SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS BULLETIN
March 23, 2020 

COVID-19 Health Care Provider Recruitment

As part of the Ministry of Health's efforts to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 in Ontario, the Ministry is currently looking for:
 
health care providers who may be working part-time and want to and are prepared to increase their work hours, and,
former healthcare providers who are retired, or on inactive status with their regulatory college and are prepared to return to employment
 
If you fall into one of these two categories, we would encourage you to complete the COVID-19 Health Care Provider Recruitment survey to provide government with your contact information and availability.
 
For information on government's approach to planning, please see their March 21 update: Steps to Ensure Health Care Resources are Available to Contain COVID-19. While the current focus is necessarily on screening and primary medical care, your contribution to the work that is going into preparing for a surge in infections and the accompanying burden on the health care system could be significant.
 
Along with the other health regulators in the province, CRPO is in regular contact with Ministry of Health staff who are overseeing the response to the pandemic. We have raised the issue of preparations for providing ongoing access to mental health care and will keep registrants and stakeholders updated on this front.
 
CRPO will continue to update Advice to RPs & FAQs re: COVID-19 and to disseminate information through mass messaging and social media. Staff remain working remotely and can be contacted as needed during regular business hours. The Practice Advisory Service also continues to be available and you are encouraged to reach out if you have any specific practice-related questions or concerns.
 
Requests have started to come in from front line providers requesting donations from anyone who has personal protective equipment (masks, gloves, gowns, face shields) that they are not using. If you have equipment at your practice and you have stopped seeing clients or have moved to electronic practice, please consider donating them to any of the front line providers in your community.
 
Please continue to practice social distancing and - if required - self-isolation to protect yourself, your family and friends and your clients.
 
Pour la version française:  http://www.healthforceontario.ca/fr/M4/COVID19