Category Archives: CME

2021 Mandatory Base Hospital CME – Action Required

In keeping with Public Health Ontario guidelines, Sunnybrook Regional Base Hospital will deliver the 2021 Mandatory Continuing Medical Education (CME) as an online education package. The CME will take approximately 12 hours to complete.

The online CME package will be made available on October 20, 2021, and must be completed no later than November 30, 2021, at 23:59. The CME can be accessed via the Paramedic Portal of Ontario (https://paramedicportalontario.ca). Please review the attached Base Hospital memorandum carefully.

Compensation

Full-time Paramedics who complete the online education package on their own time, prior to the deadline, will be compensated with 12 hours of overtime pay or lieu hours earned.

Part-time Paramedics who complete the online education package on their own time, prior to the deadline, will be compensated with 12 hours at the applicable rate. The “applicable rate” could either be straight time or time-and-one-half depending on the total hours worked within the six week cycle. For hours in excess of 240 hours within the six week cycle, the applicable rate will be time-and-one-half.

If you will be unable to complete the CME as detailed above, you must contact CME@toronto.ca no later than October 29, 2021, and select one of the two options below:

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  • Option #1

If you do not have the technological resources to complete this CME on your own, please contact CME@toronto.ca. Our CME leads will book an appointment for you to use an Education and Development computer to complete the online packages. These appointments will be booked on a scheduled day off at a mutually agreeable time. You will be compensated as detailed above if you select this option.

  • Option #2

If you are unable to complete this CME for any other reason, please contact CME@toronto.ca to arrange to complete the training during regular work hours. You will be scheduled to complete the online training package on a regularly scheduled shift. If you select this option, you will not be entitled to additional pay or lieu hours earned.

If you are currently administratively deactivated by the Base Hospital, do not complete this CME. This content will be incorporated into your return-to-practice education. If you are unsure of your status with the Base Hospital, please contact Eunice Lubbe (eunice.lubbe@sunnybrook.ca).

Required Documentation

As part of CME completion, the 2021 Influenza Immunization Declaration must be submitted to the Education and Development Unit no later than November 30, 2021. Documentation may be submitted by:

1)    Email (CME@toronto.ca);
2)    CheckMarket (https://cotsurvey.chkmkt.com/psdocumentation); or
3)    Scanning the QR code below.

Completed influenza declaration forms can also be submitted to any Operations Superintendent to be sent to the Education and Development Unit for processing.

NOTE: This must be submitted for your 2021 CME to be considered complete.

 Upon CME completion, and verification of your 2021 Influenza Immunization Declaration form, the 12 hours of pay or lieu, as applicable, will be processed for the December 23, 2021, pay date.

 Any questions can be directed to CME@toronto.ca.

Sincerely,
(Original signed by)
Jamie Burnett

DOWNLOAD PDFs:
2021Oct-7_-SRBH-2021-Mandatory-CME_-TPS.pdf
2021-10-08-MEMO-to-Operations-Staff-re-2021-22-Influenza-Immunization.pdf
2021-10-08-MEMO-to-All-Paramedics-re-2021-Mandatory-Base-Hospital-CME.pdf

Documenting Suspected Opioid Overdoses

As we work through the fourth wave of the pandemic due to SARS-CoV2, we cannot forget that in its shadow is an epidemic of opioid-related overdoses and deaths. In 2017, Toronto Paramedic Services began collaborating with Toronto Public Health to share call information for suspected opioid overdoses attended by Paramedics in Toronto.

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The information that you provide about suspected opioid overdose patients is invaluable to Public Health. It helps find cases, identify trends, and target public health program and harm reduction interventions. We review and share data with Public Health daily, and no other agency or service can provide such up-to-the-minute information about suspected overdoses. You can see how the information you include in your ePCR is used by Public Health by clicking on https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/health-inspections-monitoring/toronto-overdose-information-system/. The information includes the numbers and neighbourhoods of cases where responding Paramedics suspect opioid overdoses have occurred.

ePCR Documentation

In recent months, we are finding calls where “yes” to a probable opioid overdose is checked but, upon review, it appears opioids were not involved or there was no overdose.

If checking “yes”, please ensure you have confidence that opioids were likely involved in the overdose. This may be based on information from the patient or bystanders (e.g., “smoking/shooting fentanyl”), what you find at the scene (e.g., drug paraphernalia), or your findings during the patient assessment (e.g., pinpoint pupils, slow respirations or apnea). This will help make the data we collect more reliable.

A call gets included in the daily list of suspected opioid overdoses when you flag it on your ePCR:

If you have any questions about this, or our partnership with Public Health in addressing the opioid crisis in Toronto, please contact Commander Adam Thurston by email at Adam.Thurston@toronto.ca.

Thank you for your ongoing efforts in caring for the people of Toronto. Please stay well and stay safe.

Sincerely,
(Original signed by)
Dr. Russell MacDonald
Leo Tsang

DOWMLOAD PDF – Documenting Suspected Opioid Overdoses

Launch of Adult and Pediatric EZ-IO for Trained ACP and Level 2 Special Operations Team Members


Effective January 8, 2021, paramedics who have successfully completed education and training on the use of the EZ-IO intraosseous device for both pediatric and adult patients will be authorized to utilize the device in the following medical directives:

  • Pediatric Intraosseous Medical Directive
    o  Proximal tibia site
  • Adult Intraosseous Auxiliary Medical Directive
    o  Humerus or proximal tibia site

The medical directive is specific to the Service and for those paramedics who have successfully completed all components of the required training and have been issued new certification letters. Currently, those paramedics trained include selected ACPs and Level 2 paramedics (while working with an ACP) who are members of Special Operations Teams.

If you have any questions, please contact your Manager, Paramedic Practice, Scott Gorsline at scott.gorsline@sunnybrook.ca

Sincerely,
Dr. Michael Feldman
Medical Director, Special Operations Sunnybrook Centre for Prehospital Medicine

Self-Directed CME for Level 2 Paramedics

The Local 416 Collective Agreement, Article 45.20 (c) states that “the City will credit to each paramedic’s lieu bank twelve (12) hours lieu time for the purpose of self-directed learning and maintenance of paramedic certification.” The Base Hospital has discontinued the requirement for Level 2 Paramedics to complete the elective CME.

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In 2014, the Union and the Division agreed that Level 2 Paramedics would be offered the choice to complete this elective training and, if they choose to complete the training, they would continue to be entitled to the 12 hours lieu time. It was also decided that a form would be sent out and, should the Level 2 Paramedic choose not to participate in this training, he/she would be asked to sign and submit the form confirming his/her choice. The result of completing the form would mean that the 12 hours of lieu time, already placed in his/her bank on the first pay of the year, would be removed from his/her bank.

Attached to this memo is a form that the Level 2 Paramedics will need to sign and return to their Superintendent by February 26, 2021. This due date will not be extended nor will this option be offered again this year. By signing this form, the Level 2 Paramedic is choosing not to attend the elective CME for this year as well as into the future as long as they remain a Level 2 Paramedic. This decision will not affect their certification status as a Level 2 Paramedic.

The Level 2 Paramedic must also understand that, by signing this form, they are authorizing Toronto Paramedic Services to remove 12 hours of lieu time from their lieu bank. Should the Level 2 Paramedic choose not fill out the form which by default indicates that they wish to attend an elective CME, they will be required to have the CME completed by December 31, 2021. Failure to complete the CME by that deadline will lead to the Level 2 Paramedic being administratively deactivated by the Base Hospital and the Paramedic will not be able to practice, at any level, until such time as an elective CME is completed.

If you have previously completed and submitted this form, there is no requirement to do so again.

DOWNLOAD the 2021 OPT OUT FORM

(Original signed by)
Leo Tsang

2020 Mandatory Base Hospital CME – Deadline Approaching

The 2020 Mandatory Base Hospital CME was launched on October 7, 2020, and must be completed by all active Paramedics by November 17, 2020. Please see below for information regarding the deadlines for both CME completion and document submission.

CME Completion Deadline: November 17, 2020, at 23:59

There are two components that must be completed prior to the deadline:

  • Sunnybrook Regional Base Hospital (SRBH) 2020 CME eLearning Course
  • Toronto Specific CME Addition for 2020

Document Submission Deadline: November 20, 2020 at 23:59

There are two documents that must be submitted prior to the deadline:

  • CME Completion/Compensation Form
  • 2020/21 Influenza Immunization Declaration

Paramedics who do not complete the CME by the deadline may be subject to administrative deactivation, in accordance with the Sunnybrook Regional Base Hospital Maintenance of Certification Policy.

For additional information, please review the previous memo and FAQ outlining the requirements and process to complete the 2020 Mandatory Base Hospital CME. In addition, information is available for those ACPs and Level 2 Paramedics who have not yet completed their self-directed CME.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact cme@toronto.ca.

Sincerely,
(Original signed by)
Tom Bruce