Provincial Pandemic PPE Transitional Support Program Announcement

This email was sent to EDs/Administrative Leads, Board Chairs and Lead Clinicians of AFHTO member organizations.
 
From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic primary, community and mental health care organizations have struggled with a reliable supply chain in accessing personal protective equipment (PPE). Further to that, costs have increased substantially and as sectors started to ramp up their in-person care, there have also been delays on when PPE is received.
 
We have flagged this issue constantly with the Ministry and Ontario Health and earlier this year we sent an open letter to the Minister with our colleagues at the Ontario College of Family Physicians and the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario, encouraging the Ministry to streamline procurement and distribution of PPE so that primary care providers are not left on their own to find the supplies they need to provide safe care to their patients.
 
We are pleased that the Ministry and Ontario Health have heard the concerns of the non-acute sectors and have now developed a provincial pandemic PPE transitional support program. This program is to support Primary Care, Community-based Physician Specialists and Community Health providers, providing them with enough PPE to meet their re-opening needs without the expectation that those providers first attempt to source PPE through their regular supply chain.
 
There is no charge for accessing the PPE which will be distributed through the Ontario Health regions. At the moment there is no timeline of how long this program will be in effect, but it is available now to help organizations with their in-person fall/winter planning.
 
Through this program, the following types of PPE can be requested:

• Surgical Masks
• Gloves
• Gowns (one-time use)
• Hand Sanitizer
• Face Shields
• Disinfectant Wipes

For more information please see attached:

• Memo about the program from Mel Fraser, Associate Deputy Minister of Health
• Memo about the program from Mel Fraser, Associate Deputy Minister of Health (FR)
• A how-to document for completing the Remedy Intake Form (this is how you will need to order the PPE)
• A Frequently Asked Questions document
• A Frequently Asked Questions document (FR)
• A “Health-How-to Guide” for completing the Critical Supplies and Equipment survey/responding to the virtual inventory

If you have any questions, please contact your Regional PPE Lead: