Balance

Join us in welcoming these new Registrants:

We look forward to the contributions that each new Registrant will make to their chosen profession, and to the mandate of the College, as they embark on what will no doubt be exciting and rewarding careers. Congratulations to all!

We take this opportunity to remind all CTCMA registrants that they have a duty to report concerns about unprofessional conduct, on the part of any regulated health professional, to the respective College.

We also support the full investigation currently underway and led by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, appointed by Minister Dix to determine the facts about specific allegations, as well as to look at the prevalence of systemic-level racist attitudes in our health care system.

This important work is taking place in parallel with our own mandate to protect the public by addressing the racism and injustice experienced by the Black community, Asian community, Indigenous British Columbians and all people of colour. CTCMA has well-established, transparent processes to investigate formal complaints made about the conduct or competence of registrants, and the authority to impose disciplinary measures if warranted.

All regulatory colleges have an important role in supporting changes that can address systemic racism. Health profession regulation supports every person’s right to receive the same access to and quality of health care, regardless of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, and age.

The mandate that CTCMA shares with all colleges is to ensure that regulated health professionals deliver qualified, safe, and ethical care to their patients and clients. This includes culturally safe care. These requirements are embedded in our codes of ethics, standards of practice, and other guidelines for health professionals in BC.

Health professionals regulated under the Health Professionals Act have a duty to report in writing if, on reasonable and probable grounds, they believe that the continued practice of any other regulated health practitioner might constitute a danger to the public. For more information, see the Duty to Report page on the BCHR website.

When we are complacent, we are complicit. To truly serve and protect the public in British Columbia, the College must do its part, as a health regulator, to maintain focus on this important issue and contribute to making change happen. 

As soon as the Ministry of Health provides more information about how British Columbians, including registrants, may contribute to the ongoing Turpel-Lafond investigation we will update you all.  

We are now well into Phase 3 of BC’s Restart Plan as we all continue to navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic.

We’ve made a lot of progress in BC. The protective measures still in place in our communities are saving lives but that benefit has come at some expense, including the economic, social and personal well-being of many, even as we get back into restaurants, visiting beaches and visiting healthcare practitioners.

The College wanted to take this opportunity to remind registrants that the guidance enabling you to safely provide in-person community care for your patients remains in place, as described on May 15, 2020.

At that time registrants were asked to adjust how they deliver care and attend to physical environments to ensure best infection and prevention control practices. In some cases, the use of technology to provide virtual care has proven to be a good option. This guidance was intended to assist registrants in determining which services are reasonable to provide, to suggest collaboration with colleagues in similar practices when making these decisions, and to use professional judgement to determine what is ultimately in the patient’s interest. Areas covered in the guidance include:

• Guiding principles and assumptions

• Prioritization of patient care services

• Ongoing pandemic best practices

• Personal protective equipment

Resources (from BCCDC, CTCMA and ACTMA)

You can access the full guidance document here. It was developed by the Provincial Health Officer, the Ministry of Health, the BC Centre for Disease Control and WorkSafeBC in collaboration with BC Health Regulators, including the CTCMA.

Public health officials have indicated that COVID-19 is expected to continue circulating in the general population for an extended period. As such, the College remains in regular and frequent communication with the Ministry of Health, the Office of the Provincial Health Officer and with other health regulators on the coordinated response.

We encourage registrants to keep informed about the still-evolving situation and to refer often to the College’s webpage on Communication to Registrants Regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) for the most up-to-date information.

Registrants are reminded that up-to-date COVID-19 information and resources are available for health care professionals at the websites for BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) and WorkSafeBC.  Please visit these sites regularly to keep your information most current.

The College continues to follow the public health guidance provided by BC’s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, as we navigate this pandemic together.

Thank you for your adaptability and understanding of the situation.

Be well. Be kind. Be safe.

Given the current pandemic situation, this year’s AGM will be conducted virtually, via Zoom, and there will be several changes to our normal format including the workday, morning timeframe.

Participants will be able to observe the proceedings, and listen, but will not be able to interact with speakers during the meeting itself. If you wish to submit a question, please send it to [email protected] by 5pm, August 17 and put ‘AGM 2020 Question’ in the subject line. An answer will be prepared and provided during the AGM Q & A Session.

The link to the Zoom meeting and instructions will be sent by email,

August 21, so please be watching for that.

The following material is provided in PDF form for you to print:

• 2019 Annual Report, including financials (also available on the website)

• the 2020 AGM Agenda

The AGM will be conducted in English only. Following the AGM, the College will upload videos of the proceedings to the website, in both English and Chinese. Additional notes:

• There will be no Education Seminar this year.

• Continuing Education (CE) Credits will be given to those participating in the AGM. Registrants may document participation in their Continuing Competency Activity Log as Category C – Structured Interactive Activities.

Further information will be provided. In the meantime, please mark the date, Tuesday, September 1, 2020. We hope to see you!