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From the Primary Care Alliance
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues its relentless pursuit in this third wave, physicians, hospital staff and health care providers across the system are seeing rising impacts on resources, on their patients and on themselves. Right now, it is all-hands-on-deck as the latest case counts push Alberta to the forefront of the country for all the wrong reasons. This is happening even with vaccines rolling out, for the most part, as quickly as they are available. With that in mind, I’m foregoing my typical introduction this month.
Instead, I would invite you to join the lessons learned webinar on the Community COVID-19 Vaccination Proof of Concept being held today
(April 30, 2021, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.) All community physicians and clinic staff who are interested in learning about the experience of participating in the “proof of concept” are invited to join this session.
If you’re reading this after the fact, please visit the Webinars and Online Learning page on the AMA website next week for the recording.
Continue your efforts to stay safe. It’s also more important than ever to remember to take care of yourselves, along with your patients.
Dr. Brad Bahler
Chair
Primary Care Alliance
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World Family Doctor Day
#StandwithABDocs on May 19 for World Family Doctor Day! Download a #WorldFamilyDoctorDay poster and sport your favourite #FamilyDocsRock swag on the day! Celebrate with Alberta College of Family Physicians the progress being made in family medicine and the special contributions of family doctors globally!
This year’s theme is Building the Future with Family Doctors.
Find more information at the link below.
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Tips for enhancing access
A new episode has dropped in the One Nail at a Time: Insights for Building Your Patient's Medical Home podcast.
In episode 19, hosts talk with Dr. Ernie Schuster about practical strategies that physicians and clinic teams can take to provide timely access to care and optimize the opportunity for continuity of care.
This is part two on Tips for Enhancing Access. To listen to Part 1, go to Episode 11: Tips for Enhancing Access with Dr. Janet Craig.
Check them both out and other episodes at the link.
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Are you a Healthquest EMR user?
If you aren't yet participating in the Community Information Integration/Central Patient Attachment Registry initiative, Michael McDermott (Project Director, Community Information Integration, Alberta Health) reports that Microquest Healthquest EMR has a straightforward implementation:
“Healthquest users will experience a fast and easy implementation”, says McDermott.
There are already 39 Healthquest clinics fully operational on CII/CPAR and another 17 in progress.
This article is the first in a series to highlight CII/CPAR implementation experience with the five conformed EMRs. Watch future issues for a focused look at each EMR.
Read more about the implementation experience for two family physicians at the link. |
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Virtual Doctors' Lounge: Perspectives of women in medicine over the years
Join ACFP President Dr. Sudha Koppula and panelists on Tuesday, May 25 from 7:00 - 8:15 p.m. (MST) to discuss the perspectives of women in medicine over the years.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Click the link below to head to the event page for more information and registration. |
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Does financial strain impact your patients?
This is the second article in a three-part series looking at work underway to help reduce the impact of financial strain on the health of patients. Mental health services are consistently stretched so thin that many teams were wondering how they could possibly start asking about financial strain. The St. Albert and Sturgeon PCN confronted that challenge and leveraged their existing nursing team to ask the question “Do you ever have difficulty making ends meet at the end of the month?” as part of their wellness check appointments. The PCN also strengthened their partnerships with many of their community resources like the local food bank, FCSS (Family & Community Support Services), the Alexander First Nation and their municipal county. Check out Megan’s story, The Hero Within, to hear about her experience as a nurse supporting patients with financial strain and Stephanie’s story, Invisible, where she talks about the importance of asking about financial strain because often people keep their struggles with financial strain invisible to the world. If you want to learn more about talking to patients about financial strain, here is a download link to our scripting samples. If you have any questions please email christal.lacombe@albertadoctors.org
Do you treat patients with IBD?
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) specialists in Alberta (in collaboration with the Digestive Health Strategic Clinical Network) have developed, and are sharing, several evidence-based protocols that can help improve the quality of life and management of patients with IBD; Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative colitis. These protocols include vaccination schedules, health maintenance guidelines and iron and vitamin D monitoring. You can find these resources and more at ibdclinic.ca.
Feedback and collaboration for other unmet needs for these patients is welcomed!
To contact the team please email ibdpaths@ualberta.ca
Edmonton Zone Surgical autodialer initiative continues with additional surgical specialties
Patients listed for surgery with Neurosurgery, Thoracic, Ophthalmology, Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial surgeons in the Edmonton Zone will receive an automated phone call or voicemail from the AHS Surgery Waitlist Management Team as part of an initiative to update surgical waitlists.If you have a patient on a surgical waitlist for the above services, please inform them that they may receive a call from AHS’ autodial system to confirm their status on the waitlist.
AHS will never ask for financial information or for any personal information other than patients’ provincial personal health number and/or birthdate during these automated calls. If the phone call or voicemail asks for additional information, such as a social insurance number or banking information, please remind patients to not provide that information or return the call.
Through this initiative, AHS is contacting up to 350 patients per day.
The first two phases of this pilot reduced the surgical waitlist in the pilot departments by approximately five per cent.
For more information about this initiative, visit ahs.ca/waitlist.
Poppies, Words, and ACT with Dr. Vincent Lam
Mark May 13 on your calendar for “Poppies, Words, and ACT – A Physician and Writer Reflects Upon the Use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder” with Dr. Vincent Lam.
This CME event is free and open to all health care professionals.
No registration required. See the event details.
Connecting People and Communities for Aging Well
Join Dr. Karenn Chan and Sharon Hamlin on May 6 for the final ACFP Clinical Connections Webinar session in the Clinical Connections Conference series entitled, “Connecting People and Communities for Aging Well.”
Learn more and register for the event.
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© 2021 Alberta Medical Association
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