SCOPE Working Group, SHS Launch & Primary Care Engagement

Dear EYRND OHT Physicians,

Happy Friday! School is out and summer is upon us. I hope you make time to take a break and recharge.

A few announcements:

1) Looking for interested family physicians to join the SCOPE working group

SCOPE (Seamless Care Optimizing the Patient Experience) provides primary care a single access point to a comprehensive range of interdisciplinary supports, including a resource navigation hub, hospital internist on-call, diagnostic imaging on-call and community services. We plan on launching a working group in the Fall and require the input of family physicians in the design of the program. The goal is for program launch in March 2022. The anticipated time commitment would be 1-1.5 hour biweekly meetings. If you are interested or have questions, please email me at emilielam@gmail.com by July 16th.

2) Primary Care Engagement

Do you know a family physician working in Markham, Stouffville or Uxbridge who isn't connected with our OHT? I will be doing outreach over the next few months to bring more family physicians into our Primary Care Association. If your office colleagues or any family physicians you know who haven't joined our association, I would really appreciate it if you can make the connection by sending out an e-introduction.

3) Seniors Home Support (SHS) Program Launch

Our OHT is pleased to announce the launch of SHS, an integrated primary care program delivered by an interprofessional team to home-bound seniors in Markham and Stouffville communities who for medical, social or cognitive reasons cannot access office-based primary care services. A patient of the SHS receives wrap-around services through a dedicated care team composed of family physicians, a nurse practitioner, an occupational therapist, a pharmacist, a social worker and a chiropodist. To find out more or to refer a client/patient please visit eyrnd.ca/community-partners/seniors-home-support.

4) COVID Vaccination Update

All Ontarians age 18+ can receive a 2nd dose 28 days after a first dose mRNA or 8 weeks after first dose AstraZeneca. Youth aged 12-17 years in Delta hotspots (including York and Durham) also qualify for 2nd doses at 8 weeks following the first dose. Your Public Health Unit website is the best place for latest updates:

- York: http://york.ca/covid19vaccine

- Durham: https://www.durham.ca/CovidVaccines

Our OHT has had wonderful success in supporting the vaccination rollout. On Monday we hosted a pop-up 2nd dose clinic at Hyundai, in follow-up to the 1st dose pop-up at that location for the local workplaces. Last month we also vaccinated over 2400 people at the Markham Masjid pop-up clinic . Health For All is also helping with 140 2nd doses for housebound seniors and their caregivers in Markham.

5) What's next? Consider attending the COVID-19 Community of Practice Webinar

"Vaccinating the last 25% and ramping up in-person visits"

The DFCM and OCFP will be hosting a webinar to discuss how we can safely return to seeing more patients in-person in our offices and a new tool that can facilitate proactive recall of those who have not been vaccinated.

DATE: July 9, 2021, 8:00-9:00am EST

Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Xiqzg9t4RBKSTdCHBAU37w

Panelists:
Dr. Abhishek Raut, Family Physician, Appletree Medical Group, Toronto, ON
Dr. Allison McGeer, Infectious Disease Specialist, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, ON
Other panelists TBC

Co-hosts:
Dr. Liz Muggah, OCFP President, Family Physician, Bruyère Family Health Team, Ottawa, ON
Dr. David Kaplan, Family Physician, North York Family Health Team and Chief, Clinical Quality, Ontario Health, Toronto, ON

Cheers,

Em