Pandemic Response Survey & Other Updates
Hi EYRND OHT Primary Care Providers,
Happy Friday! Hope that the return to school this week has been smooth for everyone. I have several updates to share below.
Pandemic Response Clinics – Please take 5 minutes to complete the survey!
Ontario Health (OH) Central Region is assessing community capacity to develop integrated hubs to support pandemic care that would provide clinical assessments and testing for those with COVID-like symptoms, vaccination education and administration. It is expected that these hubs will be funded through a combination of per-swab allocations and H-code billings. Attached is further information on OH’s vision for primary care hubs that could broaden to support other post-pandemic priorities.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey https://forms.office.com/r/tw9QgXJPsE. Even if you are not interested in this initiative it is helpful to have your response. Survey results will inform OH’s pandemic response strategy. Responses are due September 15th.
Join us at the EYRND OHT Annual General Meeting
As a member of the EYRND OHT, we invite you to attend the inaugural annual general meeting on Thursday, October 7, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Join us as we celebrate our successes, welcome the incoming Core Leadership Council and watch a video series of success stories. To attend the meeting, please visit eyrnd.ca.
OCFP Guidance on Balancing In-Person & Virtual Care
If you haven’t already, please see OCFP’s updated guidance from August 2021 with recommendations of “moving away from a ‘virtual first wherever possible’ care approach to one that considers patient preference in addition to clinical need”. Click here for guidance document. From provincial numbers, primary care visits in June 2021 was similar to pre-pandemic levels and 52% of the visits were in-person.
Oak Valley Health
Last month, Oak Valley Health was unveiled as the new overarching identity for our two local hospital sites, Markham Stouffville Hospital and Uxbridge Hospital. The hospitals will retain their names. Please see the press release for more details.
COVID Vaccinations
COVID vaccines continue to be provided by our OHT but has moved from Cornell Community Centre to a new location in the trailer behind the assessment centre at Markham Stouffville Hospital, more info here: https://www.oakvalleyhealth.ca/vaccinations.
Third doses are being provided to a narrow population (transplant recipients, those with hematological cancers on active treatment, recipients of anti-CD20 agents), see further info from York Region Public Health:
Third Dose Recommendations for Primary Care - Aug 30 2021.pdf
Third Dose Referral Form.pdf
COVID Swabbing
The Markham Stouffville Hospital assessment centre has ramped up to daily 9AM-6PM. Further info and to book an appointment: https://www.oakvalleyhealth.ca/clinics-departments/covid-19-assessment-centre. Patients can either choose “swab only” or “swab and see the doctor”.
If you are interested in rapid swabs to support screening of your office staff, you are eligible to receive rapid test kits at no cost through the Provincial Antigen Screening Program: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/get-free-rapid-tests. Please note these swabs are meant for surveillance. Anyone screening positive for COVID symptoms should get a PCR test.
Return to School Screening
The province has updated their return to school and daycare screening as of Aug 27, 2021 (https://covid-19.ontario.ca/school-screening/). Most notably they have removed symptoms such as a runny nose and sore throat. However, please be aware that York Region Public Health has added these symptoms back into the COVID-19 screening list – see York Region’s school & childcare screening tool.
Project ECHO: Epilepsy Across the Lifespan
A free CME that endeavors to educate healthcare practitioners caring for patients with epilepsy. Sessions are 60 minutes and offered weekly over the lunch hour for ease of participation. Sessions begin with a quick 10-minute didactic talk delivering relevant clinical pearls followed by an interactive discussion of a de-identified real patient case brought forward by community healthcare providers. There are three programs: Epilepsy in Children and Youth, Epilepsy and Adults and Epilepsy and Genetics. Those Family Practitioners, Paediatricians, and Community Neurologists who complete the Epilepsy and Genetics program will be able to order genetic testing for their eligible epilepsy patients through the Ontario Epilepsy Genetics Testing Program. There is rolling registration so no deadline to register by and the same sessions are offered on multiple days of the week and begin at various months throughout the year. Registration link: https://oen.echoontario.ca/register/
Upcoming Webinars
Sep 17, 8AM - COVID CoP: Keeping our kids safe at school, new IPAC guidance, and more. https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cVdNHLBaRAOGhwTs8BMP1Q
Sep 21, 1PM - Top 10 Most-Read Canadian Family Physician Articles of 2020: Practical Take-Aways. https://hopin.com/events/top-10-most-read-canadian-family-physician-articles?utm_source=Infodigest&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=webinar1
Sep 22, 8AM - Practising Well CoP: Supporting children and youth who face challenges in mental health and substance use. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_j7ZFzs9MQoOvZ73a1Mfg1g
Have a great weekend!
Em
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Dr. Emilie Lam MD CCFP(PC)Primary Care Lead, Eastern York Region North Durham Ontario Health TeamPhysician Lead, Evergreen Palliative Care Physicians
