No Images? Click here In This Issue - October 2019
UPDATE: New Mental Health Referral Form A new mental health referral form is now available for health care providers. The new referral form has been updated and will require less time and effort to complete for your patients. A review of our mental health services as well as links to the new referral form are located on our health care provider page. As a reminder, referrals to group treatment are by self-referral only. For further information, please call the Mental Health program at 905-688-2854, ext. 7262. UPDATE: Smokers’ Helpline Transition to Telehealth Ontario The Ontario government has recently ended funding for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Smokers’ Helpline telephone service in Ontario. As of October 1, 2019, Telehealth Ontario will be provide smoking cessation telephone support. How can my patients/clients access smoking cessation support? Telehealth Ontario – Telephone support Fax Referrals from healthcare practitioners and/or organizations
When a referral is faxed in to Telehealth Ontario by a third party, a Care Coach will review the referral and initiate a case for the participant. The Care Coach will make the initial intake call-back to the participant, typically within one business day of receipt of the referral form. If a coach does not reach a caller on the first call-back, they will attempt two more times, once per day. If no connection is made, the Care Coach will leave a message for the person to contact Telehealth Ontario’s Smoking Cessation Program at 1-866-797-0000. Self-Referrals Ontarians who would like to quit smoking can call Telehealth Ontario’s toll-free number, 1-866-797-0000, for smoking cessation supports 24/7. In addition they can continue to access supports from Smoker’s Helpline digital services including online, text message and email support.
Telehealth Ontario will offer smoking cessation programming by:
For questions or additional information, please contact the Tobacco Hotline at 905-688-8248 ext. 7393. REVIEW: Taking Care of Yourself as a Health Care Professional Research shows that clinicians can experience distress and grief in response to their patients' suffering. Along with personal self-care, such as regular exercise, mindfulness, spending time with family and friends, professional self-care strategies are helpful in decreasing burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral distress. Individual professional self-care can include:
We believe in a mentally healthy Niagara where together, we live, learn, work and play, and we offer mental health promotion training for your staff and patients. REVIEW: Respiratory Surveillance Update: Influenza Activity Low
For more detail or the most recent data, please visit Public Health Ontario’s page for the Ontario Respiratory Pathogen Bulletin. SURVEY: Community Survey on Drug Use in Niagara The Overdose Prevention and Education Network of Niagara (OPENN) – a group made up of more than 25 community agencies and individuals with lived or living experience – is developing a collaborative, compassionate and evidence-based approach to addressing and preventing drug use. An important piece of developing this approach includes engaging Niagara residents and health care providers to hear their thoughts and ideas on drug-related issues in our community. This survey will inform the OPENN Drug Use Prevention Strategy along with a review of the literature, and consultations with individuals with lived or living experience, frontline staff and OPENN members. The survey is live through Nov. 30 and is available on the Niagara Region Public Health webpage - please consider filling this out and sharing with your patients. MEDICAL ADVISORIES & MEMOS: October 2019 Memo: Increasing Influenza Vaccine Uptake, Oct. 2, 2019 You can now receive Medical Advisories and Memos electronically from Niagara Region Public Health - subscribe here. |