Announcements

Last updated: August 2022

Hello CMCC Community,

I hope you have had an enjoyable summer and are ready for the challenge of a new or first year at CMCC. It seems just days ago, that we were wrapping up Convocation and Homecoming and here we are already at the beginning of a new academic year.

I am writing to you today to confirm our plans for the start of the new academic year on August 22, 2022 with a return to on-campus learning, a welcome departure from our hybrid and online format that was necessary in the previous academic year. 

What to Expect

We will soon see much more activity on campus than we have had in more than two years. We have fortunately been able to ease many of the COVID-19 restrictions, however, we will continue with certain protocols to ensure that we keep our students, employees and patients as safe as possible. The pandemic has provided us with huge challenges and last-minute changes to schedules and logistics both for learning and working. Together, the CMCC community has been able to pivot and has provided uninterrupted learning despite the circumstances.

Employees: In-Person and Hybrid on Campus

Please note that many employees will also be back on campus and available to provide in-person essential services. However, to help manage on-campus numbers and minimize risk, some employees will be working in a hybrid capacity. In such cases, in-person vs remote work times will be posted for your convenience.

LET’S GO!

We begin this Academic year on Monday August 22 with Year I in orientation for a full week on campus.  I extend a very warm welcome to you, Class of 2026. We are so glad you chose to start your professional learning at CMCC. Orientation week will get you familiar with all things at CMCC! And to all returning students and employees, WELCOME BACK!

Class Schedules

Students, please refer to your schedules now posted on KIRO.

Details by Year for on-campus arrival and start of classes beginning August 2022

Year I:

·        Monday August 22 -- Orientation Week in person

·        Monday August 29 – In-person lectures begin

·        Monday August 29 – In-person labs begin

·        Tuesday August 30 – In-person Technique lab begins for full class

Year II: 

·        Monday August 22 – In-person lectures begin

·        Monday August 22 – In-person Anatomy lab begins for full class

·        Tuesday August 23 – In-person Technique lab begins for full class

Year III: 

·        Monday August 22 – In-person lectures begin

·        Tuesday August 23 – In-person Technique lab begins for full class 

Year IV:  

·        No change to current arrangements and schedules

Missed a Class?

If you miss a class, you can watch the recording through KIRO. All live lectures will be recorded. For missed small group sessions, labs and assessments, please reach out to your course coordinator or Year Director for guidance.

 

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS FOR RETURN TO CAMPUS EFFECTIVE AUGUST 22, 2022

The following protocols will be in effect until further notice:

Mandatory Health Screening

Think about your personal risks and the risk impact to people around you.  Do not come to campus or clinics if you are experiencing symptoms of any contagious illness. If you do, this can greatly impact operations and the health and safety of others.

Conduct self-screening prior to entry to CMCC each day. Questions are available on the CMCC app, publicly online or at building entrances. 

  1. Do not come to campus if you cannot pass COVID-19 Screening.
  2. Refer to the symptom and exposure section of the COVID-19 webpage.
  3. Report your COVID-19 related absence online: Student or Employee and someone will follow up with you shortly.  Students must also follow up with their Year Director for a missed lab, small group session or assessment if it is related to COVID-19.
  4. Notify your close contacts that you are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness.
  5. Use the Ontario Self-Assessment to understand next steps should you need clarification.

Medical Masks

Medical masks are mandatory at CMCC. Masks are still proving to be a simple and effective method to lower risk of transmission.

Employees, Interns and Visitors:

               Enter campus with your mask on and change into a new mask at your entry point.

Students in Years I-III:

Change into a clean mask before entering your lab. If attending campus for other purposes, change into a new mask at your point of entry.

Do not walk through campus without a mask (relevant for all students and employees!)

 

Instructors in Lecture Hall 1, Lecture Hall 2 and CCPA Hall:

You are permitted to remove your mask while delivering your lecture.

If you choose to wear your own fit-tested or non-fit tested N95 or K95, please change into that mask on campus. 

Infection Control and Prevention Measures

Refer to the new Infection Control and Prevention Guide for 2022-23  that has replaced the Infection Control and Prevention Playbook for. It is a general guidance document. Consult your manager or Year Director on protocols specific to your activities. 

Access to PPE

Medical masks are required to be worn throughout campus. Use of gowns, scrubs and goggles are optional and available for purchase through the Supply Centre & Bookstore. Disposable gloves, disinfectant products and masks are available at no charge.

COVID-19 Rapid Tests Kits

Tests are available at no charge to CMCC students and employees. Show your CMCC ID to the Supply Centre and Bookstore for pick up. Visit the COVID-19 webpage for additional details and guidance. Unvaccinated persons are no longer required to complete rapid testing for entry.

Vaccination

COVID-19 continues to have a significant impact on businesses and the healthcare system. Variants of this virus are highly transmissible and expectations for the fall and winter are that case counts for COVID-19 will most likely rise. However, measures that we have put into place to date at CMCC have proven to be helpful in reducing transmission. Vaccination is still recommended and shown to be effective for reducing the risk of hospital and ICU admission. We encourage all students and employees to comply with COVID-19 vaccination recommendations from the province including booster doses.

Year I students please note: COVID-19 vaccination or approved exemption is required.

Occupancy Limits

All common spaces are open once again with reduced seating in some areas. The gymnasium will be used for additional seating during breaks until further notice. The fitness centre remains open for students who reserve a spot. Distancing is still recommended whenever possible, especially when your mask is removed for eating.

Food Services

For the start of the 2022-2023 academic year, a fresh food and cold beverage vending service (Kitchen Mate) has been introduced to support a limited provision for on-campus food services. Restocking of the fridge units will correlate to use/demand and will be at least twice per week. The vending service is available seven days per week in the Eatery (Level 200) during scheduled hours of operation at CMCC.

In September, Van Houtte coffee service will also be available in the Eatery.

Areas identified for consumption of food include the following:

  • Level 200
    • the Eatery (southern section of CCPA Hall)
    • the Bistro (outside Student Services)
  • Picnic Tables (outside) on the west side of the building
    • Faculty garden
    • Southwest entrance – Level 100
    • West-centre entrance – Level 100
  • Level 300
    • Student Lounge
  • Level 100
    • Gymnasium

 

Visitors

At this time, we are requiring that all visitors to CMCC campus are restricted to those essential to administrative or educational activities.

Following a successful opening in August, the Executive Leadership and Incident Command Teams will continue to actively monitor and evaluate these safety measures and protocols to adjust as needed, based on the advice of our public health partners and/or recommendations and mandates from the relevant provincial government ministries.

If you have any questions regarding your personal circumstances:

Students: please contact Patti Scott, Registrar, Student Services at pscott@cmcc.ca,

Employees: please contact Sharlene Browne, Director, Human Resources & Employee Engagement at sbrowne@cmcc.ca.

I look forward to beginning this new academic year and seeing you in person very soon. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding during these challenging times and for doing your part to keep the CMCC community safe and healthy.

Be well,

Dave

Previous Updates

Posted on December 22, 2021

Hello Year IV 

In response to the rapid transmission of COVID-19 please note the information below to ensure continuity of patient care and safety for everyone. These measures may be stricter than what you may be told by public health as CMCC has chosen to be extra cautious in responding to COVID-19.

When to Avoid Campus or Clinic

Please do not come if you are ​experiencing one or more of the following whether you are fully vaccinated or not: 

  • You have been in contact with a COVID-19 case or suspected case
  • You are living with a symptomatic person or person in self-isolation
  • You are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms 
  • You have tested positive for COVID-19 on a PCR/lab-based test or rapid test
  • You have been advised to remain home by health authorities
  • You cannot pass health screening

 

What Next?​

  1. Take the Ontario Self-Assessment for next steps
  2. Contact Public Health
  3. Students and Employees must report a COVID-19 absence using the appropriate COVID absence form: 
  4. Student Form
  5. Employee Form

Additionally, you can contact your pod clinician or manager to ensure they are aware immediately

If experiencing cold symptoms, please also remain off campus and away from Clinic.

For more information on COVID-19 visit our CMCC COVID Update page.

Thank you for your understanding and help.

Incident Command Team

Posted on December 16, 2021

Hello CMCC Community,

As you are all now very aware, the pandemic continues to evolve at an accelerated pace.  We are close to the end of the year and once again in a state of uncertainty.  In response to these rapidly changing conditions, the leadership and Incident Command Teams are closely monitoring all public health, provincial and federal government directives including case counts, status of the Omicron variant, etc. 

We have met over the last few days to evaluate the risks involved and determine what changes are required in our curriculum delivery plans for January, 2022.  Our priority is to ensure that we stay one step ahead of the pandemic, keep students and employees safe while we deliver the critical elements of the curriculum.

As such, we need to modify the plans we released to you in November and are continuing in a similar model of delivery in which we began with in the first set of modules.  The following is an overview of what is to come in January as we return to CMCC to learn and work.

 

Week of January 3-7, 2022

  • No In-person labs.  All in-person labs on January 6th will now be virtual. Specifically, CT1102, CT2204 and CD2201.  Schedules will be updated and course announcements and Zoom links will be sent out in advance.

 

Examinations Years I-III

  • All examinations for the weeks of January 10-14 and January 17-21 will be delivered and taken virtually.  Further details will be provided to you via KIRO.

 

Start of the 3rd module of the year (January 24, 2022)

  • Year I and Year II:
    • CE courses (CE1101 & CE2203) that were scheduled to go in person on January 24, will instead remain virtual.  Please refer to posted “current” schedules on Canvas and disregard the “tentative” schedules.

 

 

  • Year III:
    • CE3304 Small Group Sessions beginning January 24 will commence in-person.  As communicated in November, Year III CE3304 small group sessions will be delivered in-person as of January 24 to ensure adequate preparation for transition to clinic later in the spring.  Please refer to posted “tentative” schedules on Canvas for Year III.

 

No Change to Learning Spaces, Learning Groups, Lockers, Work Out Facilities

  • Learning spaces and learning groups (cohorts) will remain the same as they have been for the first set of modules.  This will allow CMCC to minimize potential transmission, keep physical distance requirements and ultimately contact trace effectively and quickly if the need should arise.

 

  • Lockers and work out spaces will remain available as they are now unless circumstances dictate otherwise.

 

Employees

Employees will continue with current work arrangements until further notice.

 

Subject to Change

These plans are, of course, subject to change as we gather more information and guidance from our provincial and local health units.  Should circumstances change, additional planning updates will be shared early in the new year when we hope to have a clearer picture of the path the pandemic is taking and further arrangements required for CMCC.  We are optimistic and hope for the best, but we must be realistic and plan for all eventualities.

 

As we head home to family and friends for the well-deserved break, I remind you to be cautious and mindful, keep current and follow the guidance of our public health authorities and try to limit non-essential personal contacts to reduce levels of community transmission.

 

Stay safe, stay healthy,

 

Christine

 

Christine Bradaric-Baus, PhD (she/her)

Vice President, Academic

Posted on December 13, 2021

Dear CMCC

Thank you for supporting CMCC during 2021 and we look forward to a safe return in January of 2022. The pandemic has certainly been impactful to all of us and continues to be an influence on daily life.  It is important to remain aware of the measures you can take to protect yourself and others during the break. Friendly reminders are below.

  • Follow government measures and recommendations for the region in which you live or are visiting.
  • If travelling, plan ahead and prepare for travel requirements including testing and isolation.
  • Plan safely if you choose to be a part of indoor gatherings with anyone outside of your household. Continue to wear a mask and keep a safe distance when possible. Refer to How to Stay Safe During the Holidays.

Prepare for return to CMCC in the new year

  • Read the CMCC Playbook to stay up to date on protocols prior to your return.
  • If experiencing cold symptoms or COVID-19 symptoms, remain home, take the [ontario%20self%20assessment]ON self-assessment for next steps and report your absence.
  • Ensure you have downloaded the CMCC app (Refer to the Playbook on page 5) from the app store to your mobile device for daily health screening. Complete health screening each day you plan to be on campus.  
  • Understand protocols that apply to your work and learning activities beyond the Playbook. If unsure, students may contact their Year Director and employees may contact their Manager.
  • Visit our COVID-19 webpage if you are looking for a COVID-19 resource or previous CMCC announcement.
  • Wear a mask on campus and change into a new mask when you arrive. Years I-III will continue to change into a new mask at their lab.

If you are not fully-vaccinated, rapid testing will increase to twice per week in January. A notification from the Rapid Test team will be sent to you.

 

Helpful links:

How to Stay Safe During the Holidays

Report COVID-19 Absence - Employee or Student

ON Self-Assessment

CMCC's Return to Campus Playbook

CMCC COVID-19 Updates

CMCC App - Apple or Google (Refer to the Playbook for instructions)

Mental Health Support

Travel

 

We remain committed to the health and safety of our community. Please send any questions regarding the above to covid@cmcc.ca.

 

Wishing you a fantastic holiday season.

Incident Command Team

Posted on December 6, 2021

Dear Employees  

Effective Tuesday, December 7, 2021 visitors must now complete our online Visitor Form as proof of entry to campus - an online sign in process.  The purpose of the form is to gather contact information for COVID-19 contact tracing should this become necessary. The form outlines CMCC requirements regarding proof of vaccination and rapid testing in accordance with CMCC’s Vaccination Policy. This new digital platform allows CMCC to remain in line with guidance from health authority and government for post-secondary institutions in managing and reporting visitors. Any visitor to a CMCC facility must be pre-arranged and approved by the manager/director of the division hosting the visit.   

The Visitor Form does not apply to patrons of the Supply Centre and Bookstore, clinic patients, delivery personnel and persons here for less than 15 minutes. It applies to anyone else who is not an employee or student of CMCC such as contract workers, volunteers, guest instructors, guest students, etc. 

Steps for Divisions to Receive Visitors on Campus 

  1. Visitors are permitted onsite if essential and/or approved for business or educational reasons.  
  2. Send the form to your visitor in advance to complete, so they are aware of entry requirements.  Please ensure your visitors are in compliance.
  3. Visitors will sign in through the online form using their own device either ahead of time or when they arrive. Upon arrival they will health screen and check in with reception/security as per usual.  
  4. Visitors must present their full vaccination status to their CMCC host along with ID. Acceptable forms of proof are noted here (vaccine certificate or vaccination receipt) 
  5. If not fully vaccinated or exempt, visitors must submit a negative rapid test  prior to their arrival. Submission is once per week at a minimum for recurring visitors. A photo of the result with the date is acceptable and must be sent to the CMCC host via email. 
  6. Additionally, visitors who are exempt, must present a copy of their exemption to their CMCC host. 

Form location - CMCC's homepage and Playbook (Page 5) . Signage is posted at the main entrance as well with QR code. 

Paper sign-in is still available at the main entrance and to be used only if needed (e.g. no digital device, etc.).  

Reporting Weekly  

The Ministry of Colleges and Universities requires non-identifiable data regarding vaccination status. Each division must report on their visitors weekly to the Division of Institutional Planning and Assessment who will provide a cumulative report to the ministry. Please see the Visitor Report form for instructions and data submission.   

Report form location - See Quick Links when logged into MyCMCC 

Your questions can be sent to Sheri Butera sbutera@cmcc.ca or you may respond to this email. 

Thank you for your cooperation and support.  

Incident Command Team  

Posted on November 10 2021

Dear CMCC Community,

Just two weeks ago we wrote to you to share our plans for the next set of modules to take us to the end of this calendar year and beyond with the information we had at that time. 

In that message, we assured you that we would continue to actively monitor the pandemic restrictions and the reopening of all activities in the province to take a measured, phased approach to resume some of our non-academic activities on campus by January or sooner. We also committed to a detailed review of curriculum delivery in the next two sets of modules to determine how we could safely resume your in-person, hands-on learning experience as soon as we are able. The review and resulting plans have been based on feedback and concerns brought forward from Students’ Council, Class and Athletic representatives among others. 

I am sharing what I hope is welcome news for you today. We will indeed be resuming some limited non-academic activities on campus prior to the end 2021 (lockers and potentially athletic facilities) and will integrate more in-person learning experiences in the new year. 

In short, we will be delivering all CE courses (CE1101, CE2203 and CE3304) in-person, starting January 24, 2022 (for Years I - III).  All CD and CT labs will continue in person.

NOTE: These plans have been developed with the safety of the entire CMCC community as our first priority. Should circumstances in the province or on campus change at any time and require us to restrict access and activities once again due to potential rises in case numbers and transmission of COVID-19, we will reassess and make swift changes as required.   

NEW CURRICULUM DELIVERY CHANGES FOR YEARS I-III EFFECTIVE JANUARY 24, 2022

On October 29, 2021, we informed you that the modules beginning on January 24, 2022, following the in-person examinations would integrate CE3304 for Year III for in-person on campus instruction. As we promised, we continued to review and assess the curriculum and have finalized a new plan to also bring on-site all small group sessions for Years I and II in CE1101 and CE2203.  This entails changing all current learning spaces after the second set of modules.

  • CE small group sessions will all return to on-campus spaces for instruction that will be posted on KIRO course sites by room location and student lab numbers.
  • All CD and CT labs will be moved to the six technique rooms as in pre-COVID instruction.  Students will continue to maintain their groups of three for all in-person learning. 
  • CE and CD group sizes will consist of nine students (three groups of three) and one tutor.
  • CT labs will consist of two groups of 18 students per technique room plus two tutors. Due to class size, the largest rooms (5 or 6) could have one additional group of three students.  Learning spaces include the six technique rooms, both lecture halls, gym, histology room, micro room, DI labs on the first floor and room 120 as needed (across from the blood lab).

 No Change to PPE

All PPE requirements remain the same and cohorts of three will continue. This allows us maximum flexibility and maximum safety for all students, tutors and staff.

New Schedules on KIRO now

Schedules are now available on KIRO. They reflect the current schedules we are using for the second modules of each year and the new January schedules for the remainder of the year.  Both schedules are posted so that students and faculty can compare and plan for the upcoming changes. If there are changes that arise due to a new pandemic wave, or restrictions from the province that require we scale back our plans, we will provide updates as needed. We are ready for all eventualities but we are now operating with renewed optimism that with the care we have all taken, we will continue to move forward in the right direction.  

YEAR IV

There are no changes to the clinics or clerkships at this time. We continue to work with our external clinic partners for hosted clinics, and will be lifting restrictions when possible.

Q: WHY WAIT TO JANUARY 2022? With the province continuing to open up, why is CMCC waiting until January to implement these changes and why not change mid-module?

A: As we have stated throughout the numerous changes and pivots beginning in March 2020, schedule changes will be made if and when possible on a module by module basis and not midstream. This gives everyone a module’s notice to change personal and professional schedules. Midstream changes will only be considered if mandated by the province. This practice allows students sufficient time for planning and personal arrangements, allows faculty time to adjust their schedules and materials accordingly and allows CMCC administration time to make all necessary changes to the facilities.

RESUMPTION OF NON-ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES ON CAMPUS

NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2021

Lockers: With winter just around the corner and more gear to carry, we know that this is not a moment too soon.  We can now safely resume the use of lockers throughout the campus. Student Services will be assigning them by year and by student lab numbers and will contact all students accordingly. Locker assignments will begin for all years commencing the week of November 15 in an orderly and controlled manner.

Athletic Facilities: We are in ongoing discussion on the best and safest ways to resume some athletic activities on campus, such as the use of the weight room and aerobic equipment for students who are fully vaccinated. We are working through details with your Athletic Reps and will be able to announce arrangements and logistics to you in the next week or two. Stay tuned.

Entrances and Zones: When locker use takes effect the week of November 15 and onward, the entrances that have been assigned will continue to be used and health screening will still occur. What will no longer be in effect is your assigned exit points and zones. This also means traffic flow will return to normal throughout campus and floor directional markers will be removed.

Years I-III are asked to avoid use of the main entrance at all times unless it is the only entrance available for access to the building. Students are expected to be on campus for essential reasons only including use of the fitness facilities when they become available.

Health Screening remains in place on campus and it is expected that everyone self-screens prior to coming to campus or clinics.

JANUARY 2022

Rapid Testing: Due to the increase in population on campus, employees and students who are not fully vaccinated regardless of any exemption, will be required to complete a rapid test twice per week instead of once per week.  Our policy requires rapid testing even for persons who are exempt from vaccination.  Participants will receive a follow up email with details from Dr. Sahar Bassaly who leads the Rapid Test Team.

Food Services: As we have more students on campus effective January 24, potentially 400 to 600 students per day, we are now considering arrangements for food service provisions and space in the CCPA Hall once the learning spaces are partially relocated for the January start. Discussions are ongoing with our service provider.

Library: With the gradual return of more students to campus, we are actively reviewing an increase in Library capacity and will be able to provide more details in the weeks to come.

Protocols: CMCC Return to Campus Playbook will be updated to reflect the upcoming changes. It is essential everyone continues to follow the protocols in all activities. While the public is subject to less restrictive measures, CMCC must operate in accordance with government authority and layer in caution to ensure continuity of our operations as both a post-secondary and healthcare institution.

CMCC’s Interim Vaccination Policy can be found online and is linked in the CMCC Playbook should you need to refer it.

Attention Faculty TUTORS!

With this change to in-person instruction for all CE small group sessions, please ensure you check your availability and schedules on KIRO well in advance. Please direct any issues or concerns to your Director.

For All Employees

At this time, there is no change to arrangements for in-person or remote work to the end of this calendar year. As we ramp up on-campus teaching activities in January 2022, we expect that divisions and departments will be planning for the flow and return of staff to ensure that there is adequate support both on-site and remotely for these increased activities. Please begin to plan and think about what changes you may need to make in your work arrangements as we slowly begin to increase and eventually resume in-person work. Please direct any issues or concerns to your Director or to Sharlene Browne, Director, Human Resources at sbrowne@cmcc.ca.

I hope you are as excited as we are to see these positive changes toward having increased activity on campus. We will continue to work with the student body, faculty and administration to provide updates and opportunities for all as we plan our slow, cautious return to normal.

Be well,

Dave

Posted on October 29 2021

Dear CMCC Community,

As we are at the end of the examination period for the first modules of each year and gearing up for the start of the next set of modules on November 1, we are writing to you today to provide information on how we will progress for each year of study.  We are also providing delivery changes that are in planning stages for subsequent modules that commence on January 24, 2022.

Our priority remains the continued health and safety of our entire community of students, faculty, staff, and patients. Even before the school year began, we stated that as the public health situation evolves throughout the fall, CMCC is ready to adapt and expand upon our safety and wellness protocols, when needed. As a gentle reminder, please note that we are still in what the province calls a phase of the fourth wave and with temperatures cooling and more indoor activities anticipated, we know that risks could be slightly increased. We should all take great pride in the fact that we have not had any on-campus transmission and with our strict protocols and your collaboration, we hope to remain in that status.  

NO CHANGE IN PROVINCIAL REGULATIONS FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS – DELIVERY OF THE 2ND SET OF MODULES IS UNCHANGED FOR YEARS I-III

To date, Health and Education Ministry regulations for teaching institutions, with a component of essential in-person interaction such as CMCC, have not changed. You can find that information here: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/200364As such, we will continue to deliver the curriculum for the second modules for each year which begins on November 1, 2021, as we have for the first -- with limited in-person instruction and in the same groups and cohorts you have been assigned for your in-person labs. Lectures, small groups, etc., will continue to be delivered online. Please see KIRO for your schedules which have been posted accordingly.

This format will continue to the end of the second modules for Years I to III that end on January 7​, 2022 for all years.

Examinations: Exams, beginning the week of January 10 and running to January 21, 2022 will again be delivered in person as we have done for the first module exams.

Year IV

There are no changes foreseen for Year IV curriculum delivery at this time. NOTE: The written component of the Clinic midterm will be held on campus as planned. Arrangements and room assignments will be provided to Year IV students in advance. 

SMALL BUT IMPORTANT CHANGES IN THE 3RD SET OF MODULES (MODULE 11)!  YEAR III -- INTEGRATION OF IN-PERSON LEARNING IN CE3304

Though we cannot predict exactly what the winter season may bring, CMCC is confident that the addition of CE3304 for Year III students is essential for proper preparation for clinic and can be safely added to in-person on-campus activities in the new year. The in-person delivery of CE3304 will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.  All current groups and cohorts will be maintained. Further details will be available on KIRO in class schedules.

Years I and II

No changes to in-person instruction for the 3rd set of modules are planned at this time. All groups and cohorts will continue as they are today. We will continue to assess the science and risks to determine if changes may be possible.

ATTENTION FACULTY TUTORS!

With this change to in-person instruction for CE 3304, please ensure you check your availability and schedules on KIRO well in advance. Please discuss any issues or concerns with your coordinator.

For All Employees

At this time, there is no change to arrangements for in-person or remote work. Employees deemed essential will be on campus and all others will continue to work from home or with periodic entry to campus as needed. We will continue to review regulations and requirements and should changes be introduced, they will be phased in slowly beginning in January 2022 with plenty of notice and consultation.

RESUMPTION OF NON-ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES ON CAMPUS

To date, we have not been able to safely resume certain non-academic, on-campus activities. Our priority has remained the safe delivery of learning activities, patient interactions, and other essential events. However, following the announcements made earlier this week by the province relating to the gradual lifting of pandemic restrictions (primarily in the business community),  we can now take a measured approach and begin to plan the gradual resumption of some non-academic activities. Those plans will take into consideration the pandemic restrictions still in effect, and our own space and priority requirements. We will weigh the options and risks and hopefully be able to resume certain activities by January 2022 if not sooner. For the next short while, we will be in a holding pattern, but a very optimistic one as the situation in Ontario is improving. 

FURTHER UPDATES TO COME

The Executive and Incident Command Teams are committed to the active assessment of provincial regulations and pandemic risk as it relates to curriculum delivery, student experience, patient care, and workplace health and safety. We will provide an additional update before the end of November and again prior to the holiday season to let you know how our plans for early 2022 are progressing.

We appreciate your understanding and your patience. This has not been easy on any of our community members, students, faculty, and staff alike. Your dedication and commitment to your studies and your work are very much appreciated. Thank you.

Be well,

 

Dave

Posted on September 4 2021

Dear CMCC Community,

As you are now fully aware, in accordance with new provincial mandates from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities issued August 31, all postsecondary institutions are required to have COVID-19 vaccination policies in place effective September 7, 2021.

The CMCC COVID-19 Vaccination (Interim) policy has now been finalized and is considered to be in full effect with no exceptions as of September 7, 2021.

Under the terms of the policy:

As of September 7, 2021, all CMCC students, employees and visitors (excluding patients) who wish to enter the campus building or one of the CMCC-operated clinics are required to be fully-vaccinated against COVID-19 infection or have negative results from weekly COVID-19 testing.

Ø  Employees and students must submit proof of vaccination, either by attestation or provision of official receipts, to the division of Human Resources (employees) or Student Services (students).  

Ø  Persons declining to be vaccinated must notify CMCC of this decision by September 7, 2021 and will be required to complete a CMCC-approved vaccination education program unless medically exempted.  These persons will be required to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing for entry to CMCC premises.

Ø  Partially vaccinated persons and unvaccinated persons, including persons with medical or religious exemptions, will be allowed entry only after providing evidence of a weekly negative result from an accepted COVID-19 test.

Ø  Rapid antigen COVID-19 tests will be available at CMCC at no charge on select days, however other approved tests may be used at the person's expense. Negative test results will be required at a frequency of no less than once per week for any person on campus.

By October 29, 2021, attestation will no longer be acceptable and a person’s fully-vaccinated status will be substantiated only by official receipts from the Ministry of Health or other approved vaccine provider that have been submitted to CMCC.

This policy is a key part of CMCC’s COVID-19 safety protocols which include the wearing of masks in all indoor spaces and on all CMCC property outdoors, social distancing, class size restrictions, wearing of PPE and other safety measures which have, to date, kept the CMCC community safe. See CMCC Return to Campus Playbook.

Our plans and protocols are consistent with other institutions of higher education - in particular those whose instruction and teaching cannot be effectively provided if physical distancing is maintained (i.e., direct patient care and technique, etc.).

To review the full policy details, please visit:  https://www.cmcc.ca/about-cmcc/documents/CMCC-COVID-Vaccination-Policy-interim.pdfProcedures to accompany the new policy are being developed and a revised policy will be issued in the near future. 

Based on feedback to date, we have prepared a Frequently Asked Question document (see attachment) to address some of the immediate questions you may have.  This will be updated over time as additional questions are asked.

Thank you for your patience and your cooperation

Stay safe,

Dave

Posted on September 3 2021

Dear CMCC Community,

On August 31, as part of the Post-Secondary Education (PSE) sector, we were advised by the Ministry of College and Universities (MCU) that a new Postsecondary Education Health Measures Framework for Fall 2021 was released. This framework is intended to support the continued health and safety of students, faculty, and staff.

Developed in consultation with the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health (OCMOH), the Framework includes very specific instructions for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies.  In accordance with these instructions we are required to have COVID-19 a vaccination policy in place effective September 7, 2021. Additional information was provided today during a technical briefing by the MCU.

In compliance with the new Ministry instructions delivered to us just TODAY, all persons entering CMCC must provide documentation to reflect their vaccination status at the time the policy is effective. That means that beginning September 7, employees and students must have submitted proof of their COVID-19 vaccinations to date. Any person not yet vaccinated or who is exempt (with proof) must submit to a rapid COVID-19 test at least once per week to be able to continue to enter any CMCC premises.  Only fully-vaccinated individuals will be allowed to enter without additional testing. CMCC and all institutions are obligated to report regularly to the Ministry, our vaccination status for all employees and students. 

Get your vaccination proof in now
We urge you to submit your vaccination receipts as soon as possible:

Students: Submit a copy of your vaccination dose receipt (dose 1 and dose 2) from the Ministry of Health as a .jpeg or .pdf attachment via email to studentserv@cmcc.ca.
For information regarding exemptions, please contact Kimberley Kelly 
kkelly@cmcc.ca.

 

Employees: Copies of vaccination receipts can be uploaded to HROnline.

Once logged on, under the Personal menu tab, there are two new selections in the drop down menu (1. Document Review 2. Employee Documents). This is two step process – Select Document Review, select your attestation option, then, go to the Employee Documents selection, and upload your Vaccination Receipt. If your receipts are in separate files, you will need to repeat the upload process for each receipt.

For additional employee information, including disclosure and exemption, please contact Sharlene Brownesbrowne@cmcc.ca.

 

To facilitate additional vaccination opportunities, we have arranged for the GO-VAXX bus, the Government of Ontario’s mobile unit to be on campus on WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the CMCC upper parking lot. Details will be sent shortly.

In the coming days, we will finalize the Interim COVID-19 Vaccination policy and communicate it to you with full details and Frequently Asked Questions. In the meantime, for those who are vaccinated, partially or fully, please send in your proof as above and for those who have yet to book, visit the provincial portal or come to campus when the GO-VAXX bus is here next week.

Please be reassured that we are far ahead of many institutions and organizations who are in the first stage of policy development and planning for mandatory vaccinations, yet we still have some work to do. We will continue to move swiftly and remain vigilant to protect the health and safety of all members of this community.

Thank you for your patience and your cooperation.

Stay safe,

Dave

Posted on August 27 2021

Dear CMCC Community,

We have come to the end of our first week of this academic year. Thank you all for your patience and cooperation in following the new requirements and protocols recently introduced and outlined in the CMCC Return to Campus Playbook

I am writing to you today to reassure you that CMCC has the continued health and safety of our entire community of students, faculty, staff, and patients as our top priority. On Monday, August 23, we reopened campus for limited in-person instruction and in compliance with all provincial regulations to date. Thank you to all those who contributed to our reopening plans. As you know, the circumstances and provincial restrictions in response to the pandemic tend to change frequently which provided additional challenges to the already complex planning scenario.  

On August 17, 2021, the Chief Medical Officer of Health in the province indicated that mandatory vaccination policies will be required for post-secondary institutions, with specific minimum requirements. The Ministry of Colleges and Universities has not yet issued a directive but we anticipate this will be coming very soon. Over the past few weeks, dozens of colleges and universities in Ontario have implemented new mandatory vaccination policies. The CMCC vaccination policy and requirements for any individual (employee, student, or visitor) coming to a CMCC facility is currently under final review and we will be making a formal announcement to you in the coming days.  

I cannot stress strongly enough that our vaccination against COVID-19 is the single most effective public health measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Vaccination along with the other essential public health measures (physical distancing, capacity limits, indoor mask use, and full PPE for direct patient care) are essential in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This ensures that we are able to resume additional activities on campus and active in-campus life at some point in the near future.   

We reached out to provincial public health services to investigate the possibility of bringing a mobile vaccination unit (GO-VAXX) on campus to facilitate vaccinations (Pfizer) for the community. We just received notification that the mobile unit will be present at CMCC in early September. Dates will be confirmed shortly. If you have not yet received your first or final dose of the vaccine, this will provide you with a very convenient means.

As the public health situation evolves throughout the fall, rest assured that CMCC will be ready to adapt and expand upon our safety and wellness protocols, as needed, to ensure the health and safety of all the members of the CMCC community. 

 

Vaccination status disclosure

Further details on vaccination status disclosure will be announced once the policy has been finalized and approved.

Students: Please continue to submit a copy of your vaccination dose receipt from the Ministry of Health has a .jpeg or .pdf attachment via email to studentserv@cmcc.ca.

Employees: Once the vaccination policy has been announced, should you require additional information regarding vaccination status disclosure, please contact Sharlene Browne, sbrowne@cmcc.ca.

 

Stay safe,

Dave

Posted on July 29 2021

Hello CMCC Community,

Time has flown and here we are, just a few weeks from the start of the academic year. I am writing to you today to re-confirm our plans for the start of the new academic year on August 23, 2021 in a hybrid format, i.e. online, live on-line and limited in-person hands-on labs for the first set of modules with a few important changes.

Increasing lab sizes and resuming In-person Anatomy labs

We are happy to announce that with the easing of some restrictions over the summer, we have been able to revise our initial school opening plans. CMCC will be starting the new academic year August 23 in a hybrid format AND we will increase our in-person lab sizes and resume in-person Anatomy labs. These are small but important changes that can enhance your learning experience while still maintaining the safest possible environment for students, employees, and patients.   

Updated details for the first set of modules:

  • In-person diagnosis (CD) and technique (CT) labs will be held on campus in 12 separate instructional spaces (approximately 18 students + one tutor per space) with full PPE and safety protocols. Students will still maintain their assigned groups of three. Group sign-up information and detailed instructions will follow in a separate email.
  • Anatomy labs will resume in-person.
  • Lectures will continue to be online and will be a mixture of recorded and live presentations.
  • Small groups will continue to be online. A gradual phasing in of in-person small group instruction will begin after the first sets of modules.
  • Group gatherings and activities will not yet be permitted on campus until vaccination rates in the province and at CMCC have reached a higher level. Vaccination is a very powerful tool that will ultimately allow us to slowly and safely transition to more in-person activities on campus. As the second set of modules begin in mid-October, we are hopeful that we will have reached our target goals of vaccination among students and employees and be able to consider opening fitness facilities, the Eatery, lounges, lockers and lecture halls.
  • Self-assessment screening via the CMCC App will continue.
  • Direct patient care will continue with full PPE and safety protocols.
  • CMCC Library is now available for use with some restrictions.
  • Lockers will not be issued until further notice.

Class schedules

New updated class schedules based on these new group sizes and in-person labs are now posted on KIRO.

Details by Year for on-campus arrival and start of classes beginning August 2021 (Updated)

Year I:

  • Monday August 23 -- Orientation Week (virtual)
  • Monday August 30 – Online recorded lectures begin
  • Monday August 30 -- In-person labs begin in groups
  • Wednesday Sept 1 -- Live virtual sessions begin
  • Thursday September 2 – In-person Technique lab begins for full class

Year II:

  • Monday August 23 – Online recorded lectures begin
  • Monday August 23 – Live virtual sessions begin
  • Monday August 23 – In-person Anatomy lab begins for full class
  • Tuesday August 24 – In-person Technique lab begins for full class

Year III:

  • Monday August 23 – Online recorded lectures begin
  • Tuesday August 24 – In-person Technique lab begins for full class
  • Thursday August 26 -- Live virtual sessions begin

Year IV:

  • No change to current arrangements and schedules

Transition

Following a successful opening in August, all measures will be regularly evaluated for the potential addition of in-person academic, social and recreational activities. We are taking a cautious approach during the first set of modules to obtain a clear picture of the overall vaccination rate in the CMCC community. Once we have that, we will be able to determine additional activities and facilities that can be safely added for the second set of modules and beyond. 

Vaccination is critical

COVID vaccinations are now widely available across the country. We thank all of the employees and students who have already received theirs and are fully or at least partially vaccinated. High vaccination rates will play a critical role in ensuring that CMCC can bring a full student life experience back to campus sooner.

Our goal is to ensure the health, safety and well-being of our CMCC community and deliver the high quality academic experience you deserve.  We will continue to work with public health partners and the provincial government to ensure that our reopening plans prioritize your health and safety above all.  CMCC supports and encourages vaccination. Though it is a personal choice, we call upon students and employees to get vaccinated. Help us protect those at risk, lower the chances of future outbreaks and return to an active in-person campus life.

Reminder: In order for CMCC to maintain a record of vaccination for students, we ask for your assistance and cooperation. When you have received your record of vaccination (dose receipt) from the Ministry of Health, please submit a copy as a .jpeg or .pdf attachment via email to studentserv@cmcc.ca.

 

If you have further questions or concerns please contact:

Students: Kimberley Kelly, kkelly@cmcc.ca

Employees: Sharlene Browne, sbrowne@cmcc.ca

 

I look forward to beginning this new academic year and seeing you in person in the near future.

 

Be well,

Dave

Posted on May 7 2021

Hello CMCC Community,

We have somehow arrived at the final weeks of this academic year and have headed into final exams. Year III students have begun their orientation to clinic, while the Class of 2021 looks ahead to graduation, CCEB exams and transition to practice.

Along the way, we had to make some quick changes and pivots in response to short notice modifications in provincial restrictions. Though they were inevitable, they were none-the-less inconvenient and uncomfortable and we empathize with each of you, understanding the additional stress this has caused.

Recognizing that having information early in the process allows us all to make sound decisions and arrangements for family, housing, travel back to the province, etc., our academic and leadership teams have taken time to plan the return to campus in August 2021. In planning, our priority is the continued health and well-being of the CMCC community while remaining adaptive so as to meet changing conditions and responses to COVID-19.

Where/how do we begin?

At this point in time, we are comfortable in announcing that CMCC classes will begin as scheduled on August 2021 in a hybrid format, i.e. online, live online and limited in-person hands-on labs. So that means: 

·         In-person labs will be held on campus in groups of 10 per instructional space (nine students + one tutor) with full PPE and safety protocols.

·         Lectures will continue to be online and will be a mixture of recorded and live presentations.

·         Small groups will continue to be online. When provincial restrictions begin to ease, a gradual phasing in of in-person small group instruction will begin after the first sets of modules

·         Group gatherings and activities will not be permitted on campus until provincial restrictions allow.

·         Continued self-assessment screening via CMCC App and remaining home when required to do so.

·         Direct patient care will continue with full PPE and safety protocols.

·         Essential employees only on campus and all others to continue to work remotely.

 

Preliminary class schedules will be posted on KIRO after written exams have finished and no later than the first week of June.

Note:  For students who missed some in-person lab time, there will be makeup time for those scheduled in the fall.

Planning your return to campus

We expect that as vaccination programs ramp up across the country and conditions improve, all provinces will begin to ease restrictions. However, to simplify planning for students and for employees, CMCC will continue this hybrid format through the first set of modules.

Details by Year for on-campus arrival and start of classes beginning August 2021

Year I:

·         Monday August 23 -- Orientation Week (virtual)

·         Monday August 30 – online recorded lectures begin

·         Monday August 30 -- In-person labs begin in groups and occur daily that week until the whole class has had a lab by Thursday September 2.

·         Wednesday and Friday Sept 1 and 3 -- Live virtual sessions begin 

Year II:

·         Monday August 23 – online recorded lectures begin

·         Monday August 23 – Live virtual sessions begin

·         Tuesday and Wednesday August 24 and 25 – in-person labs begin with 50% of class attending each day

Year III:

·         Monday August 23 – online recorded lectures begin

·         Thursday August 26 -- Live virtual sessions begin

·         Tuesday and Wednesday August 24 and 25 – in-person labs begin with 50% of class attending each day 

Year IV:

·         No change to current arrangements and schedules

 

We hope that by sharing these details now, everyone will have time to properly plan through the summer.

Expected easing of restrictions and impact to class schedules

Q. So, what happens if and when restrictions ease this summer?

A.  The academic and leadership team is mindful of the importance of adaptability and has developed scenarios and schedules to respond to what we hope will be improvements going forward. 

Should conditions improve, and provincial guidance allow, following completion of the first set of modules and dependent on core provincial health measures, CMCC could begin to add small groups on campus, increase in-person lab sizes, and resume select Anatomy labs.

We will continue to share additional information as it becomes available in the next months.

Vaccination

COVID vaccinations are becoming more widely available across the province. CMCC strongly supports and encourages you to get vaccinated, although ultimately this is a personal choice.

Note: Currently, vaccinated individuals are not exempt from public health restrictions and protocols. CMCC continues to monitor data provided. Protocols and measures must remain in place until science and government provide more guidance in this regard.

 

If you have further questions or concerns please contact:

Students: Kimberley Kelly, kkelly@cmcc.ca

Employees: Sharlene Browne, sbrowne@cmcc.ca

 

Be well,

Dave

Posted on April 28 2021

Dear CMCC Community

Further to the recent provincial restrictions and CMCC’s decision to move all hands-on labs to remote learning, we recognize that the majority of our staff and students are now working and learning from home.  However, in order for us to keep track of all COVID-related instances that may affect our members who are active on campus and in clinics, we are asking that you continue to report such instances (e.g., exposure, symptoms, travel, or positivity) into our online forms, to continue to keep our CMCC community safe. 

Please continue to report any COVID-related instances that may occur under the following conditions:  

  • You engage or will be engaging in an activity on campus (includes patient care, screening, course content creation, research, work, etc.) 
  • You are required to be on campus as part of an essential activity or service
  • You are in close contact with others who are required to be on campus 
  • You are a student and unable to participate in online classes 
  • You are an instructor and unable to participate in online classes 

COVID-Related Tracking Reporting Forms: Students     Employees 

Please contact SharlenBrowne in Human Resources sbrowne@cmcc.ca or Kimberley Kelly kkelly@cmcc.ca in Student Services if you have any questions.  

Thank you

Incident Command Team

Posted on April 16 2021

Hello CMCC Community,

As many of you are aware, the COVID-19 situation in Ontario and the rest of the country is becoming increasingly worrisome. Today, experts with Ontario’s COVID-19 science advisory table presented the new modelling data at a news conference amid record-breaking COVID-19 infection rates and as an unprecedented number of people fight the deadly disease in intensive care.

Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, the co-chair of the advisory table, stated that with the new modelling numbers, the chances of Ontario having a more normal summer with lower daily case numbers are slim and highly dependent on vaccination rates and stricter public health measures.

In response, late this afternoon, Premier Ford announced an extension and strengthening of the stay-at-home orders for an additional two weeks (to May 20) and imposed much stricter guidelines that include restrictions of inter-provincial travel, closure of outdoor recreational facilities, reduced limits on customer capacity and more.

More detailed information on these restrictions is available at: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/61192/ontario-strengthens-enforcement-of-stay-at-home-order

Following these announcements, the CMCC Leadership and Incident Command teams met to discuss and plan next steps for CMCC to ensure the safety and continued health of our community. We are writing to you this evening to inform you of these changes that become effective on Monday April 19, 2021.  We have carefully considered the new modelling data, the increased cases and transmissibility of the Variants of Concern and have weighed the risk versus benefits of continuing to offer in-person teaching for Years I to III for the remainder of the academic year. With your safety as our first priority, we have decided to move all lab instruction exclusively to virtual for the remainder of the academic year.

In-person Labs transition to virtual for Years I to III

Effective Monday April 19, 2021, CMCC will cease all in-person labs and transition to online. Thankfully, we are almost at the end of the academic year and the move to virtual will still allow us to provide you with the full curriculum as planned, keep you and your classmates and colleagues safe, and eliminate or greatly reduce any potential risk of COVID transmission. 

Note: in-person labs, CT1105  scheduled for Saturday April 17 at CMCC will run as planned from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Library closure
In compliance with stricter provincial guidelines and for the safety of students and employees, the Library will be closed as of Monday April 19 and will not reopen until further notice.

Year III students transition to Clinic
Year III students will complete labs virtually and will be able to transition to clinic orientation and in-person patient care as planned on May 10, 2021.

Year IV students
Direct patient care will continue as usual with all PPE and protocols in place as they have been to date.

Employees

Faculty teaching labs will transition to virtual teaching. And as we have stated time and again, we stress that all employees, unless essential and required to be on site, continue to work safely from home. Only essential staff/faculty should be on campus. 

Please also remember that outdoor gatherings/CMCC clubs including open practice are also not permitted until these restrictions are lifted.

Self-Care 

We recognize the impact that COVID-19 has had on our mental health. We are all tired and stressed and anxious, but if we can get through this rough period for the next weeks, we will begin to see the changes for the better and cases and rates begin to take a downward curve.

For any additional questions or concerns please contact:

Students: Kimberley Kelly, kkelly@cmcc.ca

Employees: Sharlene Browne, sbrowne@cmcc.ca.

We wish we had better news to share today. It has been a very challenging academic year -- that is an indisputable fact. And we are all fatigued. We have pivoted and transitioned and changed and endured so much together. And yet, we can take pride in the fact that, in spite of repeated challenges, we have worked together, thoughtfully and professionally, to arrive here today. 

Please continue to be mindful of your interactions, to follow the public health guidelines to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

 

Dave

Posted on April 8 2021

Good afternoon CMCC community,

This afternoon, Premier Ford followed up last week’s Emergency Brake Shutdown with a new province-wide announcement. As COVID-19 cases surge at an alarming rate, particularly those involving the variants of concern, and Ontario ICU departments are now at capacity, the Premier has declared a third state of emergency under the advisement of the Provincial Medical Officer of Health and the province’s COVID-19 Science Advisory Table and has issued a province-wide Stay-at-Home Order as of Thursday, April 8 at 12:01 a.m. for four weeks. This order is similar to that issued after the winter break.

The Details

As of April 8, 2021, all non-essential retail operations will be closed (delivery and curbside pickup only) and large retail operations (big-box stores) will have further restrictions and also will be limited to essential items only. Grocery stores and pharmacies remain open with restrictions already in place.

As before, all inside gatherings with people other than those in your household are prohibited and all social gatherings are highly discouraged.

We recognize that all of the chatter in the media along with mixed messages from different governments and offices is causing confusion and anxiety.

Here is what we do know: 

Are schools closing?

NO with exceptions. Under the Stay at Home orders, schools in the elementary and secondary years remain open for now except in TORONTO and PEEL where the top public health doctors have ordered JK-12 students to move to virtual instruction until at least April 18, 2021. Changes to post-secondary institutions have not been initiated.

Are CMCC in-person labs affected?

NO. Based on the announcement today, CMCC can continue to offer scheduled in-person labs as we have done for months with the limit of nine students and one instructor per instructional space and with full COVID-19 protocols in place as before. 

Are CMCC clinics affected?

NO. These orders will not affect our clinic health care services. Direct patient contact will continue with the strict COVID-19 protocols we have in place now and which have kept CMCC clinicians, interns, patients and clinic staff safe.

How does this affect CMCC faculty and staff?

Faculty teaching in-person labs will continue with the schedule and in-person labs as planned and as communicated on April 1. Limited research activities are able to continue with all safety protocols in place. All employees unless essential and required to be on site, must continue to work from home until further notice. Only essential staff/faculty should be on campus. 

For full details on provincial restrictions in the Stay-at-Home Order, please visit: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/61029/ontario-enacts-provincial-emergency-and-stay-at-home-order.

For any additional questions or concerns please contact:

Students: Kimberley Kelly, kkelly@cmcc.ca

Employees: Sharlene Browne, sbrowne@cmcc.ca

Let’s hope that as the enhanced provincial restrictions take hold and cases begin to decrease, that vaccinations will continue to ramp up, and we will begin to see the light at the end of this very long tunnel.

Again, please be mindful of your interactions. Stay at home as much as possible and leave home only for essential purposes. Restrict travel outside of the region where you currently live and follow the provincial orders.

Stay safe and healthy.

Dave

Posted on April 1 2021

Good afternoon CMCC community, 

Just hours ago, Premier Ford and his Ministers made an important announcement to implement an Emergency Brake Shutdown for the entire province of Ontario.  In a few short weeks, Ontario has seen an alarming rise in the number of COVID-19 cases across the province. New modelling released this morning by the Science Advisory Table indicates that the spread of variants of concern is dangerously outpacing Ontario's COVID-19 vaccination campaign. At this rate, health experts advise that admissions to intensive care will likely top 800 in April. The variants of concern are proving to be highly transmissible and the highest rates of cases are in younger populations, directly affecting CMCC, our students, patients and employees.

Under the Emergency Brake Shutdown orders, in effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday April 3, all inside gatherings with people other than those in your household are prohibited and all social gatherings are highly discouraged. Outdoor gatherings are limited to groups of no more than 5 and always with social distancing in place.

Further restrictions have not been announced for schools in Ontario at any level, but the province is closely monitoring the situation. This could mean adjustments to the delayed March (April) break and a return to virtual learning for elementary and high school learners after the break.

How does this new order affect CMCC in-person teaching?

At this juncture, with the majority of our exams being planned to be virtual and our in-person labs limited to nine students and one instructor per instructional space, we do not anticipate any changes to the Undergrad schedule

How does this new order affect direct patient care in our clinic environments?

Again, there is no further restriction imposed on health care services which means that our clinics and direct patient contact will continue with the strict COVID-19 protocols we have in place now and which have kept CMCC clinicians, interns, patients and clinics staff safe.

How does this affect CMCC faculty and staff?

Faculty teaching in-person labs will continue with the schedule and in-person teaching as planned. We continue to advise all other employees unless essential and required to be on site, to work safely from home. Only essential staff/faculty should be on campus.

Emergency Brake Shutdown restrictions include:

  • Prohibiting indoor organized public events and social gatherings, and limiting the capacity for outdoor gatherings to a five-person maximum — except for gatherings with members of the same household or gatherings of members of one household and one other person from another household who lives alone.
  • Limits on in-person shopping, including a 50 per cent capacity limit for supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, indoor farmers' markets, other stores that primarily sell food and pharmacies, and a 25 per cent limit for all other retail including big box stores.
  • No personal care services.
  • No indoor and outdoor dining. Take out, delivery and drive thru options are still allowed.
  • Prohibiting the use of facilities for indoor or outdoor sports and recreational fitness with very limited exceptions
  • The closure of day camps
  • Limiting capacity at weddings, funerals, and religious services to 15 per cent occupancy per room indoors, and to the number of people who can maintain two metres of physical distance outdoors. This does not include social gatherings associated with these services such as receptions, which are not permitted indoors and are limited to five people outdoors.

For full details on provincial restrictions, please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/enhancing-public-health-and-workplace-safety-measures-provincewide-shutdown

For any additional questions or concerns please contact:

Students: Kimberley Kelly, kkelly@cmcc.ca

Employees: Sharlene Browne, sbrown@cmcc.ca

This is a holiday weekend and we all deserve a break, so I hope that in spite of some challenges with this new situation, you can find safe ways to recharge and enjoy the outdoors and the time off.

Please be mindful of your interactions, follow the provincial orders and stay safe and healthy. 

Dave

Posted on March 29 2021

Dear CMCC Community 

Spring is finally here and we hope that you can take some time during the upcoming April breaks to reset and relax after this long winter.  The Easter long weekend on April 2-5, as well as the public school spring break now scheduled for April 12-16, may both offer much needed time away.    

However, with COVID-19 remaining a challenge and COVID-19 variants spreading even more rapidly, we wanted to remind you of the importance to continue to be mindful of your actions during the break(s) so that you are able to return to CMCC safely. 

Here’s a recap of the safety protocols for your convenience: 

    1. If you are a CMCC employee who works on campus, follow the Toronto Grey Lockdown measures.

    1. Avoid unessential travel. Travel poses a risk to the people you visit with and return to. If you have plans to travel outside of Ontario, you will have to quarantine as per the Ontario guidelines for 14 days upon your return. Please ensure you also complete the online CMCC COVID tracking form if you find yourself in this situation.

    1. For your health and wellbeing, it is important to enjoy the outdoors and the warmer weather. However, please always wear a mask outdoors when you are unable to physically distance more than 2 metres.

    1. Stay home if you are ill, even if symptoms are minor.

    1. If you have reason to suspect or have concerns that these symptoms may be due to an exposure to COVID, please complete the online CMCC COVID tracking form and send it to Human Resources before you make any plans to return to campus.

    1. See additional guidance on the “Do's” and “Don'ts” for the Greater Toronto Area.

    1. You must follow CMCC protocols whether or not you are vaccinated. Protocols at this time do not differ in any way for vaccinated individuals and are in place to protect all of us.

    1. Review the CMCC Playbook to understand amendments and note the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) section has been updated with more specific instruction.

    1. Only come to campus if you are deemed an essential onsite worker.

  1. Active onsite screening continues with use of the CMCC app. You must complete the self-assessment and self-declaration via the CMCC app as proof of safe entry whether a screener is present or not.

If you have any questions on the above, you may reach out to your director, hradmin@cmcc.ca or reply to us at covid@cmcc.ca.

Thank you for the effort you have made so far to help keep our community safe! 

The Incident Command Team 

 

Posted on March 19 2021

 Hello Years I-III

We hope that you will take the time to reset and relax over March break. In-person learning resumes on March 29 as scheduled. With COVID-19 remaining a challenge and COVID-19 variants spreading even more rapidly, we caution you to be mindful about what you do and where you go over your break so that you are able to return to CMCC safely.

Here are a few friendly reminders:

To date, we have been very flexible in accommodating special conditions and circumstances for many students. However, at this time, given the balance of the program left to deliver, accommodations such as exam deferrals will be more difficult to schedule during the weeks left, and will be subject to deferral fees except in extenuating circumstances. We simply have less time to make up for missed labs or exams due to quarantine requirements and still meet our commitment to you to finish the program on time in May.

If you have any questions, on the above, please contact Kimberley Kelly at kkelly@cmcc.ca

Use of CMCC Student Entrances

Monday to Friday

Use 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. whether you are here for labs or other essential reasons.

Accessible for entry after 5:00 p.m. if labs are scheduled.  

Saturday:

Use the Main entrance if you are required to be here. You may be instructed in a given week to access the building via student entrances on a Saturday if large groups are scheduled for labs.

Screening

Active onsite screening continues with use of the CMCC app. You must complete the self-assessment and self-declaration via the CMCC app as proof of safe entry whether a screener is present or not. 

Thank you for the effort you have made so far to help keep our community safe!

The Incident Command Team

Posted on March 2 2021

Hello students and employees,

We are about to go into two weeks of exams for Years I to III, and as much as that might be on your mind, you are no doubt already thinking of how you will relax and take a well-deserved break immediately afterwards 

As I write this, Toronto is still under a full lockdown. However, we do expect that as of March 8, 2021, should conditions allow it, we will be moving into a Grey or Red zone. Though that transition does bring some easing of restrictions, I remind you that the pandemic is still very much active and still of great concern around the world. And, to clarify, regardless of where you may live, attending work and classes at CMCC is dependent upon following all regional restrictions for the City of Toronto, where CMCC campus is located.

The Good News
CMCC positive case counts have been very low. I attribute that to your ongoing efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19 in our CMCC community by strictly following all CMCC, regional and provincial protocols. Thank you. We are doing well, but this is not the time for us to relax and let our guards down. Given the recent discovery of highly transmissible variants of COVID-19 and the slow, but consistent rise of cases of these variants, our protocols and adherence to them have never been more important.

TRAVEL continues to pose significant risk
As we approach this March break, you are reminded that though provincial guidelines may vary, the one consistent message is that travel during the pandemic poses a significant health and safety risk to all of us, as well as to those you spend time with while away.

If you recall, in our message to you before we left for holiday break in December, we asked you to give careful consideration to the safety guidelines and protocols and to limit any plans for the Spring Break. You are certainly not alone in this as many University and graduate students across the country are being asked to avoid unnecessary travel.

LIMIT any travel outside your region or province
For your safety, and to ensure we are able to continue to provide you with in-person labs to the maximum allowable level by the province, we are asking you to carefully consider the risks and consequences before making travel plans. 

Any travel away from Ontario will require quarantine
If you must travel outside of your CMCC home in Ontario for essential purposeswhich is the only reason you should be travelling, you will be required to self-isolate for 14 days when you return. You may also want to consider a self-quarantine or reduction of close contact with others 10 to 14 days before you depart. Should you travel outside the country, there will be additional quarantine and test measures that are mandated federally, and with which you must comply. This may not be what you want to hear, but remember that making safe choices now can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and avoid transmission.

To date, we have been very flexible in accommodating special conditions and circumstances for some students. However, at this time, given the balance of the program left to deliver, accommodations such as exam deferrals will be more difficult to schedule during the weeks left, and will be subject to deferral fees except in extenuating circumstances. We simply have less time to make up for missed labs or exams due to quarantine requirements and still meet our commitment to you to finish the program on time in May.

We are all tired of COVID and restrictions, but the last thing we want to do is put any member of the CMCC community and their loved ones at risk. This is not the time to let our guards down.

I know that as health professionals and future health professionals you will understand, and I have confidence that you will make the right decisions to keep yourself and your colleagues and families safe.

Should you have any questions or require further guidance, please reach out to:

Students: Kimberley Kelly
Employees: Sharlene Browne

Stay safe, stay healthy and best of luck to all students on your upcoming exams!

Dave

Posted on January 19 2021

Dear CMCC Students and Employees,

Last week, after making the decision to move all exams to our virtual platform, we took the time to fully review and understand the implications of the Premier’s announcement on the additional health measures being implemented in Ontario. We concentrated on those specific to the Greater Toronto Areas, to determine their impact on our return to in-person labs the week of January 25 and going forward.

In-person labs resume on January 25 as planned

We have reviewed all documentation available and received input from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities at the end of last week.  Moving our exams to a virtual platform has served us well and we are pleased to report that we will be resuming in-person labs beginning on Monday, January 25 as planned. We will continue to use the protocol of 10 person per instructional space.

Our ability to resume in-person teaching, even in this limited way, is completely dependent on our collective behaviors both on and off site. We recognize that with the completion of exams this week, many may be tempted to socialize and celebrate in some small way. But remember that we are all still in a precarious situation in Toronto and will still be held to the strict restrictions and protocols that are so very important in keeping COVID-19 away and our in-person teaching ongoing. Any lapse in judgement and what even seems like a small ‘cheat’ could have a huge impact on CMCC’s ability to continue with in-person teaching and your fellow students’ ability to go to scheduled labs as they will be required to isolate. 

Increased exposure and the need to be even more mindful

Since the break, we have already reported increased exposures, several positive cases and an increased need for staff and students needing to isolate or quarantine -- more than we had seen in the first wave of the pandemic. We are following recently reported positive cases in our community. Those cases are being worked through carefully, with local public health officials, to determine where they occurred, and whether or not they constitute the definition of an outbreak. To date, the cases are isolated and we do not have an outbreak.

We cannot stress enough that our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our entire community, and that we need everyone’s cooperation.

Continuation of remote work

As per the government lockdown restrictions announced last week, employees who do not have essential work that can only be done at CMCC, will continue to work remotely until further notice.

Protocols, screening and mask compliance, etc.

  • Students, employees and patients arriving on site for an in-person lab, essential work, or a clinic appointment will continue to be screened, via the self-assessment/ CMCC App
  • Masks must be worn in all areas both inside and outside on CMCC property
  • Proper hand hygiene and social distancing must be practiced at all times<.li>
  • If you must car pool, please ensure masks are worn properly and that windows in the vehicle are open for maximum air flow
  • All high-touch areas will continue to be frequently cleaned and monitored
  • Toronto Public Health will be notified if/when CMCC learns of two or more people who have tested positive for COVID-19.
  • Rest assured -- Any individual at CMCC who may have come into contact with a suspected case will be informed directly and will be followed up by either Student Services or Human Resources as applicable.

Together, we have managed to keep things moving forward to the best of our ability. We recognize the outstanding dedication and flexibility of our students, faculty and employees as CMCC continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s keep it up!

If you have questions or concerns, please contact:

Students: kkelly@cmcc.ca  Interns: pdecina@cmcc.ca

Employees: sbrowne@cmcc.ca

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home. 

Christine Bradaric-Baus, PhD (she/her)

Vice President, Academic

Posted on January 12 2021

Good evening CMCC students and employees,

Here we are in the second week of January and the beginning of exams. We all came back to CMCC excited to begin 2021 with optimism and renewed energy to create the best possible experience for our students.

As has been the case over the past 10 months, each week has brought us new challenges. With your patience and cooperation, we have managed to keep CMCC and our community safe and continue our operations and curriculum delivery. In spite of the repeated efforts to blunt the pandemic curve, the province of Ontario is experiencing steep and deeply worrying increases in COVID-19 case numbers and this has brought new decisions and restrictions for many parts of Ontario.

Today, the province released new modelling information showing that the COVID-19 situation has drastically worsened following the holiday break. The data indicated that growth of the pandemic is particularly acute and is accelerating. New daily case rates are regularly above seven per cent and despite current restrictions, mobility and contacts between people have NOT decreased in Ontario. In his announcement today, the Premier declared a provincial state of emergency and issued a stay at home order for 28 days for all Ontarians. Every organization and workplace has now been tasked with doing whatever it can to minimize the risk of transmission by reducing travel outside of the home to the bare minimum for essential needs. 

January 18, 2021 examinations for students in Years I to III move to virtual

Though we have successfully mitigated much of the risk for transmission through our strict protocols, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to sustain this trajectory. In line with other institutions and workplaces, we are seeing an increasing number of instances where students and employees are reporting possible contact or are self-isolating to ensure that on their return to in-person learning and work at CMCC, their colleagues, friends and families are safe from any potential exposure or transmission of COVID-19.

In the interest of safety of our entire CMCC community, and out of an abundance of caution, the Incident Command and Executive Leadership teams have collectively made the decision to move all examinations for the week of January 18 to our virtual platform as we have done for this examination week. Further information regarding virtual exam rooms for week 2 will be forthcoming.  Our preference has always been to provide you with as much in-person assessment and learning as permitted by provincial and public health guidelines. We strongly believe that to ensure the safety of all of our students and of our employees, this is a necessary step to safeguard the resumption of in-person labs once provincial and public health guidelines permit. These important decisions were made in consideration of our students and in consultation with faculty, administration and local public health agencies. Our priority at all times is the safety and wellbeing of our community.

Resumption of in-person labs and learning

As we communicated to you on December 22, 2020, our plan has been to resume in-person labs on January 25, 2021 provided provincial guidelines allowed us to do so. We are in the process of reviewing that plan and our faculty availability, and will reach out to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities for further guidance. Once we have greater clarity, we will provide you with CMCC’s plan for in-person lab resumption by early next week. 

CMCC Clinics and on-site operations

At this time, all CMCC clinics will continue to operate as they have been to date with a few exceptions that are being handled on a case by case basis. Should we be required to make any changes due to circumstances at a hosted clinic, we will advise clinicians, interns and patients accordingly. As before, we are urging that only employees that have essential activities and business on campus or at a CMCC property be on site and only provided they are have been screened and cleared for entry.

We will get through this together

We recognize that many of you, students and employees, have had to make very difficult decisions along the way and these changes have caused stress and perhaps hardship. And yet, despite the difficulties and last minute changes that we have imposed at times, you have always been willing to rise to the occasion to support CMCC’s efforts to provide a safe working and learning setting.  And we are so grateful.

This has been a trying time. We still have many more challenges ahead, but we will continue to face them together as a strong, resilient CMCC community.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact:

Students: kkelly@cmcc.ca Interns: pdecina@cmcc.ca

Employees: sbrowne@cmcc.ca

For additional details on what the restrictions and measurements mean, please visit: https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/20448861/enhanced-provincewide-shutdown.pdf

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home

Dave

Posted on January 7 2021

Hello CMCC, 

Over the coming weeks, additional students and employees are returning to CMCC campus and clinics. To continue our operations and teaching, we must collectively work to protect the entire CMCC community by reducing risk of transmission of infection to others.

CONDITIONS FOR ENTRY

1.      Complete Ontario COVID-19 self-assessment via the CMCC app or Ontario website

2.      Complete the self-declaration on the CMCC app.

3.      Students are scheduled to be on campus for learning.

4.      Employees are required to be on campus for work as deemed necessary by your manager.

5.      Employees must sign in and out if not using the CMCC app.

6.      Students in attendance for paid work must sign in and out at the Main entrance.

7.      You have completed self-isolation if required.

8.      Arrival to campus means that you comply with regional restrictions in place and CMCC protocols.

The following will help you understand if you are safe to enter CMCC campus or clinics. This guidance must be followed.


Travelled to another province (Interprovincial)

 

Self-isolation

COVID Test

Students and Employees

 

Required to remain home upon return for 14 days as per Ontario government.

See travelling and returning

 

Not required.

 

Self-isolation must be completed even if you went for testing and received a negative test result.

Travelled outside of Canada (International)

 

Self-isolation

COVID Test

Students

 

You must contact Kimberley Kelly kkelly@cmcc.ca in Student Services

for a follow up.

 

Required to remain home upon return for 14 days as per Ontario government.

See travelling and returning

 

Required in addition to self-isolation.

 

Self-isolation must be completed even if you went for testing and received a negative test result.

 

Required as per the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

Employees

Required to remain home upon return for 14 days as per Ontario government.

See travelling and returning

 

Not required.

 

Self-isolation must be completed even if you went for testing and received a negative test result.

Engaged in high risk activities i.e. Socialized with others outside of your home

Note If this condition

restricts your return to campus or clinics due to circumstances that need to be further discussed or evaluated, please contact Human Resources or Student Services.

 

Self-isolation

COVID Test

Students and Employees

CMCC requires you remain home for 14 days due to provincial restrictions to avoid social circles outside of your household during lockdown. 

Update:

Self-isolation must be completed even if you went for testing and received a negative test result as per CMCC.

 

Tested positive for COVID-19

 

Self-isolation

COVID Test

Students and Employees

Required to remain home as per Toronto Public Health. Number of self-isolation days to be provided by Toronto Public Health.

Follow additional guidance from Toronto Public Health.

Are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19

 

Self-isolation

COVID Test

Students and Employees

Required to remain home as per Toronto Public Health. Number of self-isolation days to be provided by Toronto Public Health.

CMCC recommends you get tested. Follow guidance from Toronto Public Health.

Are a close contact of someone who may have or has COVID-19

 

Self-isolation

COVID Test

Students and Employees

Required to remain home as per Toronto Public Health. Number of self-isolation days to be provided by Toronto Public Health.

CMCC recommends you get tested. Follow guidance from Toronto Public Health.

You live with household members who are self-isolating

 

Self-isolation

COVID Test

Students and Employees

Required to remain home as per Toronto Public Health if co-habitant’s self-isolation is due to exposure to someone who has COVID-19, has symptoms and is awaiting their test results.

CMCC recommends you get tested. Follow guidance from Toronto Public Health.

Not required to remain home if co-habitant is isolating due to travel.  Isolation is being done correctly. You are wearing a mask and keeping a two-metre distance.

Not required.

Follow guidance from Toronto Public Health.

 

Tested negative for COVID-19

 

Self-isolation

COVID Test

Students and Employees

Refer to Toronto Public Health. See Follow up Instructions after being tested. There are scenarios listed where you may have to remain home although your test was negative.

Not applicable.

Follow guidance from Toronto Public Health.

You received notification on the COVID Alert App and await test results

 

Self-isolation

COVID Test

Students and Employees

Required to remain home as per Toronto Public Health. Number of self-isolation days to be provided by Toronto Public Health.

Not applicable.

Follow guidance from Toronto Public Health.

Report a COVID Related Absence Online:

Student Form

Employee Form

 

If you are unsure about your safe entry to campus, contact Toronto Public Health.

Alternately, employees may contact Sharlene Browne sbrowne@cmcc.ca in Human Resources and Students may contact Kimberley Kelly kkelly@cmcc.ca in Student Services.


Thank you,

Incident Command Team

Posted on December 23 2020

Dear students,

Following the email sent from the President’s Office on December 22 that communicated important exam and in-person lab changes in response to the Premier’s announcement of province-wide changes, a number of you have reached out with questions and concerns. We understand that some students were troubled, particularly those who planned to leave the province for the holidays and who are now affected by the travel restrictions and mandatory self-isolation requirements. To be clear, these restrictions are put in place by the province (including but not limited to the 14-day self-isolation to those doing interprovincial travel). And for that reason, we were obligated to respond by modifying our exam and in-person lab delivery plans for January 2021.

The hybrid delivery of exams is the best way for CMCC to maintain the integrity of these high-stake exams and also ensure your safety by building in a sufficient period of self-isolation. We understand that some of you have made decisions to return later. Should this be the case, and you do not arrive on time to safely sit for an exam, you will need apply for a deferral through the usual channels. Please refer to the Deferral of Academic Requirements Policy.

In all of the communications you have received, we have emphasized that you must remain flexible in your plans. The Province has the power to impose additional restrictions, as they did on Monday December 21, at any time, for the protection of Ontarians. As recently as December 3, at the Undergraduate Advisory Council meeting, which includes class representatives from all years, I stressed that all students needed to be prepared to deal with travel and border restrictions. Just weeks ago, both Alberta and BC were discussing the potential of closing provincial borders, and you were asked to plan ahead for this to allow time for isolation prior to resuming on-campus activities.

As professionals, each of you will be responsible for the wellbeing of others who put themselves in your care. Today, those individuals are your fellow students and the instructors, each of whom depends on all of you to provide a safe environment during this unprecedented time.

We have spent hundreds of hours planning for all potential scenarios including a full lockdown, which fortunately has not been necessary. Unlike the previous lockdown in March, health care practitioners are still allowed to practice. Colleges and universities with on-campus labs are able to continue provided they stay within the 10-person limit. CMCC is still able to deliver in-person labs and exams and have done everything possible to alter the schedule to avoid extending the academic year past the end of May. Earlier in November, we also made concessions and developed alternate schedules for students who had to leave campus early for the holiday break. We have planned ahead so that in spite of the circumstances brought on by changing provincial restrictions, we have been able to pivot and adapt our curriculum delivery. And, even though time permitted, we were able to push back the January 7-8 in-person labs to the week of the 18th, to ensure that those who left the province would have the time needed to self-isolate to take in-person exams. Otherwise, they would have had to return by December 23rd .

Since early December, both the city of Toronto and the Province of Ontario have advised persons to stay home as much as possible, to stay within their household and region and leave only for essential purposes such as work, health care, groceries, etc. They discouraged travel, and even family visits, repeatedly.  For students who purchased airline tickets some time ago, prior to the introduction of these new provincial restrictions, airlines may be willing to waive changes fees as they did in earlier phases of lockdown, and this option should be explored sooner rather than later.

We have been so fortunate at CMCC in that we have been able to continue to deliver the curriculum in challenging conditions and keep everyone on track to fulfill the requirements for each Year. We will continue to adapt as required to keep everyone safe, which may also result in further curricular modifications should future restrictions be implemented. We thank each of you for your continued commitment to the wellbeing of your fellow students and faculty as you move forward to take your places among Canadian health care professionals.

Dr. Christine Bradaric-Baus

VP, Academic

For more information on the details of the December 21 announcement from the Premier, including travel and self-isolation requirements, please review the information available at the Ontario Government website. Full details are also available to download in a pdf document

Posted on December 22 2020

Good day CMCC Community,

Yesterday, Premier Ford announced sweeping new public health measures as Ontario tries to curb a climbing number of COVID-19 cases, which is increasing the strain on our hospitals. These changes and restrictions go into effect on December 26, 2020 and will now have an impact on our plans for reopening and resuming classes, examinations and work at CMCC in January 2021.

In his announcement, Premier Ford underlined the importance of taking extraordinary measures and actions now to break the increasing volume of cases, protect public health and the health care system, and spare our hospital system and lives. New modelling announced today indicate that this is a critical time in the province. The restrictions are intended to curb the rates, slow the spread and reset the province. 

Important points for Greater Toronto Area:

Education

o   Elementary: resume on January 11, 2021 in person + remote

o   Secondary:  resume remote learning only on January 11 and return to in-person + remote January 25, 2021

o   Post-Secondary: Resume for virtual instruction with limited exceptions where in-person instruction is required, subject to physical distancing. In-person teaching (each instructional space at the institution at one time) and in-person examinations cannot exceed 10 persons.

Other measures include:

  • Restricting indoor organized public events and social gatherings, except with members of the same household (the people you live with)
  • Prohibiting in-person shopping in most retail settings - curbside pickup and delivery can continue.
  • Restricting indoor access to shopping malls
  • Prohibiting indoor and outdoor dining.

Full Ontario Press Release

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CMCC STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES?

Students Years I-III

All students who have traveled outside of Ontario are required to return to Ontario by January 4, 2021 to be able to comply with the required 14-day self-isolation period in time for the resumption of in-person labs and exams.

Institutions of higher education offering hands-on learning, such as CMCC are able to proceed with in-person learning provided there is compliance to a maximum of 10 individuals per instructional space and social distancing. However, we have modified scheduling to ensure that all students have adequate time to isolate prior to beginning in-person attendance.

In-Person Labs January 7 and 8 ONLY cancelled (applicable to Year I-II)

With the provincial restrictions announced today and to keep students, faculty and supporting staff healthy and safe, we have made the decision to cancel in-person labs scheduled for January 7 and 8, 2021. These labs will be made up the week of January 18, 2021. A revised schedule will be posted shortly. 

Exams Hybrid Model (Virtual + In-person)

To ensure that all students have had adequate time to return and isolate if necessary (if travel has occurred)

·         Week 1 exams – January 11-15 will be delivered virtually

·         Week 2 exams – January 18-22 will be held in person. We are confident that we will be able to deliver in-person examinations as planned and practiced the week of December 14. (This week will also be used to make up the January 7 and 8 labs).

Please be prepared with two devices for remote exam writing and proctoring.

In-Person Labs resume January 25, 2021 (applicable to all years)

In-person labs resume the week of January 25, 2021 provided provincial restrictions are not extended further. Please ensure that if you have travelled, you have satisfied all provincial and regional requirements for self-isolation before you return to your student groups.

No change to online lecture and virtual small group sessions

Regardless of whether or not we return to full closure, or 10+ individuals per instructional space, all online lectures and virtual small group sessions and labs will continue as scheduled.

Library

Library will be operating remotely to continue providing full access to online collections and research and reference services. Study space reservation in the library (to a maximum of 28 seats) to resume the week of January 25, 2021 to accommodate the Year I-III students attending in-person labs and approved by Student Services.

Students Year IV – no change

The restrictions announced on December 21, 2020 by the Premier do not affect our ability to offer patient care in our clinic system. Health care and social services are permitted to be open. As you are aware, CMCC clinics are closed throughout the CMCC Clinic system from December 24, 2020 to January 4, 2021 with the exception of urgent care services at Campus Clinic on December 29 and 30. Those services remain available.  Please work with your PMT to ensure that you are able to meet all requirements to allow you to resume patient care on January 4, 2021 or have made advance alternate arrangements with your clinician.

Employees

Again, we stress that only essential employees are to make plans to be on site during this period of January 4 to January 25, 2021. That means that if you don’t teach an in-person lab, are proctoring or giving an exam, or have facilities or other duties where you MUST be on CMCC property, please continue to work from home.


REMINDER for Students and Employees RETURNING TO CMCC IN JANUARY 2021: Updated Screening and Attestation

Upon resuming operations in January 2021, the CMCC App Attestation has been updated to include a declaration that you have followed all public health guidelines including social gathering guidelines and close contact guidelines to ensure minimal risk of transmission to our community.  This includes the provincial mandate for self-isolation following any out-of-province travel.  You must complete the attestation with or without a screener present at the entry point. This is required for our records regarding your safe entry onto campus. 

NOTE: Anyone arriving at campus or a clinic who has engaged in activities that are deemed to be of high risk transmission (inside activities with members outside of your household for example), within a 14 day period, will be declined entry. You will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days and/or get tested to avoid risk of transmission within the CMCC community. If this is the case, you will need to make appropriate arrangements with Student Services or Human Resources for this absence.

It is up to each one of us to preserve the safety of this community. Let’s remember why we are taking these extraordinary measures which will keep our CMCC community and our loved ones safe.

Relax, take care, recharge and we will see you one way or the other in January, safe and healthy and ready to take on 2021.

Dave

Posted on December 16 2020

Dear Year I-III Students,

As you prepare to take your holiday season break beginning next week to return to CMCC on January 4, 2021 I wanted to reassure you that our academic and administrative teams have been planning ahead to respond to any challenges we may still face, should the COVID-19 caseload situation worsen after the holiday period and result in a full lockdown of all educational activities.

As I stressed last week, our preference is to run in-person exams in small, safe groups under 10 per instructional space beginning January 11, 2021 and therefore it is important that you are here and ready to write.  However, if provincial and public health guidance, once again force us to pivot to full virtual education, cancelling in-person labs for a period of time, we have built out the schedule and scenario that will allow CMCC to deliver the educational experience we are obligated to provide and still allow the academic year to end on schedule (May 2021).

 

Here's what you need to know if:  

  1. Gathering restrictions are extended for 2-4 weeks and end on January 18, 2021 (10 person max per space still allowed)

CMCC will continue with in-person exams and return to labs with groups of 10 afterwards. 

  1. Complete lockdown beginning December 21, 2020 for 4 weeks, and ending January 18, 2021

All exams scheduled for January 11-22, will be conducted virtually.  Return to in-person labs when/if cleared by provincial and public health guidelines.

  1. Complete lockdown beginning January 18, 2021 for 4 weeks, and ending February 22, 2021

Closure of in-person labs.  All educational activity will be virtual and follow a modified schedule to February 22, 2021.

If we are able to return to groups of 10 after this period, schedules have been completed to bring us to the end of the academic year with no missed time.  BUT all missed in-person labs will be rescheduled to the two weeks of March exams (March 8-12 and March 15-19) and Spring Break week (March 22-26).

There will be no change to online lecture and virtual small group sessions.

Regardless of whether or not we return to full closure, or 10+ individuals per instructional space, all online lectures and virtual small group sessions and labs will continue as scheduled.

That may be a lot to take in today, but we suggest you give this careful consideration and limit any plans for the Spring Break.

So far this year, in spite of huge challenges and obstacles, we have been able to maintain the overall curriculum schedule due to planning ahead and will continue to do so.  Our last resort will be the extension of the academic year; however, at this point in time, we do not anticipate that to be a necessary step.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.  We are committed to providing you with the best educational experience possible in these very trying times.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Year Director.

 

Christine Bradaric-Baus, PhD (she/her)

Vice President, Academic

 

Posted on December 14 2020

Dear CMCC Community,

‘Tis the season – winter holidays have begun, and like you, I am looking forward to taking some time off to shake this COVID fatigue and enjoy the holiday season. 

No matter what traditions you have and holidays you celebrate, this is usually an important time to spend with family and friends. This year, the celebrations may be very different; at home and with fewer people, but will provide us with a good break to revitalize before we return to CMCC in January -- healthy and ready to take on 2021. 

But we can’t do that, unless we take the restrictions and public health guidelines intended to slow the spread of this pandemic to heart, and follow them to ensure we do not put ourselves and others in our community at risk. This is the only way that we will be able to resume our studies and work without risk of transmission to our colleagues, classmates and patients.

I know that none of us at CMCC would intentionally put someone at risk, so I ask you to be mindful of all of your activities over this holiday break, and think about the health and wellbeing of this entire community. As you make your holiday plans, please read the current public health guidelines for Toronto, and for any region in which you plan to spend time before returning in January. As I have said before and will say again, together, we have done an extraordinary job of keeping our entire CMCC community safe.

This holiday season will be a major challenge, but as current and future leaders in health care, we have the knowledge and power to continue to make CMCC an exemplary model of health and safety during this extraordinary time.

Before implementing your holiday plans to be with family, friends and loved ones, here are a few things to consider: 

 

  • BE INFORMED: Read and follow the gathering and winter celebration guidelines from the local public health authority: Ontario, Guidance and links for all public health authorities in Canada. Ensure that you are aware of the current COVID-19 activity in your immediate community to make an informed decision about whether you should revise your plans.

 

  • SELF SCREEN: Continue to self screen to ensure you are not putting yourself or anyone in your household at risk.

 

  • SOCIAL GATHERING: If planning to gather with family and friends (per the allowances in your community), think about a virtual event, or plan low risk activities outdoors where everyone can social distance. Keep the size down to the limits allowed in your community.
  • TRAVEL: If traveling, always practice social distancing and hand hygiene, and wear a mask or face covering. Consider the risk of COVID-19 transmission where you are going and check all rules and regulations of that region, province or country. Avoid gathering with those who are from areas of high COVID-19 activity.
    • Self-quarantine or drastically reduce close contact with others for 10 to 14 days before travelling to other provinces and after returning home

RETURNING TO CMCC IN JANUARY: Updated screening and attestation

Upon resuming operations on January 4, 2021, and to add a layer of protection for students, faculty, staff and our patients, we are updating the CMCC App Attestation. The Attestation will includes a declaration that you have followed all public health guidelines including social gathering guidelines and close contact guidelines to ensure minimal risk of transmission to our community. 

NOTE: Anyone arriving at campus or a clinic who has engaged in activities that are deemed to be of high risk transmission (inside activities with members outside of your household for example), within a 14 day period, will be declined entry. You will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days and/or get tested to avoid risk of transmission within the CMCC community. If this is the case, you will need to make appropriate arrangements with Student Services or Human Resources for this absence.

It is up to each one of us to preserve the safety of this community. I know we can count on each other to keep the CMCC community safe.

Enjoy the break. Happy holidays.

Dave

Posted on December 4 2020

Hello CMCC community,

It’s almost time to say goodbye to 2020, and one of the most extraordinary and challenging years we’ve had in recent history. Who could have imagined what 2020 had in store for us these past 12 months?

We have been challenged in so many ways and yet, together, with courage and determination, we have come very far.

You have all worked tirelessly with us as we changed almost everything we do -- from curriculum delivery, hands-on learning and patient care, student recruitment and support, facilities management, workplace collaboration, events, and all day to day operations just to name a few. You have all gone above and beyond and we are grateful.

Thank you for your dedication, your understanding and your willingness to innovate and explore new ways of learning, teaching and working. We have covered a lot of ground, but I’m sure you are as eager as I am to usher in a new chapter with 2021.

With a break approaching, I hope you can each take time to relax and restore, and to enjoy the holidays in preparation for the New Year.

For Years I-III students: your last official class day ends on December 18 and we will see you back in class on January 4, 2021. Exams are running as scheduled beginning the week of January 11, 2021.

For IV students: all CMCC clinics will be closed from December 24, 2020 and reopen for patient care on January 4, 2021. However, several interns and a clinician will also be available for urgent care at Campus Clinic. More details will be provided as they are finalized. 

For employees: we will be closing the campus for the holiday period on December 23, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. with all clinics closing at 8:00 p.m. I greatly appreciate all the long hours and extra work our employees have done to ensure that we could continue to provide a safe working and learning environment and continue to deliver a quality academic program, and I know that everyone could use a little extra time to relax.  So instead of closing down at noon on December 24th as we have for the past few years, we are going to close the campus and clinics for the entire day.  If you have already requested vacation time off for the 24th, please work with your manager to have this date reversed in HROnline.  Any questions can be directed to HR should you run into any issues.

CMCC is closed December 24, 2020 to January 3, 2021
Campus and all CMCC operations including the Library will be closed beginning December 24, 2020 and will resume on January 4, 2021. Aside from the statutory holidays, the balance of the days during this period are CMCC designated days are not considered in your vacation time allotment.

Exceptions: December 29, 30, 31
T
he week of December 29, there will be a small group of essential employees on campus to attend to facility needs.

We hope that you take this holiday time as an opportunity to recover, renew and prepare for 2021.  If you are travelling at all, please do so safely and comply with provincial and national guidelines. Remember that upon return, you may be required to self-isolate or quarantine.

Above all else, please take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Dave

Posted on November 23 2020

Dear CMCC students and employees:  

This evening, CMCC received a memorandum from the Ministry of Colleges and Universities providing additional guidance and restrictions to private colleges in Toronto and Peel during the imposed LOCKDOWN.  In the memorandum received at 5:30 p.m. this evening, we were advised that though CMCC may continue in-person teaching for clinical education, we will now be limited to 10 individuals per instructional space.

Our safety protocols of hand hygiene, distancing and PPE use are strong and within the mandate, but the limited gathering numbers is a challenging adjustment. This has a major impact on our current schedule and staffing requirements which is under revision this evening with our Incident Command, Executive and Academic Teams but which we are confident we can resolve within the next 24 hours.

What does this mean for you? 

All Labs for Monday Nov 23, 2020 are CANCELLED

All in-person laboratories are cancelled for Monday November 23, 2020 while we work on the schedule, and faculty and facility changes required to manage this late-breaking mandate. We will need this time to finalize our plans and ensure we have adequate faculty and reconfigured spaces available to deliver the next four weeks of restricted in-person labs.

In-person labs will resume with an updated schedule by Tuesday November 24 which will comply with these new restrictions of 10 individuals to an instructional space.

A new schedule for make-up labs and open practice will also be posted later this week.

Will Library be open?

The Library will be closed for all services except drop-off and pickup. 

What does that mean for Year IV and clinic?

Fortunately, there will be no change to Year IV schedules and clinic operations.

What about Student Services appointments?

Student Services will be operating strictly on a virtual basis. If you require any information, accommodation or have any further questions, please contact Student Services by email at studentservices@cmcc.ca.

 Thank you for your continued patience with the often untenable situation. We will be providing a further update and in-personal lab schedule by end of day Monday, November 23, 2020.

Please stay safe, be patient and we will do our best to minimize any inconvenience this late development has brought on. 

Dave

Posted on November 20 2020

Dear CMCC students and employees,   

In today’s COVID-19 briefing, Premier Ford, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, local medical officers of health, and other health experts, has moved the Toronto and Peel public health units from RED to LOCKDOWN for the next 28 days ending Monday, December 21, 2020.  

This action is part of a targeted regional approach to prevent a province-wide lockdown and to avoid overwhelming the hospital system which is already under strain. As you have heard each and every day this week, the number of positive COVID-19 cases in the province, but particularly in these areas where we live, study and work, continues to rise.

Keeping the health of our students, employees, patients and the greater community is our highest priority. We therefore request that all employees who are not involved in in-person instruction and able to work from home do so. Please only arrive on campus if you are engaged in in-person teaching or essential on campus services or for scheduled appointments for treatment in Clinic. Together, we have been managing incredibly well despite increasingly difficult circumstances. We have been successful in keeping our community safe and we must continue to do so. 

Campus Operations + In-Person Labs

Campus will remain open during normal operation hours and in-person labs will continue as scheduled in line with what is happening in other health care education programs in Toronto. There may be some reduction in personnel onsite. 

 Clinic Operations

CMCC Clinic services will continue to operate to provide in-person patient care with full protocols in place as usual.

We will continue to observe careful safety and disinfection protocols in all CMCC facilities as we have been doing and if additional measures are needed, we will not hesitate to take them.

Thank you for your continued diligence in reducing the spread of the virus by ensuring you practice good hand hygiene, physical distancing, wear a face covering and take all necessary precautionary measures when out in public. But please do your best to stay home as much as possible and leave only for work, study, or essential trips for groceries, medical appointments, etc. 

We thank everyone for doing their part in protecting our community and helping to reduce and control the spread of COVID-19. 

Please stay safe, follow the public health guidelines and stay home as much as you can. 

Dave

Posted October 19 2020

Hello Students and Employees,

Screening for COVID-19 is an essential step in protecting us when we come to learn and work at CMCC. As an added layer of protection, we are introducing a new process that combines the Ontario online self-assessment plus a self-declaration. This can all be done in under a minute through the CMCC Mobile App beginning today.

The CMCC Mobile App, introduced last year to students, is available for Apple and Android mobile phones or tablets. It has been enhanced to allow students and employees to login with their CMCC credentials, complete the online self assessment and present their self-declaration. This adds just a few seconds to the self-assessment process, but provides CMCC with important attendance and record keeping information for daily attendance on campus and health screening as mandated by the province.

It’s easy and intuitive and may save you time at screening and avoid lineups!

1.      Download the CMCC Mobile App if not already on your phone (Apple and Android) and login using you CMCC credentials.

2.      Select the Ontario self-assessment logo.

3.      Complete the Ontario self-assessment, select DONE

4.      Click on the Self-Declaration logo, Select YES or NO and SUBMIT

5.      Show Self-Declaration result page to screener.


CLEARED TO ENTER       

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ENTRY DENIED

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It’s Mandatory: The CMCC App is available to download today and will be the only accepted screening tool beginning Thursday October 22. Self-assessment using the CMCC Mobile App is mandatory for all employees and students and must be completed once per day upon entry at any CMCC site. This includes entering campus outside of normal operating hours when a screener is not present.

Save Time and Avoid Lineups: Have your CMCC app result ready before you arrive on campus. 

What information is CMCC collecting? Name, date, self-declaration result, time. NOTHING ELSE.

If you don’t have a mobile device, you will screened verbally at the entrance and you must sign in.

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Stay safe,

Incident Command Team
Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College covid@cmcc.ca

Posted October 19 2020

CMCC and COVID-19

CMCC’s four-year Doctor of Chiropractic program, like most health professional degree programs, requires a significant amount of laboratory and clinical work that involves interaction with others (students and patients) and that cannot be done virtually.  Most health care professional programs across Canada have adopted a hybrid learning environment for students at all stages of their programs during the pandemic.  Unlike many other degree programs, students in dentistry, medicine, optometry, nursing, occupational therapy, chiropractic, physiotherapy, etc., must be engaged in on-campus laboratory experiences in addition to a substantial online component.

Our program has over 4,500 contact hours - roughly twice as many as an undergraduate program.  The coursework is integrated so that laboratory and other experiential learning activities are delivered in a coordinated fashion with the lectures and small groups.  Year I, II and III students are required to spend an average of 5-8 hours a week on campus for laboratories that simply cannot be taught online. 

As expected by epidemiologic modeling that has been widely discussed in the media as well as in the scientific literature, the nation is now experiencing a fall surge in cases.  Most universities and colleges have either already decided to remain in a virtual status, or hybrid combination of online and hands-on labs for the health science programs, because of the uncertainty about the pandemic.  We’ve also tried not to paint an overly optimistic picture of the pandemic and CMCC’s response because no plan is perfect and we can’t predict with a high level of certainty what will happen over the next couple of months.  At CMCC, we thought some students might decide to take a one-year leave of absence rather than return, but it turned out that no students opted to take a leave because of COVID-19.  This was because they did not want to delay their completion of the program. 

What is CMCC doing to manage COVID-19 and ensure the safety of its students, faculty and staff?

Our first step was to form a pandemic team in early March 2020 to plan, lead and navigate the shifting realities of operating a health care educational institution in the midst of a pandemic.

We developed the Pandemic Plan using Federal, Provincial and Toronto Public Health guidelines, and continues to be an evolving guide to incorporate the growing knowledge base of the virus, and safely protocols. We shared the plan with all prospective and returning students as the new school year began. To keep people as safe as possible, we implemented stringent reporting and screening protocols, detailed PPE protocols for anyone and everyone entering the building and a process for any potential or reported cases.

As part of the pandemic response plan, we also developed a Return to Campus Plan that was also shared with prospective students accepted into our program, returning students, faculty and staff.

Communication and information sharing with students is a key element of our Pandemic Plan. Class representatives meet regularly with our academic and clinic management teams to share information and concerns and that helps to inform our plans. 

We have worked diligently – and at times, around the clock -- to provide information in a timely means as conditions change during the pandemic. While we know that not everyone accesses or interprets information in the same way and that there are bound to be gaps, we are confident that the combination of following the plan and protocols, together with the professionalism of our students – who are future health care professionals – as well as of our staff and faculty, will help to limit the risk of COVID-19 to the CMCC community and beyond. 

What are you doing to help students?

The first thing we are doing is working to keep the CMCC environment as safe as possible.  We limit the number of staff and students who can be in the building at any given time, monitor attendance, ensure exceptional air quality, and we have strict screening, PPE protocols, and cleaning, and importantly, engage in constant communication on the protocols. We are doing as much as we can to mitigate the risks. 

CMCC’s Student Services staff work closely with students who ask for help in dealing with the anxiety and stresses of not only the academic program but the additional impact of the pandemic on their mental or physical health.  We provide a number of mental health resources for our students to access to help them through this time.

Many of our students are from locations outside of the Toronto area, including all of the other provinces.  Most of our students do not live at home with their family, and as a result, pay rent for housing during their studies at CMCC.  The pandemic has forced increasing degrees of isolation on most students.  Employment opportunities have reduced because of the pandemic, causing an additional financial burden.  We know the pandemic and its uncertainty is causing some distress for some of our students, and we have made mental health services available to them to help them navigate the current environment.

We also recognize that some students might become increasingly worried about being in a province with a high rate of infection and wondering what to do next. We encourage them to discuss options with our Student Services staff.

What about students who tested positive?

CMCC was recently advised that four students tested positive – we were in immediate contact and discussion with Toronto Public Health, the students were immediately isolated, all safety protocols followed, and notification provided to students, faculty and staff.    And because the students informed us immediately and cooperated with the Toronto Public Health department the essential risk mitigation steps of contact tracing and other measures were able to happen quickly.

Fortunately, our stringent reporting and screening protocols were followed and enabled us to know about these cases as soon as possible. We also were in discussion with TPH authorities and followed their recommendations.  They did not recommend a school closure based on our risk level, our protocols/practices, number of cases and the nature of transmission. Deep cleaning was performed on those parts of the building where these students might have been present.  Any students who met the close contact criteria established by public health officials were promptly contacted and instructed to self-isolate until cleared to return to campus.   

Communications to Students and Staff re: Positive cases on campus on October 14

From CMCC President Dr. David Wickes

Dear CMCC students and employees, 

Over the last 24 hours, we learned of four positive COVID-19 cases in the CMCC community.  As soon as we were notified of the positive cases (identified as CMCC students), we consulted Toronto Public Health (TPH) to ensure compliance with its COVID-19 case management and to ensure we are doing everything we can to keep students and employees safe.

TPH has confirmed that the protocols CMCC has in place are aligned with public health guidelines and there is no need to close the institution or modify our practice at this time.   

The Executive Leadership Team thanks the students for coming forward so quickly to advise us. CMCC has followed up with each case and worked to address the close contacts and any staff/faculty who may have had contact.  And, while enhanced cleaning is conducted every day, we have made sure to conduct a deep cleaning in all affected areas per public health guidance. 

Keeping in mind that that no system of hazard control offers complete protection, the best practice is to follow all protocols as they work in a layered fashion. All students and employees are required to:

  • Wear masks or face coverings both inside the building and on CMCC grounds,
  • Practice physical distancing,
  • Practice proper hand hygiene,
  • Wearing additional PPE as required.
  • Other layers include reducing the number of contacts, group organization of all labs/clinics, and physical barriers.

Being cautious and meticulous about following these protocols and behaviors both on and off campus is the best protection we have to keep us and our loved ones safe.

Incident Command Team
Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College covid@cmcc.ca

Follow up to the announcement of positive cases at CMCC from CMCC’s Incident Command Team on October 15

Hello CMCC Students,

Yesterday the announcement of four positive COVID-19 cases at CMCC prompted questions and concerns from students. We appreciate that the news of any positive case raises questions. 

Student Services is responding to emails as fast as they can.  This FAQ answers the most common questions you have asked.

Q: How do I get more information about the positive COVID-19 cases at CMCC?
A:
We appreciate that hearing about positive cases at CMCC raises questions and triggers anxiety.  Some students have requested very specific details. As future health care professionals, you know that we are legally obligated to keep health information strictly private and confidential. 

By providing specifics other than to those individuals personally affected, we are breaching privacy, a serious offence under the Personal Health Information Protection Act. Providing enough detail for others to deduce an individual is also considered inappropriate disclosure. We inform those involved and work in an outward fashion. We are restricted in providing information broadly.

Q: What steps did CMCC take when notified of a positive COVID-19 result?

A: Upon notification, we immediately set into motion our response process:

  • CMCC contacted Public Health Toronto to report our cases and receive guidance.  
  • The students who met the public health definition of close contact (in direct contact for over 15 minutes or more within 2 metres) have all been notified. We determine close contact by using our protocols of trios, and small groups in labs. We cannot know if contact has been made by individuals not following the protocols. This underscores the importance of following all protocols fully.
  • Others who did not meet that definition, even if present in the building, were not considered as high risk for transmission and were therefore not notified.
  • In consultation with Public Health, those deemed to have been in close contact with the positive cases were advised to get tested. All close contacts are self-isolating for the required period of time and will not be attending classes in person.
  • Public Health Toronto did not recommend a school closure based on our risk level, our protocols/practices, number of cases and the nature of transmission. 
  • Additional cleaning and disinfection was completed in all areas where the individuals had reported to us that they had been.

Q: What is CMCC doing to manage the transmission of COVID-19 in the student community?

A: CMCC has a very strict set of protocols and precautions for all students and staff to follow. These are all published in the CMCC Playbook. They include:

  • Daily screening,
  • Full PPE,
  • Hand hygiene/sanitization,
  • Face coverings/masks on CMCC property, both inside and outside
  • Physical distancing in all areas of CMCC
  • Many of our protocols are over and above the minimum requirement for safety. 

As members of the CMCC community, we are all responsible for following these as well as other guidelines such as limiting social gatherings, exercising caution and good judgement when commuting, carpooling, attending external environments (including: places of work),  travel, etc., to prevent further transmission to our students, colleagues and family members.

Q: I am anxious about coming in to campus as I have others at home who may be at risk.

A: The decision to come to campus is ultimately yours to make once you have assessed your personal risk and the risk for your household. If you feel you are at a higher risk or that a member of your household could be by your attendance at in-person classes, you could opt to self-isolate and inform Kim Kelly kkelly@cmcc.ca of your absence and makeup time later in the school year.

Q: Why are we not closing CMCC for a period of time based on the positive cases?

As we said yesterday, we have had in-depth discussions with Toronto Public Health on the specifics of our cases. They have not recommended a school closure based on our risk level (low) our protocols/practices, the number of cases and the nature of transmission.  Should cases increase or transmission methods dictate, the Executive Leadership Team along with the Incident Command Team may choose to close the school, close a component of the program, or move to full virtual learning.

Stay safe,

Incident Command Team
Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College covid@cmcc.ca

Posted October 8 2020

Dear CMCC Community, 

We are pleased that our on-campus laboratories have been functioning without major problems for the past several weeks and that students and employees understand the importance of adhering to the CMCC COVID-19 Playbook.  As many of you are aware, Dr. Bradaric-Baus recently announced that we are planning on having most Module 1, 5 and 9 exams conducted on campus, spread safely out in our largest rooms.  

You will recall that when we first started announcing plans for these modules back in May, we thought we were going to have to conduct all exams remotely.  But now that we have thoroughly tested our return-to-campus implementation plan and established that we can sufficiently maintain safe distancing and other precautions by spreading the exams out over a number of rooms with proctors, we are pleased that we can give the exams on campus during October 26-30. This provides all students with a similar setting, adequate Wi-Fi access, and a quiet environment.  If, however, there is a worsening of the pandemic situation in Ontario or an outbreak on campus, we will revert to the original plan to have students take their exams remotely. Year IV interns will receive information specific to the clinic midterm examination this week.

Second Wave and Implications

As you have probably heard last week from media announcements, Ontario is now officially in the “second wave” of the pandemic.  Premier Ford, Health Minister Christine Elliott and Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, spoke about us being on the upward slope of the second wave.  The number of new infections in Ontario has increased dramatically and we are seeing numbers that we haven’t seen since April and May.  New modelling released last Wednesday from Ontario Health officials projects an even higher surge of positive cases by mid-October. For the time being, the province is holding strong on not introducing widespread lockdowns as seen in the earlier phases, but it is possible that a rollback and further restrictions are introduced in the very near future. Because of this, we remain in a state of uncertainty and must continue to closely adhere to distancing, mask usage, building zone limits, daily symptom screening, use of hand washing and sanitizer, use of PPE in the labs and clinics, and other preventative measures.  We must do everything possible, and not let down our guard, to prevent an outbreak on campus.  Employees and students are reminded that their responsibilities extend to off campus settings and everyone must avoid crowds or other settings in which the Coronavirus is so easily spread. This is especially important as we enter into the Thanksgiving weekend and are being strongly urged by our public health authorities to limit all social gatherings to members of one household.  

Hybrid Curriculum Delivery Continuation 

It is now apparent that the pandemic will not be over anytime soon and that it is unlikely we will see a major change in activities at colleges and universities across the province over the next several months.  Some universities have already announced that they will remain “virtual” for the winter term.  Because we want to give our employees and students as much advance notice as possible, we are announcing today that CMCC will continue its hybrid model of curriculum delivery through the end of the academic year in May 2021.

This means that lectures for Modules 3,4,7,8,11 and 12 will be delivered online, as will the laboratories and clerkships that are currently being done online. Laboratories that require a physical presence – such as chiropractic skills, orthopaedics, diagnosis, and anatomy – will continue to be delivered on campus, if allowed by the province. Similarly, modules 2, 6 and 10, which we previously announced would be done in the hybrid format, are expected to be delivered as planned.  All of these plans are subject to change because of provincial directives or a worsening of the pandemic.  If the campus needed to shut down again for more than a brief period, it is very likely that we would need to extend the term beyond May.  Clinics will remain operational and continue to work toward increasing experiences. We do so in accordance with guidance from public health agencies, provincial and municipal government restrictions, regulatory protocols and host facility plans.

Please remember not to make any travel plans outside of the GTA without first checking with your supervisor or education director.  It is also possible that there could be a dramatic improvement in the pandemic in early 2021, and if that should happen then we could reconsider our plans and bring back more on-campus learning and activities for the final set of modules.  We would make that reassessment by February 2021.

Please remember that to keep yourself and the CMCC Community safe, it is important that you follow all guidelines and protocols. These protocols are the best way to help keep you and your loved ones safe and are important beyond the CMCC environment. Practice them wherever you go as part of your commitment to fighting this pandemic, especially at a time when cases are on the rise: 

Ø  Gatherings: Do not gather outside the campus or in other social settings without adequate distancing in place of at least 2 metres and be mindful of the limitations regarding numbers of those allowed to gather – limited to 25 outdoors and 10 indoors  (members of one household only).    

Ø  Screening: Screening is an important step for everyone entering CMCC. This is an important way to protect our community of students, staff, faculty, patients or guests and to protect our loved ones at home. Anyone entering the CMCC campus or any CMCC clinic MUST be screened.  

Ø  Assessments: Please have your self-assessment ready upon entry.  

Ø  Masks: A mask or face covering is required both INSIDE and OUTSIDE the building as long as you are on CMCC property. Upon screening, anyone participating in person to person contact (students, faculty, etc.,) must change into a fresh mask.  

Ø  Washrooms: Please respect capacity limits in all washrooms. 

Ø  Visitors: Essential visitors only are permitted onsite by appointment with you. They too must wear a mask, get screened and sign in and out at reception. 

Stay safe,

Dave

Posted September 23 2020

Hello CMCC Community, 

We are almost through our second week of in-person learning and it is wonderful to see that the school is buzzing again, albeit in a whole new way! The Incident Command and Executive Leadership Teams are extremely grateful for your attention and compliance with the new protocols and procedures to which we are all becoming accustomed. And remember, our priority is to keep our community of students, faculty, staff and patients safe and healthy.  

While this is great news, please be mindful that the rate of COVID cases has increased over the past week with over 70% of cases in those aged under 40. We must all play our part to keep these rates in check.  Just today, due to the higher rates of transmission of COVID-19 in certain areas, the Province of Ontario announced a rollback on social gatherings in Toronto, Ottawa and Peel, setting a new limit reducing the number of people permitted to attend unmonitored social gatherings and organized public events. This rollback includes functions, parties, dinners, gatherings, BBQs or wedding receptions held in private residences, backyards, parks and other recreational areas. Gatherings are limited to 25 outdoors and 10 indoors. Schools are not included in these new gathering limits as we all have very strict protocols but we still need to keep in mind all that we do from home to school, to keep our colleagues, friends and families as safe as possible.  

Please keep these points top of mind: 

  • Gatherings: Do not gather outside the campus or in other social settings without adequate distancing in place of at least 2 metres and be mindful of the limitations regarding numbers of those allowed to gather.  
  • Screening: Screening is an important step for everyone entering CMCC. This is an important way to protect our community of students, staff, faculty, patients or guests and to protect our loved ones at home. Anyone entering the CMCC campus or any CMCC clinic MUST be screened.  
  • Assessments: Please have your self-assessment ready upon entry.  
  • Masks: Always wear a face covering to enter CMCC facilities. Upon screening, anyone participating in person to person contact (students, faculty, etc.,) must change into a fresh mask.  
  • Lineups: At the screening station, there may occasionally be lineups. Please be patient and ensure you maintain a physical distance of at least 2 metres from others in the lineup. Please remember that the screeners are doing an essential service for CMCC, please be kind and be patient.  
  • Washrooms: Our washrooms are not large so please be aware of who is in the space and respect the new limits on capacity in washrooms.  All washrooms now have signage to advise you of those limits.  
  • Visitors: Essentials visitors only are permitted onsite by appointment with you. They too must wear a mask, get screened and sign in and out at reception.
  • Playbook: become even more familiar with the protocols in the Playbook. It has been put together by our experts to help us keep CMCC as safe as possible as you learn and work at any CMCC site.  

As hard as it is to imagine, COVID and COVID-related modifications to our campus and clinics will be here for some time, so let’s get comfortable, stay informed, be prepared and continue to move forward. We are doing an amazing job! Let’s keep it that way.  

Stay safe and stay healthy,

Incident Command Team 

Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College 

Posted August 14, 2020

Dear CMCC community

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of our lives at school, work and home and has put a pause on our social interactions, but CMCC must continue to move forward .  Shortly, we will welcome our new and returning students to the new academic term, beginning virtually on August 24 and then resuming laboratory instruction on campus on September 8.

I am proud of the way that our students and employees have adjusted and have risen to the challenges in response to the unknowns that this pandemic has brought on.  Together, we have reshaped curriculum delivery, rearranged the workplace and modified our interactions with patients to ensure that we can keep our community of patients, learners, teachers and workers safe.  You can read more about the process in our Return to Campus Implementation Plan.

Thank you all for your dedication and hard work. As we move forward to launching the 2020-21 academic year, we know that there is still much to learn and much to do to ensure sustained safety and still deliver an excellent chiropractic program but remain vigilant and open to change.

Today I introduce you to the CMCC Return to Campus Playbook developed by our Incident Command Team (ICT), in collaboration with academic and employee groups. It documents the measures that have been implemented to guard against the spread of COVID-19 in classrooms, labs, offices and clinics to help keep the CMCC community safe. It is based on best practices emerging from our national, provincial and municipal public health and regulatory bodies and the scientific literature.

This Playbook is intended to be an interactive, living document, meant for you to refer to often to understand the overall measures and protocols for working and learning at CMCC. All divisions have been asked to use this playbook to further develop protocols specific to their activities for working and learning.  We continue to closely monitor guidance from our health experts and as new information becomes available, will update the Playbook to adapt to our environment and experiences. Please keep the link bookmarked and take some time before you arrive on campus to gain familiarity with our new environment and processes.   Although at first you may find all of the new procedures and protocols to be rather daunting, we think you will become comfortable with the Playbook and the changes at CMCC.  We are hopeful that the province will continue to show progress in dealing with the pandemic and that we will be able to relax some of the more stringent requirements in the Playbook as time goes by.

I speak on behalf of the entire executive team when I say that we have been inspired by the thoughtfulness and creativity that the ICT and the community has shown to assemble this document, redesign our learning and working days and keep everyone’s health and wellness top of mind. 

Please don’t hesitate to contact any member of the ICT (covid@cmcc.ca) with suggestions or feedback on the Playbook.

For confidential enquiries, please contact:

Students: Kimberley A. Kelly, Director, Student Affairs kkelly@cmcc.ca Patti Scott, Registrar pscott@cmcc.ca

Employees: Human Resources: Sharlene Browne - Director, Human Resources and Employee Engagement sbrown@cmcc.ca
Angie Chen - Manager, Human Resources achen@cmcc.ca

We are in this together, every step of the way forward. It is important that you feel supported and safe at CMCC in order to work and learn to the best of your ability.

Stay healthy,

Dave

Posted July 22, 2020

Dear CMCC community,

This is a brief update on CMCC's planning efforts for our gradual resumption of campus activities over the next few months.  We are moving forward with the expected start of the academic term as scheduled for August 24th.  We are still awaiting the province's decision as to when Toronto (including CMCC) will be allowed to move into Stage 3 of the province's reopening.  We had hoped that would be announced this week, but such was not the case. Nevertheless, we are anticipating that we will be able to proceed with our plans.

As previously described, we will be adopting a hybrid model for delivery of our academic program through the end of the calendar year.  All lectures, small group sessions, and many laboratory sessions will be delivered virtually (online), using a combination of our Panopto™ lecture recording system, the Canvas learning management system, and Zoom and Microsoft Teams videoconferencing.  Laboratories needing supervised physical interaction, such as chiropractic technique, anatomical dissection and many diagnosis labs, will be delivered on campus beginning September 8.  The only students allowed on campus prior to that date are those Year IV students assigned to the campus clinic and Graduate Students.

What’s Next?  Return to Campus Playbook, Implementation Guide and Course Schedule

In the near future we will be posting a detailed "Return to CMCC Campus COVID-19 Playbook" and an accompanying implementation guide.  This is going through a final review by various groups on campus.  We have already made the class schedule available to current students and to our new Year I students. The schedule is designed to minimize the total number of students on campus at any time and to allow at least an hour between any online classes and on-campus labs.  Year I students can plan on an average of about 7 hours of labs on campus each week, Year II about 8 hours, and Year III about 4 hours.  In addition, we will be making up any of the lab hours missed last term when the pandemic abruptly forced us to shut down in March.

Safety Precautions

Some of you have raised questions about safety precautions at CMCC.  These will be discussed in detail in the Playbook, but you can be assured it has been a driving force in our planning.  All we are doing is consistent with public health guidelines, guidelines issued by the chiropractic professional regulatory body, and the highest quality evidence emerging from research around the world.  For all labs, students and faculty will be wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) consisting of gowns, medical-grade ear loop masks, face shields and gloves.  This is the same level of protection as is being used in our clinics. When entering the building or in common areas, all persons are required to wear cloth (non-medical) masks or face covering.  Everyone entering the building will be screened for symptoms and fever.   Laboratory spaces have been expanded to decrease the number of students in any learning space.  Protocols have been developed to deal with any exposure incident on campus.  Every department has developed ways to ensure adequate and timely communication with students and faculty will have online office hours and other means to keep in touch.  Students and employees will be expected to adhere to public health guidelines when off campus, including avoiding crowds and activities that violate social distancing and that increase the likelihood of transmission of the virus.

Limited Campus Facilities Access

At the present time, and until the province allows for larger gatherings and increased access, a number of restrictions have been put into effect at CMCC.  The exercise room, gym, faculty and student lounges will likely remain closed for the fall.  Library access will be restricted to those persons who have labs that day.  The campus will be closed to most visitors and the number of employees working on campus has been significantly reduced.  The number of entrances to the building has been reduced, and students and employees will be assigned specific entrance points to facilitate screening.  Zones are being established on campus to limit unnecessary travel within the building and directional signs will designate allowed walkways in hallways.

Clinics

Our clinics are gradually resuming care across the GTA.  Clinicians and interns, along with support staff, are doing a great job of providing safe and effective care for patients.  Schedules have been staggered, the number of patients in the clinic at any time is limited, and telehealth processes have been implemented to gather as much information as possible before patients arrive at the clinics, to monitor progress, and to safely provide exercise and rehabilitation patient education to help patients recover at home.

Shared Experiences and Sacrifices

Every college and university in North America is busy developing plans for resuming educational activities and struggling to find ways to meet the needs and expectations of students.  There is not a single institution of higher education in Canada that will be operating in the same way in the fall term as compared to the past.  Tens of thousands of employees have been furloughed across the continent, yet at CMCC we have not cut our workforce.  Some have suggested that tuition should be reduced while we are delivering lectures online and access to campus facilities is decreased, but this simply is not possible at most institutions, including CMCC.  We are a private institution that receives no public funding and is highly dependent on tuition to meet our operating expenses.  We are grateful for the generous support of our alumni and other donors, but we understand that philanthropic support may be less during the pandemic.  Our operating costs are higher than in the past because of the extraordinary increases we've had to make in technology and supports, as well as the rising costs of supplies and services during the pandemic. Campus and program improvements must continue, in spite of the pandemic.  We are thankful that our employees and students have been willing to adapt to the challenges imposed by the pandemic. 

Please check the CMCC website frequently for further updates.

Stay healthy, 

Dave

Posted June 19, 2020

Dear CMCC community,

In my last message to you I let you know we would continue to evaluate the pandemic situation in Ontario as it relates to institutions of higher education as well as the general public.  As you are probably aware, the Premier continues to gradually lift restrictions on much of Ontario, following the recommendations of his public health and medical advisors.  Late last week, and for the first time, the Minister of Colleges and Universities made a public statement regarding allowing some educational programs in Ontario to resume limited on-campus activities for the purpose of completing educational requirements for those students who would have otherwise graduated this month.  This has been characterized as a "pilot program" and is not applicable to all students at colleges and universities.  Nevertheless, it is encouraging to hear the Minister acknowledge that students in many programs, including the health care professions, must be able to participate in practical laboratory coursework to be able to progress through their education and gain the necessary competencies for their profession.

Our team on campus has continued to explore ways in which we can restart our laboratory training, maintain the integration of laboratory learning with the rest of the curriculum, avoid overloading students with additional required hours of coursework, avert extending the academic year into next summer, and most importantly, ensure the safety of our students and employees.

School Year Begins on August 24, 2024

After considering all of these variables, we have made the decision to launch the academic term on August 24, as previously announced, using online delivery for the lecture courses, small group sessions, and those laboratories not requiring campus-based delivery.* Most other Years I-III laboratories, including anatomy (AN), clinical diagnosis (CD) and chiropractic therapeutics (CT) will be taught on campus beginning on September 8, 2020 (week 3).  

* Labs for pathology and microbiology (PA), physiology and biochemistry (PH) and diagnostic imaging interpretation labs (DI) will all be delivered virtually. Rehabilitation labs scheduled for the first quarter of the academic year, and which normally take place in the gymnasium, will be scheduled online for certain sections and/or postponed to later on in the year.

September 8 Return to Campus (limited to in-person Labs)

This means that all students in Years I-III must be located in the Toronto area by September 8 and ready to begin on-campus laboratory training.

This is a compromise between the two options we previously proposed: 

Option 1:  Start all labs on campus during the first modules (August 24); or

Option 2: Defer all laboratories until the start of the second set of modules on November 2. 

By starting our physical-presence labs again on September 8 we will have gained an additional two weeks of Ontario recovery time and will better align with the Ontario health professions programs beginning their new terms in September.  Although the November start date still remains a fallback option should Ontario need to reimplement restrictions because of a late summer resurgence of COVID-19 cases, it poses the greatest potential overload of students by compressing all first and second module labs into a single module.

For Year IV students, who have been in regular contact with the Clinic Management Team, you will be advised of the return to care and to clinic dates as we work those out both from a public health and safety and compliance perspective and as we collaborate and strategize with our clinic partners.

For Residents, please note that the graduate studies program delivery will utilize a hybrid approach (virtual + in-person) that will be finalized and communicated the week of June 22.

CMCC Campus Operations

We will be making significant changes in campus operations in order to provide a substantial margin of safety to our students and employees.  The number of employees assigned to work on campus will be considerably reduced in order to decrease the total number of persons on campus at any time.  Those not needed on campus will continue to work online. The number of entrances/exits to the building will be reduced and students and employees will be instructed on which to use to restrict and control traffic flow, easing congestion at these points.  We will also be implementing "traffic lanes" for walking in the major hallways.  Additional hand sanitizer dispensers are being deployed throughout the building and a dozen new mobile handwashing stations are being placed at strategic locations to lessen congestion in washrooms. 

We are currently planning to have screening of all persons entering the building.  This would consist of eliciting declarations of any symptoms or recent exposure.  We may also be doing non-contact temperature screening at all entrances to the building.

At the present time, we expect to require all persons in the building to use non-medical face coverings whenever in the common areas (hallways, entrances/exits, library, bistro, washrooms).  These are not supplied by CMCC.  Students and faculty in the laboratories will be required to use the same level of protective equipment as is established for the clinics.  Currently that means the use of medical-grade ("surgical") masks (not N95), face shields and gloves.  These will be provided by CMCC.  Additional waste receptacles will be deployed to collect these used PPE at the end of each lab.

Lab Reconfiguration

To ensure safe distancing between students in laboratories, all are being reconfigured.  The number of tables in each of the technique labs is being reduced and the tables removed from these labs are being relocated to the CCPA Hall, making it a very large technique lab.  Additional AV equipment is being placed in the CCPA Hall to replicate the technology used in the traditional labs.  The anatomy laboratory instruction will be distributed over additional space, with some "dry lab" instruction being moved into the adjacent multipurpose lab (former histology lab and micro lab and possibly the Anatomy museum).  In many labs, students will be assigned into groups of three persons, and will remain in these groups for the duration of the module.  This will reduce any possibility of cross contamination.  Students will be required to support increased disinfection practices in the labs, through wiping down surfaces such as technique tables. 

With these reconfigurations and planning for the safe flow of traffic between labs and throughout campus, some changes to the schedule will be necessary. These are still in progress and we expect to have a revised schedule available to you in early July.

The SIM lab will be operational, but will have deployment of the curtains to provide barriers between tables.  These vinyl curtains will be regularly disinfected.  Some sessions may be conducted in the technique labs equipped with FSTT® tables.

The library will be open, but will have capacity for only about 80 students throughout both levels because of distancing requirements.  Plexiglas barriers are being placed at computer and study carrels.  We will have a number of other locations throughout the building for students to study safely.

The exercise room and gymnasium will likely be closed at the beginning of the term.  We will need permission from the public health and provincial authorities before use of these facilities can be restored.

We are currently exploring options for limited food service with our vendor.  At the present time, it would appear that any food options would be pre-packaged. 

CMCC Clinic Operations

CMCC clinics are currently providing care to our patients via telehealth and working toward reopening for direct patient care at all clinic locations. At Campus, as we move back into the physical space of clinic, things will be different than in the past. The clinic will be appropriately thinned of furniture and people. Interns and clinicians will return to clinic in a stepwise fashion, still using safety principles of screening patients before they come to the clinic, unidirectional flow through the Campus clinic, scheduling, PPE use and cleaning. The clinic reception area had chairs removed, protective barriers installed, and will be using touchless payment methods. Our partner organizations who host some of our clinics have been working with us as they determine how they open clinical spaces and re-engage our learners into those clinics in these complex times

Safety in the Learning and Workplace Environment is the #1 Priority

Employees will be receiving detailed written and oral instructions from their supervisors.  These "playbooks" are still being developed.

This is not an exhaustive list of the steps being taken at CMCC to provide a safe working and learning setting and help reduce anxiety about returning to campus, but I wanted to give you a sample of the measures we are implementing.  We will be providing additional information as the summer progresses.

I understand that no matter what decisions we make regarding resumption of physical laboratories and other activities on campus the decisions will not satisfy all persons.  Each student and employee has their own perspectives, apprehensions, preferences and priorities.  We've heard from some students who want labs to start up immediately, and also from some who want labs to wait until November or even later. The rationale for their preferences is sound, but in the end we have to make a decision that is best for the largest number of persons. 

Despite the overall uncertainty and lack of normalcy due to the pandemic, I am confident that our educational program will continue to be excellent. 

Stay healthy,

Dave

Posted June 5, 2020

Dear CMCC Community,

I am writing to you today to let you know where we are in our plans to begin the 2020-21 academic year. In our Town Halls for students and staff I made a commitment that we would begin the school year as scheduled this August. That has not changed. However, I also committed to providing you with a final decision this week on what that return would look like. Unfortunately, with the situation in Ontario continuing to evolve and the lack of definitive information from the provincial authorities, I am not able to do so. In spite of many hours of discussion, scheduling, modelling and planning, my team has concluded that we will not be able to yet make a final decision on the timing of the resumption of instructional laboratories requiring physical presence.

Earlier this week, Ontario’s Premier Ford once again extended the state of emergency in Ontario, which for now at least, still limits the size of gatherings and other crucial elements that would define just how and when we are able to provide in-person learning. Toronto’s Mayor, John Tory, has also been contacting large employers and educational institutions to ask the employees to continue to work from home until September in an effort to reduce the number of people using public transit in the first phases of reopening.

I know the timing of our physical return to campus is very much top of mind for all of you, so I ask that you remain patient for just a while longer as my team and I work out the details of a plan that takes reasonable and rational steps to protect the safety of our campus community in this new, albeit temporary, state that the coronavirus has brought on.

CMCC has a complex set of challenges in bringing students, many from across the county, faculty and staff back to resume in-person instruction given the restrictions imposed by physical distancing and the extensive hygiene protocols we now must follow. Many institutions are electing to deliver their full fall semester completely online. CMCC, however, must also address the educational value and necessity of in-person and hands-on learning in the training of chiropractors. We also know just how important it is to connect with a community of peers.  We will continue to examine the best solution to provide an enriching educational, on campus experience while keeping our CMCC community safe.

Over the next week or two, the leadership and academic teams will continue to refine plans, work with public health and regulatory bodies and subject matter experts to return to operations thoughtfully, carefully and gradually. To help shape and validate our decision while awaiting for more definitive guidance from the province, we will be reaching out to students, faculty and staff to learn more about their priorities and needs so that they are taken into account. 

Rest assured that whatever final plan for our return, be it online, in-person or a combination of both, we will be equipped to take the necessary steps to ensure that the learning and work environment is as safe as possible.

I thank you for your dedication and commend you all on your outstanding efforts to bring our 2019-20 year to a successful close in spite of extraordinarily difficult circumstances. I'll provide you with another update next week.

Dave

Posted May 27, 2020

Good afternoon students,

It is now just over two months since we closed the campus and entered this new state of remote learning and work at CMCC in response to COVID-19. We have come to the end of the 2019-20 academic year having successfully delivered the curriculum through virtual means. Through this, we learned many lessons and continue to evolve and improve what we offer CMCC students to remain the best and brightest among their peers.

Now that the province is beginning to lift some restrictions, many institutions of higher education are announcing their plans for the next academic year and a majority of these institutions will continue their virtual delivery for the most part. CMCC students, faculty and staff are wondering just what our plans for the 2020-21 academic year will look like this fall.

The uncertainty for all of us is challenging. For you, our students, making plans on moving back to Toronto, negotiating housing and accommodations and travel are difficult with so many unknowns. You are looking for definitive answers and timeframes, however much is still unclear.

I want to assure you that we have not been idle in any way. Our academic team and our administration and incident command teams are all working together to make timely and important decisions that take into consideration these uncertainties and also the best interests for the continued safety of ourselves, our families and loved ones. 

Commitment to Exceptional Learning Experiences

Rest assured that we will begin the new academic year as planned on August 24, 2020. We are absolutely committed to providing our students with the exceptional education they deserve and expect. Just how the schedule and the delivery of courses will look is still being examined. Like you, we are looking to new provincial and public health guidelines which will help us to define physical distancing limitations and thus be able to plan how and when your in-person teaching, such as laboratories will be able to commence for the academic year.

In order to provide our faculty, staff and students with sufficient time to make plans for the fall term, we have made the decision to deliver all Years I-III lectures, small groups, TBL sessions, and labs not requiring physical contact in the online format for the first two modules of the academic year (Year I - modules 1 & 2; Year II - modules 5 & 6; Year III - modules 9 & 10). Examinations for these modules will also be administered remotely. These two modules are scheduled for the period of August 24, 2020 - January 22, 2021.

Two Options

As of today, our planning team is considering two possible options for the delivery of those laboratories that require physical presence and cannot be conducted in the online format. We want to ensure that we are able to provide sufficient notice to students and faculty while still waiting for the province to announce changes relating to physical restrictions (social distancing, allowable size of gatherings). We have committed to announcing a decision between these two options by the week of June 1 which is just next week.

Option 1:  Labs requiring a physical presence will commence during the week of August 24, with the appropriate personal protection and hygiene measures. These labs would be the only scheduled activities on campus for students for modules 1,2,5,6,9 & 10, and may be broken down into smaller lab sizes.  All other learning activities will be done remotely. 

Option 2:  Labs requiring a physical presence and which would have normally been conducted during modules 1, 5 & 9 will be postponed until the second set of modules that commence on November 2, with the appropriate personal protection and hygiene measures, and potentially in smaller group sizes. The schedule will be adjusted to allow for these deferred labs to be held concurrently with the labs supporting modules 2, 6 & 10. All other learning activities will be done remotely.

What if?

If provincial restrictions announced subsequently will not allow for Option 1, we would default to Option 2. What happens if we can’t do either option? Well, we may have to implement a modified summer semester, but it is too soon to determine.

The decision by next week of which of these two options will be enacted will enable students to make final travel and living arrangements to be near campus by either August 24 or November 2. Similarly, this decision will enable faculty members to adjust how they prepare for the format and timing of the delivery of labs.

There are some residual lab sessions from the time that CMCC closed on March 15th to the present that we still wish to make up. These sessions will be scheduled during the first few months of the new academic year in conformance with the above two options. It is possible that we may need to schedule some of these sessions in the early evening or on some weekends. We are trying hard not to have to extend the academic year beyond its scheduled end in 2021.

Orientation for new students will be done virtually.  As the provincial restrictions are lifted and when it is safe to do so, we will begin to schedule the extracurricular social activities that contribute significantly to the overall experience at CMCC.

For Class of 2021

Students currently transitioning into the clinic for Year IV duties and assignments will be receiving additional scheduling information from the Clinic Management Team in the near future. The return to normal clinic operations is set by the province with safety guidelines from the College of Chiropractors of Ontario.

For Graduate Students

For our residents, your return to campus information, commitments and schedules will follow in the near future as they are finalized and as safety guidelines allow.

Planning for 2021

At the present time, we are planning for a normal, on-campus experience to resume by the start of the third set of modules (i.e., modules 3, 7 & 11) in January 2021.

To work through these details, we have enlisted the expertise of all of the Directors of Education, many members of the faculty and other experts to work alongside the VP Academic and the Executive Leadership Team to plan for our return to learning and work.

In this process, they have been looking at the potential scenarios and mapping out viable options to navigate and schedule your return to learning and ensure that CMCC is prepared for any challenges that may emerge once we resume. This team is ensuring that we remain flexible and are able to move quickly if disruptions to plans arise, always with the intention of ensuring the ongoing safety of our students, faculty, staff and patients.

Your Safety Above All

An integral part of our planning is to monitor and apply the directives from the ministry, the provincial and federal governments, local health agencies, and the province’s reopening framework as well as our chiropractic regulatory body.

Any and all decisions to return to campus will be made in accordance with their advice, guidelines and best practices as they apply to CMCC. We will only make a decision for the return to work and learning when our government and public health agencies have deemed that it is safe to do so. The safety of the extended CMCC community is of the utmost importance.

These are challenging times and whether you are a student, faculty or staff member, we all have concerns in addition to studying and working from home. There are many resources that you can draw upon including:

MD Telephone Service (non-emergency)

Telephone: +1 647 265 2374

·         COVID-19 counseling

·         Advice and recommendations

·         A confidential chat

·         Renewals and repeats on essential medicines

CMCC Advice and Counselling (learn more at BeSafe)

·         Ms. Karen Rice, Student Counsellor krice@cmcc.ca 416 482 2340 ext. 104

·         Ms. Kimberley Kelly, Director, Student Affairs kkelly@cmcc.ca 416 482 2340 ext. 219


Student Assistance Plan (SAP)

Empower Me mental health and wellness service that offers confidential and accessible support in multiple languages. Call 1 844 741-6389 to connect with trained counsellors, consultants, and life coaches 24/7, 365 days/year for a variety of issues. Learn more at www.studentcare.ca.

As we finalize our return to school plans, we will keep you informed of any decisions and changes along the way.

Thank you for your patience, your dedication and your professionalism as we work through these extraordinary times together. Keep safe and healthy.

Dave

Posted May 14, 2020

The Premier announced this week that he was extending the Ontario state of emergency until June 2. This was not unexpected and Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health subsequently expressed his concerns about possible flareups of infection should the reopening of the province occur too soon.

The Premier is going to make further announcements this week regarding the plans to reopen the province. In the meantime, CMCC is exploring how to gradually and safely return our employees to the campus and our clinicians and learners back to the clinics. 

We will be holding a Town Hall for all employees the week of May 18 and will provide staff and faculty with details on the exact date and time and a mechanism to send in questions so that we may address those during the Town Hall.

We will be holding a second Town Hall the week of May 25 for students, following the exam period.

Posted April 27, 2020

Information re: Canada Emergency Student Benefit 

Dear students,

As you may have heard, the Government of Canada recently announced a comprehensive package of supports for students facing challenges related to COVID-19. I would like to take this opportunity to provide information about two of the measures that could be a benefit to you. 

On April 22, the Government announced a new Canada Emergency Student Benefit (CESB) to provide financial support to post-secondary students and recent graduates who are unable to find work because of COVID-19.

Eligible students will receive $1,250 per month, with an additional $500 per month for students with disabilities or students with dependents, for a total of $1,750. The CESB will be administered by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and students can apply monthly from May to August 2020.

This benefit will require Parliamentary approval before the application will launch so that may take a few more days. However, during in the interim, if you haven’t already done so, please set-up a My CRA account and register for direct deposit to ensure a smooth enrollment process and a timely disbursement of the benefit.

For the upcoming 2020-21 school year, the Government of Canada has announced increased support to the Canada Student Loans Program, including:

  • Doubling the Canada Student Grants (CSG) for the 2020-21 school year. This includes doubling the CSG for full-time students to up to $6,000 and the CSG for part-time students to up to $3,600. The Canada Student Grants for Students with Permanent Disabilities and Students with Dependents will also be doubled.
  • Broadening eligibility for student financial assistance by removing the expected student and spousal contributions in 2020-21 in recognition that many students and families will struggle to save for school this year.
  • Increasing the maximum weekly loan amount for the 2020-21 school year from $210 a week to $350 per week. 

As more details are announced, we will make them available to you.

Stay safe. Stay healthy.

Posted April 14, 2020

Hello CMCC Community

We hope you had a restful long weekend. Today, April 14, we are sharing a few video messages from CMCC leaders and the Chair of Board of Governors. They bring highlights from the past few weeks, express their gratitude and share a few words of thanks and encouragement.


Thanks for watching. Stay well and stay connected.

CMCC Executive Leadership team

Posted April 1, 2020

Information for CMCC Students:

Over the past two weeks, members of the CMCC community have worked tirelessly to meet the challenges of quickly moving the curriculum to online delivery to ensure the continuity of education.

Everyone involved has been generous, innovative, patient and devoted to finding solutions to each difficult decision to ensure students will be able to complete studies for the 2019-20 academic year. The environment in which we are working is fluid, but it has become clear that the best outcome for our communities is one in which we exercise the utmost caution, especially for vulnerable populations. In plotting the safest, most conscientious course forward, we have decided to suspend in person classes and clinic for the remainder of the academic year.

Working together at CMCC, we have tooled an innovative curriculum plan for the remainder of the year that meets all the stringent regulatory and accreditation requirements by which this program is bound. Each year of study has been carefully considered in order to achieve the best possible outcome for your learning. We commend each of you for your professionalism, understanding and patience as our academic team has adjusted courses and reworked the delivery of the curriculum recreated and continues to rework the curriculum to allow you to complete your coursework under these trying circumstances. We appreciate the support you have shown and the willingness to work through the bumps in the road and recognize, again and again, what an exceptional group of students we have.

Our thanks to you all. Along the way, you have had many questions and concerns and we hope to address many of those today.


Q: Will we be resuming operations on April 6?
A: NO. As noted above, given the still evolving circumstances with COVID-19 and in compliance with the directives from all levels of government, regarding physical distancing and gathering, CMCC will not be resuming in person operations or classes on April 6 as previously stated. All in person classes and clinics are cancelled for the remainder of the academic year i.e., May 22, 2020. This decision allows us to move ahead with a solid plan for course delivery ensuring you receive the appropriate instruction.

Q: Will we be able to come to CMCC to collect our belongings?
A: NO. Unfortunately, for the safety of the entire CMCC community, we will not be able to accommodate students wishing to collect belongings from lockers. Should you have an urgent need for something you have left behind, please contact Student Services to discuss your specific needs. Rest assured that your items will remain safe and untouched and that Security is still in the building 24/7.

Q: Will the school year be extended?
A: No. We anticipate that we will be able to deliver all major curriculum requirements in the curriculum and finish according to schedule.

Q: When will the academic year 2020-21 begin? Will we be delayed?
A: We anticipate that the school year will begin as scheduled for Years I-III on Monday August 24, 2020.

We anticipate the clinic year will begin on Tuesday May 19, 2020. However, please note that depending on circumstances and any public health advisories, classes may commence virtually in the beginning and move to in person as we are able.

SPECIFIC TO YEARS I-III


Q: Will in person classes resume this spring?
A. NO. In person classes and assessment will be suspended for the rest of this academic year. We will continue to deliver courses, labs and assessments completely online. The revised curriculum will allow all Years I-III to complete the academic year on time (May 22) as scheduled. Any curricular requirements that cannot be met through online delivery, will be moved to the fall. Should a personal situation prevent any student from continuing their studies in this format, please consult with Student Services to request and explore accommodation.

Q: Will the virtual labs and classes be as robust as our in person learning?
A: In providing interactive sessions, we are most closely mirroring the experience you would be receiving in class. Written notes will continue to be available. Experiential learning may be limited, but we look forward to providing you that opportunity in the fall.

Q: What happens to exams?
A. Exams will be delivered entirely through ExamSoft and can be done from any location the student is in. No two exams will be identical as all questions will be randomized to ensure academic integrity. Students will be expected to take their exam at the scheduled time (Eastern Daylight Time).

Q: Can students who need or wish to leave Toronto return home?
A: Yes, provided students have full access to stable online tools so that they can continue online classes and labs, they can be located wherever they choose. Students are advised to pay close attention and comply with any and all travel restrictions and guidelines issued by our public health agencies.

Q: What will the OSCE look like this year?
A: OSCEs will take place on the schedule dates however, we are still working through the details for OSCE delivery and will be able to provide you with further details over the coming week.

Q: When will Year III be able to enter Clinic?
A. Students will proceed into Year IV on May 19, 2020. Direct patient care might not begin on that date and will depend upon directives from public health, health institutions, and governmental authorities.

Year IV Students and Graduate Students, we ask that you refer to your email and Learning Management System for information specific to your programs. There is a high level of detail too great to capture here.

IN CLOSING


We know that this is a lot of information to take in and process. As administrators and educators, we commit to being here for you to answer your questions, address your concerns and ensure that we provide you with the best possible solutions and support to give you the education you expect and deserve. Students, please rest assured that faculty are working to plan for opportunities for you to practice in person, hands-on study when we are able to resume. This may include times during the school day and evenings and weekends as needed.

Remember, if you have questions about your own health and are not sure which steps to take, you can contact Telehealth Ontario at 1 866 797 0000 available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If any of you are hungry for even more information on COVID-19, please see our website at cmcc.ca/covid19updates.

Here is an online resource that you may find helpful to access and work through as we continue to manage our mental health during COVID-19: https://www.coursera.org/learn/manage-health-covid-19?

Posted March 20, 2020

Just a friendly reminder that online learning begins Monday, March 23, 2020. We have been working all week to schedule lectures and online small groups and to train faculty and staff to go live with our remote learning experience!

Welcome home to everyone who has travelled. Staff members who have been away, please ensure you contact Human Resources (hradmin@cmcc.ca) and returning students, please ensure you contact Student Services (studentserv@cmcc.ca).

Thank you to everyone for your cooperation and for continuing to take all the strange new precautions to heart so that we can flatten this curve together. We are learning all the ways in which we can keep our communities safe now and will be able to apply these same measures more easily in future, should we experience another outbreak. We understand this situation may be especially challenging to our students who are in the midst of a rigorous curriculum and looking forward to summer. We thank you for your patience and will do our best to continue to deliver the curriculum as seamlessly as possible. Since this is our first foray with several new remote tools, we may encounter the occasional hiccups. Please be patient and bear with us and we’ll work together to make this the best experience possible.

For many of our students, this situation may give you a new perspective on patient outcomes and community health. Many of you have reached out to us, asking if there were ways you could help. We realize we are in such a good position with the extraordinary group of students we have. Please continue to lead by example and encourage everyone to adopt the temporary measures that will keep a large number of our community out of harms way.

To CMCC employees who have stepped up in extraordinary ways in such a short time, thank you for pulling together and helping us move to where we are today. Again, with so many individuals relying on systems and technology, we may experience occasional issues. Please be sure to reach out to teammates and keep the conversation going. Even as we work on our own at home, we don’t have to work in isolation.

On that note, regrettably, we have had to cancel Backs in Motion this year. We are however, encouraging everyone to run or walk at home or in your neighbourhoods on and around April 26! We will be sharing photos and stories online and offering prizes for best photos. Stay tuned!

And please remember, if any of you have questions about your own health and are not sure which steps to take, you can contact Telehealth Ontario at 1 866 797 0000 available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If any of you are hungry for even more information on COVID-19, please see our website at cmcc.ca/covid19updates.

Posted March 17, 2020

We appreciate and understand that with the quickly changing landscape of COVID-19 and the ongoing information coming from so many sources, this can be a worrisome time for you.  

Currently, the Federal Government is urging social distancing in an effort to protect the public’s health and limit the spread of COVID-19. If you need to be out, Public Health agencies are also recommending keeping a distance of 2 metres or 6 feet between yourself and those around you. This morning, Premier Doug Ford declared a state of emergency in order to better limit person to person contact. This includes the closure of private schools such as CMCC for a period of time.  Online learning will continue but the campus buildings will be closed. All exterior doors will be closed and no longer accessible to staff or students unless they have been deemed essential and are on a list of personnel being monitored by security. 

Curriculum Delivery Online 

We have been working to ensure that we can continue curriculum delivery as seamlessly as possible and ensure business continuity. While we don’t expect extreme measures such as we are seeing today to continue, it is possible that it won’t be business as usual right away, so we want to start with a good foundation and enable students and staff with the tools they need.

Staff and Faculty 

All staff, with the exception of those who have been identified as essential to operations, will work from home effective immediately, until at least April 6. Your directors and managers will reach out to you to schedule team meetings, assign projects and check in with you.  

Many of you have already been invited to Teams so that you can stay connected with your working group and we can support each other to ensure educational and business continuity over the coming days or weeks.  

Some of you have had questions about your work and compensation which you have forwarded to Human Resources. In light of this, we have created the attached FAQ which we hope you will find helpful. The FAQ will be changing as more information becomes available. We will do our best to keep you apprised of those changes regularly. 

Essential staff  

For each of you that has been deemed essential staff for operation continuity and is required to come into the building during this period of closure, we will continue to ensure that doorknobs and buttons are sterilized daily.  All essential staff will enter through the front doors and sign in at the front desk.   

Students 

Beginning March 23, we will make a full transition to online education for Years I-III, using Zoom, Panopto and other tools as they present themselves. Instructions will be sent through KIRO and email.  

If you have questions about particular assignments or projects, please reach out to your instructors via KIRO or email as you would regularly. We will continue with online learning until it is safe to resume operations and teaching on site.  

Should you need other support in any way, Student Services will be online, working remotely to answer other questions and concerns.  

Interns 

Clinical education will continue online, relying on learning objectives and other activities that are not reliant on person to person contact. The written exam originally scheduled for Tuesday March 24 has been cancelled and deferred to a later date.  We are currently looking at alternatives and will let you know as soon possible.

For each of you, we ask that you do your utmost to stay well and virus free so that we can help flatten the curve of COVID-19. Continue to wash your hands frequently and ensure that you maintain that social distance while outside. 

Self Care 

We recognize the impact that the outbreak of COVID-19 has been on our mental health, as the stress associated with the fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions.  Taking care of yourself, your friends, and your family can help you cope with stress. Helping others cope with their stress can also make your community stronger.  Here are some tips to help support yourself: 

·        Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting. 

·        Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep. 

·        Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy. 

·        The Human Resources department in collaboration with our Health and Wellness student experience worker will also enlist other programs to help with your self-care during this time. In addition, we want to help reduce the isolation that comes from a disruption in routine and being away from work.  To staff, your managers will continue to rely on you and depend on your contributions, even as those may alter from the usual routine. To students, we are confident you will continue to have a heavy workload, though scheduling lunch may not be such a problem in the short term! Please continue to communicate with each other in all the great ways that you do, staying in touch through your virtual networks and helping each other like you always have. 

To everyone
, please take the time to sleep well and don’t forget to exercise. When we return to work and class, or a clinical environment, we will be busy!

We thank everyone for their part in protecting our community by helping to reduce and control the spread of COVID-19.   

Posted March 16, 2020

Based on the best advice from our federal and provincial governments, CMCC has made the decision to close our clinics and suspend clinical experiences for undergraduate and graduate learners temporarily until April 6 to support attempts to slow the spread of COVID-19. Observation programs, both within CMCC clinics and external offices will also be suspended. 

Though our clinics will be closed, we will continue to offer clinical education and will issue an update Wednesday, March 18 on how we will facilitate Year IV clinical progress. 

The Year IV OSCE exam previously scheduled for this Friday March 20, has been cancelled for now and will be rescheduled at the earliest time possible as we all work together for the good of the community and the public at large.  

Thank you for your cooperation. Please continue to monitor your health and those around you and if you do feel ill, please stay home and do not spread any ailment to those in your community. Although the virus is not a significant threat to most people, it can do serious harm to those with a compromised immune system. 

CMCC is continuing to refine and test its remote teaching operations and once testing is complete, we will advise all staff, students and faculty on plans to transition to remote and online learning and testing, as we are doing with clinic. Look for news on Wednesday, March 18.  

We thank you for your patience and for continuing to do your part in protecting our community by helping to reduce and control the spread of COVID-19.    

 CMCC Executive Leadership Team  

Posted March 15, 2020

We appreciate and understand that with the quickly changing landscape of COVID-19 and the ongoing information coming from so many sources, this can be a difficult and worrisome time for you. We are reaching out to you today to let you know that we have your best interests and safety in mind.  CMCC Executive, the Incident Command Team and Clinic Management have been working with our clinic partners and stakeholders to determine next steps to ensure the safety of our interns, our clinic staff and our patients. 

Effective March 15, all CMCC clinics will suspend practice until end of day Wednesday March 18. During this time, we will continue working very closely with our health partners to ensure we move forward together to make longer term decisions on the operation of our community clinics. These collaborative decisions will take into full consideration the commitment we have to our interns to fulfill their education needs and competency requirements for graduation as well as provide responsible patient care.We are working with the regulators and accreditors to ensure any decision taken will limit the impact on our interns and protect our staff and our patients. 

Further, clinical placements of our Graduate Programs will also suspend practice during this time in order to consider how these clinical experiences will move forward. Please watch for additional announcements.  

Again, all CMCC clinics will be closed until end of day Wednesday March 18 in order to put a longer term plan in place in collaboration with our health partners and stakeholders. 

We thank you for your patience and for continuing to do your part in protecting our community by helping to reduce and control the spread of COVID-19.  

CMCC Executive Leadership Team 

Posted March 12, 2020

Like many of you, the Executive and Emergency Response teams are closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak around the world and as it relates to our CMCC community and our day to day operations both on campus, at our external clinics and as it relates to our external events. The future course of this virus is impossible to predict accurately, and we are acutely aware that our choices and actions today must be made with clarity and with your safety and health in mind.  A team of extremely dedicated people have been working diligently to respond to the challenges posed by COVID-19 to our students, staff, our families and our patients.  

We are considering every contingency as they undertake this important work on your behalf. We are writing to you today to update you on changes to process, travel, curriculum delivery, external events and other matters that concern our shared community and that will limit exposure to the disease.

The Emergency Response plan sets out clear strategies for dealing with the possibility of a temporary closure or suspension of normal operations. Those strategies include a transition to move to virtual instruction and to full or partial remote operations for CMCC staff. CMCC has invested in a number of technologies that will allow us to continue essential operations remotely during any interruption with minimal disruption to curriculum delivery. Our plans and decisions are consistent with the recommendations of our international, national, provincial and local health officials how to limit the spread of COVID-19. 

TRAVEL 

With March break on the horizon, we know that many staff and students have already made travel plans. Best practice recommends enhanced travel reporting and return to class/work screening for both students and staff, which is essential as we look forward to March break.  Before you head out, please review and comply to all Travel advisories as available: Active Travel Health Notices (Notices, Risks, Safety and Security, Planning a Cruise, Returning Travellers) 

The enhanced travel reporting process will require that all students and staff advise of their travel dates and location prior to their departure.  In addition, upon your return to class/work, we will request that you contact the appropriate represented (as listed below) in order undergo an initial screening to be cleared to return to campus. This may require an additional day at home. 

Students: Please advise Student Services at studentserv@cmcc.ca 

Staff and Faculty: Please contact Human Resources at hradmin@cmcc.ca 

Business TravelAll CMCC-related travel has been suspended until further notice. We will continue to monitor travel advisories and update you as we have additional details.   

REMOTE OPERATIONS/Work at Home in the event of a suspension or restriction in normal CMCC operations  

As part of the Emergency Response and Business Continuity plans, we have asked all Division directors to work with their staff and with IT as needed to ensure that everyone has access and adequate tools to work from home should we determine that a campus partial or full closure is warranted. Tools such as VPN, Teams, Office 365 are all available to support you in working from home.  Additional instructions will be forthcoming from the Division of IT on how to work from home during a suspension or restriction in our normal operations. 

For Faculty, instructions will be forthcoming to any faculty not currently using Panopto to ensure you are prepared for a potential transition to virtual delivery of lectures and small groups etc.  

Despite our best efforts to plan for and manage CMCC resource to respond to the COVID-19 issue, we are still faced with uncertainty and with that a measure of discomfort. It will take time to understand enough about the situation to make longer term plans and also to defend against it but please understand that we will do our utmost to protect our community and the broader community and will continue to treat each other with generosity, understanding and respect as we wade these uncertain waters. There are resources available to you to help manage any anxiety and stress: 

Students: Call 1 844 741-6389 to connect with trained counsellors, consultants, and life coaches 24/7, 365 days/year for a variety of issues. Learn more at www.studentcare.ca.  

Staff and Faculty: 24/7 Confidential Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) through our third party vendor ComPsych. Contact EAP services at Tel: 866 641 3847 or online by visiting guidanceresources.com, and enter in WEBID: CMCCEAP 

We thank the CMCC Community for working together to manage the current health situation. Our joint response to it and our commitment to keeping ourselves and our patients in their best health will be our guide now and in future. Thank you for your continued support! 

-CMCC Executive Leadership Team

Posted March 6, 2020

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus, unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

When the WHO first raised awareness of this viral outbreak, CMCC activated its pandemic emergency response plan on January 22, at a time when there were only 309 confirmed cases in China and none yet in North America.  Dr. Anthony Tibbles, Dean, Clinics, has been overseeing a response team since that time. The situation has changed significantly around the world and with that CMCC has been actively monitoring developments and following the advice of our national, provincial and municipal public health agencies. At this time, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health continues to advise that the risk to Ontarians is low.  

Our pandemic plan addresses CMCC’s response to the outbreak in a progressive way. The plan is being been used in the clinic where screening of patients has been underway for some time. As well, academic and business continuity plans may be enacted as needed. Our emergency response team includes leaders and administrators who have knowledge and experience to coordinate any required responses to the situation as it evolves in the province and across the country.

Currently, CMCC is continuing normal operations. We are also applying daily disinfection measures throughout the building beyond normal cleaning operations. We will provide additional information to the CMCC community should additional precautions become necessary.  

On the international front, most people infected with COVID-19 have become so through travel in affected areas or through close or household contact with someone who had the virus. Overall, most of infections have resulted in mild illness.

How to protect yourself

    • Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 15 seconds (especially before handling food, after touching your face or shaking someone’s hand). As an alternative, alcohol-based hand sanitizer may be used.
    • Avoid sharing personal items with others who may be sick.
    • Cover your mouth with a tissue when sneezing and coughing. Throw the tissue away and then wash your hands immediately.
    • If you do not have a tissue, cough into your upper sleeve or elbow.
    • As viruses can live on hard surfaces for up to eight hours, sanitize objects like your desk, keyboard, telephone and door handles frequently.

  • Practice good health habits to help your body fight off viruses. Ensure you are getting enough rest, drinking plenty of fluids, eating nutritious foods and staying active.

    The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. As a reminder, the most effective way to prevent your exposure to and transmission of illnesses (including influenza and the common cold) is to take preventative measures, including the following measures:

    If you are sick

  • As always, if you are sick, you should avoid close contact with others and stay home. In addition, we encourage you to contact your healthcare practitioner or primary physician as soon as possible and report your symptoms to them for evaluation. You can also contact Telehealth Ontario.

    In an emergency, call 911. 

    If you are a student with questions about assignments, exams or make-up classes, please contact your faculty/instructors. If you are a staff or faculty member, please contact your supervisor/manager or Human Resources.

    Travel

    If you are scheduled to travel on CMCC business but are uncomfortable or have questions about your options and responsibilities, please contact your manager or supervisor or Human Resources who can help to guide your decision-making and remember that the safety of our staff, faculty and students is our prime concern at all times.

    If you are a CMCC student, faculty, staff or community member who has plans to travel or have just  returned from a country which now has Public Health Travel Advisories in place, contact your supervisor or manager, Human Resources or Student Services who can work through next steps with you on returning to CMCC for work or study. Recommendations from Public Health for those returning from affected areas, are to stay home for the 14 day period to ensure you are not infected and cannot spread the virus to your communities.

    Advisories and notices are available on the Government of Canada Travel advisory sites:

    Active Travel Health Notices (Notices, Risks, Safety and Security, Planning a Cruise, Returning Travellers)

    Travel Advice and Advisories – FAQ