News & Updates

Penticton Herald (Daily) Editor's note: October 24-30 was officially designated as Respiratory Therapy Week. Kevin Abney, a member of the respiratory therapy department at Penticton Regional Hospital, presents this first-hand look at his career choice. - - - - - During Respiratory Therapy Week, I found myself looking back at where it all started for me and how a few...

Tomorrow night, please join fellow health science professionals in a celebration of the life of Kully Sekhon. Kully was a highly respected Victoria-area social worker who helped thousands of people during the course of her career in acute, residential, and community care. When Kullys life was cut short by cancer last fall, her colleagues came together to propose an education...

The unions bargaining on behalf of 15,000 community social services workers will be meeting November 4 with the employer to begin discussions on essential services. 'Essential services' is the labour relations term to describe which services must be maintained during a strike or lockout by both employees and employers. Typically, services that are vital to protecting the health and safety...

BC Health Coalition Action Alert Dear Friend of Medicare, We're calling on you to join with public health care supporters in your community to demand quality and accessible health care for seniors and people with disabilities. As a part of the home and community care weeks of action this month, write a letter to your local papers and have your...

Sooke Mirror

BC Health Coalition calls on province to reverse its directive requiring health authorities to charge fees to patients who need hospital care to recover from illness or injury The BC Health Coalition is concerned that core hospital services previously provided to patients free of charge as required by the Canada Health Act are now subject to so-called -convalescent care" fees...

Employment security will enhance stability and quality services for the people who need them in a time of tremendous change and government cuts. The Health Sciences Association and other unions representing more than 15,000 community social services workers have made employment security and continuity of services a centrepiece of the bargaining associations proposals at the bargaining table. The unions' proposals...

The Health Sciences Association is adding the unions voice to concerns raised by a group of concerned advocates for community living services and supports. The group is asking for the circulation of a letter sent today to Jane Holland, BCs Advocate for Service Quality. It represents an unprecedented joint effort by community groups and organizations representing adults with developmental disabilities...

The Daily Courier (Kelowna) Bring back earlyintervention for autism The Daily Courier(Kelowna) Wed Oct 20 2010 Page: A11 Section: Opinion Byline: ReidJohnson Source: The DailyCourier Re: More being spenton autism, not less. In her letter to theeditor of Sept. 27, Children and Family Development Minister Mary Polak arguesthat she improved services for autistic children by eliminating aproven, highly-successful early-intensive treatment...

A new poll conducted for The Roundtable of Provincial Social Service Organizations confirms British Columbians support for restoring funding to community social services. According to the Angus Reid poll, 65 per cent of British Columbians surveyed agreed current funding levels are too low for community social services such as daycare; seniors care, employment services, supports to families and children, help...