The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has provided provinces with some measles resources. Please see the Measles factsheet available in English and French. Infection Control would recommend that this fact sheet be made available in all Acute Care EDs and be provided to all patients who present with measles or probable measles.
Submitted by Infection Prevention & Control
Manitoba Public Health developed a Measles Quick Reference Guide to support clinicians in recognizing and responding to measles cases and contacts.
Feel free to share throughout your networks.
If you have any questions, please email
Submitted by Tamara Burnham, Collaborative Practice Lead
The Virtual Emergency Care and Transport Resource Centre (VECTRS), has established processes to evaluate and prioritize all interfacility transport requests. Through VECTRS, all transports are reviewed and triaged for acuity so each movement can be prioritized, based on the patient need.
The current wildfire state of emergency in northern MB has put demands on the overall health care system, in particular the finite ERS transport resources used to move patients and personal care home residents.
The evacuation demands means that the same finite medevac resources used on a daily basis have increased requests for transport. As a result, there is a risk that patients that are being moved for routine diagnostics or care, may experience a delay in transport.
The VECTRS transport score is used to prioritize patient movement based on clinical need. A life safety threat due to the wildfires may also result in an escalated priority for a transport.
Throughout this evacuation, where possible, ERS has utilized additional air and ground resources to support evacuation activities. However, despite these best efforts, there may be times when demands for resources exceeds supply.
Printable version of the Allocation of Air Resources During Wildfire Response Memo.
Submitted by Tamara Burnham, Collaborative Practice Lead
Please share/distribute as appropriate within your network.
Digital Shared Services will be upgrading the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) and eChart Manitoba on July 25, 2025. The upgrade ensures users will be brought up to date on fully-supported versions. It also includes migration to cloud-hosted services.
This will help the applications stay fully protected, supported and aligned with the latest security standards and will bring users onto a common version. It will also introduce improvements to things like viewing and searching patient information.
The upgrade impacts all current EPR and eChart users, with varying degrees of change based on the features and functions used at each site. Key changes are summarized below:
EPR changes
eChart changes
Updates will be shared as we progress towards go-live including more details around downtime, training and go-live readiness.
Thank you for your attention and support as we work toward enhancing our digital applications across the health care system.
Printable version of the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) and eChart Manitoba Upgrade & Migration Project Update.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Sneha Singh, Project Manager, EPR Upgrade
John Atwater, Project Manager, eChart Manitoba Upgrade
Submitted by Tamara Burnham, Collaborative Practice Lead
Southern Health-Santé Sud (SH-SS) clinicians are requested to review this latest communication and follow the clinical care directions in this URGENT: Expanded Medical Device Recall – Bard BD 4 FR PowerPICC Catheters, English and French. In addition to the usual regional safety event and product complaint reporting, there is also specific direction for reporting complaints experienced with the use of this product to BD.
SH-SS Logistics & Supply Chain Management are actively reviewing inventory, removing/destroying affected product and sending customer responses.
Submitted by Tamara Burnham, Collaborative Practice Lead, and Tim Siran, Regional Manager-Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
For more information contact Tamara at 204-371-1008 or OR Tim at 431 356 0217 or
Purpose
To provide direction for the safe and appropriate use of restraints across acute care settings promoting the least restraint approach to care.
To differentiate between what is considered a restraint and what is not considered a restraint, in light of the individual patient’s goals of care and the necessity of a specific therapeutic intervention.
Policy Number
CLI.4510.PL.014 Restraints in Acute Care Setting
Background
Accreditation Canada requirement to develop a restraint policy for use in Acute Care settings.
Key Message
Recommendation(s)/Action Required
Timeline:
‘Go Live’ date – once formal education has been offered.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Submitted by: L Cassan, Regional Lead – Acute Care & Chief Nursing Officer
Purpose
Pressure injuries continue to be a significant health concern as the population ages and the complexity of care increases across all care settings. Early identification of persons at risk for pressure injury development and prompt intervention remains key to pressure injury prevention.
Policy Number
Background
Pressure injury prevention and treatment crosses all care areas in SH-SS. Policy reviewed and updated to meet accreditation ROPs and to incorporate suggested revisions from differing care areas. The policy was reviewed by the Wound Care Committee policy review team.
Key Message
| Braden Scale for Predicting Risk of Pressure Injuries | Pressure Injury Prevention and Management intervention Checklist | Pressure Injury Prevention and Management Individualized Care Plan Home Care | Health Care Aide Skin Observation Form | Home Care Attendant Skin Observation Form | Braden Scale Standard Care Plan for PCH | Wound and Skin Discharge Summary Form | |
| Acute Care | x | x | x | x | |||
| Outpatient Ambulatory Care Clinics | x *expected immobility over 2hrs or high risk | x (if required) | |||||
| Community Programs | |||||||
| Emergency Department/ Observation | x * expected immobility over 2hrs or high risk | x (if required) | |||||
| Home Care/ Palliative | x | x | x | x | |||
| LTC | x | x | x | x | |||
| SDS / OR Perioperative | x * expected immobility over 2hrs or high risk | x (if required) | |||||
| TCU | x | x | x | x |
Recommendation(s)/Action Required
Timeline:
As soon as possible after posted
Submitted by: L Cassan, Regional Lead – Acute Care & Chief Nursing Officer
Please share with managers and nursing staff within your portfolios
The Nurse-to-Patient Ratio Committee is a key commitment from the 2024-2028 Collective Agreement with the responsibility to recommend a made-in Manitoba framework to establish nurse-to-patient ratios for Manitoba’s nurses. This is important work to help inform how care should be delivered for Manitobans. A final report will be presented to the Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care no later than March 1, 2026.
The committee is a tri-partite committee comprised of the following representatives:
The Committee started meeting in late 2024 with a focus on gathering current state information across our system, conducting a comprehensive jurisdictional scan and engaging with other jurisdictions to learn from their best practices. An engagement strategy is being developed to ensure the voices of the front-line nurses’ help inform this work.
In the coming months, a survey will be distributed to nurses across the province and focus group sessions will be held to gather in-depth insights. The focus is on acute care, with engagement from nurses working in these settings with additional input from nurses working in long-term care and community settings. Stay tuned for more details as we continue this important work!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to any of the committee members.
Submitted by: L Cassan, Regional Lead – Acute Care & Chief Nursing Officer
Purpose
To outline individual roles, expectations, implications and limitations of an Order of Committeeship pursuant to the Mental Health Act and to provide a greater understanding in supporting the client’s wellbeing; given the client has been deemed mentally incompetent to manage personal care and/or property.
In compliance with the Brian Sinclair inquest recommendation #1, this policy provides a standardized process for communicating that a client is under a Committeeship of the Public Guardian and Trustee of Manitoba (PGT) to all service providers who are actively involved in that client’s care, including primary care providers and fee for service physicians.
Policy Number
Background
Provincial direction to add language about notification of next of kin.
Key Message
Provincial direction to add language about notification of next of kin.
Recommendation(s)/Action Required
All staff to review updated policy published on StaffNET and print as needed.
Timeline:
Policy to be actively used effective date published on StaffNET.
If you have any questions, please contact your Manager, Director or Educator.
Submitted by: L Cassan, Regional Lead – Acute Care & Chief Nursing Officer
Purpose
Ensure accurate reporting and communication of emergency department (ED) service disruptions according to standardized definitions, in compliance with the Manitoba Health Seniors and Long-Term Care policy directive (HCS 200.7) and the Provincial Capacity Management Standard.
Policy Number
Background
As part of the Provincial Patient Flow Strategy and in collaboration with Manitoba Health, efforts are underway to develop and implement standardized practices for reporting and communicating Emergency Department (ED) operational status updates and changes.
Key Message
Recommendation(s)/Action Required
Timeline:
‘GO LIVE’ May 13, 2025
If you have any questions, please contact: Shelley Emerson or Jenn Sager.
Submitted by: L Cassan, Regional Lead – Acute Care & Chief Nursing Officer