No Images? Click here In This Issue - July 2019
REVIEW: Mental Health Group Treatment Niagara Region Mental Health provides three group treatment options. Group treatment teaches people 16 years and older the coping skills needed to improve their mental wellness. Promotional material about group treatment is available to order for your patients. NOTE: Participation is by self-referral only. Patients can call 905-688-2854 x 7262 to register. REVIEW: Foodborne Illness Investigations Summertime activities bring a spike in reports of suspected foodborne gastrointestinal illnesses. Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services investigates reports of suspect and confirmed gastrointestinal illnesses related to consumption of food from restaurants, banquet halls and special events. As part of the investigation, Public Health distributes stool kits to clients who are symptomatic. Symptoms of foodborne illness can include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. If you have patients presenting with gastrointestinal illness symptoms that may be related to food, please have them contact Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services directly at 905-688-8248 ext. 7590. Reporting UPDATE: Ontario eConsult Program eConsult is a secure web-based tool that enables physicians, their delegates, and nurse practitioners to ask clinical questions of a specialist electronically via the OTN hub, and receive a response within days. The benefits of eConsult include
Family Physicians are able to bill for each consult requested, and specialists are directly compensated for their time. For more information, please contact the HITS eHealth Office. UPDATE: Climate Change Toolkit for Physicians Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE)has released a new climate change toolkit designed as a resource to support health care professionals with the issue of climate change. Health professionals are key to highlighting the health impacts associated with climate change and the significant heath co-benefits resulting from the actions needed to fight it. UPDATE: Niagara EMS System Transformation In July of 2018, as part of a new Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) model of pre-hospital service delivery, Niagara EMS launched three distinct new responses to low acuity 911 calls
MIH teams have
The next phase of includes the addition of Emergency Communication Nurses (ECNs) within the Niagara Ambulance Communication Center to perform secondary telephone triage and recommendations for identified and appropriate low acuity 911 calls. For more information, contact Karen Lutz-Graul. UPDATE: Measles Best Practices & Guidance DocumentPublic Health Ontario has developed a best practice and guidance document for clinicians for measles, covering
Epidemiology Summary
Reminder: If you are investing a suspect case of measles, contact Niagara Region Public Health – do not wait for lab confirmation. FOR YOUR PATIENTS: Private Drinking Water Sampling Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services offers residents a free drinking water testing program for bacteria in their non-municipal water source. There are pick-up and drop-off locations across Niagara. A public health inspector will follow up on adverse results to provide information on investigating the cause of the bacteria and disinfecting the water system. If you have patients who are suffering from gastrointestinal issues you may want to ask about their drinking water source.
FOR YOUR PATIENTS: Community Health Prosperity Program The Community Health Prosperity (CHP) Program through Niagara Medical Family Health Team assists any patients in need across Niagara to increase their overall health and wellness through improved access to community social services. Health promoters and a financial advisor identify the needs (health equity, social, financial, legal, etc.) of the patient with the goal of determining and supporting navigation of appropriate programs and services. Through your referral to the CHP program, your patients become connected at no-cost with supports in the follow areas
All patients will remain under the primary care of their current physician, however they will also have a coordinated care plan available through Clinical Connect as a client of the CHP program. IPAC REVIEW: Multidose Vials (medications and/or vaccines) Single dose vials are ALWAYS preferred. If multidose vials are selected, the following recommendations must be followed
MEDICAL ADVISORIES & MEMOS: July 2019 MEDICAL ADVISORY: Carfentinal Alert, July 11, 2019 NOTE: You can now receive Medical Advisories and Memos electronically from Niagara Region Public Health - subscribe here. |