Dear Colleagues,

Community-based family physicians are now eligible to receive PPE at no cost through the province’s pandemic supply. You can submit PPE requests without the expectation that you first attempt to source PPE through your regular supply chain.

This is a transitional, opt-in (not mandatory) Ministry of Health program, with distribution through Ontario Health (OH).

NOTE: If you currently have a reliable source of PPE that is meeting your needs, the Ministry is advising that you should continue to use your current arrangement.

While this program is transitional (i.e., perhaps six months), we continue to reinforce the need for a sustainable and affordable supply as a permanent part of our healthcare system.

Below are highlights of the new PPE program (more details are available in this FAQ document prepared by the Ministry of Health). There may be some bumps along the way as this program is rolled out, so for those of you opting in to this program, please share any relevant feedback with us that we in turn can share with the ministry.

Program Highlights

• You can request PPE for your office needs, including for your learners (students and residents). The supply is not meant for patients or caregivers – they should bring their own cloth mask for in-person visits.
• If you are in the North, Toronto, Central, andEast regions – submit your request through Remedy, Ontario Health’s PPE request platform. 
• Essential: follow the “How-To Complete Remedy Intake instructions” as there are some points in the survey that are not relevant for community-based physicians and there are specific ways to answer the survey. It is too long to summarize here!
• If you are in the West region – submit your request through the regional request process.
• If you are unsure of your region, the Ministry has provided this map of the regions.
•  Please continue appropriate PPE use/conservation – the OCFP has summarized the key points in this two-page visual guide.

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PPE available, timelines and inventory survey

• You can request masks (usual is Level 1), gowns (usual is Level 2), gloves, face shields, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer. NOTE: not N95s, as these are for Aerosol Generating Medical Procedures that are not done in family physician offices.
• When requesting PPE, you will be asked to input details (i.e., number of patient-facing clinical and non-clinical staff in your practice, number of patients your practice services, etc.), and a standard provincial formula will be applied to determine quantities of each item to be included in your allocation.
• Your allocation will be delivered either to a central depot or directly to your location, with an aim to fulfill requests within 10-12 business days, or slightly longer in the North region.
• IN ADDITION: You must fill out the Ministry of Health’s Critical Supplies and Equipment Surveyevery Monday and Thursday, even if you don’t need something. Previous submissions will be saved for ease of repeated entry. This is to allow for the MOH to plan for system needs.

Please contact your Regional Lead with any questions. 

REGIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN LEADS

Central Region

• Debbie Roberts: [email protected]
• Susan Gibb: [email protected]

East Region

• Paul McAuley: [email protected]
• Leslie Motz: [email protected]

North Region

• Matthew Saj: [email protected]
• Michael Giardetti: [email protected]

Toronto Region

• Rob Burgess: [email protected]
• Nancy Kraetschmer: [email protected]

West Region

• Toby O’Hara: [email protected] 

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Patients avoiding care is having consequences, and the work we do IN our offices is essential for the maintenance of their health. We have to be able to continue our work and having appropriate PPE is central to that!

Our patients need to stay vigilant!

And while we do our part, our patients must do theirs. Now six months in to physical distancing restrictions, there is some pandemic ‘fatigue’ and COVID-19 rates may rise. The OCFP created this helpful reminder to share with your patients, requesting they remain vigilant against this virus. Of note, this activity was suggested by a patient who reached out to us, noting that “people trust their family doctor!”

Next CoP – preparing for the fall

Finally, I hope you can join me and your peers on Friday, Aug. 21, 8-9 a.m. EST for our next COVID-19 Community of Practice, hosted together with UofT Department of Family and Community Medicine. Register for the session, focused on considerations as we plan for the fall during COVID-19. I’ll be a panelist, along with Dr. Jennifer Bondy and Dr. David Kaplan, with Dr. Tara Kiran moderating.

All the best in all you do,

Jennifer