InTouch: Association news November 2020 Chair's message
Dear Colleagues,
Council and the ACAC have been keeping a close eye on government activity. Our priority remains the reinstatement of public funding for diagnostic imaging ordered by chiropractors. The data that members provided has been collected and will be submitted to the government to demonstrate the effect defunding public funding for diagnostic imaging has had and how it undermines patient care.
Government has been active on the health file, passing Bill 30 and introducing Bill 46 last week. Both these pieces impact regulated health professions. Bill 30 impacts all regulated health professions, including the ACAC, by requiring a shift to 50 per cent public member representation on Council as of April 1, 2021.
Government is clearly shifting from a self-regulation model to one of co-regulation within the regulated health profession space. Government’s shift to co-regulation from self-regulation means that public members are now considered equally participating members of Council decision-making rather than focused solely on representing the public interest as originally established.
This change necessitated a review of our bylaws to identify any changes that needed to be made to be in compliance with the letter and spirit of the legislation. While most of the changes required were administrative in nature, one change required was fundamental for the ACAC: the ability for public members to hold officer positions such as Council Chair, Vice Chair and Finance Chair. As such, the bylaws have been revised to allow public members to serve in officer roles.
As we informed you on Friday, November 6, the Health Minister introduced Bill 46: Health Statutes Amendment Act that has additional impacts to regulated health professions including the ACAC. Major impacts of this legislation will be:
Based on the current timeline, if enacted, the separation of the ACAC’s college and association functions would be required by May or June of 2022. Council and staff will be working on a transition plan in the coming months.
The changes to the ACAC as a result of Bills 30 and 46 does not, and should not, change the care patients receive from their chiropractor. These are changes to administration, not changes to care and treatment.
Finally, Council considered the resolution passed at the AGM recommending usage of electronic polling/voting processes whenever possible. Council supports this resolution, as it is consistent with the ACAC’s shift to utilizing technology to further member engagement whenever possible.
If you’re interested in finding out more information about Council and ACAC advocacy and hearing questions from your peers, you can find a recording of the ACAC government relations webinar and the discussion of the November 10 members meeting on the ACAC website.
With the continued uncertainty in the environment around us, the ACAC and Council are committed to keeping you informed. I hope members will take advantage of upcoming opportunities to connect with us and bring any questions you may have to get answers.
Thank you, Dr. Brad Kane Chair
ACAC advocating to keep chiropractic clinics open With COVID-19 cases rising across Alberta, the ACAC is advocating for chiropractic clinics to be allowed to remain open if they so choose. The ACAC has communicated with the Premier's office, government and opposition MLAs and municipalities informing them of the critical need for chiropractic care to remain available while reiterating the safety with which chiropractors have cared for patients to date. These advocacy efforts remain ongoing to allow clinics to continue providing patient care in this evolving pandemic environment.
2019-2020 Annual Report to Members available online now We are pleased to present the 2019-2020 Annual Report to Members.
Annual reports serve as a yearbook for the organization and highlight the ACAC’s accomplishments regarding promoting and regulating the profession and providing invaluable services to our members.
Today, more and more organizations are going paperless with their annual reports. The ACAC is too. This year’s Annual Report to Members is available online via a tool called FlippingBook, which mimics the paper experience while providing us with opportunities to expand information sharing. This shift also helps reduce our carbon footprint, as well as decrease costs related to printing and mailing.
First virtual member meeting a success On November 10, the ACAC hosted the first in a series of virtual member meetings. More than 50 members joined Council Chair Dr. Brad Kane and CEO Sheila Steger on the one-hour information and Q&A session.
From the Council side, Dr. Kane discussed the recent work by Council to prepare for the new public members joining Council in 2021, as directed from Bill 30, passed last July. When this is fully activated, Council will have a total of 12 members – six elected by the membership and six appointed by the Government of Alberta. Council has also revised its bylaws to meet compliance with the letter and spirit of the legislation. This included changing titles from "President" to "Chair," "Vice President" to "Vice Chair" and the ability for public members to hold Council officer positions.
With the introduction of Bill 46, Dr. Kane touched on the significant impacts of this new legislation on the ACAC – the mandated separation of the association and college, allowing colleges to amalgamate, establishing a central, public online registry of health professions and increasing penalties for unauthorized use of patient health information. While this legislation is moving through the legislature process, we anticipate it will be passed this sitting.
Our CEO Sheila Steger talked about the work the ACAC has done on key advocacy issues including recognizing chiropractic care as a essential element of Albertan's health-care needs, efforts to engage and inform decision makers about reversing the diagnostic imagining prescribing rules and initial review on the potential impacts of Bill 46.
The Q&A portion included questions about the new public Council members, Bill 30 and 46, our pandemic practice directive and scope expansion.
We encourage you to join us for our next virtual members meetings in December and January. If you missed the November 10 virtual member meeting, it is available on our website until early December.
We're asking Albertans how they feel about "If It Hurts" With the most recent run of our advertising campaign “If It Hurts,” the ACAC, through our research partner, Janet Brown Opinion Research, is finding out what Albertans thought of the campaign. The research gathers insight on what they remembered and what their perceptions are about chiropractic treatment and care. This public opinion research is occurring throughout the month of November.
This research helps the ACAC develop and refine future advertisements, as well as promotional and informational materials.
We will share the results of this research in the new year.
Register for free webinar on mental health support for health-care workers Homeward Health will host a webinar focused on the unique challenges facing workers with the onset of a second wave of COVID-19. In this one-hour webinar, participants will have an opportunity to focus on disruptive feelings which may be causing distress. They will also provide a look at beneficial psychological supports and reinforce adaptive coping strategies to protect mental health through and beyond COVID-19.
Dates and times: The webinar will be available at two separate times on November 24 (5 p.m. and 6 p.m. MST) and December 1 (5 p.m. and 6 p.m. MST). For those that prefer, a French-speaking version will be presented on November 18 at 5 p.m. MST.
Earn 20 free CC credits by completing CMCC's online course bundle The deadline to complete CMCC’s “Alberta Chiropractic Support Program 63764” course bundle is quickly approaching on December 31, 2020. These eight courses cover a variety of chiropractic topics and are available for free to all ACAC members. A total of 20 CC credits can be earned and put towards the 48-credit requirement for the 2019-2021 cycle. We thank CMCC for putting this free course offering together for ACAC members.
Courses are available until December 31, 2020. REMINDER: Due to COVID-19, the ACAC granted an extension to Continuing Competence credits for this current year only. Members are required to complete 48 CC credits by June 30, 2021.
Welcome to our new ACAC staff members Parker Hogan – Director, Member and External Relations
Parker joined our team November 2 as the Director of Member and External Relations. This newly created position is responsible for the strategy development and execution of ACAC member and external relations activities, including member relations and programming, communications and marketing, government and media relations and issues and crisis management counsel.
Parker has more than a quarter-century of experience in strategy, planning and executing public, government, media and stakeholder relations initiatives. Prior to joining the ACAC, he provided independent consulting services to a variety of organizations. In his career, Parker has worked for the governments of Alberta and Ontario, a class one railway, provincial and federal regulatory bodies and a member-funded industry association. Additionally, he has served on a number of local, provincial and national organizations and boards.
Tracy McLeod – Executive Assistant
Tracy joined our team November 9 as our Executive Assistant. She will be providing administrative support to Council operations and our CEO, Sheila Steger.
Before joining the ACAC, Tracy spent the past 30 years supporting executive staff in large and small organizations, providing executive assistance, document control, marketing and administration. She has experience in a variety of areas including health care, construction and public sector.
Tammy Gartner – Operations Administrator
Tammy joined our team November 9 as Operations Administrator. She will provide operations, financial and administrative support to the organization.
Prior to joining the ACAC, Tammy spent several years as an event planner, executive assistant and office manager. In her career, she has worked in various industries including financial, land development, leasing and wealth management. She has experience with IT and offers exceptional organizational skills.
Welcome Parker, Tammy and Tracy to the ACAC team!
Understanding how chiropractors build trust with patients The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association (JCCA) recently published research looking at how chiropractors build trust with their patients. A mixed-methods approach was taken and included interviews and surveys. Findings showed that honesty, communication, perceived competence and care all played a large role in building patient trust.
On the blog: what to look for in a winter boot and how your chiropractor can help We are now into November and winter is upon us. In order to enjoy the weather and stay safe during the winter months, we need to dress appropriately. That includes choosing the right winter boot, and that isn’t as simple as finding something that looks good or fits well.
Sherwood Park chiropractor Dr. Taylor Cooksley has extensive experience when it comes to assessing and treating foot conditions. Having danced for several years, she is very familiar with the impact foot and ankle injuries have on the body and has seen the larger problems that arise when these injuries are left untreated.
In part one of a three-part series, Dr. Cooksley uses her experience to explain what people should look for when choosing a winter boot, and how a chiropractor can help when patients experience foot-related pain.
Council contact
Each member is assigned a Council contact to connect with for questions or comments related to the profession.
Do you know who your Council contact is?
First aid & safety training services inc.
Need to get your standard first aid and CPR-C to renew your license? We offer regularly scheduled classes.
For more information, visit www.safetyclass.ca
[advertisement] Reminder: media calls
Occasionally journalists reach out to members to request an interview or response to a story. The ACAC is prepared to support members through interviews and advise on how best to handle media inquiries.
If you receive a request, please contact Mikiko Van Horn, Senior Public Relations Coordinator, or call 780.420.0932. |