Immediate Release
Health Sciences Association of BC says today’s provincial budget fails to help the thousands of British Columbians affected by long health care wait times.
HSA represents 17,000 highly trained specialists working in diagnostic MRI, sonography and lab testing, physiotherapy, social work, radiation therapy, pharmacy and many other health science professions.
Starting with the first pay period after February 1, 2017, most HSA members can expect a pay increase of 0.35% over and above the 5.5% increase rolling out over the life of the current contract.
When physiotherapist Fabiola Toyata returned to hospital work in Prince George after a 10-year absence, she had a bit of a rude awakening.
Workload challenges, always a tough issue in healthcare, had skyrocketed in the course of a decade.
BY VAL AVERY, PRESIDENT, HSA
We're hearing a lot of interesting things from members like you.
Over the summer, HSA circulated several surveys and invited members to participate in focus groups. Each explored different challenges and opportunities facing our union, and we'll be following up this fall with additional surveys, worksite visits and the annual regional meetings. It's all part of our commitment to giving members a greater say and a bigger role in charting our course.
BY LAURA BUSHEIKIN
"I love what I do. I can't believe I get paid for it."
HSA member Eric Cheng is a respiratory therapist at Eagle Ridge Hospital in Port Moody, and a co-founder of the Canadian charity Respiratory Therapists Without Borders.
Your elected HSA representatives and staff have been hard at work since the union's 45th convention in May. The upcoming regional meetings will be a good opportunity to provide updates on that work, and a chance for stewards and other activists to connect and discuss the issues in your region.
In preparation for those meetings, please take a few minutes to review some of the important work HSA has been involved in.
Members have told HSA that workload issues caused by shortages of key health science professionals have reached critical levels.
In a series of surveys conducted over the summer, members from across BC and a range of professions expressed concern that workload was making it difficult to deliver quality care, and leaving patients waiting too long for important procedures.
To address these concerns, HSA has launched a new province-wide ad aimed at raising public awareness of how shortages of health science professionals is impacting wait times and health care.
Nadeem Zia (centre, blue tie)
Surrey Memorial Hospital pharmacist Nadeem Zia was recently invited as a guest speaker to the 19th International Pharmacy Conference and Exhibition in Lahore, Pakistan.
HSA has sent a letter of support to the US Association of Vascular and Interventional Radiographers, whose members are now threatened by policy changes that would allow nurses to perform their laboratory and imaging work.
"As the union representing 75 unique health science professions here in BC, we know that these professions require extensive training and unique skills," writes Val Avery, president of HSA.
