President Elected

It is with great enthusiasm we announce the election of Sandra Lamb as the new President of the National Support Worker Assembly (NSWA), 2008-2011 term.Sandra first joined the NSWA as Vice-President in October 2005 and is now stepping into the role of President.

Sandra is a Rehabilitation Assistant (RA) graduate of the West Coast College of Health Care, and is currently employed as an RA at the Vancouver General Hospital on the acute spine and acute medical units. She has volunteered as a Physiotherapist Aide (PTA) in a Tibetan refugee hospital in India (1992), and as an RA in a spinal cord hospital in Bangladesh (1992).

Sandra has also been an active volunteer leader in the formative stages of the National Support Worker Assembly, having chaired the NSWA Constitution Task Force which developed the governance model for the Assembly.Indeed, she has been a leading force in the growth of the NSWA, especially in her home province of British Columbia.

She brings additional committee experience to her role as President, including volunteer roles with the Support Worker Task Force, College of Physical Therapy of British Columbia, and the Rehabilitation Assistant Advisory Committee for Capilano College.Sandra is currently co-chair of the(Physiotherapy) RehabilitationAssistant Council with Vancouver Coastal Health. She also enjoys lecturing and has given talks at PTA/OTA conferences in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.

Notes Sandra, “I feel dedicated to the valued role that support workers play within the physiotherapy team, and I am motivated to illustrate to employers how we can be beneficial to patients by offering additional treatments, and by being cost effective to the healthcare system.”

Welcome Sandra, to your new role. We know you’ll excel in it.

Regional Representatives Shape the Issues

Did you know there are many ways for support personnel to help inform the national physiotherapy profession on the issues and opportunities created through collaboration in the health care setting?

There are six regional positions available for NSWA members wishing to participate actively, as follows:

British Columbia & Yukon – Sandra Lamb
Alberta & NWT - Vacant
Saskatchewan, Manitoba & Nunavut - Vacant
Ontario (2) – 1) Tyler Olsen, 2) Vacant
Quebec - Vacant
Atlantic Provinces – Amy Stacey

If you are interested in volunteering with NSWA, please contact Sheila Lennon at slennon@physiotherapy.ca . No experience is necessary.

Governance Structure

All components of the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (i.e., provincial Branches, national Divisions, National Student Assembly and National Support Worker Assembly) have formal governance structures that dictate how they elect their leadership, who may join, how they relate to CPA and its components, and the roles and responsibilities of various individuals involved in running the organization.

In May 2005, at the inaugural NSWA Annual General Meeting, NSWA members approved a constitution. Features of the constitution include:

• A two-year term of office, staggered for the first election to avoid 100% turnover
• A seven-person Administrative Council
• An internal elections process for Officer positions, for a one-year term of office
• A built-in review clause, ensuring that the constitution will be reviewed three years after its ratification to ensure that it is working effectively for the Assembly

For additional information, contact Sheila Lennon at slennon@physiotherapy.ca .