Medicine Professional Corporations & Practice Structure

Ontario physicians who wish to practise medicine through a professional corporation must establish an Ontario medicine professional corporation and obtain a Certificate of Authorization from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario before practising through the corporation.
 

Legal considerations may include:

• Medicine professional corporation incorporations

• Certificates of Authorization

• Corporate organization and governance

• Shareholder agreements

• Partnership arrangements

• Business ownership structures

• Corporate reorganizations

• Succession planning

• Practice purchases and sales
   

Practitioner, Employment & Contractor Relationships

Psychiatry practices may involve other physicians, psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, nurses, administrative staff, independent contractors, and other healthcare professionals.
 

Clear agreements can address:

• Compensation arrangements

• Roles and responsibilities

• Scope of services

• Scheduling expectations

• Use of clinic facilities and technology

• Billing and collection arrangements

• Confidentiality obligations

• Insurance requirements

• Restrictive covenants

• Termination provisions

• Patient transition procedures
   

Patient Documentation & Privacy

Psychiatrists collect and maintain highly sensitive personal health information relating to patient histories, assessments, diagnoses, treatment, medications, clinical notes, referrals, and other aspects of care.
 

Physicians must comply with professional and legal requirements relating to medical records, confidentiality, privacy, consent, access to records, retention, and the collection, use, and disclosure of personal health information.
 

Where physicians practise in group or interdisciplinary settings or use a shared electronic medical record system, clear agreements regarding responsibility for and access to medical records can be particularly important.
 

Legal documentation may include:

• Informed consent documentation

• Patient intake forms

• Privacy policies

• Fee and payment policies

• Cancellation policies

• Virtual care documentation

• Website privacy policies

• Website terms and conditions

• Internal practice policies

• Record retention policies

• Patient communication policies
   

Technology, EMR & Service Provider Arrangements

Psychiatry practices may rely on electronic medical record systems, virtual care platforms, scheduling and billing software, secure communication tools, and other third-party technology and service providers.
 

Clear commercial agreements can establish expectations concerning services, access to information, privacy and security responsibilities, payment obligations, data management, service standards, termination, and transition arrangements.
 

Legal support may include:

• Electronic medical record agreements

• Software and technology agreements

• Virtual care platform agreements

• Administrative service agreements

• Billing service agreements

• Vendor agreements

• Confidentiality agreements

• Data and privacy provisions

• Commercial contract review and negotiation
   

Clinic Space & Business Operations

Whether you operate from a standalone psychiatry practice, shared medical office, multidisciplinary clinic, or virtual practice, the arrangements governing your premises and business operations should reflect how your practice actually functions.
 

Legal support may include:

• Commercial lease review and negotiation

• Clinic sublease agreements

• Space sharing agreements

• Cost sharing arrangements

• Administrative service agreements

• Management agreements

• Shared technology arrangements

• Supplier and vendor contracts
   

Relationships With Other Healthcare Professionals

Psychiatrists may practise alongside or maintain professional relationships with family physicians, psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, nurses, occupational therapists, and other regulated healthcare professionals.
 

Clear agreements can help define:

• Professional relationships

• Use of shared clinic space

• Administrative responsibilities

• Shared resources and technology

• Patient information responsibilities

• Privacy and confidentiality obligations

• Billing arrangements

• Cost sharing

• Departure and termination procedures
   

Practice Sales, Purchases & Patient Records

Buying, selling, or transitioning a psychiatry practice can involve corporate, contractual, operational, privacy, and patient record considerations.
 

Medical record responsibilities require particular attention when physicians leave a practice, when ownership arrangements change, or when a practice closes or transitions.
 

Legal support may include:

• Asset purchase agreements

• Share purchase agreements

• Due diligence

• Lease assignments

• Employee and contractor transitions

• Patient record arrangements

• Restrictive covenants

• Transition service arrangements
   

Practice Growth & Long-Term Planning

Whether you are opening your first private practice, incorporating, bringing on another psychiatrist or healthcare practitioner, joining or establishing a multidisciplinary clinic, moving into a larger location, expanding virtual services, or growing your practice, proactive legal planning can help ensure that your corporate structure and agreements continue to support the practice as it develops.