The Report

By Vicky Grant, HSA memberI have been working at BC Cancer as a radiation therapist for almost 25 years. Most of that time has been at the Surrey Centre, formerly known as the Fraser Valley Cancer Center. Radiation therapists are involved in planning and delivering radiation therapy treatment to cancer patients, and assist in assessing and managing the treatment’s side...

By Samantha Ponting, HSA Communications Ingrid Mendez and her partner didn’t come here from Guatemala because they thought Canada was a beautiful country. “I’m not saying it’s not,” she explained. “No, we’re here because we were forced to leave. We came here because w e needed to save our lives and those of our families.” Now Mendez works actively to...

When the Nanaimo Child Development Center (CDC) opened over 50 years ago, the preschool was one of its first community programs, said HSA member Kathleen Silvey.

Successful Charter challenge to provisions banning extra-billing, private insurance would create two-tier system By HSA President Val Avery Public health care is one of Canada’s greatest achievements. But our most-cherished social program is under threat. A group of plaintiffs led by Dr. Brian Day, CEO of the for-profit Cambie Surgeries Corporation, is challenging the constitutionality of key provisions of B.C.’s...

Domestic violence and workplace safety: Why policy change is neededBy Samantha Ponting, HSA Communications When we talk about health and safety in the workplace, domestic violence issues rarely enter the discussion. Yet for someone who has been awake most of the night from duress, their ability to manage workplace risks and hazards can become a serious issue. “For those people...

By Anne Leclerc HSA member When a resident dies in long-term care (LTC), this can take a toll on staff who have developed close emotional bonds with them. Our kno wledge-to-action (KTA) research project “Keeping the Light Shining” identified challenges that staff experience when caring for LTC re sidents throughout the dying process and strategies to help alleviate staff stress...

The effects of for-profit health insurance on public health care delivery: Examining the researchBy Samantha Ponting, HSA Communications Given Canada’s close proximity to the US, Canadians often hear horror stories from Americans about healthcare, whose bodies and bank accounts are at the mercy of a very broken system. We hear anecdotes of multi-thousand dollar medical bills, personal bankruptcy, preventable deaths...

According to research conducted by the Canadian Malnutrition Taskforce, 25 to 50 per cent of patients admitted to a Canadian hospital are malnourished. “That’s a significant portion of people who we serve in our hospitals,” said Jaki Thornhill, HSA member, dietitian and professional practice leader at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. While there is some variability in this statistic based...

By Dennis Blatchford HSA’s pensions and benefits advocate answers common questions from HSA members. Have there been any developments regarding my benefit plan, the Joint Health Sciences Benefit Trust (JHSBT)? Yes! I expect the JHSBT will soon launch a website giving members information and updates on their benefit plan going forward. The new website will be the main communication source...

By Tim Lim Universal health care is an issue of national pride, shared among Canadians. Similarly, Canadians take pride in the beautiful nature encompassed in the country. Yet with recent climate change pressures – from hurricanes and floods to ravaging forest fires – the effects of climate change are threatening our ecosystems and becoming more intertwined with our daily health...