News
Dr. Elisa Brietzke is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry and a member of the Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) Centre for Neuroscience Studies.
SEAMO welcomes one new physicians in June.
The success of digital health initiatives like eConsult in the Southeast region would not be possible without the stellar work of the following nurse practitioners and physicians.
As a SEAMO-funded Clinician Scientist, Dr. Susan Bartels spends 40 per cent of her time in clinical emergency medicine practice at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) and 60 per cent of her time on research, specifically in the realm of global health.
The International “Break the Rules for Better Care” Week ran this year from Feb 13-17. This is an initiative run in 20+ countries annually, coordinated by the Institute for Health Care Improvement, and it is a time to ask staff a somewhat offbeat question: “If you could break any rule in the service of a better experience for patients or your co-workers, what would it be, and why?”
SEAMO welcomed one new physician in April and two new physicians in May.
Today and every day, we appreciate the indelible mark our female SEAMO-funded physicians have left on the world of healthcare.
As a SEAMO-funded physician in the New Clinician Scientist Program, 70 per cent of Dr. Steven Brooks’ time is protected research time.
The Accountability Committee is seeking a new member with organizational leadership expertise.
SEAMO is pleased to welcome two new physicians in two different Departments in March.
The AHSC AFP Innovation Fund competition provides funding to support innovative projects that will transform healthcare delivery in Ontario. This year, we are thrilled to announce the 10 successful grant applicants from seven different Departments.
Here are a few things the Physician Wellness Advisory Committee is working on.
eConsults may now be submitted to the South East Psychiatry Adult Mental Health and Addiction specialist group led by Drs. Taras Reshetukha and Nazanin Alavi.
Sending eConsults has never been easier in the Southeast region thanks to SEAMO’s virtual clerk pilot project. In its initial stages in February 2022, this project launched with seven primary care providers (PCPs) from across the region and one clerk to triage eConsults to specialists in Ontario. The project’s process is the virtual eConsult clerk submits the eConsults and retrieves the response on behalf of the PCPs. Currently, the pilot project has expanded to 28 PCPs and added another clerk in operation.
Going live on Wednesday, March 1, 2023, the South East Substance Treatment and Rehabilitation (STAR) Team is offering eConsult follow up care to primary care physicians who follow patients seen by the STAR team on discharge to the community.
Learn what's going on with eReferral!
Since beginning their eConsult service 18 months ago, Dr. Michael Yacob is pleased to say the vascular surgery group is seeing a significant decrease in referrals that normally get bounced back and forth via fax communication.
SEAMO is pleased to welcome two new physicians in two different Departments in February.
Written by Dr. Louise Rang
Please remember as of April 1, 2023, you will have three months from the date of
We are pleased to announce two successful winners from two different Departments from our Fall 2022 Medical Education Development Program (MEDP) competition.
Dr. Naji Touma is an associate professor in the Department of Urology at Queen’s University. His research and teaching focus is on medical education, and he has been the successful recipient of SEAMO’s Medical Education Development Program funding in the past year.
SEAMO is excited to announce the introduction of a new eConsult pathways group in Gastroenterology accepting eConsults now!
The Southeast region eReferral team have engaged in a number of initiatives to ensure your experience is a positive one.
At their November 5 meeting, SEAMO’s Governing Committee unanimously approved the distribution of Year 1 & 2 rate increases to Departments.
SEAMO is pleased to welcome seven new physicians in five different Departments.
The IT Departments at all hospitals are listening to our feedback and working to address tech issues.
What does Division Head of Palliative Medicine Dr. Leonie Herx want you to know about palliative care? Palliative care is not only for those who are dying or at the very end of their lives.
Dr. David Maslove is a SEAMO clinician scientist, associate professor in the Departments of Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, and internist and intensivist at Kingston Health Sciences Centre.
Dr. Hailey Hobbs is an assistant professor in the Department of Critical Care Medicine, the Quality Lead for Critical Care Medicine and the Point-of-Care-Ultrasound (POCUS) Fellowship Program Director at Queen’s.
Dr. Imelda Galvin is an assistant professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at Queen’s.
Did you know Critical Care Medicine is a subspecialty with physicians coming from a variety of background specialties?
The volume of eReferrals being sent in the Southeast keeps rising - from April 1 to August 31, 2022, there have been 18,725 eReferrals sent! eReferral is helping to make the lives of patients and physicians easier every day!
eConsults can now be sent to a brand new self-managed heart failure group in the Southeast region with questions being answered by Drs. Aws Almufleh, the physician lead of the Heart Function Clinic, and Dr. Hoshiar Abdollah, a senior physician and educator.
We are excited to share a new integration which enables physicians to send eConsults to the Ontario eConsult Service on the OTNhub directly from their integrated EMR via Ocean!
Chloe Robinson joins the SEAMO admin team as the new Project Coordinator this fall. Her portfolio will include management of funding opportunities and recruitment.
SEAMO is pleased to welcome four new physicians in three different Departments in October.
For Dr. Laura Gaudet, one of the best parts of her job is helping families on their journey. She is a clinician scientist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and a specialist in maternal fetal medicine, meaning she cares for pregnancies that are complicated by maternal or fetal health concerns.
Meet the 2022 successful applicants and hear what winning this funding means to them.
Dr. Kerstin deWit will lead eConsults for this group.
With the school year starting, what are you listening to, watching and reading to keep up with your mental wellness?
SEAMO welcomed four new physicians in three different Departments in August and welcomes three new physicians in two different Departments in September.
Cross-appointed to the Department of Critical Care Medicine and the Division of Neurology in the Department of Medicine, Dr. Gord Boyd describes the importance of taking care of ICU patients at all stages of their recovery.
SEAMO is pleased to welcome five new members of three different standing Committees this year. Get to know why each physician decided to get involved:
SEAMO wishes to recognize Dr. Naji Touma as the winner of funding from our Spring 2022 MEDP competition.
Read a message from Physician Wellness Lead Dr. Melanie Jaeger
SEAMO’s leadership and admin team wish our physicians a restful and relaxing summer season. To help you enjoy some well-deserved time off, please check out our team’s reading recommendations for the sunshine.
SEAMO is pleased to welcome seven new physicians in seven different Departments in July 2022.
Dr. Ben Ritsma has been an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Queen’s University since 2018.
KINGSTON, Ontario – SEAMO is pleased to announce John Sheridan is taking over as
Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) has undertaken a project to pilot an integrated model of Ocean eReferral and Novari eRequest to digitize and centralize how outpatient referrals are received and managed by specialties.
SEAMO was pleased to previously announce the winners of the Global Health Development Fund competition. Now, we would like to share more about the projects from each of our winners.
In April 2022, CTAQ held an election for a new Member-At-Large to follow Dr. Chris Smith once his term comes to an end. Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology’s Dr. Lawrence Hookey won the election and will start his term on CTAQ Executive in July.
The SEAMO Resources & Audit Committee is chaired by Dr. Tarit Saha and is comprised of nine members.
After 49 years working at Queen’s University in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Dr. Paul Manley is retiring in 2022.
Starting July 1, 2022 Mr. John Sheridan will be taking over from Mr. George Thomson as Chair of the SEAMO Governing Committee and Ms. Susan Fitzpatrick will be joining SEAMO as the new Vice Chair and Chair of the Nominations & Governance Development Committee.
Did you know an estimated 4.6 million Canadians have hypertension?
If you are a fully-funded SEAMO physician and interested in joining either the Resources Committee or the Nominations & Governance Development Committee, please email seamo@queensu.ca by Friday, May 27, 2022 @ 4 p.m.
SEAMO is pleased to welcome two new physicians to the Department of Medicine in May 2022.
The Nominations and Governance Development Committee (NGDC) is one of SEAMO’s standing committees that reports back to the Governing Committee. Mr. John Sheridan has been Chair of this Committee and Vice-Chair of the Governing Committee for the past three years after being recruited by current Board Chair Mr. George Thomson.
Dr. Jacob Rullo is a SEAMO-funded clinician scientist in the Department of Ophthalmology, cross-appointed to the Departments of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and Medicine, and, in addition to completing his residency at Queen’s, has been here since July 2020.
Learn more from two of our Innovation Fund 2021 winners: Dr. Yanping Gong and Dr. Sulaiman Nanji
Dr. Stuart Reid is an attending staff in the Division of Neurology at Kingston Health Sciences Centre and Director of the Movement Disorders Program.
SEAMO is pleased to welcome Dr. Yuyang Wang to the Department of OBGYN in April.
SEAMO is pleased to congratulate the 6 winners of the Global Health Development Fund. See below for the titles of their projects. about their projects:
The SEAMO Governing Committee is made up of a Chair, Vice-Chair, the CEO of SEAMO, appointees from SEAMO’s signatories Kingston Health Sciences Centre, Providence Care and the Clinical Teachers’ Association of Queen’s University, and clinical Department members.
Dr. Jocelyn Garland is a full-time associate professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology at Queen’s University. Dr. Garland’s primary focus in clinical nephrology is the diagnosis and care of kidney patients who have complex, rare diseases: glomerulonephritis (GN) and pregnancy care for chronic kidney disease patients.
Review core components from the OMA's Physician Services Agreement 2022
Diseases of the kidneys affect millions of Canadians and disproportionately affects disadvantaged people. This is where the all-important role of research comes in, according to Director of Research for the Division of Nephrology at Queen’s Dr. Rachel Holden.
Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) is the regional hub in the hub and spoke model of providing renal care across all regions of southeastern Ontario. The program has satellite dialysis units in Belleville, Brockville, Napanee, Picton, Smiths Falls, Bancroft and Moose Factory.
Dr. Karen Smith, professor and clinician in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R), has been practicing in Kingston and Queen’s University since 1994. Her clinical and research focus is brain and spinal cord injury prevention and rehabilitation.
Dr. Christine White is a professor in the Division of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine at Queen’s University. She has been at Queen’s since 2005 and is the director of the Multidisciplinary Care Kidney Clinic (MCKC) at Kingston Health Sciences Centre.
SEAMO Governors express their abhorrence for the illegal war in Ukraine being prosecuted by the g
As a family doctor and assistant professor with the Department of Family Medicine at Queen’s University, Dr. David Barber knows both the benefits and pain points of the eConsult service.
Deputy Head of the Department of Pediatrics and Chair of the Division of General Pediatrics Dr. Richard van Wylick says he is looking forward to seeing more practitioners take advantage of the eReferral services in the future.
SEAMO is thrilled to welcome our new Regional eConsult Coordinator Stephanie Hutton to the organization.
Dr. Jagdeep Walia is a clinical geneticist and the Director of Research in the Department of Pediatrics. The focus of his clinical work is seeing individuals and families with different genetic conditions starting from before birth to after death. His research focus is on developing gene therapies for these genetic conditions, largely incurable ones.
SEAMO is pleased to present the 15 winners from seven different Departments in this year’s Innovation Fund competition. Learn more about their projects!
Recently, the SEAMO Governing Committee approved the adoption of a new Accountability Framework. The Accountability Committee review process was led by Dr. Stephen Vanner.
February 4 is World Cancer Day and this year, we are highlighting the work of one of our SEAMO physicians working in the area of cancer research.
Every three years, SEAMO submits a physician recruitment plan to the Ministry of Health (MOH) for their review and approval.
SEAMO is pleased to welcome one new physician this month.
For the next few months, SEAMO will highlight the work of our committees. In February 2022, we hear from member Dr. Ryan Bicknell and Chair Dr. Jane Philpott about the Strategic Priorities & Recruitment Committee.
Dr. Nadine Morrison-Levy has been a full-time assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics for the past 18 months.
January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in Canada and Dr. Stephen Ryan from the Department of Medicine says everything starts with awareness.
Lifestyle Medicine is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic intervention-including a whole food plant-based eating pattern, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connection-as a primary modality, delivered by clinicians trained and certified in this specialty, to prevent, treat, and often reverse chronic disease.
SEAMO is pleased to welcome five new physicians to the organization in four different Departments this month.
Dr. David Good and Dr. Sandip SenGupta from the Department of Pathology & Molecular Medicine have just received funding of $315,904 from the Ontario Health Digital and Virtual Care Secretariat for their new project ‘Digital Morphology Tests of Change Proposal’.
SEAMO is pleased to share the successful candidates from our Fall 2021 MEDP competition.
Learn about the small, but mighty Department of Urology from Head Dr. Rob Siemens
Dr. Diane Lougheed’s term as Vice-Dean, Clinical for Queen’s Health Sciences (QHS) and Medical Director for SEAMO began on December 1.
The Kingston Kidney Transplant Team (KKTP) is a Health Canada-accredited adult kidney transplant program.
In December, SEAMO is pleased to welcome three new physicians to the organization in three different Departments.
As of November 2021, 8,033 eConsults have been sent in the past 12 months.
AEFI (adverse event following immunization) reporting is available in the Ocean eReferral tool.
The virtual care access toolkit (VCAT) project is a patient-oriented research project co-designed with patient partners.
Dr. Siddhartha Srivastava from the Division of General Internal Medicine is working in a large multi-disciplinary team of clinicians, leaders, and experts from SEAMO, Kingston Health Sciences Center, primary care teams, and Queen’s University, working together biweekly on a pilot project that will bring together the various digital health tools in the region into one streamlined consultation process.
If there is one thing Dr. Wilna Wildenboer-Williams (family medicine physician and addiction medicine specialist) wants people to know about addiction, it is that physicians can make an incredible difference with compassionate and evidence-based treatment.
The Division of Endocrinology at Queen’s invites everyone to join them in celebrating World Diabetes Day on November 14, 2021. This is an extra special year as it represents the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin.
November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month and we took the opportunity to talk to Dr. Geneviève Digby from the Department of Medicine, Division of Respirology. She provides care for patients with lung health issues and is also the clinical lead of the Lung Diagnostic Assessment Program (LDAP), a rapid assessment clinic that expedites the care of patients being investigated for suspected lung cancer.
Dr. Michael Yacob joined the Department of Surgery at Queen’s University in the summer of 2019, just months prior to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and we had the opportunity to sit down with him and discuss some of the valuable work that he has been involved in during his time so far.
In November, SEAMO is pleased to welcome three new physicians to the organization in three different Departments.
Ten years ago, the Department of Surgery had 34 members, and today it boasts an incredible 56 surgeons in seven divisions with active recruitment still happening.
Physician wellness water bottles were delivered to all physicians last month. We hope you like them and are putting them to good use. This initiative is intended to promote awareness around SEAMO’s physician wellness initiatives, specifically the Peer Support Program.
On October 4, 2021, Providence Transitional Care Centre officially opened its doors to patients. The first unit will gradually admit up to 30 patients. The new centre will be staffed by SEAMO-funded physicians from Queen’s University Department of Family Medicine. This includes new physicians Dr. Fouché Williams and Dr. Wilhemina Wildenboer-Williams, and Chair of the Division of Hospital Medicine, Dr. Ammar Rashid.
On October 24, SEAMO is focusing on Brain Cancer Awareness Day and the work of Dr. DJ Cook, Division Head and Chair of Neurosurgery in the Department of Surgery.
October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings an opportunity to highlight the work of one of our physicians in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine: Dr. Sonal Varma.
Having a conceptual model for Physician Wellness is important to illustrate and communicate the organization’s overarching vision, as well as to focus strategies for addressing wellbeing. There are many models used successfully in various organizations, and after discussion, the Physician Wellness Advisory Committee agreed to adopt the Stanford Model of Professional FulfillmentTM as it best reflects our vision for wellness.
We are pleased to share that on Monday, September 13, 2021 our Governing Committee endorsed the five new strategic priorities for SEAMO.
Dr. Jessica Trier has been an assistant professor at Queen’s University in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) since 2014.
In October, SEAMO is thrilled to introduce two new physicians in the Department of Family Medicine.
The Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) is based out of Providence Care Hospital (PCH), where its clinics account for over 75 per cent of all medical outpatient clinical work.
Please take note of these reminders regarding service codes that could apply to your work.
Meet the two newest members of the SBS team.
The Division of Dermatology has been the busiest receiver of referrals for a long time. SEAMO is pleased to welcome Dermatology into a brand new eConsult pilot project, encouraging referring physicians to send an eConsult to this team of doctors instead.
On July 30, the Ministry of Health released a new INFOBulletin stating temporary OHIP physician services funding is being extended until September 30, 2022.
Since the spring, SEAMO has worked with our Departments on five eConsult pilot projects.
The prevalence of acne among individuals aged 12 to 24 years is estimated to be 85%, making it one of the most ubiquitous medical ailments physicians see and something dermatologists like SEAMO-funded physician Dr. Yuka Asai deal with every day.
Read an interview with KHSC Innovation Lead Dr. Elizabeth Eisenhauer on her upcoming projects.
According to Department Head Dr. Bob Connelly, the Department of Pediatrics is more than just a group of pediatricians; it is set up like a smaller model of a children’s hospital.
In September, SEAMO is pleased to welcome seven new physicians.
On July 1, 2021, Dr. Daniel Mulder returned to Kingston as he started his cross-appointment to the Departments of Pediatrics, Medicine, and Biomedical and Molecular Sciences.
This fall and winter is shaping up to be an exciting time for SEAMO’s Committees and working groups. In addition to the Strategic Planning exercise that will be finalized, there are a number of other important projects on the horizon.
Watch a video of appreciation for the KHSC Critical Care Program.
Dr. Jeannie Callum is a new member of SEAMO, cross-appointed to the Departments of Pathology and Molecular Medicine and Medicine.
In August, we are pleased to welcome three new physicians to SEAMO.
Did you know that anything that comes out of a patient and gets sent to the lab gets sent to one of the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine’s laboratories?
This year’s Endowed Scholarship and Education Fund competition had an incredible 16 applications with nine successful candidates from seven different Departments.
CTAQ held an election in late June to fill a spot for a Member-At-Large on the SEAMO Governing Committee. There were two strong physicians up for the role and after 75 votes were cast, Dr. Paul Heffernan became the successful candidate.
The Division of Vascular Surgery is excited to answer incoming eConsult requests from primary care providers.
Tired of waiting two years for your general neurology referral to be seen? Good news! Kingston Health Sciences Centre's (KHSC) Division of Neurology and SEAMO are pleased to announce the start of the Neurology eConsult Program.
Check out these eConsult fast facts from the last three months
The Department of Ophthalmology is comprised of 21 physicians, including 10 SEAMO-funded positions.
Learn more about funding decisions made by the Governing Committee this year.
In July, SEAMO is pleased to introduce eight new physicians in five different Departments.
SEAMO is pleased to announce the three winners of medical education funding in Spring 2021.
SEAMO is extremely grateful for the time and commitment of our Committee members to their roles. We would not be able to work as an organization without you.
At the June 21 meeting, Governors approved the following recommendations to the Innovation Fund competition starting in 2021.
Orthopedic specialist Dr. Aaron Campbell is currently taking part in a pilot project for the Division of Orthopedic Surgery to evaluate if eConsult is a viable method to address patients’ concerns and needs.
The eConsult Program would not be what it is without the incredible work of nurse practitioners. SEAMO would like to recognize the top 5 nurse practitioners who have contributed to eConsults over the past year and say congratulations!
This summer, SEAMO is pleased to welcome two new team members to assist with all things digital health within the organization.
SEAMO is pleased to introduce a new Endocrinology pilot project using the eConsult Program.
During the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, our physicians have gone above and beyond in their work. Just a few examples are provided below.
In April and May, we were pleased to welcome one new GFT to SEAMO, along with several locums who have joined our hospitals to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology sees themselves as champions of women’s health care, according to Department Head Dr. Graeme Smith.
The Department of Family Medicine has embarked on a new initiative to promote resiliency by supporting our faculty to pursue executive coaching.
During the third wave of the pandemic in Kingston, it has been all hands on deck to deal with not only local cases of the virus, but also patient transfers from out of region to our hospitals. Physicians have been working tirelessly during this time, but they have had an assist from the Queen’s medical students.
Exciting news as Department of Urology professor Dr. J. Curtis Nickel joins a NASA research project.
SEAMO is pleased to introduce your new Physician Wellness Lead: Dr. Melanie Jaeger.
In October 2020, the Physician Wellness Advisory Committee (comprised of SEAMO, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, and Providence Care) and the PSI Foundation (Physicians Services Incorporated) were pleased to present a special event with Harvard’s Dr. Jo Shapiro on the topic of peer support.
The Physician Wellness Advisory Committee began in 2019 with the aim to identify and make recommendations relating to advancing the wellbeing of physicians. It now includes representatives from each of the Clinical Departments, as well as members from Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) and Providence Care Hospital (PCH).
The Department of Psychiatry provides mental health supports to the entire community, not only through hospital-based services, but to the community at large.
Physician wellness is a top priority not only for SEAMO, but for our partner institutions as well. Members from the Queen’s School of Medicine, Providence Care and Kingston Health Sciences Centre meet with the Physician Wellness Advisory Committee monthly, but they are also responsible for initiatives in their individual organizations.
May 3 – May 9 is the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week, spotlighting the importance of mental wellness in Canadians. We interviewed three Queen’s psychiatrists working in various fields to get their perspective on the future of mental health research and work in the field.
The eConsult Program is consistently growing in the South East region thanks to the participation of physicians like yourself. Check out these statistics for a sampling of what’s going on with eConsults in the region.
Psychiatry as a specialty made up three per cent of the total number of eConsults sent in the past 12 months. Dr. Sarosh Khalid-Khan would like that number to increase.
In a dedicated space on Kidd7 at the Kingston General Hospital (KGH) site of the Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) is a brand-new vascular ultrasound lab.
Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) is the use of an ultrasound imaging device at the bedside of patients and Dr. Amer Johri from the Department of Medicine at Queen’s University says it could become as common as the stethoscope.
COVID@Home Monitoring for Primary Care is supported by centralized procurement and distribution of oxygen saturation monitors (by the Ministry of Health) for primary care practices to lend to patients.
SEAMO wishes to congratulate all our eConsult users for contributing to the enhancement of virtual healthcare in a changing realm.
SEAMO is pleased to introduce a new Cardiology pilot using the eConsult Program.
There is no doubt that physician burnout is a growing epidemic with significant impact on patient safety and quality of care as well as the mental and physical wellbeing of physicians.
SEAMO wishes to congratulate the Division of Hospital Medicine, led by Dr. Ammar Rashid, for its nomination for one of Providence Care’s Achievement Awards.
The Department of Medicine (DOM) is the largest Department within the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University and incorporates the disciplines of internal medicine specialties and subspecialties.
Since the beginning of March, SEAMO has welcomed three new physicians. Get to know them.
In late 2020, SEAMO undertook the task of finding a Director of Operations to assist in our organization with day-to-day tasks. We have found a successful candidate for the position in Stacey Wolfrom.
March 26 is Purple Day, honouring epilepsy research. Two Queen’s professors are making great strides in their work towards this area.
As of March 15, eConsults can be submitted to the South East regional Heart Rhythm Specialist Service led by Dr. Damian Redfearn.
The Ocean eReferral Network is an EMR-integrated, cloud-based technology for healthcare referrals that enables quick and secure referrals to be sent and received through an electronic platform.
The Heart Rhythm Service of Kingston has enthusiastically adopted eConsult within the shared practice model.
SEAMO is pleased to welcome our new Regional eConsult Program Coordinator, Crystal Brash.
The Ontario eConsult Centre of Excellence has released new documentation to support the delegate model of workflow for eConsult providers.
SEAMO wishes to congratulate our physicians who have been awarded funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Fall 2021 Project Competition.
Check out two funding opportunities for our physicians.
As emergency docs, we have chosen to work a lot of unsociable hours in a chaotic setting.
Attention SEAMO physicians, a new communication from the Ministry affects you in two ways.
On November 18, the provincial government announced that the Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Ontario Health Team (FLA OHT) is one of thirteen new teams approved to bring together health service providers to better coordinate health care and services for the approximately 226,100 individuals, families and caregivers in the Southeastern region. SEAMO is one of close to 60 partners signed to the FLA OHT.
Since July 2020, SEAMO has welcomed 19 new physicians across nine Departments. Get to know them:
Napanee family doctor Dr. Kim Morrison has been passionate about bringing common healthcare issues to tables of providers to discuss solutions for years.
Like all other SEAMO Departments, the Department of Family Medicine has a mix of clinical services, education, and research activities. Unlike some of the other Departments, Family Medicine physicians complete their work all across the southeastern region.
Received an advance payment? Here are details regarding repayment.
Kingston hospitals are planning for patient transfers from out of region in the coming weeks. Renate
Thursday, February 4 is World Cancer Day and we are spotlighting one of our wonderful physicians whose work in cancer research is making a difference.
Dr. Oyedeji Ayonrinde is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry and has been at Queen’s since the summer of 2017. He was recently appointed as Chair of the Commission on Black Medical Students.
It has been a whole year since our already complex lives have been pushed to the edge. For all of us, it has entirely changed our practice and limited the activities that bring us joy.
On Tues. Jan. 12, the first long-term care workers in the southeast region received their first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC), and mobile clinics in care homes began on Jan. 17.
The Department of Emergency Medicine is a group of over 40 practicing clinicians and academic faculty members.
In December, SEAMO ran a holiday giving campaign encouraging our physicians to donate what they could to local organization Lunch by George.
Please follow the steps below if you are using Google Chrome on a KHSC device and if you have uBlock installed.
In December, we announced that current SEAMO Medical Director Dr. Chris Simpson would be moving to a new role as Executive Vice-President, Medical for Ontario Health. Dr. Stephen Vanner from the Department of Medicine will be taking over as interim Medical Director of SEAMO beginning in February while our organization undergoes a search for a permanent replacement in the role.
The Department of Critical Care Medicine works in clinical and academic avenues at Queen’s.
In early December, CTAQ held a virtual election for a Member-At-Large position on SEAMO’s Governing Committee.
Resilience is an important topic to remember this January.
Recently SEAMO undertook a process to select a consultant to assist with creating a new Strategic Plan for our organization.
If you are experiencing issues logging into OTN, try this.
If you were in receipt of a COVID-19 Advanced Payment in May/June/July 2020, the repayments will begin automatically commencing in February 2021 over six monthly installments.
SEAMO is committed to highlighting physician wellness every month in our e-newsletter.
We wish to thank and congratulate Dr. Mariana Silva for her service to several SEAMO committees over the years.
We wish to congratulate our Fall 2020 MEDP award winners on their successful applications.
Please take a moment to check out this list of charitable organizations and let us know if you’d like any added to the list!
In November, OHIP released several new INFOBulletins that affect our physicians.
The Department of Anesthesiology has been part of SEAMO since its inception and is made up of 35 FTEs.
On Monday, November 9, the Queen’s University Faculty of Health Sciences held a special Zoom presentation to announce a generous mental health gift made by the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation.
Want to know when to use the eConsult Program? Here are a few tips that can help primary care providers in deciding what types of issues eConsult can handle.
Remember to set your priority region to “South East” to ensure you can access our regional groups and local specialists.
For Dr. Ben Ritsma from the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R), the mode of virtual health care has always been important, before and during COVID-19.
Dr. Steve Mann is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and has been using the OCEAN eReferral system for a year.
For Dr. Meghan Wilson from the Department of Family Medicine, the shift to digital health care came when COVID-19 hit earlier this year.
We are happy to welcome Heidi Langen on board as SEAMO’s new Business Analyst.
Are you interested in joining our team at the Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Organization?
Dr. Ramana Appireddy from the Department of Medicine has a research program that explores multiple aspects of virtual care.
In the fall and winter of 2019, the Governing Committee finalized the new Accountability Framework and established an oversight body: the Accountability Committee.
With the introduction of a new Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences in July came a renewed focus on EDI (equity, diversity, inclusion) within the faculty.
On Monday, October 19, we had the pleasure of hearing from PSI visiting scholar and Harvard physician Dr. Jo Shapiro on the topic of peer support.
Please join us for a virtual special presentation on Monday, October 19 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. titled "Peer support: The power of colleagues to help us heal".
Applications are now being accepted for the fall term of the MEDP. The deadline is 4 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2020. Please send applications to LeeAnne Howland at seamo@queensu.ca.
We are deeply saddened to share the news of Dr. Pallavi Nadkarni’s passing on September 20, 2020. Dr. Nadkarni was a physician in the Department of Psychiatry at Queen’s for almost ten years.
SEAMO is pleased to introduce our new Communications and Events Coordinator – Savoula Stylianou. Savoula’s background is in writing, strategic communications and social media management.
The Ontario eConsult Program is pleased to welcome four new specialists.
eConsults can now be submitted to the brand new South East regional Obstetric Medicine group.
Vivian Carter recently joined us as our Regional eConsult Service Coordinator.
South East region specialists continue to do an outstanding job responding to eConsults in a timely manner.
The Ministry of Health and the Ontario Medical Association recently introduced additional billing
In April of 2020, the Innovation Fund Provincial Oversight Committee (IFPOC) gave SEAMO the oppor
In the past four months, the move to virtual care has been accelerated due to the global pandemic
Congratulations to the 2020 SEAMO Endowed Education and Scholarship Fund award winners!
The Ministry of Health has modified the repayment terms for the COVID-19 Advance Payment Program:
The third and last COVID-19 Advance Payment will be provided by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in J
We are pleased to announce the establishment of the Rezni
Please join us in welcoming our 60 new physicians to Team SEAMO!
The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) entered into a Binding Arb
We are very proud of how our physicians have embraced a new online platform (Reacts) to provide v
When completing a consult, you can send optional feedback to the specialist who answered your case.
We are excited to announce new groups that are available for eConsult.
Given the unprecedented suspension of all non-essential research due to the COVID-19 pandemic, th
Have your say in how SEAMO runs, get involved in the SEAMO Nominations and Governance Development
When it came to preparing for the COVID-19 pandemic, Provide
The Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) has introduced account access for residents, fellows and m
Physicians will be compensated for the virtual care provided.
We are living in uncertain times.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more of our physicians need to connect with their
“I want to recognize the exceptional work being done by our physicians and other members of the
Queen's medical students are offering their support to our physicians during this difficult time.
| Announcement,
| In the News
SEAMO received 49 applications spanning 12 departments and 26 specialties, valued at $8M for 2019
The Functional Improvement Trajectories After Surgery Study
| Announcement,
| In the News
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Jane Philpott will join SEAMO as our new CEO and Dean of Queen’s Faculty of Health Sciences on July 1, 2020.
After successfully completing an eVisit
Since the inception of the Ontario eConsult Program in February 2017, primary care providers (PCP
For the last six months, Dr. Jody Timpson has been providing rehabilitative care to patients on Lakeview 1.
If you’ve ever been to Heritage 2 at Providence Care Hospital, chances are you’ve run into Dr. Greg Patey.
For almost 10 years now, Dr. Agata Szlanta has been providing exceptional person-centred care.
Dr. Romith Naug joined Providence Care Hospital in July, as part of the Division of Hospital Medicine.
You’ll normally find Dr. Sara Porter providing care for adult mental health patients on Parkview and Lakeview 0s, or lending a helping hand with stroke and musculoskeletal patients on Lakeview 1.
Dr. Keith Greenway has been providing rehabilitation care on Heritage 1 for the last two years.
She’s fairly new to the Providence Care family; in fact Dr. Ana Blagojevic recently celebrated her one year anniversary with the hospital.
He’s been lighting up the halls of Providence Care Hospital and the former Mental Health Services site with his warm smile for decades.
If you’ve ever stopped by Heritage or Lakeview 2, you may have run into Dr. Catherine Monnin.
| Announcement,
| In the News
At the January 20th meeting, SEAMO Governors approved the new Accountability Framework
For the last nine months, Dr. Ammar Rashid has been providing clinical care for Providence Care Hospital's Complex Medical Program.
On November 21 and 22 SEAMO hosted two Physician Wellness events with PSI Visiting Scholar Dr.
In December 2018, SEAMO, the Faculty of Health Sciences, Kingston Health Sciences and Providence
We are looking for specialists to join the Plastic Surgery and Infectious Disease groups in the S
If you are going to be unavailable for a period of time, you can set an out-of-office notificatio
Physicians and Nurse Practitioners will input a prioritized list of regions to mirror their typic
Chelsea Good recently joined us as our Regional eConsult Service Coordinator
A total of 3,119 eConsults were sent in the South East Region over the past 12 months!
OTN released a successful eConsult upgrade on November 1, 2019, that includes the following enhan
Chelsea Good recently joined Team SEAMO as our Regional eConsult Service Coordinator
Here are the winners from the Fall 2019 Medical Education Development Program (MEDP) competition:
A huge thank you to over 100 committee members who took time out of their busy schedules to serve on a SEAMO committee.
With the combination of his academic and professional experiences, Saad Sajid is ready to make a significate contribution to the role of Data Analyst
On November 1-2, 60 individuals, including SEAMO-Funded Physicians, University and Hospital Leade
The Physician Wellness Lecture taking place on Thursday, November 21 from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm will
Improvements to the Ontario eConsult Service became available on November 1st, 2019.
We are pleased to share upcoming improvements to regionalization and workflow of the Ontario eConsult Service, which will be available on November 1st, 2019.
In spring 2018, SEAMO Governors decided to add a Vice-Chair position to the Governing Committee. The goal was to both broaden the skill set on the Committee as well as support a succession plan. After an extensive search, a successful candidate was identified for this new role.
Upgrade to eConsult platform, to be released later this fall, will improve efficiency and functionality of system settings.
A 60-minute per case maximum billing allowance starts Oct. 1, 2019, for specialists participating in the eConsult program.
The eConsult Diabetes specialty group, comprised of endocrinologists Drs. Bikram Sidhu, Sara Awad and Robyn Houlden, answers questions about diabetes education and management, gestational diabetes, insulin dose adjustments, insulin pumps, glucose monitoring, hypoglycemia and ketoacidosis.
Learn how to redirect a consult to a colleague that is appropriate for your specialty, but outside your area of expertise.
EMR-integrated eConsult is now available on two systems: QHR Technologies’ Accuro® and KAI Innovations’ OSCAR.
Queen’s Family Health Team (QFHT) clinics are the first in the province to test-drive the use of patient materials to promote the Ontario eConsult Service.
Opinions on billing, primary care engagement, system performance and more, from specialists participating in the Ontario eConsult Service in 2019.
As a result of the February 2019 Binding Arbitration Settlement, SEAMO’s share of the Innovation Fund has almost doubled.
Faizal Haji, Kingston’s first Pediatric Neurosurgeon and second Medical Education Scholar, has an interest in improving simulation training as an effective tool in medical education.
Dr. Liselotte Dyrbye is coming to Kingston to share her knowledge and expertise about Physician Wellness on November 21, 2019.
On July 1, 2019 we welcomed seven physicians to Kingston, Queen’s and the SEAMO family.
We are pleased to announce the arrival of Lori Almeida, our new Manager of Financial Services.
With the addition of a new physician and delegate team at Joyceville Institution this week, eCons
When sending an eConsult, it’s important to provide high quality, well-lit and focused images. Here are five tips to help you capture the best possible clinical photos to accompany your queries.
Get to know Dr. Adam Newman, a Kingston physician who specializes in treating patients with addiction and substance use disorders.
Drs. Leonie Herx, Craig Goldie and Danielle Kain are now available to answer your questions about adult and pediatric palliative medicine.
Whether you have a specific question, or would like a 10-minute review of the system, we are here to help you seamlessly integrate eConsult into your practice.
The Ontario eConsult Program partnered with Correctional Service Canada (CSC) to improve access to specialist care for the inmate population. In the first 100 days of 2019, eConsult usage by CSC physicians grew by 333% over the last 100 days of 2018.
Are you heading to the beach or escaping to the cottage for some well-deserved R&R? Set an out-of-office notification on your eConsult account so you won’t receive requests while you’re away.
The next round of payments for the Ontario eConsult Program will be distributed in July.
Specialists in our region answered 3,830 eConsult requests between June 2018 and May 2019, resulting in a whopping 195% increase over the number of consults answered (1,294) during the same period in 2017-18.
The Medical Education Development Program (MEDP) supports SEAMO’s objective to build an academy o
New to the Department of Medicine and the SEAMO family is Dr. Gavin Winston.
Congratulations to the 2019 SEAMO Endowed Education and Scholarship Fund, award winners!
George Thomson celebrates two years as SEAMO Governing Committee Board Chair on July 1.
When it comes to bleeding disorders, Von Willebrand disease (VWD) may not be as well-known as hem
Until his arrival in August 2016, patients from SE-LHIN were assessed in town, but had to travel to Ottawa or Toronto for surgery.