The Articulator College of Denturists of British Columbia www.cd.bc.ca
		Volume 5, Edition 2: December 2001
	Chair's Message: Change. Some view it as an obstacle, others as an opportunity. Either way, change is inevitable. Change in the profession regulation of Denturism happens in bursts. Between the years 1958 and 1961, great change occurred in the dental profession with the recognition of Denturism. Minor developments in regulation occurred in succeeding years. The next real change came in 1989 with the elimination of the Oral Health Certificate. Then, again a period of calm, until 1995 when the Dental Technicians and Denturists Board Act was repealed and the College designated under the Health Professions Act. The pace of change continued with the development of the Bylaws, the implementation of College policy, and, in 2000, the increase in Denturists' scope of practice to include partial dentures and overdentures. Love it or hate it, one thing is for sure, there will be more changes in the future. One of the ways that the College prepares, and indeed initiates change, is through planning. The Board of the College began a planning session early this year. All areas of operation are being reviewed and new opportunities anticipated. One of the yearly operational reviews is the College's Budget. As we enter our seventh year of existence, the Board is pleased to announce that the College anticipates another balanced budget for the 2002-2003 year. Since the implementation of the College's Bylaws, the College has operated within its revenues. We are proud of our fiscal record in light of the increases in the "cost of doing business". This is a good indication of the effort
				and commitment of the Board and College staff. Planning is a process in which you celebrate your success and prepare for opportunities. We have had tremendous success with our Board members, both public and professional. I would like to take this opportunity to say a "thank you" to the members of the Board and the staff of the College for their support and assistance over the past year. They are truly dedicated to their responsibilities. In particular, I would like to recognize both Jim Connolly and Warren Trask whose elected term of office ends on March 31, 2002. I have seen, first hand, the value of their input to the Board. The Call for Nominations notice for professional representatives is in this Newsletter. Please consider running for a position. If you wish further information about the time commitment and the type of opportunities, please contact the office. In closing, I will take this opportunity to wish all of you the best of the season and the New Year. We are fortunate. Doug Hengel
				Happy Holidays

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	Quality Assurance Committee The Committee has been active in reviewing continuing education credit submissions. Most submissions are simple to categorize and are approved either as direct or indirect credits. Prior to taking a course, or submitting a course, you are encouraged to use the list of categories from Section 11, pages 4 and 5, in the Handbook, to determine whether the course is likely to be approved and the category of credit hours if it is approved. This is the process the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) uses to approve courses. Checking your Handbook will reduce uncertainty. If the topic of the course you are about to attend is not listed you may not receive the CE credits for the course. If you submit a course for approval, and the course has not been previously approved by the Committee, College staff will send the information to the Committee members for approval. The office will collect a number of submissions and send them to the Committee via electronic means. The Committee members consider the submissions and respond to the office. When there is consistency in category and hours the course is considered approved. If different members of the Committee classify a course differently, then the Committee members further review the course. Registrants are notified in the event that the Committee rejects a course. This does not mean that the course was not a good course, or that the participants did not learn something from the course. It means that the Committee has been unable to classify the course within the categories specified in the Handbook. The Committee does not consider who is putting the course on, but rather the objectives of the course itself. Registrants can assist the Committee by providing information about courses, that have not been pre-approved, which they complete. Registrants are encouraged to provide additional details of the course, to		the Committee, if they feel that the Committee has wrongly rejected a course. This additional detail may include the Table of Contents from a manual, hand-out from the course, the stated learning objectives, or other material that will assist the Committee members in understanding how the course benefits the practice of Denturism. The current Continuing Education Requirement cycle requires the completion of 30 credit hours in each 3 year cycle. The current cycle ends December 31, 2001. At least 20 credit hours must be directly applicable. The remainder (10) may be indirect. Further, each registrant must have at least 5 hours per year, even if the maximum of 30 hours for the 3 year cycle has been met. The QAC ensures that the office mails each registrants' continuing education record at least twice each year, and whenever the record changes. CE records were mailed in October. Please send you course submissions to the office prior to December 31. This will allow the Committee to review submissions and ensure that registrants receive licensure renewal notices. A registrant who has not met the minimum requirement as of December 31 will be referred to the Inquiry Committee for investigation. Failure to meet the requirement constitutes misconduct. This does not remove the requirement. Registrants must complete the required hours prior to March 31 or the notice of renewal cannot be sent. Registrants can avoid all of this by ensuring their record is complete and the requirement met prior to the deadline. Continuing Education is a reasonably simple process that seeks to ensure competency throughout our profession. Read pages 3 through 5 in section 11 of the Handbook. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact the office directly. Alison Nicholls, Chair

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	Election 2002 It's time for the College election to commence. Registrants interested in becoming an elected member of the College may nominate themselves, or up to four registrants. Nominees and their nominators must submit names of nominees. Letters of Consent and Declaration (page 11-20 of the Handbook), must be received before the close of business on January 31, 2002 Registrants who wish to be actively involved in their profession are encouraged to run for election. Each term is for three years. Have you ever wondered why the College does what it does? Ever thought you or another registrant could do as well or better? Now's your opportunity. Send in your nomination today!
	Staff Update There has been a change in staff at the College office. After six years with the College, and another with the Dental Technicians and Denturists Board of BC, Ms. Ethel Inglis has decided to pursue further career options. As a valued member of the College team, Ethel became a familiar face at annual meetings, and a pleasant voice on the telephone. She was helpful and assisted
					callers efficiently. We wish her all the best in future endeavours. Ms. Stephanie Pontes is the new executive secretary. Stephanie has a background as a secretary in a law office, and has experience with non-profit organizations. She is a great addition to the office. The office has attempted to maintain full service levels through the transition period. Please be patient through this period of transition.

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	Notice of Nominations Pursuant to section 5 of the Bylaws of the College of Denturists, All registrants are advised that two elected positions on the Board of the College of Denturists will become vacant on April 1,2002. In accordance with the Bylaws of the College, the Nomination period is from: December 31, 2001 to January 31, 2002. Any nomination received after the close of business on January 31, 2002 will be disqualified. Any Active registrant, in good standing, may nominate up to four active registrants, in good standing, by mailing their nomination along with the Letter of Consent signed by the Nominee to the Office of the College of Denturists. Each nominee must declare, in writing, that they will observe the provisions of the Act, the Regulation, and the Bylaws, and the procedures related to the election and the conduct of the election. The election ballot will be mailed to all active registrants not less than 45 days prior to the expiry of the term of office.
	Letter of Consent and Declaration of Nominee Denturists have been granted the privilege of self regulation. With this privilege come certain obligations. The Health Professions Act establishes the duty and responsibility of the board as follows: It is the duty of a college at all times to serve and protect the public, and to exercise its powers and discharge its responsibilities under all enactments in the public interest. It is the responsibility of the board to govern, control and administer the affairs of the College in accordance with the Health Professions Act, the regulation and the Bylaws. In agreeing to let my name for election to the Board of the College, I agree to the following: ¨ To observe and uphold all provisions of the Health Professions Act, the Denturist Regulation, and the Bylaws of the College. ¨ To uphold the duty of the College to act in the best interests of the public at all times. ¨ To abide by the procedures related to the election and conduct of the election. The College Board has established a Conflict of Interest Policy. If elected to the Board of the College, I agree to be bound by the terms of the policy and will sign the conflict of interest statement. Signed this _____________day of ______________, 2001 ____________________ __________________ Signature Print Name
	The Articulator is the newsletter of the College of Denturist of British Columbia. It is meant to provide information to registrants, members of the public, and other organizations. In the event of a disagreement between information in this newsletter and the Health Professions Act, Denturist Regulation, Bylaws, or policies of the College, the wording of the Act, Regulation, Bylaws, and policies take precedence. Letters to the editor are welcomes. The Board reserves the right to edit submissions for length or to refuse to publish any letter or article. Copyright December 2001. Write to: The Articulator c/o John Mayr Registrar #305 321 Sixth Street New Westminster BC V3L 3A7 Visit www.cd.bc.ca for information about contacting us by email