BCSLS Newsletter Winter 2009- Issue 21
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| Winners of the Congress Survey Draw |
| Congratulations Janette Johnson of BC Bio and Heather McMullen of BCIT | |
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| Greetings! |
Happy Holidays 
On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the BCSLS we would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the very best for a prosperous and fulfilling New Year in 2010.
We hope to see many of you at our 2010 special events: Congress, Telehealth, MLA Days, the Real CSI and more. Let's make it an exciting year for Med Lab Science in BC. |
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MLT Mentoring Program |
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Make a difference in your profession for only a few hours a year. Consider being a Mentor to help foreign-trained professional immigrants in the same field understand the local market of their original profession and develop their local professional network.
The time required from the Mentor (8-16 hours per year) will be making a profound difference in the life of a newcomer to this country. For more information click here. |
| The Pan-Canadian Framework for the Assessment and Recognition of Foreign Credentials... |
BC is expected to see an increase in the number of foreign-educated health and other professionals who seek and get work here as a result of a Federal-provincial accord on fast-track credentialing. Under the terms of the accord, professionals in various disciplines will have their credentials recognized within one year....read more
Read Malcolm Ashford's response to this new accord in this Vancouver Sun article | |
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| Congress 2009 at Harrison a huge success! |
The BCSLS 2009 Congress was held in Harrison Hot Springs from Oct 1-3 and it was a huge success.
The Theme of this year's Congress was "Knowledge is Power"- and we encouraged all delegates to get plugged in!
It was a time to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect in the beautiful setting of Harrison Hot Springs.
This year's Congress was unique in many ways. We had our largest turnout ever of MLA's, almost 40 member and non-member MLAs from across the province.
We probably had our largest turnout ever of non-member MLTs - 35 in total. We are sure this was due to the generous support of the Health Sciences Association who became one of our partners this year and mailed Congress programs on our behalf to their entire membership.
We had several retired members as delegates who came back to be part of BCSLS once again and we even had a student joining us from Russia. You name it we had it - over 200 delegates from around BC.
There was a sold-out trade show with 47 exhibitors ready to tell delegates all about the latest and greatest in new equipment, technology and products to make our job easier and to better serve our patients. The exhibitor reception was a great start to the conference and all the exhibitors were so happy that they all said they are coming back again next year.
An event like this could not happen without the support of some incredible sponsors all of whom were recognized at Congress. BCSLS would particularly like to thank the Diamond Sponsors: Fraserhealth and BC Biomedical who contributed over $5,000 each to our Congress and its success.
Also, an event like this would be impossible without an energetic, enthusiastic and committed Organizing Committee made up of volunteers who are willing to spend two years of their lives putting together this Congress. It's an unbelievable commitment!
BCSLS would like to extend a huge thank-you to our Congress Chairperson, Judi McCrindle from Ridge Meadows Hospital, and her committee of incredible people who organized what we think was one of our best annual Conferences ever. Thank you so much Judie.
A special thank you to Congress committee members: Janet Tunnicliffe, Darlene Mueller,  Marie Millen, Debra Cornwell, Karen Chaulk, Rod Mudie, Cathy Chong, Minnie Downey, Pauline Ormesher, Bev Brown, Pat Wrigley, Lucia Wojtyniak.
Dr. Arun Garg, Medical Director, Lab Medicine and Pathology for Fraser Health and Royal Columbian Hospital said in an email after the event: "From all accounts, the 2009 BCSLS Congress was a roaring success.On behalf of all the Lab Medicine/Pathology Group, our sincere congratulations and thanks to the Organizing Committee.You make us all very proud. The Scientific Program and Technology Exhibits were very well received by all those who attended. As usual the Social events were the best. You had a great TEAM and you did a phenomenal job."
In her opening speech at Congress BCSLS President, Tanya Kilborn, said "I would like to extend an invitation to all delegates to open your minds and let the Knowledge pour in! Open your hearts and make new friends and reacquaint with old friends and colleagues. Relax and rejuvenate and indulge in a diverse range of social activities over three days. Above all, please enjoy yourselves and have fun at BCSLS Congress 2009." The delegates did just that. |
| Congress 2010 - a tough act to follow! |
The local organizing committee for Congress 2010 is preparing to do it all over again and they know Congress 2009 will be a tough act to follow. 
The BCSLS 2010 Congress will be held in beautiful Sidney by the Sea on Vancouver Island just 20 minutes north of Victoria. Congress dates are September 30th and October 1st and 2nd, 2010.
The venue for Congress will be the new Mary Winspear Conference Centre located just off the highway as you leave the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. For a tour of the facility visit www.marywinspear.ca. The Mary Winspear Centreis is also just 5 minutes from Victoria International Airport in the picturesque waterfront community of Sidney by the Sea. Surrounded by the natural beauty of the Saanich Peninsula, the Centre combines state-of-the-art meeting and convention facilities, with outstanding customer service in a quaint seaside town filled with unique shops, book stores and boutiques.
Hotel accommodation is booked at several local properties across the street from the Centre or just a five minute walk away on the Sidney waterfront. Accommodation rates range from $89 per night double occupancy to $179 per night double occupancy at the four star Sidney Pier Hotel. That's as low as $45 per night per person, sharing.
The Scientific Committee, under the leadership of Valerie Wood of Lifelabs, is already putting together an incredible list of speakers that will address all five disciplines of Med Lab Science. [Note the starfish in the Congress logo whose five tentacles represent the five disciplines].
The opening key note speaker will be Dr. Art Hister of television and radio fame. The title of his presentation is Taking Control of Your Life: How to Live a Longer, Healthier, and Happier Life.
In his presentation, Dr. Hister will use his trademark humorous style to discuss and debate the evidence that healthy lifestyle adjustments improve all measures of health including especially
1) lowering the risk of premature death
2) lowering the risk of developing life-limiting, chronic illnesses
3) slowing - perhaps even reversing - our inevitable aging, and perhaps most important,
4) living with more energy and more happiness.
Dr. Hister will also offer suggestions to help even the most reluctant person add some of these changes to his/her busy life.
The closing key note speaker will be Dr. Jack Taunton from the UBC Sports Medicine Clinic. Dr. Taunton is also the Chief Medical Officer for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games being held in Vancouver and Whistler. He will have many stories to tell about "what really happened at the Olympics?"
The Friday night social will be a reception at the new Shaw Marine Discovery Centre where you can party with the sea creatures. Saturday's dinner and dance will another party with That Seventies Band - truly a night to remember!
The BCSLS is cognizant of the fact that financial support for education purposes was hard to come by this year due to cutbacks in the system. Consequently, we are planning on making Congress 2010 affordable, even without financial support. The registration fees will be under $300 and low-cost accommodation has already been mentioned above. You can even leave your car at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal in Vancouver and we will pick you up on the other side of the water. If you register before June 30 you will save the impending HST and can take advantage of the extra-early bird special registration fee. You can't afford not to come to Congress 2010.
A preliminary brochure will be mailed to all BCSLS members by mid March of 2010 and you will be able to register on the BCSLS website at www.bcsls.net Make sure you mark this event in your 2010 calendar. You won't want to miss this gold medal event in an Olympic Year. |
| 2010 Telehealth Winter Seminars |
BCSLS presents the following Telehealth Seminars, broadcasted to over 45 sites across the province. If you are interested in adding your site to the list, contact Angie at BCSLS.
Patient Safety Culture - Implementing and Sustaining it in the Medical Laboratory
February - there will be no telehealth this month due to Olympic festivities.
March 18th - Karen Gelmon, BC Cancer Agency
Subject: Breast Cancer. Watch the website for more details to come soon.
April, May and June Telehealths are being confirmed now...stay tuned...
To register for BCSLS telehealth seminars, just go to our events page on the website. |
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MLA Education Day 2010 - Vancouver |
Our Annual MLA Day will take place on Saturday, April 24th, 2010 at the Justice Institute in New Westminster. [location still to be confirmed] We will have four very informative speakers on topics of interest to MLAs. The program will run from 9am to 4pm and will include lunch. The theme for this year's event is "Striving for Excellence," which is very fitting for an Olympic Year in Vancouver. More information on speakers and topics will be available in January. Watch your mail and keep an eye on the website at www.bcsls.net |
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MLA Education Day NORTH 2010 |
For the first time in a long while MLA Day North 2010 will be held in Prince George on either April 17th or April 24th. The one day event will be held at Prince George Regional Hospital. An enthusiastic committee made up of Lynn Simpson, [Past BCSLS President], Chris Taruc, Michelle Haggerty and Rose McAllister are putting together a great program that will appeal to all MLAs.
More information on speakers and topics will be available in January. Watch your mail and keep an eye on the website at www.bcsls.net . You can also contact Lynn Simpson at lynn.simpson@northernhealth.ca |
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"The Real CSI" being planned again for the Spring of 2010 |
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime / drama television series that trails the investigations of a team of Las Vegas forensic scientists as they unveil the circumstances behind mysterious and unusual deaths and other crimes. So popular is this made for TV series that its impact has morphed from purely fictional entertainment to real life crime and punishment.
Now you will have an opportunity, once again, to learn about and witness "the Real CSI" - a one-day conference sponsored by the BC Society of Laboratory Science [BCSLS] hopefully in partnership again with the new Centre for Forensic Research at Simon Fraser University.
The "CSI Effect" created by television shows is raising crime victims' and jury members' real world expectations of forensic science , especially crime scene investigations and DNA testing. Prosecutors are now pressured to deliver more and more forensic evidence in court.
This one-day conference will feature several of the most renowned forensic experts available to us. It will take place at the Justice Institute in New Westminster and we are exploring dates in March of 2010.
Stay tuned for more information in the New Year and check out our Events page on the BCSLS website |
| Former Board members celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the BCSLS |
2009 was the 40th Anniversary of the BCSLS and many current and former Board members got together at Congress 2009 in Harrison to help us celebrate the occasion. Hosted by current President Tanya Kilborn, the reception attracted former Board members going back several decades. 
Some of these former Board members go back to the days when the BCSLS was the BCSMT [British Columbia Society of Medical Technologists] It was fun to hear stories of how the BCSMT was formed and what issues technologists faced in those days. We promised to stay in touch with these visionaries and leaders of their day.
Jacquie Kool, Mary McArthur, Pat Wrigley, Sue Petersen, Linda Banks, Marg Dragvik, Helen Brown, and Shelby Geisbrecht. |
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MLA Syllabus review |
The BCSLS is in the process of evaluating existing MLA Education Programs in B.C. We are also in the process of updating and revising the BCSLS MLA Program Syllabus that ensures that all MLA Education / Training Programs meet the needs of employers in the province. The Syllabus describes the minimum level of knowledge and skills required for the Certification of a Medical Laboratory Assistant [MLA] in B.C. The Syllabus can also be referred to as a Competency Profile in more current terminology.
The Board of Directors of the BCSLS has also imposed a moratorium on the approval of any new MLA Education Programs until such time as we can ascertain the current supply and demand scenario for MLAs and understand the challenges around practicum placements. To this end we have also conducted a survey of employers [mostly accessioning managers / supervisors] to determine their level of satisfaction with existing MLA Training Programs in BC and to determine the supply and demand picture in the near future. The survey results will help advise this entire process.
A committee was struck to review the BCSLS MLA Syllabus in a very critical but constructive way to ensure that education and training programs are meeting the needs of employers in the health care sector in BC. Feedback from the committee was examined and validated by a smaller Vancouver based committee to ensure that the appropriate changes are made to the syllabus. We anticipate that this new syllabus will be available by the spring of 2010 at which point all current MLA programs will be required to comply with the new syllabus.
The BCSLS would like to thank the following individuals for their hard work and effort in reviewing the syllabus:
Chair - Rene Maier- BCSLS MLA Director & Lifelabs, Victoria
Members:
· Eleanor Hooley - BCSLS V.P., BCIT & VCC, Vancouver
· Lynn Juillet, Patient Services Training Coordinator, BC Biomedical
· Donna MacAlister, RCT [A], Supervisor Cardiac Services, BC Biomedical [ECG]
· Barb Botelho, Former MLA Director- BCSLS, Mills Memorial Hospital, Terrace
· Michael Cupello, MLT, Accessioning Mgr., Royal Inland Hospital, Kamloops
· Trevor McLean, HR Dept. Lifelabs, Burnaby
· Deb Andrew, Fort St. John Hospital
· Coral Kaliciak , Langley Memorial
· Susanne Young, Vernon Jubilee Hospital |
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Club BCSLS |
Your Club BCSLS Affinity program is brought to you by the BC Society of Laboratory Science. This program is designed to provide you, our members, with valuable insider discounts on the products and services you want and need. Offers can be redeemed in a variety of ways - online, in-store and by phone.
PROGRAM UPDATE:
SKI HILLS: We have exciting changes with our ski tickets (all due to member demand): Members can now order all year with minimum turn-around time at participating  mountains:
-- Big White & Silver Star - order 5 Days in Advance for mountain pick-up *no shipping charge
-- Whistler Blackcomb - order 3 Days in Advance for mountain pick-up *no shipping charge
NEW RESTAURANTS: We've also added even more restaurants to our list this month!
DECEMBER FEATURE:
Letsgofordinner.com Gift Membership
Perfect for that "foodie" on your holiday shopping list! Give a full Letsgofordinner.com membership, or a full membership with enough credit to buy one or two certificates!
HOLIDAY FEATURE:
Looking for a little frosting for your holiday season? Members receive 20% off these fine online retailers:
· Diamond.com - 20% discount, free shipping
· ICE.com - 20% discount
For more information on these special offers for BCSLS members please visit
www.bcsls.intrd.com or go to the Club BCSLS page on our website. |
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Write for the OBJECTIVE |
Do you know something others should know about? Want to raise a topic for discussion? How about reviewing a book or web site?
We are looking for people to contribute articles, reviews, commentary, and reports on local happenings to this newsletter.
Just submit a short piece, - no more than 300 words, to bcsls@bcsls.net with your name and position title. Please provide any relevant web site links, digital photos, or references with your submission.
Note: BCSLS reserves the right to edit or reject submissions for length, relevance, or misleading or objectionable content. |
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Happy Holidays |
On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the BCSLS we would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the very best for a prosperous and fulfilling New Year in 2010.
We hope to see many of you at our 2010 special events: Congress, Telehealth, MLA Days, the Real CSI and more. Let's make it an exciting year for Med Lab Science in BC.
Malcolm Ashford
Executive Director, BCSLS
malcolm@bcsls.net
Angie Bender
Executive Assistant, BCSLS
angie@bcsls.net
Please contact us if you have any questions, concerns or ideas. We are here to serve you! Picture: (top row): Lynn Simpson, Angie Bender (staff), Bev Graham, Terry Kreshel, Tanya Kilborn, Eleanor Hooley ... (bottom rown) Malcolm Ashford, Jan Betts, Rene Maier. | |
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