CPSO Honoured for Utilizing Technology to Become More Efficient, Responsive

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) was recognized last week as one of the inaugural recipients of the CIO Awards Canada. The CPSO received the award for its work to overhaul its technological infrastructure in order to more efficiently investigate concerns from the public, streamline the application process for physicians seeking licensure and power a self-serve portal for members.

The implementation of a new cloud-based enterprise data management system was part of a multi-year modernization envisioned and lead by CPSO’s Chief Transformation Officer, Nathalie Novak.  As a result, the CPSO became the first fully digital regulator in Canada.

“Before embarking on this journey, we were heavily dependent on paper records and decades-old databases that were unable to communicate with each other,” shared Novak. “We also now have access to the kind of high-quality data we need to make certain that our decisions are evidence-based, which will mean better policies and — in the end — better care for patients in Ontario.” 

As the CPSO has sought to manage the same turbulence as other organizations in recent years, this transformation helped to ensure continuity of core business functions.

Director of Registration and Membership Samantha Tulipano emphasized the importance of these new systems in order to help the healthcare system meet its current challenges. “The licensing process for physicians is now completely paperless and secure. By reducing our reliance on dated tools like paper records and fax machines, we have streamlined the application process while continuing to guarantee that they meet the highest standards for delivering patient care.”

The implementation of new data management systems was a significant undertaking that required contributions from teams across the CPSO in order to successfully execute. None of it would have been possible without an organization-wide commitment and support of Dr. Nancy Whitmore, CPSO’s Registrar and CEO.

 “I sincerely thank Nathalie for her leadership and vision in leading this massive undertaking. None of this would have been possible without Nathalie and our IT Director, Eben Engelbrecht’s perseverance and expertise,” said Dr. Whitmore.  “Our new technological infrastructure has been an organizational game changer for us.”

The CIO Awards for Canada, offered by International Data Corporation (IDC) Canada and Foundry's CIO, were handed out as part of CIO's Future of Digital Innovation Summit on November 29^th and 30^th. They celebrate Canadian organizations that are using IT in innovative ways to deliver value.

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