Primary Care Update on COVID-19
April 10, 2020
If you received this from a colleague and wish to receive updates directly
Covid Website
Find COVID-19 resources for SW Ontario health care providers at this new website -- bookmark this link and check back often! www.swcovidtools.ca
We will attempt to consolidate various resources in one place here!
Covid19 Pop Health Navigator go live April 14th for Huron Perth and rest of Ontario Health West
Input Health: The Input Health COVID-19 Navigation Tool will be launching in Huron Perth on April 14. Patients will be able to perform a self-assessment at covid19checkup.ca, and if they meet criteria, will have an opportunity to book a phone appointment with their PCP or an on-call physician. The tool also lets local public health agencies compile valuable information about probable cases in the community who may not qualify for testing. Probable cases will be forwarded to HP Public Health through the system. If you are interested in signing up for Input Health for your own practice, please email joincovid19@llfho.com with your name, CPSO/CNO #, county of practice, and mobile phone number. A demo video for the Input Health navigation tool can be found here . We are working on integrating this tool into swab testing locations!


If you would like to provide assessments for your patients or unattached patients, please email joincovid19@llfho.com and mention you are from Huron Perth.
BookJane
If you are a physician and are interested in lending a helping hand to other institutions or care sectors during the crisis (while continuing to meet your local community needs of course), consider signing up to BookJane. The app is underwritten by the OMA (thus no cost to you) and allows you to mark availability and match to shifts in the area that you are interested in picking up. Click here to sign up.

Facilities interested in recruiting physicians during the pandemic when in need will have costs covered for three months. It is anticipated that this app will also be used to backfill positions as needed (ie. LTC, primary care, hospice etc as needs dictate).
Clinical Information

  • Temporary Practice Change for Death Certificates: please see a memo from Dr. Jitin Sondhi, SW Palliative Care Lead

  • Updated testing criteria: Testing criteria continues to rapidly change. Click here for the most recent provincial testing criteria, and check the London PaLM lab website for continuously updated guidance.

  • Prescription Renewals: All pharmacists are currently directed to fill 30 day supply only. Here's a message you could use with your patients to help explain this: "I renewed your usual 3 months of medication but your pharmacist is only allowed to give you 30 days right now to ensure there is enough for everyone. The refills will be there when you need them and they will give you more when they are able to." 


  • Sanitizing/Cleaning Your Office Space: The American Chemistry Council's Center for Biocide Chemistries has compiled a list of suitable cleaning products that can be used during the COVID-19 pandemic.
________________________________________________________________

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE "HUB" Warehouse - now live in Stratford!
If you are facing urgent PPE shortages, please access the Ontario Health West portal to submit your request for PPE to our local HPHA hub warehouse.

-Reporting is still required to MOH PPE portal daily which should be copied and sent to the HUB as well
-OMA advises to continue responding to OMA surveys as well so they can advocate on behalf of MDs

PLEASE SHARE THE ABOVE LINK WITH COMMUNITY HCPs WHO YOU FEEL MAY NOT BE GETTING MESSAGING THROUGH ONTARIO HEALTH DIRECTLY

-if NON urgent need (ie. running low but not critical), please
a) go through usual vendors
if unable to attain...
b) access local donations
if unable to attain...
c) use the above to notify the hub
if unable to attain
d) please message myself to ensure I can flag for the hub (paul.gill@lhins.on.ca) for the Huron Perth region

Overview of the process is attached here.

PPE Training - Virtual Town Hall
A virtual PPE Town Hall was held on Tuesday, March 31, 2020 to discuss when PPE is needed, how to use it (proper masking, gloving, gowning), and proper disposal. Q&A with Dr. Mario Elia. Cick here for the link to watch the session and view the Power Point Presentation.

__________________________________________________________________

Practice Management, Billing and HR

  • Virtual Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Town Hall: A Town Hall on Virtual Care was held on Thursday April 9, 2020 to help providers understand what tools can be used for virtual care, how to assess the potential COVID-19 patient and how to bill OHIP for virtual assessments. A recording will be posted on our website shortly and you can view the Power Point Presentation.
__________________________________________________________________
Signage

__________________________________________________________________
Self-Care for Family Physicians

OMA resources
  • OMA PHP has some initiatives -- check details in a recent OMA email
  • You can call PHP and be connected with your own individual health care provider
  • Call OMA PHP for confidential support at 1-800-851-6606 (Monday to Friday 8:45am-5:00pm) 
  • Email: php@oma.org

Other
Several Toronto psychiatrists are offering mindfulness sessions for physicians every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 8:00 pm.

"Drop in and learn short mindfulness practices to help find calm in the midst of challenge. Relax, recharge and learn how to incorporate moments of mindfulness into your day.  Optional discussion to follow. From us and for us: No OHIP numbers are required. This is not treatment or therapy."
If there are non-hospital COVID-19 related issues/solutions in your region, please escalate them to Dr. Paul Gill
paul.gill@lhins.on.ca
(tasked by Ontario Health West to facilitate, coordinate, and engage with stakeholders for the pandemic response within the SW LHIN area RE: primary care/vulnerable populations)...structure HERE .
Dr. Paul Gill
Huron-Perth
Chair, SW Primary Care/Vulnerable Pop'n Pandemic Response Table