NOSM Holds Face-to-Face Board Meeting on Manitoulin Island

Members Tour Debajehmujig Creation Centre,
Welcome Manitoulin Island as Comprehensive Community Clerkship Site,
and Participate in Strategic Planning

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held its annual Board of Directors face-to-face meeting on Manitoulin Island, Ontario from May 8 to May 9, 2014.

On the first morning together, NOSM Board members enjoyed a tour of the Debajehmujig Creation Centre in Manitowaning, where they heard about how Debajehmujig Theatre Group members participate in simulation and standardized patient exercises for medical students on placement in the communities of Manitoulin Island. The Debajehmujig Theatre Group is a professional community-based non-profit organization dedicated to the vitalization of the Anishinaabeg culture, language and heritage, through education and the sharing of original creative expression with Native and Non-Native people.

In the afternoon, Board members helped Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Dean, and Dr. Roy Jeffery, Physician at Manitoulin Health Centre and NOSM Site Liaison Clinician, to officially welcome Manitoulin Island to the group of now 14 Comprehensive Community Clerkship (CCC) sites across Northern Ontario. Each year, Manitoulin Island will host two third-year medical students, who will undertake clinical placements at the Manitoulin Health Centre; the Manitoulin Central Family Health Team; the Northeastern Manitoulin Family Health Team; the Gore Bay Medical Centre; and, the Municipality of Assiginack Family Health Team, from September to April.

In the evening, NOSM Board members enjoyed a dinner with local community members, including several representatives from the health organizations of Manitoulin Island. Dr. Bill McCready, NOSM’s Senior Associate Dean, West Campus and former Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, and Dr. Greg Ross, NOSM’s Associate Dean of Research, were thanked for their outstanding leadership and significant contributions to NOSM. Both McCready and Ross will complete their terms as Associate Deans in June 2014.

During the two-day meeting, Board members participated in several presentations and interactive sessions on the topics of governance, advancement, financial sustainability, research, and strategic planning. NOSM has begun a widely consultative process of engaging the people and communities of Northern Ontario in the creation of a new strategic plan for the School for 2015-2020.Seeking the input of NOSM’s many collaborators is key to the development of a plan that continues to support the School’s social accountability mandate to contribute to improving the health of the people and communities across the region. All of NOSM’s collaborators are invited to access the NOSM Strategic Plan 2015-2020 website at  www.nosmsp2020.ca , review the background information, and contribute input online.

At the formal Board meeting on the final day of face-to-face meeting, the Directors received reports from Board committees, including the Finance, Audit and Risk Management, Governance, and Executive Committees. The Directors also received reports from Academic Council and the School’s Aboriginal and Francophone Reference Groups.

The Directors received a Financial Report for the 10-month period ending February 28, 2014. In addition, the Board approved the proposed balanced budget of $43.1 million for the fiscal year May 1, 2014 to April 30, 2015, as presented.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors is scheduled to occur on September 24, 2014.

For a complete list of Board members, please visit our website at  nosm.ca .