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From the Primary Care Alliance
Gratitude. With everything that’s happened in the past three years it can be a difficult thing to focus on. But I want to take the time today to recognize and thank my fellow family physicians for all the amazing work they do, day in and day out.
Sometimes hearing a “thank you” from a colleague can make a tough day just a little bit better. The Alberta Medical Association Joint Physician Advisory Committee has just launched a new initiative to help you express those thanks a little bit easier with their Gratitude Program. Through it you can send a message to a colleague that helped you out or supported you, even if you’re not sure of their contact information.
Give it a try today!
Also, May 19 is World Family Doctor Day and the Alberta College of Family Physicians is acknowledging the role and contribution of family doctors with their #FamilyDocsRock campaign and an incredible collection of heart-warming stories from patients and their family members about the excellent care they have received from their family physicians (see more in the newsletter article below). Read a few if you need a positive pick-me-up and a reminder of the family medicine excellence you bring to Alberta.
On another front, as you know, the provincial election takes place in May and as a result there will likely be a flurry of activity in the health care space post-election. Family medicine is featured in all party platforms and given this attention we should be looking for election signals on where that focus will land and where the opportunities may exist for physicians after the dust settles.
Stay informed and stay tuned.
Dr. Brad Bahler
Chair
Primary Care Alliance
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CII/CPAR Acceleration Grant announced
To help increase the adoption of the Community Information Integration / Central Patient Attachment Registry initiative and support this work, a $12 million grant was included in the 2022 physician agreement. This grant is entirely funded by Alberta Health.
New and existing physicians who are live on CII/CPAR are eligible for CII/CPAR Acceleration grant funds if they meet all of the criteria.
Review the CII/CPAR website and CII/CPAR information sheet for more further details. You can also check out this video of an information session that was hosted by the CII/CPAR team and Alberta health on April 27.
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Celebrate World Family Doctor Day with the ACFP!
World Family Doctor Day has become a day to highlight the role and contribution of family doctors in health care systems around the world.
On May 19, join the Alberta College of Family Physicians in celebrating this year’s theme – Family Doctors: The heart of health care.
For a full list of how you can celebrate with @ABFamDocs,
visit: familydocsrock.ca or click the link below.
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Vital Clinics: Proactive Care for your Family Practice
Are you and the clinic team feeling overwhelmed, and looking for ways out of the chaos so you can get home for dinner?
Join AMA Accelerating Change Transformation Team on May 4, 2023, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. for Facilitated Learning Opportunity #1 –Signs, Symptoms and Investigations part of the Vital Clinics: Proactive Care for your Family Practice series.
This facilitated learning opportunity will look at the signs and symptoms of distress that clinics and physicians are experiencing.
Attendees will have an opportunity to share their experiences with peers and will be provided with tips and tools that they can try right away.
If you are interested in learning more or registering, visit the link below.
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New session available for PCN Governance Training – Essentials – Enrol Today!
PCN Governance Training - Essentials is targeted to members of the physician not-for-profit board, joint governance committee, PCN non-profit boards, PCN executive directors and any individuals who provide direct support to PCN boards/governance committees. This curriculum introduces the governance of Primary Care Networks (PCN) in Alberta. You will learn about the context in which PCNs operate in Alberta, the governance structures that PCNs operate within, and the many functions, roles, and responsibilities that contribute to the optimal functioning of boards and committees.
This 2-credit-per-hour Group Learning Program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada for up to 12 Mainpro+ credits.
For the session date and more details read on.
To enrol, click the link below. |
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COVID-related news:
New Long COVID help on eReferral Advice
Primary care providers with non-urgent questions for specialists about Long COVID can now get help through the eReferral Advice Request service. Advice comes within two to five days over email.
In many cases, clinicians can get the information they need to avoid an in-person specialist appointment and continue managing the patient in their medical home.
Go to Netcare for instructions on how to submit an advice request.
Lab bulletin: Specimen collection for viral detection including COVID-19
Alberta Precision Laboratories update: Swabs collected to detect the presence of viruses by nucleic acid testing (NAT: e.g., PCR) should be submitted in a viral transport medium also known as universal transport media. Use a nasopharyngeal swab and not a throat, buccal, oral, or nasal swab to test for respiratory viruses in the clinical setting.
Read the full bulletin.
Non-COVID news:
REMINDER: Connect Care IDs and resources
For zones that have launched Connect Care, or are scheduled to launch in May, community providers should use Connect Care IDs on all requisition forms. This ensures your patients’ diagnostic imaging and lab results get to you. Here are some additional resources:
Email questions to PHC@AHS.ca.
Lab bulletin: Prenatal risk assessment bloodwork
Alberta Precision Laboratories update: With the Connect Care Launch 6 on May 6, there will be standardization by Zone for where the first trimester prenatal risk assessment bloodwork will be tested. Zone standardization is as follows:
- When it is collected in North and Edmonton Zone, it will be tested in Edmonton.
- When it is collected in Calgary and South Zone, it will be tested in Calgary.
- When it is collected in Central zone, the location of testing is determined by the first trimester prenatal risk assessment requisition the patient presents with at the collection site.
Ordering providers must ensure the correct requisition is used. Read the full bulletin.
U of C Family Physician of the Year Award 2023
Do you practice in the Calgary area?
The University of Calgary Department of Family Medicine invites you to have your patients nominate you or a colleague for our annual Calgary Family Physician of the Year Award.
Print this poster to hang in your clinic.
U of C Department of Family Medicine Specialist Physician of the Year Award - nominate a colleague!
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