College Newsletter October 2019

Changes in BC Regulation and Call for Volunteers

Health Care Regulation in BC is Changing.

Health care regulation in BC is changing. As a field mandated to work in the best interest of the public, regulation must move with the times, evolve and grow in ways that mirror the flow of the changing needs of a changing public and patient base.

Trends in healthcare regulation worldwide has seen shifts towards more collaboration between organizations doing the same type of work but with different professions.

With these changes in mind, the BC Health Regulators (composed of all health regulatory colleges in BC) were invited by David Byres, the Assistant Deputy Minister responsible for the Professional Regulation & Oversight Branch at the Ministry to Health, to submit recommendations for creating a new health regulatory framework here in BC. The aim was to create something that is simple, agile, risk-based, collaborative, and has more independent oversight. Around the same time, BC Minister of Health Adrian Dix employed the expertise of Mr. Harry Cayton, an internationally recognized expert on health regulation to conduct a review of the Health Professions Act. He made recommendations for improvement on the act and the current regulatory framework in BC. The full report can be read here; to read the information that relates to the College of Opticians of BC please go to Part Two, Page 69. READ THE FULL ARTICLE.

Get Involved with COBC

The College has lots of opportunies for our registrants to get involved with the work we do. We have volunteer opportunites including volunteer inspectors and board members. Please see our volunteer page for details on how you can get involved. 

Save the Date - 2019 AGM

Our next board meeting and AGM will take place on Friday November 22nd. As always, we'd like to invite you to join us for the AGM, time and location will be confirmed really soon so please keep your eyes open for announcements and notices posted on our website and social media. 

Nominations to the COBC Board of Directors

The College is still seeking interest from registrants to join our Board of Directors. As the College did not receive nominations for the two Board positions available, the Directors will now be looking to appoint registrants to the Board to fill these vacancies.

Any registrant in BC who is interested in either of these appointments may apply by sending their resume to the College for the Board's review and consideration. 

Board Nominations

 

Upcoming Events

October 10th - World Sight Day

Organised by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness

More Info

 

November 22nd - COBC Board Meeting and AGM

Time TBC, please stay tuned to our website and social media for more information.

Did You Know?

If you change or leave employment for any reason, you can edit your business address through your Licensed Optician profile on our website. It is a matter of public safety for you to keep this information current, according to our Standards of Practice.

Login here

 

College of Opticians of BC operates on the traditional, ancestral and unceded Coast Salish territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.