Dear OPC Members,
I hope you and your families are all staying healthy and safe!
As this situation progresses, we continue to do our best to produce meaningful resources and communications to our community. That being said, OPC has a number of updates for all members in hopes of providing information, tools, and a way to maintain a sense of community within the O&P industry.
OPC COVID-19 Resource Hub
While we do out best to stay up-to-date with this rapidly changing landscape, it can be easy for an email to get lost in your inbox. For this reason, OPC has created an easy-to-navigate resource hub for all COVID-19 related updates and news as it relates to our industry, our practice, and our community.
This hub also provides a number of external resources which may prove useful in this time, as all of you are more than just members – you are business owners; students; parents; caregivers. We’ve centralized a number of helpful links and articles to ensure you’re able to make informed decisions and stay safe.
OPC is looking into various alternatives for continuing education mediums for all members. We are developing a working list of available webinars and virtual learning sessions related to profession; this will also be available on the hub.
OPC COVID-19 Forum
In an effort to foster proactive conversation and a standing sense of community within the O&P industry, we have added a forum to the OPC website which can now be utilized by all members to discuss various topics that relate to practice, social distancing, and COVID-19 recommendations.
This is a great medium to solicit the advice of your peers, benefit from their experience, and participate in an ongoing conversation. Please acquaint yourself with the terms and conditions of this discussion board here; OPC does not endorse any of the information shared through this medium.
2020 OPC Practical Examination
The OPC Board of Directors met earlier this week to discuss the current situation regarding the upcoming May Certification Practical Examination. After careful consideration, the Certification and Registration Board (CRB) will be postponing this examination until late Summer/early Fall. The location will still be Winnipeg and advanced notice will be provided once an exact date has been chosen. We hope this notice will allow you to cancel all travel and accommodation arrangements that were made.
Rest assured that we are working together on all fronts to ensure we have a process in place regarding your hour requirements and work situations. Our goal is to set you up for success in the O&P world. We will be in touch shortly with a detailed update on how you are able to accumulate your hours. Stay tuned.
We appreciate your understanding that we are guided by influences beyond our control and we will be subject to work within any guidelines and directives of government health agencies as they develop. Additionally, there will be no extra fees associated with applications for the exams if they are rescheduled but there may be some added administrative requirements as we move forward.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or feedback. The OPC Board, Certification and Registration Board and staff are always here to help in any way we can.
If you have questions surrounding the Practical Exam, please contact Jennifer Traer, Programs and Credentialing Director, jennifer@opcanada.ca.
Brokerlink Insurance Coverage
The OPC Group Program has full business interruption coverage – and it is the most broad form available on the market, which is commonly referred to as Actual Loss Sustained. Unfortunately this coverage will not respond to this pandemic crisis.
That being said, the OPC Group Program has some coverage for extra expense due to an outbreak, with a limit of $10,000. Extra expense could encompass anything that you normally would not incur during day to day operations as a result of this pandemic. It does not, however, cover loss of business income.
Below* is the policy wording that deals with the coverage.
Supplier Discounts and Payment Terms
OPC has been in touch with various O&P suppliers surrounding amended payment terms for professionals. These terms can be found below:
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