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Last Updated:  Thursday, April 3, 2008

News

2008/2009 Registration

By now you will have renewed your 2008/09 Registration.  If you missed the March 31 deadline you've been removed from the CDBC register. If are not registered, you may not practice dietetics or use the protected title "Dietitian." You are eligible for late renewal until September 30 by contacting the office.  Please note, there is an additional fee of $250. By clicking here 2008/2009 registrants may update their profile at any time. Reminder: Verification of Competence to perform the Reserved Acts must be received before you may provide these services.  Please call the office if you have any questions about the renewal process or access to the site.

Board Chair and Vice-chair elections and new Board members

During the February 29, 2008 meeting, the Board re-elected Glenn Kissmann (Interior/North) as Chair of the Board of Directors and Heather Martin (Vancouver Coastal) as Vice-chair.  Terms are effective April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009.  Congratulations Glenn and Heather!

 

Laura Cullen (Vancouver Coastal) and Carol Kline (appointed public representative) were thanked and honoured for their six years on the interim and elected CDBC Boards.  Their time and dedication helped create the foundation for the College.  Laura was particularly thanked for her leadership as Chair of the Board for five years.

Maria Dedegikas was appointed to the vacant Vancouver Coastal position effective April 1, 2008 for a two-year term.  Maria is a fairly new graduate, practices dietetics in long term care and will bring a fresh perspective to the Board.  Jane Darville was appointed to the Board by the government for a one-year term as a public representative.  Jane's experience in health care and with boards and public policy development will be an asset to the College. Welcome!

       Thank you for your feedback!

After considering your input, the Quality Assurance Committee and Board approved the (Interim) Standards of Practice and Indicators as "final".  They will be forwarded to the government for approval as Schedule B of the bylaws.  To link to the document on the website, click Standards of Practice.  The Standards and Indicators will look familiar to you – they form the Self-assessment portion of the Continuing Competence Program.  Also approved was a full text Standards of Practice document which provides a context for the Standards and Indicators.   Thank you to those who participated!

Melanie Journoud, RD, Practice Advisor, has now reviewed all Professional Development Plans that were submitted this year and has provided feedback to all registrants.  Thanks to all of you who provided comments on the Standards of Practice, CCP document, forms and processes.  You were listened to!  Revisions made to the program are reflected in the updated documents that will be posted on the website by April 1.  These will be used by Group 1 registrants who are beginning a new 3-year cycle on April 1.  Groups 2 and 3 will continue using the documents currently posted:  a PDF version of the Professional Development Guide (PDG) is available as well as the Professional Development Plan and Progress Tracking form and the Self-assessment Relative to the Standards of Practice form in Word format.  The Word documents may be downloaded to your computer for electronic data entry.  Also, the CCP PowerPoint presentation may be viewed through this link.  

Fern Hubbard, Registrar, and Melanie Journoud, Practice Advisor, continue to provide CCP introductory sessions to any group of at least 10 registrants.  Please contact the office if you'd like a presentation made to your local RD group at 604.736.2016 or toll-free within BC at 1.877.736.2016.

Province-wide liaison sessions are coming...

The office is making arrangements for Fern Hubbard and local Board members to meet province-wide with dietitians, employers and educators.  The intent is to relay new College initiatives and activities and facilitate discussions about workplace barriers that prevent or hinder RDs to provide full scope of practice services.  The Minister of Health wants to increase the availability of health care services which provides an opportunity for the College to request changes in workplace practices and an expanded scope of practice.  In order to be ready to meet with the government, we need to know what the difficulties are - and we need you to tell us.  Watch for liaison sessions in your area.  If you're planning a gathering of dietitians over the next few months, please contact us.  The College would like the opportunity to "tag" on to your event and speak with practicing RDs in your community.   

 

Board News

Meeting News

The Board last met on February 29, 2008.  Highlights of the meeting include:

  • report from the Registrar on the Alliance's federal funding proposal for review of the Mutual Recognition Agreement, status report on national incorporation of the Essential Competencies into education programs and the Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination; collaborative project with the BC region of Dietitians of Canada on a Workforce Planning Survey; CDBC registration statistics; message from the Minister of Health relating to increasing the workforce through increased ease of international applicant registration, inter-provincial labour mobility and expanding the scope of practice of practicing professionals within BC; update on contract projects awarded by the Ministry of Economic Development (online course review for community practice and food service administration courses, and developing forms, processes and policies for incorporating the Essential Competencies into registration eligibility assessment of international and out-of-practice applicants);
  • receipt of 3rd Quarter financial report (to December 31, 2007) and approval of the 2008/2009 budget;
  • update on committee initiatives and activities;
  • discussion about working with UBC dietetics educators to understand the College's and university's mandates and the Essential Competencies project, and developing a plan to work together to meet these mandates;
  • review of Registrar's performance during 2007;
  • deferred discussion of 2008/09 Strategic Plan, recent legislation amendments and upcoming bylaw amendments;
  • review and approval of Quality Assurance Committee's Standards of Practice; and
  • recognition of Laura Cullen's and Carol Kline's contributions to the Board over the last six years (terms end March 31).

The next meeting is scheduled for Friday evening, May 30, 2008 from 3:00 to 9:00pm.

Observers are welcome at all Board meetings.

 

News from the Registrar

Registration of New Dietetic Graduates

New graduates traditionally complete their internship year between May and August.  The Registrar will be meeting with interns to discuss Temporary Registration processes and ensure they are knowledgeable about their responsibilities being a CDBC registrant, and the College's responsibilities to them.  The College welcomes all new Temporary Registrants!.

National Registrars' Meeting

The most recent in-person meeting was December 3-4, 2007 in Winnipeg.  The meeting focused on:

  • implementation of the Essential Competencies:
    • status of provincial implementation processes
    • discussion of correspondence
    • development of a draft Review Process
    • incorporation of the Essential Competencies into the Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination by November 2009.
  • Website available at www.dieteticregulation.ca
  • The next in-person meeting will be in May 2008.  Teleconference meetings are held monthly.

National Regulators Organization

The Alliance of Canadian Dietetic Regulatory Bodies is a national organization composed of ten equal and independent members who represent the provincial dietetic regulatory authorities. Representatives are Registrars or Chairs of the provincial Board or Council. The mandate of the organization is to:

  • Share information and perspectives.
  • Undertake initiatives to advance dietetic regulation in Canada.
  • Develop and implement competency based assessments for registration.
  • Maintain and administer the Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination (CDRE).
  • Facilitate labour mobility through the Mutual Recognition Agreement.
  • Act as the contact point for external groups on matters related to the regulation of dietitians in Canada.

The national regulators have recently published two significant documents:  "Introduction to Essential Competencies for Dietetic Practice" and "Essential Competencies for Dietetic Practice".  The Essential Competencies have a broad impact on dietetic education and practice in BC and across Canada.  They will be used in the following ways:

  • as the education and internship benchmark for determining eligibility to register with the CDBC and other dietetic jurisdictions;
  • as the educational basis for transfer under the Mutual Recognition Agreement;
  • as the standard for assessing applicants educated outside of Canada;
  • to revise the blueprint for the Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination;
  • as the foundation for the CDBC Standards of Practice which have been incorporated in the new CDBC Continuing Competence Program;
  • as a resource for the development of CDBC Practice Guidelines; and
  • as a guide for practice remediation (future initiative).

Liability Insurance

All practicing registrants must carry professional liability insurance in an amount of not less than one million dollars per occurrence. If you change employment settings and have liability insurance through your employer, please forward a copy of the new policy to the College office. A reminder: If you provide dietetic information to an individual or group outside of your employment responsibilities and are using the protected title of “dietitian,” you must have private liability insurance. Contact Dietitians of Canada to enquire about membership and liability insurance coverage.

 

Committee News

Registration Committee
  • Registration statistics, as of February 25, 2008
    • Total registrants - 1000 (8 Temporary Registrants and 992 Full Registrants)
    • Removed in good standing (April 1, 2007) - 25
    • International applicants (active) - 51
    • International applicants (inactive) - 17
    • BC/Canadian out-of-practice applicants currently upgrading - 3
    • US out-of-practice applicants currently upgrading - 1
    • Graduate route applicant - 1
    • Pending applications - 36

     

  • Last met February 1 (in-person) and February19 (by teleconference)
  • Next meeting: May 3, 2008 (in-person)
  • Highlights of the meetings:
    • Received a status report of upgrading applicants
    • Extended the 3-year timeline for one international applicant to allow adequate time for completion of practical training pgrading
    • Had a presentation from a consultant who reviewed online Clinical Nutrition courses appropriate for upgrading - NUTR 468 from the University of Alberta will be the only course recommended in the future - further courses are being investigated
    • Approved consultants for the Ministry of Economic Development's Online Course Review grant - for online food service administration courses and online community practice courses
    • Approved upgrading requirements for 3 Canadian educated applicants and 1 US educated applicant who are out-of-practice
    • Received information about a collaborative Reserved Act project with Interior Health
    • Approved upgrading requirements for three internationally educated applicants
    • Discussed the possible requirement for CDBC registration for the Olympics 
    • Discussed 2nd draft of the Professional Practice Protocol and a practice example, and
    • Recommended Chair and Vice-chair appointments to the Board.
  • Members are listed under the Board and Committees page.
  • Mandate:
    • Establish standards of academic or technical achievement and the qualifications required for registration as a member of the college,
    • Grant registration, including reinstatement, to every person who, in accordance with the requirements of the bylaws, applies for registration, satisfies the registration committee that he or she is qualified to be a registrant, and pays the required fee,
    • Attach terms and conditions to the granting of registration, and
    • Refuse to grant registration or set limits or conditions on the practice of an applicant who presents a risk of physical or sexual abuse to children according to a criminal record check authorized under the Criminal Records Review Act.

     

Quality Assurance Committee

  • Last met February 4, 2008
  • Next meeting is May 8, 2008
  • Highlights of the meeting:
    • Discussed the 2007/08 Group 1 Continuing Competence Program (CCP) including registrant liaison sessions and volunteer submissions, responses and tracking 
    • Discuss the 2008/09 CCP cycle for Group 2 including approval of the Standards of Practice used for self-assessment, registrant feedback and revisions to the Professional Development Guide, submission deadlines and plan to review 20% of Group 2 submissions only
    • Discussed Health Professions Act Quality Assurance Program including proposed bylaw amendments, implementation and audit process
    • Received an electronic/teleconference presentation of the CCP Module being developed by Softworks, the CDBC's database provider, and provided feedback to the provider.
    • Discussed draft 2 of the Professional Practice Policy and practice example
    • Determined changes to CCP group assignment for new registrants, and
    • Recommended Chair and Vice-chair appointments to the Board.

     

  • Members are listed under the Board and Committees page.
  • Mandate:
    • Establish, monitor and enforce standards of practice to enhance the quality of practice and reduce incompetent, impaired or unethical practice amongst registrants, and
    • Establish and maintain a continuing competency program to promote high practice standards among registrants.

     

Patient Relations Committee

  • Last met on February 11, 2008
  • Next meeting on May 26, 2008
  • Current activities:
    • Reviewed contracted 5th draft of CDBC's Patient Relations Programs (to prevent professional misconduct of a sexual nature) required under the Health Professions Act and section 7 of the Dietitians Regulation and forwarded it to legal counsel for review
    • Discussed implications of legal counsel's advice relating to the Professional Practice Protocol and similar Practice Guidelines
    • Reviewed committee membership, and
    • Recommended Chair and Vice-chair positions to the Board.

     

  • Members are listed under the Board and Committees page.
  • Mandate:
    • Establish a patient relations program to prevent professional misconduct of a sexual nature,
    • Establish, monitor and enforce standards of professional ethics amongst registrants,
    • Require registrants to provide an individual access to the individual’s health care records in appropriate circumstances, and
    • Inform individuals of their rights under the College's legislation and privacy legislation.

Inquiry Committee

  • Last meeting was December 14, 2007 via teleconference
  • The next meeting is scheduled for March 11, 2008
  • Current activities:
    • Manage complaints as required under the Health Professions Act (click here for a schematic drawing of the complaint process),
    • Reviewed Case #07-03, listened to a presentation by the investigators relating the case to their training and made minor revisions to the Investigators' Plan for the investigation
    • Reviewed the outcome of case #07-04 and noted the period of appeal had passed; a Case Outcome Report will be reviewed at the next meeting
    • Reviewed Case #07-05 including the requested response letter from the complainant, clarifying the complaint; legal advice is being sought prior to any further action, and
    • Reviewed information presented by the Registrar about a registrant who practiced without registration for approximately 8 months in 2007; the committee weighted the registrant's serious personal circumstances during the year against potential danger to the public and decided not to initiate an "own motion" complaint.
  • Members are listed under the Board and Committees page.
  • Mandate:
    • Investigate, inquire into, inspect, observe or examine the premises, equipment and materials used by a registrant to practice; the records relating to the registrant’s practice; and the practice of a registrant,
    • Investigate complaints against registrants delivered by the Registrar to the Committee, pursuant to the Act, Dietitians Regulation and bylaws,
    • On its own motion, investigate a registrant pursuant to the legislation,
    • Report to the Board and the complainant the results of an investigation and inform registrants and the public, to educate registrants and enhance practice, and
    • Refer matters that cannot be resolved at the inquiry level to the Discipline Committee for a hearing.

Discipline Committee

  • Members will be appointed and trained prior to a discipline hearing.

 

Newsletters of the College of Dietitians of British Columbia

 

Monthly Updates

Past issues of CDBC Updates are posted below:

Current Document Downloads    

 

 

 

 

 

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