Changes afoot in our committee structure

Doctors of BC oversees or appoints members to more than 70 committees comprised of doctors, so you can imagine the precarious task the Board has keeping track of the work of each committee and of ensuring there is no duplication across committees. 

Just over a year ago, the Board tasked the Governance Committee with undertaking a review of all Doctors of BC Committees, with the first phase looking at Doctors of BC’s standing and subcommittees.

After a careful review, and ensuring that Doctors of BC’s committee structure remains flexible and able to quickly respond to member needs, the Board made the decision to dissolve nine standing and subcommittees:

• Archives and Museum Committee
• Continuing Professional Development Nucleus Committee
• Council on Public Affairs and Communications
• Rural Issues Committee
• Athletics and Recreation Committee
• Emergency and Public Safety Committee
• Environmental Health Committee
• Geriatrics and Palliative Care Committee
• Nutrition Committee

While the decision to dissolve these committees was based on certain criteria, it is important to note that the work of each will continue. As an organization, we are moving towards fewer standing committees and relying on more ad hoc project working groups and task forces to carry out specific work. Creating ad hoc working groups allows the Board to be more flexible in addressing issues as they emerge and allows us to engage with more members, increasing the diversity in perspectives - a key priority for the Board this year. It’s also an opportunity for physicians to commit to a shorter time period on a project they have a real passion for. We hope you will consider joining an ad hoc or working group in any of the above areas when the occasion arises.