EYRND OHT: Primary Care Website Launch + Other OHT Updates
Dear EYRND OHT Physicians,
Happy Friday! Several updates to share:
1) Launch of our Primary Care Association Website
I am pleased to announce the launch of our Primary Care Association website and member portal at weareprimarycare.com. Those of you who have signed the Primary Care Association agreement will be receiving emails later today with your login information. If you have not signed the association agreement, I'll send a separate email on how to get registered. When you receive your account, I encourage everyone to log in and have a look around. We will be doing a draw for gift cards for those who have logged in and updated their account profiles - more details to come.
2) COVID-19 Therapeutics
Please be aware IV monoclonal antibodies and oral antivirals are available for patients with mild-moderate COVID symptoms and are at high risk of severe disease:
• Immunocompromised individuals aged 18 and over regardless of vaccine status
• Unvaccinated individuals over 60
• Unvaccinated First Nations, Inuit, and Métis individuals over 50
• Unvaccinated individuals over 50 with one or more risk factors: obesity (BMI ≥ 30), dialysis or stage 5 kidney disease (eGFR < 15), diabetes, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability of any severity, sickle cell disease, receiving active cancer treatment, solid organ or stem cell transplant recipients
If your patient has COVID symptoms and meets the above high risk of severe disease criteria, please send them to the nearest assessment centre to confirm the diagnosis with a swab and initiate treatment if they qualify. Markham Stouffville Hospital is providing Paxlovid treatment and direct referrals can be made by emailing a completed referral form or by calling the clinic at 905-472-7373 ext 6526.
I've attached important Ontario Health resources regarding access to outpatient therapeutics for COVID patients at high risk of severe disease. Dr. Allan Grill also nicely summarizes the resources in his last MSH Department of Family Medicine Newsletter, accessible here: https://conta.cc/333ssvA
3) OHT Communications Update
I am excited to share the launch of some key initiatives and other communication updates on behalf of the EYRND OHT
Open Space is virtual mental health hub in partnership with Dr. Amanda Adams, an amazing family practice colleague at Markham Medical Centre. I encourage all of you to follow the Instagram account @togetherinopenspace. The Instagram account's goal is to increase physician, patient and caregiver awareness of mental health and addictions by sharing evidence-based information and connecting them to local community supports
The newly launched Mental Health and Addictions Wellness Centre located at the Unionville Guardian Pharmacy delivers mental health and addiction services to individuals 12 years of age and older living in Markham, Thornhill, Stouffville and north Durham Communities.
A reminder that Streamlined Access has a centralized primary care provider referral form to refer patients to community support programs for mental health and addictions supports.
Staying Connected is a quarterly newsletter that features news about our latest initiatives, programs and highlights the work we are doing in the OHT. Subscribe today to stay connected.
Youth Mental Health and Addictions Navigation and Transition Program Committee Recruitment- The program team is seeking individuals 16-28 years of age with lived experience accessing mental health and addiction services
4) Global Health Lunch Webinar - March 2nd
See attached flyer for an upcoming Global Health webinar hosted by Health For All Family Health Team.
Topic: Piercing the Darkness Through the Light of Hope: A Patient’s Journey with Bipolar Disorder
Date: Wednesday, March 2, 2020 at 12:10
Speaker: Ms. Esther Herbert
Location: https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/84049965770
Thanks for reading all the updates and 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