Call for an Expression of Interest in Membership

 Call for an Expression of Interest in Membership

 Maternal-Child Screening Committee

 Screening is an important practice in the maternal – child population aimed at identification of significant health risks to enable early intervention and improved outcomes.  Many health issues and diseases targeted by screening span the spectrum from preconception to late childhood, optimally involving an integrated approach to ensure recommendations regarding policy are sound and consistent and that the operation of the screening programs corresponds to the highest possible standards of effectiveness and efficiency.

 We are currently seeking one new member who has experience and knowledge Ontario's Public Health system for the Maternal-Child Screening Committee.

 At the request of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health (PCMCH) and the Better Outcomes Registry and Network (BORN Ontario) convened a Maternal-Child Screening Committee (MCSC) in Fall, 2010 to make recommendations to the PCMCH and BORN Ontario to ensure that:

• the scope and operation of prenatal, newborn and childhood screening in Ontario meet the changing needs of the people of the province;
• consistent general principles of screening, including standards of implementation and evaluation, are applied to all aspects of prenatal, newborn and childhood screening. Examples include decisions relating to the disclosure of adventitious information (unanticipated findings made in the course of screening); consent; storage of samples; access to stored samples; utility of new screening technologies; etc.;
• the operations of Ontario’s prenatal and newborn-child screening programs are integrated to the extent that relevant issues are considered in the full context of the reproductive cycle;
• policy decisions are based on sound scientific evidence;
• relevant stakeholders are identified and consulted with regard to proposed changes to the screening programs; and
• other issues, as required.

 Dr. Pranesh Chakraborty is Chair of the Maternal-Child Screening Committee.  Pranesh is Director of Newborn Screening Ontario, the organization that coordinates newborn screening for Metabolic Diseases, Endocrine diseases, Cystic Fibrosis and Sickle Cell Disease in Ontario.  He is a Pediatrician, Medical Biochemist and Metabolic Diseases specialist at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the University of Ottawa.

The Maternal-Child Screening Committee is a multi-disciplinary group whose membership is voluntary and whose composition reflects a diversity of backgrounds, sectors, perspectives and expertise. The committee reports to PCMCH and BORN Ontario. Members will serve terms of 3 years, renewable once.

There are also two subcommittees of the MCSC: the Prenatal Screening Subcommittee and the Newborn-Child Screening Subcommittee.  They provide advice regarding prenatal and newborn-child screening respectively on matters such as:

• Monitoring and reporting on program effectiveness and program quality;
• Making recommendations for change to improve programs. This includes interacting with other agencies involved in prenatal and newborn-child screening, as appropriate; and
• Responding to questions referred to the Committee from the Maternal-Child Screening Committee;
• Developing, implementing, analyzing and evaluating performance indicators and related data to monitor and report on program effectiveness and quality, in conjunction with other organizations involved with prenatal and newborn-child screening;
• Evaluating and advising on new technologies;
• Making recommendations on policy and knowledge translation related to prenatal and newborn-child screening;
• Advising on and facilitating implementation of specific prenatal and newborn-child screening protocols;
• Advising on and facilitating implementation of procedures for handling of screen negative and screen positive results, including genetic counseling issues;
• Advising on educational programs for patients and health care providers, to reflect any significant changes in prenatal and newborn-child screening; and
• Advising on research necessary to enhance understanding of matters related to program effectiveness.

To apply, please complete an Expression of Interest Form (attached). Please submit the Expression of Interest Form electronically to Brittan Fell at bfell@BORNOntario.ca by the end of the business day on Monday, February 6, 2012.

The current members of the Maternal-Child Screening Committee will review the applications and select the successful applicant based on criteria including content expertise, experience, and commitment to the work of the committee. Identified gaps in content expertise, representation of members of a multi-disciplinary team and regional representation will be considered in the deliberations.

Sincerely,