Health Science Professionals

HSA REPORT, DECEMBER 2014 Professional recognition days, weeks and months come and go. Posters go up on bulletin boards, posts go up on social media sites. Maybe there’s cupcakes. It’s a great chance to educate and celebrate the work that makes our health care and community social service systems work, but it’s getting harder to break through the noise and...

HSA REPORT, DECEMBER 2014 By Laura Busheikin There's no doubt that having to take time off work due to an injury or illness brings a multitude of challenges. Aside from the medical demands, there are forms to fill out and anxiety around getting the proper benefits. There are often feelings of isolation. There is the uncertainty of not knowing when...

HSA REPORT, DECEMBER 2014 by Dennis Blatchford, Pensions and Benefits Advocate I'm advised by Pacific Blue Cross that fertility drugs are not covered under the new 50 per cent cost share arrangement for non-PharmaCare formulary medications. Why are these drugs not covered? The agreement on the 50/50 cost share on non-PharmaCare formulary medications did not sweep in classes of drugs...

Please make a note of our contact information effective Jan. 5, 2015: Health Sciences Association of BC 180 East Columbia Street New Westminster, BC V3L 0G7 New Phone: 604 517 0994 / toll free 800 663 2017New Fax: 604 515 8889 / toll free 800 663 6119

October 26 to November 1 is Respiratory Therapist week, and to celebrate, HSA has invited Lily Cheung, an RT at Vancouver General Hospital, to take over the HSA twitter feed for a week and post about daily life on the front lines of respiratory therapy. It's all part of HSA's work to promote the visibility and public awareness of our...

A screen shot of the web site. On Monday, HSA launched a new series of ads designed to promote the work of our diverse professions. The series of five ads, appearing on radio stations across the province for the next six weeks, demonstrate how our many professions connect to each other, and how we connect the public to modern health...

Ebola Backgrounder There has never been a case of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Canada. In areas where Ebola is present, the virus can spread through: contact with infected animals contact with blood, body fluids or tissues of infected persons contact with contaminated medical equipment such as needles As long as appropriate precautions are taken, there is low risk of...

HSA REPORT, OCTOBER 2014 BY JEANNE MEYERS, LABOUR RELATIONS AND LEGAL SERVICES HSA members can count on extraordinary support from hundreds of stewards around the province, and many of you know them well. But the stewards themselves depend on a team of labour relations staff who many members will never meet. I'd like to shine a light on their work...

In the next few days, you'll receive an invitation to participate in a process that is crucial to the future success of your union. Are you ready to take part? As announced earlier this month, HSA has launched an inclusive and comprehensive planning process to create a five-year strategic plan. The plan will be presented to membership at HSA's Annual...

THE REPORT, OCTOBER 2014 BY LAURA BUSHEIKIN When Vancouver General Hospital Respiratory Therapist Ingrid Hakanson heard that a film crew would be coming into her workplace to make a documentary about the emergency ward, she had no idea she'd end up as a 'star' in a high-quality TV show that put health science professionals like herself at centre stage. "I...