News & Updates

BCs Provincial Health Officer Perry Kendall yesterday announced new measures for influenza prevention among health care workers and patients. As in previous years, health care workers who work in patient care areas are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated annually against influenza. However, under the new policy, if health care workers chose not to be vaccinated they will be required to...

Vancouver Sun By ManoriRavindran, Vancouver Sun August 14, 2012 Since July 24,three non-elective heart surgeries at Vancouver General Hospital have had to bepostponed due to a shortage of heart-lung machine technicians, orperfusionists. The in-patients, all with potentially life-threateningconditions, required urgent surgeries, but their operations had to berescheduled because the only perfusionist available was called in for a doublelung transplant that...

HSAs annual fall regional meetings have been scheduled for September and October 2012. Regional meetings are an excellent forum for HSA members to review the issues and activities of the past year, and discuss the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. This year, the day-long regional meeting will be followed by a day-long disability management education workshop. The workshop will...

In May 2012, FORME Ergonomics was contracted by Marty Lovick, Senior Labour Relations Officer, Health Sciences Association of British Columbia, to investigate a query from a number of members regarding insufficient information on cardiac ultrasonography contained in the Best Practices for Diagnostic Medical Sonographers package recently released by the Health Sciences Association. The objective was to complete a brief review...

The federal government plans to close the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station at the end of the summer, leaving all rescues in Vancouver harbour to the Sea Island Station in Richmond, 17 nautical miles away. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) asks you to add your voice to the growing number of elected officials and prominent British Columbians who are...

HSA is holding a 2-day, non-partisan election campaign school for members who are interested in working on election campaigns or running for political office. The school will focus on opportunities for HSA members to be involved in the May 2013 provincial election, but will also touch on municipal and federal elections. If you want to help elect representatives who will...

HSA is joining with community social service workers in Victoria to invite members and the community to a summer picnic to celebrate the work of the dedicated people who work every day with some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. The Community Support Workers United ... a local of the Hospital Employees Union, has organized the event to...

Chilliwack Progress Byline: Robert Freeman Chilliwack was urged at a Tuesday night "town hall" meeting to push back against the pending closure of the rehab unit at Chilliwack General Hospital. Chilliwack-Hope MLA Gwen O'Mahony, who organized the meeting, gamely vowed to carry a call to cancel the closure until all the community's concerns are addressed to Health Minister Mike de...

During Premier's meeting, Nova Scotia Citizen's Health Care Network holds press conference to outline their vision to improve Canada's public health care system.Halifax (26 July 2012) ... Public health care advocates from across the country are paying close attention to the Council of the Federation meeting in Halifax. The Nova Scotia Citizen's Health Care Network, of which the Nova Scotia...

News of heart surgery cancellations in Vancouver this week unfortunately doesnt come as a surprise to the Health Sciences Association of BC, and the union is calling for immediate action by the Ministry of Health to address the shortages responsible for a long-standing and continuing weakness in health authorities ability to provide critical services for very ill patients. -HSA has...