417.11. Within the framework of the powers conferred on the agency and taking into account the responsibilities of the institutions in the agency’s area of jurisdiction, the regional panel of heads of departments of specialized medicine shall exercise the following responsibilities under the authority of the president and executive director:(1) making recommendations concerning the part of the regional medical staffing plan pertaining to medical staff in specialties that must be drawn up in accordance with section 377, and, once the Minister has approved the plan, ensuring the implementation and application of the agency’s decision concerning the plan;
(2) defining and proposing the regional organization plan for the provision of specialized medical care, divided by specialty, which must specify, for each territory of a local health and social services network, the services likely to best meet the needs of the people, including services provided in specialized medical centres and private health facilities, and ensuring the implementation and application of the agency’s decision concerning the plan;
(3) defining and proposing the system of access to specialized medical care, which may include patient management at the regional level; a regional duty roster; service, pairing or sponsorship agreements between institutions in certain specialties; and the implementation and coordination of the agency’s decision concerning the system;
(4) evaluating the degree to which the objectives of the regional organization plan for the provision of specialized medical care and the part of the regional medical staffing plan relating to medical specialists have been met;
(5) giving its opinion on any project concerning the provision of specialized medical services and the renewal, distribution and development of specialized medical equipment and telemedicine, in accordance with the regional organization plan for the provision of specialized medical care;
(6) giving its opinion on certain projects relating to the use of drugs;
(7) giving its opinion on the establishment of the services corridors proposed by the integrated university health network; and
(8) carrying out any other function assigned to it by the president and executive director of the agency in connection with specialized medical services.