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Backgrounders

Report’s recommendations

The report, An Inquiry into the Performance of the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia (CDSBC) and the Health Professions Act, outlines 21 recommendations for the CDSBC to implement to ensure the college is functioning effectively and in the best interest of the public.

Below is a summary of these recommendations:

Governance, conduct and probity

  • The board should continue with its plans to reduce its size, to increase the representation of public members and to appoint officers from within its membership.
  • No one who has held an officer position in the British Columbia Dental Association or any other representative organization for dentists should be allowed to stand for election until at least three years has passed since they held office.
  • No dentist under investigation for a complaint should stand for election or be appointed to a committee until the complaint has been resolved in their favour.
  • Any dentist on a board or committee who is under investigation for a complaint should step down until the complaint has been resolved in their favour.
  • The board should review its committee structure with the aim of reducing the number of committees making the college’s decision making more streamlined and effective.
  • Board officers, the registrar and college staff should be more diligent in monitoring progress on workstreams and recording the implementation of decisions.
  • The college should create a risk register to be maintained by senior staff and monitored by the audit committee. Results will be reported to the board.
  • The board should continue to increase transparency and be ready to be held accountable to the public it serves.
  • The college should renew its commitment to proper procurement policies and should conduct legal contracts through its general counsel.
  • The board must mend its relationship with its professional staff.

Performance of the college

  • The college should significantly improve its internal data collection and performance management.
  • The college must sort and organize its documents. Standards should be gathered together in a single document and titled accordingly.
  • The board should remove itself from the complaints process and should not attempt to influence or interfere in complaints in any way.

External relationships

  • As part of its new strategic plan, the college should develop a stakeholder mapping and communications strategy.
  • The college should work to improve the reach and response rate of its annual complaints survey.
  • The college should open part of its board meeting to questions and comments from the public.
  • The college should aim to build a relationship of both mutual respect and distance with its dentist registrants.
  • The college should commit greater time, respect and interest to both certified dental assistants and dental therapists.
  • The college should encourage better and more regular engagement with the three other dental colleges to promote the safety of patients and public protection.
  • The college should be clearer about the collection and distribution of fees.
  • The college should resolve to stop collecting fees for the BC Dental Association in a phased-in manner. The suggested transition time is no more than three years for the two organizations to separate.
B.C.’s health professional colleges and registrants

There are 20 health professional colleges in B.C. and 116,988 registrants:

  • College of Chiropractors of BC — 1,252
  • College of Dental Hygienists of BC — 3,874
  • College of Dental Technicians of BC— 894  
  • College of Dental Surgeons of BC — 10,297
  • College of Denturists of BC — 266
  • College of Dietitians of BC — 1,348
  • College of Massage Therapists of BC — 4,439
  • College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC — 13,353
  • College of Midwives of BC — 357
  • College of Naturopathic Physicians of BC — 671
  • BC College of Nursing Professionals — 57,819
  • College of Occupational Therapists of BC — 2,575
  • College of Opticians of BC — 963
  • College of Optometrists of BC — 791                
  • College of Pharmacists of BC — 8,537
  • College of Physical Therapists of BC — 4,246
  • College of Podiatric Surgeons of BC — 85
  • College of Psychologists of BC — 1,330
  • College of Speech and Hearing Professionals of BC — 1,569
  • College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncturists of BC — 2,322