COVID-19 Physician Information Update
April 30, 2020
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Updated Clinical Documents
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Order Sets, Procedures, Clinical Pathways, Guidelines and Policies
COVID Primary Assessment Centres and Secondary Assessment Centres
Cancer Care Updates
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*Updated* COVID Risk Assessment and Expanded Community/Facility Clusters
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The COVID-19 Risk Assessment tool was created to ensure uniform, mandatory assessment of all patients presenting for care. The Risk Assessment tool also outlines recommended PPE to be used in each clinical setting in order to ensure safety of staff and patients. It has been recently updated as the community and facility cluster areas have expanded.
- The PAC Referral Fax Form should be used to expedite testing in a PAC without requiring the patient to call 811.
The Clinical Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) will work with Zone Medical Directors and Primary Care leads to ensure that the Community/Facility Cluster information is disseminated to physicians to ensure that this information is readily available to those who do not have access to the information on the NSHA COVID-19 Hub.
Update: Poster Code cluster information is changing regularly, and only currently accessible on the NSHA Intranet (as per links in documents above). We are aware that it is not easily accessible to all family practices in NS as not every physician has an NSHA account. Primary Health Care will regularly distribute the cluster information to all physicians in areas or facilities impacted. If you would like a copy of the cluster report each time it is updated, sign up
here.
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Income Stabilization Program
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Physician Reassignment Opportunities
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In response to the unique demands of providing care during COVID-19, NSHA is organizing opportunities for physician redeployment or reassignment. These opportunities are shared to physicians by your local leadership (ZMED, Department/Division Heads, Chiefs, Network Leads, and Site Leads).
The intent in all reassignment is to match physicians to the areas and needs that best match their skills, interests, and abilities. Physicians will be matched as needs arise across the province.
To date, the following areas have provided opportunity for physician reassignment:
- Long term care
- Inpatient care
- Secondary assessment centers
- Access Clinics – Primary Care
- Emergency Medicine
- ICU/Critical Care
- Primary Assessment Center
- Virtual Care
Current needs are met but we expect these needs to fluctuate in the future. It is important to build a robust roster of available resources in the event that care needs change quickly. However, in some cases, physicians who volunteer for redeployment may not be matched as there is no current need identified.
The following guiding principles are to be considered:
- All programs will endeavour to continue current service delivery (reduced/unchanged/increased) and assist with COVID-19 care.
- Each physician has the ability to contribute to our combined effort to support pandemic response.
- Clinical work for COVID-19 patients will be performed by physicians who best meet the required skillsets and who would typically provide this level of care.
- Physicians reassignment is a voluntary program.
- Department Head (s), Site Lead(s), Zone Medical Executive Director will make every effort to fairly and equitably reassign work between departments when required.
- Reassignment request (s) may exist to provide support in another zone and will only occur if there is a critical need. Participation in these opportunities is voluntary.
- Physicians who are quarantined or ill, they may be requested to support virtual care assignments or COVID-19 planning if they are well enough to contribute.
- Please see Occupational Health guidelines for staff with chronic conditions as well as pregnant staff. These will be considered in reassignment opportunities.
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Social Distancing Best Practice Posters
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The province has developed posters to promote best practices in social distancing. Posters are currently available in
English,
Arabic,
Chinese,
French and
Mi'kmaw. Click on these links to download.
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Zoom Healthcare Website and Resources Update
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To support patient care and health care providers (HCPs) in Nova Scotia during the current COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom for Healthcare has been approved as a virtual care platform for use on an interim basis for all health care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners and allied health professionals). There are a number of important updates related to Zoom for Healthcare including:
- Website Reorganization and Rebranding
- Software Privacy and Security
- Resources (including Frequently Asked Questions)
- Training
For the detailed update, please visit:
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Join Dr. Gord Gubitz for a Virtual Information Session on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).
Friday May 1, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Dr. Gubitz will review federal legislation, the referral / intake process, assignment of assessments, patient eligibility criteria, MAiD procedure, clinical documentation, as well as Federal reporting requirements.
We are working toward building additional clinical capacity within the MAiD team, and this session is therefore directed at Physicians and Nurse Practitioners. However, anyone who wishes to learn more about MAiD may take part.
Please register with
John McCarthy, Medical Affairs Advisor by 12:00 noon, Thursday, April 30th. Those who register will receive a link and login credentials for the Zoom meeting. If you have any questions, please call John McCarthy at 902-220-2968.
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Hospitalist physicians, led by Dr. Bussey, donated 500 coffee pods and a Keurig to the staff of Halifax Infirmary 8.4 who were recently redeployed to Northwood. Thank you for banding together to support nurses at this time – it is greatly appreciated.
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Provincial COVID-19 Status Update
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As of today, April 30, Nova Scotia has 947 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Twelve new cases were identified Wednesday, April 29.
"I want to thank all Nova Scotians for their patience and vigilance - we will get through this together," said Premier Stephen McNeil. "I urge you all to keep practising good hygiene and maintaining social distance."
The QEII Health Sciences Centre's microbiology lab completed 901 Nova Scotia tests on April 29 and is operating 24-hours.
"Now is not the time to let our guard down," said Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health. "What we are doing is working to slow this virus' spread and we need to stay the course. Please continue to follow public health orders and advice."
As of April 29, there were 10 licensed long-term care homes and unlicensed seniors' facilities in Nova Scotia with cases of COVID-19, involving 235 residents and 104 staff.
If you have two or more of the following symptoms, visit
https://811.novascotia.ca to determine if you should call 811 for further assessment:
- fever
- new or worsening cough
- sore throat
- runny nose
- headache
To date, Nova Scotia has 28,209 negative test results, 947 positive COVID-19 test results and 28 deaths. Confirmed cases range in age from under 10 to over 90. Ten individuals are currently in hospital, three of those in ICU. Five-hundred and forty-five individuals have now recovered and their cases of COVID-19 are considered resolved. Cases have been identified in all parts of the province. A map and graphic presentation of the case data is available at
https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/data.
Public health is working to identify and test people who may have come in close contact with the confirmed cases. Those individuals who have been confirmed are being directed to self-isolate at home, away from the public, for 14 days.
Anyone who has travelled outside Nova Scotia must self-isolate for 14 days. As always, any Nova Scotian who develops symptoms of acute respiratory illness should limit their contact with others until they feel better.
It is now more important than ever for Nova Scotians to strictly adhere to the public health orders and directives - practise good hygiene, maintain a physical distance of two metres or six feet from others, limit essential gatherings to no more than five people and stay at home as much as possible.
Quick Facts:
- testing numbers are updated daily at https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus
- a state of emergency was declared under the Emergency Management Act on March 22 and extended to May 3
Additional Resources:
Government of Canada toll-free information line 1-833-784-4397
The Mental Health Provincial Crisis Line is available 24/7 to anyone experiencing a mental health or addictions crisis, or someone concerned about them, by calling 1-888-429-8167 (toll free)
Kids Help Phone is available 24/7, by calling 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free)
For help or information about domestic violence 24/7, call 1-855-225-0220 (toll-free)
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This section of our update is a list of helpful resources updated daily for physicians.
Please reach out to
Shawn Jolemore with your suggestions for additional content.
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Leadership and Wellness Poster
Updated for Week of April 27- May 3
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A Growth Mindset in the Time of COVID-19
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A
thought-provoking diagram made its way to us recently via a collaborative physician colleague in the Saskatchewan Health Authority. It is a version of what’s known as the “growth mindset” or “learning zone” model, but adapted for our COVID-19 reality.
It starts with an introspective question that we’ve asked in some previous posts, “Who do I want (or need) to be during COVID-19?” Notice how the question is not about what are we going to do but, rather about who we want to be. The aim here is to be moving toward the right side of the diagram, away from fear toward learning and, hopefully growth.
- Fear zone- there are a lot of things triggering a fear response within us throughout the day or week. It’s very easy to fall into the fear zone and it’s completely justifiable to be there temporarily. The issue becomes when we allow ourselves to be triggered, reactive, and fearful a lot of the time.
- Learning zone- shifting away from a reactive place of fear, the learning zone offers a more proactive position and is a more active space with more choices available to us.
- Growth zone- the choices available in the growth zone can make us feel better, lower our stress responses, and help us to feel more purposeful.
The learning and growth zones are best for your emotional and psychological wellbeing as well as your work performance. As we shift into a growth mindset we are creating rather than reacting. These are trying times, but by being in the growth zone we can improve our ability to be resilient and flexible which will help through the months ahead.
Thanks to Dr. Steven Soroka who received permission to share this resource from his Saskatchewan colleague.
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Individual Executive Coaching for Physician Leaders with Executive Coach Lorie Campbell
Are you struggling to lead yourself or your team(s) well during this pandemic?
Take advantage of 30 or 60-minute focused, one-to-one virtual executive coaching sessions for formal physician leaders only. Email
Lorie Campbell to book a time for this free service, provided by NSHA Medical Affairs Leadership Development.
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Daily Physician Wellness Check In - COVID-19 What's Normal?
Join Drs. Jaqueline Kinley and John Chiasson for daily online meetings to chat about coping strategies and mental health concerns. Meetings are daily M-F at 12 NOON. and are open to all physicians. Click here for the
*updated* Zoom -
Join Zoom Meeting Link
Addressing Grief within our Healthcare Community: Mine, Yours & Ours
Weekly on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Join Serena Lewis and Roy Ellis (NSHA Bereavement & Grief Coordinators) as we begin the conversation of grief in our current and future workplace. This discussion will provide information on recognizing and understanding how loss is intertwined in our lives, as well as the current landscape of our community of care providing. Roy and Serena want to hear what topics will benefit you in the upcoming weeks that will support you - as you care for yourselves, your own families and within patient care.
DNS Professional Support Program
Feeling overwhelmed or need to talk to someone?
As we try to wrap our heads around the weekend’s tragic events and the senseless loss of so many innocent lives, I want to remind you that help is available. Whether you were directly connected to it or not, the tragedy intensifies the stress of the pandemic and the pressure on our lives due to the measures we are all following.
Contact the Doctors Nova Scotia (DNS)
Professional Support Program at 902-468-8215 or 1-855-275-8215 (toll-free) mail or via
email. LifeWorks by Morneau Shepell is also available to members and their families affected by the events in Portapique and surrounding communities. The crisis support line is open 24-7. Call 1-844-751-2133.
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Physician Screening for COVID-19
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Call 1-833-750-0632 to speak to Occupational Health and Safety for your screening options.
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