President’s Message: College withdraws from PAC, what this means for members and fees
In the years since the College became the Alberta Chapter of the Paramedic Association of Canada (PAC), we have been willing partners and participants, hoping to help further the paramedic profession at the national level. I, myself, was honoured to participate in the Paramedics on the Hill event organized and facilitated by PAC. We have had our share of struggles,Read More
New Standards of Practice for the Paramedic Profession: Consultation Period (Expired)
Professional standards, or as legislation refers to them Standards of Practice, are essential to ensure quality care is provided to all Albertans by all healthcare professions. The current Standards of Practice for the paramedic profession were developed and approved in 2016, as part of the profession’s proclamation under the Health Professions Act. While appropriate at the time, the Standards inRead More
Paramedics and emergency medical responders COVID-19 immunization FAQ
The Paramedics and emergency medical responders COVID-19 immunization FAQs are provided by Alberta Health Services. Download the PDF here. Who decides who will get the COIVID-19 vaccine, and when? The Federal Government is responsible for supplying the COVID-19 vaccine while the Government of Alberta is responsible for vaccine policy setting and allocation of the vaccine. Alberta Health Services is responsibleRead More
2020/2021 Continuing Competence Opportunities and Required Learning
As we start to plan for the year ahead, it is time to start giving some thought to how best to complete your Continuing Competence requirements for the 2020/2021 cycle. The Health Professions Act (HPA) requires all health professionals to participate in a Continuing Competence program, as this is a vital component to ensuring the public safety, regardless of theRead More
The Roles of Organizations Representing Paramedics
There are times when the role of regulator (which is what the College is) can be confusing, especially since the College started out as an association. The lines between association and regulator can sometimes become blurred when it comes to current issues, such as COVID-19 and paramedics receiving the mRNA vaccine. We have received many questions on what the CollegeRead More
College 2019 Finance Summary and Annual Report
The College’s audited financials are included each year in the Annual Report. The Annual Report for the 2019 (shortened) year is available on the College’s website under About – Publications and Position Statements. Where to find information: The finance update Summary is provided below and can be found on page 20. The expenses descriptions and breakdown can be found on pagesRead More
New Code of Ethics Approved and Now In Force
As you are aware, in 2019 we began a full review of the College’s Code of Ethics for all regulated members. The process of review included several consultations with staff, Council and members throughout the first half of 2019. In July we were able to send our draft to the Minister of Health for government and stakeholder consultation, which isRead More
College Audited Financials and Annual Report
The College’s audited financials are included each year in the Annual Report. The Annual Report for the 2018 year is available on the College’s website under About – Publications and Position Statements. Where to find information: The expenses breakdown can be found on pages 16 - 17. The finance update Summary is provided below and can be found on pageRead More
Tougher Sanctions for Unprofessional Conduct, New Reporting Requirements
Bill 21 Now in Effect In November 2018, the Alberta government passed Bill 21: An Act to Protect Patients which amends the Health Professions Act and affects all regulated health professionals in Alberta. Bill 21 is intended to better protect patients from sexual abuse and sexual misconduct by regulated health professionals. The Bill introduces a number of requirements for allRead More
Continuing Competence Changes and Updates
We have been working for quite some time on the changes to the Continuing Competence (CC) program to fulfill the requirements outlined in the Health Professions Act. As this information affects you directly, we want to provide as much notice as possible of the upcoming changes to the program. The main areas for update at this time are: Changes to theRead More