In accordance with s. 39.3 of the Health Professions Act, the following public notice is given:
Name of Registrant: Roxanne Pratt (“Registrant”)
Action taken:
On July 22, 2021, a staff member with the College of Dental Hygienists of British Columbia (the “College”) notified the Registrar that Roxanne Pratt (the “Registrant”) may have engaged in the unauthorized practice of dental hygiene between March 1 2012 and July 22, 2021, after failing to renew her full practicing license prior to the renewal deadline of February 28, 2012. The Registrar referred the matter to the College Inquiry Committee.
The information gathered during the investigation revealed that the Registrant: (a) acknowledged that she had worked as a dental hygienist between March 1, 2012 and July 22, 2021 without full practising registration; (b) was employed as a dental hygienist on a full time basis at a dental office from April 1, 2003 to July 22, 2021; (c) was employed as a dental hygienist on a temporary basis between June 26, 2019 and December 3, 2020; (d) acknowledged that she was not in compliance with the College’s Quality Assurance Program requirements or the mandatory criminal record check requirements; and (f) did not immediately cease practicing dental hygiene on July 22, 2021 when instructed to do so by the College, but continued to treat three additional clients on that day.
The Inquiry Committee determined under s. 33(6)(c) of the Act that this would be an appropriate
case to seek a consent order under s. 36 of the Act because the Registrant engaged in unauthorized practice of dental hygiene for a period of 9 years and defied a College direction to cease practising on July 22, 2021.
The Inquiry Committee and the Registrant agreed that the appropriate remedial action is an undertaking and consent order pursuant to ss. 36(1)(a), (b) and (d) of the Act which will ensure she does not repeat the conduct of engaging in unauthorized practice which poses a serious risk to the public.
On December 2, 2021, the Registrant signed an undertaking and consent order as specified herein under ss. 36(1) of the Act for the purposes of addressing the concerns identified in the investigation:
- The Registrant consents to a reprimand for: (a) engaging in the unauthorized practice of dental hygiene over a nine-year period from March 1, 2012 to July 22, 2021; (b) her failure to be forthright with her employers about her lack of practising registration status; and (c) her failure to immediately cease practising dental hygiene on July 22, 2021 after being advised to do so by College.
- The Registrant agrees to pay a fine of $4,885.00 dollars to the College representing the amount of registration fees that she would have paid if she had renewed her registration over the nine- year period which must be paid within one year of the date of the Consent Order.
- The Registrant undertakes to write a reflective essay using the ORID Focused Conversation Model of not less than 1500 words exclusive of references outlining the requirements under the Act and College bylaws to maintain practising registration to practice dental hygiene and the specific registration and renewal requirements under the College bylaws, the ethical obligations to ensure that she does not engage in future unauthorized practice and misrepresent herself as a dental hygienist which she is not licensed to practice, and the public interest purpose in requiring that dental hygienists be registered to practice, as well as the steps that she will take to ensure that she does not repeat the conduct. The Registrant undertakes to submit the draft reflective essay to the Inquiry Committee for approval within 180 days of the date of the Consent Order, and to make such changes to the reflective essay on the terms directed by the Inquiry Committee if it is not satisfactory.
- The Registrant undertakes and consents not to seek reinstatement of registration with the College (or its successor) for a period of two years from the date of the Consent Order.
- Before seeking reinstatement of registration with the College (or its successor), the Registrant must first complete the PROBE (Professional/Problem-Based Ethics) program offered by CPEP at her cost and obtain an unconditional pass and authorize the PROBE Program to release her program results to the College (or its successor).
- In the event the Registrant applies for reinstatement of registration and her application is granted, she undertakes to maintain regular monthly contact with the College (or its successor) by ensuring her email and mailing addresses are current with the College (or its successor) and by checking her email on a monthly basis for communication and contacting the College (or its successor) if she has not received email communications from it within the preceding 30 days.