Summary on the Health Sciences Association Conference – April 2018
Edward Staples
President of SOHC (Support Our Health Care) and
BC Rural Health Network Lead.
Vancouver Hyatt Regency April 13, 2018
Achieving High-Performing Primary and Community Care: the Critical Role of Health Science Professions
The conference opened with a welcome from Val Avery, Health Sciences Association (HSA) President and a First Nations Welcome from Coast Salish Elder Roberta Price.
The keynote speaker was the Honourable Judy Darcy, BC Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. She gave a brief overview of her first 9 months in office and made the following points:
• collaboration and team building on the “front lines” is critically important to address the opioid crisis
• addressing the crisis will require “all hands on deck”
• the focus of the Ministry is on child and youth prevention, First Nations, and the high rate of death associated with substance use
▪ most people who die from opioid overdose die alone
▪ 3 out of 4 are male between the age of 30 and 59
▪ 1 in 10 are indigenous
• problems with the current system:
• “no coordination of services”
• gaps in the service – fragmentation lack of a team approach
• the goal is to develop an “ask once” system that will take you where you need to go
• addressing the problem by building a better system; funding for:
• training
• naloxone dispersal
• establishing overdose prevention sites
• establishing designated teams in each Health Authority
• recognizing that parents are often the “first responders”
• province wide coverage by “robust, interdisciplinary teams”
• addressing the social determinants of health
• making connections
Minister Darcy closed her remarks by recognizing the valuable work being done by the HSA and asked for advice and direction from HSA members on how to “close the gaps”. Continue reading