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Please see below the approved Policy and Procedure Manual for the Southwest Ontario Regional Base Hospital Program. It applies to Paramedics working the counties of Bruce, Elgin, Essex, Grey, Huron, Chatham Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, Oxford, Perth and Oneida First Nations.

Click on the links below to view the individual policies.

Certification:

Quality Assurance:

Medical Direction:

Administrative:

Academic Certification:

All e-forms will be submitted and processed by the Southwest Ontario Regional Base Hospital Program.If you have any questions or concerns regarding this page or completion of the forms, please contact [email protected]

Request for Training Date

Please submit the applicable form below to request a training date with a SWORBHP Pre-Hospital Care Specialist. Please ensure you provide your contact information in the form for follow-up and booking.

Important Update: The New Certification and Return to Work forms are no longer available on our website. To submit your new hire information or to request a return to work, please submit the information through the Paramedic Portal of Ontario. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]

Auxiliary Directive (e-form)

Student Certification for COLLEGE (e-form)

Cross Certification

SWORBHP Cross Certification Form (PDF fillable form)

SWORBHP will recognize the auxiliary directives that paramedics have obtained at their previous Base Hospital and will receive automatic certification in them if the process and requirements are met.

Communication (Self-Report)

SWORBHP Communication Form (iMedic Services Only) (e-form)

SWORBHP Communication Form (Huron County Paramedic Services Only) (e-form)

Our online Communication Form allows you to securely send us information so that we can help you as quickly as possible.  The Prehospital Care Specialist designated to audit for your service will be notified immediately of your request.

Paramedic Recognition Awards (e-Forms)

We believe that being recognized for the excellent work you do as a paramedic is very important, not only to you but to us as well. Receiving positive feedback and being honored for your accomplishments builds self-esteem, establishes a rapport, and provides for meaningful communication.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding completion of any of the forms, please contact Julie Oliveira at [email protected].

The Base Hospital has four Paramedic Recognition Awards:

Medical Directors Award of Excellence (e-form)

The Medical Directors Award of Excellence will be awarded to Paramedics who have been recognized for excellence in EMS. This award is based on nomination by peers, Service Administration, chart auditors or the SWORBHP Medical Directors. A maximum of four awards per year will be presented.

Medical Directors Commendation Award (e-form)

The Medical Director’s Commendation Award will be awarded to Paramedics who have been recognized for delivering exceptional care to a patient(s) in the prehospital setting. This award is based on recommendation by the Local Medical Director or the receiving hospital Emergency Physician.

Prehospital Save Award (e-form)

The Prehospital Save Award is awarded to paramedics who have been recognized for obtaining a field ROSC, where the patient survived to hospital discharge.

If you have completed a call that you feel meets or potentially meets the criteria to be considered for a Prehospital Save Award, please complete the following form and submit to the Base Hospital for follow-up and verification. Please do not include any personal patient information on this form.

Prehospital Newborn Delivery Award (e-form)

The Prehospital Newborn Delivery Award is awarded to paramedics who have assisted with a prehospital newborn delivery.

If you have completed a call that meets the criteria to be considered for a Prehospital Newborn Delivery Award, please complete the following form and submit to the Base Hospital for verification. Please do not include any personal patient information on this form.

Certification Standard Definitions

“Authorization”  

means written approval to perform Controlled Acts and other advanced medical procedures requiring medical oversight of a Medical Director;  

“Business Day” 

means any working day, Monday to Friday inclusive, excluding statutory and other holidays, namely:  New Year’s Day; Family Day; Good Friday; Easter Monday; Victoria Day; Canada Day; Civic Holiday; Labour Day; Thanksgiving Day; Remembrance Day; Christmas Day; Boxing Day and any other day on which the Province has elected to be closed for business; 

“Certification”  

means the process by which Paramedics receive Authorization from a Medical Director to perform Controlled Acts and other advanced medical procedures in accordance with the ALS PCS; 

“Continuing Medical Education (CME)”  

means a medical education program and confirmation of its successful completion as approved by the Regional Base Hospital Program (RBHP); 

“Consolidation”  

means the process by which a condition is placed on a Paramedic’s Certification restricting his or her practice to working with another Paramedic with the same or higher level of qualification (i.e. Certification); 

“Controlled Act”  

means a Controlled Act as set out in subsection 27(2) of the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991; 

“Critical Omission or Commission”  

means the performance of a Controlled Act or other advanced medical procedure listed in the ALS PCS that a Paramedic is not authorized to perform; or an action or lack of action, including the performance of a Controlled Act or other advanced medical procedure listed in the ALS PCS, by the Paramedic that has negatively affected or has the potential to negatively affect patient morbidity or mortality, with a potentially life, limb or function threatening outcome;   

“Deactivation”  

means the temporary revocation, by the Medical Director, of a Paramedic’s Certification;  

“Decertification”  

means the revocation, by the Medical Director, of a Paramedic’s Certification; 

“Director”  

means a person who holds that position within the Emergency Health Regulatory and Accountability Branch (EHRAB) of the Ministry of Health (MOH); 

“Employer”  

means an ambulance service operator certified to provide ambulance services as defined in the Ambulance Act; 

“Major Omission or Commission”  

means an action or lack of action, including the performance of a Controlled Act or other advanced medical procedure listed in the ALS PCS, by the Paramedic that has negatively affected or has the potential to negatively affect patient morbidity without a potentially life, limb or function threatening outcome;  

“Medical Director”  

means a physician designated by a RBH as the Medical Director of the RBHP; 

“Minor Omission or Commission”  

means an action or lack of action, including the performance of a Controlled Act or other advanced medical procedure listed in the ALS PCS, by the Paramedic that may have negatively affected patient care in a way that would delay care to the patient or lengthen the patient’s recovery period, but has not negatively affected patient morbidity; 

“Ontario Base Hospital Group (OBHG) Executive”  

means a provincial body comprised of representatives from RBHPs as defined in the Terms of Reference for OBHG Executive and approved by the MOH; 

“Paramedic” 

means a paramedic as defined in subsection 1(1) of the Ambulance Act, and for purposes of this Standard a reference to the term includes a person who is seeking Certification as a Paramedic, where applicable;  

“Paramedic Practice Review Committee (PPRC)” 

is a committee that performs an independent, external advisory role, providing information and expert opinion to the Medical Director on issues related to Paramedic practice when the Medical Director is considering Decertification of a Paramedic; 

“Patient Care Concern”  

means a Critical Omission or Commission, Major Omission or Commission, or Minor Omission or Commission; 

“Reactivation”  

means the reinstatement of a Paramedic’s Certification after a period of Deactivation; 

“Regional Base Hospital (RBH)”  

means a base hospital as defined in subsection 1(1) of the Ambulance Act, and provides an RBHP pursuant to an agreement entered into with the MOH; 

“Regional Base Hospital Program (RBHP)”  

means a base hospital program as defined in subsection 1(1) of the Ambulance Act; 

“Remediation”  

means a customized plan by the RBHP to address a Patient Care Concern or to address any concerns identified during Certification, including a failure to meet a requirement for the maintenance of Certification; 

“Senior Field Manager” 

means a person who holds that position within the EHS Division of the MOH, and for the purposes of this Standard a reference to the term means the relevant Senior Field Manager responsible for the applicable RBHP. 

Variance Definitions

The clinical auditing process is undertaken by our quality assurance team; part of this review includes incident analysis, assessment of documentation practices, and examination of the care provided. This allows our auditors to better appreciate what, if any variances occurred from the current standards in delivering care.  

The goal in identifying these variances is to capture the root cause, with a vision to continuously improve the prehospital care system for both patients and paramedics alike. Variances may be the result of the paramedic making either an omission (a lack of action) or a commission (an action) in the delivery of patient care.  

“Minor Variance (Grade A) – Patient Care”

An omission (lack of action) or commission (action) by the paramedic that did not have any direct effect on patient morbidity or outcome however may have impacted patient care in a minor way or have been inconsistent with the Medical Directives/ALS-PCS. 

“Minor Variance (Grade A) – Documentation”

This variance is assigned when the paramedic omits information from the ACR/ePCR which is required to rationalize the treatment provided or withheld from a patient. 

For example, not documenting the patient had a previous history of prescribed nitro use prior to administering nitro to a patient without an IV established. 

“Major Variance (Grade B) – Patient Care”

An omission (lack of action) or commission (action) by the paramedic that affected or had the potential to affect patient outcome or morbidity, however the outcome would not be life-threatening. 

“Critical Variance (Grade C) – Patient Care”

A critical variance may be the omission (lack of action) or commission (action) by the paramedic that has a clear effect on patient outcome or morbidity with the actual or realized potential to be life-threatening. 

The performance of a Controlled Act(s) for which you have not been certified would fall under the category of critical variance.