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District 7 - Gordon Ling
Shortly after I graduated in 2016, I relocated to Prince Rupert in northern BC to experience the so-called “smalltown” living I heard so much about during undergrad and have settled into the community. I have been closely involved with patient care both in community pharmacy practice and in an inpatient setting at the local community hospital. I now work full-time at the hospital and continue to provide casual relief for several community pharmacies across the northwest region.
In order to serve our patients effectively, one has to first understand whom they are serving.
34% of the population in Prince Rupert is of indigenous ethnicity. This represents a new patient demographic that I was not accustomed to provide care for. Therefore, I opted to complete the Indigenous Cultural and Safety training to help me gather a greater understanding of indigenous people. It allowed me to have a greater understanding of culture, stereotyping and legacies of colonization and increased my self-awareness when working in our community.
Under the Healthy Medication Use Initiative, I travelled to the surrounding indigenious villages and communities to provide extended pharmacy services. It allowed me to gain insight on decision-making process based on their cultural beliefs and obstacles. As a result I was able to tailor treatment plans based on these findings and strengthened the trust between us to further care.
Recently I became the assistant chief steward at my local HSA chapter in Prince Rupert to advocate union member rights and protect union members. My duties are broken down into three main areas; labour relations, democracy and communications. My involvement ranges from overseeing disciplinary hearings to developing bargaining proposals. When its comes to protecting the public I see a great deal of skill similarities between the roles of a board member and a steward. We need skills such as listening, attention to detail, consensus development, communications, and strategic planning. These are skills that I am continually developing.
I believe my experiences make me a great candidate to be a board member for District 7. I have both hospital and community experience. I can bring perspectives that may be unique in the many rural communities I travel and work in. I am very aware of the need for cultural safety considerations that must be considered more for patient care. I look forward to having the opportunity to work with other Board members, the registrar and the college to further better serve and protect the public.
Sincerely
Gordon Ling