Immediate Action Required: Toronto Region Primary Care PPE Working Group
It is imperative that all Toronto Region Community Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners complete this survey.
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Dear Family Physician or Nurse Practitioner:
We, the Toronto Region Primary Care PPE Working Group, recognize that there is confusion around the sourcing of PPE for community providers. As the government continues to procure PPE (see the announcement from the Deputy Minister of Health), we are immediately focussed on creating short-term solutions to our PPE shortages so that offices are able to continue to safely see patients through this public health emergency.
To that end, we have embarked on the following:
A survey. We ask all primary care providers to complete it in the next 24 hours. Click here to complete the survey.
A supply of hand sanitizer for order. Please speak with your colleagues and complete one order per medical building. Our aim is to have it delivered late-next week by medical students. Please order ASAP as we are confirming the order with the supplier. There are only 300 cases left. Click here to order.
Please have your primary care office conserve PPE. That means moving all visits to virtual first: telephone or video. We direct you to the OntarioMD Virtual Care and COVID-19 resources.
Skype and Facetime are allowable but require patient consent documented in the chart (see Ontario MD suggested wording to “cut and paste” into the record). After having the virtual visit first, cohort the patients that need to come in for a physical exam during the same half day, or at the end of the day. Staff can stay in the same PPE, changing gloves in-between patients. Masks can be kept on as long as they do not become wet.
Best Regards,
Dr. David M. Kaplan
Dr. Yoel Abells
Dr. Peter Selby
Dr. Jeremy Rezmovitz
On behalf of the Toronto Region Primary Care PPE Working Group