A Chatham doctor is challenging the suspension of his hospital privileges at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA) due to CKHA's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Dr. Ian DePass had his hospital privileges suspended by CKHA in November of 2021 for failing to comply with CKHA's vaccination policy and get his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. DePass also had his request for accommodation rejected.
DePass will have a hearing this month before the Health Professions Appeal and Review Board (HPARB).
The Democracy Fund (TDF), which is representing Depass, said the surgical assistant cannot earn a living from medicine unless he has hospital privileges, adding he is a father of seven, with two young children at home, and has worked in construction since his suspension from the hospital.
The hospital board upheld the suspension following a hearing that took place in February 2022, according to TDF, and it retained Ontario lawyer Lisa Bildy to represent DePass in a new hearing that started Wednesday before the HPARB.
DePass won a critical motion last spring, allowing him to present current evidence about the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing transmission of COVID-19.
The Appeal Board agreed it would be a “relevant consideration” in assessing the reasonableness of the CKHA COVID-19 policy, which remains in place at the hospital. The policy mandates the first two doses of injections, but booster shots have not been required to date.
The hearing is scheduled to take place in Toronto for six non-consecutive days, ending January 19, 2024. The parties will then make written submissions to the Board.
