The Report

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2017 Recognition of diversity is now essential to the health of our society and the strength of organizations. Today, leading institutions seek to understand the unique experience of their members in order to better represent and serve them. HSA has long sought to understand and respect the diversity of our members, and in March, almost 800...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2017 HSA President Val Avery was invited to speak as a special guest at the Early Childhood Educators of BC conference in May. HSA served as a sponsor for the conference and Avery took part in a panel discussion on building professionalism. "As a union, we are commited to working to advocate for the many professions...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2017 BC NDP Leader John Horgan pledged to fight for public servants during a speech to HSA convention delegates in May. "The people in this room, and the people outside this room, who work every day for a living, have not had someone watching their back," said Horgan. "I will have your back, and I'll be...

CT TECHNOLOGIST KAREN HAMILTON AND X-RAY TECHNOLOGIST BRENDA HAUCK RECEIVE THE 2017 DAVID BLAND AWARD FROM REGION 7 DIRECTOR MARG BEDDIS. HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, JUNE 2017 Brenda Hauck, X ray technologist at Saanich Peninsula Hospital and Karen Hamilton, CT Technologist at Saanich Peninsula HospitaL, shared the 2017 David Bland Award. Hauck and Hamilton were recognized for their efforts to reduce...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2016 NUPGE scholarships are open to the children, grandchildren or foster children of HSA members who are starting a post-secondary education. Each year, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) offers scholarships that reflect its pursuit of equal opportunity for all workers. Historically there have been four scholarships, and for 2017, NUPGE has added...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2016 There are a lot of good reasons to get involved in an election campaign. Many members decide to work on an election campaign because they belong to a political party, or get inspired by the party leader. Lexie Mercier, a health information management professional at the BC Cancer Agency, had a more personal reason. Lexie's...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2016 Shortages of health professionals are hurting patient care and the people who deliver it. HSA is taking action by raising public awareness of how shortages create longer wait times, while mobilizing members to provide key information on where and how the resulting workload issues are happening. This fall, HSA rolled out a new ad using...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2016 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. "I saw a huge change in workloads, in acuity, in the number of patients. Also, the...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2016 Employers in BC are legally required to investigate certain workplace incidents. Those include events involving an injury to a worker where medical treatment was required, but also include minor injuries or near-miss events that had the potential to cause serious injury. Near-miss or close call events imply that if things had gone a little bit...

HSA REPORT MAGAZINE, SEPTEMBER 2016 BY RANDY NOONAN, HSA LEGAL COUNSEL On May 17, 2016, Fraser Health Authority demonstrated a shocking disregard for the public spending of precious health care dollars. Brenda Daudlin is a dietitian employed by Fraser Health at Burnaby Hospital. Dietitians like her are responsible for a broad range of nutritional practices, some which, if not done...