record-keeping standard, this failure increases practitioner risk in areas such as professional conduct and professional liability. Accurate and appropriate diagnosis is required to meet the ACAC Standards of Practice.
Discipline reporting
Recent legislative changes Bylaw Revised and effective June 1, 2020
Bylaw 3.2 Terms of Office
Bylaw 3.5 Notification of Results
Bylaw 9.2 Application for Practice Permit Renewal
Please ensure you take the time to review the policies listed above, as it is your professional obligation to be aware of ACAC policies and to adhere to these requirements in your practice. The updated documents can be found on the ACAC website.
Highlights: Return to Practice feedback survey We want to hear how implementation of the Return to Practice plan is going in your clinic. Please submit your feedback to us using this survey. Protecting patients from Sexual Abuse and Misconduct (trauma-informed training course) As a requirement of Bill 21, regulated health professionals must complete an annual trauma-informed training course. The "Protecting Patients from Sexual Abuse and Misconduct" course was designed by the Alberta Federation of Regulated Health Professions to fulfill this requirement.
Visit our website for full instructions and to take the course. Once completed, please email a PDF version of your personalized completion certificate to certificates@albertachiro.com. Do not email a link to your certificate page, as this will not be viewable at the ACAC. New email for CC submissions If you have earned a certificate of completion from an eligible CC seminar or from a mandatory Standard First Aid with CPR-C/AED training, we strongly encourage you to forward it to the ACAC office now. Fax: 780-425-6583
Certificates are normally processed within 10 business days. CC credits will appear in your profile once processing is complete. Diagnostic image viewing AHS will stop providing CDs of diagnostic images. In order to view these images, you will need Netcare access.
If you already have Netcare access, please stop requisitions for CDs and start to use the Netcare portal to view all diagnostic images.
MVA and DTPR: Diagnostic and treatment protocols Now is a good time to brush up on your knowledge in the processing and handling of MVA. In light of COVID-19 and the continuing flu season, please remember vaccination and immunization are not within the chiropractic scope of practice.
The ACAC directs members to refer all patient questions, consultation and education regarding immunization and vaccination to the appropriate public health authorities and/or health professional whose scope of practice includes vaccination.
We continue to screen members’ web and social media for compliance with the Advertising Directive.
Please ensure you are regularly reviewing your website and social media accounts and removing any content in contravention. |