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The Latest News from CDHBC | Summer 2015

In This Issue

Message From the Registrar

The year 2015 marks the twentieth anniversary of the College of Dental Hygienists of British Columbia, and to celebrate this milestone we have launched our new-look, most comprehensive website to date. The new CDHBC website is fully searchable – this means that any resource (Access article, practice standard, policy etc.) can be found simply by typing a key word into the ‘Search’ bar at the top of the site page. Furthermore, we are taking the Access newsletter in a bold new direction: the newsletter will be published more frequently, and will now be sent to every registrant electronically – you will be able to read Access on your smartphone, iPad, or any other electronic device you use. The most up-to-date news, information, and changes related to dental hygiene regulation and practice in BC will be delivered to all registrants in a convenient online format – but if you prefer to read a paper version of Access, don’t worry: you can still print off the newsletter to read in a more ‘traditional’ layout!

Message From the Chair

Happy summer everyone! I hope you all enjoyed a lovely spring, and with our warm summer upon us I hope you all find time to head out and find fun things to do. With both kids in school for the first time this year, I have discovered that I am a better gardener than I thought - it turns out that plants respond very well when you have the time to water them!

The Board and staff of the College have been hard at work, and we have some interesting and exciting things on the horizon. Among many other things which you will read about in this issue, we are proud to bring you this first electronic version of Access, making it possible for registrants to “access” it (ha!) from their favourite device. We will also be archiving past editions on our newly updated, fully-searchable website, making it easy to search out that article you remember reading in 2013 (or was it 2012?).

Over the past few months I have had several opportunities to speak to registrants about the pathways to enter the 365-Exempt practice category, which continues to grow in size. I have tried to encourage as many as possible to consider the PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition) pathway offered online through Thompson-Rivers University. If you have ever considered working independently in the future or just want to become 365-exempt, but don’t think the degree route is for you, I would encourage you to look into the TRU program. Upon successful completion of the PLAR you are awarded 9 credits toward a future degree!

And now, back to my garden. I think my zucchini have doubled in both number and size in the time it took me to write this. Have a lovely summer!

2015 Annual General Meeting

The CDHBC Annual General Meeting was held at 7pm on June 4, 2015 at the Hilton Airport Hotel in Richmond. Twenty-two registrants attended in-person, while a further 133 attended via webcast; this is the second year that the College has offered webcast attendance for the AGM, and this initiative continues to be particularly popular and well-received. Registrants may obtain the same hour-for-hour CC credit for webcast AGM attendance as they would for in-person attendance. The Annual Report and Committee Reports were reviewed, which was followed by a Current Issues presentation by the Registrar; topics covered included the changes to the Patient Relations Program, the Phase 1 Bylaws, an Inquiry focus, and a QAP update.

The AGM and Current Issues presentations are also viewable on demand on the CDHBC website; registrants who watch both recordings and complete the accompanying question sheet for supporting documentation may claim 1 CC credit.

2015/16 CDHBC Board

The CDHBC Board consists of nine members: six elected registrants of the College and three public members, appointed by the BC Minister of Health. Elected board members are elected for a two year term and may serve a maximum of three consecutive terms. Public member terms are determined by the Minister.

The 2015/16 CDHBC Board Members are as follows:

Tamera Servizi Chair, Vancouver Island/Coast - Elected Member

Email: boardchair@cdhbc.com

Denise Beerwald Vice Chair, Lower Mainland - Elected Member

Zul Kanji Lower Mainland - Elected Member

Rae McFarlane Kootenays - Elected Member

Karen Lange Cariboo North - Elected Member

Wendy Kelly Okanagan - Elected Member

Alvin Epp - Public Member

Roslyn Castleden - Public Member

Vacant - Public Member

Patient Relations Update

Currently, dental hygienists may provide dental hygiene care to spouses and partners with whom they have a romantic or sexual relationship; however, CDHBC has recently posted proposed bylaw changes on the website for the mandatory 90 day public consultation period. These proposed changes to the bylaws will establish a Patient Relations Program which will no longer permit dental hygienists to treat a client with whom they have a sexual relationship.

Please click here for more details regarding the proposed changes. CDHBC encourages registrants to embrace these changes as soon as is practical in anticipation of the bylaws coming into effect in the fall of 2015.

QAP Assessor Process: Registrant Testimonial

In the case of an a registrant not meeting the required threshold that demonstrates currency and competency on the QAP Assessment Tool, that registrant will be granted a second attempt that must be completed within 60 days of the first attempt. If the threshold is not met on the second attempt, the registrant will be contacted to confirm results and will be partnered with an Assessor, who will work with the registrant to conduct a further practice assessment and develop appropriate learning goals that must be approved and monitored by the Quality Assurance Committee The following is a testimonial from a registrant from the 2013 QAP cohort who was required to participate in the Assessor process and has recently successfully completed that process:

"My experience with the QAP in office assessment was surprisingly pleasant. All of my preconceived ideas of how negative the experience would be really made me nervous since I thought my credibility as a hygienist would be compromised. It wasn't at all. It actually turned out to be a great way to have all my questions, concerns, and areas I felt I could use some improvement reviewed. Guidelines were made, my assessor talked about her experiences, I talked about mine, and together we compared ways to improve my practice. She helped me conjure up some tasks that would assist me in better understanding my areas needed for improvement, reviewed standard of practice, ethical responsibility, and left the rest up to me. By the end of our first meeting I felt I knew what I needed to do in order to grow and be the best hygienist I could be.

"Overall, this process was very rewarding and an experience that helped my career exponentially."

QAP Tool Security Breach

On January 23, 2015 security measures built into the Tool alerted CDHBC that there may have been a security breach; specifically, there was concern that some cohort members did not comply with the terms outlined in the Tool’s Statement of Understanding (which must be agreed to prior to completing the Tool). These terms state:

“Registrants must complete this QAP Assessment Tool individually and without help from any other person” and “The Quality Assurance Program Assessment Tool (QAP Tool) is highly confidential. It is strictly forbidden to copy, share, reproduce or save any of the items or content from the QAP Tool. The QAP Tool questions are the property of the National Dental Hygiene Certification Board. Unauthorized disclosure of the QAP Tool questions is prohibited under copyright laws. By signing this statement of understanding, you agree to maintain the confidentiality of the QAP Tool questions. [emphasis added]”

After an initial investigation, CDHBC closed the Tool from January 23-30, 2015 in order to protect the integrity of the tool and results generated by registrants thus far. CDHBC launched an investigation of 30 registrants for possible breaches of the Statement of Understanding for the Tool. The Quality Assurance Committee found that 20 registrants did not breach the Statement of Understanding and their results were confirmed. The QAC found that 5 registrants had breached the Statement of Understanding. Their results were invalidated and they had to retake the tool at their own cost at an invigilated testing centre. The QAC required 5 other registrants to retake the tool as part of the investigation to establish consistency in their results. The investigation confirmed that the content of the tool remains secure.

The College would like to remind registrants that the QAP Tool Statement of Understanding is equivalent to a binding legal agreement, and that to subvert the terms of this Statement may be considered professional misconduct.

Root of the Matter: Webinar FAQs

Jacqueline Guyader, Senior Dental Hygiene Advisor

Melissa Mollberg, Dental Hygiene Advisor

CDHBC staff have been involved in presenting two separate information webinars for registrants on several occasions over the previous six months. The Practice Standards and Clinical Documentation webinar incorporated information, scenarios, and questions related to the required documentation practice standards. The Online Learning Plan (OLP) webinar focused on the steps a registrant would take once they have completed the QAP Assessment Tool; this webinar had a specific focus on the development of SMART learning goals, action plans to meet the learning goals, and developing a meaningful reflection on the learning that occurred.

The webinar format allowed time for questions and answers at the end of each interactive presentation. The presenters noted some common themes in the questions posed by various registrants during the initial webinar sessions, which were repeated in the subsequent webinar presentations. In light of this, the CDHBC decided to publish a Webinar Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section in this issue of Access in order to share the information with all CDHBC registrants.

Inquiry Committee Focus

In the CDHBC Inquiry Committee Focus, the College reviews two Public Notifications from recent investigations which illustrate the importance of working within the Scope of Practice, and abiding by the Practice Standards and Code of Ethics.

This segment is intended to enhance a registrant’s understanding of the College bylaws, Practice Standards, Scope of Practice, and Code of Ethics by allowing them to examine the elements of a complaint, the process used by the Inquiry Committee to investigate the complaint, and how the final disposition was reached.

As per section 39(3) of the Health Professions Act, public notification of these matters has been provided on the College website:

Public Notification: Winnie Sung

The key issues in this particular matter are:

Standard of Practice: the importance of adhering to the Dental Hygienists Regulation, Health Professions Act and College Bylaws
The importance of understanding the Code of Ethics
The importance of adhering to the Standards of Practice relating to chart documentation
The importance of understanding the Scope of Practice of a Dental Hygienist

Public Notification: Liz-Ann Munro Lamarre

The key issues in this particular matter are:

Standard of Practice: the importance of adhering to the Dental Hygienists Regulation, Health Professions Act, and College Bylaws
The importance of understanding the Code of Ethics

The importance of adhering to the Marketing Guidelines in s. 69 of the College Bylaws.

Tech Tips

Please be aware that Hotmail has recently changed their security settings. If you have a Hotmail account, please ensure that you have added cdhbc@cdhbc.com to your safe contact list as the College sends important notices via email. Please note this will only ensure that you receive emails sent from the cdhbc@cdhbc.com email address. You will still need to check your junk folders for any emails that have been sent to you directly from a College staff member and add each address to your safe contact list. The College strongly encourages its registrants to use alternate email addresses to reduce the risk of missed emails. It is the registrant's responsibility to ensure that your email host will accept our email notices.

If you are having difficulty logging in to the Registrant site or opening pdfs on our website, please either upgrade your Internet Explorer or use an alternate browser such as Google Chrome or FireFox. The login issue is specifically related to Internet Explorer.

Moving?

It is a bylaw requirement that registrants of the College ensure that their mailing address is always current on the CDHBC register. Incorrect or out-of-date addresses can lead to missed mailings that may include important notices and documents. Address changes can be submitted online at www.cdhbc.com or via email to cdhbc@cdhbc.com and should include the following information.

Name
Registration Number
Old Address
New Address
Email
Telephone
Effective Date

MAILING ADDRESS:

PHONE NUMBERS:

EMAIL: