Hi all,
Please see the attached email about CCAC reduction in service in our communitty as of nov 30th…

“Subject: NSM CCAC update

As you are aware, our financial position this year remains challenging. At this time, one-time LHIN funding has not been confirmed and further cost containment actions are required to ensure a balanced budget by fiscal year end.

As of November 30, 2015 all new patients referred from the community for personal support will be placed on the personal support waitlist. This will not apply to patients at end of life. Please note: there are no changes in access to nursing or therapy services at this time. Please note that this affects patients referred from the community and not the hospital.

We are committed to supporting system priorities and are doing everything possible to ensure hospital access to personal support services. We are doing this in an effort to avoid impacting hospital flow and ALC. Nevertheless, we do appreciate that hospitals may experience pressures in the emergency department as community patients with equal needs are being waitlisted.

We will continue to monitor our utilization closely based on the best available information and may need to take additional action. I will keep you apprised as more is known.

Once again, thank you for your understanding.

Karen Taillefer
Vice President, Patient Services; RN, BScN, MN
North Simcoe Muskoka Community Care Access Centre
Phone: 705-721-8010 x2303 / Fax: 705-792-6294
Email: Karen.Taillefer@nsm.ccac-ont.ca
Web: www.nsm.ccac-ont.ca”

!!!!! We have already contacted the LHIN and a letter being sent too to document our concerns with this. Hospital admin ( including Natalie) is aware!!!
We will keep advocating for our patients care.!!!
John

hi all,

just to mention again…ct req needed on paper only for contrast studies now, tech will pick up, no DI orders to fax for er patients anymore.

outpatient studies still need paper req as always…

actual memo attached….if you missed..
cheers,
john

Memo

To: All Nursing and All DI Staff

MAHC Physicians

From: Karen Fleming, Chief Quality & Nursing Executive

Esther Millar, Chief Executive Clinical Services

Harold Featherston, Chief Executive Diagnostics, Ambulatory & Planning

CC: Senior Leadership Team

Date: November 11, 2015

Re: Emergency Dept. / In-Patient Requisitions for Diagnostic Imaging

Since the launch of our Electronic Medical Record, all diagnostic imaging tests required the generation of an electronic requisition as well as the provision of either a scan of the physician’s order or a blue DI requisition. These measures were implemented to ensure the proper information was relayed to the DI department during the transition to the electronic record.

Nursing and diagnostic imaging staff has worked diligently since the summer to develop an electronic requisition that meets all the regulatory requirements for a DI order. Effective November 16th, for all DI tests except CT with contrast, mammography and interventional radiology, only the electronic requisition will be required. The power order is placed in Cerner and through Radnet the DI department can print from the electronic requisition as needed.

In order for the Power Order to include all the essential information, the nursing staff is required to ensure the following information is placed in the Comments section: • Past medical history as pertinent to the imaging request

• Contributing presenting information to inform radiologist, i.e. mechanism of force, injury, symptoms etc

• Special instructions as requested by the ordering physician; i.e. patient to see referring practitioner after imaging, 3 view chest, portable, timing (repeat in 3 days), with/without contrast, etc.

CT with contrast, mammography and interventional radiology require additional information. As a result, these procedures will continue to require paper requisitions to be filled out by the physician. Nursing will input the order into Power Order and the completed paper requisition is placed on the chart to be picked up by the DI technologist. There is no requirement to fax the ED cover sheet. Further development of the electronic requisition for CT is planned.

I would like to thank everyone for their patience while this issue was resolved and their commitment to providing the best care for our patients.

Hi gang,

Just to highlight…..DI req memo from yesterday as applies to ER!

Starting monday…..

need CT req completed on chart for all CT contrast studies….nothing else requires DI req. for ER patients.

DI will pick up req for CT’s.

nothing more to fax/deliver/etc!!

any questions please ask.
cheers
Dr lefty Simpson
(ps. thanks to all who have helped cover my shifts!!)