Be Aware Health Care | November 28th, 2023

Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Cantaloupes

The Public Health Agency of Canada has reported one death and 63 confirmed cases of salmonella linked to Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes. Seventeen people have been hospitalized in connection with the outbreak. The agency issued multiple food recall warnings in November, covering Malichita cantaloupes sold between October 11 and November 14. An update on November 24 expanded the warning to include Rudy brand cantaloupes sold between October 10 and November 24. The affected cantaloupes were distributed nationwide, and cases have been identified in Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island. Investigations are ongoing

In This Week’s Email:

Ontario News

1. Ontario’s New State of The Art Medical School Facility

2. Hamilton Nurses in Major Overtime

3. Free Birth Control in Ontario?

4. $300 Million to Boost Personal Support Worker Workforce

Canada News 🇨🇦

1. Canadian Bill Boosts Organ Donor Registrations in Canada

2. Alberta Expands Role of Nurse Practitioners to Address Family Doctor Shortage

3. Concerns Raised Over Lack of Reporting in Canadian Clinical Trials

Ontario News

Ontario’s State of The Art New Medical School Facility

The University of Toronto Scarborough's (UTSC) new $130-million Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health (SAMIH) is set to welcome its inaugural undergraduate cohort in September 2025. Positioned as a vital healthcare service provider for an underserved and rapidly growing community, SAMIH will be UTSC's third medical school and the first in the eastern Greater Toronto Area. The facility will offer a range of medical education spaces, including clinical psychology and pharmacy clinics, an anatomy lab, a clinical skills lab, and instructional labs. SAMIH aims to address physician shortages in Scarborough by training around 300 healthcare professionals annually, contributing to both the local economy and broader medical ecosystem. The design emphasizes community integration, connecting with the population and local healthcare networks. Additionally, SAMIH incorporates sustainability features such as solar cladding panels and a flexible steel grid structure to align with UTSC's long-term vision and environmental considerations. The academy's goal is to retain healthcare professionals in Scarborough to enhance local medical care accessibility

Hamilton Nurses in Major Overtime

Nurses in Hamilton's hospitals are grappling with an alarming surge in overtime, leading to some earning salaries up to $200,000. The staffing crisis at Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare has tripled the number of registered nurses on the Sunshine List in three years. This escalating reliance on overtime, exacerbated by the pandemic, creates a harmful cycle—staff shortages force nurses to work extended hours, leading to burnout, subsequent departures, and compounding the struggle to cover shifts. Patients are facing prolonged wait times and safety concerns. Financially, the cost of overtime is straining budgets and impacting morale, prompting calls for improved employment conditions rather than temporary fixes.

Free Birth Control in Ontario?

The Ontario NDP is urging the Doug Ford government to endorse a motion that seeks coverage for birth control, including oral pills, injections, IUDs, implants, and Plan B, under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Introduced on International Women's Day, the motion aligns with the NDP's 2022 election platform, emphasizing the importance of reducing barriers to contraception access for gender equality and reproductive autonomy. While OHIP covers contraception for those under 25 (without private coverage) and certain program recipients, the NDP argues for broader coverage, following the example set by British Columbia and Manitoba in offering free prescription birth control.

$300 Million to Boost Personal Support Worker Workforce

The Ontario government is investing over $300 million across three years to facilitate the entry of thousands into personal support worker (PSW) careers in long-term care and home/community care. Part of the Your Health plan, this initiative aims to elevate direct care for long-term care residents and expand home care services. Incentives include up to $25,400 for students and recent PSW program graduates, covering clinical placements, commitments to work in relevant sectors, and assistance with relocation costs for rural, remote, or northern community roles. The move seeks to address staffing needs, especially in underserved areas, and enhance care quality for residents.

Canada News 🇨🇦

Canadian Bill Boosts Organ Donor Registrations in Canada

A Conservative private member's bill, Bill C-210, introduced by Calgary MP Len Webber, has led to nearly 2.5 million Canadians expressing their wish to be organ and tissue donors. This bill allows individuals to indicate their desire to donate on their annual tax return. The question was included in the tax forms for the first time in Ontario and Nunavut during the past tax season. Webber hopes the success in these regions will encourage other provinces and territories to adopt a similar approach. The move aims to address the low number of Canadians registered as donors, despite widespread support for organ donation in the country.

Alberta Expands Role of Nurse Practitioners to Address Family Doctor Shortage

In response to the challenges faced by many Albertans in finding a family doctor, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange is optimistic about nurse practitioners filling the gaps. Nurse practitioners, with master's degrees or PhDs, can offer about 80% of the services provided by family doctors and are now permitted to open clinics in the public health system in Alberta. The Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta anticipates clinics will start operating in the new year. However, the Opposition NDP argues that immediate action is needed to address the shortage of family doctors and criticizes the government's approach.

Concerns Raised Over Lack of Reporting in Canadian Clinical Trials

A recent study has revealed that only 3% of Canadian human research trials between 2009 and 2019 met international criteria for the fair and timely sharing of results. The study examined 6,720 clinical trials and found that only 59% were registered before enrolling participants, 32% did not report results or publish findings, and only 3% met all three criteria outlined by the World Health Organization. Critics argue that the lack of reporting may lead to wasted funding, patient time, and effort, with potential risks to patient safety. The study calls for increased awareness, training, and potential penalties for non-compliance.