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Anti-discrimination and health equity

We are committed to dismantling discrimination and advancing equity to ensure the public can access safe, inclusive oral healthcare.

At BCCOHP, we are committed to ensuring patients and the public in BC have access to safe oral health care delivered by competent professionals. Anti-discrimination and health equity are an area of strategic focus outlined in our 2024-27 Strategic Plan.  

Not everyone in BC experiences the health system the same way. Differences in access to care, information, and support can lead to unequal health outcomes. Health equity means ensuring everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve their best health.

Our work to embed health equity and anti-discrimination in BC’s healthcare sector 

As a health regulator, we work to protect the public from discrimination and promote equity by identifying and removing systemic barriers in health care.  

Additionally, we recognize that trauma—whether individual, collective, intergenerational, or systemic—impacts how people experience health care and regulation. We work to integrate trauma-informed and trauma-responsive approaches into the ways we regulate. 

Guided by our 2024–27 Strategic Plan, we embed anti-discrimination measures across our policies, processes, and governance. This includes a commitment to human rights and preventing discrimination based on race, gender identity, disability, and other protected grounds. 

Our dedicated work on Indigenous cultural safety and reconciliation is a key part of our broader commitment to equity and justice. Learn more >> 

Who’s listening? 

Rachel Gallo, Senior Policy & Projects Manager, rachel.gallo@oralhealthbc.ca.   

Key initiatives 

  • Policy and systems review: Identifying and removing discriminatory practices and policies embedded in BCCOHP’s internal and external regulatory operations.  
  • Support for oral health professionals: Developing expectations, resources, and training to help oral health professionals recognize and act on discrimination and inequity in patient care.  
    • Principle 3 of our new Professional Standards for the Oral Health Team explicitly requires oral health professionals to “be culturally aware, equitable, and inclusive” in their practice.  
  • Inclusive engagement: Ensuring that diverse community voices shape policies, and that barriers to accessing BCCOHP services and processes are dismantled. 
  • Organizational culture: Building a safe, inclusive environment within BCCOHP that upholds anti-racism and anti-discrimination principles through recruitment, retention and staff training.  
  • Data-informed action: Establishing a framework for collecting and using demographic data to inform ongoing improvements and accountability. 

Anti-discrimination, equity and reconciliation  

At BCCOHP, we are taking meaningful and measurable action to embed anti-discrimination, equity, and reconciliation (ADER) into all aspects of our work. We are committed to building a regulatory system that is equitable, culturally safe and responsive, and free of discrimination. 

Why this matters  

Not everyone in BC experiences the health system the same way. Differences in access to care, information, and support can lead to unequal health outcomes. Health equity means ensuring everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve their best health.   

The ADER Project aligns with the mandates of the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA), which emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the public from harm and discrimination. This includes implementing specific anti-discrimination measures in regulatory oversight and health service provision, with a particular focus on eliminating Indigenous-specific racism and prioritizing Indigenous rights within BCCOHP’s regulatory framework and health programs.  

Objectives  

We aim to:  

  • Confront and dismantle systemic discrimination within regulatory policies and practices  
  • Build culturally safe, trauma-responsive, and equity-oriented processes in oral health care  
  • Advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples through distinctions-based, rights-affirming approaches  
  • Transform governance, decision-making, and accountability structures to centre justice, equity, and community trust 
     

As part of our commitment to health equity, BCCOHP runs a research program to obtain insights from patients and members of the public: the Voice of the Oral Health Patient. Use the interactive tools below to explore our research insights:  

Voice of Patient Dashboard >>  

Oral Health Equity Dashboard >>  


Note: the values in the dashboard are an average of the data points year on year.  

This research helps us better understand the diverse experiences and barriers faced by the public as it relates oral health care in BC. We are committed to using these findings to improve access to safe, competent care that promotes equitable outcomes for all. 

Our anti-discrimination and equity work is grounded in law and guided by strategy. 

Consistent with sections 14 and 15 of the Health Professions and Occupations Act and with provincial and federal human rights legislation, BCCOHP is committed to preventing and eliminating discrimination on the basis of race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, political belief, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and age. 

In alignment with these obligations and our strategic commitment to health equity, we are integrating anti-discrimination and equity measures across all areas of our regulatory work by: 

  • Embedding equity-informed expectations into standards, policies, and decision-making processes 
  • Building capacity across staff, board, and committees to recognize and address systemic inequities 
  • Removing structural barriers to access and participation for oral health professionals and the public 
  • Ensuring that regulatory oversight, complaints processes, and governance practices are inclusive, procedurally fair, and transparent 

This work reflects BCCOHP’s strategic focus on eliminating harm, advancing equity, and ensuring that all individuals can access safe, inclusive oral health care. Discrimination—whether direct or systemic—undermines public trust, causes real harm, and contributes to inequitable outcomes. Addressing it is central to our mandate to regulate in the public interest. 

  • BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner – Educational Sessions 
    The Office offers free online sessions, including “Introduction to Systemic Discrimination” and “Systemic Discrimination: What We Can Do,” aimed at helping individuals recognize and address systemic inequities in various sectors. 
    🔗 Learn more and register bchumanrights.ca
  • BC’s Human Rights System – Workshops and Trainings 
    This platform provides access to workshops and learning sessions on topics such as B.C.’s Human Rights Code, systemic discrimination, and more, tailored for various audiences.    🔗 Access workshops and resources  
  • Call It Out: Racism, Racial Discrimination and Human Rights 
    A free, 30-minute interactive eCourse by the Ontario Human Rights Commission, providing foundational knowledge on racism and human rights protections. 
    Access the course  
  • Athabasca University’s Free Course on Anti-Indigenous Racism in Health Care 
    A MOOC addressing health disparities by exploring the roots of anti-Indigenous racism and strategies for advocacy and allyship. 
    Enroll here  
  • Oral Healthcare Disparities in Canada: Filling in the Gaps 
    An equity-focused commentary highlighting challenges in accessing dental care among vulnerable populations in Canada. 
    Read the article 
  • Discrimination and Access to Dental Care: What Can the Dental Profession Do? 
    An article exploring how discrimination manifests within the dental profession and its impact on access to care. 
    View the publication  
  • British Columbia Human Rights Code 
    This foundational legislation prohibits discrimination in areas such as employment, housing, and services based on race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and age. 🔗 Read the full Code  
  • Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA), Sections 14 & 15 
    The HPOA governs the regulation of health professions in British Columbia, emphasizing principles like public protection from harm and discrimination, reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and the promotion of anti-discrimination measures. 
  • Anti-Racism Data Act
    The Anti-Racism Data Act, enacted in British Columbia in 2022, empowers public bodies to voluntarily collect and use demographic data to identify and eliminate systemic racism and advance racial equity in pubic services.
    Read the full Act and Learn more about the Act
  • Canadian Human Rights Act 
    Establishes federal protections against discrimination based on race, gender, disability, and other grounds. 
    Read the full Act  
  • Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms 
    Guarantees equality rights, prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal benefit and protection under the law. 
    Learn more about equality rights  
  • Human Rights in the Provision of Health Services – CPSO Policy 
    Outlines physicians’ obligations to provide health services without discrimination, emphasizing cultural humility and safety. 
    View the policy.