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This week’s Vitals is 1,500 words or a 6 min read. If you only have 1 minute, here are the highlights:
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Billing with No PHIN: The Manitoba government has agreed to a new process that reduces your administrative burden when billing for patients who are eligible for provincial health insurance but don't yet have a Manitoba Health Card.
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Wildfire Update: Manitoba is back under a Provincial State of Emergency as wildfires sweep through the province and thousands of evacuees are forced from their homes. More than one million hectares of land have burned throughout the province, making it the worst season since tracking began in 1995.
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Health System Safety: We were deeply distressed to hear about sexual assaults reported in and around Health Sciences Centre last week and are continuing to push for greater safety measures, timely communication and broader supports at all facilities in Manitoba where staff, provider, and patient safety have been of concern.
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ER Crunch Continues: We are monitoring coverage in Manitoba’s ERs and Urgent Care Centres very closely. In addition to sharing the feedback from rural, northern, and Winnipeg ER and Urgent Care physicians with RHA, Shared Health, and provincial health leaders we’ve held several meetings to press for more support and resources.
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Getting Healthy Outreach: Our Getting Healthy Outreach team of fantastic medical students has hit the road and we hope you’ll join us at upcoming events, or contribute content to our online resources to provide trustworthy medical facts in a sea of misinformation!
Plus, an update on Manitoba’s new clinical trials office, the measles outbreak, and a special Goldeyes event for Doctors Manitoba Mentorship Program members and New to Practice physicians.
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Billing with No PHIN
For years, physicians have often been stuck when it comes to billing for patients that are eligible for provincial health insurance, but don’t yet have a Manitoba Health Card. This includes newborns, new Canadians, and some other groups such as people released from jail. This leads to added paperwork, complicated tracking and follow up, and at times, no payment for the care provided.
We are happy to report that the government has agreed to a new Good Faith Billing process for these patients, allowing physicians to bill for the care provided in a hospital. This move aligns Manitoba with other jurisdictions who honour these types of claims. The process requires an invoice to the local RHA at standard Manitoba fee-for-service rates.
Read more about the new process and how to incorporate it into your practice in this article.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact us at PracticeAdvice@DoctorsManitoba.ca
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Wildfires
Manitoba is once again under a state of emergency, which Premier Wab Kinew announced today will help open access for the more than 12,000 people now evacuating their homes. More than a million hectares of land have burned this year, making it the worst on record in 30 years of tracking. Lightning strikes fueled an increase in fire activity over the last week, with the Northern part of the province impacted most.
- There are 105 active wildfires across the province, and a total of 261 wildfires to date, well above the 20-year average for this date of 197 total fires.
- More than one million hectares of land have burned in Manitoba this year, 11 times the average of 94,000.
- Nine Manitoba communities are now under mandatory evacuation. There are 12 under local states of emergency. Approximately 12,600 Manitobans have been evacuated most recently.
To our physician colleagues in Northern Manitoba, you are going above and beyond during this aggressive wildfire season. From all of us at Doctors Manitoba, thank you for all you do. We are with you, every step of the way.
We have resources to help you stay up to date on the latest at our Doctors Manitoba wildfire page.
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Health System Safety
We were deeply distressed to hear about sexual assaults reported in and around Health Sciences Centre last week. We are continuing to push for greater safety measures, timely communication, and broader supports at all facilities in Manitoba where staff, provider and patient safety have been of concern.
Read our full coverage here.
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Getting Healthy Outreach
Getting Healthy Hits the Road — And We’re Looking for Physicians to Join Us!
Our Getting Healthy summer team of medical students has been out in the community this summer, starting with a successful launch at the Canadian Immigrant Fair and Brandon’s Downtown Summer Market. These events gave us a chance to connect directly with Manitobans, sharing practical tips for healthy living and disease prevention while showcasing the expertise physicians bring to health and well-being.
We're continuing to build our summer calendar and looking for physicians interested in getting involved — whether by joining us at a community event, contributing to our Getting Healthy Guide, or writing a blog post for the website.
Read more about how to get involved!
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STARS
The Manitoba government has signed a contract with Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service (STARS) to continue emergency patient air transport to critically ill or injured patients in rural parts of Manitoba. STARS delivers 24-7 emergency care that can help stabilize patients and get them to a hospital as fast as possible. Under the new contract, the STARS Airbus H145 helicopter – equipped as a mobile intensive care unit and staffed by a minimum of four crew members – will continue to provide primary scene response to patients with critical acuity levels and time-sensitive needs, as well as interfacility transport for patients requiring specialty care.
Learn more here.
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Measles
There are now 116 confirmed cases of measles in Manitoba since the start of the year. New potential exposure sites have been identified including Winkler Medical Clinic and Brandon Shoppers Mall.
📰 Pembina Valley Online spoke with Dr. Aly Dhala this week for a Measles 101.
💻 We’re keeping track of the province’s updates and resources for you and your patients on the Doctors Manitoba Measles page.
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New Clinical Trials Office
The Manitoba government has launched a new clinical trials office to fast-track health research along with a new Research Improvements Through Harmonization in Manitoba (RITHIM) project to grow Manitoba’s bioscience sector.
Leaders say the new office will make it easier and more efficient to do health research in Manitoba, attracting more private sector investment to the province. They also announced improving clinical trials in the province will mean more high-paying Manitoba jobs, a stronger economy and a thriving biotech sector. Led by Research Manitoba, RITHIM aims to bring industry partners together to streamline the review system so research projects can be approved faster and more efficiently.
Learn more here.
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2024-25 Medical School Survey
📣 Calling all Indigenous medical students!
Were you enrolled in medical school during the past academic year? The @trcreportcardproject is inviting you to share your truth, your voice, and your experience in medicine.
This is a step toward holding institutions accountable and making space for Indigenous learners. Your insight helps push for real change rooted in truth, equity, and self-determination.
🧡 Take a few minutes to fill it out. After you’re done, screenshot your confirmation page and email it to trcreportcard@gmail.com to be entered into a prize draw.
Find the survey here.
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Try the QI Workbook
Between patient care, documentation, and team check-ins, carving out space for continuous quality improvement (QI) can feel unrealistic. Yet, it is the key to solving the very issues that slow us down, like delays in access, unclear workflows, and misaligned roles.
Shared Health has developed a practical quality improvement (QI) workbook designed to walk your team through identifying an access-related issue, exploring possible root causes, and crafting a change idea, all in an informal setting.
If you’re ready to learn more about the QI workbook or if you would like to develop a deeper understanding of QI, change management, and how to improve team functioning through the Access Improvement Model (AIM) program, please send an email to aim@sharedhealthmb.ca or visit the AIM website.
Learn more here.
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Goldeyes Outing!
For Mentorship and New-to-Practice Members
Are you a member of the Doctors Manitoba mentorship program, in your last year of residency or within your first five years of practice? We’re taking you out to a ball game!
Join us Tuesday, July 29, at 6:30 p.m. for a Skysuite experience as the Goldeyes face off against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks. Limited spots available for this members-only event!
Register here.
| | Dr. Pawel Garda Golf Tournament | | | | The Dr. Pawel Garda Memorial Golf Tournament was established in 2025 to honour the life and memory of a dear friend within the medical community, who tragically passed away in October 2024. Dr. Garda’s life was one of resilience, overcoming adversity in his youth with the help of a bursary to attend St. Paul’s High School. | | |
On Tuesday, July 29, join Doctors Manitoba in our support of the Dr. Pawel Garda ‘13 Memorial Bursary Fund at St. Paul’s High School. The tournament in celebration of Dr. Garda’s life will take place at the St. Boniface Golf Course as we come together for a day filled with connection, fun, and creating the opportunity to support others. Registration begins at 10:30 a.m.
Sign up today!
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We’re in the news ensuring physicians’ perspectives are part of the story. See the latest:
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The Toll of Canada's ER Closure Crisis: A team at the Globe & Mail has spent the last several months thoroughly investigating and collecting data starting from 2019 that shows just how severe Canada's rural ER closure crisis has become. Manitoba ranks last according to their analysis. In June, we issued a summer public advisory of rural ER closures. At a press conference, which the Globe noted, Dr. Nichelle Desilets said only 20 out of 72 rural hospitals would keep operating around the clock. “We are still struggling with staff shortages, physician shortages, nursing shortages.” The CMA is calling on Ottawa to create formal channels to track and report rural ER closures nationwide.
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House Calls: Manitoba’s physicians made more than 20,000 house calls last year, down from about 31,000 in 2011. Virtual visits, introduced at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, have remained popular and likely contributed to the decrease. Just over one-quarter or all visits to a family doctor last year were virtual, we told the Free Press.
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Here are the most-read and important recent stories, in case you missed them:
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Bombers Discount #ForTheW! Don’t forget, as a Doctors Manitoba member you can get a discount on select regular season games! Doctors Manitoba and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have partnered for the 2025 season, and this includes an exclusive discount for Doctors Manitoba Members of about 20-25% for two upcoming games: Friday, July 18 vs. Calgary Stampeders and Friday, August 14 vs Ottawa Redblacks. To redeem the offer, go to bluebombers.com/DOCTORS and use the offer code DOCTORS.
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If you participate in Family Medicine Plus, consider taking part in this cross-Canada study about new longitudinal family medicine payment models.
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Prepare for Changes to Codeine Product Classification: Starting this fall, all M3P prescriptions, including Tylenol #3, must be recorded under the new Standard. The CPSM advises this can be done by using the free-type field in your EMR. CPSM also reminds members that the old triplicate forms are no longer needed. Read our June article on how to prepare and minimize your administrative burden.
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We feature events planned by Doctors Manitoba, as well as other events submitted by the medical community to share and connect with their peers.
MD Financial: Residency Is Just the Beginning — Let’s Talk Finances!
Starting residency is a big step. Don’t let financial uncertainty hold you back. Join MD Financial Management and Scotiabank Healthcare+ for a virtual panel where experts will cover debt, investing, insurance, taxes, and more.
⏰ July 23, 6 p.m.
📌 Online
💬 Ask your questions live
💡 Get practical advice from industry professionals
👫 Spouses and partners welcome—because this journey impacts the whole family
Take the first step toward financial clarity. Reserve your spot today!
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Cultivating Wellbeing for Health Professionals, September 21 – 26, Cortes Island, Strathcona, BC, Canada. Learn more and register here.
2025 Paul Wawryko Memorial Run, September 27, 6 p.m., Andrew Currie Park, Wellington Crescent (at Renfrew St.), Winnipeg, MB. Learn more and register here.
Women Physicians Empowering for Change, September 27 – 28, OMNI King Edward Hotel, Toronto. Learn more and register here.
Bug Day, October 23, 7:55 a.m. – 4 p.m., Virtual, Nationally and internationally recognized experts will present timely topics in infectious diseases and public health at Manitoba’s largest healthcare education event. Learn more and register here.
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We are here to support the whole physician.
Every step of the way.
Your health & well-being are important to us.
Visit DRMB.ca/HELP to connect to support services or call 1.844.433.3762
For all other support, including benefits and insurance support,
career resources or practice advice please
email general@doctorsmanitoba.ca or call 204.985.5888
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Visit DRMB.ca/Bannatyne for more information on our Bannatyne office and to view the full calendar.
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