Health System Updates — December 5, 2025
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CMV Test Now Part of Newborn Screening
As of December 1, the Manitoba Newborn Screening Program (NBS) includes a test for congenital newborn cytomegalovirus (CMV).
The details:
- Screen-positive infants will be automatically referred to Pediatric Infectious Diseases at HSC Children’s Hospital, in addition to being reported to the ordering practitioner.,
- Screening results will be available in eChart along with all other NBS results.
- Please remember to complete newborn screening cards accurately. The highest rate of reporting failure is as a result of missing or incorrect identifiers.
New Requirement for Maternal Serum Screen
Effective January 1, 2026, the Genetics and Metabolism Program will no longer accept referrals for patients with a positive maternal serum screen (MSS) for Down syndrome or trisomy 18 unless gestational age has been confirmed by ultrasound.
Next steps: Please request an urgent dating ultrasound from Diagnostic Imaging for any patient with a positive MSS based on LMP or examination as outlined by this updated flow chart. In order to ensure that the request is triaged appropriately, please use the following indication on the requisition: Indication for US: “Dating required to interpret a positive MSS result.”
Become an MMI Rater
The Max Rady College of Medicine is recruiting raters for its 2026 Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) process. This is an essential step in evaluating future medical students’ readiness for compassionate, competent care.
👥 Who can apply: Physicians, clinicians, faculty, and staff are invited to participate.
🖋️ How to apply: Complete the MMI Rater Registration – Physician, Clinician, Faculty and Staff form and the optional MMI Evaluator Survey.
🕓 Deadline: Register by Friday, December 19, 2025.
📧 Questions? Contact UGME.admissions@umanitoba.ca
DI Viewer Now Live
Shared Health’s DI Viewer upgrade went live on December 1. You can see our earlier coverage about the transition in our story here.
Please remember, a quick restart is required for the changes to take effect.
- Simply exit and reopen the DI Viewer to apply the update.
- If you’ve bookmarked the old link, check the DI Viewer – Quick Reference Guide to update it.
⚙ Tap & Go users cannot access the upgraded viewer yet, but can continue using the legacy viewer with no service interruption.
Let us how the upgrade works for you. Email feedback to: practiceadvice@doctorsmanitoba.ca
Health Links –Info Santé Update
A physician was added to the Health Links – Info Santé program in November, available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Later in December, another clinician will join the service.
By the numbers: Health Links – Info Santé receives on average 400 calls per day.
- Of those calls, an average of 40 patients are triaged to emergency departments each day.
- In the first 10 days of the new physician service, 160 patients were transferred to speak with a doctor.
- Only 10 of those patients were triaged to an emergency department.
The program is still recruiting family physicians who are interested in learning more about the service and opportunities. More information is available in our November 6 newsletter.
Expanded Virtual Medicine Ward
In an expansion of the province’s Virtual Medicine Ward program, Shared Health has hired four more nurses, with one additional nursing position and three clerk positions to be filled. What began as a pandemic response model is now becoming a standard option for patients who are stable enough to be treated from home and involves daily virtual check-ins from nurses and physicians, remote symptom and vital-sign monitoring through tablets and medical devices, as well as in-home supports such as IV therapy and home oxygen when required.
We invite you to share your feedback on the program with us at practiceadvice@doctorsmanitoba.ca
Manitoba Adds Training Seats for Lab and X‑Ray Techs
The Manitoba government is doubling the number of Manitoba students who can train as combined laboratory and X‑ray technologists (CLXTs) through Saskatchewan Polytechnic beginning in January 2026, securing five additional seats to help address diagnostic staffing shortages across rural and northern communities.