Departmental Assistant Status

Departmental Assistant status is required for ANY individual who will be working with patients, patient records, equipment, staff and/or hospital records who are not otherwise hired, appointed or authorized by the hospital for the particular research, education and/or patient care activity in a medical department, and includes:

1. Employees or those otherwise on staff in the hospital who are involved in research, education or patient care activities in a medical department that is not part of their usual employment or appointment activities.   
   
   
2. Students enrolled in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University or St. Lawrence College or students in other faculties, schools, universities or colleges do not need this appointment for activities of their regular academic programs if there is a written agreement between the institutions.  Students require Departmental Assistant status if they are involved in education, patient care activities or hospital-based research in a medical department that is not part of their regular academic program.
   
   
3. Individuals who are not members of the hospital staff and are involved in clinical procedures providing either technical support in patient care or guidance and advice in a research project necessitating observation of patient care activities where such individuals can be deemed to be contributing indirectly to management of the patient require Departmental Assistant status.  For example, industry representatives providing technical support for patient care (e.g. ICDs, orthopedic implants and industry representatives providing research protocol support during clinical encounters).

Who needs Departmental Assistant Status?

• KGH or HDH Employees if their usual employment or appointment activities do not routinely involve research
• Queen’s Employees
• Post-doctoral Fellows who are here conducting research-related activities
• Medical Students if the research-related activities are not part of their academic program
• Masters Students if the research-related activities are not part of their academic program (i.e. summer pay, etc.)
• Ph.D. Students if the research-related activities are not part of their academic program (i.e. summer pay, etc.)
• Undergraduate Students if the research-related activities are not part of their academic program (i.e. summer pay, etc.)

 Who does not need Departmental Assistant Status?

• KGH or HDH Employees who are employed as a research staff member
• Medical Students whose research-related activities are part of their academic program
• Masters Students whose research-related activities are part of their academic program
• Ph.D. Students whose research-related activities are part of their academic program
• Undergraduate Students whose research-related activities are part of their academic program
• Pharmaceutical Monitors on Site for Industry-Sponsored Clinical Trials

How to Obtain Departmental Assistant Status:

If participation in research-related activities < 3 months (90 days)

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. HSREB approval letter for each research project that individual will be working on
3. Letter indicating which department and which Principal Investigator(s) the individual will be working for
4. Completed and signed Departmental Assistant application form
5. Read over the KGH/HDH Basic Rules of Confidentiality and signed the “Confidentiality Agreement for Accessing Information by Non-Hospital Individuals” form

If participation in research-related activities > 3 months (90 days)

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. HSREB approval letter for each research project that individual will be working on
3. Letter indicating which department and which Principal Investigator(s) the individual will be working for
4. Completed and signed Departmental Assistant application form
5. Read over the KGH/HDH Basic Rules of Confidentiality and signed the “Confidentiality Agreement for Accessing Information by Non-Hospital Individuals” form
6. TB Test Confirmation (for students, Queen’s should have a copy on file)

All documentation should be forwarded to the attention of Gina Morey in the Medical Administration Office at KGH (Nickel 4, Room 9-415). Once all documentation has been provided and the application has been processed, a letter will be provided to take to the Security Office at KGH to obtain your “Departmental Assistant” status card.

If you have any questions regarding the process, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Health Sciences Research at (613) 549-6666, ext. 3344 or Gina Morey at (613) 549-6666, ext. 4260.