December 1999
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The College is now four years old. Since its designation in December
of 1995, the College has experienced some growing pains. The Board
recognizes that it needs to do a better job communicating with
registrants. The College has accomplished a great deal in a short
time. It has taken on some contentious issues and will continue
to deal with areas of concern in the public interest. What the
College has failed to do is provide registrants with a balance
of news, updates, and information.
In order to better communicate with registrants the College is
embarking on a communication strategy. The strategy includes a
consultant who will provide information statements and an information
session for registrants, and assist the Board in formulating an
ongoing communication protocol. Ms. S. Adams is a lawyer and management
consultant. The first information statement is in this newsletter.
Advertising continues to be an area of concern
for the College. Recently, after receiving a complaint, the office
reviewed Yellow Pages advertising in Greater Vancouver directories.
This resulted in approximately 50 letters being sent to registrants
whose advertising does not comply with the Bylaws. The general
review of advertising will continue on a province-wide basis.
The majority of advertising infractions relate to advertisements
which do not include the name of the active registrant.
The Bylaws state that the full name of the active registrant(s)
must appear in all advertisements.
Registrants are being asked to confirm that their advertising
will be brought into compliance with the bylaws. When you contact
Dominion Directory ask them to change the "PL" line
to your name. This will eliminate the problem both in the telephone
directory and on the Web site.
The Board, at its meeting of December 10,1999, upheld all of the
advertising provisions, including that only the names of active
registrants may appear in advertising.
Your written comments are welcomed at the College office. #305 321 Sixth Street, New Westminster BC, V3L 3A7
Many registrants have called the office to
find out about the status of the Denturist Regulation allowing
the provision of partial dentures. The process is very much a
consultative process between denturists, dentists and dental technicians.
A 'final' draft is now being formalized by the Ministry of Health.
The stake holders have developed the framework for the Regulation.
The Ministry will write the Regulation, in legal language, considering
the Health Professions Council's recommendations on denturism,
dentistry, and dental technology; and their position paper on
Reserved Acts and Supervised Acts; other non-Health Professions
Act Regulations; and input from other Ministries.
The Board accepted the draft provided by the ministry at their
meetings of December 10,1999. The Ministry will now submit the
Regulation to legislative counsel, and then to the Lieutenant
Governor in Council (Cabinet) for final approval.
The Bylaws also require amendment and approval. A schedule of
amendments was sent to the Ministry and stake holders in April
1999. These amendments include new classes of registration, educational
requirements and examination procedures for advanced licensure.
We await final comments from the Ministry.
There are a number of barriers yet to be overcome prior to the
process being completed. Cabinet requires two weeks' notice, the
election of a new Premier is expected to delay cabinet consideration
of the Regulation and finally, a provincial election will result
in a long delay in approval.
It remains illegal for a denturist to advertise or to provide partial dentures.
Up until now the College has operated under
the Provincial Government's GST exemption. The College neither
charged nor paid the GST. In late September the Provincial Government's
Financial Management Branch wrote to advise us that the College's
use of the exemption certificate expired with the Board's first
election (April 1997). The reason given is that Boards which are
comprised of a majority of appointed representatives have less
autonomy from government than boards that elect a majority. The
criteria for use of the exemption includes that the majority must
be appointed by the government.
The Board will consider the implications of the loss of the exemption.
The College must now pay the GST. We can absorb the tax or elect
to charge it on fees we collect. Absorbing the amount paid in
GST will have negative implications for the budget of the College.
We have not been able to determine if GST is payable for the period
since the exemption expired. Discussions with the GST Interpretation
Centre have been initiated. Be advised that registrants will pay
GST on administration fees beginning in April 2000.
The election of professional representatives is under way. Two active registrants are to be elected. Complete election procedures are contained within the Handbook for Registrants. We encourage all registrants to consider running for election to the Board. Members of the Board represent registrants, in the pubic interest, to government, other health regulators, educational institutes, and in many other forums. We encourage you to find out as much as you can about the nominees and consider whether the nominee best represents the profession, and be sure to vote.
This is a reminder that all active registrants
are required to demonstrate completion of at least five approved
hours of continued education per year. Continuing education records
are mailed to registrants throughout the year. If you have hours
which have not been submitted please send them to the office for
consideration by the Quality Assurance Committee. The Committee
accepts a wide range of activities. For more information please
contact the office. The Inquiry Committee will investigate Active
Registrants who do not submit or fail to demonstrate compliance
with the QA program. Renewal certificates will not be processed
for registrants who fail to comply.
The June 1999 amendments to the Bylaws now require Inactive Registrants
to complete Quality Assurance requirements. This is not a retroactive
provision but one that starts as of June 1999. This means that
inactive registrants who wish to return to active practice must
demonstrate completion of continuing education credits equal to
those required by an active registrant.
VCC has indicated that they will be re-initiating the Denturist
Program. We are very excited by the prospect of the program restarting.
The advantages to the profession are substantial. A vibrant education
system supports the continued development and advancement of the
profession. We look forward to working cooperatively with VCC
and fully support their initiative.
The anticipated start-up date is September 2000. A new Program
Advisory Committee has been formed.
In the past year some registrants have questioned
whether the Denturist Association of British Columbia's malpractice
insurance policy meets the requirements of the Bylaws. The Board,
at its September meeting, reviewed and approved the policy as
meeting the requirements of the Bylaws. This means that, if you
are a member of the Denturist Association of British Columbia,
you are automatically covered. Verification of coverage is provided
by the Association.
The policy, which has remained unchanged for approximately 25
years, offers excellent coverage, including tail insurance. Tail
insurance covers a member after retirement from practice. Policies
no longer include this coverage. If you have your own professional
liability insurance coverage and you are close to retirement,
you may wish to consider purchasing tail coverage to protect you
against liability after leaving the profession.
The Ministry of Health has begun the process of rotating public
members appointed to health professional colleges. Mr. K. Douglas
Smith will be leaving the College Board when his term expires
in March 2000. Ms. Betty White's term expires in March 2001. We
welcomed Ms. Andrea Jones to the Board in 1999. We are very fortunate
to have the quality public members that have been appointed. They
bring knowledge, skills, abilities, and most importantly, the
public perspective to our College. We look forward to maintaining
relationships with public members whose terms are complete and
to developing relationships with public members that we welcome
to our Board.
Since December 1995, the Board and its staff have devoted their time and energy towards the formation of a sound structure to effectively manage our profession. As the structure in now in place it is time to raise the level of communication to the same high standard. I wish to dispel the negative perceptions of the College as they are mostly based on hearsay and/or politically motivated agendas. The current challenge of the College is to ensure both the public and registrants have a clear understanding of the differences between the College and the Denturist Association .
The Board has hired a consultant, Ms. S. Adams, a non partisan writer to prepare articles that will appear in with the newsletter and on the College's Web site.
Great things have happened in our profession in the last four years. You now have control of your professional destiny through the election of representatives to the Board. Further, we also benefit from the expertise that the talented and capable public members bring to the Board.
The positive accomplishments of the College
outweigh any perceived negatives. For years we complained that
the combined Board governing the dental technicians and denturists
did not meet the needs of our profession. In four years the following
has been achieved:
The College began operating immediately after designation because
of the leadership and positive actions of the Denturist Association.
Bylaws were submitted for approval shortly after designation.
This provided for the election of professional representatives
to take place within one year. This resulted in a short term for
the appointed Board.
Over the next two years committee structure, goals and actions
were developed and implemented.
Computer hardware and software was updated so that the management
and administration of the College is not complicated yet provides
useful, accessible information.
Old outdated theory examinations have been replaced with valid
relevant questions in a computerized database. The format changed
from individual exams in each topic to a comprehensive compensatory
model.
The practical examination was updated to reflect critical tasks.
This eliminated double jeopardy items, increased the fairness
of the examination, and is more likely to withstand challenge.
An Objectively Structured Clinical Examination has been added.
This allows for the evaluation of "soft skills" which
have never been examined. These include skills such as communication,
treatment planning, and problem solving.
The Web site is on line. It is a valuable resource for both registrants
and the public offering quick access to a wide variety of information.
The Handbook for Registrants was completed and delivered to each
registrant.
The College has operated within budget while accomplishing its
work.
Good relationships have been developed and maintained with the
Ministry of Health, College of Dental Surgeons, and College of
Dental Technicians. This has resulted in the proposed draft regulation
for expanded scope of practice.
Yes there have been growing pains. We have
stretched personal talents and resources to accomplish tasks.
Some things could have been done differently, but not better.
We can be proud of the College we now have.
The College is looking forward to completing the registration
process for advanced practice. This is an exciting time for our
profession, and I hope people will look forward and see a more
positive future for denturism.
The direction of the College in the coming years is going to change
from growth to maintenance of its operation and mandate. I hope
that those who stand for election to the Board will continue to
work for the future of our profession like those who have been
so instrumental in the first four years of the College's development.
Thank you for electing me to the Board of the College of Denturists of British Columbia. Initially, when nominated, my idea was just to "take a turn" in helping out the health professions that has given my family and myself a pleasant life. But as my two year terms nears its end, I realize that this has been an important experience that has turned out to be one that I would not want to have missed. By being elected to the Board, you're one of those fortunate people who get to protect the public, but as luck would have it you also get to experience "working with" a whole group of people, interesting people, with different opinions. These amazing people are capable of amazing things, even under duress, and after a while you surprise yourself - yes even yourself. I would recommend it to anyone.
The provision of anti-snoring devices has been
under consideration by the Board. The Board appointed a panel
to fully explore the issue. In the last six months, the Panel
obtained and reviewed a great deal of literature on the topic.
The panel also considered protocols of other jurisdictions and
other health professionals. The Board decided, at its December
10, 1999 meeting, that anti-snore devices are outside of the denturist
scope of practice. This decision is based on the harm (death)
that may result if a patient suffers from sleep apnea. The Board
feels that if denturists wish to have this service included within
the scope of practice than they should follow the procedures that
are in place. An application should be made to the Health Professions
Council. Council, if it accepts the application, will investigate
the application and provide recommendations to the government.
At this time it is not within the denturist scope of practice
for a denturist to provide anti-snore devices. If your advertising
makes reference to this practice please remove it as soon as possible.
Continuing education courses are not eligible for credit hours.
The Agreement on Internal Trade labour mobility
provisions are due to be fully in place by July 2001. The College
was represented at the October Denturist Consortium by John Mayr.
Progress is being made by a number of professions including denturists.
There are a number of issues yet to be negotiated. It appears
that these will be worked out by the consortium prior to the deadline.
There is a dispute mechanism built into the agreement to deal
with issues not agreed upon.
Once the agreement is in place a denturist who is licensed in
one province may move to another province without having to complete
licensure exams. This applies to provinces where the scope of
practice is substantially equivalent. Denturists from BC who wish
to relocate will be required to take approved education and successfully
complete examination because we are not licensed to provide partial
dentures. Depending on the requirements of the jurisdiction and
the availability of specific educational programs, this could
represent as large a barrier as full licensure examinations or
residency requirements. Hopefully the Regulation amendments discussed
elsewhere in this newsletter will be in place.
The College fully supports the Agreement on Internal Trade and
will consider Bylaw amendments to comply with the agreement. If
you have any comments that the Board should consider please write
to the College. Once draft amendments are considered by the Board
they will be posted on the College's Website.
The Board recently approved a policy regarding registrant motions at annual general meetings. An information statement, that explains the policy and its reasons will be sent to all registrants in the new year . If you would like a copy of the policy please contact the College office.
The Board approved a policy dealing with election
advertising and nominee promotion. There is concern that some
nominees run for election based on a platform of statements which
are unverifiable, promises that not achievable, or misrepresent
facts or activities. The policy is based on provincial elections
legislation. It sets forth the procedures that the Board will
use to determine whether a nominee has been elected based on misrepresentation.
It is the responsibility of any nominee to prove statements attributed
to them.
The Board strongly believes in fair and honest campaigning for
Board positions based on the mandate and objects of the College.
The Articulator is the Newsletter of the College of Denturists of BC. Comments and letters to the editor are welcome. In the event that clarification of intent is required the Health Professions Act, Denturist Regulation, or Bylaws supersede.
#305 321 Sixth Street
New Westminster BC V3L 3A7
(604)515-0533
registrar@cd.bc.ca
Editor: John Mayr