SUTURE KITS AVAILABLE FROM ISLAND HEALTH

During the pandemic, reducing transfers to acute care has become of increasing importance. In April 2020, as part of the Victoria-South Island LTCI’s COVID Response Plan, the LTCI assembled and distributed suture kits to 15 care homes that expressed an interest. From June to September 2020, the LTCI followed-up with the homes to collect reports on the usefulness of the kits. From April to September 2020 (6 months), 8 care homes used their kits 19 times, and 18 acute care transfers were prevented. This process demonstrates that when LTC homes have laceration repair supplies available, physicians are able to make in-home suturing a standard practice, and acute care transfers decrease.

To continue and sustain this positive initiative, the LTCI has partnered with Island Health to develop a new process for care homes to acquire suture repair kits. We are happy to announce that laceration repair kit supplies are now available for Island Health owned-and-operated and affiliate sites via the below steps:

1. Site Manager/DOC to send an email to Laurie Gnam laurina.gnam@viha.ca to request 1+ kits (order placements to be limited to once per month or quarter)
2. Laurie records orders and notifies The Summit Stores team of the requests
3. Laurie notifies sites when kits are ready for pickup
4. Sites are responsible for picking up the kits from reception at The Summit

* Affiliate sites will be billed by Island Health for kits purchased through this process.

For further information regarding the new process for obtaining suture repair kits from Island Health, please contact: Sarah.Metcalfe@viha.ca

Private Care Homes

Unfortunately, private care homes unaffiliated with Island Health are unable to access laceration repair kits via Island Health and will need to use their own procurement processes. The LTCI website has a list of suture kit supplies and contact details for the Stevens Company, who assisted the LTCI with previous procurement of supplies in April 2020. Please contact the LTCI to problem-solve any procurement issues that may arise at your site.

GOODBYE

We at the LTCI are sad to be saying farewell to LTCI Program Coordinator Annebeth Leurs. Annebeth will be joining Doctors of BC as one of their Vancouver Island Engagement Partners. Join us in wishing Annebeth well on her new adventure!

MEDICAL CERTIFICATE OF DEATH

Due to physician feedback regarding death pronouncement and notification, the LTCI has compiled resources to assist physicians in completing the Medical Certificate of Death.

Did You Know? You can request bundles of Physician Medical Certification of Death Forms? Several members have noted that this contributes to an increasingly efficient process. Request forms by emailing Vital Statistics at HLTH.VSStock@gov.bc.ca or faxing them at 250.952.9094

Did You Know? The BC Vital Statistics Act requires the Most Responsible Provider (physicians/nurse practitioners or delegate) to complete and send the Medical Certificate of Death to the Funeral Director within 48 hours. A death certificate cannot be applied for, nor a permit of burial/cremation issued, until the Medical Certificate of Death form is received.

See The Handbook for Physicians, NPs and Coroners: Medical Certification of Death and Stillbirth here

Funeral Homes:

• Fax numbers for local funeral homes here
• Search for a funeral home here

Coming Soon: MRP Death Notification Tool!

The LTCI have partnered with Island Health on the development of a MRP Death Notification Tool, available soon. The aim is for this tool to provide MRP’s with the information needed to register a death in a timely manner.

MY VIRTUAL VISIT

Island Health’s Virtual Care team is excited to announce that they are in the process of setting up virtual care access to a number of owned and operated and affiliate long-term care sites with their MyVirtualVisit care locations feature. Care Locations allow devices at facilities to be configured to attend and receive virtual calls with the click of a button. Currently the team is focusing on supporting remote Wound Care, Primary Care and Geriatric Psychiatry and plan to expand on this list. At this time, 6 Victoria- South Island LTC sites are activated with MyVirtualVisit. These include: Glengarry Hospital, The Summit, Aberdeen Hospital,  The Heights, Brentwood House and Sluggett House. Activation is planned for all owned and operated facilities and will be offered to any affiliate facilities that are interested in participating.

As a provider, the system is very user friendly. After login, the user needs only to click on a resident's name to connect to the video appointment - please see this link for a video showing how the technology works. If you have not already been contacted, LTC physicians can expect an email in the next few weeks from Island Health Virtual Care with instructions on how to setup an account and enable MyVirtualVisit on a mobile/desktop devices. Please reach out to telehealth@viha.ca if you have additional questions regarding this opportunity!

THE LTCI LEARNING SERIES IS BACK, REGISTER NOW!

Register now for our first virtual event, a case-based talk on Pain by Dr. Romayne Gallagher. March 15th 17:00 to 18:30 on Zoom. 

BILLING Q&A

An upcoming Learning Series event is a LTC Billing Q&A for physicians. Do you have a burning billing question? Submit your questions in advance by emailing us at VictoriaSouthIsland.LTCI@Divisionsbc.ca

*NEW* LTC PRACTICE PEARLS

This month’s Practice Pearl is courtesy of LTC Physician Dr. David Brook:

“Use Metronidazole capsules to control evil-smelling deep pressure injury ulcers (bedsores). Sprinkle the contents of the capsule into the wound with each dressing-change. It makes it a lot easier for the nursing-staff to care for the wound”.

Have a Practice Pearl that you think your LTC colleagues would benefit from? Send it in!

RESOURCES

Island Health’s new Order Sets are available on the LTCI website. You can download them here

Alberta College of Family Physicians- COVID-19 and Vitamin D: Partners in Crime, or Simply Associates? Read the article here

Did you know The LTCI has a COVID-19 resource page? Have any great resources you'd like to share with your LTC colleagues? Let us know!

LTCI Physician Scholarship Fund: Did you know that the LTCI has a scholarship fund for LTC Physicians? Apply for your conference tuition to be reimbursed by completing and submitting the application form, available here. The Providence Health Geriatric Services Conference is a great upcoming event to apply the LTCI Physician Scholarship towards - see information below!

EVENTS

March 12 – Fraser Health, Virtual Long-Term Care Conference. Read the agenda here, and click here to register

March 15 – LTCI Virtual Learning Series, Pain. Click here to register

March 26 - Geriatric Services Conference, Creating Synergy, Inspiring Change. Click here to register