Michael Garron Hospital (MGH) is a provincial leader in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19. Through integration within our community to provide testing and assessments in four separate locations across East Toronto, MGH significantly increased equitable access to the outpatient treatment of COVID-19.
In response to Health Canada’s emergency approval of novel therapeutics to treat high risk populations with COVID-19, several MGH teams including Infection Prevention and Control and Pharmacy quickly mobilized to deliver COVID-19 therapeutics to the greater population in the East Toronto region. Clinics were established to support rapid diagnosis, with subsequent physician/pharmacy assessment and treatment of COVID-19. This clinic process required use of rapid onsite point of care testing for COVID-19, an engaged pharmacy community of practice and a COVID-19 Outcome and Assessment Team (COAT). The COAT team consisted of several Emergency Medicine and Primary Care physicians, who were trained to identify high risk patients, and develop treatment plans using novel therapeutics.
Rapid evidence based knowledge dissemination of treatment practices among nursing, pharmacy and the COAT team was accomplished using a community of practice learning model that was setup as part of the program, to rapidly upskill a small group of local experts. These clinicians were then used to build further capacity of prescribers and subsequently increase the use of novel COVID-19 therapeutics in East Toronto.
The program allowed MGH to dispense the highest number of doses of COVID-19 therapeutics per capita with over 80% being dispensed in our catchment area.
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