Continuing the Transformation at CPD: Annual Report 2013-2014

Over the past academic year, CPD has worked towards our vision of international leadership in improving health through innovation in CPD research and education. We have followed our strategic and academic business plans and continue to position CPD as the ideal partner in transforming healthcare in Ontario and beyond.

A major milestone this year was our 5 year CACME Accreditation Review for which, after enormous work by the entire U of T CPD community, we received the highest possible rating and passed with flying colours. This CACME approval has reaffirmed our position as a national and international leader in CPD. I am grateful to our CPD leaders and directors, our course directors and teaching faculty and the CPD leadership team for their contribution to our accreditation success.

Key leadership and scholarship came from CPD Academic, CPD Research and CPD Global and Indigenous Health Program under Drs. Suzan Schneeweiss, Simon Kitto and Anna Banerji. Highlights included:

  • ACPAC Partnership: Advanced Clinician Practitioner in Arthritis Care Program across Canada
  • IDEAS 2-Day Introductory Course: Quality Improvement initiative with CPD partnering with provincial government and 5 other universities
  • AMEE Conferences in Prague 2013 and Milan 2014: Only North American CPD group invited; presented Essential Skills in CPD
  • Creating and Planning the North American Refugee Conference and the first ever Indigenous Health Conference
  • CELP: CPD’s innovative and ongoing Continuing Education Leadership Program
  • eRICE (Research in Continuing Education Committee)
  • CPD Courses: Medical Record Keeping, Safe Opioid Prescribing

Our strategic communications initiative also had transformative results this year:

  • Renaming the portfolio as CPD
  • Realigning our brand more closely with the U of T brand and reputation
  • Rebranding CPD according to U of T guidelines with our own Brand and Style Guide for all communications
  • Launching of a new website and social media content

CPD provides a wealth of valued high quality service to the Faculty of Medicine. CPD has undergone significant reorganization to meet the growing volume of accreditation requests, managed events, and registrations. Several immediate changes put into place to better serve our over 500 Course Directors include:

  • Focused and results-driven marketing and communications services
  • Restructuring CPD financial services – becoming the gold standard in cost-recovery financial management
  • Standardized CPD lexicon – consistent simplified language in all things CPD (i.e., contracts, invoices and marketing)
  • Enhanced online registration, management and metrics tools

CPD is committed to further develop the required infrastructure to support expanded C-IPE, simulation-based CPD and eLearning. We have worked this year to reorganize the portfolio so as to create the platform that will further facilitate expansion of CPD U of T’s base of SIM-based courses and credits. We are intent on seeing a shift from traditional ‘bums in seats’ CPD to a greatly expanded use of simulation and eLearning in this portfolio in the near future. CPD U of T strongly advocates the use of simulation in health professions education and our future will prominently feature SIM-based learning as one of the foundational pillars that will transform the health professions CPD landscape. To this end CPD is very proud to support the upcoming 2014 SIM Expo as a living testament to the increasing need for more simulation in health professions education and CPD.

Two other units in the CPD Portfolio have also undergone transformation: SPP, the Standardized Patient Program, has completed its Strategic Review and Planning process and the Innovations in Education Office (i+e) has developed new business initiatives in online education, advanced technology and course partnerships.

We are proud to be Canada’s largest and most innovative provider of CPD and will continue to transform ourselves to provide cutting edge education for our learners. I would like to thank all of our team at CPD for their ongoing commitment and dedication during times of change and most all, to thank all of the CPD educators in the Faculty of Medicine for the opportunity to work with you as we position CPD to be the ideal
and preferred partner in transforming healthcare in Ontario.

Dimitri J. Anastakis MD, MHPE, MHCM, FRCSC, FACS, FICS
Professor of Surgery, Vice Dean
Continuing Professional Development
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto