April 2021 Newsletter

April Newsletter Highlights:

  • COVID-19 Vaccination Updates

    • Interest in “Turn-Key” Model – participating in a primary care vaccine clinic

  • Streamlining Communication and Specialist Referrals in East Toronto Survey

  • Healthy Professional Worker Study

  • Keeping the Doors Open Survey

  • Looking for Family Physicians to be Media Reps – ETHP

  • Available Office Space for Physicians

  • COVID-19 Response Forums

  • Practice Supports and Patient Resources

  • COVID-19 Assessment Centre

COVID-19 Vaccination Updates

Are you and your staff vaccinated against COVID 19?

The EasT-FPN is assisting MGH in the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out to ensure that family practice providers and their staff receive the vaccine as soon as they are eligible and as supplies permit.

Please complete the pre-registration form for family practice, in order to facilitate the clinic operations and to secure an appointment at the earliest opportunity. 

Healthcare workers such as dentists, optometry, midwifery in East Toronto who are not in family practice can pre-register for vaccination via our ETHP partner using this link. 

Do you want to vaccinate your patients but need more help? “Turn-key” model survey – participating in a primary care vaccine clinic

The EasT-FPN has been piloting primary care vaccine clinics and have identified needs related to human resources and physical space.  We are developing a “turn-key” model, where designated primary care spaces can be used for family practices to operate vaccine clinics for their own patients and contribute to building a sustainable and efficient vaccine rollout in East Toronto. Please complete the following survey so we can guage your interest in participating in this vaccine clinic "turn-key" model. 

EHTP has started its mass vaccination centres - If you are interested in working in the vaccination centres or clinics, please click here.

Homebound Patients Vaccination Drive – 70 years and older with or without TC-LIHN services

EasT-FPN and MGH initiated the vaccination of 66 homebound patients not affiliated with TCLIHN March 11 and 12th.  We are now helping the TC-LIHN roll out its vaccination program and vaccinated an additional 66 homebound patients on April 1.

ALL FAMILY PRACTICE has been asked to provide a list of all homebound patients that still require their vaccine regardless of involvement with or without the CCAC/TC-LIHN on this form. Please view the additional criteria on the EasT-FPN website where you may also find the webform.

We are planning our next vaccination drive out date - please let us know if you are able to assist vaccinating your own patients in their home.

Streamlining Communication and Specialist Referrals in East Toronto Survey

The EasT- FPN has identified common pain points and proposed strategies but we need input from different practice models to make sure we have captured your challenges correctly and know that we are on the right track when making changes! Would you like to have a separate family practice portal to refer patients to the minor acuity emergency department? (e.g blood transfusions, rhogam injections, etc.). Fill out the survey here. 

Healthy Professional Worker Study 

As we enter month 15, our mental health and sustaining this pace requires self care.  Please complete the following CIHR funded survey “that seeks to better understand the interplay between mental health, leaves of absence, and return to work” in professional workers. They  are also focusing on the impact of COVID-19 on physicians' mental health, burnout, presenteeism, early-career female physician experiences, "protective" factors, mental health through the career trajectory, and gender and intersectionality.” If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Sarah Simkin, one of the primary investigators at ssimk047@uottawa.ca.  

Keeping the Doors Open Survey

You may have received an invitation to complete a survey being sent to family doctors in Toronto. This important survey is being done as part of the Keeping Doors Open project, in collaboration with regional primary care leaders from across Toronto, and aims to understand how the work of family doctors are changed and what supports are needed for future practice. Results will be used to advocate for the needs of family doctors regionally and provincially. We hope you will take a few minutes to complete the survey. If you did not receive the email, please check your junk mail folder in case it’s there.

Looking for Family Physicians to be Media Reps – ETHP

East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP) is looking for family physicians in East Toronto to help increase vaccine uptake in our community.  Please share your trusted voice and expertise as a panelist in a Community Q&A on the COVID-19 Vaccine series! Click here for more information or email Lucy Lau before April 22, 2021 if interested.

Available Office Space for Physicians

Practice and office space, part of a small FHG available soon – located at 840 Coxwell Ave. Please email Paula Williams at paula.williams@utoronto.ca for more information and if interested.

COVID-19 Response Forums

Practice Supports and Patient Resources

The EasT-FPN website has been updated to provide the latest information on COVID-19 resources, EasT-FPN COVID-19 response forums and COVID-19 vaccine updates and resources such as the cancer and COVID-19 vaccine eligibility infographic to advise your cancer patients considering the COVID-19 vaccine and webinars for more information on the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. 

Ocean eReferral

MGH’s Central Intake Model (CIM) and OCEAN eReferral system Go-Live with 4 surgical specialties (Breast DAU, Thoracic DAU, Thyroid DAU and Orthopedics DAU – Rapid Access Clinic and Fracture Clinics) on March 31st, 2021. Click here for more information on the CIM and eReferral and to register for eReferral.

Medical Grand Rounds and Family Practice Rounds 

Virtual MGH’s Medical Grand Rounds and Family Practice Rounds are continuing monthly, offering interesting topics and a chance to connect with your colleagues! Please email to get on the list for Family Practice Rounds and email for the next Medical Grand Rounds.

SCOPE 

The Seamless Care Optimizing Patient Experience (SCOPE) is a virtual interprofessional health team that allows a one point of contact for primary care providers to have rapid access to nurse navigation, general internal medicine, diagnostic imaging, psychiatry and more! To register for SCOPE, please complete the SCOPE Registration Form and email SCOPE@tehn.ca with any feedback/suggestions for services you would like to see added.

Digital Solutions 

In partnership with our ETHP partners, the EasT-FPN is working to ensure the appropriate IT and digital technologies are in place to provide the infrastructure that enables a connected and integrated health system. Hypercare, an application that can be downloaded on a mobile device, allows for easy and secure communication amongst community primary care providers and hospital care providers. SCOPE can also be accessed via Hypercare. For more information on digital solutions and registering for Hypercare, please visit the EasT-FPN website or download Hypercare.

Become an EasT-FPN member

The EasT-FPN encourages you, if you have not already, to become a member to receive clinical and practice support and opportunities to engage with the East Toronto community. Please fill out the application form to become a member. 

COVID-19 Assessment Centre 

COVID-19 Assessment Centre Sites and Hours –both Drop-in and Booked Appointments Available 

Testing numbers have dropped – please encourage your community to get tested when they have symptoms.  The EasT-FPN, in partnership with MGH have created the MGH COVID-19 Assessment Centre (CAC) and 9 pop-up sites. Blow is a list of the temporary 9 CAC pop up sites and their hours. 

  1. East York - East York Community Centre (1081 ½ Pape Avenue)

  2. Flemingdon Park - Dennis R. Timbrell Resource Centre (29 St. Dennis Drive) and Angela James Arena (165 Grenoble Drive)

  3. Oakridge (Scarborough) - Oakridge Community Recreation Centre (63 Pharmacy Avenue)

  4. South Riverdale – South Riverdale Community Health Centre (955 Queen Street East)

  5. Taylor Massey (Crescent Town) - Crescent Town Health Centre (4 The Market Place)

  6. Thorncliffe Park – Thorncliffe Neighbourhood office (45 Overlea Blvd) and Jenner Jean-Marie Community Centre (48 Thorncliffe Park Dr.)

  7. Warden Woods – The Hub at Warden Woods Community Centre (76 Firvalley Court)

To work in the CAC and/or MGH vaccination sites, you have to be credentialed at MGH. Once you have completed the credentialing process, contact the EasT-FPN to be added to the mailing list.

How to sign up for shifts at the COVID-19 Assessment Centre (CAC) and Vaccination Clinics:

  • Must be credentialed at MGH - click here for instructions

  • Review roles and responsibilities and counseling guidelines for shifts at the CAC and vaccination clinics

  • Vaccination clinic shifts consist of administering the vaccine AND/OR answering questions from patients about the vaccination(s) where you must be comfortable and willing to take on either of these roles and must be knowledgeable on different vaccines, side effects, C/I etc. The EasT-FPN has multiple online resources regarding COVID-19 vaccination available here

  • Shift booking tips

  • We have a mailing list to inform those who are credentialed about upcoming shifts - to be added, please email the EasT-FPN at contact@eastfpn.org

  • Visit the EasT-FPN Scheduler webpage to sign up for shifts upon completion of steps above

East Toronto Family Practice Network