Committee Appointments

The Board approved the 2011/12 Committee Membership list with one minor amendment.

As part of the Governance Review, the Board held a Governance Workshop on October 14, 2011. The Board will consider the role of the Executive Committee, which is not mandatory under the Health Professions Act (HPA) and which is inactive. There appears to be a trend in governance away from executive committees, likely because boards of directors are smaller than in the past, and technology makes it easier for board members to communicate between formal meetings.

Strategic Plan

The Strategic Planning Working Group will draft CDSBC’s mandate, vision and mission statements with the intent of submitting them to the Board at the May 2012 meeting. When the new Registrar is in place, he or she will be involved with setting objectives and developing tactics to support the four strategic goals agreed upon at the October 2011 Board meeting.

Patient Relations

Under the HPA, the College is obliged to have a patient relations program to prevent professional misconduct of a sexual nature. This is defined as sexual intercourse, or touching, behaviour or remarks of a sexual nature between the dentist or CDA and the patient. The Board noted that various dentists and groups are seeking clarity on the issue of dentists treating their spouses.

CDSBC operates under a complaint-driven system. If the College receives a complaint from a patient about dental treatment by a spouse, it will be dealt with in accordance with the processes under the HPA – just as with any other complaint. The College’s position is that dentists must treat each patient professionally, appropriately and dispassionately, and in accordance with the law.

To address the issue of patient relations, the College will hold an education session for the Board and key stakeholders. It will be led by an expert in this area, whose approach includes an exploration of the principles of patient relations and professionalism.