Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Highlights

  • Patient perspectives on quality of care for depression and anxiety in primary health care teams: Study

    Research paper published in Health Expectations. 2021

    Abstract

    Background: Widespread policy reforms in Canada, the United States and elsewhere over the last two decades strengthened team models of primary care by bringing together family physicians and nurse practitioners with a range of mental health and other interdisciplinary providers. Understanding how patients with depression and anxiety experience newer team-based models of care delivery is essential to explore whether the intended impact of these reforms is achieved, identify gaps that remain and provide direction on strengthening the quality of mental health care.

    Objectives: The main study objective was to understand patients’ perspectives on the quality of care that they received for anxiety and depression in primary care teams.

    Method: This was a qualitative study, informed by constructivist grounded theory. We conducted focus groups and individual interviews with primary care patients about their experiences with mental health care. Focus groups and individual interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Grounded theory guided an inductive analysis of the data.

    Results: Forty patients participated in the study: 31 participated in one of four focus groups, and nine completed an individual interview. Participants in our study described their experiences with mental health care across four themes: accessibility, technical care, trusting relationships and meeting diverse needs.

    Conclusions: Greater attention by policymakers is needed to strengthen integrated collaborative practices in primary care so that patients have similar access to mental health services across different primary care practices, and smoother continuity of care across sectors. The research team is comprised of individuals with lived experience of mental health who have participated in all aspects of the research process.

    Authors:
    Rachelle Ashcroft PhD, Matthew Menear PhD, Andrea Greenblatt PhD(c), Jose Silveira MD, Simone Dahrouge PhD, Nadiya Sunderji MD, MPH, Monica Emode MSc(c), Jocelyn Booton MSW, Marvelous Muchenje PhD Student, Rachel Cooper BA (Hons), Asante Haughton BSc (Hons), Kwame McKenzie MD

    Relevant Links:

     

  • Using Manchester Scale during initial diabetic foot screening in primary health care settings: Study

    Research paper published in The Foot Volume 47, June 2021, 101810

    Abstract

    Limitations have been identified in the current state of primary care practises with regards to identifying and correctly categorizing foot deformity and its associated risk of developing foot ulcers in patients with diabetes. This study aims to bridge these gaps through the implementation of additional categorization tools to be made available for primary care professionals.

    This study thus analysed the relationship between foot pressure distribution and amount in patients with diabetes with Hallux Valgus foot deformity, and its different stages, in order to better understand the clinical applications of the Manchester Scale. Statistically significant data in pressure distribution (P < 0.05) was found in all three severity groups identified by the Manchester Scale (Mild, Moderate and Severe) when compared to a No deformity group.

    However, only the Severe Hallux Valgus group crossed the threshold over 500 kPa in the area of first metatarsal bone. Further research should aim to analyse pressure distribution and amount in patients with both diabetes and diabetic neuropathy of all stages of Hallux Valgus.

     

    Authors:

    • Sulejman Menzildzica, Dufferin Area FHT
    • Nosheen Chaudhryab, Dufferin Area FHT
    • Carol Petryschukc, Dufferin Area FHT

    Relevant Links:

     

  • 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

  • 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
  • PCC calls for more supports for essential workers and workplaces, more robust community vaccination rollout & isolation supports

    PCC calls for more supports for essential workers and workplaces, more robust community vaccination rollout & isolation supports

    Shared by the Primary Care Collaborative

    Primary Care Collaborative logos

    Toronto – April 17, 2021 – The organizations of the Primary Care Collaborative echo the alarms being sounded by our healthcare and public health colleagues since Friday. There was no doubt given the modelling from the Ontario COVID-19 Science Table Advisory Board on Friday afternoon that additional measures were and are necessary to help slow the spread of the virus in our province, particularly the spread of the more contagious and deadly Variants of Concern. Some of the measures taken by the Ontario government yesterday – notably limiting non-essential travel, extending the stay at home order, and expanding the number of vaccines available to hotspot areas – will indeed help reduce transmission and ultimately lower the burden on our health system.
    However, we are deeply concerned that these measures are not nearly enough to stop outbreaks from happening in the highest risk environments – essential workplaces and congregate settings. We are seeking immediate action on the following:

    • robust paid sick day supports; the temporary, retroactive federal sickness benefit maxes out at $450 a week after tax and cannot be used immediately by a worker who may be experiencing COVID symptoms; we need emergency sick day supports that allow anyone who is experiencing symptoms to stay home without fear of losing their job; 
    • access to adequate PPE, including N95 masks for all congregate settings and essential workplaces, including long-term care and retirement homes;
    • expansion of rapid testing, and connections to local community supports for people who test positive and need to isolate immediately;
    • defining “essential” workplaces more narrowly, including high risk workplaces that continue to be sources of outbreaks.

    Without these decisive actions, more lives will be lost. Also, our healthcare workers and the health system will continue toward catastrophic scenarios. Collectively, primary care providers will continue to step up and do what we can to keep essential services in place, to encourage cancer screening, to keep people healthy and out of hospitals, and to continue vaccinating, but we need help. Primary care also continues to play key roles directly in COVID-19 supports, helping people isolate, get tested in community, and by rolling out the vaccination and vaccine information in hotspots and meeting people where they’re at. Support for us to continue doing this work and to scale it up across the province is essential to slowing the spread and flattening the curve of the third wave in every community.
    Workplace enforcement measures alone are not enough to keep people safe in essential workplaces. Paid time off must be in place so people can book and get vaccinated and stay home when not feeling well, minimizing the risk of spread. These are proven, evidence-based interventions that can help get us through this wave of the pandemic sooner, with less suffering. 

    Without every possible measure being taken to protect the people working in in essential workplaces – many of whom are marginalized and from racialized and newcomer communities – these places will also eventually be forced to close, as there is further spread and more and more people get sick and die from COVID-19. And workers will bring more spread back into their already devastated families and communities.
    We also remain deeply concerned that yesterday’s modelling has led to a closure of outdoor activities, and an emphasis on enforcement of the stay at home order through policing, “carding” and ticketing of people out in public. These are actions that are known to harm mental health of people while not measurably reducing the risk of COVID-19 spreading. These measures will also cause disproportionate harm to racialized and other marginalized communities. We need to approach people at the most risk with support, empathy and effective ways to stay safe. At a time when we need to further build trust to support our vaccination rollout, these enforcement measures, especially those taken heavy-handedly, will only push us further from where we need to be. It’s in that spirit that we acknowledge and support the enforcement agencies and police forces who’ve gone on the record saying they will not be stopping people in public.
    The voices of our hospitals and others on frontlines of care, and especially among the people and families facing the worst — the loss of loved ones to the virus – must be heard. The exhaustion, frustration and anger of our front-line health workers, our doctors, nurses, therapists and others who are desperately battling the virus 24/7, must be heeded. Half-measures will not get us out of this pandemic – the right decisions driven by the evidence will. As noted by Dr. Adalsteinn Brown on Friday: “There is little point to looking back at hypotheticals or what was or wasn’t done in the weeks and months past. We must notice what needs to be done now, and act swiftly to protect lives and our health system.”

    For press inquiries or to schedule an interview, please contact:

    Jason Rehel – jason.rehel@allianceon.org; cell: 416-817-9518

    Relevant links:

     

    About the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC):

    We are a coalition of primary care organizations collectively representing 14,000 family doctors, 1,000+ primary care nurse practitioners, 286 primary care teams, 28 Indigenous primary care teams, including northern, rural, and remote teams in Ontario. This alliance of comprehensive primary care organizations joined together by common purpose to build on the collaborative work during the COVID-19 pandemic as we move towards recovery in a time of health system transformation. The PCC provides a collective and cohesive voice with the purpose of advancing equitable person-centred primary care in Ontario and is focused on influencing policy by creating a unified voice towards resolving barriers or challenges that prevent comprehensive primary care from being the foundation of the health system.

  • Ontario stay-at-home order and the Phase 2 COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan

    Dear Executive Directors and Administrative Leads,

    The third province-wide stay-at-home order took effect today at 12:01 AM.

    Under the stay-at-home order, primary care teams are encouraged to continue virtual care wherever possible but do not stop or delay in-person care. It remains at a clinician’s discretion to determine if a patient needs to be seen in person.
    While all teams have continued to deliver virtual care since the pandemic began, a reminder that the following are available as support tools in determining virtual vs. in-person care:

    In yesterday’s announcement, the provincial government did not address some of what we consider important to help control the spread, such as paid sick days. However, the pivot to go into high-risk communities and to vaccinate anyone there aged 18 and older is a step in the right direction.   

    These mobile teams – part of Phase Two in the COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan – are starting in the regions with the highest rates of transmission (ex. Toronto, Peel). This will expand to other hot spot regions based on established patterns of transmission, severe illness, and mortality. The news release can be read here.

    We received this memo today from ADM Patrick Dicerni regarding vaccination. On a related note, we encourage teams to work with public health regarding the mobile teams that will go to high-risk congregate settings, residential buildings, faith-based locations, and locations occupied by large employers in high-risk communities. Vaccinating is something primary care does best, and no one knows their communities better! If your team has the capacity, reach out to your public health unit as primary care can play a key role in getting these shots in arms.

    This is hopefully the final time we’ll see a stay-at-home order issued in Ontario for COVID-19.

    If you have any questions, please contact us at info@afhto.ca.

    Stay well,
    AFHTO

    Relevant Link:

  • Stay-At-Home Order Welcome But More Needed

    Stay-At-Home Order Welcome But More Needed

    Shared by the Primary Care Collaborative

    Primary Care Collaborative logos

    April 7, 2021 – The Primary Care Collaborative welcomes the Ontario Government’s announcement of new provincial measures to stop the alarming spread of COVID-19. While the vaccine rollout continues across the province, we are in a race against the variants, and bold action was needed to protect all Ontarians, particularly those most marginalized. We recognize the collective exhaustion with COVID-19 restrictions, including among primary care providers, yet the stay-at-home order is necessary if we are to turn the tide on the pandemic.

    A further step needed to slow the spread and halt the devastation of COVID-19 is provincial support for paid sick days, which would support staying home when ill. As well, we echo the Ontario Medical Association in urging those who are able to support their local restaurants and other small businesses by ordering food and other goods through delivery or curbside pickup. 
     
    This pandemic has shown time and again that COVID-19 will affect the most vulnerable among us. Primary care will continue to step up by providing care, staffing assessment centres, and now integrally involved in the vaccine rollout. We will do our part to ensure equity is front and centre in our response and we will work together with the Ontario Government and Public Health to end COVID-19. 

    Relevant links:

     

    About the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC):
    We are a coalition of primary care organizations collectively representing 14,000 family doctors, 1,000+ primary care nurse practitioners, 286 primary care teams, 28 Indigenous primary care teams, including northern, rural, and remote teams. This alliance of comprehensive primary care organizations joined together by common purpose to build on the collaborative work during the COVID-19 pandemic as we move towards recovery in a time of health system transformation. The PCC provides a collective and cohesive voice with the purpose of advancing equitable person-centred primary care in Ontario and is focused on influencing policy by creating a unified voice towards resolving barriers or challenges that prevent comprehensive primary care from being the foundation of the health system.

  • Ontario needs a Stay-at-Home order

    Ontario needs a Stay-at-Home order

    Primary Care Collaborative logos

     

    Ontario needs a Stay-at-Home order, community vaccination plans, and paid sick leave for ALL workers to stop spread of COVID-19 variants, reduce the burden on health care

    TORONTO – April 6, 2021 – Amid an alarming rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, the Primary Care Collaborative shares concerns expressed by the Ontario Hospital Association, Ontario Medical Association, Registered Nurses Association of Ontario and other health care providers that the province needs stronger measures to curb the growing spread of the virus. Ontario’s Science Table has confirmed how dangerous the variants of concerns are, including an increased risks of serious illness and death. As the number of cases and hospitalizations increase daily, it is vitally important that Ontario enforce stricter public health measures and roll out policy initiatives to curb the spread of these deadly variants of the COVID-19 virus.

    We implore the government to listen to Ontario’s experts and those front-line health care workers seeing the devastation of COVID-19 in hospitals and communities first-hand.

    Instead of an emergency brake, which does little to stop the spread, we need a full stop now to suppress transmission of the virus and preserve the tenuous capacity of our ICUs in hospitals. Now is the time to intensify all efforts and employ an equity-lens to protect those most vulnerable and at risk from the virus. That is the clearest path through the toughest part of this pandemic. To do so, we strongly support and urge the government to take the following vital actions:

    1. Move the province from a shutdown to a stay-at-home order with people only leaving their homes for medical/health appointments, essential grocery shopping, outdoor exercise and essential work;
    2. Ensure vaccines are reaching those who are most at risk for infection and who need them the most; we need to prioritize essential workers, those with limited mobility/homebound and others with approaches that will get more vaccines in arms (in their communities, in their workplaces, in their homes); employ community-based, tailored approaches that focus vaccination efforts on communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic;
    3. Prioritize vaccination of teachers, educators and school staff to ensure we have #SafeSchools – use the upcoming spring break to vaccinate the education sector;
    4. Create a broad education and communications campaign to address vaccine hesitancy, using culturally sensitive and straight-forward messages to encourage vaccine confidence and directly address myths and misinformation;   
    5. Implement paid sick leave for all essential workers now. This is essential to ensuring businesses that remain open, such as warehouses, retail and others, can remain open safely for all workers while offering curbside pick-up and continuing essential work.

    Family Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and primary care providers continue to educate, collaborate, communicate, vaccinate and support the people we serve. But like their acute and home care colleagues, getting a handle on cases that are out of control in the community is not within their grasp. We need government leadership to support our ongoing work to protect the health of everyone in Ontario, and we need it urgently, because many health care providers are at a breaking point and our health system’s sustainability is at risk. In order to provide even a glimmer of hope in combatting this wave, we need to employ stricter public health measures now and protect all the citizens of Ontario, especially those most vulnerable. 

    Media contact for interview requests, comments or inquiries:      
    Paula Myers
    Manager, Membership and Communications
    Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
    Email: paula.myers@afhto.ca
    Phone: (647) 234-8605 extension 1200

    About the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC):
    We are a coalition of primary care organizations collectively representing 14,000 family doctors, 1,000+ primary care nurse practitioners, 286 primary care teams, 28 Indigenous primary care teams, including northern, rural, and remote teams. This alliance of comprehensive primary care organizations joined together by common purpose to build on the collaborative work during the COVID-19 pandemic as we move towards recovery in a time of health system transformation. The PCC provides a collective and cohesive voice with the purpose of advancing equitable person-centred primary care in Ontario and is focused on influencing policy by creating a unified voice towards resolving barriers or challenges that prevent comprehensive primary care from being the foundation of the health system.

    Relevant Links: