After several years of advocacy efforts by HSA, British Columbians will see the launch of the College of New Caledonia (CNC)’s Northern Diagnostic Medical Sonography program, scheduled to begin in Prince George in January 2019.

Sonographers form a critical part of the public health team through producing sonographic images to assist medical practitioners in the diagnosis of a variety of medical conditions. An increase in training spaces in sonography will help to reduce waitlists for ultrasounds and improve patient care across BC.

Are you an HSA member with a passion for disability management and rehabilitation? Do you have strong organizational, multi-tasking, and problem-solving skills? Are you employed with the Provincial Health Services Authority? If so, consider applying to be an Enhanced Disability Management Program (EDMP) regional representative. 

Research demonstrates that 62 per cent of working-age individuals return to work within the first year of receiving a cancer diagnosis. Yet navigating the return to work process can be challenging for cancer survivors, employers, and heath care practitioners, who all play a vital role facilitating a patient’s smooth transition back to work, to new employment, or to modified work.

Are you an HSA member with a passion for disability management and rehabilitation? Do you have strong organizational, multi-tasking, and problem-solving skills? Are you employed with the Vancouver Island Health Authority? If so, consider applying to be an Enhanced Disability Management Program (EDMP) regional representative. 

HSA welcomes today’s announcement that government will fund 37,000 more MRI scans in the public system during the coming year, compared to last year.  

BC has had the longest wait times for MRI in the country for several years, resulting in many patients paying for medically necessary scans at private clinics.  Some of these patients then use these scans to jump the queue to obtain surgery or other treatment in the public system, meaning those already on public wait lists for treatment wait longer.

HSA stewards are reminded that the deadline for receiving bargaining proposals from chapters is Friday, November 17, 2017.
 
If you have not yet scheduled a meeting to allow members to discuss and vote on proposals to be considered at the union’s Bargaining Proposal Conference in December, please schedule a meeting as soon as possible in order to be able to give members an opportunity to submit and vote on the priority for bargaining proposals.
 

Health science professionals at the Nanaimo Child Development Centre have voted by a strong majority to join the Health Sciences Association of BC (HSA). The union's 34 new members include health science professionals who deliver services in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, infant development program, family development, Vancouver Island Children's Assessment Network, preschool, and supported child development.

HSA’s board of directors has set a plan to consult with members in advance of contract negotiations for health science professionals in 2018. Although the current HSPBA collective agreement is not due to expire until March 31, 2019, the union’s leadership wants to ensure members share their ideas on how to improve the strained health care system in British Columbia through innovative agreements with government and health care employers.