Please scroll down for Chinese translation; 请下滑查看中文翻译

Dear Members,

 

We have heard from several members that they feel our previous message presented information that was biased in favour of the current ATMCA board of directors.  This was not our intention.  Our goal was to answer questions that we have received from members between Dec 5 and 12 and explain what the ATCMA staff is working on in relation to those questions.

 

There was a concern that our original communication highlighted board accomplishments, including those by previous boards.  While we did outline these past board activities or accomplishments, we intended it to give context and background to current staff activities.  We did not intend to imply that we were promoting any board accomplishments.  We apologize if we did not make this clear.

 

A final concern expressed by several members was that the staff was directed to send out our original email by the current board of directors.  This is not the case. The staff decided independently to send this document out in an attempt to answer recent questions from members.

 

To be clear:

  • The administrative staff remains neutral in this board election. We do not support or favour any particular candidate or candidates running for the board of directors .  Our job is to communicate with and work for the membership.  While we do undertake some activities that are driven by the elected board, many of our activities are undertaken independently.

 

  • We do not speak for or against any of the candidates running for the board of directors. We have advised all members who have asked us questions on candidates’ statements to direct their questions to the candidates themselves.  We will continue to advise members to do this if we receive additional questions about any candidates in the future.

 

Given the concerns outlined above, we ask that you please replace the email update that we sent out on 12/13/20 with this message.  We are issuing this new email to provide information that relates to questions we have recently received from members.  However, we are only providing information on the ATCMA’s staff activities related to these questions.  We are not providing any information on past or current board activities, nor are we speaking on behalf of any past or current board members, or candidates running for the board of directors.

 

 

Member inclusion and communication

 

Question: What does the ATCMA do to include members in its activities?

 

From the ATCMA staff perspective:

  • All staff can communicate in English and Mandarin, and we do our best to communicate with members in their preferred language.
  • We publish all communications in both English and Chinese.
  • We encourage all members to reach out to us if they have a particular area of expertise or interest, and they wish to contribute to any projects the ATCMA is working on. The ATCMA staff welcomes all TCM and acupuncture registrants in British Columbia to join. We invite all members to participate actively in the association’s activities, regardless of race, age, education, experience or acupuncture and Chinese Medicine modality they practice.

 

Communication with government agencies and authorities

 

Question: Does the ATCMA communicate with the Ministry of Health, the CTCMA or other government offices?  If you do, what do you talk about with them?

 

The ATCMA staff has initiated or is included in communication with many government offices and government funded agencies. For example:

 

  • ICBC – The ATCMA staff participates in tri-weekly and quarterly meetings with an ICBC representative who communicates with healthcare providers. The staff is working with ICBC to present an update on the HCPIR to ATCMA members at the upcoming AGM.  We are also discussing having them host additional training on the HCPIR for ATCMA members.  ICBC has just begun sending out a newsletter to healthcare professionals, and the ATCMA will be sharing these newsletters to members on behalf of ICBC.  We regularly communicate the results of any meetings to members in both English and Chinese.

 

  • WorkSafeBC – The ATCMA staff participates in meetings and communications with WorkSafeBC representatives. The primary topic of discussion is coverage for acupuncture.   The ATCMA staff communicates relevant results of meetings to members in both English and Chinese.

 

  • BC Government officials – The ATCMA staff communicates with MLA Anne Kang, the current Minister of Advanced Education. We report relevant details of our interactions with Minister Kang to members in both English and Chinese.

 

  • BC Ministry of Health – The ATCMA staff participates in meetings with MOH staff on amalgamation and modernization. A meeting was held in September, but due to the BC provincial election, planned follow up meetings were postponed.

 

  • CTCMA – The ATCMA staff has regular dialogue with the CTCMA staff to communicate on amalgamation and many other matters of relevance to our member practitioners. The ATCMA staff has collaborated with the CTCMA on COVID safe practice documents and other special projects.

 

COVID-19 response and advocacy for TCM

 

Question: What did the ATCMA do to promote the role of TCM in the COVID-19 pandemic response?   

 

The ATCMA staff has worked on the following activities related to the COVID-19 pandemic:

 

  • Engaged in dialogue with insurers (private and public) on issues that have arisen with the COVID-19 pandemic, including telehealth, PPE costs and COVID exclusion clauses.

 

  • Created the “Recommended Safe Work Practices for TCM document” to provide guidance to registrants wanting to return to work once the province moved to Phase 2 of BC’s Restart Plan in response to COVID19. These recommendations were drafted by a member volunteer and completed by the staff in consultation with members. They were presented by ATCMA staff in a virtual forum co-hosted with the CTCMA.  The guide is available in English and Chinese.

 

  • Collaborated with the CTCMA to develop its Resource Package for Safe Acupuncture and TCM Practice During the COVID-19 Pandemic, published by the CTCMA in December 2020.

 

  • Participated in the development of telehealth practice guidelines.

 

  • Supported the development of a paper on the potential use of Traditional Chinese Medicine to support COVID-19 patients. This paper was presented to the Ministry of Health. It is available to any members who wish to read it.

 

Scope update

 

Question: Does the ATCMA understand and work on the scope update that the CTCMA has proposed to the Ministry of Health?  What is happening with the scope update?

 

  • The ATCMA staff has gathered information on the history, contents, and status of the scope update from the CTCMA and the Ministry of Health. The ATCMA staff recommends that members familiarize themselves with the contents of the scope update so that they can evaluate it for themselves.  Full details are available through the CTCMA.

 

 

Member benefits

 

Question: Is reduced liability insurance rates the only tangible benefit that the ATCMA offers? What does the ATCMA know about future insurance rates?

  • At present, the ATCMA staff participates in annual negotiation of liability insurance benefits, and is currently researching new group health benefits plans that may be offered to members.

 

  • In addition, the ATCMA staff supports the logistics and CEU tracking of education seminars and has helped with the transition to online sessions this year. The ATCMA staff is also working to improve access to seminars by determining which seminars should be translated into English or Chinese with the goal of giving a larger number of members access to professional development and CEUs.

 

The ATCMA staff is working to expand member benefits in a number of ways, independent of board directives.  Examples of this include:

 

  • Pursuit of additional member benefits, such as group cell phone plans, discounts on external continuing education courses, a possible member referral programme and other benefits.

 

  • Improving our website and social media presence as a tool for communication and member recruitment, and to make member profiles and the directory more user friendly.

 

  • Pursuing sponsorships for the ATCMA overall as well as special events.

 

  • Pursuing various avenues for member recruitment, especially within the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, we are working to recruiting student members through education and other methods, such as:
    • Developing a webinar for current students to give them information on life after graduation and the business of acupuncture and TCM.
    • Developing a model for a new student committee for the upcoming year.

 

  • Supporting members by answering their questions and helping them navigate laws, policies, regulations, guidelines surrounding professional practice.

 

  • Working with member volunteers on special projects.

 

Please see below for Chinese translation; 请查看下方中文翻译

 

尊敬的会员们,

 

部份会员们向办公室反映我们之前所发送的电邮中包含对现任理事会的偏向信息。 其并非办公室的本意， 我们的目标是为了回答我们会员在12月5日到12月12日向办公室所提出的疑问及解释与问题相关的ATCMA办公室成员办公室职务。

 

部份反馈出自于我们在原件沟通信息强调了包括了前任理事会的成果纪要。办公室之所以包括过去理事会的活动及功绩，是为了给予会员们更好的背景铺垫， 以让会员们更好的了解现办公室的活动规划。 办公室无意暗示并推广任何理事会的成就， 如果我们未能在原件清楚的表达这一点， 我们为此深感歉意。

 

部分会员们对办公室是否听从现任理事会的指示而发出原件沟通信提出疑问。其实并非如此， 办公室决定单独发出前原件来回答办公室近期收到会员们的疑问。

特别澄清：

  • 办公室行政人员在此次竞选保持中立的态度。 我们不支持以及不反对任何特别候选人或任何竞选理事会的候选人们。 办公室职务在于沟通及务事于会员相关事物。 尽管我们确实参与了部份民选理事会推广的事物，但大多办公室事物是独立开展的。
  • 办公室不会对任何理事会候选人作出支援或反对。 如有会员对部分候选人发出的言论感到疑问， 办公室建议您咨询当事候选人。 办公室将继续建议所有会员这样做，如果办公室还继续收到相关竞选候选人的任何问题。

在作出的特别澄清的基础上， 办公室将撤回由12月13日所发出的原沟通文件， 并将其更新于此新信息，以便回复办公室在近期所收到的会员们的困惑。 办公室仅提供信息来回答问题关于办公室职务事物，办公室不会提供任何信息有关于前任和现任理事会事物，也不代表前任，现任理事，或任何理事候选人。

会员沟通及包涵

问题： ATCMA 如何让会员们了解并让会员们参与其事物 ？

从ATCMA办公室成员的角度来看：

  • 所有办公室成员有着双语沟通的能力（英文及中文）， 并且办公室成员尽到最大的努力以会员们喜欢的语言来进行沟通
  • 办公室以双语（中文和英文）的方式来公布所有信息
  • 如会员们在对办公室事物的部分领域有着相对经验及兴趣， 并有兴趣为ATCMA现持续的项目作出贡献， 我们欢迎您与我们联系。 办公室成员将欢迎任何卑詩省TCM注册者及针灸从业者加入我们。 我们诚邀所有会员积极的参加公会事物，无论其年龄， 种族，教育，经验， 及使用得针灸和中医手法。

政府及相对机构的沟通

问题： ATCMA 是否有与管理局， 卫生局， 及其他政府机构联系？ 如果有， 办公室的沟通内容是什么？

 

ATCMA 成员发起并保持与不同的政府机构的沟通。 如：

  • ICBC- ATCMA成员每3周和每个季度会与和保健服务提供者沟通的ICBC代表会晤。 办公室成员现与ICBC合作务事于在年度会员大会给予ATCMA会员们的HCPIR更新， 并计划与ICBC代表为ATCMA会员们举办一场与HCPIR相关的额外讲座。 ICBC 刚刚开始与健康服务提供人员发送通讯， ATCMA办公室将代表ICBC与会员们分享其信息。 办公室时常与会员们双语（中文和英文）分享任何会晤的结果。

 

  • WorkSafeBc- ATCMA办公室成员参与于WorkSafeBC的代表的会晤及沟通。 主要讨论主题为针灸保障。 办公室成员会使用双语（中文和英文）沟通来分享相关会议的成果。

 

  • 卑詩省政府机构-办公室成员与现任高等教育部的MLA Anne Kang 交谈，与Anne Kang 的交流详情将会与会员们以双语的方式报告

 

  • 卑詩省卫生部－ATCMA办公室成员就联合及现代化一事与卫生局代表进行了会晤。 会议已在九月份举行，但应卑詩省省竞选，后续计划会议已被延迟 。

 

  • CTCMA－ ATCMA 办公室成员就合并和其它与会员和执业者相关的事物与CTCMA员工有着定期对话。 ATCMA办公室成员曾对新冠安全操作文件和其它特殊项目与CTCMA合作.

 

Covid-19 疫情回应及提倡TCM

问题： 在新冠的疫情回应， ATCMA 如何提倡 TCM 社会角色？

ATCMA 办公室成员有务事关于疫情流行的以下事物：

  • 与保险公司（私营和公共）进行商谈，并讨论COVID-19疫情流行所造成的问题，包括远程医疗，PPE费用以及COVID排除条款。
  • 创建“中医药安全工作执业建议指南”， 以便回应省推进第二阶城市重启计划， 并给予想要重返工作岗位的执业者相对的指导。 其建议有公会志愿者们起草，并由办公室与会员们咨询后完成。 其曾被ATCMA办公室成员展示与CTCMA 的网络讲座，并提供了双语（中文及英文）的版本。
  • 在疫情流行期间， ATCMA成员与CTCMA合作开发其安全针灸及TCM操作的资源包，该资源包被CTCMA公布于2020年的12月份.
  • 参与对远程医疗执业指南的开发
  • 对潜在中草药运用来帮助疫情患者的论文开发给予支持，其论文展示于卫生局，且所有会员都有机会阅读。

 

执业范围更新

问题： ATCMA 是否务事并了解 CTCMA 向卫生部所提倡的执业范围更新？ 执业范围更新的内容是什么？

  • ATCMA办公室成员已从CTCMA和卫生部收集了有关执业范围更新的历史，内容和状态的更新信息。 ATCMA办公室成员建议会员们熟悉执业范围更新的内容，以便他们可对自己进行评估。 其详细信息可通过CTCMA获得。

会员福利

问题： 已降低的责任义务保险保费只是 ATCMA 显而易见的福利吗？ ATCMA 对未来保险保费有着多少的了解？

  • 目前，ATCMA办公室成员员参加责任保险福利的年度商谈，并且目前正在研究可能给会员们提供的新团体健康福利计划。
  • 额外，ATCMA的办公室成员负责对继续教育讲座的和CEU的跟踪及后勤，并帮助将在线继续教育讲座过渡到在线网络讲座。 ATCMA办公室成员还通过确定应将哪些在线讲座翻译成英语或中文的来努力提高讲座的访问率，目的是使更多的会员获得相对的专业发展机会和CEU。

 

ATCMA 办公室成员务事于以不同方式为会员扩展更多的福利， 其不受理事会的影响， 例如：

  • 为会员谋划额外福利， 如团体手机计划，外部继续教育课程折扣，及潜在的会员推荐计划和其他福利。
  • 改善我们的网站和社交媒体，以作为交流和招募会员的工具，并使会员资料和名录更加用户友好。
  • 为ATCMA整体和特殊活动寻求赞助
  • 在COVID-19疫情流行的局限内，寻找各种途径招募会员。 例如，办公室正在努力通过教育和其他方式招募更多的学生成员，例如：
    • 为在校学生开设网络在线讲座，以向他们提供有关毕业后的生活，及针灸和中医业务的信息。
    • 为来年的新学生委员会开发模型。
  • 通过回答会员的问题的方式，来帮助他们浏览有关专业实践的法律，政策，法规，准则， 从而支持会员。
  • 与会员志愿者们一起务事于特殊项目.