Assessment Centre & PPE Update
Dear EYRND OHT Primary Care Physicians,
A few updates before the long weekend
1. Assessment Centre Criteria: York Region is expending testing. Last weekend, swab criteria was expanded to include any York region resident with symptoms compatible with COVID. The updated MSH assessment criteria are attached. Please note our local health unit has asked that this expanded criteria be limited to those who reside in York region.
2. Central Region Primary Care PPE Survey: Central Region is the new amalgamation of Central LHIN (covers Markham and Stouffville), Central West LHIN, Mississauga Halton LHIN and North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN. The Central Region's Primary Care COVID table is surveying local primary care practices to obtain critical information on office availability and PPE supplies. The information will help primary care planning and may enable us to find short-term local solutions to PPE shortages. I'd appreciate if each office can have someone take 5-10 minutes to complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3KRWVHT, If your practice has either closed or gone entirely virtual (unable to see anyone in clinic including for routine immunizations), I'm interested in hearing from you directly. Please email me at emilielam@gmail.com.
3. Please encourage patients in your family practice to call in to your office with symptoms. The emergency department is seeing an overall decrease in volumes but an increase in advanced presentations of conditions including MIs and near-perforated appendicitis. The majority of our specialist colleagues remain open, so please refer. Southlake has stated that angiograms and stents are still proceeding.
Our OHT community partners are collaborating on a program to support the isolated and vulnerable during this pandemic. I will have more news to share with you next week.
Also below is Dr. Allan Grill's most recent Family Medicine update that I have attached for those who are not MSH affiliated.
I hope everyone has time to rest and enjoy the long weekend.
Stay safe!
Emilie Lam
Primary Care Lead
EYRND OHT
