This email was sent to EDs/Admin Leads, Board Chairs and Lead Clinicians of AFHTO member organizations.
Dear triad members,
Happy New Year and to a healthier 2021 for everyone. We are writing with an update as well as a request as it relates to primary care’s role in Phase 1 of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
AFHTO is part of the COVID-19 Vaccination Action Council, a coalition of primary care organizations that is meeting frequently to coordinate shared counsel and advocacy efforts on how primary care can best support the Ontario Government’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout.
Update:
- Yesterday and today, our coalition met with Dr. Isaac Bogoch from the Ministers’ COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force, the Ontario Hospital Association, tasked with rolling out vaccination in Long-Term Care, and Dr. Vera Etches, who is leading a Council of Medical Officers of Health COVID-19 Working Group. The purpose – to discuss how primary care can support the urgent and immediate need to administer vaccines in Long-Term Care (LTC) and Retirement Homes (RH), as well as the longer-term mass vaccination strategy.
- Arising from the meeting was a request to prepare primary care in case you are called upon to support Phase 1 vaccination of residents and staff in LTC and RH, throughout the province. Coordination with local public health units will be needed and we will help facilitate this.
Request to members:
- Please fill out this brief survey – we want to understand your willingness and capacity to support Phase 1 efforts, should it be needed, as well as if you are already connected to and supporting residents living in a RH/LTC. EDs and Admin Leads, please feel free to forward this to your team.
- The primary care associations have come together to jointly issue this survey so please only fill it out once if you are a member of two or more associations. Note – if you have already filled out a survey or otherwise indicated your availability to support through other means in your region, please disregard this survey.
Broader vaccination strategy and primary care’s role
We are still lacking significant information around many aspects of Ontario’s vaccination rollout, including a clear timeline, plans, and role of primary care following Phase 1 (and beyond). We are united and ready to support an ambitious COVID-19 vaccination rollout, and echo the words of General Rick Hillier, Chair of the Ontario COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force, who last week shared the following quote about the important role primary care has and will continue to play:
“I believe Primary Care is the bedrock of our incredible health system in Ontario. Your professionalism, dedication and the trust that you have built with those for whom you care will be crucial in delivering the greatest vaccination program ever. We will rely upon you. Thank you for all that you have done and for what you will do now, in our great mission.”
-General Rick Hillier, Chair of the Ontario COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force
Collaboratively, we are meeting frequently this first week of January with decision makers and other healthcare partners to understand how primary care can best support the vaccination rollout. The role of primary care is critical – we know our patients and communities best and can address questions and get vaccines into arms. As planning continues, we will keep you updated as soon as we have concrete information to share.
Sincerely,
Your AFHTO team