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In today’s message you will find:

Disrupting and Dismantling Racism in Health Care 

This week Shared Health released its plan for disrupting racism in health care spaces. A Provincial Disrupting Racism Steering Committee has been created and given a mandate to address discrimination and create safer health care spaces for all races, abilities, ages, religions, genders, sexual orientations, income brackets, and cultures. And, to build a health system that delivers and supports a health-care environment that is inclusive, accessible, respectful, safe, and equitable. This work begins with the recognition that we must do better and be better. Creating culturally safe, inclusive and equitable health experiences for all Manitobans means we have to commit to expanding our knowledge and understanding and doing our part. The initiative provides resources for continuous learning and improvement. You can read the statement here.

Dr. Marcia Anderson stressed the importance of this kind of work and subsequent actions. ​“This system-wide commitment to disrupting racism in all of its forms is a critical step in addressing some of the most pressing concerns with health care today. Some surveys have shown that over 80 – 90% of Black, Indigenous and racialized health workers experience different forms of racism, impacting their well-being and their retention in the workforce.” she says, ​“There is a wide body of literature on unequal health care quality by race, which is bad for the patient and also puts increased strain on the system. Meaningful action is going to help us create better working and learning environments and improve the quality of care for Black, Indigenous and racialized communities. I’m thankful for the hard work of many Black and Indigenous leaders in this province over many years that created the understanding of how critical this is, and set the stage for this commitment.”

Our member survey last year found half (50%) of physicians and medical learners reported experiencing mistreatment or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation or other personal attributes. This includes from patients, colleagues and/​or leadership in their workplace.

Doctors Manitoba continues the important work toward being a more inclusive organization. These steps include: 

  • Developing a Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization (EDID) strategy, which will be completed this summer. 
  • Providing Doctors Manitoba board and staff with the Manitoba Indigenous Cultural Safety Training (MICST).
  • Changing to HumanaCare coverage for our Physician and Family Support Program, where there are more diverse counsellor options including language, gender, race/​ethnicity and Indigenous health supports. 
  • Hosting a 3‑part series on Leadership for Equity: Expanding Inclusive Medical Culture in partnership with Office of Leadership Education for Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and funded by the CMA.
  • Encouraging members to self-declare their race, ethnicity and indigeneity to Doctors Manitoba as part of our annual membership renewal, allowing us to better understand the diversity of our membership and potential inequities or issues that may exist. 

BASE™ eConsult

Shared Health has announced that registration for new primary care physicians wishing to use BASE™ eConsult MB, an asynchronous electronic consultation platform, is now available. Opening registration will assist in building equity in access to timely specialty advice which may help address wait times and avoid unnecessary referrals. 

Expansion of eConsultation services was one of many recommendations from Doctors Manitoba that the government has included in its $200 million Health Human Resource action plan. This is a welcome next step. We continue to advocate for permanent fee tariffs to ensure the long term sustainability of eConsultation services. 

You can register for the BASE™ eConsult MB service by emailing servicedesk@​sharedhealthmb.​ca using the subject Line: BASE eConsult New Primary Care Provider(s), or by calling the service desk at 204−940−8500 or 1−866−999−9698.

Additional information about this service and other services can be found by visiting the MBTelehealth website.

STBBI Webinar Now On-Demand

Last week we held a webinar with Public Health focused on sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) in Manitoba. You will find a link to watch the webinar on-demand below, and we have a brief summary with key links as well.

Hosted by Doctors Manitoba and led by Manitoba Public Health, the webinar examined the current epidemiology of STBBIs, testing and treatment recommendations, as well as how physicians can play a role in Public Health’s strategy to tackle rising STBBI rates. Presenters included Dr. Brent Roussin, Chief Provincial Public Health Officer, as well as Medical Officers of Health Dr. Santina Lee and Dr. Pierre Plourde.

Key takeaways include:

  • Rates of STBBI’s are too high in Manitoba. Syphilis and HIV are of particular concern.
  • The epidemiology is changing and women are representing an increased proportion of cases.
  • STBBI testing should be part of routine health screening.
  • Test for one, test for all STBBIs
  • Test and treat symptomatics, contacts of cases, high risk/​unlikely to return

Key links and resources from webinar: 

  • Public Health has introduced a dashboard, updated quarterly, which is available here.
  • STBBI medications are provided free of charge in Manitoba, including in clinics. To order, Call Materials Distribution Agency at 204−945−0570 or download this form.
  • Physicians are encouraged to become a PrEP prescriber for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis
  • You can access Eligibility Criteria and Clinical Guidance for Manitoba HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis here.
  • Access provider information from the Manitoba HIV Program here.

The webinar also reviewed the new STBBI report form, which has been simplified and turned into a fillable PDF. You can download it here.

Watch the webinar anytime, on-demand here.

Addressing the Syphilis Surge

CPSM is hosting a webinar focused on syphilis, to ensure your practice is informed on current trends and that you are prepared to test and treat individuals who present for care. on February 7. You can register for Addressing the Syphilis Surge here.

78010
Completion of provider report form for STBBI and STI Treatment Pages 1 and 2 $20.00
78011
Completion of provider report form for STBBI and ST Streatment Page 3 $30.00

Note that 78011 can only be claimed with 78010. 78010 is only payable once per patient, even if additional contacts are subsequently added.

Meet our Physician of the Week, Dr. Seth Shaffer!

Dr. Seth Shaffer has always loved science and working with people, making medicine a natural choice for a career. An Assistant Professor of Medicine at UM, Dr. Shaffer also works as an academic gastroenterologist at HSC, providing inpatient consult service, working in outpatient clinics, and performing endoscopies. His research focuses on understanding the causes and clinical management of persons with IBD, the economic impact of caring for those patients, and impact the pandemic has had on patients’ mental health. Patient, Megan Romphf felt anxious and hesitant about medical procedures from past experiences but Dr. Shaffer’s bedside manner, professionalism, and knowledge made her feel comfortable with testing and treatment. Dr. Shaffer is worried about burnout for both physicians and nurses and has serious concerns about the inadequate funding in healthcare. Read more about Dr. Shaffer. 

What is Physician of the Week? 

For 2023, we have established a new way to recognize dedicated and hardworking physicians. The Doctors Manitoba Physician of the Week will exemplify the best of the medical profession, including a commitment to delivering exceptional patient care, to supporting the health and wellness of their colleagues, and/​or to leadership in the medical profession.You can suggest a colleague as Physician of the Week here.

Podiatry Consultation

The College of Podiatrists of Manitoba has entered into a public consultation for possible changes to the Regulations which govern the practice of podiatry. The Regulations were last updated in 2006.There are about 30 active podiatrists in Manitoba. Podiatrists continue to have their own legislation, and are not yet governed under The Regulated Health Professions Act. The practice of podiatry is defined in their legislation as the use of medical, physical or surgical methods to prevent, diagnose and treat ailments, diseases, deformities and injuries of the human foot, but does not include treatment of systemic disease, except for the local manifestations in the foot.The proposed changes would clarify the scope of practice of podiatrists. The consultation document can be found at www​.copom​.org but is not especially user-friendly. The proposed changes are listed, but not explained, and need to be reviewed alongside the 2006 Regulations.The consultation is open until March 12, 2023. Doctors Manitoba will be analyzing the proposed changes in detail and preparing a submission. We would appreciate hearing the views of interested members. If you would like to review our analysis and possibly provide feedback for our submission, please email our General Counsel, Andrew Swan, at aswan@​doctorsmanitoba.​ca by February 3, 2023. 

Respiratory Virus Updates

Surveillance Update

Manitoba Public Health produces a weekly report on respiratory viruses. Below are highlights from this week’s report.

COVID Surveillance

This week’s report covers the week ending January 21 and shows similar activity for COVID compared to recent weeks. Highlights include:

  • There were 7 hospital admissions, down from 28 last week and a continued steady decline over the last five weeks. This week included 3 ICU admissions, down from 6 last week. Weekly hospital admissions last peaked at 264 in the week ending April 16.
  • There were no COVID deaths recorded over the last week. 
  • There were 59 lab-confirmed cases reported in Manitoba, down from 122 last week.
  • The test positivity rate was 11.3%, down from 12.3% last week.
  • Wastewater surveillance data from January indicates sustained activity of COVID-19 in Winnipeg and Brandon at lower levels. 

Influenza & RSV

Influenza activity continues to decrease. Highlights include:

  • Test positivity for influenza A was 0.8% this week, down from 1.9% last week. The predominant strain circulating right now is still Influenza A (H3N2), with 10 lab confirmed cases (down from 18 last week) and there are still 0 cases of Influenza B.
  • There were 2 hospital admissions as a result of flu/​RSV (the same as last week).
  • There were 1,306 respiratory related visits to EDs in the province this week, down from 1,473 last week.
  • RSV is also circulating with an 8.3% test positivity rate, down from 8.7% last week.

Health in the News

Another busy week of health news. We’ve curated the top stories with exclusive access to subscription-only content. 

DRMB in the news:

Other Health News:

ICYMI

Here are some of our top recent posts, in case you missed them. 

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events are always listed on our events calendar.

Leadership for Equity: Expanding Inclusive Medical Culture

Session 1: Intent, Harm and Action: Understanding Bias, Discrimination and Racism in Healthcare - March 23, 2023 6:30 – 8 PM

Dr. Sharda’s presentation explores the concept of bias and implicit bias. It challenges the notion that physicians are​‘neutral’ and​‘objective.’ She will provide definitions of bias, racism and colonialism and explain how power (personal and social) is needed to create and maintain systems of oppression. She will delineate systems vs interpersonal discrimination and how they feed into each other. Dr. Sharda will speak about intent vs impact (and harm) and provide examples from the healthcare context about how this harm can manifest to patients, physicians, and learners. She will introduce the ideas of privilege and oppression via the Coin Model of Privilege. Dr. Sharda’s presentation offers an approach for students, doctors and medical professionals to start their journey of learning and unlearning — drawing on the concepts of Miller’s Pyramid, narrative humility and critical allyship and provides guided opportunities to self-reflect on the concepts presented.

Invest with purpose (Sponsored Content from MD Financial)

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