The Brantford Brant Norfolk Primary Care Council Newsletter
Primary Care Monthly - Newsletter
If you are a primary care provider located in Brantford Brant or Norfolk you can sign up for the monthly Primary Care Council newsletter by emailing primarycare@bbnoht.ca
Primary Care News & Updates
March 2024
Suspension for children with non-compliant immunization records started March 26, 2024
- Students born in 2014-2016, whose immunization records are non-compliant with the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA), were suspended from school on March 26.
- We appreciate your ongoing effort to accommodate vaccination appointments promptly and for ensuring that any vaccines administered are reported to the Health Unit.
- If you are unable to accommodate a vaccination appointment for a student in these cohorts in a timely manner, they can be advised to contact the Vaccine Preventable Disease Program at 519- 753-4937 ext. 451 to book an appointment in one of our catch-up clinics.
MMR Vaccine Eligibility and Guidance
- MMR Vaccine Eligibility and Guidance Recently, a measles case was confirmed in a child resident of Brantford-Brant. The illness was acquired during recent travel to Europe. This has generated interest among members of our Community about the Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccine.
- The Brant County Health Unit (BCHU) is directing those inquiring to contact their primary healthcare provider to discuss eligibility, check their vaccine status, and/or receive their immunization, should they be eligible. Eligibility for the MMR vaccine is determined by previous immunizations and healthcare providers’ clinical assessments.
- The health unit recognizes that we may not always have complete records for community individuals.
- Click here to view a quick reference for the current eligibility criteria for publicly funded MMR vaccine: located pg.7.
February 2024
Brant County Health Unit Confirms Measles Case in Brantford-Brant Resident
- The illness was acquired during recent travel to Europe. The individual is currently hospitalized
- Click here for more information
January 2024
Brantford Brant Community Paramedicine Program is pleased to announce an expansion that would allow home draws for current Community Paramedicine patients with existing bloodwork orders who meet the Criteria.
- Read full letter from David Vincent MD, CCFP for full list of criteria and dates
- Click here to download fillable PDF form for Blood Draws
December 2023
NAMI Course for Caregivers of Adults with Mental Illness
The NAMI Family-to-Family is an 8-session education program for family, friends and significant others of adults with mental health concerns.
CMHA Families Caring, Families Sharing (Hybrid) Support Group
Families Caring, Families Sharing is a monthly family support group for persons with an adult living with mental illness, or mental health concerns.
Expect an increase in immunization requests and records
Immunization record assessment was completed for daycare and school aged children and notices are being mailed out to 2021, 2020, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2007, 2006 cohorts with incomplete records. You may experience an increase of requests for immunization records and immunization appointments. Please accommodate these requests to help these children avoid suspension.
NEW: BCHU Vaccine Order Form
Please be reminded that as of August 21, 2023 we have a new vaccine order form and order/pick up schedule. Forms need to be completed with all current vaccine inventory and submitted with vaccine fridge temperature logs by Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. Incomplete order forms will not be processed. Ordered vaccines can then be picked up the following week on Tuesday or Thursday.
NEW: BCHU Integrated Respiratory Surveillance Dashboard
We’re excited to let you know about the new Respiratory Surveillance Dashboard on our website. Here you can find Brant County’s latest numbers for influenza and COVID-19 cases, including current trends and outbreaks. This information is updated weekly. If you have any feedback, please contact corporatecommunications@bchu.org.
Submitting Reporting Forms
A friendly reminder to please submit Reporting Forms back to the Health Unit in a timely manner. Once we receive a positive lab, we fax these forms to the practitioner’s office within 1-2 days. Depending on the circumstance, we ask that these forms are submitted back to us using the following timelines:
- Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: Within 10 business days
- Hepatitis B and C: Within business 10 days
- Syphilis: Within business 5 days
- HIV: ASAP
The forms can be faxed to us at 519-753-9127.
The information provided on the reporting forms is crucial for both provincial reporting purposes and effective case management. BCHU staff require confirmation that the diagnosis has been communicated to the client before follow-up is initiated. Receiving the information in a timely manner is also necessary for the mitigation of further spread in the community through effective contact tracing. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation with this matter.
CMHA: Survivors of Suicide Loss Support Group (Hybrid)
The Survivors of Suicide Loss Bereavement Support group is a support group for adults who have lost a family member or friend to suicide. Group facilitators are trained in specific suicide bereavement support and have lost a loved one to suicide.
October 2023
- An FAQ has been developed to provide you with information about the changes associated with the fall 2024 expansion for the Ontario Breast Screening Program to people ages 40-49.
- Read FAQ here
June 2023
RAT TESTING: Ontario Health West Update
As of June 30th, the PASP program in its original form will wind down, however; select sectors (including healthcare), will continue to have free access to RATs through an extended access period that will continue through the summer/ fall period. During this extended access period, organizations that have previously ordered RATs through the PASP program will be able to continue to order and receive free RATs through the same process as before.
Extended access for COVID-19 rapid antigen testing
CanTreatCOVID
- COVID-19 trial now enrolling participants in Ontario.
- The study is open to adults aged 18 – 49 years with one or more chronic condition(s) or adults aged 50+ years who tested positive for COVID with symptoms starting in the last five days.
- https://cantreatcovid.org/
Turnaround time for cytology testing
- The Ministry of Health (ministry) and Ontario Health have been working with community laboratories to address turnaround times for cytology (Pap) testing for cervical screening. Each laboratory has a plan in place to return turnaround times to expected service levels and address backlogs in processing tests while meeting all provincial legislative and regulatory requirements related to privacy and the protection of personal health information, quality standards and reporting.
- Learn more here
Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program (OSP)
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 nine network lead organizations across the province, services are delivered by select, trained community-based organizations. Individuals can self-refer for most of 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 to the attached handouts.
If you have any questions, please contact mhacoe@ontarioheath.ca.
Soft Tissue Sarcoma Diagnosis Pathway
Sarcomas are rare cancers that arise in soft tissue and bone; they can affect all age groups and can occur in any part of the body. Appropriate investigation, management, and rehabilitation of patients with sarcoma is important and requires a high degree of coordination among healthcare disciplines.
Through the Sarcoma Services Program, Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) leads Ontario’s efforts to improve equitable access to high-quality sarcoma services across Ontario, while making the best use of resources. The Soft Tissue Sarcoma Diagnosis Pathway, (released in 2015), is an essential component of the Sarcoma Services Program. It is a resource designed to support healthcare providers by providing an overview of the presentation, screening, and clinical work-up of a suspected sarcoma diagnosis within the Ontario cancer system.
For more information about the Sarcoma Services Program, please visit our website or contact oh-cco_ssoinfo@ontariohealth.ca.
STROKE PREVENTION CLINIC AT BCHS
- The Stroke Prevention Clinic is an outpatient clinic for:
- Persons with recent symptoms of TIA or stroke
- Persons with recent hospitalization for TIA or stroke
- Persons experiencing a change in Health status or in imaging studies requiring consultation on stroke prevention and management
- See full memo here
May 2023
FREE, 24/7, SUBSTANCE USE SUPPORTS FOR ONTARIANS
Ontarians 16+ living with substance use challenges can access free online supports through ‘Breaking Free’, a self-paced, evidence-based, well-being and recovery program. Breaking Free aims to help people to reduce or stop the use of more than 70 substances, including opioids, and is available in English and French.
Signing up through BreakingFreeOnline.com is easy and confidential - just a postal code is needed. If healthcare providers or organizations wish to share information about Breaking Free, implementation, training, and promotional resources are available on the program’s website.
April 2023
Avian Influenza Surveillance in Hospitalized Patients
[MOH] asking for your cooperation in maintaining a heightened index of suspicion for individuals ADMITTED to hospital with influenza as part of enhanced surveillance for avian influenza.
Updated High Risk Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) genetic assessment referral criteria and forms
Per previous communications (February 2023), the High Risk OBSP referral criteria for genetic assessment have been updated to better align with the 2021 Provincial Hereditary Cancer Testing Eligibility Criteria for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. The new referral criteria will allow more people to be referred for genetic assessments to evaluate their eligibility for screening through the High Risk OBSP (e.g., expanded personal or family history criteria for breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancer).
To align with the new referral criteria for genetic assessment, the High Risk OBSP Requisition and the High Risk OBSP Breast Cancer Genetic Assessment Results (formerly, the OBSP Breast Cancer Genetic Assessment Results) forms have been updated. The new forms, along with detailed information regarding the form changes, have been circulated to relevant stakeholders.
If you have any questions, please contact obsp_pd@ontariohealth.ca.
CMOH memo on MDR Gonorrhea
Refreshed Indigenous Relationship and Cultural Awareness Courses
Providing care that acknowledges, respects, and incorporates cultural and language considerations is an essential part of person-centred care.
Ontario Health’s Indigenous Relationship and Cultural Awareness courses have undergone a major refresh and now contain current content with a more interactive look and feel.
These courses have been designed to summarize 500 years of history into bite-sized chunks of information, providing you with knowledge about First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and urban Indigenous peoples, including their governance structures, communities, and histories. All courses are self-paced learning modules, allowing you to stop and start at any time. They are free and publicly available to all.
This program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Register today and earn up to 19.5 Mainpro+ credits.
[registration link:] https:/elearning.cancercare.on.ca/
Please reach out to the Indigenous Cancer Care Unit at iccu@ontariohealth.ca with any questions.
March 2023
NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR RESIDENT DEATH NOTICES
The Institutional Patient Death Record (IPDR) will be replaced by the new Resident Death Notice (RDN) as of March 13, 2023.
The Office of the Chief Coroner (OCC) has pursued this redesign in response to recommendations from the Long-term Care Homes Public Inquiry (LTCPI). The new RDN will ensure that data collected is being used appropriately to identify deaths that require a coroner’s investigation, to make informed policy decisions and to detect trends of concern in resident deaths in LTCHs.
Memo - RDN General Rollout Memo - RDN Job Aid
Brantford Brant Norfolk Primary Care Council in the news
