Toronto Public Health (TPH) reminds clinicians that early September is when West Nile Virus (WNV) cases are often detected. The first case of WNV during 2014 has been reported to TPH. IgM/IgG antibody testing was positive and confirmatory (PRNT) testing is pending.
Please read the PDF of the alert for information about specimen collection and lab testing.
 

CMLTO invites OSMT conference goers to attend its presentation, “Medical Laboratory Assistants & Technicians: The Road to Regulation.”

The conference is being held in Kingston, September 19-21, 2014. The CMLTO presentation is slated for September 20^th, from 3:15 to 4:15pm, in the Gibraltar Room at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel.
The CMLTO Council has identified the regulation of medical laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technicians as one of its strategic priorities.

Member Relations and Policy Specialist John Tzountzouris’ presentation will discuss the initiative’s origins, the progress made so far, and the next steps in this multi-year project.

Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and learn how they can get involved in this initiative. It is the CMLTO’s goal to engage all medical laboratory practitioners and stakeholders in the process. Increased access to a broader range of regulated health professionals in the clinical laboratory is in the public’s best interest.

Medical laboratory assistants and technicians have a significant and increasing impact on quality patient care due to their expanding roles and broadened responsibilities in the clinical laboratory. As they provide phlebotomy services and pre-analytical functions, they are often the primary source of contact between the laboratory, patients, and other health care professionals, in specimen collection centres, point-of-care settings and long-term care facilities.

Bring your questions and comments about the road to regulation. Information about the initiative is posted on CMLTO’s website.

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term continues to collaborate with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Public Health Ontario (PHO), Ministry of Labour and other health system partners to monitor the evolving Ebola virus disease (EVD) situation in West Africa and take measures to ensure the ongoing health system’s readiness to respond to a probable or confirmed case. The risk posed by Ebola for Ontarians remains low.
PHO has updated its guidance for public health units, health workers and health sector employers on its EVD Website. Visit www.publichealthontario.ca/ebola to view its resources, in particular, the following document which updates laboratory guidance: Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Interim Sample Collection and Submission Guide (PDF).

Public Health Ontario's Interim Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Graham Pollett, issued this memo (PDF) regarding Ebola virus disease for clinicians.
Public Health Ontario recently updated its Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) page. Please refer to the links below for information on the clinical features of VHF and the collection of laboratory specimens:
• Update for Clinicians (PDF)
• VHF laboratory test information (PDF). 

HealthForceOntario provides financial support for Practising MLTs and eight other allied health professions through the Allied Health Professional Development Fund. Practising members may apply for as much as $1,500 this funding year in education grants for completed professional development courses, conferences, and workshops. Learn more here.

The CMLTO is continuing work on its initiative to regulate medical laboratory assistants and technicians. Information about the project and its progress can be found here. Sign up to receive updates about the project here.
Please take two minutes to answer this brief online survey about the initiative by clicking here. Thank you!

The CMLTO Council has identified the regulation of medical laboratory assistants and medical laboratory technicians as one of its strategic priorities. Regulating a new health care profession is a multi-year initiative requiring focussed and sustained effort. This spring all of the online information about this initiative was migrated from a microsite to CMLTO’s main website. Learn more by clicking here. 
Sign up to be notified when these pages about the initiative are updated by clicking here.

The CMLTO is pleased to announce the release its 2013 Annual Report. Published yearly, the Annual Report provides a snapshot of the CMLTO's achievements, committee reports and financial statements. Go to the English PDF or French PDF now. 

Dr. Arlene King, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, issued this memo (PDF) about the recent global surge in cases of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
As it is likely that cases will continue to be identified in countries outside of the Middle East, health care providers in Ontario should continue to remain vigilant for MERS-CoV. Please note that the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care maintains a website with information on MERS-CoV for health workers at www.ontario.ca/novelcoronavirus.

Health Canada is pleased to announce the release of the finalized Guidance Document: Blood Regulations which provides guidance on how to interpret the Blood Regulations to all establishments who perform various blood-related activities. Click here for more information and to read the Guidance Document in English and French.