News

Requisition forms for Integrated Community Health Services Centres

The Ministry of Health (ministry) is requesting all Integrated Community Health Services Centres (ICHSCs) ensure their patients are aware that:

  • requisition forms allow patients to access health care services in a facility of their choosing
  • patients are not obligated to attend any specific facility

The Ministry recommends the following wording be clearly visible and included on any requisition forms that ICHSCs develop and distribute to patients for their awareness: “This requisition form can be taken to any licensed facility providing health care services including hospitals accepting community referrals and community surgical and diagnostic centres, such as those listed on the website: Community surgical and diagnostic centres | ontario.ca”.

Read more here.

2024 Census Committee on the Future of Medical Imaging​

To address the current workforce shortages and identify feasible solutions, including new career pathways in medical imaging and radiation therapy, the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT), the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), and the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) hosted the Consensus Committee on the Future of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, Feb. 19-20, 2024, at the ASRT office in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Read more here.

ISHSCs to comply & contribute certain personal health information to Provincial EHR

As of January 1, 2025, O.Reg 329/04 is effective and was amended to include accredited community pharmacies and Integrated Community Health Service Centres (ICHSCs). This amendment will require operators of  ICHSCs to comply and contribute certain personal health information to the Provincial EHR in accordance with Ontario Health’s interoperability specification once published.

Below is the excerpt of the amended regulation and this can be found at eLaws Ontario : O. Reg. 329/04 GENERAL | ontario.ca

On January 1, 2025, subsection 18.1.3 (1) of the Regulation is revoked and the following substituted: (See: O. Reg. 493/24, s. 1)

Information from health information custodians

(1) The classes of health information custodians or specific health information custodians listed in subsection (1.1) shall provide to the Agency for the electronic health record personal health information contained in a digital health asset,

(a) as requested by the Agency; and

(b) in accordance with the interoperability specifications of the Agency.

(1.1) The classes of health information custodians or specific health information custodians referred to in subsection (1) are every person who operates one of the following:

1. A hospital within the meaning of the Public Hospitals Act.

2. A pharmacy for which a certificate of accreditation of the community pharmacy class has been issued under the Drug and Pharmacies Regulation Act.

3. An integrated community health services centre within the meaning of the Integrated Community Health Services Centres Act, 2023. O. Reg. 493/24, s. 1.

This information was provided by the Digital Health Program Branch of the Ministry of Health.