E-Newsletter
ANNUAL REPORT 2023: Annual Report 2017
Board of Directors' Reports
President - Marles Kerns
It has been a very busy year since our last AGM. Legislation and member services have been the Board of Director’s primary focus throughout the last year. I hope that you have all had a chance to look through the MTAS legislation information package that was mailed to you as well as sign up for Perkopolis or a new membership at Goodlife Fitness.
Strategic Planning was held last June facilitated by Prairie Wild Consulting. We have been (and still continue to be) very focused on legislation; but we wanted to focus more on a more individual level and cement the plan to offer more to you, our members. It was here that the affinity program really took off and we have been working with many local (Saskatchewan) businesses to offer discounts that are available to you by simply showing your MTAS membership card.
In June Lori Green, Jordan Smith, and I had meeting with SGI and WCB. We received status quo this year due to the Gov’t cut backs of 3% to employees from both SGI and WCB.
In October, MTAS hosted the CMTA (Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance) meetings in Saskatoon. These meetings are always informative and beneficial to learn from the successes and challenges that associations in other provinces face. It is also a great platform to share ideas and resources and further develop relationships for collaboration in areas like research, and progressing massage therapy in the field of heath care in a national setting.
MTAS continues to work with Harris Greenaway Communications as we press forward with our bid for legislation. Many meetings and hours have been put into developing the strategies for communication, and education with Saskatchewan Government, Public and MTAS members. These strategies will be seen in the 2017-2018 fiscal year. An example of that is the magazine that arrived in your mailbox in February; I hope you have all had a chance to look it over. The purpose of the magazine is to offer answers, clear up misunderstandings, and provide clarification as to why legislation is important to us as Massage Therapists, to our profession, and to our patients. MTAS members can always be proud that we have always held ourselves and our profession to the highest standards in accordance to the Inter-Jurisdictional Document that is recognized by all legislated provinces in Canada. This road has not been an easy one and we are calling on you, the MTAS members to help us to convince the government to act now.
I thank our Executive Director Lori Green and our Membership Services Manager Jayne Little for their vision and dedication to our organization and profession. I am grateful to have such a diverse and passionate team in the MTAS Board of Directors, it is a pleasure working with all of you. Last, but definitely not least; it is an honor being the President of your organization. It has been a steep learning curve and one could never imagine that massage therapy could be so political. I look forward to seeking another term as your President so that we can keep on fighting the good fight.
Regards,
Marles L. Kerns, RMT, B.A.
Vice President/President Elect/Human Resource/Executive Report - Camille Lapierre
Hello fellow MTAS members and a warm welcome to all new members.
I have just completed my first year as your vice-president. I am Camille Lapierre, RMT and proud member of MTAS for 20 years. This upcoming year will be the start of my second term and I am looking forward to continuing to serve my association that is so near and dear to me. I am in a mostly full-time home-based practice and a volunteer Board member for 5 years.
One of the tasks I was assigned this year was to create a new Executive Director evaluation. It was suggested that the evaluation be in a more anonymous format which could then allow Board members to express themselves more freely. The Google form format was well received and the added anonymity also. Results of the evaluation revealed that we greatly appreciate and value our Executive Director Lori Green’s dedication to our profession. She continues to meet and exceed our expectations.
Legislation has been at the forefront of our strategic discussions and it has been an honour and pleasure to work alongside this amazing team. A sincere thank you to all members for your tremendous support toward the initiatives MTAS has brought forth this year.
Respectfully submitted,
Camille Lapierre, RMT
Finance - Cecilia Mryglod
This AGM marks my first official year on the MTAS Board. I am proud to serve the membership as the finance chair and delighted with the work the Board has accomplished this past year.
I have been a massage therapist with MTAS since 2008. I currently massage on a part-time basis and for the last 5 years I have been the office manager at a local non-profit organization. One of my main roles at the organization is book keeper and I am also on the finance committee. I take pride in making a difference and being fiscally responsible.
We have completed our yearly audit with Stewart, Gee and Murray it went smoothly as usual.
I will summarize parts of the audit for this report. Generally, we want revenues to be higher than expenses, and this year that’s exactly what we have and ended with a surplus of just over $18,000. Much of this year’s surplus goes into investments. Only a few of the categories in the revenue and expense side had a major increase or decrease but they balanced out and/or had a reason to. As stated last year, the move to the new space did not cost more.
There are no major announcements or changes for this fiscal year in respect to budgets and membership fees. We anticipate spending more in marketing this year for legislation but have also saved money in other areas of marketing to compensate.
I’m sure most of you have heard of the great work and research that Donelda has been able to arrange for our membership. As a result, we have used some funds from the restricted research fund.
I look forward to working closely with Lori and the rest of the Board in the upcoming year.
Cecilia Mryglod, RMT
Education - Mandy Fahr
Greetings fellow MTAS members.
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Mandy Fahr. I have been a practicing member since 2010 and I have served the past 4 years on the MTAS Board of Directors as the Education Director. I am currently seeking re-election for the upcoming term.
I would like to start by thanking Mieka Dueckman, our Chief Examiner. In the past year she has stepped up to this role and has truly made it her own. She has done a great job throughout the year. Thank you Mieka.
As I had mentioned in last year's report, there has been a change made to the annual Member Qualifying Exam (MQE) schedule. We are now holding 3 examinations per year, in January, June and August. We are rotating between Regina and Saskatoon annually for our June examination. The feedback that I received from our first large June exam held in Saskatoon was positive. I look forward to continual feedback in the upcoming year.
I would like to welcome our new examiners. This past April, I had the pleasure of sitting in on the Saskatoon session of examiner training, which Mieka facilitated. It was great to see our seasoned examiners, as well as our new examiners, come together to learn the new processes/procedures of the practical MQE that Mieka has implemented. A big thank you to all the examiners who were available during this past year’s examinations.
This past September, Aileen Tran-Mapletoft, Mieka Dueckman, Lori Green and myself were asked to review the curriculum of the Medical Massage Therapy Program for the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education for their approval of the program being offered by Axiom College. I am happy to report that the Ministry approved the application and Axiom College is now the fourth massage therapy school in Saskatchewan. I look forward to meeting with Rebecca Bekolay (owner/instructor of Axiom and MTAS member) in the future when we meet with all the schools for the round-table meetings.
In closing, I would like to say a huge thank you to both Lori and Jayne. Their efforts and time are invaluable to this association and I appreciate everything that you do for us. To my fellow board members - it has been a great year and I’m looking forward to building more momentum this coming year!
In the year ahead, I look forward to focusing on our continued push for legislation.
Respectfully,
Mandy Fahr, RMT
Chief-Examiner - Mieka Dueckman
For those of you who do not know me yet, let me introduce myself. My name is Mieka Dueckman and I have been an RMT for 14 years now. In August of this year, I will be going on my second year as Chief Examiner (CEX). Since taking on the role of CEX, the Exam Committee and I have made several positive changes to our Member Qualifying Exams (MQE) to meet national standards as well as in preparation for legislation. We are constantly striving to make this a smooth and efficient process for examiners, candidates and staff, whilst maintaining the educational standard already set by the regulated provinces.
In 2017 we changed our exam schedule and held three sittings instead of four. In the past we have held two sittings in June with one in Saskatoon and one in Regina. We decided that to be more cost-effective considering the smaller numbers of candidates we are seeing, we would hold one sitting in June and alternate between the two cities. The June 2017 sitting was held at TCU Place in Saskatoon – a significantly larger space than our usual hotel meeting room. The venue was perfect for our purposes, and we had a lot of positive feedback from examiners, candidates and staff. We look forward to holding the 2019 summer exam at TCU Place.
We also held four training sessions (March, April, May and November) for new examiners and to update our existing examiners on the revised practical exam format. These were well-attended, and we are pleased to welcome 19 new examiners to the team. It is our hope that moving forward we will be able to hold one training session each year to continue to grow our team of available examiners for both the Saskatoon and Regina areas, so that we can avoid the additional overhead costs of travelling expenses, hotel accommodation and meals.
2017 was a good year for the results of our exams, but candidate numbers were slightly lower then in previous years, due in part to lower enrolment in the massage therapy diploma programs. We examined a total of 34 candidates over the three sittings, and MTAS has 29 new members as a result.
I look forward to 2018 and continued progress in all areas of our member qualifying exams.
Thank you,
Mieka Dueckman, RMT
Insurance/Intergovernmental Affairs - Jordan Smith
Greetings current and new MTAS members.
My name is Jordan Smith and I have been a practicing RMT since 2011, after graduating from McKay Career Training. Currently I have been a proud MTAS board member for the past 4 years and will be seeking re-election to the Board of Directors.
As we ended another year we still continue to work on the ultimate goal of being a self-regulated profession within Saskatchewan.
Throughout the year we have seen some changes within the provincial government; one of those changes was proposed cuts to ALL government areas including SGI and WCB and we have kept in touch with SGI with respect to this. At the time of writing, SGI didn’t have any new information as most corporations wanted to reject the proposed 3.5% wage cut. Thankfully, even with this news, SGI and WCB services are still being offered with respect to massage therapy. What we did was sign a one year (through to Dec 2018) contract at the current rates to ensure our current relationships can move forward.
For those of you who currently offer SGI/WCB services to your clients and have noticed the slight change to SGI’s e-pay system. What they have done is removed the GST on their invoices. The reason for this is that SGI and WCB are both GST exempt. At this time we only have the SGI exemption number and still haven’t heard back form WCB with respect to their exemption number. As a refresher here is SGI’s GST exemption number: 107864258.
Depending on your accountant and exactly how they file your GST return, what I do is print off my SGI receipts and keep those separately. I then give them to my accountant with the exemption number. There is a spot on your GST return to list all exempt income. That is where you would record the total amount of income earned. For exact procedures I do recommend checking with you accountant, as these are pretty basic instructions.
As we move forward into this year, Lori and I look forward to continue building on the momentum we have built over the last few years to make everything as smooth as possible for all our members, both current and future.
It truly is a pleasure working for each and everyone of you. I have seen MTAS grow as a whole over the years. More then ever we need to keep up our hard work and dedication to achieve the goals we have set out to accomplish!
Yours in good health,
Jordan R. Smith, RMT
Complaints and Investigation - Erin Sobkow
Dear Esteemed Colleagues:
My name is Erin Sobkow, and this is my first term on the MTAS board. I have been a RMT since 1999. I moved north to Flin Flon, MB shortly after graduating, worked in a clinic and then owned that same clinic for 15 years. Four years ago, my family and I moved back home to Yorkton, SK. I worked in a local clinic for 3 years and now am working out of my home this past year. Just over a year ago, I took another job working as a Community Consultant for our Parkland Valley Sport, Culture and Recreation District.
My past year has been one of a steep learning curve in this position. Lori and I met with the MTAS lawyer, Mark Mulatz, in Regina last summer to ensure our complaints and investigation protocol is sound. Mr. Mulatz has been the MTAS counsel for many years and he is well versed in our Association bylaws. Legislated Associations must post all disciplinary actions. He recommended sharing discipline information online like some other health care professions are doing (RN’s, LPN’s, PT’s), to ensure accountability to the public. MTAS is struggling with posting full information as we aren’t legislated yet. Until we are legislated, we will start to post the complaints only on the MTAS website with no mention of names. I have been researching what the other health care professions are doing in Saskatchewan in regard to complaints and discipline. I have met some very great people doing this work in other health care disciplines who have spent many hours with me sharing “how it works” in their profession. MTAS is in line with other health care professions in how we are handling discipline.
So far this year, we have dealt with ten (10) complaints. Seven (7) are closed and three (3) still need attention. Although many phone calls are received, MTAS can only act on those that are official written complaints, as identified in our bylaws. Complaints are taken seriously and require interviewing the parties involved, consulting, writing and determining whether the investigation should move into a disciplinary hearing. Most times the situation can be resolved without it moving into a disciplinary hearing.
Dealing with complaints and discipline is a necessary position in all professions. I pay attention to adherence of the bylaws when I’m dealing with disciplinary matters. Due diligence is very important to me being active and aware as an individual to MTAS’s standards and ethics. I know how very important this role is to make sure members are being held accountable to our profession, their clients and the public at large. I realize how it is necessary for us all to review our bylaws again and remember to adhere to them as we go about our daily practice. We need to keep reminding ourselves of what it means to be a professional in healthcare.
My role on the board is shared between Complaints and Investigation, Legislation and general board duties. I had the opportunity to attend a great networking session with the CMTA. MTAS was the host of the CMTA meeting in October; this year our MTAS board members were invited to attend the opening reception. It was great to put faces to names of people from across Canada in our massage therapy world and share in the national perspective.
In January, I had the wonderful opportunity to go with Lori to three (3) of the roundtable sessions: Yorkton, Weyburn and Regina. We met many therapists, heard what they had to say and shared information on what was happening with legislation so far. Although informative, we were hoping for larger number of members, and realize there is still more communication necessary with our membership. The board is committed to working more with the membership through our website, Facebook and more member consultations. This was kicked off with our membership kit; hence the recent membership package. Very well done MTAS!
I am very much enjoying being on the MTAS board and working with my colleagues who are striving to better our profession. I hadn’t realized how much work absolutely everyone does, and it makes me admire our board members a lot. To Lori, WOW, no one realizes the tremendous amount of work she does to lead our 850 members and to be thoughtful, gracious, organized, yet tough and opinionated when she need to be. It has been a pleasure to get to know you, share time with you and learn from your knowledge and expertise. And Jayne, you are our first line to the public and our members and are always professional above and beyond.
I look forward to this next year on the MTAS board and I welcome any MTAS members to become more engaged, ask questions, get involved! We want you to be knowledgeable about what is happening in our massage therapy profession, and indeed, it is your duty as a professional, to be engaged. Any ideas from the membership are welcome.
Respectfully submitted,
Erin Sobkow, BA Kin, RMT
Membership/Public Relations - Tim Rutley
Hello my fellow MTAS members and welcome to the 2018 AGM in Regina. My name is Tim Rutley RMT,SMT(cc) and I have been in full time practice for almost 12yrs. I became a MTAS member in 2006. The last two and a half years I’ve been practicing out of F.I.T. Training and Wellness and I’m loving it.
It’s hard to believe that it has almost been a complete year since I joined the MTAS board as a volunteer. My first year in serving as PR/Membership has been a good one. I was a little hesitant as to what will this role look like and what I can bring to the MTAS Board team. One of the first outings as PR was shadowing Camille Lapierre and Lori Green to the Professional Institute of Massage Therapy in a presentation to the 2nd year students. Then about a month later Lori Green and I went to McKay to present to the 1st and 2nd year students. Lori and I also went to the teachers convention set up our MTAS tradeshow booth in November.
Thinking of members I had the idea of the Affinity program which I wanted to get rolling. So I started planning and connecting with businesses to see if they would partner with us in giving MTAS members a discount and in return bringing in new business for them (local RMT supporting local businesses). I also reached out to some that were larger franchises to hopefully cover more locations. I have been working hard and Lori has been a huge help in getting the letters sent. I also appreciated the few responses I got from the members considering you know your area/home town best when it came to businesses. You have all received emails with information on what steps you need to take. If you have any issue with getting things set up please let me know. Here is what is already included in the Affinity program:
- Harden & Huyse Chocolates - 10% off chocolates
- F.I.T- 20% off personal training, 10% off HIIT, and 10% off Nutrition Academy
- 3SHealth hotel rates (at the hotels' discretion only)
- Perkopolis
- GoodLife Fitness - corporate rates
I am aiming to have a few more places by the time spring comes around, and will be looking at more places where you can dine/cafe, photographers, massage therapy supply places etc.
Hope you all have a wonderful 2018.
Sincerely,
Tim Rutley, RMT,SMT(cc)
Competency/Continuing Education - Aileen Tran Mapletoft
Happy New Year to Everyone!
Welcome to all new members and Board members. Allow me to introduce myself – my name is Aileen Tran Mapletoft and I have been a practicing member for almost 13 years now. I am in my 7th year as the Competency and Con Ed chairperson and I look forward to continuing my duties for this upcoming term.
In review of 2017, I am happy to report that we were kept quite busy. Approximately 70 courses were evaluated this past year which added up to just over 450 credits. This means that throughout the current Con-Ed window (November 1st, 2015 to October 31st, 2018), the Continuing Education Committee has evaluated over 160 courses, granted over 1,500 credits, and spent over 50 volunteer hours doing so! Kudos to my Con Ed Committee members (Lara Brierley, Jordan Smith, Dr. Bob Lidington, Dr. Donelda Gowan, and Corey Schultz) for their time and expertise. Thanks team!
Going into 2018, competency will continue to play a critical role in fostering high standards of ethical and professional practice, especially on the heels of legislation. There will be many interesting topics out there where continued education can give you better insights into what you enjoy academically. Attending Con-Ed classes, conferences, AGM’s, Professional Practice Group meetings, or participating in massage therapy research gives you the opportunity to update your knowledge while socializing with other like-minded therapists and healthcare professionals. If you have not achieved the required 40 credits for this window and want to find some more courses to fulfill your Con-Ed requirements, please log in to your MTAS profile on the MTAS website where you can access the list of pre-approved courses. Remember, we are now heading into the final year of our 3-year Con-Ed window, and the window will close October 31st.
Lastly, I am always opened to suggestions from the membership. There is currently a renewed interest in MLDT and MFR; pain science is also gaining more traction in the manual therapy communities across Canada, the US, and Australia. And there is also this fun course called Anatomy in Clay that is making its way through North America. I will work hard to bring in these fun, high-quality workshops and seminars to Saskatchewan if there is a demand. And please, encourage all your colleagues to attend these workshops when they do come into our province – it is an extremely valuable experience for RMTs. Subsequently, high attendance may also mean that other course providers and organizations outside of Saskatchewan would more likely WANT to come into our province to collaborate with us. So, if there are any courses out there that sound exciting, interesting, important, etc. please do not hesitate to send me or the MTAS office more information.
Thank you again for all your support!
Sincerely,
Aileen Tran Mapletoft, RMT
Oncology PPG Report - Pamela Fichtner
Hello!
I would like to introduce myself. My name is Pam Fichtner and I am the founder and current chair of the MTAS Oncology Professional Practice Group (PPG).
A little bit about this PPG: we are a small group of MTAS members who are interested in oncology and massage. We communicate via Facebook, email, and Basecamp to offer peer-to-peer support, exchange ideas, experiences, and expertise, and to discuss current issues in oncology massage. Some of our members have also been involved in a breast cancer research study headed by Emiliana Bomfim, a PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan. It has been very rewarding and interesting to be a part of.
In review of the past year, my co-chair (Aileen Tran Mapletoft) and I met in September 2017 to create an agenda for 2018. We decided to include some more out-of-office activities for the PPG to offer outreach into the community and make our presence known, in addition to our regular monthly webinars.
The first outreach of 2017 had us attending the Breast Reconstruction Awareness Day event in October. We had a chance to meet five oncology surgeons who gave presentations on the various types of breast reconstruction that is available in Saskatchewan. We were also invited to set up an information booth which allowed us to meet and speak with a variety of women, doctors, and other vendors about our PPG, and the benefits of oncology massage.
In November, we organized a talk and tour at a local naturopathic clinic in Saskatoon. It was very informative and very well received! We were educated on the benefits of naturopathic oncology by Drs. Amy Velichka and Toby Bridgman from the Saskatoon Naturopathic Medicine clinic. Highlights of this event included learning about naturopathic medicine and its role in integrative cancer care such as nutritional IV therapy and hyperthermia therapy.
In the new year, we continued offering webinars on topics that were of interest to PPG members such as reviewing articles, discussing client-therapist expectations of oncology massage, investigating various types of lymphatic drainage training available, and outlining experiences of on-line educational webinars related to oncology massage. There is also a possibility for us to plan a trip to attend the Oncology Massage Summits (USA) in the next couple of years. Quite exciting!
A big thank you to Jayne, Lori, and MTAS for helping us form this much needed PPG. We hope to gain more support and recognition from the membership and the public so we can continually promote the benefits of massage as a part of cancer care.
Pamela Fichtner, RMT
Research - Dr. Donelda Gowan
Dear colleagues,
My apologies for my absence at the AGM and please accept this detailed report respectfully submitted.
About myself: I graduated from the Canadian College of Massage & Hydrotherapy in Sutton Ontario in 1987 and soon after joined the organization that would become MTAS and began practice in Saskatoon. I sit on the Board of Directors as the Research Chair, a position that I am looking forward to continuing to serve. In the summer of 2017 I completed a PhD in Population Health Sciences and my doctoral research was about adverse events in massage therapy. I have not yet submitted any papers from the dissertation to peer-reviewed journals for consideration for publication, but I am working on that!
It is my pleasure to work as a member of this excellent Board and for this organization and profession of which I am proud to be a part.
The main goals set forth at the last AGM were to continue to promote research literacy and capacity among the MTAS Board, staff, and members and to facilitate the conduct of massage therapy research by funding it.
One important outcome of this objective has been the creation of valuable relationships with researchers at academic institutions in Saskatchewan (University of Saskatchewan).
MTAS is contributing to research in 3 main ways:
- Financial support to cover research expenses. For example, MTAS has allocated funds for payment of massage therapy received by research participants. Providing this funding a) supports MTAS therapists to participate in research and build this important competency (research literacy) b) supports research participants to receive massage therapy care and b) supports the researchers in their quest to answer their questions involving massage therapy so that we can all learn more.
- Development and dissemination of findings: talking about the questions being asked via research, the methods used to try to answer the questions being asked, what was found and what problems it solves for patients, the profession, the population, and for changing policy. For example, MTAS supported my travel to two research conferences this year (posters appended to report, Appendix A and B) to present the work to other researchers, healthcare providers and patients, to inform them and to gain feedback through their critique. Presentation of massage therapy research at interdisciplinary research conferences is novel and gains considerable positive attention! Engagement with international colleagues at massage therapy research events strengthens relationships for collaboration and MTAS is seen as a Canadian leader in MT research.
- The Board of Directors of MTAS has acted as consultants in both research projects in the previous year. For example, participation has included critical feedback and edits to written research material regarding accurate massage therapy terminology and practice standards to ensure good quality and valuable research.
Two studies received financial support and support through authority consultation services from MTAS this past year.
Study Title: Effects of Swedish massage on quality of life, sleep, stress, fatigue and biological markers levels in recently treated patients with breast cancer.
Principle Investigator (PI): Emiliana Bomfim, PhD (Candidate)
Health Sciences Ph.D. Program
College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
Supervisor: Dr. Kalyani Premkumar
Fifteen participants have already completed the 8-week Swedish massage program. Another round of participants started in February 12th and will go until end of May. Preliminary results have shown a statistically significant improvement in quality of life following the Swedish massage program (t(5)=- 3.73, p=0.014). Fatigue also significantly improved (t(5)=-4.85, p=0.005) from baseline (M=23.5, SD=9.6) to endpoint (M=34.5, SD=9.1). Significant improvement (t(5)=3.369, p=0.020) was also observed in stress from baseline (M=24.1, SD=5.7) to endpoint (M=20.3, SD=8.1). The drop in the pre- and post-intervention mean values of blood pressure (from 107.4 ± 8.5 mmHg to 99.8 ± 3.5 mmHg (p=0.047); an improvement of 3.50 ± 1.16 mmHg) indicates that there was a statistically significant improvement in blood pressure following the program. Sleep efficiency pre- and post-intervention also showed improvement according to actigraphy data collected. The researchers are currently recruiting patients to reach the sample of 20 participants. Although saliva samples were collected in order to measure cortisol, alpha-amylase and cytokines, the laboratory assays will be performed as soon as the final sample size is reached.
Study Title: Exploring Patient Safety Issues in Massage Therapy and Understanding Patient Safety Incidents (Adverse Events) University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Principle Investigator: Donelda Gowan, PhD, RMT
Community and Population Health Science
College of Medicine
Supervisor: Dr. Anne Leis
Exploring Patient Safety Issues in Massage Therapy and Understanding Patient Safety Incidents (Adverse Events)
Despite the presence of over 17,000 massage therapists (MTs) within regulated provincial healthcare systems in Canada, a dearth of information on patient safety persists. The views of massage therapy (MT) experts about patient safety is unknown while classification of adverse events (AEs) is not standardized. The objectives of this study were: 1) To explore MT regulators’ views on patient safety in the practice of MT; 2) To explore taxonomies for describing patient safety incidents (PSIs) or AEs in the published literature and compare to international frameworks and 3) To reflect on how the findings of the study aid the patient safety culture of MT in Canada.
A mixed methods approach included a focus group with 10 members of the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia. Data was analyzed with thematic analysis. Then a scoping review in ten peer-reviewed electronic databases limited to English as well as bibliographies, citations and key authors was conducted. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied to all records independently by two reviewers and data was extracted and charted. Using an integrated knowledge translation approach, consultation with stakeholders took place from development of the research questions through to feedback on the findings.
The results of the focus group investigation show that MT can usefully be characterized as a pantheon built on a foundation of trust and supported by three pillars: a well-defined role for the massage therapist, clear treatment expectations from patient and practitioner, and protection of unique patient vulnerability. In the scoping study, the titles of 967 articles were identified and their abstracts reviewed; 67 articles were retrieved and read. 14 of them met the final inclusion criteria and were retained for analysis. Mapping shows lack of uniformity but shared elements of AE classification that conform to international standards. Stakeholders recommended translating this new knowledge widely.
In conclusion, a lack of standardization of operational definitions of the Canadian MT provider and the intervention, impedes MT research and a robust patient safety culture. The findings of this study demonstrate that massage can hurt and it can harm. Discourse about patient safety in massage and other manual therapies is, however, fraught with competing interpretations of what constitutes an adverse or potentially adverse event. Further, the finding that definitions and taxonomies lack uniformity shows the need for a MT specific framework to be developed with respect to the Canadian MT healthcare context with the participation and consultation of experts in Canadian MT. Making internationally developed frameworks for the identification, definition and classification of patient safety incidents meaningful for MT in Canada is essential for future research and policy-making. There is a need for a Canadian MT specific patient safety framework including standardization in curriculum, education and licensing. Exploring views and current practices while building relationships to translate knowledge will aid in the development of future research.
Noted outcomes of opportunity for engagement with research
MTAS RMTs participating as therapists in research studies gain opportunity to:
- engage with additional training or resources relevant to safe and effective treatment for the population of interest in the study. For example, in our projects that involve women with breast cancer: MTAS members who have expressed interest in being involved as therapists in these studies have been provided with either additional training in working with women with breast cancer in the study or been encouraged to access additional resources available through MTAS such as the MTAS Oncology Professional Practice Group (PPG).
- improve research literacy by reading study recruitment materials including lay summaries that explain the background and rationale for the study which include “what is the question(s) that the researchers are asking”, the design and methods that the researchers will use to answer their questions, and the roles and responsibilities of participating as a therapist in a particular study. Also, MTAS RMTs have been important stakeholders providing input into research about patient safety and risk of harm.
- ask questions about research from research experts. It has been a personal pleasure to field questions from MTAS members that indicate a desire for deepening understanding of the research process and show evidence of welcome critical analysis of research funded by MTAS. For example, “how can we be sure that the research will be of good quality?”; “how are the researchers accounting for placebo effects?”, and many more excellent questions. Researchers work hard to make their research meaningful and of value.
- honour patients who want to contribute to the body of knowledge at a time when they are vulnerable and experiencing a health crisis. MTAS members participating as therapists have expressed that they consider it a privilege to work with research participants and to do their best to be a positive and safe part of their healing experience.
MTAS supported research is benefiting the profession, the organization, therapists and patients.
Preliminary results from one of the projects that MTAS is supporting show evidence of benefit with massage therapy in the outcomes that the researchers are measuring (see summary preliminary findings above). The findings from my own doctoral research presented in the posters appended has been used by our consulting company in material in our bid for legislation. The research questions asked were: what are the important issues in considering patient safety in massage therapy? Can massage and manual therapies cause harm? The answers to these questions are integral in supporting the need for legislation to self-regulate the profession of massage therapy in Saskatchewan and across the country.MTAS support made it possible to provide research evidence that answers those questions. The findings were also presented to the CMTA leadership in person in an oral presentation in Saskatoon and this furthers the work of sharing resources and expertise to grow uniform education and regulation across the country. The CMTA audience was pleased with MTAS’s leadership in research related to the profession for tackling difficult problems like harm and safety and their impact on policy practice and education.
A condition of receiving financial support from MTAS is that all research products (posters, PowerPoint presentations, published papers, etc.) must acknowledge the contribution of MTAS to the research. In this way, MTAS is noted to support research for the advancement of the profession.
Upcoming Research Supported by MTAS:
Study Title: "Role of Individualized Intervention(s) on Quality of Life and Adherence to Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Premenopausal Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer: MyChoice Study.
Research Team: Dr. S Ahmed is a breast cancer oncologist and a clinical scientist, Dr. Leis is an expert in QOL and complementary medicine, Ms. Dwernychuk is director of clinical research in the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency (SCA), Dr. Lim is a biostatistician and a clinical trial expert, Dr Kontulainen is an expert in exercise and women health, and Ms. Deb Bulych is director of supportive medicine in SCA, Dr. Gowan is a massage therapist and health services research expert.
Although combination endocrine therapy has been associated with significant reduction in risk of recurrence in younger women with hormone receptor positive breast cancer, it has been associated with more adverse effects and decline in quality of life (QOL). Various behavioral and complementary interventions can be effective in reducing treatment-related side effects. The study aims to evaluate if individually-tailored behavioral and complementary interventions could improve treatment tolerance and adherence in women with early stage breast cancer. This benefit will be assessed primarily by change in QOL and secondarily by adherence to adjuvant endocrine treatment. The researchers will begin recruiting women for the study soon and recruitment will take place over the next 12-24 months. There will be follow up with the women participating in the study 18 months post, so the study will run a total of 3.5 years.
Any questions related to MTAS supported research, research in general, or how to participate in research are welcome addressed to d.gowan@usask.ca
Respectfully,
Donelda Gowan, PhD, RMT
Appendix A
Appendix B
Executive Director - Lori Green
The 2017 year started out with new beginnings and optimism that this gathering would be a celebration of legislation enacted.
This office intendment is to carry out the operations of the Association as directed by the Board of Directors. The purpose of this works together to:
- Protect the public through standardized qualifications of our members.
- Promote our mission.
- Uphold, review and revise the professional standards and professional ethics of the Association.
- Uphold the professional integrity of the Members as necessary and as determined.
- Represent the Members before all other professional bodies.
I believe that we have carried out these duties with intention and dedication to the membership and the profession.
The MTAS Board and office kicked off this term on a high note with facilitated strategic planning provided by Prairie Wild Consultation. We worked together on key initiatives, objectives, operations and planning. We were anticipating moving MTAS forward as a professional service Association with legislation, and the steering/transition committee moving through the regulatory process.
Legislation:
The Board with along with volunteers Garret Woynarski, Gus Giannoutsos, and Todd Rintoul, set out to have meetings with the NDP, Sask Party caucus, and the Partnerships and Workforce Planning, Ministry of Health and a luncheon with all MLAs. This was an extremely positive meeting. We had been informed previously by Duane Mombourquette, Executive Director Policy and Planning, Minister Reiter and former Minister Duncan, that consensus was not an issue and we should be moving forward in August/September of 2017. We were met with very surprising and upsetting correspondence over the summer months, stating that we had once again been removed from legislation going forward in the fall of 2017. The government cited a dispute re: risk of harm and the transitioning into the College as further areas to be explored. We believe that healthcare providers must adhere to national standards as set out by the regulated provinces and a demonstrated required knowledge and competency through assessment or examinations necessary for College entry.
Marketing, Tradeshows and Media:
We have continued to engage in marketing for our members and educating the public, government, and future massage therapy students/members.
We participate at the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association conference, Saskatoon Teachers Association conference, PIMT, McKay, and WCRMT student meetings, and Saskatoon Polytechnique Wellness Week.
Through the ups and downs of criminal cases, highlights on parlours, legislation reports, we have had the opportunity to do several media interviews with CBC, News Talk Radio, Regina Leader Post, CJWW, and Global News. All this focus on our Association creates a rush of phone calls with concerns from the public and often brings forward stories of unfortunate experiences with treatments. Through these experiences with the public, we have the opportunity to hear myths, rumours, fears, and the expectations of the public sector as whole.
We continue to work hard and participate at the national level of the profession through the CMTA (Canadian Massage Therapy Alliance). I maintain my role as Vice Chair – CMTA, and Chair of the insurance committee.
Our move to the new office location has been a great opportunity for MTAS to provide a resource room for members, workshop space for MTAS-initiated workshops, rental opportunities for other MT workshops and meeting space for outside companies looking for space, e.g. Saskatchewan Trucking Association, Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society and Mommy Connections. The new space also allows us to run more exam stations with individual rooms being available, for the smaller sittings of our Member Qualifying Exams.
The office activity has been at an all time high with new initiatives particularly in social media, and more meetings. Jayne continues to be that constant that all of us can rely on. Jayne continues to take on more and more activities and her very competent ability to handle so many balls in the air allows all of us the opportunity to move this wonderful professional forward.
I believe that this Association will continue to be the authority on massage therapy in the province and a leader throughout Canada. We need to work together as a profession to advance our role in Saskatchewan healthcare, continue to support and learn from research that we are informed in practice, and fight to continue to maintain standards and to advance them in the future.
I serve at the pleasure of the Board, and it is a pleasure to work with all of you. A thank you to this Board - Camille Lapierre, Vice President, Chair of Human Resources, that is a silent but necessary position to keep the calm in the waters; Dr. Gowan for her expertise and leadership in research; Cecilia Mryglod for her experience in the world of finance; Erin Sobkow for stepping into the complaints and investigation portfolio; Jordan Smith for always saying yes and working with me on the SGI and WCB portfolios; Aileen Tran Mapletoft for your competent management of all the continuing education reviews; Tim Rutley - you have brought a new enthusiasm to our team and have worked hard to bring us the first MTAS affinity program; Mandy Fahr in education and overseeing the process of all that involves, and Robert Kilmer, our Texan, who keeps us on task through our never ending to-dos and minutes. A very special thank you and acknowledgement to President Marles Kerns. You have stepped up into this position which demands endless hours of telephone calls, updates, consults and meetings, and your tenacity and love for the Association is only surpassed by your commitment to job description. It is a pleasure and delight to work and travel with you.
This year has set the tone for some exciting changes at MTAS. These are unfolding now, and I look forward to the end results in 2018.
Warmly,
Lori Green
Nominations Committee – Camille Lapierre, Vice President
The 2016-2017 MTAS Board of Directors consisted of 10 members. There are no Board members that have submitted their resignation or have not agreed to re-election of the 2018 term.
Nominations may be called from the floor at the Annual General Meeting or submitted to the office by 12:00 noon April 4th, 2018.
We encourage members who are interested in running for the Board to view Board nominee package as distributed in this mail out, for reference of skills and attributes required. Also, feel free to contact the Executive Director or myself to discuss Board work.
Current Board members who will be returning for completion of the second year of their term.
Marles Kerns – President (2011.3.5)
Camille Lapierre – Vice President – Elect (2013 2.5)
Aileen Tran Mapletoft – Competency Chair (2011 3.5)
Donelda Gowan – Research (2013 2.5)
Cecilia Mryglod – Finance (2017 1.5)
Robert Kilmer – Secretary (2017 1.5)
Erin Sobkow – Complaints and Investigation. (2017 1.5)
Tim Rutley – Membership/PR (2017 1.5)
Current board members who will be running for re-election.
Jordan Smith – Insurance (2014 2)
Mandy Fahr - Education (2014 2 )
Bylaws
3.1 Number and Term of Board Members
The Board shall consist of not less than five (5) Board members, four (4) of whom shall also be the officers of the Association and no more than ten (10) Board members. Subject to the Act and the Articles, the Members may, by ordinary resolution passed at an annual general meeting, increase the number of Board members. Each Board Member or Officer (herein collectively referred to as “Board Members”) shall hold office for a term of two (2) years commencing on the date of election. The offices of the Association shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Past-President. The Board of Board members at the first meeting of the Board shall choose the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The first board meeting will occur after the Annual General Meeting. Notwithstanding Section 3.3, the Member who held the office of President of the Association for the term of office immediately prior to an annual general meeting at which a new President is elected shall, if willing to do so, continue to act as a Director/Officer of the Association, without election by the Members, for the next ensuing term of office and shall hold the office of Past President.
3.2 Eligibility for Election
Any practicing Member or Non-resident Practicing Member with voting rights, in good standing, with the exception of an owner or operator of a massage therapy training school, or director of another massage therapy association, who is qualified to act as a director pursuant to the Act shall be eligible for election to the Board. A retiring Board Member shall be eligible for re-election.
3.3 Election at Annual General Meeting
At each annual general meeting of the Association, the Members shall elect Board Members to fill the vacant board positions. Each Board Member that has served for the immediately preceding term shall retire at the dissolution or adjournment of the annual general meeting and the Members entitled to vote thereat shall elect Board Members to replace such retiring Board Members. The Member who held the position of President immediately prior to the election of a new Board at an annual general meeting shall be deemed to have been elected as a Board Member of the Association and shall hold the office of Past-President.
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