Patients could be getting improved safety as the BC government merges 11 health colleges to two.
In a release, they announced that the number of health colleges in the province has gone from 15 to six. The goal is to offer not only more robust regulation for health professionals but also greater safety to those in need of care.
One of the new colleges, the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC, will regulate dietitians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, opticians, optometrists, psychologists, speech health, and hearing health professionals.
For the college of Complementary Health Professionals of BC, they’ll regulate chiropractors, massage therapists, naturopathic physicians, traditional Chinese medical practitioners, and acupuncturists.
The province says this comes as part of an initiative to modernize the regulatory framework of healthcare, investing $5.1 million to the project.
They add the colleges will be overseen by the office of the Superintendent of Health Professions and Occupations Oversight to make sure they are operating and transparent in the public’s interest.
