Anick, Mathieu, Nathalie and Marie-Eve are all technologists working in the field of medical imaging, specializing, respectively, in medical electrophysiology, nuclear medicine, radiation oncology and radiodiagnostics. They point out that although the work they do is varied and vital, few people understand the demands of their profession, and their expertise too often goes unrecognized. Itâs a safe bet that youâll agree thereâs a lot more to being a medical imaging technologist than meets the eye once youâve read this article!
When Judith, Lina and Maude mention what they do for a living, they often get a look of surprise, confusion or puzzlement â and sometimes all three! With their strong personalities and cheerful demeanours, they simply donât fit the image that some people have of the profession. Contrary to popular belief, medical archivists donât just file paper away in a dark basement. Our three interviewees not only manage medical records throughout their life-cycle, they also design and collect, organize and analyze, disseminate and protect the vital data they deal with.
Educators in residences with continuous assistance (RACs) have expert knowledge that can work wonders in helping service users adjust and cope in their rehabilitation process. Unfortunately, that expertise is still seriously undervalued and misunderstood. The following video highlights the roles played by these dedicated workers and the day-to-day realities of a system disconnected from the actual needs on the ground.
Once again, projects led by APTS members have been rewarded with Stars du RĂ©seau de la SantĂ© (SRS) prizes from the Caisse Desjardins du RĂ©seau de la santĂ©. First prize in the High-Performance category went to a protocol â implemented in record time â that helped relieve the respiratory distress of COVID-19 patients by positioning them on their stomachs. GeneviĂšve ThĂ©riault-Poirier, an occupational therapist at the CHUM who submitted the project, agreed to tell us about it.
Once again, projects led by APTS members have been rewarded with Stars du RĂ©seau de la SantĂ© (SRS) prizes from the Caisse Desjardins du RĂ©seau de la santĂ©. This year, a psychosocial team from MontĂ©rĂ©gie-Ouest took home first prize in the âPeople-focused categoryâ for Projet Vigilance, an initiative based on empathetic care through outreach intervention that makes family services more accessible and helps prevent child neglect
At the time of this writing, 7,450 people had signed a petition launched on April 6 to demand that the government reimburse dues paid to professional orders. The signatories were reiterating arguments put forward by APTS president AndrĂ©e Poirier. Writing to Minister Christian DubĂ© on February 22, Poirier had asserted that in the context of a public health crisis, âit is inconceivable that we should force our members to pay out of their own pocket for the right to provide services for Quebecers.â
APTS members began to experience severe disruption of their professional practice in April 2020 when services were withdrawn and employees reassigned throughout the health and social services system. By the time the second wave of the pandemic was declared on September 21, the APTS knew it needed a formal strategy to lessen the impact of a second round of service interruptions and staff reassignments.
How can we demand conditions of practice that are compatible with our obligations, and defend the interests of the people we serve? APTS members will soon be offered a training activity on this topic.
The health crisis has forced significant changes in the organization of work in labs â changes that are calling into question the very core of the OPTILAB system. Before we all go back to normal and press the restart button, shouldnât we at least take the time to think about these issues?
Some APTS members have been reassigned to work in CHSLDs and have had to withdraw their services from their regular clientele. This raises a number of issues in relation to professional practice. The current health and social emergency and the need to bring down terrifying death rates in care homes for older people are aggravating the structural disorganization of our health and social service system.