Organization

These professional members support committee work. They do not have a voice and are not able to vote on Council.

Statutory Committees
To assist Council in meeting its legislated mandates, the College has seven statutory committees required under the Regulated Health Professions Act and composed of both Council and non-council committee members. Statutory committees report to Council.

Executive Committee
The Executive Committee has the powers of the Council between Council meetings with respect to any matter that requires immediate attention other than approving by-laws and proposing regulations.

Registration
The College sets the requirements for entry to the dietetic profession and registers only those who have met these requirements. The Committee receives referrals if the Registrar has doubts about whether an applicant has met registration requirements.

Quality Assurance
The Quality Assurance Committee's mandate is to identify quality standards that promote excellent dietetic care and make related program proposals to the Council for implementation through the College. It also helps provide a fair assessment process in cases of possible sexual abuse in adherence to the Regulated Health Professions Act and College regulations.

Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee
The Regulated Health Professions Act requires the College to investigate complaints about members' professional conduct, competence or fitness to practice. The complaint process is designed to ensure procedural consistency and fairness to both the complainant and the member who is the subject of the complaint.

The role of the College's Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee is to ensure that complaints are handled in accordance with the provisions of the Regulated Health Professions Act and disposed of within 150 days from the filing of the Complaint.

Discipline Committee
The Discipline Committee is responsible for holding hearings about allegations of professional misconduct or incompetence of members as referred by the College's Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee. The Discipline Committee must provide a fair process for hearing evidence, determining member conduct and the most appropriate action to deal with conduct and protect the public.

The Committee process and decision-making must be in keeping with the provisions of the Regulated Health Professions Act. Discipline hearings are typically open to the public and a report of discipline decisions must be featured in the Colleges' annual report.

Fitness to Practise
The responsibility of the Fitness to Practise Committee is to provide a fair review of all matters regarding the potential incapacity of members to practice safely.

Patient Relations Committee
The Patient Relations Committee develops and maintains a patient relations program as set out in the Regulated Health Professions Code of the RHPA and promotes relations with College members, other health Colleges, key stakeholders and the public.

The College of Dietitians of Ontario has a zero tolerance policy on any form of sexual abuse of patients. The Patient Relations Committee has the responsibility to coordinate the program. It also processes requests for funding for therapy and counselling should a member of the College ever sexually abuse a patient.

Standing Committees

The College establishes additional working groups and committees as needed to effectively govern the profession of dietetics and carry out College functions. Currently, the College has non-statutory committees and working groups dealing with the following:

• Elections Committee
• Legislative Issues