CAOT-BC Representing You @ HSA Meeting of Professional Associations

On June 8, 2017, Giovanna Boniface represented occupational therapists at the Health Sciences Association of BC meeting of Professional Associations. This bi-annual meeting is an opportunity for HSA professions to share information, highlight issues and collaborate on topics of mutual interest. The top issues raised by CAOT-BC included:

1) Recruitment & retention- specifically the shortage of MOT graduates from BC and the need to reduce reliance on in-migration, reduce waitlists for OT services and workload pressures;

2) The addition of occupational therapy to HSA members extended health benefits; and

3) The disparity among occupational therapists with Master v. Bachelor education (e.g. qualification differential and access to job postings/opportunities).

As HSA-BC starts preparing for early bargaining of the collective agreement in 2018, CAOT-BC will work with OT members to support bargaining proposals that can be submitted to HSA chapter(s) for consideration in early December 2017. 

Want to help? Send us an email caotbc@caot.ca