S.C.O.P.E. Arriving in Halton November 30

By: Laura Steiner, Local Journalism Initiative

The Seamless Care Optimizing the Patient Experience (SCOPE) arrives in Halton on November 30, 2021.  The program was launched on November 23, 2021 by its architect Dr. Pauline Pariser over a zoom call with Doctors & Healthcare providers from Oakville, Halton Hills, and Milton.

The concept connects Primary Care Practitioners (Doctors, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners) with services and specialists offered in the community, and at the hospital with just one phone call to a nurse navigator. “We originally started SCOPE in 2012 to support family physicians in Toronto who were with unaffiliated with teams.  This team approach has made a world of difference in enhancing patient care that SCOPE associated family physicians and nurse practitioners are able to provide,” Pariser explained.  The program has been implemented in eight hospitals across Ontario to-date.

Each area has the ability to tailor the initiative to their needs.  Halton’s will include connections to Home& Community Care, Diagnostic Imagery, Palliative Care, and mental health.  The team is led by Dr. Nadia Alam from Georgetown Hospital   “Halton is almost unique in wanting mental health and addictions as part of SCOPE,” Alam said. Mental Health referrals will be implemented  in the early stages through the One Link system.  The Nurse Navigator will contact One Link, and the patient is triaged based on their need.  “What you see today is not what SCOPE (the mental health pathway) is going to be one year, two years, or three years down the road,” she added.  They are looking to add local psychiatrists.  45 family doctors have registered for the program.

There has been a patient advisory group involved with initiative as well.  A group of 18 people who sit on committees, and help with the hiring.  “Because it’s a provider facing intervention, sometimes the patients haven’t known they were getting expediated care, that has been through the SCOPE program, Pariser explained.  Once patients find out, they make testimonial videos talking about what a difference the initiative has made to their healthcare”.  For more information on  SCOPE Halton visit Halton Healthcare’s website.