Primary Care Connection

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Healthcare is transforming, and Primary Care involvement and leadership is critical to the success of this change.

The Cambridge North Dumfries Primary Care Network has been developed to facilitate the engagement of primary care clinicians (physicians and nurse practitioners) in healthcare transformation. Primary care is the foundation of the health care system and has a unique perspective on existing challenges and pain points that must be addressed to enable transformation and integration of care. Additionally, the Primary Care Network will support the organization of primary care to optimize resources and support collective advocacy.

The CND OHT Primary Care Connection is a virtual space with two functions:

  1. Provide an ongoing forum for primary care clinicians to meaningfully engage with the Primary Care Network on areas of work that are most relevant. This space is meant as a "self serve" model of engagement, where you can participate as little or as much as you would like, at times that are convenient to you.
  2. Create a virtual space for primary care to connect and self-organize.

This page includes several forum discussions, quick polls and Q&A . These tools will:

  • Gather your questions and directly respond to you
  • Collect your perspectives and ideas
  • Help us to better understand your needs



Healthcare is transforming, and Primary Care involvement and leadership is critical to the success of this change.

The Cambridge North Dumfries Primary Care Network has been developed to facilitate the engagement of primary care clinicians (physicians and nurse practitioners) in healthcare transformation. Primary care is the foundation of the health care system and has a unique perspective on existing challenges and pain points that must be addressed to enable transformation and integration of care. Additionally, the Primary Care Network will support the organization of primary care to optimize resources and support collective advocacy.

The CND OHT Primary Care Connection is a virtual space with two functions:

  1. Provide an ongoing forum for primary care clinicians to meaningfully engage with the Primary Care Network on areas of work that are most relevant. This space is meant as a "self serve" model of engagement, where you can participate as little or as much as you would like, at times that are convenient to you.
  2. Create a virtual space for primary care to connect and self-organize.

This page includes several forum discussions, quick polls and Q&A . These tools will:

  • Gather your questions and directly respond to you
  • Collect your perspectives and ideas
  • Help us to better understand your needs



  • Ontario Enhancing Protection for Fall Respiratory Illness Season

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    NEWS RELEASE

    Ontario Enhancing Protections for More People Throughout Fall Respiratory Illness Season

    Expanded vaccine program to include more infants, high-risk children and pregnant women

    July 25, 2024
    Ministry of Health





    TORONTO — The Ontario government is expanding the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) program to connect more infants, high-risk children and pregnant women to RSV vaccines that can help protect themselves and their loved ones during the fall respiratory illness season.

    “Our government is taking steps to ensure Ontarians of all ages have the tools they need to be prepared and keep themselves and their loved ones safe and healthy,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By expanding the number of children eligible under the RSV prevention program, our government is making it easier for families to access the care and protection they need ahead of respiratory illness season.”

    Starting this fall, families with infants and high-risk children up to 24 months old, will now have access to the new RSV immunization, Beyfortus®, through the publicly funded RSV prevention program. Pregnant women will also have the option to receive a single dose of Abrysvo®, an RSV vaccine that can provide protection for their infant from birth to six months of age. More details on the expanded RSV program, including where families will be able to access vaccines will be provided in the coming weeks.

    “To be ready for this year's respiratory illness season, we all need to take the simple and effective steps to protect the most vulnerable people in our communities and our health care system,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health. “RSV is a highly contagious virus that causes infections of the respiratory tract, especially in the very young and older members of our communities. By expanding the RSV prevention program to include all infants born in 2024 and high-risk children up to 24 months old through the 2024/25 RSV season, we can better protect them from the virus and prevent severe outcomes.”

    Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government is providing people with the tools they need early to connect to the care they need to keep themselves, and their loved ones safe and healthy.





    Quick Facts

    • As Ontario, and the rest of the world, moves closer to respiratory illness season, more information will be available regarding when people can expect to receive their free flu shot and latest dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
    • Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that causes cold symptoms in many infants and young children. Most children will experience at least one RSV infection by the age of two.
    • The risk of severe outcomes from RSV infection is highest among infants under six months of age and children under 24 months of age with chronic conditions such as chronic lung disease, congenital heart disease, compromised immune systems, or neuromuscular disorders.
    • In alignment with the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, Beyfortus® is the preferred product to protect infants. Receiving both Abrysvo® and Beyfortus® is not expected to provide additional benefits.
    • Sanofi’s Beyfortus® delivers passive immunization, providing protective antibodies to infants.
    • Pregnant women should consult with their health care provider before receiving Abrysvo®.
    • As part of the Ontario government’s historic $330 million investment in pediatric care, new rapid access clinics for children and youth were added at health care providers to provide families with faster and easier access to care during respiratory illness season.
    • Immunizations are important to help protect children from serious illnesses. Help keep them healthy by making sure they get all recommended immunizations on time. Vaccines in Ontario’s routine immunization schedule are provided free of charge if you meet the eligibility criteria.
    • All Ontarians should stay up to date on their immunizations, especially children. Talk to a health care provider or public health unit if you are unsure if your child has missed routine immunizations or if you are unsure about which immunizations they have received.
    • Visit Health811 online or call 811 (TTY: 1-866-797-0007 toll free) for health advice and information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.




    Quotes

    "Sanofi commends the Government of Ontario for implementing a program to protect all babies and newborns from RSV beginning this fall with Beyfortus®(nirsevimab). The global impact of this disease has been felt in homes and healthcare facilities, touching the lives of countless families. Our commitment as a healthcare company is to bring innovative solutions to protect the health of Canadians and make a meaningful impact for the betterment of public health."

    - Delphine Lansac
    General Manager, Vaccines, Sanofi Canada

    "We applaud Ontario for acknowledging the need to help protect all infants and offer comprehensive options to future parents. We are pleased by the decision to incorporate ABRYSVO® into their extended program, including pregnant persons and their infants. This development marks considerable progress in the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections among infants and Pfizer is prepared to support Ontario with this immunization program as well as other jurisdictions that follow Ontario’s lead."

    - Najah Sampson
    President, Pfizer Canada

    "This new preventative therapy to prevent RSV infection in kids is an absolute game changer. In addition to keeping infants and children at higher risk safe, it has the promise to dramatically reduce hospitalizations during the viral surge season – a huge benefit to our health care system as a whole."

    - Dr. Chris Simpson
    Chief Medical Executive, Ontario Health





    Additional Resources





    Media Contacts

    Hannah Jensen
    Minister Jones’ Office
    Hannah.R.Jensen@ontario.ca

    Anna Miller
    Communications Branch
    media.moh@ontario.ca
    416-314-6197





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  • Langs Prenatal Clinic

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    Langs is excited to announce the launch of the Prenatal Clinic at Langs, a new service dedicated to providing comprehensive prenatal care for those without a family physician, nurse practitioner, or midwife.

    Services offered at the clinic include:

    • Prenatal care
    • Support
    • Resources
    • Assistance throughout pregnancy

    The clinic operates by appointment at the Langs Community Health Centre in Cambridge (1145 Concession Road) and at the North Dumfries Community Health Centre in Ayr (2958 Greenfield Road).

    Eligibility:

    • Patients must be without a family physician, nurse practitioner, or midwife
    • Residents of Cambridge, Ayr, or North Dumfries township

    We aim to work collaboratively to ensure comprehensive and supportive care for our patients. If you know individuals who could benefit from our services, please direct them to complete the referral form, found on our website https://bit.ly/PrenatalClinic.

    For more information or to discuss potential collaborations, please feel free to contact us at primarycare@langs.org or 519-653-1470 ext. 343.

  • Community Support Connections | Ocean Healthmap Favourite

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  • Introduction to Physicians Assistant (PA) in Ontario | Webinar Series

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    Ontario Health will be offering a series of webinars related to Physician Assistants (PAs) in the coming months that may be of interest to you.

    If you have any questions about these webinars, please contact us at: practiceontario@ontariohealth.ca

    Interested in learning more about the role of a Physician Assistant (PA) in Ontario and how to incorporate this role into your healthcare environment? Facing staffing shortages with Physicians or Nurses? Join this introductory webinar for insights into the PA role and how they can help address recruitment difficulties.

    Register Here for our upcoming introduction webinar on June 26th.

    Date & Time: Wednesday, June 26, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

    Description:

    Exploring the option of becoming a preceptor can serve as an effective strategy for recruitment purposes. Learn more from our presenters Physician Assistant Education Leaders, Kristen Burrows, Assistant Dean, McMaster University and Dr. Jeffrey Golisky, Director, University of Toronto, PA Program.

    This introduction webinar will cover the following topics:

    1. Introduction to the role of a Physician Assistant (PA)
    2. Background & Education
    3. CPSO Updates & Scope of Practice
    4. How to fund a Physician Assistant (PA)
    5. Physician Assistant (PA) Recruitment

    Upcoming Webinars:

    Webinar 2: Hiring a Physician Assistant into your Hospital Setting: Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, Hospitalist & Surgery

    Webinar 3: Physician Assistants in Primary Care

    If you are already aware of the role of a Physician Assistant, please share this invitation with any colleagues who will benefit from learning more.

    Thank you,
    Ontario Health
    www.ontariohealth.ca

  • Patients Before Paperwork (Pb4P) Advisory Table

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    Full link to posting: https://www.ontariohealth.ca/sites/ontariohealth/files/EOI_ClinicalAdvisoryTableMembersPatientsBeforePaperwork.pdf

  • Ontario Health Communications

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    1. Physicians in Ontario can register to participate in a time-limited Secure Messaging Proof-of-Concept (PoC) pilot until July 31, 2024.


    The Ministry of Health (ministry) is undertaking a two-year patient-to-physician Secure Messaging PoC pilot, which will run from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2026, that aims to meaningfully complement care within existing patient-physician relationships, increase access to care, and gather a wider scale of evidence related to the use of secure messaging within physician practices in Ontario than has been possible to date.

    The Secure Messaging PoC pilot contributes to the province’s ‘Digital First for Health Strategy’, enabling more virtual care options for patients to interact with the health care system and is implemented in alignment with the ministry and Ontario Medical Association 2021 Physician Services Agreement (PSA).

    For more information about the Secure Messaging PoC pilot, see the ministry’s INFOBulletin #240103.

    How to register to participate:

    The Secure Messaging PoC pilot is intended for physicians who have a significant interest in providing services by secure messaging in their practice, or are currently doing so, and are willing to be part of a time-limited, evaluated PoC pilot that will inform the overall strategic approach for secure messaging in Ontario, including elements such as technology and implementation approaches.

    Physicians interested in participating in the two-year Secure Messaging PoC pilot can register on Ontario Health’s website up until July 31, 2024. As a reminder, physicians must register individually and must be registered to submit claims for eligible secure messaging services according to the terms and conditions of the Secure Messaging PoC pilot.

    Technology requirements:

    The use of a 'verified solution' for secure messaging is required. For more information, see Ontario Health’s Verified Solution List. It is not necessary for physicians to have procured a verified solution prior to registration.

    1. Treatment for people with depression and anxiety-related concerns

    Adults experiencing depression or anxiety-related concerns can access free cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and related services through the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program (OSP). Depending on needs and preferences, clients will be matched with an OSP service, which include self-led resources guided by a coach or clinician, and one-on-one or group therapy sessions.

    All services in the program are informed by CBT approaches. Most people begin with the self-led resources and move to individual or group therapy if they need more support.

    Coordinated by ten network lead organizations across the province, services are delivered by select, trained community-based organizations. Individuals can self-refer to the networks or get a referral from a provider.

    To learn more about the program, including registration and referral information, please visit ontariohealth.ca/osp and refer this handout (also available in French).

    If you have any questions, please contact mhacoe@ontarioheath.ca.

    1. Evaluation of Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care: Hypertension

    On behalf of the Ontario Health Clinically Appropriate use of Virtual Care Team, we would like to thank partners who have shared the messaging below to their networks We kindly ask those who have not distributed already, to consider doing so. As part of Ontario Health’s funding commitments related to the Guidance (Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care for Hypertension), we are required to evaluate the uptake and use of the Guidance and to make iterations to the Guidance based on the feedback we receive.

    The deadline to complete the survey is June 1.

    Please find suggested language below for your use as well as a link that is specific to your organization/area of focus of the Guidance. We would appreciate you including this in communications to your members at your earliest convenience.

    Please note that the evaluation is being conducted by a third-party vendor – The Evidence Network (TEN). TEN is contractually obligated to ensure that all responses remain confidential and that only aggregate data will be shared with the Ontario Health Team responsible for the Guidance.

    We very much appreciate your assistance with this request – without communication partners like you, we wouldn’t be able to fulfill our commitment to our funder or gather data to enable us to make improvements to the Guidance!

    Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

    Suggested language to be included in communication material:

    Ontario Health has developed Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care – Hypertension and, as part of the funding commitment for the development of the Guidance, they are required to evaluate the uptake and use of the Guidance in order to improve the Guidance. They are asking that you take the time to review the Guidance Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care for Hypertension and to complete a survey.

    Please find a link to the evaluation survey here: https://online2.snapsurveys.com/HTN_RPCCLs

    The survey should take approximately 5 minutes of your time to complete.

    The evaluation is being conducted by The Evidence Network – a third party vendor contractually obligated to ensure that your responses remain confidential and that evaluation findings are aggregated prior to sharing with Ontario Health. Further, the survey also includes an invitation for interested parties to participate in an interview – this is completely voluntary and if interested, your name and e-mail address will be requested. This information will not be shared with Ontario Health and again, any findings as a result of your participation will be aggregated before sharing with Ontario Health. Your name and contact information will be kept for only as long as required for the purpose of arranging the interview.

    If you have any questions regarding the survey and/or interview, please contact Mimosa Zhao (zhao@theevidencenetwork.com).

  • Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer Program

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    The Waterloo Wellington Regional Cancer Program (WWRCP) is currently extending an Expression of Interest for Primary Care Provider (PCP) Designate (formerly Physician Designate) position to represent the following Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) site:

    1. Cambridge Memorial Hospital

    The site listed above requires an OBSP PCP Designate to assist in the pathway for unattached OBSP participants who experience an abnormal screening mammogram. Because the OBSP is a self-referral program, participants may screen without a PCP but will require PCP support if that screen is abnormal.

    The PCP Designate:

    1. Will receive abnormal screening reports for unattached patients, forwarded from the OBSP site that they are the designate for.
    2. Can expect these volumes to be low. On average, 10% of mammograms require further imaging and the majority of these would already be attached to a PCP.
    3. Will follow the participant through to diagnosis, providing orders as needed (e.g. breast biopsy) and communicating results to the participant.
    4. Is not expected to take on this patient permanently as part of their practice. The participant will be encouraged to be actively seeking a PCP of their own.
    5. Can be a PCP, including a Nurse Practitioner.
    6. Will be financially compensated through typical OHIP billing, not by the WWRCP.

    For further clarification and interest, please contact the WWRCP at wwregionalcancerprogram@grhosp.on.ca.

  • Refer Patients Directly to Community Support Services Through OCEAN

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    Community Support Connections (CSC) is a non-profit organization offering non-medical services to help older adults and persons with different abilities live an independent, healthy life in the comfort of their homes. We offer assistance to residents of Cambridge, North Dumfries, City of Waterloo and City of Kitchener, partnering with other organizations for some services. Our services include: Meals on Wheels ($), transportation to medical appointments and shopping ($), housekeeping ($), yard and home maintenance ($), friendly visiting and social connections, system navigation and community support services planning, gentle exercise classes (group in-person and virtual and 1:1 at home), falls prevention classes (group in-person and virtual) and reassurance/check-in calls. Many of our services have no charge, however for services with a fee ($), we offer a sliding scale of payments based on income-level. Primary Care Providers can e-refer clients directly to our services through OCEAN (enter “Community Support Connections” into the OCEAN Healthmap search bar), CareDove, or through our CSC website (go to the applicable service page and click the “register now” button).

    New clients and their family members do not need a referral to our services, but guided-support from primary care providers is often the prompt required to start clients on their community support services journey. Community Support Connections understands the importance of your patients maintaining their autonomy while receiving the necessary support to thrive in familiar surroundings and we have made it our mission. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions (519)-772-8787 or info@cscmow.org.

  • New Cervical Lymphadenopathy (CLA) in Adults Pathway Map

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    **Sent on behalf of Dr. Michael Odell, Ontario Head and Neck Cancers Lead **

    Dear RVPs and Regional Directors,

    We are excited to announce that the NEW Cervical Lymphadenopathy (CLA) in Adults Pathway Map has officially been launched on the Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) (OH(CCO)) website: CLA in Adults Pathway Map.

    This new pathway map’s development was led by Ontario Head and Neck Cancers Lead, Dr. Michael Odell and an expert working group, with support from the Cancer Care Integration & Disease Advisory Program (CI-DAP). The pathway map’s objective is to provide guidance for health care providers who encounter adult patients with cervical lymphadenopathy, by creating a diagnostic pathway map for patients who present with a neck mass without a clear primary site of origin.

    Action Requested: Please share the CLA in Adults Pathway Map with your network and any colleagues who you think may be interested. This pathway map is particularly relevant to family physicians, nurse practitioners, otolaryngologists and general surgeons.

    Please note, this is also being shared with the Cervical Lymphadenopathy in Adults Pathway Map Working Group, the Head and Neck Cancers Advisory Committee as well as OH (CCO)’s Clinical Council.

    We appreciate your assistance in sharing this newly published pathway map. Should you have any questions about the pathway map or this request, please email Natalie Drake, Specialist, Cancer Care Integration and Disease Advisory Program at Natalie.Drake@ontariohealth.ca.

  • Home and Community Care Support Services

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Page last updated: 29 Nov 2024, 09:44 AM