THE Province has announced that Sherri Young will lead the new Office of the Superintendent of Health Professions and Occupations Oversight.
The independent office will oversee the health colleges in B.C. that govern more than 120,000 regulated health professions, ensuring colleges continue to be transparent, accountable, and operating in the public interest.
Young brings significant experience to the role of superintendent, having most recently served as the public service commissioner in the Yukon for the past two years, contributing to the establishment of a future health authority, and development of the human health resources strategy for the Yukon. Young began her public service career in 2004 with the Government of Canada and spent 10 years in the Northwest Territories and Yukon with the departments of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, and Environment Canada. In 2014, Young joined the Yukon government as a senior leader and has held assistant deputy minister positions with the departments of Environment, and of Highways and Public Works.
“The safety of people in B.C. is our top priority and through the changes we are making to how health colleges are regulated, we are ensuring they act in the public’s best interest,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “The new superintendent’s office will bring independent oversight, help streamline the process to regulate new health professions and provide more consistent discipline to better protect patient care.”
The office is funded by government, but will work at arm’s length from government. It will audit and oversee the colleges to ensure they are acting in the public interest, make recommendations for board appointments using a merit- and competency-based process, and assess health professions to determine if they should be regulated.
The role of the superintendent will also be to ensure that the changes made to the Health Professions and Occupations Act to ensure some of the key recommendations of the 2020 In Plain Sight Report are implemented.
The Ministry of Health has made progress ahead of the legislation by reducing the number of regulatory colleges. In October 2020, B.C.’s three nursing colleges were amalgamated into one. In September 2021, the nursing college was amalgamated with the College of Midwives, and the College of Physician and Surgeons was amalgamated with the College of Podiatrists. In September 2022, B.C.’s four oral-health colleges, which included dentists, dental assistants, dental therapists, denturists, dental hygienists and dental technicians, were amalgamated into one regulatory college. Work continues to amalgamate more colleges.
