Thank you for taking the time to look at the Paramedic Association of Canada Website. By way of introduction, my name is Chris Hood; I was elected as the President of the Association at the recent Annual General Meeting held in May in Winnipeg. I am from the Maritimes, New Brunswick specifically, and have over the past 20 years been a practicing paramedic, a senior manager both in NB and BC, and most recently the Executive Director of the Paramedic Association of New Brunswick.
I am so excited about where this profession and our Association is headed. Many of us in our own jurisdictions are undergoing transformational change. From east to west across this country the practice of paramedicine, through system design, regulation, or educational enhancements/changes will be a key focus for many of us in the coming years.
With all of these challenges comes the need for our Association to continue to review and renew its purpose and direction. I am pleased to say that while this is a living and ongoing process, our recently released strategic plan lays out a blueprint for the Association to follow for the next 1-2 years.
This means more focus on projects such as the development of a National Registry and the renewal of the NOCP. It also means the move away from the governance of some other projects such as the Benevolent Society. While the Association still supports this worthwhile cause it is important that the Society take on a more independent role in its operation.
I encourage each and every practitioner to seek out a copy of the strategic plan and to provide ongoing feedback and comments though your individual chapters. It is only through participation and action that we as a group of 14,000 can direct and move this profession forward in the manner that we feel is proper.
Thank you for your time.
Yours in EMS,
Chris Hood