Using a combination of videoconference and teleconference connectivity across Northern Ontario, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) held a regular meeting of the Board of Directors on Wednesday, March 18, 2009.

At the recommendation of the Nominating Committee, the Board of Directors approved the appointment of Derek Debassige to the Board of Directors. Mr. Debassige was nominated by the Union of Ontario Indians.

Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Dean, addressed the Board about two recent landmark achievements for NOSM: the first, that NOSM has received full accreditation of its undergraduate medical education program, and the second, that all undergraduate students in its Charter Class have successfully been matched to Canadian residency programs on their first attempt.

Kim Daynard, NOSM Director of Communications, gave a presentation on the celebrations now being planned to mark the historic occasion of NOSM’s first graduation of medical school undergraduates, and the completion of its first group of family medicine residents from the Family Medicine Residents of the Canadian Shield program.

Members of the Board approved the Financial Report for the eight- month period ending December 31, 2008.

The Directors received reports from several Board Committees, including the Finance and Audit, Quality Monitoring, Executive, Governance, Nominating, and Advancement Committees.

The Directors also received reports from the School’s Academic Council, Research Portfolio, Archives Reference Group, Aboriginal Reference Group, and Francophone Reference Group.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors is the Annual Board Retreat scheduled for May 7 – 9, 2009 in Dryden, Ontario.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) and the Government of Ontario are pleased to announce that NOSM, the first new medical school in Canada in over 30 years, has been granted full accreditation of its M.D. education program.

In Canada, accreditation is granted by the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) and the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), two organizations that work together to set, maintain, and approve of the standards for undergraduate medical education at all Canadian medical schools.

Dr. Roger Strasser, NOSM Founding Dean, says news of full accreditation marks a significant accomplishment that was made possible by the efforts of many people over several years. “Receiving full accreditation of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine’s M.D. program is a crowning achievement in a multi-year process aimed at meeting all expected standards. I extend my congratulations and thank you to Dr. Joel Lanphear, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education, and staff, students, faculty members, physician clinical teachers, community members, Academic Council members, Board members, host universities, and government supporters-everyone who worked so hard to achieve this wonderful success.”

“I’m pleased that our government is continuing its strong support for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine,” said Bill Mauro, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan. “NOSM is special because it can focus on the unique and specific needs of Northern Ontario. It will play an important role in training doctors and in helping to deliver quality health care closer to home.”

“The importance of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine to the quality of healthcare in Northern Ontario, and Ontario as a whole, cannot be overstated,” said Michael Gravelle, MPP for Thunder Bay-Superior North. “This announcement will help to ensure that the school continues to supply highly trained, quality medical professionals for decades to come.”

“The Northern Ontario School of Medicine provides extraordinary learning opportunities for students in Northern Ontario,” said Rick Bartolucci, MPP for Sudbury. “With this full accreditation, our students will be well positioned to becoming tomorrow’s health care leaders.”

Accreditation is one significant milestone in a year of many for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Another landmark of achievement for NOSM will occur this spring, when the School celebrates its first graduation of medical school undergraduates, and the completion of our first group of family medicine residents from the Family Medicine Residents of the Canadian Shield (FM RoCS) program.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) is pleased to announce that Patricia (Patty) Fink is the successful candidate for the position of Director, Northern Health Information Network (NOHIN), effective January 1, 2009. Ms. Fink joined the Northern Ontario School of Medicine in 2004 as an Electronic Resources Librarian, and since September 2007 has been the Acting Director of NOHIN.

Ms. Fink’s academic qualifications are matched by a history of professional accomplishments for which she is ideally suited to the demands of the position. She sits on numerous committees where she effectively advances the interests of the library. A consummate team player, her leadership qualities are evidenced by the initiative she has shown in several start-up projects and her dedication to performance excellence, demonstrated by the ongoing improvements she has made to NOHIN. In December 2008, Ms. Fink was honoured with a NOSM Staff Award of Excellence, a peer-nominated award.

The Northern Ontario Health Information Network, with libraries at both campuses of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay and Laurentian University in Sudbury, supports the learning needs of health-care professionals across Northern Ontario through various resources, including electronic books and journals, databases, and various multimedia tools.

NOHIN’s mission is to advance education, research, clinical practice, and community service and fosters evidence-based health-care practice in Northern Ontario by assuring access to biomedical knowledge, by teaching the principles and techniques of information retrieval and management, and by providing quality services that promote effective information use and study.

Ms. Fink earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and History and a Master of Arts in History degree (both from Laurentian University), as well as a Master of Library & Information Science degree from the University of Western Ontario.

More information regarding the Northern Ontario Health Information Network can be found at www.nosm.ca.