Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Care for Specific Populations

  • QI in Action eBulletin #109: Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards

    QI in Action eBulletin #109: Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards

    In this Issue:

    • Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards
    • Tip Sheets for Primary Care Providers
    • Breast Screening
    • Cervical Screening
    • Colorectal Cancer Screening
    • Ontario Health’s Screening Activity Report
    • EMR Tips to Help you Resume Cancer Screening
    • Upcoming Webinars

    Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards

    Check out our recent Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards webinar co-hosted by AFHTO, The Alliance for Healthier Communities, the Ontario College of Family Physicians, the Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics Association and Ontario Health, hosted on June 21, 2021.

    Learn some practical tips and examples on resuming cancer screening from our speakers:

    • Dr. Ed Kucharski, Family Physician, Regional Primary Care Lead (Toronto Central)
    • Dr. Jennifer Rayner, Director of Research and Evaluation, Alliance for Healthier Communities
    • Diana Noel, Executive Director, Village Family Health Team
    • Teresa Wetselaar, NP, West Parry Sound Health Centre
    • Dr. Neil Naik, Family Physician, Interim Regional Primary Care Lead (Waterloo Wellington)

    Cancer screening webinar title slide

    Content below developed by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)

    Tip Sheets for Primary Care Providers

    Ontario’s health care system has been significantly impacted by COVID-19 and these impacts will be felt for a while. Cancer screening was paused in March 2020 because of the pandemic, and gradually started to resume after the Chief Medical Officer of Health’s Directive 2 for healthcare providers was amended in late May 2020.

    Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) runs the province’s organized cancer screening programs, the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP), the Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OCSP) and ColonCancerCheck (CCC). Ontario Health released Tip Sheets on gradually starting up breast, colorectal and cervical screening in June 2020, and most recently, has updated and streamlined the Tip Sheet for primary care providers. Tip Sheets have also been developed for OBSP sites, colposcopy, and endoscopy. Guidance in the Tip Sheets is based on the best available evidence as well as expert opinion.

    As we begin the process of system recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, here are some tips based on Ontario Health’s guidance to help you make decisions about how to resume screening for your patients. Please contact Ontario Health if you have any questions: cancerinfo@ontariohealth.ca.

    1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in her lifetime

    Breast Screening
    For most people at average risk of breast cancer, routine breast screening is a mammogram every two years for people ages 50 to 74.  If capacity is limited in your area, OBSP sites have been asked to focus on the following groups and you can support by encouraging these patients to be screened:

    • High Risk OBSP participants
    • People at average risk who have never been screened before
    • Average risk participants who have been told to rescreen in one year

    The Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) website has more information on the current routine breast cancer screening guidelines.

    Know the facts- cervical cancer is almost always preventable

    Cervical Screening
    If someone comes to your office and they are due for cervical screening, the OCSP suggests screening them. Routine cervical screening every three years with cervical cytology (Pap test) is recommended for people with a cervix. While formal OCSP guidelines currently recommend starting screening at age 21, Ontario Health encourages primary care providers to start cervical screening for patients at age 25 in alignment with best new evidence.  

    OCSP guidelines will be formally updated with the implementation of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in the OCSP. Routine cervical screening can stop at age 70 for people with three or more normal cytology tests in the previous 10 years.

    If you are unable to provide routine cervical screening, people at elevated risk for cervical cancer should be prioritized because they need annual screening. Examples of people at elevated risk include anyone who is:

    • Discharged from colposcopy with persistent low-grade cytology
    • Discharged from colposcopy with an HPV-positive test and a normal or low-grade cytology
    • Immunocompromised (e.g., HIV positive)

    Colposcopy services have also resumed. To make sure people at the highest risk for cervical cancer are able to get timely colposcopy appointments, it is recommended that primary care providers refer patients with:

    • a single high grade cytologic abnormality (e.g., HSIL+, AIS) or
    • two consecutive low grade cytologic abnormalities (e.g., LSIL, ASCUS).

    Patients with a single low grade cytologic abnormality should be re-screened in primary care in approximately 12 months with cytology. As a reminder, any patient that is positive for HPV strains 16 or 18 should be referred to colposcopy, regardless of cytology result.

    Colorectal Cancer Screening

    9 out of 10 people can be cured if colon cancer is caught early

    Routine screening with the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) should be done every two years for people ages 50 to 74 with no first-degree relatives diagnosed with colorectal cancer. 
    If you have limited capacity for screening, CCC recommends focusing your screening efforts on people over the age of 60.

    Here are some tips for sending in FIT requisitions to prevent delays:

     

    fit for colon cancer

    • Please do not batch fax requisitions as this can lead to errors and subsequent delays
    • Ensure that your patient’s mailing address information is correct including apartment numbers
    • Do not send repeat orders until at least 4 to 6 weeks have passed to allow for processing and mailing time
    • To request a replacement kit for your patient, ensure that the replacement kit checkbox near the top of the requisition is marked and submit the new requisition to LifeLabs

    Referrals to colonoscopy can also be resumed, especially for patients with an abnormal FIT result, patients who are at increased risk for colorectal cancer, or patients who are eligible for post-polypectomy surveillance with colonoscopy.

    As a reminder, patients with a previous low risk adenomas (1 to 2 tubular adenoma(s) <10mm in diameter with no high-grade dysplasia) should return to average risk screening with FIT five years after their colonoscopy instead of continued surveillance with colonoscopy. You can find out more about the current colorectal cancer screening recommendations on our website.

    Ontario Health’s Screening Activity Report
    The Screening Activity Report (SAR) is an online tool available to primary care physicians who practice as part of a patient enrolment model (PEM), or to non-patient enrolment model physicians and nurses who practice in the Sioux Lookout Municipality and Sioux Lookout Zone (27 First Nation communities).

    The SAR provides screening data for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers and can help to improve screening participation by identifying patients who are eligible for screening or require follow-up tests. Physicians can also view a comparison of their screening rates to other registered PEM physicians in their region.

    As we recover from COVID-19 in the coming months, and catch up on preventive care like cancer screening, a tool like the SAR can support your practice. The SAR uses ONE® ID to authenticate users; for more information on how to register visit our website.

     

    SAR chart and graph

    EMR Tips to Help you Resume Cancer Screening
    In fall 2020, Ontario Health partnered with OntarioMD on a blog on EMR tips to help primary care start to screen patients again for cancer. The blog includes tips to identify higher-priority patients for cancer screening in your EMR systems and can be found here.

    Upcoming Webinars:

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #108 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: conference call for volunteers, guidance for vaccinated people and more

    Bits & Pieces: conference call for volunteers, guidance for vaccinated people and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • AFHTO 2021 Conference: create YOUR virtual conference. Sign up by July 8
    • Guidance for vaccinated people, aggregate primary care vaccination report and more
    • Space available in HPCO Virtual Compassion Care Community Centre programs
    • Evaluation of online tool for occupational hand dermatitis
    • Shaping PSHSA 2021-24 strategic plan
    • OLTCA invitation to submit an abstract
    • Upcoming events regarding PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support and more

     

    Post-Pandemic Primary Care: Respond, Recover, Rebuild

    AFHTO 2021 Conference: create YOUR virtual conference. Sign up by July 8

    You can make an impact by joining a working group today. Come behind the scenes and be the first to learn about new developments in the field, influence conference programming and discover the latest innovators in areas directly relevant to your work. Working group members also receive a discount off their registration fee. Find out about our themes and sign up by July 8! Call for poster abstracts also coming soon.

    Guidance for vaccinated people, aggregate primary care vaccination report and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Space available in HPCO Virtual Compassion Care Community Centre programs

    Recognizing the need for virtual support for seniors, caregivers, hospice volunteers and people isolated at home, Hospice Palliative Care Ontario’s Virtual Compassion Care Community Center (VCCCC) delivers free education and support programs and activities through both virtual and telephone options. The goal is to provide a safe, comfortable, and interactive setting to encourage social support and connections.

    They have the capacity to accept new participants and collaborate with other partners to reach a wide array of participants that might require this service. A few programs include the Grief Support Group, Advance Care Planning education, and the Caregiving for Serious Illness and End-of-Life series. Visit the VCCCC for a detailed list of all the programs. If you have any questions, please contact Tomilola John at tomilola.john@hpco.ca or Bolaji Idowu at bolaji.idowu@hpco.ca.

    Evaluation of online tool for occupational hand dermatitis

    Healthcare workers have many potential hazards in your workplace that can affect your skin and cause skin disease. The Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease (CRE-OD) and Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA) are looking for healthcare workers to participate in an online research study evaluating an online learning module for occupational hand dermatitis. For more information visit their site.

    Shaping PSHSA 2021-24 strategic plan

    Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA) is seeking insight as they develop their 2021-24 Strategic Plan. In particular, they have two important questions:

    • What lessons have you learned through COVID-19 about making, and keeping, health and safety a priority?   And reflecting on those lessons:
    • How do you think your approach to injury and illness prevention will change going forward?

    You can access their survey here until July 6, 2021.

    OLTCA invitation to submit an abstract

    Taking place October 26 & 27, the Ontario Long Term Care Association’s (OLTCA) This is Long Term Care 2021 Virtual Conference: Disruptive Impact & Transformative Change seeks to highlight emerging opportunities, research, and innovations that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can submit an abstract or learn more here. Deadline July 12.

    PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14, 2021

    Co-hosted with Couple HOPES, join this webinar with Dr. Candice Monson, Professor of Psychology at Ryerson University, Director of the IMPACT psychology research lab, and Registered Clinical Psychologist as she discusses PTSD and relationships.
    Register here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP,  July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.

    COVID-19 CoP for Ontario Family Physicians, July 9, 2021
    Hosted by the Family and Community Medicine Department at the University of Toronto and the OCFP. Register here.

    ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) at CHEO, September 7, 2021 – February 15, 2022
    Learn how ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) at CHEO can help you better care for children and youth. Limited spots available. Find out more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: PTSD, relationships & accessible supports, farewell to Rachel and more

    Bits & Pieces: PTSD, relationships & accessible supports, farewell to Rachel and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14
    • Farewell to Rachel So
    • Attn: Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk only available live
    • Call for applications to Indigenous and expanded midwifery programs
    • Member stories
    • Q&A for mixed COVID-19 mRNA vaccine schedules and more
    • COVID@Home: winding down of distribution pathways for oxygen saturation monitors
    • Mental health of northern Ontario nurses working during COVID-19 study
    • Upcoming events regarding providing care to 2SLGBTQ persons and more

    PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14

    Co-hosted with Couple HOPES, join this webinar with Dr. Candice Monson, Professor of Psychology at Ryerson University, Director of the IMPACT psychology research lab, and Registered Clinical Psychologist as she discusses posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and relationships.

    During this webinar, you will learn about:

    • PTSD and its symptoms;
    • how PTSD impacts relationships;
    • and how relationships impact PTSD.

    Register here.

    Rachel So headshot

    Farewell to Rachel So

    It is with genuinely mixed feelings we announce that Rachel So will be leaving AFHTO for a new role in the non-profit sector.

    Rachel has been with AFHTO for nearly three years, starting first as our conference assistant before becoming our Programs & Operations Coordinator, so many have you had the pleasure of working with her over the last few years.

    We’re going to miss Rachel but know she will bring so much to her new team. Please join us in giving her our sincerest best wishes. Her last day with AFHTO will be Friday, June 25th – any questions related to her work can be directed to info@afhto.ca.

     

    GeriMedrisk title slide

    Attn: Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk only available live

    In Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk: drug safety for older adults beyond “Start Low, Go Slow” on June 24, Dr. Ho will review the pharmacology of aging and its impact on adverse drug events among seniors. We’ll also explore tools and services for primary care providers to use to optimize drug safety. Unlike most of our webinars, this will NOT be recorded, and slides will NOT be available afterwards. So register today.

    Call for applications to Indigenous and expanded midwifery programs

    The Ministry of Health is inviting applications for two programs with a special focus on improving access, choice, and care that is responsive to the needs of the community. These are:

    • Indigenous Midwifery Programs (IMP)- one of these models works within Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams
    • Expanded Midwifery Care Models (EMCM)- could include, but are not limited to, interprofessional primary care teams in areas of demonstrated need.

    The Primary Health Care Branch is hosting a webinar about this initiative on June 28, 2021. To participate, please send an email to midwifery@ontario.ca by Friday, June 25, 2021, noting contact information for interested participants and the ministry will reach out to those individuals with the webinar details. The Indigenous midwifery team at the AOM is also offering a webinar on Wednesday, July 14 12:00pm-1:30pm. Get more information here.

    Member stories
    Markham FHT – our president and chair Dr. Allan Grill on CTV on protecting immunocompromised individuals and vaccine interchangeability

    Municipality of Assiginack FHT– Gwekwaadziwin Miikan success leads to new pilot project for adults over 30

    Norfolk FHT – wins Transformative Change Award with Grand River CHC for providing primary and COVID-19 support to seasonal agricultural workers.

    Q&A for mixed COVID-19 mRNA vaccine schedules and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    COVID@Home: winding down of distribution pathways for oxygen saturation monitors

    The COVID@Home initiative was designed to help primary care providers to remotely monitor patients who have mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms in the community. As the third wave of the pandemic subsides and health care capacity constraints gradually abate, Ontario Health will begin to wind down the distribution program for oxygen saturation monitors. Primary care professionals and teams who are still in need of oxygen saturation monitors should place orders by June 30th. Find out more here. 

    Mental health of northern Ontario nurses working during COVID-19 studyResearchers from Laurentian University’s Centre of Research in Occupational Health and Safety (CROSH) and the Public Services Health & Safety Association are conducting a study to explore the mental health of Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) in northern Ontario working during the COVID-19 global pandemic. This study aims to understand the perspective and experiences of nurses, their support needs to cope with the COVID-19 crisis, and its consequences. For more information visit their site.

    COVID@Home Community of Practice, June 23, 2021

    Learn how to monitor your COVID-19 patients in the community through this CoP.
    Learn more here.

    Providing Care to 2SLGBTQ Persons, June 24, 2021

    Discuss cultural safety and humility, clinical competencies, and interdisciplinary care for cisgender and transgender patients with speakers with the Ontario Caregiver Organization.
    Register here.

    OHT Learnings through COVID-19, June 28, 2021

    The Ministry of Health (ministry) and Ontario Health are hosting the third OHT Virtual Engagement Series webinar Register here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP, June 17 & July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.

  • AFHTO Statement on Racism and Hate

    AFHTO Statement on Racism and Hate

    AFHTO logo- full

     

    We want to start by expressing our grief and sorrow about the tragic and horrifying events of the last few weeks, recognizing that racism and hate has been part of Canada since its inception.

    We mourn the discovery of the mass grave at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. The profound loss of 215 young lives, some as young as three years old, will have long lasting impact on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community and all other First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. It will remain a reminder to all Canadians of our nation’s shameful history of residential schools and colonialism.

    To all who may have been shocked by this discovery, it’s important to remember Indigenous communities have long said there are thousands who never made it home. We must listen to marginalised communities when they speak of their pain rather than instinctively shy away because it’s hard to hear or goes against what we’d like to believe about our country.

    We support the calls to the Government of Canada to implement the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and to prioritize the search of all residential schools across the country so that all Indigenous children can be brought home. They Came for the Children is a powerful but painful story of Canadian colonialism, but it is important for all of us to read to better understand the legacy of residential schools and to participate in the work needed for reconciliation.

    We are grateful for the wisdom and support of our primary care partner, the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC), who we work with to amplify the need to confront our own biases with respect to anti-Indigenous discrimination.

    AFHTO looks forward to continuing to learn about the Indigenous Cultural Safety Program through the IPHCC, which improves Indigenous healthcare experiences and outcomes by increasing respect and understanding of the unique history and current realities of Indigenous populations. We encourage others to do so as well.

    The racism that is so prevalent in this country continued earlier this week with the deliberate, hate-filled murder of a Muslim family in London, Ontario. We grieve and are saddened by the tragic loss of four lives of people targeted because of their faith. We will forever hold in our hearts the young 9-year-old boy who has lost his family.  

    We stand in solidarity with our Muslim communities. We will work to ensure that our governments and political leaders are held accountable for their words and actions to counter hate and racism. We urge our primary care colleagues to uphold human rights, to acknowledge our collective responsibility as individuals to stand in solidarity with members of our Muslim communities, and to combat all forms of discrimination.

    On May 26, 2021, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Professor of Global Health at the University of Toronto, wrote an op ed piece entitled Why hatred should be considered a contagious disease. He notes that ‘‘Hatred can be conceptualized as an infectious disease, a determinant of health and a public health issue spreading violence, fear and ignorance” and “Hatred is a public health issue because it often engenders widespread physical, psychological or political violence.” In the conclusion, he notes that the global community, including the medical community, needs to recognize that hatred is a public health issue, and it is up to all of us to “address the root causes through promotion, education and awareness.”

    Like many of you, AFHTO is on its own Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI) journey to address the inequities and built-in racism that exists in our health and social systems. Together with our allies, we will continue to listen, learn, grow, and do better. We look forward to this journey with our partners, our members, and our communities.

     

  • Update on COVID Resources and Vaccines

    Dear Members,

    Your Primary Care Collaborative* (PCC) would like to update you on a few resources and supports for members with the ongoing pandemic and vaccine rollout. However, before providing any updates, we want to start by expressing our grief and sorrow about the tragic and horrifying events of the last few weeks, recognizing that racism and hate has been part of Canada since its inception. We are committed to working with our partners and allies to listen, learn, grow, and do better at creating a more equitable and safer country for all. You can read AFHTO’s statement here.

    A Quick Update on Vaccination Efforts
    While COVID cases have decreased over the last few weeks, the briefing by the Ontario Science Table yesterday is clear that the only way to avoid a fourth wave is to ensure first and second doses are prioritized in high-risk communities, vaccine clinics are tailored to community needs, and that there is strong testing and case and contact tracing.

    We were pleased to see yesterday’s announcement that Ontario is accelerating second doses in Delta hot spots (Halton, Peel, Porcupine, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph and York public health units) and continue to seek clarity on the role primary care providers are to play with the vaccine efforts in their communities.

    Materials from Webinar with Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, AMOH and Nicole Blackman, IHPCC
    On June 9th Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health within the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, provided updates on vaccine efficacy, breakthrough cases, Variants of Concern, vaccinations for youth, as well as a number of other questions raised by attendees. Nicole Blackman, Provincial Director at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council also spoke about why it was crucial that Indigenous people are prioritized to receive vaccines. Here are some of the resources you may find helpful that were discussed during the webinar:

    Upcoming Education Sessions and Webinars

    • OCFP Community of Practice
      • Getting to herd immunity: addressing children, confidence and complacency with Dr. Jeff Kwong (Epidemiologist, Family Physician, Toronto Western Family Health Team) and Dr. Nisha Thampi (Pediatric Infectious Disease Physician, IPAC Medical Director, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario). Register here.
    • Public Health Agency of Canada
      • NACI Recommendations on COVID-19 Vaccine Interchangeability – this moderated and live webinar includes a presentation and discussion on the NACI Recommendations on COVID-19 Vaccine Interchangeability with live Q&A to inform health care and vaccine providers. Register here for the June 16th (English) session or here for the June 18th (French) session.
    • COVID-19 Science Advisory Table
      • Medications for Outpatients with COVID-19 on Tuesday, June 15 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Register here.
    • AFHTO, OCFP, Alliance for Healthier Communities, Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics Association
      • Cancer Screening During the Pandemic and Onwards – a collaboration with our primary care partners and Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) on Monday, June 21, 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Register here.

     
    Oxygen Saturation Monitors continue to be available
    Oxygen saturation monitors are still available free of charge for primary care providers. Please be sure to order yours before the end of June! Every primary care provider can benefit from having these in their practice and for distribution to patients you may be monitoring with COVID, but also for other conditions (e.g., COPD).  These monitors will then belong to your practice – you do not need to return them to the Ministry of Health. Link to ordering survey HERE. Monitors usually arrive within 2-3 days after requesting. For questions, please contact OH_COVIDatHome@ontariohealth.ca. For a link to the one-pager with all the resource you need for monitoring COVID patients visit HERE.
     
    Additional Resources you may find helpful:  

    Updated PHAC and Ministry Guidance Documents:

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

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

    *Primary Care 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
  • QI in Action eBulletin #108: COVID-19 Vaccination Data & GeriMedRisk

    QI in Action eBulletin #108: COVID-19 Vaccination Data & GeriMedRisk

    In this Issue:

    • COVID-19 Vaccination Data Workflow Updates
    • COVID-19 Vaccination Information Available via the Digital Health Drug Repository (DHDR)
    • Digital Health OHT Community of Practice (CoP)
    • GeriMedRisk
    • Upcoming Webinars

    COVID-19 Vaccination Data Workflow Updates
    As of May 18, 2021, and onwards, Health Report Manager (HRM) has been pushing data prospectively to physicians/nurse practitioners when their name has been collected through COVaxON at point of vaccination. Further information around HRM COVaxON Vaccination Reports can be found on the OntarioMD website here.

    COVaxON is now up to date to allow for documentation of mixed vaccines for those who received the AZ vaccine as their first dose. When adding the second dose vaccine a pop up will appear to remind you that this is not the same vaccine as the first dose. To proceed to the next step, you can write “guideline update” within the text box.

    COVID vaccination data is now also available through the provincial clinical viewers, Connecting Ontario and Clinical Connect. Access to the viewers can be requested via Ontario Health’s Digital Health Service’s website. In the upcoming weeks, you will also see curated lists of enrolled patients that have been vaccinated made available on a monthly basis to physicians through the eReport tool which is available to any patient enrollment model (PEM) physicians in Ontario.

    Any PEM physician with an Ontario Health ONE ID account will have access to their reports. Physicians without a One ID account can get one through the CPSO website or by making a request at Ontario Health’s Digital Health Service’s website.

    Please click here for the COVID-19 vaccination toolbar created by Guelph FHT to help support providers in vaccine data documentation. In addition, please click here for a HRM workflow document, thanks to Dr. Scott Laing of Ottawa. As the vaccination reports are sent via HRM, some issues have been flagged and OntarioMD is working to resolve these issues as they become aware of them. Please check out the OntarioMD website for up-to-date notes on any issues identified and fixed. Below is a list of updates as of June 8, 2021:

    Content below developed by Ontario Health
    COVID-19 Vaccination Information Available via the Digital Health Drug Repository (DHDR)

    The DHDR is a provincial repository of publicly funded drugs and pharmacy services, and all monitored drugs (regardless of payor). Ontarians’ COVID-19 vaccination information from COVaxON (the ministry’s provincial solution for COVID-19 vaccination information) is being made available through the DHDR as a quick solution to enable secure and easy access to authorized health care practitioners throughout the province.

    Similar to existing DHDR records, COVID-19 vaccination information available through the DHDR is limited to patients with a valid Ontario Health Number (HN).

    More information can be found within this document here.

    Content below developed by Ontario Health (Population Health and Digital Excellence) and the Ministry of Health

    Digital Health OHT Community of Practice

    Ontario Health (Population Health and Digital Excellence) and the Ministry of Health are proposing that a province-wide Digital Health OHT Community of Practice (COP) be established that would provide a framework for OHTs to collaborate and share at a provincial level related to their digital and virtual needs and programs. This group would be a sub-component of the broader OHT Learning Collaboratives and Communities of Practice and supported by the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health.

     
    The COP will be co-facilitated by OH regional digital leads and OHTs would be invited to showcase their best practices and lessons learned related to digital needs/programs for mutual learning across the province on a given topic. This collaborative should make it easier for OHTs to work on their requirements.

    This group will meet quarterly but the COP would serve as a forum for engagement more broadly in between the meetings. This will include ongoing collaboration, on-line sharing, webinars, and workshops on key subjects. Importantly, the group will have an online collaboration space on the OHT Collaborative platform called the Digital Health OHT Community of Practice that can help support these activities. The COP will be used to facilitate sharing of leading practices, enabling scale of successful initiatives and standardization across OHTs/regions.   

    To learn more, please check out the Digital Health OHT Community of Practice Quorum group.

    Content below developed by GeriMedRisk
    A Geriatric Specialist Resource for Primary Care Providers: GeriMedRisk

    GeriMedRisk is an Ontario Ministry of Health-funded clinical consultation and education service for doctors, nurse practitioners and pharmacists practicing in Ontario.

    GeriMedRisk provides virtual access to an interdisciplinary specialist team from geriatric psychiatry, clinical pharmacology, geriatric pharmacy, and geriatric medicine who collaborate to answer clinical questions regarding your older patients’ medications, physical and mental health conditions.

    Within approximately 5 business days, GeriMedRisk provides a coordinated response and educational materials back to the primary care provider for use with their patient.

     

    How to consult GeriMedRisk
    Ontario Telemedicine Network or Champlain BASE™ eConsult: select “GeriMedRisk”
     
    Fax: (519) 279-2959
     
    Call toll-free 1 (855) 261-0508 (Mon-Fri 9:00 am – 5:00 pm ET)
     
    Specialized Geriatric Services (SGS) Intake Forms
     

    GeriMedRisk Consultation Process:

    Shows lifecycle of gerimedrisk process

    1. Prescriber (doctor, nurse practitioner, specialist) or allied health care professional* identifies medication, mental health or physical concern in their patient.
    2. Clinician sends consult question and patient medical records to GeriMedRisk via eConsult, phone, fax, or central intake referral.
    3. GeriMedRisk team reviews question, medical records, and conducts a best possible medication history with patient/caregiver.
    4. Clinician receives a single, integrated consult note and relevant educational materials typically within 5 business days.

    *Includes pharmacists, nurses, physician assistants or other clinicians in partnership and with the consent of the prescriber.

    Example of Gerimedrisk resource

    Educational Resources for Primary Care Providers

    • Drug information: GeriMedRisk creates geriatric drug information summaries and infographics on safe prescribing for older adults.
      • Browse the library here and request at no cost.
    • GeriMedRisk- Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology rounds:
    • Monthly online accredited rounds on topics in safe prescribing.
    • COVID-19 Drug Information Resources

    Upcoming Event: Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology And GeriMedRisk: Drug Safety For Older Adults Beyond “Start Low, Go Slow”

    On June 24, 2021 at 12 pm, join Dr. Joanne Ho (geriatrician, clinical pharmacologist and co-executive director of GeriMedRisk) to learn more about how GeriMedRisk can support your patients’ care. Click here to register.

    For more information: www.GeriMedRisk.com |1 (855) 261-0508| info@GeriMedRisk.com | @GeriMedRisk

    Upcoming Webinars:

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #107 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: cancer screening during the pandemic and more

    Bits & Pieces: cancer screening during the pandemic and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Cancer screening during the pandemic and onwards, June 21
    • Reminder- COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky, June 9
    • Reminder- Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program, June 10
    • Member stories
    • AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD second dose Q&A, reports of myocarditis/pericarditis after vaccination and more
    • You could have over 22,619 pairs of eyes on your team’s initiative!
    • COVID@Home update
    • Upcoming events regarding geriatric clinical pharmacology and more

    Cancer screening during the pandemic and onwards, June 21

    In collaboration with our primary care partners and Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), we will be hosting a webinar to further explore guidance for resuming breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening and share stories from teams that have already resumed cancer screening.

    Objectives:

    • To understand the guidance for resuming breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening resumption midst the many waves of the pandemic.
    • To explore how to use data to understand and address health inequities in screening/tailoring service delivery as well as tools to improve screening rates.
    • To learn from practices the creative approaches such as EMR queries, clinics and much more.

    Register here.

    Reminder- COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky, Office of CMOH, June 9
    This session with Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, Associate Medical Officer of Health at the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health will cover key questions, including variants of concern, AstraZeneca and mixing of vaccines, breakthrough cases and emerging evidence around vaccination for children 12-17 years old. Nicole Blackman, Provincial Director at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council will talk about why Indigenous people are prioritized to receive vaccines. Register here.

    Reminder- Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program, June 10

    The Ministry of Health has recently approved six health service providers to serve as new lead organizations of regional psychotherapy networks for the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) Program, one of which is AFHTO member CarePoint Health.

    The Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence at Ontario Health would like to invite primary care organizations to a webinar on June 10 to learn more about the program’s background, the vision of OSP as a provincial program, and next steps with the expansion.

    Register here.

    Member stories

    Barrie and Community FHT- Barrie & Area launched their COVID@Home monitoring program

    East Wellington FHT– Lions Club donates $4,000 to East Wellington Family Health Team

    North Perth-North Huron FHT– North Perth Family Health Team, It Takes A Village start vaccine awareness partnership

    STAR and Stratford FHTs– Perth County primary care providers partnered together to offer about 500 COVID-19 vaccine doses

    AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD second dose Q&A, reports of myocarditis/pericarditis after vaccination and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    You could have up to 22,619 pairs of eyes on your team’s initiative!

    This week we’re asking for your teams’ stories on:

    AFHTO wants to feature your stories!

    –    COVID Vaccine education (myth-busting, Q&As, etc)
    –    Providing COVID-19 vaccines or supporting vaccine rollout beyond your team
    Be sure to share before Tuesday, June 15th so we can feature it on AFHTO’s social media!

    @AFHTO | info@afhto.ca| Webform submission

    COVID@Home update

    Per Ontario Health:
    “If you monitored COVID+ patients in April and May please consider entering your data on that  specific timeframe in our new easy to use DATA FORM.  For those that have already done so thank you!  For questions on this e -mail OH_COVIDatHome@ontariohealth.ca.  We will use this information to show the value of primary care in such initiatives and for quality improvement purposes. Thank you for your continued participation in this initiative.”

    Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk: drug safety for older adults beyond “Start Low, Go Slow”, June 24

    Co-hosted with GeriMedRisk, in this webinar, Dr. Ho will review the pharmacology of aging and its impact on adverse drug events among seniors. We’ll also explore tools and services for primary care providers to use to optimize drug safety. Register here.

    COVID@Home Community of Practice, June 9 & 23, 2021
    Learn how to monitor your COVID-19 patients in the community through this CoP.
    Learn more here.

    A Morning with the Lung Experts: What’s Trending in Primary Care? June 12, 2021

    Join Dr. Tony D’Urzo and the Lung Health Foundation Experts as they explore emerging respiratory care issues.
    Find out more here.

    Applying an Equity Lens when Caring for your Population, June 17, 2021

    This RISE OHT webinar will be based on a PHM approach, deep diving into co-designing care models for different priority populations.
    Learn more here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP, June 17 & July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: structured psychotherapy webinar, mixing and matching and more

    Bits & Pieces: structured psychotherapy webinar, mixing and matching and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program, June 10
    • Reminder- COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky, Office of CMOH, June 9
    • Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk: drug safety for older adults beyond “Start Low, Go Slow”
    • Mixing and matching to be recommended and more
    • Update on Health Report Manager and COVaxON
    • Reminder- member renewal deadline June 30
    • Perkopolis mobile app
    • Dietitian input requested
    • Attn QIDSS, QIIMS and similar: consultation for how provincial government should use AI, deadline June 4
    • Upcoming events including Primary Care Vaccine Quality Improvement Support Group Webinar Series featuring members and more

    Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program, June 10

    The Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) Program provides access to publicly funded, evidence-based, short-term, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and related approaches to patients with depression, anxiety, and anxiety-related conditions.

    Originally launched as a pilot at four sites in 2017, the Ministry of Health has recently approved six health service providers to serve as new lead organizations of regional psychotherapy networks, one of which is AFHTO member CarePoint Health.

    The Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence at Ontario Health would like to invite primary care organizations to a webinar on June 10 to learn more about the program’s background, the vision of OSP as a provincial program, and next steps with the expansion. Register here.

    Reminder- COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky, Office of CMOH, June 9
    This session with Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, Associate Medical Officer of Health at the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health will cover key questions, including variants of concern, AstraZeneca and mixing of vaccines, breakthrough cases and emerging evidence around vaccination for children 12-17 years old. Nicole Blackman, Provincial Director at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council will talk about why Indigenous people are prioritized to receive vaccines. Register here.

    Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk: drug safety for older adults beyond “Start Low, Go Slow”

    Co-hosted with GeriMedRisk, in this webinar, Dr. Ho will review the pharmacology of aging and its impact on adverse drug events among seniors. We’ll also explore tools and services for primary care providers to use to optimize drug safety. Register here.

    Mixing and matching to be recommended and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Update on Health Report Manager and COVaxON

    As of May 18, 2021, and onwards, Health Report Manager (HRM) has been pushing data prospectively to physicians when their name has been collected through COVaxON at point of vaccination. Further information around HRM COVaxON Vaccination Reports can be found on the OntarioMD website here.

    COVID vaccination data is now also available through the provincial clinical viewers, Connecting Ontario and Clinical Connect. Access to the viewers can be requested via Ontario Health’s Digital Health Service’s website. In the coming weeks, you will also see curated lists of enrolled patients that have been vaccinated made available on a monthly basis to physicians through the eReport tool which is available to any patient enrollment model (PEM) physicians in Ontario. Any PEM physician with an Ontario Health ONE ID account will have access to their reports. Physicians without a ONE ID account can get one through the CPSO website or by making a request at Ontario Health’s Digital Health Service’s website.

    Reminder- member renewal deadline June 30

    Thank you to our members who have renewed for 2021-22 fiscal year. Only a small number of teams haven’t gotten around to this yet, but we’d like to remind you the deadline for renewal is June 30. Unconfirmed and unpaid memberships will be cut off after this date. Don’t lose access to our resources, webinars and updates!

    Perkopolis app flyer

     

     

    Perkopolis mobile app

    One of the benefits includes access to Perkopolis as an AFHTO member. You can get these perks through their mobile app as well.

    Download it here.

    If you don’t have access yet, EDs can email info@afhto.ca to get started. It’s free to join.

     

     

     

    Dietitian input requested

    The School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo is seeking dietitians to evaluate questions to assess changes in food acquisition and eating practices as a result of the pandemic. The questions were administered to participants from Alberta’s Tomorrow Project.  

    If you decide to participate, you will be asked to review the questions and complete an anonymous 10- minute online survey. Participation is voluntary. This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Committee (ORE#42709). To learn more, please visit the study website.

    Attn QIDSS, QIIMS and similar: consultation for how provincial government should use AI, deadline June 4
    The Ontario government is accepting submissions, until June 4, on its Artificial Intelligence (AI) framework which will guide the way it uses the new technology. This could have implications for primary care. Deadline to take the survey June 4. Find out more here.

    Virtual wellness workshop series for patients, starting June 1, 2021
    New Vision FHT is opening their upcoming Anxiety during COVID and Emotional First Aid virtual workshop series to non-FHT patients and would like to invite you to share this with your team/patients to register. Registration is limited, so please encourage patients to register as soon as they can. Find out more.

    The Path to an Effective Vaccine – Lessons Learned in Real Time, June 2, 2021
    Free panel by Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Register here.

    Primary Care Vaccine Quality Improvement Support Group Webinar Series, June 3, 2021
    Join this week’s Ontario Health CoP meeting to hear about the experiences of:

    • Janine van den Heuvel, Algonquin FHT
    • Lorraine Johnston, Cottage Country FHT
    • Dave Courtemanche, City of Lakes FHT

    Followed by Dr. Tara Kiran on Building Vaccine Confidence. Register here.

    Evolving evidence on COVID-19 transmission & vaccination & implications for primary care, June 4, 2021

    Join the OCFP’s CoP where they’ll talk about new evidence on COVID-19 transmissions and discuss IPAC implications for primary care offices. This week’s panelists include:

    • Dr. Peter Juni, Director of the Applied Health Research Centre (AHRC), St. Michael’s Hospital, and Scientific Director of Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table
    • Dr. Allison McGeer, Infectious Disease Specialist, Mount Sinai Hospital.

    Register here.

    Applying an Equity Lens when Caring for your Population, June 17, 2021

    This RISE OHT webinar will be based on a PHM approach, deep diving into co-designing care models for different priority populations.
    Learn more here.

    A Morning with the Lung Experts: What’s Trending in Primary Care? June 12, 2021

    Join Dr. Tony D’Urzo and the Lung Health Foundation Experts as they explore emerging respiratory care issues.
    Find out more 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.