The BC Liberal government has rejected a call for immediate action to address the critical shortage of sonographers in BC by providing them with a competitive wage.
The HSPBA/HEABC Recruitment and Retention Committee last reported that it had
submitted its Report and Recommendations concerning the sonographer shortage to the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the Public Sector Employers’ Council Secretariat (PSEC), in accordance with the parties’ mandate under the Memorandum of Understanding that created the Committee during the last round of bargaining.
On Friday December 9, 2016, the provincial government announced a proposal to establish a new college of diagnostic and therapeutic health professions. Many HSA members would be included in the new college.
Professional associations representing members from several health science professional disciplines have for several years advocated for a regulatory college or colleges to oversee their members’ practice.
There are a lot of good reasons to get involved in an election campaign.
Many members decide to work on an election campaign because they belong to a political party, or get inspired by the party leader. Lexie Mercier, a health information management professional at the BC Cancer Agency, had a more personal reason.
Shortages of health professionals are hurting patient care and the people who deliver it.
HSA is taking action by raising public awareness of how shortages create longer wait times, while mobilizing members to provide key information on where and how the resulting workload issues are happening.
With flu season around the corner, HSA members are reminded of the provincial influenza control policy in effect in BC.
In spite of changes in other provinces, the flu prevention policy in BC has not changed, and health care workers who choose not to be vaccinated have options available to them, including wearing a surgical mask.
Health care workers must report their vaccination status confidentially through an on-line form.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
HSA has contracted with Viewpoints Research to conduct a survey to find out more about how HSA members feel about how their union responds to concerns and communicates important information. The survey will include questions related to contract negotiations, workload, member communications and other current issues.
The survey will be conducted on line. Members will receive email invitations starting October 20, and the survey will be open until November 1. It takes 8-12 minutes to complete.
Space is still available in HSA's 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 2017 provincial election, but will also touch on municipal and federal elections.
HSA's member professions play an incredibly important role in modern health care and community social services. But it's not an easy story to tell.
On TV, doctors and nurses are everywhere, often depicted doing the specialized work of pharmacists, lab technologists, radiation technologists, social workers, counsellors and other key professionals in health care and community social services. The public needs to know more about who we are, and what we do. That's why HSA regularly advertizes on TV, radio and on line. But it's hard to fit all these professions in a 30-second spot.
