Your Weekly News & Updates
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COVID-19 guidance for primary care
The Ministry has released the latest version of COVID-19 Guidance: Primary Care Providers in a Community Setting. Please use this version as your guidance document for your teams.
Highlights include:
- Implementing a system for virtual and/or telephone consultations
- Referrals to local assessment centres
- Conducting clinical examination and specimen collection using Contact/Droplet precautions
- Link to latest case definition, signage and PHO IPAC recommendations
HR, privacy and risk management during the COVID-19 pandemic –Mar. 27 webinar
These are uncertain times and the way we are now practicing primary care has changed dramatically in the last few weeks. As we move towards more virtual care and accommodating more work from home, there are a lot of questions around how to support our staff and ensure that patient and provider safety be paramount in this ‘new normal’. Things are evolving every day and new announcements of support are continuing to be announced.
Making sense of it all can be a challenge with the ongoing flow of information so join us for a Q and A with Maria McDonald of McDonald HR Law and Kate Dewhirst of Kate Dewhirst Health Law to learn more about what you need to know during this challenging time.
- When: Friday, March 27, 2020
- Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
- Click here to register
If you would like to submit your questions in advance to ensure they are addressed during the webinar, please feel free to send them to info@afhto.ca and we will make sure that Maria and Kate are aware of them prior to the presentation. We will add the slides and recording to our site within a business day or so of the webinar.
Reorganizing COVID-19 resources on our site
Every day new information on COVID-19 comes and we know it’s hard to sort through it all. Considering this we have reorganised the resources and updates on our site into several pages:
- Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and Ministry situation reports (please note that the Ministry Situation Reports on COVID-19 are posted daily so review them to better understand the provincial response)
- Infection control resources and tools for primary care
- Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19
- Management and operations, human resources and COVID-19
- COVID-19 information for Patients, Caregivers and the Public
We’ll update these on a regular basis as we receive relevant resources, while trying to reduce duplication with other sources. We will continue to update the news page daily.
*Please also note that the list of essential workplaces in response to COVID-19 was released yesterday. Primary care and the interprofessional care provided by teams are essential though not explicitly noted – as we try to get some clarity on this, the recommendation is to shift to as much virtual care as possible. We continue to press the Ministry and Ontario Health around the issue of lack of PPE and hope they will have some information in the coming days.
Shift to Virtual Care-Primary care response to COVID-19
On Thursday, Mar. 19 we sent the email “Update on COVID-19 and Moving Towards More Virtual Care”. It listed different tools teams might use for virtual care and activities to support patients and families during this period of self-isolation and physical distancing.
We have now compiled those and more in Shift to Virtual Care-Primary care response to COVID-19, a document outlining what fellow teams have done to support their patients. You can also find more information on our Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19 page.
Early lessons: tackling a global crisis with a community response
Longwoods article co-authored by Dr. Tia Pham, South East Toronto FHT on East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP)’s response to COVID-19 and lessons which may help other OHTs.
Member renewal payments-hold cheques please
We understand members are focused on COVID-19 right now. As we plan for the upcoming year with membership renewals please note that our building will be closed starting tomorrow. If you plan to pay by cheque, please hold for about two weeks. We can still accept payments via Interac and EFT. We’ll provide another update as soon as we’re able to do so. Please contact info@afhto.ca for further information.
NPAO COVID-19 peer support group webinar, Mar. 26
Infectious disease outbreaks like COVID–19 can be worrying and can affect your mental health. Because of this NPAO has set up a group chat webinar for NPs where you can share your thoughts, experiences, concerns, etc. with your colleagues. Join at 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm for free.
Understanding Bronchiectasis Webinar, April 21, 2020
Learn more about this neglected pulmonary disease. By the end of this webinar, you will be able to help patients self-manage the disease and avoid the acquisition of nontuberculosis mycobacteria. Find out more here
CMHA Ontario and Mental Health Works Webinars – In response to COVID-19 pandemic, April 2-17, 2020
For health care professionals and workers: with topics relevant to both hospitals and clinics, as well as telehealth professionals and those who work to support patient outcomes, such as custodial staff, security professionals, and administrators.
- Mental Wellness for Healthcare Professionals – April 2, 6-7 pm
- Stress Management in Healthcare Settings -April 6, 5:30-630 pm
- Mental Health for Telehealth –April 15, 6-7 pm
- Mental Health for Support Staff: Taking Care of Yourself – April 17, 6-7 pm
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