Health Law Update
Bills
See our separate post on Bill 218, which if passed will offer liability protection against COVID-19 claims:
https://ddohealthlaw.com/ontario-introduces-a-bill-to-create-a-shield-from-covid-19-liability/
Regulations
- Amendment of Regulation O. Reg. 329/04 (General) under the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA)
The proposed amendment to O. Reg. 329/04 (General) under PHIPA would name the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) as a prescribed ministry for purposes of section 46 of PHIPA.
This would provide the minister of MCCSS with the power to direct custodians to disclose personal health information for purposes of determining, providing, monitoring or verifying payment relating to programs it funds.
Currently, MCCSS funds custodians to provide programs for health care delivery and those custodians have no clear authority to disclose to MCCSS the personal health information needed for MCCSS to assess whether programs it funds are successful. This amendment would allow for MCCSS to collect personal health information in order to make better evidence-based allocation decisions.
Comment Due Date: Dec 30, 2020
More information: https://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/view.do?postingId=34987&language=en
Government News
Ontario Launching COVID-19 Resilience Infrastructure Stream
Celebrate Halloween Safely This Year
The Ottawa Hospital and Extendicare (Canada) Inc. enter into Management Agreement
Ontario Launches Innovative Solution to Improve Long-Term Care
New Management Ordered at Niagara Falls, Ontario Long-Term Care Home
Ontario Adding Over 760 Hospital Beds Across the Province
COVID-19
Canadian ICUs brace for COVID-19 resurgence on top of the flu
Health officials reveal new projections as Ontario sees 934 more COVID-19 cases
Health unit asks Western students not to go home to COVID hotspots for fall reading week
Blenheim church outbreak now linked with 30 COVID cases, including blood clinic exposure
Inside a Toronto ICU: A second-wave revisit and what has changed in six months
Government invests $1.9 million in COVID-19 immunity study of high-risk populations
Isolation heightening teens’ image anxieties
It may be time to reset expectations on when we’ll get a Covid-19 vaccine
Ford asking for reopenings in Stage 2 areas as Ontario confirms 896 new COVID-19 cases
Healthcare
‘World first’ Parkinson’s treatment undergoing clinical trial in Toronto
Ontario man denied government-funded mental health support for having ‘complex’ case
MAID
Assisted dying bill passes House of Commons vote in principle
Data, Privacy and AI
Cyberattack on Montreal’s west end health agency leads it to unplug from internet
Privacy investigation finds 5 million shoppers’ images collected at malls across Canada
NYGH deploys clinical decision support for DI
New system eases clinical communication at Michael Garron
Building Wave of Ransomware Attacks Strike U.S. Hospitals
Things to Do this Weekend
The most creative, elaborate Toronto jack-o-lanterns from this year’s pumpkin parades