Health and Health Professionals

Health

The Mental Health Review Board (MHRB)
Type: Vancouver Coastal
Website: https://www.bcmhrb.ca/

An independent tribunal established to conduct review panel hearings for patients admitted by physicians and detained involuntarily in provincial mental health facilities under the Mental Health Act


A patient has the legal right to challenge the certification decision made by their doctor. Their website describes how to apply and prepare for a hearing. After a hearing, the review panel decides whether a patient should be discharged from involuntary status based on criteria specified in the Mental Health Act.

Email: MHRBscheduling@gov.bc.ca
Telephone: 604-660-2325
Fax: 604-660-2403
Address: 1270 – 605 Robson Street Vancouver, BC V6B 5J3
The Health Professions Review Board (HPRB)
Type: Vancouver Coastal
Website: https://www.bchprb.ca/

A neutral body that is independent from the health professions colleges, government, and courts. On application, it reviews certain decisions of colleges’ registration and inquiry committee to make sure they are transparent, objective, impartial, and fair.


The Health Professions Act gives the review board its powers and duties, which are to:

  • review how a health profession college’s inquiry committee disposed of a complaint against a registrant
  • review certain decisions of a health profession college’s registration committee
  • review complaint investigations that take longer than legislated timelines
  • provide guidelines and recommendations to health profession colleges on registration, inquiry and discipline procedures that are transparent, objective, impartial and fair
Email: hprbinfo@gov.bc.ca
Telephone: 250-953-4956
Fax: 250-953-3195
Address: Suite 900, 747 Fort Street Victoria, BC
The Hospital Appeal Board of British Columbia (HAB)
Type: Vancouver Coastal
Website: https://www.bchab.ca/

The HAB is an independent, quasi-judicial appeal tribunal which provides medical practitioners with an avenue of appeal from hospital board of management decisions affecting hospital privileges.


The HAB was established for the purpose of providing practitioners appeals from

  • a decision of a board of management that modifies, refuses, suspends, revokes or fails to renew a practitioner’s permit to practice in a hospital, or
  • the failure or refusal of a board of management to consider and decide on an application for a permit.”
Email: info@bchab.ca
Telephone: 250-387-3464
Fax: 250-356-9923
Address: 4th Floor, 747 Fort Street Victoria, BC V8W 3E9
Community Care and Assisted Living Appeal Board (CCALAB)
Type: Vancouver Coastal
Website: https://www.bcccalab.ca/

The Community Care and Assisted Living Appeal Board (CCALAB) is a tribunal created under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act to hear and decide appeals from licensing, registration and certification decisions about community care facilities, assisted living residences and early childhood educators.


Decisions must balance the need to ensure minimum standards for those cared for in facilities and the need to ensure fair process for operators and educators.

Email: info@bcccalab.ca
Telephone: 250-387-3464
Fax: 250-356-9923
Address: 4th Floor, 747 Fort Street Victoria, BC V8W 3E9
The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB)
Type: Federal
Website: https://www.canada.ca/en/patented-medicine-prices-review.html

The PMPRB protects and informs consumers by ensuring prices charged by manufacturers for patented medicines are not excessive and by reporting on pharmaceutical trends.


An independent, quasi-judicial body, the PMPRB reviews the prices that patentees charge for each individual patented drug product in Canadian markets. If a price is found to be excessive, the Board can hold public hearings and order price reductions or the offset of excess revenues.

Email: pmprb@pmprb-cepmb.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-954-8299
Fax: 613-952-7626
Address: Box L40 Standard Life Centre 333 Laurier Avenue West Suite 1400 Ottawa, Ontario K1P 1C1
BC College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM)
Type: Vancouver Coastal
Website: https://www.bccnm.ca/Pages/Default.aspx

Regulates and sets standards for licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered psychiatric nurses, and midwives. Deals with complaints by the public regarding nurse or midwife misconduct that warrants a formal investigation.


BCCNM's responsibilities include:

  • establishing the requirements for registration with BCCNM
  • recognizing education programs and courses in British Columbia for midwives and each nursing designation
  • establishing, monitoring and enforcing standards of practice and professional ethics for nurses and midwives
  • establishing and applying registration, inquiry and discipline procedures that are transparent, objective, impartial and fair
  • promoting and enhancing:
    • collaborative relationships with other health sector organizations
    • interprofessional collaborative practice between nurses, midwives, and other health professionals
Email: info@bccnm.ca
Telephone: 604-742-6200
Fax: 604-899-0794
Address: 900 – 200 Granville St. Vancouver, BC V6C 1S4​​​
College of Chiropractors of BC (CCBC)
Type: Vancouver Coastal
Website: https://www.chirobc.com/

The CCBC is the regulatory body that licenses chiropractors that sets the entry-to-practice requirements, professional and clinical standards for practice, and receives and reviews complaints about chiropractors, and facilitates dispute resolution.


Patients have recourse through the CCBC if they feel they were treated inappropriately under the care of a BC chiropractor. The CCBC investigates and disciplines chiropractors that do not abide by the bylaws or legislation and takes patient concerns very seriously. They will also take action against non-registrants who are engaging in unlawful practice.

Email: info@chirobc.com
Telephone: 604-742-6470
Fax: 604-742-6471
Address: 900-200 Granville Street Vancouver, BC V6C 1S4
BC College of Oral Health Professionals (BCCOHP)
Type: Vancouver Coastal
Website: https://oralhealthbc.ca/

The BCCOHP regulates all oral health professionals in B.C, including certified dental assistants, dental hygienists, dental technicians, dental therapists, dentists and denturists.


  • Ensures oral health professionals are able to practice competently 
  • Serts expectations for the delivery of safe and patient-centered health care 
  • Investigates complaints about oral health professionals
Email: https://oralhealthbc.ca/contact-us/
Telephone: 672-202-0448
Fax:
Address: 110 – 1765 8th Ave W Vancouver, BC V6J 5C6
College of Occupational Therapists (COTBC)
Type: Vancouver Coastal
Website: https://cotbc.org/

The COTBC ensures the safe, ethical, and competent practice of occupational therapy in B.C. All occupational therapists who practice in BC must be registered members.


The COTBC:

  • Provides practice support to help occupational therapists provide safe, competent, ethical and effective car
  • Investigates complaints
  • Sets requirements to become an occupational therapist in BC
Email: info@cotbc.org
Telephone: 250-386-6822
Fax: 250-386-6824
Address: 402-3795 Carey Road Victoria, BC V8Z 6T8
College of Opticians of BC (COBC)
Type: Vancouver Coastal
Website: https://cobc.ca/

The College of Opticians of British Columbia (COBC) is the regulatory body for opticians in BC. The COBC regulates opticianry by ensuring Licensed Opticians are qualified to practice and that they are consistently providing safe and ethical care to their patients.


  • Establishes qualifications to ensure opticians are providing competent and effective care
  • Responsible for assessment, registration and licensing for all licensed opticians, contact lens fitters, and automated refracting licensed opticians 
  • Responds to public and registrant complaints and inquiries
Email: reception@cobc.ca
Telephone: 604-742-6472
Fax: 604-742-6473
Address: Suite 900 200 Granville Vancouver, B.C. V6C 1S4