Health Science Professionals

The Health Sciences Association of BC is pleased to announce a new $3-million professional development fund aimed at supporting members of the health care team to undertake professional development to increase specialization, improve health care service to rural and remote areas of BC, and meet ongoing requirements for professional development. The fund is available to health science professionals who work...

Health Emergency Management BC has activated the provincial Emergency Health Provider Registry to assist in the coordination of relief staffing for health care providers in areas impacted by the hundreds of wildfires burning across BC. Any Health Authority is able to access the registry when local emergencies create additional staffing needs. HSA was consulted in the development of the registry...

After several years of advocacy efforts by HSA, British Columbians will see the launch of the College of New Caledonia (CNC)’s Northern Diagnostic Medical Sonography program, scheduled to begin in Prince George in January 2019. Sonographers form a critical part of the public health team through producing sonographic images to assist medical practitioners in the diagnosis of a variety of...

Are you an HSA member with a passion for disability management and rehabilitation? Do you have strong organizational, multi-tasking, and problem-solving skills? Are you employed with the Pro vincial Health Services Authority? If so, consider applying to be an Enhanced Disability Management Program (EDMP) regional representative. Under the direction of designated HSA staff, the HSA EDMP Regional Representative works as...

Research demonstrates that 62 per cent of working-age individuals return to work within the first year of receiving a cancer diagnosis. Yet navigating the return to work process can be challenging for cancer survivors, employers, and heath care practitioners, who all play a vital role facilitating a patient’s smooth transition back to work, to new employment, or to modified work...

Are you an HSA member with a passion for disability management and rehabilitation? Do you have strong organizational, multi-tasking, and problem-solving skills? Are you employed with the Vancouver Island Health Authority? If so, consider applying to be an Enhanced Disability Management Program (EDMP) regional representative. Under the direction of designated HSA staff, the HSA EDMP Regional Representative works as part...

HSA welcomes today’s announcement that government will fund 37,000 more MRI scans in the public system during the coming year, compared to last year. BC has had the longest wait times for MRI in the country for several years, resulting in many patients paying for medically necessary scans at private clinics. Some of these patients then use these scans to...

New Island Health travel reimbursement policy violates HSPBA contract Policy raises barriers to reimbursement of work-related expenses HSA has filed a policy grievance with Island Health Authority for introducing a policy related to travel expenses that violates the collective agreement. IHA has updated its 2006 Travel policy for staff who are required to travel and/or use personal vehicles for work...

HSA stewards are reminded that the deadline for receiving bargaining proposals from chapters is Friday, November 17, 2017. If you have not yet scheduled a meeting to allow members to discuss and vote on proposals to be considered at the union’s Bargaining Proposal Conference in December, please schedule a meeting as soon as possible in order to be able to...

HELP COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY WILDFIRE In communities across BC, thousands of people are suffering BC’s worst forest fire season in many years. Health care professionals, including members of HSA, have stepped up by asking how they can work to help their colleagues deliver health in affected regions. The Ministry of Health, working with HealthLink BC, has responded by creating a...