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Roundup

Department of Medicine Weekly Roundup - October 12

*Sent on behalf of Sharon Straus*

Words will never be sufficient to provide solace at such a distressing time. They will not alleviate the horror of the Hamas terrorist acts perpetrated against civilians in Israel. And, they will not reduce the fear that our Jewish friends and colleagues are experiencing worldwide. This fear has escalated with the recent global threats made by the terrorist organization, Hamas, for October 13.  While there is no known specific threat in the GTA at this time, we know that this is frightening for people.

We encourage you to continue to reach out to colleagues to check in. There are support services available including those at the OMA and the new Jewish Affinity Group, being established at Unity Health (see information below).

Some of our Department members have asked about a link to where they could obtain information about supporting health care needs and here is a link provided by Jeff Zaltzman:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/where-people-abroad-can-donate-to-israels-hospitals-troops-survivors-and-more/

With thanks to Jeff and Natalie for input on this note and to all of you for supporting and caring for each other and the learners.

Please let me know how best I can support you; my cell is 647 938 4525

Sharon

Please see below for the following updates

  • Join the Jewish Affinity Group at Unity Health
  • Social Media Guidelines for Faculty
  • Flu and COVID-19 vaccines available beginning Monday, Oct. 16: See schedule for Fall vaccination clinics
  • 2023 Angels Den
  • Request for Core Internal Medicine 2023 CaRMS Interviewer/File Reviewer Availability

Unity Health staff are establishing a Jewish Affinity Group, which will provide a space for people who identify as Jews to connect and share experiences. This group will support the Council on Anti-Racism, Equity & Social Accountability in their efforts to cultivate a diverse and inclusive hospital.

Fostering inclusivity is pivotal for both the success of our hospital and the broader community. The inception of this affinity group marks a significant stride toward achieving this goal. If you identify as a Jew and wish to participate in this group or simply want to learn more, we invite you to express your interest by reaching out to [email protected] or [email protected]. Your involvement matters, and every level of engagement – from sharing ideas to taking an active role – is valued. Together, we are dedicated to creating an environment that celebrates our diverse workforce.


 

Sent on behalf of Dr. Gillian Hawker, Sir John & Lady Eaton Professor and Chair, Department of Medicine

Dear Colleagues,
 
Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, revolutionizing the way we communicate, collaborate and learn. As educators, clinicians and researchers, we are no exception to this transformative trend. Many of us have harnessed the power of social media to enrich our teaching, research and professional networking. However, it's crucial to recognize that while social media offers numerous opportunities, it also presents unique challenges and risks, including privacy violations, ethical dilemmas and harassment.
 
As part of our commitment to creating a safe and respectful online environment, I encourage each of you to review and familiarize yourselves with the Temerty Faculty of Medicine’s Social Media Guidelines for Faculty. These guidelines will help to ensure that our online interactions align with our values and standards, while also helping to mitigate potential risks.
 
Thank you for your dedication to the well-being of our academic community, both online and offline.
 
Sincerely,
Dr. Gillian Hawker


Unity Health will be launching Fall vaccination clinics on Monday, October 16 across all sites. The COVID-19 booster and flu vaccines will be available in the clinics. No appointments will be required at the Fall vaccination clinics and it’s important to note that it is safe to get your flu vaccine at the same time as, or any time before or after, a COVID-19 vaccine. Please see Toronto Public Health’s 2023-2024 Influenza Vaccine Fact Sheet for more detailed information. See below for Fall Vaccination schedules at St. Michael’s, St. Joseph’s and Providence.

Staff, physicians, learners and volunteers are welcome to get their COVID-19 booster and/or flu vaccine at the following locations and times:

St. Michael’s

  • Peter Gilgan Tower (PGT) Lobby: Oct. 16 to Oct. 20 and Oct. 23 to Oct. 27 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

St. Joseph’s

  • Melnyk Entrance next to switchboard: Oct. 16 to Oct. 20 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Providence

  • Main entrance, behind Information Desk: Oct. 16 to Oct. 20 from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WHSW will be supporting a mobile Influenza vaccination cart at each site following the static clinics noted above. The COVID-19 booster will continue to be available to staff, physicians, learners and volunteers in WHSW at their home site throughout the mobile Influenza vaccination campaign. More information for leaders and staff to come next week.

Please promote and encourage your staff to Protect their Crew and get vaccinated at our Fall Vaccination Clinics beginning Monday, October 16 at 7 a.m. Reminders for staff: Please bring your Unity Health identification card with you. Sweet (assorted chocolate bars and candy), and savory (chips) treats or apples will be available to each individual who chooses to get vaccinated. Please see this vaccine fact sheet for further information on flu vaccines.


Congratulations to Fahad Razak and Amol Verma, winners of the Odette Award for Health System Innovation through Improvements to our healthcare system by increasing its effectiveness, efficiency, equitability or sustainability at the SMH Foundation’s 2023 Angels Den.


We are still in need of File Reviewers and Interviewers for the upcoming CaRMS season!  

The file review period will begin on December 1st and end on December 11th, 2023 this year. Files may be reviewed on your own time as long as they are submitted by 9:00 AM on December 11th, 2023. It typically takes 10-12 hours to complete this task.

Interviews will take place on January 25th, 26th, and 29th – 31st, 2024 from 7:30AM – 12:00PM and 12:30PM – 5:00PM each day.

If you are able to assist with the file reviews or interviews (or both), please fill out this form as soon as possible: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CaRMS2024

Please also feel free to ask me any questions you may have!

Thank you,

Kind Regards,

Rachel Roh
Program Coordinator, Internal Medicine
Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
 

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