May 2021 Newsletter

May Newsletter Highlights:  

  • COVID-19 Vaccination Update

  • Call Out for Family Docs to Serve as Back-up Medical Staff at MGH

  • COVID@Home Survey

  • NEED a team to help you manage a homebound/ vulnerable patient? How to access Hubs/MUMs

  • Everyone should have access to vaccines- Support: “Access without Fear Access to Vaccines in Ontario” Form

  • COVID-19 Response Forums

  • COVID-19 Assessment Centre

  • TPH Recruitment – Physician Consultant

  • Practice Supports and Patient Resources

COVID-19 Vaccination Updates

  • MGH has outlined various eligibility groups for the COVID-19 vaccine

  • To date, the EasT-FPN and MGH have vaccinated 176 homebound patients through their ongoing homebound vaccination drives. ALL FAMILY PRACTICE – please view the criteria and indicate how many of your homebound patients still require the vaccine regardless of involvement with or without the CCAC/TC-LHIN on this form.

Call Out for Family Docs to Serve as Back-up Medical Staff at MGH

  • With the rise in COVID-19 cases, MGH is calling out family physicians who would like to be added to the medical staff back-up roster. If interested, please email Dr. Kevin Workentin at Kevin.Workentin@tehn.ca and indicate which area you would clinically feel comfortable supporting:

  1. Complex Continuing Care

  2. Medicine/Hospitalist

  3. Virtual care of COVID + patients recovering at home

  4. Palliative Care

  5. Emergency Room work

COVID@Home Survey

  • Ontario Health is providing tools and resources to primary care providers who wish to remotely monitor people who have mild to moderate COVID-19 in the community. As part of the COVID@Home initiative, the Ministry of Health has procured a stockpile of oxygen saturation monitors to be distributed to primary care professionals and teams who wish to provide enhanced monitoring of their COVID-19 positive patients at home. For questions about the COVID@Home initiative, please contact Janine Theben at anine.theben@ontariohealth.ca or Darlene Wong at Darlene.wong@ontario.ca.

NEED a team to help you manage a homebound/ vulnerable patient? Access Hubs/MUMs:

  • Primary and Community Care (PCC) Response Teams help vulnerable adults by developing a coordinated care plan that addresses the various social determinants of health affecting their well-being. Click here for more information and how you can refer your clients to the PCC response teams.

Everyone should have access to vaccines- Support: “Access without Fear Access to Vaccines in Ontario” Form

  • Sign the following declaration to indicate your vaccination clinic strives to provide accessible and safe vaccinations to everyone including undocumented residents, migrant workers and refugee claimants residing in Ontario to be added to a “safer” public list.

COVID-19 Response Forums

COVID-19 Assessment Centre

  • 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. See the list of temporary CAC pop up sites and their hours on the web link.

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  

TPH Recruitment – Physician Consultant

  •  TPH is recruiting a Physician Consultant, Communicable Disease Control – if interested, see the listing here.

Practice Supports and Patient Resources

NEW : Virtual Emergency Department: Family Physician FAQ

Mental Health and Addictions Resource for Patients

VIPIT Following AZ Vaccine 

  • Guidance from the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table for HCP treating Vaccine-Induced Prothrombotic Immune Thrombocytopenia (VIPIT) following the AstraZeneca vaccine.

SOGC Statement on COVID-19 vaccines 

  • The SOGC created a statement on COVID-19 vaccines and the rare adverse outcomes of thrombosis associated with low platelets.

OMA Clinic Readiness Document

  • Click here for the OMA guidance on if your clinic may be suitable for a vaccination site and here for an online COVID-19 Immunization Toolkit that helps to plan an immunization clinic.

COVID-19 Vaccine Infographic

  • Created by the Bridgepoint Family Health Team, this infographic summarizes the difference among the various COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine FAQs.

SCOPE

  • As a primary care provider, get rapid access to nurse navigation, general internal medicine, diagnostic imaging and more by registering for SCOPE today! Please email SCOPE@tehn.ca with any feedback/suggestions for new services you would like to see added.

Digital Solutions

  • Visit the EasT-FPN website for more information on digital solutions and download Hypercare today for easy and secure communication among community primary care providers and hospital care providers.

Ocean eReferral

  • Ocean eReferral enhances communication between primary care providers and specialists/organizations. For more information and to register, please visit the EasT-FPN website.

MGH Rounds

  • Virtual 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.

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. 

East Toronto Family Practice Network