On December 1, 2023, the Ministry of Health posted proposed amendments to the regulations of seven colleges to reflect the proposed name for the new multi-profession regulatory college that will be the result of amalgamating the College of Optometrists of BC, College of Dietitians of BC, College of Occupational Therapists of BC, , College of Opticians of BC, College of Physical Therapists of BC, College of Psychologists of BC, and College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of BC,  effective June 28, 2024.

The name for the new college being proposed by the Ministry of Health is: The College of Health and Care Professionals of BC.

If you choose to, you can submit feedback on the proposed name directly to the Ministry of Health until January 12, 2024, by emailing: PROREGADMIN@gov.bc.ca

The Ministry of Health is responsible for the decision on the college’s name.

As a reminder, the College of Optometrists of BC is being directed by the Ministry of Health to amalgamate with the six other colleges. This amalgamation is part of the Ministry of Health’s multi-year initiative to modernize BC’s health profession regulatory framework. This initiative is informed by the Cayton Report and the 2020 recommendations of the Steering Committee on Modernization of Health Professional Regulation. More information about the government’s initiative to modernize the provincial health profession regulatory framework is available on the Ministry of Health’s Professional Regulation webpage.

Updates about the college amalgamation project are posted on optometrybc.com