Citing budget cuts, the Interior Health Authority has eliminated crucial services for vulnerable residents in the Kootenays.

Golden Hospitals speech language pathologist will leave at the end of September, leaving neurological patients, speech-delayed children and stroke and surgery patients without the critical support they need.

Meanwhile, the recreation therapist at Talarico Place in Castlegar has been laid off and recreation therapy services at Boundary Hospital in Grand Forks have been halved.

British Columbia families will bear the brunt of the provincial governments failure to adequately fund health care, Health Sciences Association of BC president Reid Johnson said in response to the provincial governments budget introduced today.

-This budget means that British Columbians, who rely on our health care system, will pay more for less." Johnson said.

The government will introduce additional costs to individuals and families by increasing MSP premiums by six per cent starting Jan. 1, 2010 ... and beyond, as the budget promises annual increases to the premiums.

PHAC should follow the 'precautionary principle' for everyone who comes in direct contact with the pandemic influenza virus and make a 'fit-tested NIOSH approved N95 respirator' available to each employee.

Ottawa (1 Sept. 2009) - The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) says all health care workers exposed to a pandemic flu virus like H1N1 should be given fit-tested NIOSH approved N95 respirators to protect them on the job.

The municipal Pension Plan continues to offer pension seminars to plan members.

Plan members have a choice of two seminars.  Your Pension, Your Future is for new and mid-career plan members. In this seminar, they'll explain pension benefits and help members understand how decisions they make today can impact their future pension income. Members will learn how to read their Member's Benefit Statement and find out how they can recover time from a break in service (such as general, maternity and parental leaves) to make the most of their future pension.

The various Health Authorities in the Lower Mainland (VCHA, PHSA, FHA and PHC) today issued a press release dealing with "Lower Mainland Consolidation Opportunities".  The Union was only given the information, at a meeting with various Health Authorities, immediately before the press release was made public. The Union has not yet been provided any specific information in regards any potential impact of "consolidation" on the members of the Union.  

This years annual Run for the Cure, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation's most important fundraiser, is Sunday October 4.

HSA has supported the run since 1997, and is one of three regional sponsors of the Run for the Cure. At every step from diagnosis to treatment and recovery, highly trained health science professionals use their expertise to help breast cancer patients.

The union urges HSA members and others to join the HSA team to run or walk for the cure October 4.

The B.C. Federation of Labour Young Worker Retreat is planned for September 25 to 27 at Camp Jubilee.

Participants at last year's retreat for 19- to 30-year-old union members enjoyed the opportunity to meet other newcomers and activists to the union movement, and the retreat is expected to fill up quickly.

Follow the link for information about registration and retreat activities.

Taking a tough stand on health care budgets will hurt British Columbia at a time it wants to shine, says Reid Johnson, president of the Health Sciences Association, the union that represents 16,000 health science professionals who provide the diagnostic, clinical, and rehabilitation services British Columbians count on for your good health.

Just last week, Health Minister Kevin Falcon was singing the praises of the fast-tracked breast cancer diagnosis clinics in the Lower Mainland as a key to early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

BCs Minister of Health Kevin Falcon faces immediate challenges in his new job, says Reid Johnson, President of the Health Sciences Association of BC.

 -Just this week, it was revealed that health authorities are facing financial pressures that could result in reduced services and increased user fees for British Columbians. In a growing province and where were seeing increasing acuity in the patients in the health care system, we need a focus on improving access to health care services ... not reducing access," he said.

You are invited to a Nanaimo town hall meeting June 11 as part of a national campaign to allow Canadians from all walks of life input into the discussion about the current economic crisis and to ensure that
governments find solutions that work for all Canadians.

The -experts" had their chance. We tried it their way: it didnt work, and now its our turn.