The Report: June 2010 vol.31 num.3

PATIENTS MUST ALWAYS BE TOP PRIORITY FOR INNOVATIONS IN HEALTH CARE

HEALTH MINISTER KEVIN FALCON has announced pilot programs for shifting hospitals to funding based on the number of patients they treat.

HSA President Reid Johnson says he welcomes innovative changes in the delivery of health care, but will be watching as the patient-focused funding initiative unfolds.

-Theres no question our health care system needs to be innovative and responsive," Johnson said.

The Report: June 2010 vol.31 num.3

AS ANYONE WHO HAS OBSERVED a group child care situation knows, there are always children who dont fit in. Kids who sit alone in a corner, kids who disrupt the group, kids the others avoid or pick on, kids the supervisor doesnt know how to handle, and kids who end up getting pulled from the program, leaving their parents, and themselves, in the lurch.

HSA member Christine Ambrose is there to help these children.

The Report: June 2010 vol.31 num.3

FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, we have been working as a union to raise the profile of health science professionals. We've used many tools: advertising campaigns, sponsorship of community events like Run for the Cure, our constituency liaison program, our excellent relationships with professional associations.

The Report: April 2010 vol.31 num.2

ITS BEEN ALMOST A YEAR SINCE THE BC GOVERNMENT WON AN ELECTION PROMISING TO PROTECT HEALTH CARE.

INSTEAD, THEY MADE $360 MILLION IN CUTS.

HERE ARE JUST SOME OF THE CUTS ANNOUNCED TO DATE, AND THERE IS STILL MORE TO COME.

MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS

The Report: April 2010 vol.31 num.2

BY CAROLE RIVIERE

MORE THAN A THIRD of Canadian seniors receiving public pensions live on less than $11,000 a year: well below the poverty line.

HSA member Brigid Kemp has first-hand knowledge about the hardship represented by this number and the urgent need for pension reform. She has worked for several years with the South Okanagan Women in Need Society (SOWINS). Most of her work has been with senior women over age 50 who have been in abusive relationships.

The Report: April 2010 vol.31 num.2

BY CAROL RIVIERE

DO BCS POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES HAVE ANY IDEA who HSA is and what we do? Will they weigh our concerns in balance with those of many other groups who vie for the attention and support of the MLAs who craft the laws we all live by?

Thanks to a dedicated group of HSA volunteers, the answer is ‘yes.

The Report: April 2010 vol.31 num.2

BY LAURA BUSHEIKIN

SHEILA KERR DIDNT NEED the services of a career counsellor to choose her professional path. In fact, she never even had time to wonder what she wanted to be when she grew up. At the age of 14, her life experience led her to a volunteer position at the Living Positive Resource Centre in Kelowna, and shes been there ever since.

The Report: April 2010 vol.31 num.2

THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT has settled on a disturbingly ironic tone in recent announcements.

It began a few months ago, on December 1, which marks World AIDS Day. While local and national governments around the world recognized this date by reaffirming their commitment to continue the fight against HIV and AIDS, BCs government chose this very day to announce plans to do exactly the opposite by cutting funds to community based HIV and AIDS organizations including AIDS Vancouver.

The Report: February 2010 vol.31 num.1

BY CAROLE RIVIERE

THE NUMBER OF HSA MEMBERS involved in political action around the province has increased exponentially over the last few years. HSA has supported more members than ever before to run for political office, work on election campaigns, and attend a range of different workshops to acquire the knowledge and skills to be involved in elections.

But in addition to electoral politics, HSA members around the province are also increasingly involved in political action at the grassroots level.

The Report: February 2010 vol.31 num.1

ON DECEMBER 1, as local and national governments around the world reaffirmed their commitment to continue the fight against HIV and AIDS, BCs government announced plans to do the opposite.

Effective December 1 ... World AIDS Day ... BCs Ministry of Health imposed funding cuts to community- based HIV and AIDS service organizations, including AIDS Vancouver.