The Provincial Government has released a series of FAQs about Professional Regulation and the new Health Professions and Occupations Act.
View FAQs: Professional Regulation – Province of British Columbia
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FAQs About Bill 36: Health Professions and Occupations Act
Bill 36, the Health Professions and Occupations Act, has received Royal Assent and is now law in British Columbia.
Read our frequently asked questions document (PDF) to find out what this means for the people of British Columbia.
Opportunity to Serve on Quality Assurance Committee (QAC)
The College is looking for a registrant to join the Quality Assurance Committee.
Role of the Committee
The Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) is responsible for carrying out the duties prescribed to it under section 26 of the Health Professions Act, including administration of the quality assurance program and scheduling of the quality assurance program cycle.
We Value Diversity
We are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. Committee members bring valuable perspectives to guide committee activities and support informed and good decisions for our public protection programs. We welcome members of equity-seeking groups to consider serving with the Quality Assurance Committee.
Committee Membership
The QAC is comprised of four registrants and two public representatives appointed by the Board. Appointments are three-year terms, up to a maximum of nine years (or three terms).
Commitment
QAC members meet in person about three times per year for a one- or two-day session, typically in Vancouver. They may also meet virtually as needed. Some pre-reading is required in preparation for meetings, but no other work is usually required in between.
Honoraria
Members receive an annual honorarium of $525.00 and are reimbursed for travel and expenses in accordance with the College’s expense policy.
How to Apply
If you are interested, you must be a full registrant in good standing and understand the College’s public protection mandate.
Please see Careers & Partnerships on the COTBC website to download and complete the Committee Member Expression of Interest form and email it to the College by December 15, 2022 at qaprogram@cotbc.org. Questions can also be sent to the same email address and we will be pleased to follow up.
Register for COTBC 2022 Annual General Meeting
The College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia is pleased to inform registrants that the 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held during cOnnecT Day.
Saturday, November 5, 2022, 9:00 am – 9:30 am
Coast Coal Harbour Vancouver Hotel
1180 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC
For those that are unable to attend in-person, the cOnnecT Day events, including the AGM, will be offered virtually as well.
We are pleased to provide the COTBC 2021-2022 Annual Report and the Agenda for the AGM:
Following the AGM, the College will upload a video of the proceedings to the website.
We are thrilled that cOnnecT Day is able to resume this year! Plan to join us for a day of learning, reflecting, and connecting. We are pleased to have Harmony Johnson, vice president of Indigenous Wellness & Reconciliation at Providence Health Care, as this year’s speaker on “Bringing Positive Changes into Practice”, reflecting on the In Plain Sight report and its calls to action to improve equity in health care. Joined by a panel of two occupational therapists, speakers discuss the importance of delivering anti-racist culturally safer care. View this agenda to learn more about the event.
To attend the AGM or cOnnecT day in person or to attend virtually register today.
The following is provided for your reference:
COTBC Welcomes New Deputy Registrar
We are pleased to announce Megan Shields will join the College as our new deputy registrar. Megan will join the College team on October 31, 2022.
Megan moved from rural Ontario to British Columbia to complete her Occupational Therapy Master’s degree in 2012. Since then, she has worked as an occupational therapist in the public and private sectors, primarily in the fields of mental health and return to work. Megan most recently held the roles of Occupational Therapist Clinical Advisor and Program Manager at WorkSafeBC.
As a member of the executive leadership team, the Deputy Registrar works closely with the Registrar/CEO to ensure registration, quality assurance and practice programs are aligned with the strategic directions and mandate of the organization. The Deputy Registrar will also assume the role of overseeing the complaints program and assisting the public and registrants engaged in the complaints process.
Outside of Megan’s role at the College, she anticipates exploring all that Vancouver Island has to offer with her husband and two daughters.
We are excited to have her on board and look forward to registrants and our partners getting to know Megan. Welcome Megan.
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 join the COTBC team starting Tuesday, October 11, 2022 and step into the role as CEO on January 1, 2023. 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 as Registrar and CEO until December 31, 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.
