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  • Central Lambton FHT provides 440 COVID-19 vaccines, hopeful for more

    The Independent published April 29, 2021

    By Healther Wright, The Independent

    It was all hands on deck as the Central Lambton Family Health Team (CLFHT) hosted a large vaccination clinic at the Greenwood Recreation Centre in Petrolia.

    The town suggested the doctors use the vacant arena to hold a clinic which was first expected to give about 200 people their vaccine against COVID-19. The first batch of doses was spoken for quickly. Lambton Public Health offered another 100 doses and they too, were claimed early.

    By the time the clinic opened Friday, there were 400 doses available. Around 5:30 pm, the health team put out the word there were 40 additional doses available as health team staff were able to get 11 doses out of each vial instead of 10.

    In all, 440 people were given their first dose of the vaccine.

    Executive Director, Sarah Milner, was thrilled with the turnout and the town’s help getting the clinic set up. She said the infrastructure will remain in the hopes more clinics will be possible in the future.

    About 34 per cent of eligible Lambton residents have now had their first vaccine.

    Lambton Public Health said April 22 that 40,103 people have been vaccinated including 2,340 who have had both doses.

    Dr. Sudit Ranade told Lambton County councillors public health is getting a steady supply of about 5,000 doses per week, however the mass vaccination clinic has been scaled back to three days a week. He says it is more efficient to deliver the available doses in three days.

    Read the full article here

  • Central Lambton FHT provides 440 COVID-19 vaccines, hopeful for more

    The Independent published April 29, 2021

    By Healther Wright, The Independent

    It was all hands on deck as the Central Lambton Family Health Team (CLFHT) hosted a large vaccination clinic at the Greenwood Recreation Centre in Petrolia.

    The town suggested the doctors use the vacant arena to hold a clinic which was first expected to give about 200 people their vaccine against COVID-19. The first batch of doses was spoken for quickly. Lambton Public Health offered another 100 doses and they too, were claimed early.

    By the time the clinic opened Friday, there were 400 doses available. Around 5:30 pm, the health team put out the word there were 40 additional doses available as health team staff were able to get 11 doses out of each vial instead of 10.

    In all, 440 people were given their first dose of the vaccine.

    Executive Director, Sarah Milner, was thrilled with the turnout and the town’s help getting the clinic set up. She said the infrastructure will remain in the hopes more clinics will be possible in the future.

    About 34 per cent of eligible Lambton residents have now had their first vaccine.

    Lambton Public Health said April 22 that 40,103 people have been vaccinated including 2,340 who have had both doses.

    Dr. Sudit Ranade told Lambton County councillors public health is getting a steady supply of about 5,000 doses per week, however the mass vaccination clinic has been scaled back to three days a week. He says it is more efficient to deliver the available doses in three days.

    The clinic has the capacity to deliver 2,500 per day.

    A number of weekly data points from public health show a downward trend in the pandemic in Lambton. The region now has 59 cases of COVID-19 for every 100,000 people – that’s down from 68 last week. However it is still in the red or grey lockdown region of the provincial reopening framework.

    Officials say 1.9 per cent of the tests being done are now positive; that’s down from 2.8 per cent last week.

    Dr. David Williams told reporters Thursday, after the number of new cases dipped below 3,700, that while Ontario is in a “precarious position.

    “All indications show we might be starting to bend the curve a bit, there has not been enough time yet, but we’re just starting to see the effect of the stay-at-home order, but we’re not there yet.”

     

    Read the full article here

  • Pause of first doses of AstraZeneca/COVIDSHIELD Update

    Pause of first doses of AstraZeneca/COVIDSHIELD Update

    In This Issue:

    • Pause of first doses of AstraZeneca/COVIDSHIELD Update
    • mRNA Vaccines in Primary Care
    • Ontario Matching Portal
    • COVID-19 vaccination clinic workflow and mass upload tips & tricks
    • Community of Practice: Primary Care Participation
    • COVID@Home
    • A Big Thank You!

    Dear Members,

    You have probably already heard that the Ontario government announced on May 11th that primary care and pharmacy are to pause on the further use of the AstraZeneca (AZ)/COVISHIELD COVID-19 vaccines as first doses to eligible individuals. This announcement was made out of an abundance of caution and after carefully reviewing cases of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), linked to the AZ vaccine. For the full Ministry announcement please click here.

    There are still so many unknowns around next steps, including if those who received first dose AZ will be eligible to receive a second dose of AZ at a shortened interval if they have certain health conditions or are nearing the mark when they are due for their second dose. We are awaiting direction from the Ministry of Health about what to do and will send information as soon as it is available.

    In the meantime, here are two immediate things you should do if you are administering AZ in your office:

    • Please keep any remaining AZ vaccines in your fridge and safe. More details are coming from the MOH about how these vaccines will be returned or if they can be used with certain populations.
    • Please ensure any patients booked to receive AZ are cancelled. They should be rescheduled to receive a mRNA vaccine when these are available.

    And for many of you who may be getting anxious calls from your patients, here are two documents you can adapt for your practice:

    • Clinic message developed by the Ontario College of Family Physicians that you can send by letter/email to your patients
    • Email developed by Dr. Noah Ivers at Women’s College Hospital that you can also send to patients that have received first dose AZ in your clinics

    Now more than ever, primary care has a critical role to play to strengthen confidence in vaccination. Here are some additional resources you may find helpful:

    mRNA Vaccines in Primary Care

    • Along with other primary care associations, we have been calling for the use of mRNA (Pfizer and Moderna) vaccines in primary care.
    • The province is receiving an increase of Moderna vaccines and by the end of May 60,000 doses of this mRNA vaccine are expected to be delivered across all 34 public health units which will then be provided to primary care settings.
    • The allocation to the public health units is based on per capita population and hot spot areas.
      Do you have any experience with mRNA vaccines in your clinics? We want to hear from you, especially if you have given the Pfizer vaccine so we can highlight the successes in primary care and advocate for more mRNA vaccines in primary care!
      Medical Officers of Health will continue to make decisions around which primary care sites will receive the vaccine to administer and we will provide you updates as they become available.  If you are having trouble connecting with your PHU please let us know and we can try to facilitate.
    • We hope this is a first step, and we will continue to advocate for an expanded role for more primary care practices to be included in the vaccination rollout. We know there are still many patients who need the vaccine who have yet to receive it. And we know we are in the best position in primary care to identify these patients.

    Ontario Matching Portal
    The Ontario Matching Portal (OMP) was created during Wave I to match employers with job seekers interested in supporting the pandemic response. Initially developed to support redeployment of volunteers and health care professionals to Long-Term Care facilities, the portal has now been extended to support the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. With an expansion of use, all health care organizations can now register to use OMP as part of a comprehensive health human resources (HHR) strategy for the COVID-19 vaccination effort. With over 6,023 people who have signed up to support vaccination across the province, your team can register as an organization and access volunteers to help with administration or health care providers to support vaccination within your teams. To learn more see:

    We are talking to the Ministry about hopefully hosting a webinar/didactic walk-through of the Portal for our teams but in the meantime, please let us know if you have any questions.  

    COVID-19 vaccination clinic workflow and mass upload tips & tricks
    As we had noted in this week’s Bits & Pieces newsletter, we are pleased to have launched two new resources for teams to help with workflow in their clinics. As teams move from pilot COVID-19 vaccination clinics to mass vaccination clinics, drive-thru vaccination clinics and in-clinic vaccinations, we have put together a document geared towards the Super User, with some tips and tricks. With a big thank you to Windsor FHT, Hamilton FHT, Upper Grand FHT, London FHT and many more this document summarizes some of the lessons learned. 

    We have also put together a Mass Client Upload Workflow document in collaboration with the QI in PC Council, with tips and tricks for data extraction, manipulation, and upload.You can also read more in last week’s eBulletin.

    Community of Practice: Primary Care Participation
    Just a reminder that you can join the Primary Care Vaccine Quality Improvement Support Group Webinar Series Community of Practice being led by Ontario Health in partnership with the Primary Care Collaborative and OMA. This CoP covers very practical tips and suggestions on how to set up your vaccination sites as we look at further primary care sites participating in vaccination.

    COVID@Home
    You would have received an email from the Ministry today with a reminder about the COVID@Home program. As we are still waiting for answers to some of our questions from our April 23rd COVID@Home webinar, just a reminder that Ontario Health is providing tools and resources for COVID@Home to interprofessional primary care teams.

    COVID@Home aims to help primary care providers and interprofessional teams to remotely monitor their patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 in the community safely. If you have an already existing remote monitoring program in your region, please continue to support those local efforts – this program is to help address any gaps that may be in existence.

    Information about COVID@Home, including clinical and escalation pathways, can be found here and the following link will enable you to order oxygen saturation monitors at no cost. Ontario Health is holding Community of Practice meetings Wednesday mornings from 8:00 am – 9:00 am if you would like to learn more, ask questions, and hear from teams doing this work. You can register for the meeting series and attend as able.

    A Big Thank You!
    We know how hard primary care worked to get as many #NeedlesInArms over the last few months and the tremendous amount of work that goes into counselling and educating your patients before vaccinating. Thank you for all that you do and please let us know what is going on in your team so we can highlight when we meet with government.

    We look forward to continually updating you on the provincial vaccination strategy. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or ideas.

    Yours in good health,

    The AFHTO Team

  • Bits & Pieces: nursing week, EMR audit materials, vaccination workflow and more

    Bits & Pieces: nursing week, EMR audit materials, vaccination workflow and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Nursing Week
    • EMR/EHR Auditing Obligations video and materials
    • COVID-19 vaccination clinic workflow and mass upload tips & tricks
    • Member stories
    • High-risk healthcare workers to get second dose sooner, VITT guidance and more
    • IPHCC youth-produced social media and video series on vaccine promotion
    • Message for pregnant individuals about the COVID-19 vaccine
    • KTE webinars on hold
    • Respiratory Health Forum – call for expression of interest
    • Upcoming events including primary care vaccine QI support and more

     

    Thank You Nurses with red chocolate hearts and red paper hearts

    Nursing Week

    It’s Nursing Week so we’re extending a heartfelt THANK-YOU to nurses in primary care teams. This week, we’re recognizing your dedication to your patients, your teams and your community during the pandemic and beyond. You can join with #NursingWeek2021.

     

     

     

    Privacy audits webinar title slide

     

    EMR/EHR Auditing Obligations video and materials
    On May 7 we held an hour and a half webinar with Kate Dewhirst Law to better understand the obligations to audit EMR and EHRs. Video, slides, and an audit report sample are now available here.

     

     

    COVID-19 vaccination clinic workflow and mass upload tips & tricks

    COVID-19 vaccination clinic workflow cover data & emr edition tips & tricks

    COVID-19 vaccination mass client upload workflow

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    As teams move from pilot COVID-19 vaccination clinics to mass vaccination clinics, drive-thru vaccination clinics and in-clinic vaccinations, we have put together a document geared towards the Super User, with some tips and tricks. Learning from the experience of Windsor FHT, Hamilton FHT, Upper Grand FHT, London FHT and many more we have summarized the key learnings for you!

    We have also put together a Mass Client Upload Workflow document in collaboration with the QI in PC Council, with tips and tricks for data extraction, manipulation, and upload. Read more in last week’s eBulletin.

    Member stories

    Elliot Lake FHT – Elliott Lake FHT to get Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

    Guelph FHT – “I got my COVID-19 vaccine to keep my community safe”: Health Care Providers addressing vaccine hesitancy

    Hamilton FHT– Hamilton opens AstraZeneca vaccine walk-in for ages 40 and up

    Owen Sound FHT – Grey Bruce – COVID-19 Vaccines for Homebound Residents

    Prime Care FHT – Milton clinic offers COVID-19 vaccine for Ontarians 40 and up

    You can share your own stories with our member initiative webform. If you have any questions, please email us at info@afhto.ca.

    High-risk healthcare workers to get second dose sooner, VITT guidance and more

    Recent updates include:

    We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:

    IPHCC youth-produced social media and video series on vaccine promotion

    The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, in partnership with the National Reconciliation Program at Save the Children, has been leading an Indigenous youth vaccine advocacy program. As part of the program, each of the 20 youth participants has created a 30-40 second video “story” which they will be sharing on social media. Each of the videos includes a brief story explaining how COVID has affected their life, a COVID fact and finishes with their reason for getting vaccinated.
     
    As this is a youth run program, they have created their own social media strategy. The videos are being shared through Facebook stories, Instagram (both as stories and reels), TikTok and other platforms that the youth may choose beginning on Monday May 3. Each participant will be sharing a different video for 20 days to maximize their reach. IPHCC is also sharing the videos on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok. The youth also chose several hashtags to use for the campaign- #SmudgeCOVID #4MyRelations #BrighterFuture and #IndigenousYouth4Vaccine. If you choose to share the content, please use these hashtags so they can monitor the campaigns reach.

    Social media handles are:

    Facebook: @IPHCC.ca
    Instagram: @iphcc.ca
    Twitter: @iphcc_ca
    TikTok: @iphcc

    Message for pregnant individuals about the COVID-19 vaccine

    BORN Ontario Video Collage Language Logo

    Pregnant individuals are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Ontario, and now have a decision to make about getting vaccinated while pregnant. Making sense of information from various sources can be difficult. There is an urgent need to deliver COVID-19 messages from reliable sources of information and empower individuals to make an informed choice.
    To this end, pregnancy care providers in Ontario are sharing a unified video message for pregnant individuals, aimed at highlighting the risks of COVID-19 infection in pregnancy (notably the increased likelihood of ICU admission), and at increasing vaccine confidence.

    The message is currently available in English, French and numerous other languages, such as Arabic, Cantonese, Farsi, Mandarin, Spanish, Tamil, Vietnamese, and Yoruba. Please share the link to the video collection with the pregnant people in your care, and the public.

    KTE webinars on hold
    We have had so many great webinars so far this year, but right now we will have a brief pause for May and possibly June as vaccination efforts are expedited. Of course, things can change quickly so please keep up to date by checking our emails. In the meantime, you can catch up with these webinars from the past few months.

    Respiratory Health Forum – call for expression of interest
    The Lung Health Foundation invites those working in primary or community care programs and initiatives related to lung health to submit an expression of interest to present a virtual and interactive presentation at the Respiratory Health Forum on Oct. 13, 2021. Deadline May 28, 2021.

    Choosing Wisely Canada’s Virtual National Meeting, May 12 – 13, 2021
    Remember to register for Choosing Wisely’s 2-day national meeting, in collaboration with the CMA.
    Learn more here.

    Primary Care Vaccine QI Support Group Webinar, May 13, 2021
    Join Ontario Health to learn valuable lessons from pilot sites, gain access to resources, information, and quality improvement tips to assist you in moving forward with your vaccine plans.
    Register here.

    Child & Youth Eating Disorders: Information for Primary Care, May 18 – Jun. 15, 2021
    This special interest ECHO session series will cover:

    • Understanding Eating Disorders and Assessment of Children and Youth with Eating Disorders, May 18, 2021
    • Understanding Medical Implications and Monitoring for Children and Youth with Eating Disorders, June 1, 2021
    • Supporting a Young Person with an Eating Disorder in Primary Care – Tips and Tricks for the Primary Care Provider, June 15, 2021

    For more information, click here.

    CFPC Pivots: May & June 2021

    • The Art And Science Of Medication Optimization For Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction, May 18, 2021
    • At A Loss For Weight Loss? Scaling Down The Evidence For Primary Care, June 8, 2021

    To access the webinar links, click here.

    Project ECHO: Ontario Bariatric Network, Starting June 2, 2021
    Join these OBN Project ECHO Series held by Guelph General Hospital BCOE & The Ottawa Hospital BCOE.
    Find out more here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #107: COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Workflow and Mass Upload Tips & Tricks

    QI in Action eBulletin #107: COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Workflow and Mass Upload Tips & Tricks

    In this Issue:

    • COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Workflow and Mass Upload Tips & Tricks
    • Ontario Health Updates: Quality Standards (QS)
    • Recent Research Publications
    • Upcoming Webinars

     

    COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Workflow and Mass Upload Tips & Tricks

    COVID-19 vaccination clinic workflow cover data & emr edition tips & tricks

     

    As teams move from pilot COVID-19 vaccination clinics to mass vaccination clinics, drive-thru vaccination clinics and in-clinic vaccinations, we have put together a document geared towards the Super User, with some tips and tricks. Learning from the experience of Windsor FHT, Hamilton FHT, Upper Grand FHT, London FHT and many more we have summarized the key learnings for you!

    OntarioMD continues to provide live and recorded series of webinars for the COVaxON system. In addition, it’s recommended to keep an eye on their website for any updates on End to End sessions, EMR Tools and Queries, Job Aids and much more!

     

     

    COVID-19 vaccination mass client upload workflow

     

     

    In collaboration with the QI in PC Council, we have put together a Mass Client Upload Workflow document with tips and tricks for data extraction, manipulation, and upload.

    In addition, to these tips and tricks it is highly recommended to keep an eye on the OntarioMD and eHealth Centre of Excellence Community Portal for up-to-date queries to help identify patient lists for vaccinations.

     

     

     

     

    Ontario Health Updates: Quality Standards (QS)

    Recognizing World Asthma Day (May 5th)

    Asthma is one of the most common chronic conditions in Canada. Two million Ontarians have asthma and an estimated 90% of them have uncontrolled asthma that could be improved by optimizing medication. It’s more important than ever for people with asthma to get the best treatments to prevent emergency room visits for asthma flare-up during the pandemic.

    Ontario Health has also developed placemats based on the Asthma quality standards to support you and your patients living with asthma. The placemat is a quick-reference tool that concisely summarizes key information from the quality standard and can be used by primary care providers to facilitate patient-centered discussions. See the links below to access the asthma placemats:

    EMR Resources for primary care providers
    Ontario Health is making the QS placemats more accessible by supporting their use within electronic medical record (EMR) systems. They have developed EMR user guides to help you access the QS placemats in Accuro and Practice Solutions Suite EMR systems. A step-by-step guide to support OSCAR EMR users will be available soon.

    OH encourages you to share these resources with your colleagues and networks. Please let them know how these resources are being used in the field and in your EMR systems. To share your feedback, please email qualitystandards@hqontario.ca.  

    Research Publications

    Upcoming Webinars:

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #106 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: mental health week, updated Directive #2 Q&A, phase 2 prioritization and more

    Bits & Pieces: mental health week, updated Directive #2 Q&A, phase 2 prioritization and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Mental Health Week
    • Member stories
    • Updated Directive #2 Q&A, phase 2 prioritization, supporting patients with IDD and more
    • Reminder- EMR/EHR Auditing Obligations, May 7, 2021
    • Free seated desk yoga, May 12
    • Mask removal rules for the lunchroom
    • Seeking input on an occupational medicine mentoring program curriculum
    • Patients and caregivers needed for primary health care team policy discussion
    • Upcoming events including NACI recommendations on extended dose intervals and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and more

    CMHA Name it, don't numb it. Child crying with the word 'sad'.

    Mental Health Week

    Mental Health Week is being observed May 3-9, 2021. The theme of this year is understanding our emotions, key during COVID-19 when 40% of Canadians say their mental health has deteriorated since the onset of the pandemic. You can take part and access toolkits at https://mentalhealthweek.ca/.

     

    Staff at Arnprior drive through vaccine clinic processing a patient

     

    Member stories

    Arnprior & District FHT– Arnprior & District FHT, VTAC and COVID-19 vaccination drive through clinics

    Madawaska Valley FHT – Madawaska Valley FHT NPs start their own practice

    You can share your own stories with our member initiative webform. If you have any questions, please email us at info@afhto.ca.

     

     

     

     

     

    Updated Directive #2 Q&A, phase 2 prioritization, supporting patients with IDD and more

    Recent updates include:

    We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:

    Reminder- EMR/EHR Auditing Obligations, May 7, 2021

    Join Kate Dewhirst Law 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. to better understand the obligations to audit EMR and EHRs.  To be discussed:

    • Why do you have to audit?
    • What’s new in the 2020 changes to PHIPA about audits of electronic systems
    • Contractual obligations when signed onto Connecting Ontario platforms or sharing systems with OHT partners or other agencies in your geographic region
    • How often should you audit?
    • What do you have to audit?
    • How do you audit?
    • What tools to use to document your auditing practices

    Register here.

    GoodLife yoga flyer may

     

    Free seated desk yoga, May 12

    On May 12 at 12 noon, GoodLife is offering a free 45-minute virtual seated desk yoga class for healthcare workers. Click on the link in the poster to join. Space is limited so arrive early.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Mask removal rules for the lunchroom
    Per Maria McDonald, McDonald HR law:

    On April 23, 2021, the Government of Ontario introduced new rules about removing masks to eat or drink at work (Regulation 82/20 see section 2 (5.1)).

    Specifically, a person responsible for an organization which is opened shall ensure workers who remove their mask or face covering to eat or drink, are separated from all other people by:
    (a)  a distance of at least two metres; or
    (b)  plexiglass or some other impermeable barrier.

    Please take this into consideration as it relates to your clinics.

    Seeking input on an occupational medicine mentoring program curriculum

    How confident do you feel about identifying a work-related illness, completing a WSIB Form 8, or doing a functional abilities assessment with injured patients?  You can get support on these topics and more through the new Project ECHO Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM) for Ontario healthcare providers. Help tailor the program curriculum by completing a short needs assessment before May 10th. It takes less than 10 minutes, and you could win a $50 gift card. The (free) ECHO OEM program launches this fall.  Take the short survey.

    Patients and caregivers needed for primary health care team policy discussion

    Researchers including Drs. Sharon Johnston (Bruyere/University of Ottawa) and Catherine Donnelly (Queen’s University) are inviting interested patients, family members and caregivers to participate in an online discussion about patient and caregiver involvement in building policies on primary health care teams and applying them.

    This is part of a larger study led by Dr. Nelly Oelke (Nursing, UBC, Okanagan) in four provinces, including British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, to explore Canada’s approaches to improving health system integration. Participants will receive an honorarium for their participation and should RSVP by Wednesday, May 12th, 2021.  Learn more here.

    Recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) on Extended Dose Intervals and Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines, May 5, 2021
    Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) Webinar for Health Care Providers. Register here.

    Project ECHO: Ontario Bariatric Network, Starting May 6 & June 2, 2021
    Join these OBN Project ECHO Series held by Guelph General Hospital BCOE & The Ottawa Hospital BCOE.
    Find out more here.

    OCFP COVID CoP: Variants, the J&J vaccine, VIIT, and more, May 7, 2021
    Learn more about variants of concern, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine & helping patients weigh the risk and benefits of viral vector vaccines in light of Vaccine Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia.
    Register here.

    Choosing Wisely Canada’s Virtual National Meeting, May 12 – 13, 2021
    Remember to register for Choosing Wisely’s 2-day national meeting, in collaboration with the CMA.
    Learn more here.

    Child & Youth Eating Disorders: Information for Primary Care, May 18 – Jun. 15, 2021
    This special interest ECHO session series will cover:

    • Understanding Eating Disorders and Assessment of Children and Youth with Eating Disorders, May 18, 2021
    • Understanding Medical Implications and Monitoring for Children and Youth with Eating Disorders, June 1, 2021
    • Supporting a Young Person with an Eating Disorder in Primary Care – Tips and Tricks for the Primary Care Provider, June 15, 2021

    For more information, click here.

    CFPC Pivots: May & June 2021

    • The Art And Science Of Medication Optimization For Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction, May 18, 2021
    • At A Loss For Weight Loss? Scaling Down The Evidence For Primary Care, June 8, 2021

    To access the webinar links, click here.

  • Ontario government’s paid sick leave legislation doesn’t go far enough

    Ontario government’s paid sick leave legislation doesn’t go far enough

    Shared by the Primary Care Collaborative

    Primary Care Collaborative logos

     

    Ontario government’s paid sick leave legislation doesn’t go far enough and too many workplaces remain open: Workers need protection that provides flexible paid sick leave for illnesses, to self-isolate and to get vaccinated

     

    TORONTO – April 30 – Simply put, this just isn’t enough. As well, far too many workplaces are still classified as “essential” in Ontario, putting workers, their families, and the stability of our health system at risk.

    While we are pleased to see the Ontario government finally recognized paid sick leave is important to the health and safety of Ontario’s essential workers, the Primary Care Collaborative remains concerned that the legislation passed, which gives up to three paid sick days through employers, does not go far enough to protect employees, and may create new barriers to accessing income support benefits. Pressuring people to return to work too soon, and keeping too many businesses “essential” will continue to pressure our health system and lengthen the time it takes to control this wave of infections. 

    Workers need sufficient time to support and recover from COVID-19-related illness, to self-isolate and to get themselves and their families vaccinated. We concur with the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table’s Science Brief on the Benefits of Paid Sick Leave from April 28 that lays out the parameters for what paid sick leave can do to support people to be able to follow public health measures and to get vaccinated. “Paid sick leave can support essential workers in following public health measures. This includes paid time off for essential workers … with guaranteed salary payment regardless of duration of absence (minimum 2 hours, maximum 2 workweeks).”

    The temporary sickness benefit the Ontario government has legislated will only be available until September 25, 2021, to align with the expiry of the federal Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB). As we have advocated publicly for months alongside our health system partners, we are still asking that paid sick leave legislation be made PERMANENT, universal and accessible. Never again should people have to make the difficult choice between having to go to work while sick and being unable to pay bills, support their families or risk losing their jobs. 

    An important first step is recognition of the critical need for paid sick time. However, we can and need to do better for all workers in Ontario. We need a more fulsome plan that will protect everyone, especially essential workers, during this pandemic and beyond as we build back the province stronger than before. And right now, Ontario also needs a narrower definition of “essential workplace” that is limited enough to break chains of transmission and stop further outbreaks. 

    Both limiting this definition of essential and putting in place a comprehensive paid sick leave program are the keys to slowing the spread, lowering the number of illnesses and deaths, and supporting our health system and health care workers.

    See the pdf version here.

  • Arnprior & District FHT, VTAC and COVID-19 vaccination drive through clinics

    Arnprior & District FHT, VTAC and COVID-19 vaccination drive through clinics

    Arnprior & District Family Health Team continues to support COVID-19 efforts

     

    April 23, 2021 – Arnprior & District Family Health Team (ADFHT) has been hard at work supporting local residents in addressing their needs as a result of the pandemic.    

    ADFHT is one of the key partner organizations taking the administrative lead in launching the Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre’s (VTAC) virtual bookings. This initiative was launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and is a partnership between ADFHT, Arnprior Regional Health (the hospital), Renfrew County Paramedics and the Renfrew County and District Health Unit.   

    2 health care workers at a patient's car

    VTAC was established to strengthen access to healthcare for all residents of Renfrew County during the pandemic so that the Emergency Departments and 9-1-1 services are reserved for genuine emergencies.

    This is done through having medical receptionists, family physicians/nurse practitioners on call through VTAC to provide assessment, treatment and the booking of COVID testing. 

    Remote monitoring of individuals at home who don’t require hospitalization but can be monitored and treated at home is also arranged and supported through VTAC. VTAC has both a live phone line that can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and also an online booking system to support individuals needing a covid test.

    The ADFHT employs all the receptionists, schedules all the testing, provides the back end administrative support, provides 24/7 management coverage, trouble shooting, manages urgent requests from the Health Unit related to testing and coordinates the physician schedules. Some of these costs are reimbursed through Assessment Centre funding provided to ARH by Ontario Health.

    cars at drive thru in arnprior

    In addition to the success of VTAC’s virtual bookings, ADFHT has also taken on a co-lead role in the COVID-19 Vaccination efforts, helping to organize and lead both Drive Through and onsite clinics for vaccination.

    The Drive Through Clinics are now being held in Arnprior every Thursday and  there are people all across the County and beyond who travel to the drive through clinics to experience the drive through model of vaccination. In the last two weeks alone, over 1,500 patients have been vaccinated in two drive through clinics.

     

    ADFHT, Arnprior Regional Health and County of Renfrew Paramedic Service continue to demonstrate the essential role of primary care in Arnprior while working in collaboration to support our local needs.

    overhead view of drive thru clinic

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Relevant Links:

  • April 27th Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Roll Out

    In This Issue:

    • Introduction including Ontario Science Table brief
    • Responding to Patient Concerns About the AstraZeneca Vaccine
    • Message from Ontario Health (Cancer Care) – Guidance for Primary Care & General Medical Imaging for Vaccine-related Adenopathy
    • COVaxON
    • Primary Care Community of Practice
    • New and Updated Resources

    Dear Members,
    We are writing to provide you with an update from our united Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Collaborative (PC-VAC*).  

    We know the last few weeks have been exceptionally challenging and you are all exhausted – we all share in your anger and frustration with how poor policy decisions have led us to this devastating third wave, but we are continually inspired with how much primary care continues to step up and support your patients, your community, your colleagues, and the health care system.

    Whether it’s pivoting to supporting vaccination or continuing with in-person care to prevent people going to hospitals, working in the assessment centres or, more recently, managing COVID@Home, primary care has been at the cornerstone of this pandemic.

    This brief from Ontario’s Science Table lays out very clearly the six things that will reduce transmission, protect our health care system, and allow us to re-open safely as soon as possible. As the Primary Care Collaborative we support these principles – specifically for fair, evidence-based measures that will limit the risk of illness for workers and their families, and to provide tools to help overcome other barriers to vaccination, such as hesitancy.

    While we also welcome the government walk back on the potential of introducing paid sick days, we still do not know any details on this. So, as we wait on details we are also requesting still further clarity on some of the additional measures that have been introduced. We will share more information as it becomes available.

    On April 23rd, the Ministry added Pregnant Individuals under the highest risk conditions in the Phase 2 prioritization guidance. While we wait for the updated Prioritization Guidance Document to reflect this change, you can read the memo that was sent to the PHUs from Dr. Dirk Huyer, Lead, Clinical Guidance and Surveillance Workstream. Additional updated information can be found below.

    Responding to Patient Concerns About the AstraZeneca Vaccine
    The OMA has developed key messages to help physicians address patient concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine, including the rare occurrence of vaccine-induced prothrombotic immune thrombocytopenia (VIPIT).

    The Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table has developed guidance for VIPIT for both Emergency Medicine/In-Patient Settings and Outpatient Settings, including a triage flowchart for diagnosis and recommendations for management. A lay summary is also available for physicians to refer to when speaking with their patients.

    Thrombosis Canada has put together this FAQ on COVID-19 vaccines and blood clots.

    OCFP has developed a message that can be used/adapted by your practice to update patients on use of the AZ vaccine, including questions about safety. The CEP also has tips for conversations  with your patients.

    NACI updated its recommendations on the use of authorized COVID-19 vaccines to incorporate its analysis of a rare but serious safety signal of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), following vaccination with the AstraZeneca vaccine. Also released was a summary of the  vaccine statement and the CCMOH also followed-up with a statement.

    Message from Ontario Health (Cancer Care) – Guidance for Primary Care & General Medical Imaging for Vaccine-related Adenopathy
    Axillary adenopathy has been reported as a common side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine. Due to the mass vaccination underway, it is expected to be increasingly found in breast and other imaging. Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) has developed guidance for primary care on COVID-19 vaccine-related adenopathy. The guidance provides recommendations on management of adenopathy detected during breast screening, general medical imaging, and patient detected adenopathy.

    COVaxON
    If you will be vaccinating in your clinic or would like to in the next phases of the rollout, we encourage you to sign up for COVaxON training on the OntarioMD website. Training will be scheduled on an ongoing basis. OntarioMD is suggesting that each practice have one or more (depending on the size of practice) member of their staff trained on the ‘End to End Training’ module.

    Primary Care Community of Practice
    Ontario Health (OH) and your primary care associations have collected resources and lessons learned through a series of Community of Practice meetings with the primary care pilot participants.

    Please join the Primary Care Vaccination CoP online forum for resources. If you have trouble signing up for Quorum, please message janine.theben@ontarioehealth.ca for assistance.

    If you’re participating in vaccination efforts and would like to learn from other primary care sites that are currently vaccinating please register for upcoming webinars. You can view the recording from the April 22 Community of Practice here.

    New and Updated Resources

    “Safer” vaccination site for those who are uninsured

    • Uninsured Network is developing a list of “safer” vaccination sites where migrants including undocumented residents can receive access to the vaccine in a safe, dignified way. Organizations and practices standing up vaccination sites can fill out their Declaration: Access Without Fear Access to Vaccines in Ontario form online if they are interested in implementing the recommended practices (as listed on the form), and be listed/promoted as a “safer” vaccination site.

    Multilingual resources

    • riomix.ca is a collaborative, centralized, and accessible repository of translated materials and multilingual websites relating to health and community care and support from Access Alliance. The resource library includes but is not limited to COVID-19 materials.

    Find resources from previous weeks here.

    We look forward to continually updating you on the provincial vaccination strategy. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or ideas.

    Yours in good health,

    The AFHTO Team

    *Ontario Primary Care COVID-19 Vaccination Collaborative Partners 

    • Alliance for Healthier Communities
    • Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
    • Indigenous Primary Health Care Council
    • Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association
    • Ontario College of Family Physicians
    • Ontario Medical Association Section on General and Family Practice
    • Ontario’s Academic Chairs of Family Medicine
  • Bits & Pieces:Doctors’ Day, identify patients in hot spots and more

    Bits & Pieces:Doctors’ Day, identify patients in hot spots and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Doctors’ Day May 1, 2021
    • New EMR postal code search helps identify patients in hot spots
    • Member stories
    • Key messages to address AstraZeneca concerns and more
    • Respiratory Care During COVID-19 slides and video
    • Community Health Equity Builders program
    • 2021 census update
    • Upcoming events including EMR/EHR auditing obligations and more

     

    Doctors' Day MAY 1 9PM SHINE A LIGHT FOR ALL THEY DO

     

    Doctors’ Day May 1, 2021

    On Saturday, May 1st at 9:00 p.m., OMA is asking Ontarians to Shine A Light For All They Do. Ontarians can show their appreciation for doctors’ service during the pandemic by turning on their phone flashlights and holding them high.

    You can spread the word and share the picture above with hashtags #DoctorsDay & #ShineALightForThem through your channels. You can also find out more at www.doctorsday.ca.

     

     

     

    New EMR postal code search helps identify patients in hot spots

    Today the eHealth Centre of Excellence deployed a new EMR search that will help primary care providers quickly identify patients in hot spot communities who are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by post code.

    This search can also be found on their community portal. Visit their site to learn more.

    Member stories

    Central Lambton FHT:

    Rideau FHT –Ottawa family doctors vaccinate hundreds at drive-thru clinic

    You can share your own vaccination stories with our member initiative webform. If you have any questions, please email us at info@afhto.ca.

    Key messages to address AstraZeneca concerns and more

    Recent updates include:

    We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:

    lung health webinar apr 21

     

    Respiratory Care During COVID-19 slides and video

    On April 21, 2021 we held a webinar co-hosted with the Lung Health Foundation which reflected on best practices & considerations for diagnosing and managing lung diseases during the pandemic.
    Slides and video are now available

     

     

    Join today and be a part of the movement for health equity!

    Community Health Equity Builders program

    The Alliance for Healthier Communities is launching its new Community Health Equity Builders program. Individuals and organizations who support health equity can join the movement for a small fee, and gain access to resources, discounted conference and learning session admissions, and get the chance to access primary care research developments and networking events.

    The Alliance has designed the program to be an important tool for sharing information, resources, research, and stories of health equity. It’s also a way to expand, enliven and strengthen the collective voice for health equity. Learn more and join the Community Health Equity Builder program, and be part of the movement for the best possible health and wellbeing for everyone.

    2021 census update

    2021 census collection will begin on May 3, 2021. They have developed the Community Supporter Toolkit and brought together products and resources to help organizations spread the word. And as previously mentioned, for any team whose community has been affected by job losses due to COVID, they are still hiring.

    Primary Care Vaccine QI Support Group Webinar Series, April 22- May 13, 2021

    Join Ontario Health to learn valuable lessons from pilot sites, gain access to resources, information and quality improvement tips to assist you in moving forward with your vaccine plans.

    Register here

    A Deep Dive into Co-Designing Care Models for your Priority Populations, May 6, 2021
    The RISE OHT webcasts will show how your OHT can re-design care for patients in your priority populations, and help every patient in those populations experience coordinated transitions between providers.
    Learn more here.

     EMR/EHR auditing obligations, May 7, 2021

    Join Kate Dewhirst Law to better understand the obligations to audit EMR and EHRs. Learn more here.

    McMaster University Review Course in Psychiatry, May 27-28, 2021
    Hosted by Continuing Professional Development, McMaster University and accredited. Find out more here.