BCSLS December Enewsletter - The latest BCSLS news for you

Under The Microscope

BC Society of Laboratory Science: December 2022

BCSLS news & updates

The BCSLS Enewsletter will focus on keeping our membership updated, knowledgeable and even entertained.

Message from the President and Executive Director:

This fall has been busy for the BCSLS with Congress 2022, participation on the provincial MLT/MLA working group that is examining how the knowledge and skills of these professions can most effectively be utilized in BC laboratories, monitoring developments on the regulatory front, and planning for the spring Pre and Post Analytic Symposium. The BCSLS Board has also established special committees of the Board to most effectively use the expertise of our Board members on many key initiatives.

On the regulatory front, we are finally seeing movement! Read more about this further down in the Enewsletter.

We wish you all a happy and restful holiday season.

Special Days: December 15 - February 15

It's Quiz Time!

Our monthly Quiz with prizes. It's a fun way to test your knowledge and win a little something for doing it.

Find the Quiz Link on our Trivia webpage.

Deadline: December 31st

Congratulations to the winners in 2022: Candis Shaw, Karen Smith, Deeanna Saran, Michelle Bartel, Sue Whitehead, Marilyn Odberg, Lexie Christy, Joanne Rishworth, Laurie Craig, Susan Childs, LeeAnn Gosvig

Regulatory College Update:

On the regulatory front, we are finally seeing movement!

For the past two years, the provincial government has been working toward modernization of its approach to regulating health professions. While undertaking this work, no new regulatory colleges were established, resulting in the profession of medical laboratory technology being designated, but without a college.

This fall the Provincial government brought forward Bill 36 Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA). This new Act, once in force, will replace the Health Professions Act. Most notable in this new Act is that it addresses discrimination in health care and requires cultural safety and humility to be embedded in the way health professionals provide care. The Act also allows for more flexibility in how health professions and occupations are regulated. The government is now working toward developing regulations, and once these are established, the new HPOA will come into force allowing the creation of the new umbrella college that MLTs will come under.

December's Guest Contributor

The Social Determinants of Health and What Lab Can Do To Make the Patient Experience Better

Written by: Dylan Durham BSc., MLA

Shortages in the lab have been the most forefront issue we as lab professionals have seen in the last two years and let’s face it most of us are burned out, extremely fatigued, frustrated and the list could continue. When I say shortage, the first idea that construes in your mind is probably staffing levels and yes this is something that is definitely a struggle but we experience more than just staffing shortages, we deal with shortages of equipment, reagents and budgets and this list could also continue. I want to ask, what has all this done to you emotionally and perhaps physically? Has this created barriers in your personal life? Have the shortages not affected you at all? Now that I have asked you some questions keep the emotion and thoughts you have in your mind as I pave a path towards the social determinants of health.

As a high level overview, the social determinants of health refer to a specific group of social and economic factors within a broader social construct that relates to an individual’s place in society such as . .... READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Welcome to the Laboratory Profession! Happy Studying!

January 16 - MLAs at Cambria College (Victoria and Surrey)

January 16 - MLAs at Stenberg College

Congratulations to the graduating BC Laboratory classes! Welcome to the laboratory Profession!

January 20 - MLAs from Cambria College (Surrey and Victoria)

The BCSLS Pre & Post Analytic ABOVE and BEYOND Award recognizes a Laboratory Professional who has demonstrated outstanding performance and commitment to excellence.

Nominations open in January 2023.
Awards presented at the Symposium on April 1st

Heather Autio

To read the full interview click here

Which career accomplishments are you most proud of?

I think I am most proud of the growth as both a laboratory technologist and as a person that I have experienced. I must say that some of my best memories would be the times that I looked down a microscope and made the discovery of malaria, a new found leukemia. Leavening work on those days and knowing that you made a difference that will start a patient on the road to getting the appropriate treatment needed to conquer an illness that until then they could not define.

What are your plans after retirement?

I plan to get a long arm sewing machine to further my quilting hobby and hopefully walk the Camino de Santiago again. Travel when I can, sleep, read and eat when I want and enjoy time to do all the crafts and hobbies that I have put on hold.

Job Postings

Jobs from around BC and Western Canada can be found on the Careers Webpage. Check out the webpage often as it is updated regularly. https://www.bcsls.net/careers-page

Upcoming Events

Congress 2023:Sept 21-23 in Kelowna !!

P&P Analytic Symposium: March 31 / April 1, 2023

March 31 & April 1, 2023

BCSLS is pleased to announce that we are hosting our 6th annual Pre/Post Analytic Symposium! We are delighted to once again be partnering with BD.

We will have several key speakers addressing a variety of current and relevant topics that many of us face in today’s rapidly changing workplace. This engaging symposium will provide you with the tools you need to help you continue on your journey towards excellence. We look forward to seeing you in again!

Sept 21-23, 2023 in Kelowna, BC

The BCSLS Annual Congress is our premiere event of the year. For 3 days we will be bringing together laboratory professionals, educators, and industry representatives from across the province and nationally.