Please see below for the following updates:

• Reminder: 2022/2023 Annual Activity Reports
• Call for Proposals:  2023-24 SMHA AFP Innovation Funds - Aug 21/23 submission internal review deadline
• IM Accreditation Response
• Unity Health launching new self-serve IT portal on July 17

 This is a reminder that all DoM Active Staff must submit an Annual Activity Report for July 2022 – June 2023.

Please use the WebCV program to generate your annual activity report covering the period July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023 and forward it to both your Division Head and my office (email to Jessica Comilang [email protected] ) by September 1^st, 2023. 

Please view the attached email 2022/2023 Annual Activity Report for more information and instructions.

 Dear Colleagues,

We are giving you notice of the request for applications for Round 16 of the AFP Innovation Funds.  As in previous years, we will have an internal review of the Innovation Fund applications in order to optimize the chance for successful applications.  For 2023/2024, the Department of Medicine has been allocated $271,703.49 in total for new projects, after year 2 funding from last year’s approved projects is removed.  We are suggesting a maximum budget per project of $75,000.  We ask that applicants send their complete applications to Jessica Comilang by August 21, 2023. 

In May 2021, the Department of Medicine received the Preliminary Accreditation Outcome for the Internal Medicine Training Program from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). In this report, the Royal College Accreditation Committee (AC) informed the department of their decision to confer status of “accredited Program on Notice of Intent to Withdraw Accreditation.”

The review report highlighted numerous strengths of the program, but also identified the following areas for improvement:

1. There is an ongoing issue with resident supervision in the clinical environment, and perceived lack of support, particularly of junior learners on subspecialty services and on the Clinical Teaching Units, CTUs, during weekends. This is felt by the residents to be impacting patient safety.
2. Residents are afraid to raise substantial questions or issues with the program, for fear of repercussions, both within their training program and related to future employment in Toronto. This perception arises from observation of the treatment of residents who have spoken out.

We have made and continue to make great strides to address these issues. We are a department of immense vision, unmatched potential, and tremendous resources, the greatest of which are the people with whom we work and whom we serve. Together we have and will continue to develop solutions and affect real change.

The two general documents we have created to support learners and faculty can be found on our website and below (PDFs are also attached) @ https://deptmedicine.utoronto.ca/core-internal-medicine-accreditation

Optimizing Teaching Effectiveness and the Learner Experience 

This document outlines how the DoM prepares, supports, and recognizes the excellence of its teachers, and how it collaborates with TFOM to ensure the safety and well-being of its learners.

Standard for Physicians Supervising Learners 

This document outlines the expectations of attending physicians who are supervising medical learners and learners themselves to ensure an ideal learning environment and to foster a consistent and mutual understanding of roles and responsibilities.

On July 17, Unity Health will be launching a new self-serve IT portal to help staff, physicians and learners submit and manage IT tickets, raise technical requests and search for answers related to common IT questions. The portal, which supplements our HelpDesk service, is meant to save staff time when seeking support on non-urgent IT issues and activities, such as password updates and resets. Key features of the self-serve portal include:

• Easily submit IT requests and log major IT incidents in just one click
• View, chase or update existing IT ticket information
• Reset your password using the password reset feature

The portal will be accessible via UnityNet, with instructions to follow on July 17. Following go live, the HelpDesk team will continue to be available via telephone for urgent issues and activities. To reach the HelpDesk at any one of our sites, please use the new harmonized ext. 44357 (iHelp). For non-urgent issues, you can also email the HelpDesk at [email protected].

In the coming weeks, Unity Health will be introducing a harmonized online system for staff and leaders to submit IT and hardware requests, replacing the existing ShopIT system at St. Michael’s and the HelpDesk and SARF forms at St. Joseph’s and Providence. Please stay tuned for updates in Twice a Week.