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Advocate for cross-border virtual practice for dietitians


Last updated: September 2022
 

Are you a dietitian providing virtual services and frustrated with the regulatory limitations that impact your ability to practice across the country without being registered in certain provinces? Currently British Columbia, Alberta*, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Prince Edward Island require dietitians to be registered with these dietetic colleges in order to see clients virtually who reside in those provinces. Refer to this link for more information about each province, as well as the individual provincial colleges. 

DC has heard from members how much this limits your ability to practice and reduces access to dietitians for the public.  We also know that it is time and cost prohibitive to have to register in multiple provinces. 

We are not alone. Some colleges, along with other health professional regulatory bodies, are already advocating the government. This concern is also felt by much larger, regulated health professional communities, such as physicians and nurses. Find out more about the Canadian Medical Association Pan-Canadian Licensure advocacy.

How can you stay involved and ensure you are supported in your practice?


Write a Letter to your Provincial Health Minister

Member advocacy from the DC community can help. The DC Consulting Dietitians Network has developed a letter writing campaign to advocate for regulatory changes to allow dietitians to practice across provincial borders.  Because this regulation is controlled by provincial health acts (and not the Colleges), the campaign is targeting the provincial health ministers 

This is an issue that affects the whole profession, regardless of the province you live in. Let’s work together to make virtual dietitian practice seamless across Canada.
 

Here are the steps to take action:

1. Download each of the five provincial letters (below). These are best viewed in Chrome.
*While you also currently need to be registered in Alberta to practice there, they currently have a multi-disciplinary action group already working on this issue, so we have not included a letter to the Alberta minister.

2. Within each pdf, fill out the date and your contact information. If you hover over the fields, they will indicate which information to include. Save to your computer.  See this example.

3. Email the letter to the provincial health minister.
  • Use the subject line: Cross-border practice for dietitians.
  • Add this text (or that of your choice) to the body of your email:
To the Honourable [insert name from letter],
Please find attached a letter outlining an important issue for dietitians in Canada about cross border practice. Your support would be greatly appreciated.


4. Fill out the poll to let us know you took action! (If you don't see the poll, make sure you are logged in.)

If you receive a response to your letter, please email consulting@dietitians-network.ca with the details of your response so we can track the progress.
 
DC would like to extend a special thanks to Jen House, Chair of the Consulting Dietitians Network and all the DC members who have brought this issue forward and have taken action already.


How else can you find support?

Join the Consulting Dietitians Network! This is the best way to learn more about opportunities and find support for cross-border practice and other private practice and consulting-related topics.



Learn more: Watch the webinar, "Virtual Practice: Now and into the Future"
 

British Columbia

Email to: hlth.health@gov.bc.ca

Download the letter
 

Saskatchewan

Email to: he.minister@gov.sk.ca

Download the letter
 

Ontario

Email to: christine.elliott@ontario.ca

Download the letter

 

Quebec

Email to: ministre@msss.gouv.qc.ca

English    Download the letter

français   Télécharger la lettre
 

Prince Edward Island

Email to: ehhudsonMinister@gov.pe.ca

Download the letter
 

Finished sending your letters?  Make sure you fill out the poll above.

(You will need to be logged in to view the poll.)

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