North East LHIN works with physicians to meet region’s surgical needs

A Surgical Optimization Steering Committee (SOSC) has been tasked with providing improved service co-ordination for patients requiring surgery in northeastern Ontario.

The committee, led by Dr. Isser Dubinsky and Dr. Tim Zmijowskyj of Sudbury, is working to identify opportunities to streamline access to urgent and emergency surgical care for ophthalmology, orthopaedic, otolaryngology, plastics, urology, and general surgery. The project will also consider whether hospitals that lack some surgical specialties could develop formal relationships with nearby hospitals and establish referral networks.

Dr. Dubinsky, a former emergency physician, has more than 20 years of experience in clinical, academic and administrative roles, while Dr. Zmijowskyj has served as a senior administrator, researcher and family physician for 16 years. Most recently, he planned and co-ordinated the clinical faculty at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. He was also responsible for developing an on-call schedule for the 30-plus physicians of the Sudbury and District Family Health Group.

The Surgical Optimization Study Report of May 2009 found that most surgical patients in the northeast are treated in their local hospital, but some require transfer to another hospital for surgical or post-surgery care. Many of the transfer services are offered in the North East LHIN, but can’t be accessed because the receiving provider(s) are not on-call, or not willing to receive the transfer at the time.

The North East LHIN has invited 83 surgeons in northeastern Ontario to take part in the Regional Call Schedule Project.

They include 15 ophthalmologists, 18 orthopaedic surgeons, seven otolaryngologists, five plastic surgeons, 11 urologists and 27 general surgeons.