In today’s message you will find:
A reminder of our Holiday Open House Next Wednesday
Manitoba Clinic Update
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Research Opportunity
Consider our New Dental Plan
World AIDS Day & New STBBI Report Tariffs
Fantastic Physicians
Nominations for our 2023 Awards Close soon!
Health System Updates
ICYMI
Upcoming Events
You’re Invited! Open House on December 7
We’re trying something new this year, responding to members who want more opportunities to connect after a lot of professional isolation during the pandemic. Join us for our Holiday Open House at our new(ish) Bannatyne Office!
- When: Wednesday, December 7, 3:00 to 7:00 PM
- Where: DRMB @ Bannatyne Office (located at the Joe Doupe Concourse, 2nd floor of the Basic Medical Sciences Building at the UM Bannatyne campus medical school — see map here)
- Appetizers and drinks will be served.
Manitoba Clinic Update
Yesterday, news emerged that Manitoba Clinic is under court-ordered creditor protection due to significant financial loses.
We know many of you will be concerned about your colleagues working at Manitoba Clinic. We want to reassure you that we have already reached out to those physicians to offer our support, services and advice. Rumours can spread quickly during a period of change and uncertainty, and we encourage everyone to ensure they are making decisions based on facts and sound advice, rather than rumours and speculation.
For all physicians concerned about patient referrals and care, Manitoba Clinic has said it is business as usual with day-to-day operations continuing. They have emphasized patient care is being prioritized and should not be disrupted as the organization restructures its management and finances. A few physicians have left Manitoba Clinic, and it is possible a few more could change their practice location. As you make referrals, please ask your staff to double check physician practice locations so patient referrals are directed to the correct place.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Research Opportunity
Doctors Manitoba is looking for an experienced Research Coordinator to support and provide leadership for an exciting research partnership with six provincial medical associations and researchers at the University of Manitoba. The research project will use an intersectional lens to determine the barriers to equity, diversity and inclusion in the medical profession in six provinces: Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. This includes but is not limited to remuneration, specialty of practice, medical school admissions, residency selection, and access to informal and formal leadership positions. Learn more here.
Consider our New Dental Plan
Did you know Doctors Manitoba is offering a new dental insurance plan based on requests from physicians? The plan cover both preventative and restorative services for members and their families.
Many physicians have already signed up, with coverage beginning January 1. Dr. Chau Pham is one of them, applying for coverage for her family.
“We intentionally decided to switch from our current vendor to Doctors Manitoba since it provided better value for what we are looking for with our young family,” Dr. Pham explained. “Our boys are growing older and may require orthodontic care and the dental insurance from Doctors Manitoba offered us better value than what we were currently paying. We already have extended health insurance with Doctors Manitoba and we have been so pleased with the professional customer service when we have had inquiries. We have great respect for Doctors Manitoba who have demonstrated that they are strong advocates for physicians, and it feels right to give business to an organization that has been our strong ally.”
Like our other insurance plans, the dental coverage has been designed by physicians, for physicians, and is offered on a not-for-profit basis.
Coverage ranges from $59.24 per month for individuals to $181.21 for families of three or more. Basic and Major Dental benefits are subject to combined maximum coverage of $1,500 per person per year. Coverage includes:
- 80% Basic Dental (Includes periodontics and endodontics) with regular diagnostic exams twice in each calendar year.
- 50% Major Dental
- 50% Orthodontics (subject to a lifetime maximum for eligible dependent children)
You can apply today for coverage beginning January 1, 2023.
→ Learn more about our new dental plan here.
We’re happy to answer your questions about dental or any other insurance option at insurance@doctorsmanitoba.ca.
World AIDS Day & New STBBI Report Tariffs
Yesterday was World AIDS Day and it’s also Indigenous AIDS Awareness Week. A report released by the Manitoba HIV Program shows a sharp increase in HIV rates over the past four years.
The number of people diagnosed with and living with HIV rose 52% over the last four years, from 111 in 2018 to 169 in 2021. Data for 2022 is still being collected, but program director Dr. Ken Kasper is anticipating more than 200 cases this year. From a population perspective, the Manitoba rate of new HIV transmissions of 12.2 per 100,000 people is more than three times the national average of 4.0.
The majority of cases are among people who identify as heterosexual. Women now account for half of the new diagnoses, an increase, with the average age of diagnosis dropping from 39 in 2018 to 32. Indigenous people are overrepresented, accounting for nearly three quarters of new referrals to the HIV program, a statistic that has also increased over the last few years.
On a related note, Manitoba Health has approved two new temporary tariffs for completing public health report forms for sexually transmitted and blood born infections (STBBIs):
| Tariff | Description | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Treatment Page 3 | $30.00 |
Fantastic Physicians
This week CBC featured Dr. Courtney Leary and her return to her northern Manitoba community of Norway House Cree Nation to practice medicine, honouring her roots. Dr. Leary decided she would be a doctor at the age of 12 and she is the first ever physician from Norway house and the first ever Indigenous physician to practice in the community. You can watch the inspiring CBC feature here.
Nominations for our 2023 Awards Close December 15
The 2023 Doctors Manitoba Awards Nominations are open and are due by December 15, 2022. The Doctors Manitoba Awards are the highest honour in the province for physicians. There is no shortage of physicians who have been demonstrating excellence this year and throughout their careers. There are different awards available to recognize physicians, plus a special award for this year only focused on recognizing a physician health champion. You can learn more about the awards criteria and nomination requirements here.
Health System Updates
Respiratory Virus Update
Manitoba Public Health has shifted from a Thursday COVID report to a Friday weekly report on respiratory viruses, given the triple virus threat in the province right now. Here are highlights from this week’s report.
COVID Surveillance
This week’s report covers the week ending November 26 and shows similar activity to recent weeks. Highlights include:
- There were 82 hospital admissions, the same as last week. This includes 19 ICU admissions, up from 12 last week. Weekly hospital admissions last peaked at 264 in the week ending April 16.
- There were less than 5 deaths recorded, the same as last week. There have now been 2,256 deaths related to COVID-19.
- There were 281 lab-confirmed cases reported in Manitoba, down from 314 the previous week.
- The test positivity rate was 15.4%, down from 18.2 % last week.
Influenza & RSV
- The predominant strain circulating right now is Influenza A (H3N2).
- Test positivity for influenza A increased from 15.6% last week to 21.4% this week.
- Children under the age of 5 are at the highest risk for influenza infection, accounting for 15% of all cases and 25% of associated hospital admissions.
- RSV is also circulating with a 2.2% test positivity rate, down from 5.6% last week.
New Resources on Pediatric Care
Shared Health has released a new resource to help parents with caring for their children with respiratory symptoms and advising on when different levels of care may be needed. The new site, KidCareMB.ca, includes tips on caring for and monitor children at home, when to see a doctor, and when to consider visiting an ER. This could be a useful resource for family physicians and pediatricians to share with their patients. Shared Health has also developed a pamphlet is also available for use in ERs and doctors’ offices, which you can download here.
On a related note, in the face of current shortages of pediatric medications, the Canadian Paediatric Society has issued a guidance document on managing critical drug shortages for child health care providers. Also, CPSM provided guidance on the shortages today encouraging physicians to ensure prescribing is evidence-based given the current situation, with the shortest possible course. See the CPSM message here.
Vision Therapy Position Statement from the Canadian Ophthalmological Society
The statement, which states that evidence of vision therapy or behavioural optometry being effective is lacking, is important as it pertains to treatment that is offered in Manitoba that is advertised to be beneficial for a whole host of things including: traumatic brain injuries, concussion, special needs children, dyslexia, and a multitude of reading and writing challenges.
It is important that leaders in sport and education are aware of this policy so that Manitobans are not misled into pursuing costly, time-consuming and potentially harmful treatments that have no scientific merit.
The full position statement can be read here.
Investing as a physician: A primer (Sponsored Content)
Physicians have unique needs when it comes to investing. So where to begin? Here’s a look the basics of investing from a physician’s perspective.
ICYMI
Here are some important and popular recent updates, in case you missed them:
- Last week our President addressed the growing physician shortage in our province.
- Doctors Manitoba Advocates at Government Throne Speech
- Better Support for Physicians in Primary Care
- Check out our brand-new Resource Guide for Retirement or Practice Closure!
- Get updates on the Acetaminophen and Ibuprofen supply shortages and the expansion of the Spine Assessment Clinic
Upcoming Events
Upcoming events are always listed on our events calendar.
Featured Events
PLI Course: Creating healthy work culture through trauma-informed leadership (in-house) — March 3 & 4 from 9:30am‑3:30pm
The world has experienced a collective trauma through the COVID-19 pandemic. Canadian physicians were demonstrating disproportionately higher rates of burnout, depression and suicidal ideation before the pandemic: they were already a traumatized workforce. Further mental health impacts and workforce shortages are predicted among health care workers after the pandemic. Medical leaders may be unaware of the role trauma plays at the individual, team and system levels. This course develops leadership skills to foster recovery, build wellness and promote post-traumatic growth in the health care workforce. Delivered as an interactive workshop, it will facilitate a shift to a wellness-informed mindset and encourage you to apply key wellness-informed leadership practices at all levels. The virtual course runs March 3 – 4 from 9:30am‑3:30pm and has been accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada for a minimum of 11 Manipro-M1 credits. Space is limited and the deadline for registration is February 1, 2023. Register for this course here and download a poster for the course here.
Other Events
Doctors Manitoba Holiday Open House — December 7 from 3 to 7pm at our Bannatyne office — RSVP here
CMA Health Summit Series: Bold Choices in Health Care — December 8
We’ve added new Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (with mindfulness) CBTm courses for the new year!