Our Role & Responsibility to the Public
The College of Health and Care Professionals BC is committed to safeguarding the public by effectively regulating Dietitians, Occupational Therapists, Opticians, Optometrists, Physical Therapists, Psychologists, and Speech & Hearing Health Professionals. We uphold License Verification of health professionals authorized to practice in B.C., ensuring transparency and trust.
We take public concerns seriously, receiving and investigating complaints against registrants to determine accountability and appropriate actions. Our goal is to maintain high standards of care, ensuring that you receive the best possible health services from dedicated professionals.
Processes Managed by the Health and Care Professionals of BC
LicenCe Verification
Use the licence verification search to verify if someone is currently registered or licensed with the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC. The registry includes details on credentials and scope of practice. Please note, this information is not for commercial, marketing, or fundraising purposes.
Formal Complaints & Discipline
Are you concerned about the care you or a loved one received from a registrant of the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC? Our complaints process is located here to help address your concerns.
Professional Conduct Notices & Discipline Hearings
Under the Health Professions Act, the College is required to provide notice of complaint outcomes in accordance with s. 39.3 of the HPA. Hearings are generally open to the public, though they may be closed if a party involved successfully applies for such a determination.
Complaints & Discipline
College’s role in complaints
The Inquiry Committee of the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC) is responsible for addressing public complaints, registrant reports and investigations regarding the conduct, competence, and capacity/fitness of registrants. The Inquiry Committee is established under the Health Professions Act and is made up of members of the public and health professionals who are registrants of CHCPBC.
The Committee is responsible for investigating complaints involving any of the following issues:
- a registrant contravening the Health Professions Act, the regulation for the registrant’s health profession, or the College’s bylaws
- a registrant failing to comply with a limit or condition imposed under the HPA, the regulation for the registrant’s health profession, or the bylaws
- a registrant’s professional misconduct, sexual misconduct, or unethical conduct
- a registrant’s competence to practise their profession that the CHCPBC regulates
- a physical or mental ailment, an emotional disturbance, or an addiction to alcohol or drugs that impairs a registrant’s ability to practise
The nature of the Inquiry Committee’s investigation will depend on the complaint. Generally, an investigator will interview the registrant, the complainant and any relevant witnesses. The investigator may ask for additional information or documents from the complainant. Typically, the investigator will obtain patient/client health records from the registrant.
Professional Conduct & Misconduct
What is professional conduct/misconduct?
It is each registrant’s responsibility to practice in accordance with the HPA as well as CHCPBC bylaws, standards of practice and code of ethical conduct.
Health professionals must recognize that in any patient/client relationship — no matter who the patient/client is —an imbalance of power exists. By the very nature of the relationship, the health professional holds more power than the patient/client because the patient/client relies on the health professional for care. Ways to lessen that power imbalance exist, such as by using a patient/client-centred care model, but there will always be some imbalance inherent in any healthcare encounter.
What is sexual misconduct?
Sexual misconduct includes:
- sexual intercourse or other forms of physical sexual relations between the registrant and the client
- touching, of a sexual nature, of the client by the registrant
- behaviour or remarks of a sexual nature by the registrant toward the client.
Zero tolerance of sexual misconduct by a registrant
Professional misconduct of a sexual nature is a misuse of power that violates the human dignity of clients seeking care for themselves or their relatives, or both. It is characterized as a violation of the relationship of trust and confidence that exists between clients and registrants. Such professional misconduct by any registrant, providing any type of care, in any practice setting, will not be tolerated by the College.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of complaints will be accepted?
The College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC) can only investigate complaints that fall within its statutory mandate. The College’s primary purpose is to protect the public from harm. For a complaint to be accepted for investigation, it must relate to unprofessional conduct or incompetent practice by a registrant of CHCPBC (a dietitian, occupational therapist, optician, optometrist, physical therapist, psychologist, or speech & hearing professional). Such conduct may include sexual misconduct or unethical conduct.
The College is unable to address:
- Claims for financial compensation or business disputes between health professionals.
- Ordering provision of specific assessment or treatment
- Providing advice on patient diagnosis and care
- Providing legal advice or assistance
- Employment disputes
Can I make an anonymous complaint?
No, the College cannot accept anonymous complaints. A copy of your complaint and evidence gathered through the course of the College’s investigation will be provided to the registrant whom you made the complaint against.
Complaints Review Process
When you submit a complaint to the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC) about a registrant’s conduct, it triggers a statutory process that provides them with procedural rights. Typically, the Inquiry Committee will disclose information about the complaint to the registrant during an investigation, including providing them with a copy of the complaint, as the registrant is generally entitled to receive the complaint so they have an opportunity to respond.
As a complainant, you should also be aware that as part of any investigation:
- information you provide to the College in connection with your complaint, including correspondence, documents and notes made by College staff about telephone calls that you make to the College, may be disclosed to the registrant
- information provided by you may be disclosed to other witnesses when this is considered necessary for the investigation of your complaint
- the registrant may be asked to respond to your complaint
- you may be required to provide further information relating to your complaint
- the College’s registrar or the Inquiry Committee may obtain copies of records relating to your complaint
- an investigator may contact you or anyone who may have additional information as part of the investigation.
The Inquiry Committee will keep the information it gathers confidential, except when it must disclose information as part of its investigation.
As a complainant, CHCPBC will provide you with regular updates about the status of the investigation. Once the Inquiry Committee decides on a course of action concerning the complaint, the College will provide you and the registrant with notice of its resolution (disposition).
Options for resolving your complaint
The Inquiry Committee has four options for disposing of (resolving) complaints. The Inquiry Committee may:
- Take no further action if the registrant’s conduct or competence was satisfactory, or if the information provided does not make a reasonable case for further action by the College.
- Act informally to resolve the matter between you and the registrant, by taking any action the Inquiry Committee considers appropriate.
- Reach a voluntary formal undertaking and consent agreement with the registrant. Measures that may be required under a formal undertaking and consent agreement include: reprimands, specified educational courses, limits/conditions on practice, or suspensions.
- Direct a discipline hearing before the College’s Discipline Committee. A discipline hearing is a public process in which witnesses give testimony and evidence is submitted. Outcomes from a discipline hearing can range from a dismissal of the allegations to suspension or cancellation of registration.
If the Inquiry Committee disposes of your complaint but does not direct a discipline hearing, it will provide you with notice of its decision and a written explanation. If you are not satisfied with the Committee’s decision, you have the right to apply for a review by the Health Professions Review Board (HPRB). If you wish to apply for a review, you must make an application to the HRPB within 30 days of receiving the Inquiry Committee’s decision letter. If the Inquiry Committee directs a discipline hearing, you will be notified, but may not apply for a review with the HPRB.
Discipline hearings
If the Inquiry Committee decides on a discipline hearing, it will direct the College’s registrar to issue a citation. The matter is then transferred to the Discipline Committee. This option is typically reserved for serious matters where the Inquiry Committee has been unable to obtain a consensual resolution.
Discipline hearings are formal adjudicative processes before Discipline Committee panels, which consist of members of the public and health professionals who are registrants of CHCPBC. If a hearing is set, as the complainant you may have to testify about the matters in the complaint.
CHCPBC may be awarded costs by the Discipline Committee. However, the committee does not have the authority to order a registrant to pay damages or financial compensation or to compel an apology.
Discipline hearings are open to the public.
Length Of Process
The Inquiry Committee must resolve complaints within timelines set under s.50.55 of the Health Professions Act (HPA), which permits the Committee a maximum of 255 days (approximately nine months) to resolve a complaint.
UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE AND UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A RESERVED TITLE
UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE AND UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A RESERVED TITLE
The College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC) takes the unauthorized practice of the professions we regulate seriously. Unauthorized practice and unauthorized use of reserved titles are subject to legal action.
Anyone providing services within the regulated scope of practice of a registered Audiologists, Dietitians, Hearing Instrument Practitioners, Occupational Therapists, Opticians, Optometrists, Physical Therapists and Psychologists in BC, and who does not hold the required registration status with CHCPBC and is not being supervised by a registrant, is breaking the law. Performing aspects of practice reserved for these regulated health professionals is unauthorized practice.
British Columbia has a shared scope of practice and restricted activities model for regulated health professions under the Health Professions Act. This regulatory model was designed to enable inter-professional practice and team-based care, and to balance public safety and consumer choice. For more information on this regulatory model, please visit the website of the B.C. Ministry of Health at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-resources/professional-regulation/scope-of-practice-reform.
Restricted activities are a narrowly defined list of invasive, higher risk activities that must not be performed by any person in the course of providing health services, except the regulated health professionals who have been granted specific authority to do so by regulations enacted under the Health Professions Act.
A person engages in unauthorized practice when they engage in a restricted activity without being registered as the type of health professional who has been granted authority to provide that restricted activity as part of their services.
Use of a title reserved for Audiologists, Dietitians, Hearing Instrument Practitioners, Occupational Therapists, Opticians, Optometrists, Physical Therapists and Psychologists in BC without current CHCPBC registration is unlawful.
HCPBC also takes the unauthorized use of a title reserved by law for health professionals we regulate seriously. Reserved titles are a central and critical public protection element of British Columbia’s health professions regulatory framework. For more information about reserved titles in British Columbia, please visit the website of the B.C. Ministry of Health at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-resources/professional-regulation/title-protection.
The following titles are reserved for CHCPBC registrants: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/practitioner-professional-resources/professional-regulation/title-protection
In addition, health professionals who fail to renew their registration become non-registrants, and if they continue to practise after their registration has lapsed or been cancelled, then they are conducting unauthorized practice and unlawfully using a reserved title, and therefore are subject to legal action.
Unregistered individuals are legally prohibited from using these titles or their abbreviations. (Some individuals who are registrants of a health profession regulated by another regulatory health professional college are also granted legal authority to use some of these titles, such as “doctor”.)
REPORTING UNAUTHORIZED PRACTICE AND/OR UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A RESERVED TITLE
If you are concerned that an individual may be engaging in unauthorized practice and/or unauthorized use of a reserved title, check to confirm if they are a registrant of the College by using our Licence Verification tool.
Individuals who engage in unauthorized practice and/or unauthorized use of a reserved title may be subject to legal action.
Because this type of report concerns individuals who are not registrants of the College, CHCPBC is generally able to accept anonymous reports of unauthorized practice and/or reserved title use.
For more information, please contact us using our contact us form.
How to make a complaint against a registrant
What to know: Making a complaint
If you have a concern about the conduct or competence of a registrant of the College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC), you may submit a complaint to the College.
Complaints must be made in writing. You may submit a complaint through the following options:
- Use the secure complaint form
- Contact us using the contact us form
- Mail a letter to:
- Director of Inquiry and Discipline
College of Health and Care Professionals of BC (CHCPBC)
900-200 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 1S4
- Director of Inquiry and Discipline
- Fax : 1-604-608-9863
You must provide your full name when submitting a complaint; CHCPBC is not able to accept anonymous complaints or complaints made by phone.
There is no time limit on submitting a complaint.
For more information about the CHCPBC’s complaints process, visit the College’s role in complaints page.
Public Notices
Below you will find public information related to complaints made to the College about the conduct of those health professionals registered with the College. The College provides notice of outcomes in relation to serious matters that result in limits or conditions on a registrant’s practice by consent or a suspension imposed by the College’s Discipline or Inquiry Committee.
The College also provides notice of matters that go by citation to the Discipline Committee. See the Hearing List for the list of upcoming discipline hearings.
NOTE: Pursuant to the Health Professions Act, a registrant’s name, and/or details of a case may be withheld when the matter involves the registrant’s health condition or as outlined in section 39.3(3) and 39.3(4) of the HPA.
Audiologists
Gregory Mistal – Consent Agreement – May 4, 2021
Dietitians
Ms. Kameldeep Hundal – Consent Agreement – December 13, 2017
Ms. Yuh-Huey (Angela) Liou. – Consent Agreement – February 20, 2017
Hearing Instrument Practitioners
Matthew Lam – Consent Agreement – June 28, 2022
Gregory Mistal – Consent Agreement – May 4, 2021
C. Marke Hambley – Consent Agreement – January 24, 2019
Occupational Therapists
Christopher Thiessen – Discipline Order – November 2, 2020
Gurpeet Buttar – Discipline Order – July 26, 2018
Opticians
Mahmood Savji – Revised Consent Agreement – January 29, 2024
Shena Storness-Bliss – Undertaking – May 8, 2023
Mahmood Savji – Consent Agreement – May 6, 2021
Tom Hoedeman – Consent Agreement – October 15, 2020
Charles Cheung – Undertaking – September 11, 2020
William Lougheed – Press Release – August 3, 2017
Stacey Wiens – Undertaking – October 8, 2015
Steve Wiens – Undertaking – October 1, 2015
Optometrists
Dr. Wai-Sing Vincent Wu – Discipline Notice – July 1, 2016
Dr. Jerry Mackenzie – Discipline Notice – August 27, 2015
Physical Therapists
Emberley, Ryan – Consent Agreement – June 19, 2023
Mah, George – Consent Agreement, Updated – April 24, 2023
Zuber, Riyad – Extraordinary Action, Updated – March 8, 2023
Kalkman, Jacob Arie Cornelis – Consent Agreement – January 19, 2023
McCordic, John – Consent Agreement – August 27, 2021
Middleton, Edward – Consent Agreement – July 22, 2021
Iorio, Stefan – Extraordinary Action, Updated – July 7, 2021
Rezvani, Ahmad – Extraordinary Action, Updated – June 17, 2021
Rezania, Shahab – Extraordinary Action, Updated – June 15, 2021
Simpson, Angela – Consent Agreement – May 18, 2021
Robertson, Guy – Consent Agreement – February 2, 2021
Ramadass, Muralidharan – Extraordinary Action, Updated December 10, 2020
Bains, Jagroop – Extraordinary Action, Updated September 22, 2020
Mitchell, Rodney – Consent Agreement – March 31, 2020
Witvoet, Stephen – Consent Agreement – March 26, 2020
Amrutkar, Sanjay – Extraordinary Action – October 8, 2019
Witvoet, Stephen – Extraordinary Action, Updated July 2, 2019
Phachu, Chetan – Extraordinary Action, Updated June 18, 2019
McFadyen, Ross – Extraordinary Action, Updated May 13, 2019
Wong Amanda – Extraordinary Action, Updated – March 5, 2019
Wong, Waymen – Consent Agreement – November 20, 2018
Psychologists
MCKEE, Scott – Limits and Conditions under section 20(2.1)(a) of the HPA Public Notification – May 1, 2024
SARUK, Dr. Karla – Undertakings – April 5, 2023
HANDLEY, William – Undertakings – February 9, 2023
STEIN, Dr. Barry – Undertakings – July 15, 2022
KEMLO, Ms. Emilie – Undertakings – May 26, 2022
MILLER, Dr. Kevin – Undertakings – May 25, 2022
LADD, Dr. Lori – Undertakings – May 5, 2022
A REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST – Undertakings – April 13, 2022
FREEMAN, Dr. Richard – Undertakings – March 28, 2022
TARASENCO, Ms. Irina – Undertakings – October 8, 2021
SHEWCHUK, Dr. Lloyd – Undertakings – May 20, 2021
HARDY, Dr. Cindy – Undertakings – January 21, 2021
KOT, Dr. Katherine – Notice of Resignation While Undertaking in Effect – October 19, 2020
JAMES, Dr. Owen – Undertakings – July 30, 2020
MILLER, Dr. Kevin – Undertakings – July 30, 2020
HARDY, Dr. Cindy – Undertakings – December 6, 2019
A REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST – Undertakings – December 5, 2019
A REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST – Undertakings – December 5, 2019
KOT, Dr. Katherine – Undertakings – August 20, 2019
MACPHERSON, Dr. E. Carol – Undertakings – February 14, 2019
POSTHUMA, Dr. Allan – Undertakings – January 1, 2019
DAYNE, Ms. Melina – Extraordinary Action – November 30, 2018
A Registered Psychologist – Undertakings – August 13, 2018
SKERL, Dr. Eva – Undertakings – June 21, 2018
PORTER, Dr. Stephen – Undertakings – December 29, 2017
SUTKER, Ms. Charlotte – Undertakings – October 5, 2017
CHAN, Dr. Anthony – Undertakings – October 5, 2017
SKERL, Dr. Eva – Undertakings – June 13, 2017
PATTERSON, Dr. Serena – Undertakings – May 24, 2017
DENNISTON, Dr. Carol – Undertakings – July 21, 2016
PATTERSON, Dr. Serena – Undertakings – March 31, 2016
WONG, Mr. David – Undertakings – October 9, 2015
WONG, Dr. Yuk Shuen – Undertakings – September 10, 2015
SUTKER, Ms. Charlotte – Undertakings – September 10, 2015
A REGISTERED PSYCHOLOGIST – Undertakings – August 15, 2015
WONG, Mr. David – Undertakings – July 9, 2015
STEWART, Ms. Elisabeth – Notice of Resignation during Investigation – March 27, 2015
VAN DAM, Dr. Carla – Notice of Resignation during Investigation – January 30, 2015
BROOK, Dr. William – Notice of Resignation during Investigation – January 1, 2015
GIGUERE, Ms. Emilie (Emily) – Undertakings – October 29, 2014
COCHRANE, Mr. Robert – Undertakings – October 24, 2014
ATKINSON, Dr. Randall (Randy) – Decisions – July 16, 2014
ATKINSON, Dr. Randall – Citations – May 14, 2014
MOSKAL, Dr. Rosemary – Undertakings – April 3, 2014
BRADSHAW, Dr. Richard – Undertakings – April 3, 2014
PROCHNAU, Dr. Holly – Undertakings – February 20, 2014
WONG, Dr. Yuk Shuen – Undertakings – January 28, 2014
CLARK, Dr. Timothy – Undertakings – October 18, 2013
BOGYO, Dr. Grant – Undertakings – July 31, 2013
BOGYO, Dr. Grant – Undertakings – July 31, 2013
HEARN, Dr. Richard Simon Fairfax – Undertakings – March 25, 2013
HEARN, Dr. Richard Simon Fairfax – Undertakings – March 25, 2013
FREEMAN, Dr. Richard Jay – Undertakings – November 5, 2012
BINGEN, Dr. Robert Russell – Undertakings – November 5, 2012
BLOMME, Mr. Gerald Cyril – Undertakings – October 18, 2012
SLOAT, Dr. Sharolyn G. – Undertakings – October 18, 2012
MCEACHERN, Dr. Heather Mary – Undertakings – February 16, 2012
HEARN, Dr. Richard Simon Fairfax – Undertakings – July 22, 2010
A Registered Psychologist – Undertakings – July 22, 2010
SCHALLOW, Dr. John – Citations – March 31, 2010
DIETRICH, Dr. Anne Marie – Undertakings – March 4, 2010
BOUZRARA, Dr. Abdelaziz – Failure to Authorize CRC – January 21, 2010
NADEAU, Dr. Jeanne – Undertakings – November 19, 2009
CROCKETT, Dr. David – Undertakings – July 15, 2009
DAVID, Dr. Sara Joy – Undertakings – April 3, 2009
NADEAU, Dr. Jeanne – Undertakings – December 11, 2008
BINGEN, Dr. Robert – Undertakings – December 10, 2008
BURNSIDE, Dr. Barbara Janice – Undertakings – December 7, 2008
YOUNG, Dr. Jack – Undertakings – November 14, 2008
Speech-Language Pathologists
Michelle Nightingale – Consent Agreement – April 10, 2024
Sabitha Anirudhan Bhavaniveli – Extraordinary Action – January 29, 2024
Tarndeep Samra – Extraordinary Action – November 20, 2023
Sherri Millham – Consent Agreement – October 3, 2023
Caroline Chow – Extraordinary Action – August 11, 2023
Agnes Gradowski – Consent Agreement – May 2, 2023
Agnes Gradowski – Extraordinary Action – December 23, 2022
Nicolette Waite – Consent Agreement – December 8, 2022
Penelope Bacsfalvi – Consent Agreement – December 5, 2022
Michelle Nightingale – Extraordinary Action – November 3, 2022
Caroline Chow – Extraordinary Action – July 28, 2022
Agnes Gradowski – Consent Agreement – October 5, 2021
Karen Ursel – Consent Agreement – July 21, 2021
Carla Willock – Consent Agreement – July 13, 2021
Wendy Young – Order – April 28, 2021
David Kurbis – Consent Agreement – April 23, 2020
Kathleen Oddoux – Order – September 28, 2020
Kathleen Oddoux – Order – July 23, 2020
Wendy Young – Order – June 18, 2020
Kathleen Oddoux – Consent Agreement – August 7, 2019
Non-registrant Public Notices
Valerie Afriat – Misuse of title – February 22, 2024
Rados, Lana – Board Motion Regarding Public Safety – September 26, 2023
Anonymous – Unlawful Use of a Reserved Title – June 23, 2023
Gregory Mistal – Unlawful Use of a Reserved Title – May 26, 2023
Nagwa Yacoub – Unlawful Use of a Reserved Title – March 1, 2023
PHOENIX, Mr. Xander Patrice (UPDATED) – Board Motion Regarding Public Safety – May 27, 2022
LEISERSON, Mr. Victor – Board Motion Regarding Public Safety – July 16, 2021
OHM, Dr. Phyllis – Board Motion Regarding Public Safety – November 29, 2019
SMITH, Dr. Holly – Board Motion Regarding Public Safety – August 19, 2019
Anthony Wang – Unlawful Use of a Reserved Title – May 8, 2019
RYAN, Dr. Dorothy Mae – Board Motion Regarding Public Safety – January 18, 2019
LARRE, Dr. Lucien – Board Motion Regarding Public Safety – June 4, 2018
PROCHNAU (aka Fourchalk), Dr. Holly – Board Motion Regarding Public Safety – March 21, 2017
Anthony Wang – Unlawful Use of a Reserved Title – December 2, 2016
CONSIGLIO, Ms. Nell – Board Motion Regarding Public Safety – December 21, 2015
Discipline hearings
A discipline hearing is an adjudicative process where the Discipline Committee —an independent statutory decision-making body — hears witness testimony and reviews documentary evidence to determine whether allegations listed in citations are proven. Outcomes from a disciplinary hearing can range from no further action being taken to suspension or cancellation of registration.
All discipline hearings scheduled within the next 90 days are posted below. This schedule is subject to change. If you plan to attend, or for further information, please contact the College using our contact us form.
All discipline hearings are open to the public unless the Discipline Committee orders otherwise.