The Doctors of BC held a meeting on May 8 to give an overview of their strategic plan, provide an update on the PMA negotiations,  and provide information on the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) as well as the College of Physicians and Surgeons’ draft bylaws consultation process.

Here are the highlights from that meeting:

• Doctors of BC strategic plan
  Doctors of BC President Dr Charlene Lui provided insights into the organization’s strategic plan, how it supports the work of MSAs, and how MSAs can be involved in supporting the plan.

She encouraged MSAs to share their priorities to help ensure they are effectively represented by the organization.

• Collaborative and advocacy spaces
  Vice President Advocacy & Government Relations Rob Hulyk and Vice President Negotiations Tod Macpherson joined Dr. Lui in in discussing where members can go to seek advice and support when engaging with health authorities and the government to ensure clear delineation between the collaborative and advocacy space. They noted how the current collaborative structures, such as those funded by Facility Engagement, continue to be effective in helping to address some of the challenges physicians are facing across the province and remain a key priority for the profession. 
  
  The Physician Master Agreement negotiations are where Doctors of BC represents the diverse interests of its membership. All members will have the opportunity to review and vote on the agreement as part of the ratification process. For more information about the PMA negotiations, click here. 
• Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA)
  Executive Vice President, Policy, Strategy, and Legal Affairs Deborah Viccars discussed the HPOA, which will replace the Health Professions Act. She explained that the new act is significantly more complex, with over 600 sections compared to the 60 sections of the Act.
  

For more information and opportunities to provide input on the HPOA and the College’s draft bylaws, see Doctors of BC’s HPOA web page.