“Health Worker Migration in Canada: Histories, Geographies, Ethics”

This one-day academic-policy workshop, “Health Worker Migration in Canada: Histories, Geographies and Ethics” aims to bring together graduate students, faculty, and policymakers from British Columbia and beyond to discuss the issue of health worker migration affecting Canada and the world. The day will be composed of a graduate workshop in the morning, followed by a policy roundtable in the afternoon and culminating with a keynote speech by Dr. Catherine Ceniza Choy from the University of California, Berkeley, author of the acclaimed book “Empire of Care: Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History” (Duke University Press & Ateneo de Manila University Press 2003).

The event will be held at the Social Lounge, St. John’s College from 800am-700pm on September 30, 2010 (See link to location below).

St. John’s College is located here: http://www.maps.ubc.ca/PROD/index_detail.php?locat1=822-1

Registration is free. Food and refreshments will be provided. We cannot shoulder accommodation and transportation costs for participants.

To take part in the graduate workshop, please contact Lawrence Santiago at santiago@geog.ubc.ca and Geertje Boschma at geertje.boschma@nursing.ubc.ca

The Keynote Lecture of Dr. Catherine Choy is titled: “The Health of a Nation: The Inextricable Links Between Health, Work, and International Migration”

Further information about the keynote lecture and the speaker:

THE HEALTH OF A NATION: THE INEXTRICABLE LINKS BETWEEN HEALTH, WORK, AND INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION

Catherine Ceniza Choy will present an overview of the tremendous geographical diversity in international nurse and other health worker migration, and then focus on developments in the international migration of Filipino nurses, a major component of health worker migration in the world. Recent developments such as the active recruitment of Filipino nurses to work in health care institutions in the United Kingdom and Japan, the persistence of Filipino nurse migrants’ desire to work in the United States, the emergence of Filipino immigrant nurse leadership in American hospitals and nursing organizations, and new case studies of exploitation of Filipino nurses’ labor and immigrant status speak to the uneven integration of Filipino nurse migrants in the United States and other parts of the world. This lecture will emphasize the continuing importance of transnational research methods and policies for the study of the political economy of international migration and its ethical dilemmas. However, it will also argue for the need to acknowledge the contributions of health worker migrants and immigrants in the receiving country.

Catherine Ceniza Choy is the author of the award-winning book, Empire of Care: Nursing and Migration in Filipino American History, published by Duke University Press and co-published by Ateneo de Manila University Press in 2003. Empire of Care explored how and why the Philippines became the world’s leading exporter of professional nurses. Catherine is completing a second book on the history of Asian international adoption in the United States. She is also working on a book project that features transnational biographies of Filipino American women. Catherine is an Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Berkeley. Her research and teaching interests include transnational and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of Asian American history, contemporary U.S. immigration, and Philippine and Filipino American Studies. She received her Ph.D. in History from UCLA.

WORKSHOP PROGRAMME: HEALTH WORKER MIGRATION IN CANADA: HISTORIES, GEOGRAPHIES, ETHICS*

September 29, 2010: Pre-Event Program

8.00-9.00PM Public Film Showing at St. John’s College: NARS The Movie (Directed by award winning Filipino artist Adolfo Alix, Jr)

September 30, 2010: Graduate Workshop and Roundtable Program

8.00-9.00AM Registration and Breakfast

9.00-9.20AM Opening Remarks:

• John Mabbott, Executive Director, Health Match BC
• Dr. Dan Hiebert, Director, Metropolis BC, Liu Institute of Global Issues (TBC)
• Dr. Geertje Boschma, Nursing, University of British Columbia

9.20-12.15PM Graduate Workshop on Health Worker Migration in Canada

• Margery Hawkins, Nursing, University of British Columbia
• May Farrales, Geography, University of British Columbia
• Bukola Kulawole, Nursing, University of Toronto
• Christine Peralta, History, University of British Columbia
• Charlene Ronquillo, Nursing, University of British Columbia
• Mark Lawrence Santiago, Geography, University of British Columbia and Health Match BC
• Helen Vandenberg, Nursing, University of British Columbia

Invited Commentator: Dr. Catherine Ceniza Choy, University of California, Berkeley
Facilitator: Dr. Margaret Walton Roberts, Geography, Wilfrid Laurier University

12.15-1.15PM Lunch

1.15-4.00PM Policy Roundtable on Internationally Educated Nurse Recruitment and Migration to British Columbia

1.15-1.30PM: Introduction: Presentation of Background Paper (Metropolis BC Working Paper Series):

“The Recruitment, Migration and Practice Integration of Internationally Educated Nurses to British Columbia, Canada”

By Mark Lawrence Santiago, PhD Candidate and Trudeau Scholar, Geography, UBC and MITACS/Metropolis BC Graduate Research Intern, Health Match BC, Ministry of Health Services BC (Discussion Leader)

Roundtable panel members:

• Recruitment: Eva Mendez, RN, Senior Nurse Consultant Health Match BC
• Practice Standards: Anne Logie, RN, College of Registered Nurses of BC
• Hospital Administration: Jean Carne, RN, Operations Leader, Cardiology, St. Paul’s Hospital BC
• Union: Frank Gillespie, RN, BC Nurses Union
• Live-in-Caregivers: Dr. Geraldine Pratt, Geography and Center for Women and Gender Studies
• Community: Esther Edwards, RN, Filipina Nurse Pioneer to Canada

Facilitator: Mark Lawrence Santiago, Geography, University of British Columbia

4.00-4.15 PM Coffee Break

4.15-4.30 PM Introduction to Keynote Speaker and Facilitator: Dr. Geertje Boschma, Nursing, University of British Columbia

4.30-5.15 PM Keynote Speech: Dr. Catherine Ceniza Choy, University of California, Berkeley
The Health of a Nation: The inextricable links between Health, Work, and International Migration

5.15-5.40 PM Q&A

5.40-5.45 Closing Remarks Mark Lawrence Santiago and Dr. Geertje Boschma

5.45-7.00 PM Wine & Cheese Reception at St. John’s College

* May be subjected to change

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This workshop is made possible by funding and support from Metropolis BC (major sponsor) as well as St. John’s College UBC, UBC Department of Geography, UBC School of Nursing, the Critical Research in Health and Healthcare Inequities Unit, the Migration Studies Group and the Liu Scholar Program at the Liu Institute for Global Issues, and the Center for Women and Gender Studies UBC.

Mark Lawrence Santiago would like to specifically thank METROPOLIS BC’s Dan Hiebert and Vicky Baker, HEALTH MATCH BC’s John Mabbott and Eva Mendez, and MITACS ACCELERATE BC’s Duncan Phillips, for a graduate research internship, and the PIERRE ELLIOTT TRUDEAU FOUNDATION for a Trudeau Scholarship that facilitated organizing this workshop.

LINKS

METROPOLIS BC: http://riim.metropolis.net/
HEALTH MATCH BC: http://www.healthmatchbc.org/
MITACS ACCELERATE BC: http://www.mitacs.ca/
LIU INSTITUTE: http://www.ligi.ubc.ca/
ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE: http://www.stjohns.ubc.ca/
SCHOOL OF NURSING, UBC: http://www.nursing.ubc.ca/
CRITICAL RESEARCH IN HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE INEQUITIES UNIT, UBC: http://www.nursing.ubc.ca/crihhi/
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY, UBC: http://www.geog.ubc.ca/
CENTER FOR WOMEN AND GENDER STUDIES, UBC: http://www.wmst.ubc.ca/
TRUDEAU FOUNDATION: http://www.trudeaufoundation.ca/