For Registrants
We appreciate that the amalgamation of the College of Dietitians of British Columbia, College of Occupational Therapists of British Columbia, College of Optometrists of British Columbia, College of Opticians of British Columbia, College of Physical Therapists of British Columbia, College of Psychologists of British Columbia, and College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of British Columbia has an impact on health professionals regulated by these colleges.
If you are a registrant of CDBC, COTBC, CDOBC, COBC, CPTBC, CPBC, or CSHBC, this page is your go-to source of information about the forthcoming amalgamation of these seven colleges. Please check this page regularly for updates.
Have questions about the amalgamation?
Please find below answers to frequently asked questions specific to registrants. We will continue to add questions and answers as the amalgamation work progresses.
Are registrant fees paying for the costs of amalgamation?
In recognition of the significant undertaking to amalgamate the colleges, the Ministry of Health has committed to providing initial funding to begin amalgamation work and additional funding for resources required to implement these amalgamations.
Will registrant fees increase after amalgamation?
Registration fees are established by the Board of each college. After amalgamation, the new Board will assess the budgeting needs to fund all operations of the college to determine future fees. It is not anticipated that fees will change shortly after June 28, 2024, as this analysis will require some time.
Will amalgamation affect registrants' scope of practice?
No, the scope of practice for any professions regulated by the college will not be impacted by the amalgamation. Scope of practice is established in regulation by the Ministry of Health. It is not the intent of the modernization initiative to alter scope of practice.
Are renewal dates changing? And, if so, when?
Colleges are assessing the opportunity and challenges in aligning renewal dates, but decisions will be made after amalgamation. Registrants can expect to renew their license at the same time for now.
What quality assurance requirements do registrants need to complete in 2024? When will this information be available?
Quality assurance requirements of your current college will be the same on June 28 and are expected to remain in place in 2024. Once the new college has conducted a fulsome review of all programs, it can make decisions about quality assurance requirements in the future. The introduction of the Health Professions and Occupations Act may also impact quality assurance requirements once it is enacted at some point after amalgamation. As a reminder, professional requirements such as quality assurance are prescribed in bylaws and determined by the Board.
As the new college will regulate multiple professions, how will profession-specific expertise be ensured when it is needed to consider a registrant issue or concern?
Each regulatory Committee (Registration, Quality Assurance, Inquiry and Discipline) will be made up of a large number of members from each profession, as well as members of the public. Small groups of Committee members will be selected from this large pool of members to form “panels” that will undertake specific Committee work. If the work or decision relates to a registrant/applicant or to a profession-specific matter, then at least one panel member will be from the same profession.
How many Board members will the new college have and how will they be selected?
The amalgamated college’s Board will have 12 members: six registrant members and six public members. The first Board of the college will be appointed by the Minister of Health.
Will each health professional be included on the Board?
The Board size was determined to be 12 to align with the upcoming requirement in the Health Profession and Occupation Act. It is important to keep the new college’s Board small to support effective decision-making at a strategic level, while also ensuring the Board includes a diverse public perspective and an Indigenous perspective.
The Board for the new college will include six registrant members and six public members. Therefore, as a result, when moving from seven colleges to one, not every profession will have a seat on the Board. In accordance with a Board composition matrix being developed, members will bring diverse practice, lived experience, provincial geography, and professional skills to the table. The mandate of Board members of regulatory health colleges is not to represent the interests of health professionals: that is the role of professional associations. Instead, Board members of regulatory health colleges have a fiduciary duty to the college and the public.
Maintaining a deep, profession-specific understanding and capacity within the overall governance of the new college remains vital. The new college’s governance framework also ensures profession-specific capacity at the Committee and staff levels. The Board will also be able to rely on the new Professional Practice and Standards Advisory Committee to inform profession-specific decisions. With the new college being a larger organization, consultation with the professions and the public is also expected to increase.