Category: Board & Committees

Important Senior Leadership Changes at the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia

Long-time Registrar & CEO Kathy Corbett will leave the College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia (COTBC) at the end of December 2022 to pursue other opportunities. The Board wants to acknowledge Ms. Corbett’s extensive contribution to the College, the sector, and our province, and we wish her the best in her next chapter.

The Board is delighted to announce that now former Board Chair, Carin Plischke, has been appointed as Interim Director of Transition and Chief Executive Officer. She will step into this role starting Tuesday, October 11, 2022. The COTBC has a long history of ensuring that the public receives safe, ethical, and effective occupational therapy services. That will continue under the leadership of Ms. Plischke and the Board of Directors.

As the title reflects, this key senior leadership role has been adjusted in anticipation of the upcoming amalgamation of health regulatory bodies, which is expected to change the model of health profession regulation in the province.

Along with deep experience in senior leadership roles, most recently as the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Lead, Special Projects at the Office of the Seniors Advocate for the Government of British Columbia, Ms. Plischke has more than six years as a Board Member at the COTBC. She brings exceptional organizational knowledge about the College, our registrants, and the sector as a whole. Along with being a Registered Occupational Therapist in good standing with the College and the former Board Chair, Ms. Plischke is an Accreditation Canada Surveyor, a Leading Practice Reviewer with the Health Standards Organization, and a Member and (former) Chair of the Canadian College of Health Leaders.

The Board is grateful that Ms. Corbett has agreed to stay on until December 2022, which provides an overlap with Ms. Plischke. Given the, as yet, undefined upcoming changes, this will provide a key opportunity for knowledge transfer and planning.

In her new role, Ms. Plischke will lead a change management throughline as the amalgamation transition occurs, supporting the College and its registrants, while continuing to ensure that the public receives safe, ethical, and effective occupational therapy services.

Board Welcomes New Elected Members

We welcome two new Board members, Tysen LeBlond and Philipp Santiago, whose terms began on February 1, 2022. They will join the other Board members including appointed public representatives Mary O’Callaghan, Gayle Nye and Ian Wanke, and elected registrants Debbie Ruggiero, Carin Plischke and Jeff Boniface.

A big thank you to the outgoing Board members Catherine Wu and Joy Parsons, elected registrants who completed their terms on January 31, 2022.

Catherine Wu served on the registration committee and then moved to participate on the inquiry committee. Joy participated on the governance panel, the registration committee and served as Chair of the Board for two years. We know board members balance many roles in their day-to-day lives and we appreciate their dedicated service to the College’s public protection work. We thank you and wish all the best to Catherine and Joy.

Learn more about our members’ backgrounds on our Board page.

Recording of COTBC 2021 Annual General Meeting Available

The College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia held their 2021 annual general meeting on Friday, November 5, via Zoom. You can watch or listen to the recorded virtual meeting including answers to questions the College received in advance of the event.

Questions answered in the virtual AGM:

    1. Is there anything new you can tell us about the Ministry of Health’s recommendations to reduce the number of colleges, where COTBC merges into a multi-profession college?
    2. Will COVID-19 vaccination be required to be registered as an occupational therapist in British Columbia? Should I choose to go off the register because of my vaccination choices, or if I am currently off the register, and want to return to practice, what will the requirements be?
    3. Is there a plan to update the Occupational Therapists Regulation so that occupational therapists can perform restricted activities, such as acupuncture?
    4. Can the College elaborate on the changes to the Quality Assurance Program that were described in the current Annual Report?

For your reference, please see the 2020-2021 Annual Report.

Voting Open for Three Board Positions

The voting process for three Board positions is now open and takes place online. Full and provisional registrants in good standing are able to vote for up to three candidates, from a pool of four nominated occupational therapists.

The Board election will be open until 4:00 pm December 9, 2021. Instructions have been emailed to registrants with a link to the voting portal, the access code and password. Once you’ve logged in, you can review information about the election, read candidate bios and follow ballot instructions. Results for the election will be published on the College website in early December.

The Board is the College’s governing body and receives its authority from the Health Professions Act. The Board is responsible for the leadership, direction and strategy of the College. Building a great Board is more than simply filling a seat. It’s about finding occupational therapists with the experience and perspectives that support a Board, which works together and is clearly focused on its mandate to protect the public. Visit our website to review the obligations of Board members.

The College holds its elections securely online. An external firm electronically delivers a ballot to each practising registrant eligible to vote. The electronic ballot method ensures the vote is confidential, and that each registrant can only vote one time. If you have any questions, please email us at: info@cotbc.org

Thank you for taking the time to vote. Registrant participation on the Board is a healthy reflection of the profession’s commitment to protecting the public.

 

Register for 2021 Annual General Meeting

COTBC’s 2021 AGM happens this Friday, November 5, 2021, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm.

In the continuing interest of safety and to best support registrants from across the province to attend, this year’s AGM will be conducted virtually. To attend, please register in advance.

Given the online format, participants will be able to observe the proceedings, and listen, but will not be able to talk directly to the presenters during the meeting itself.

The following is provided for your reference:

Thanks to those occupational therapists who submitted their questions in advance of the meeting. After reviewing and theming the submissions, the following questions will be answered during the AGM Q&A Session:

  1. Is there anything new you can tell us about the Ministry of Health’s recommendations to reduce the number of colleges, where COTBC merges into a multi-profession college?
  2. Will COVID-19 vaccination be required to be registered as an occupational therapist in British Columbia? Should I choose to go off the register because of my vaccination choices, or if I am currently off the register, and want to return to practice, what will the requirements be?
  3. Is there a plan to update the Occupational Therapists Regulation so that occupational therapists can perform restricted activities, such as acupuncture?
  4. Can the College elaborate on the changes to the Quality Assurance Program that were described in the current Annual Report?

We encourage you to join a few minutes early to allow time to troubleshoot any connection issues. Following the AGM, the College will upload a video of the proceedings to the website.