Marathon

Marathon Family Health Team would like to welcome you to our practice. We offer a number of programs and services and have a number of health care providers to serve you. Regardless of the provider you see or the service you seek, a little preparation for your visit can help to optimize your visit. For more information on how to do this, please see our “Prepare for your visit” procedure under the patient information section.

Nursing Services

All nursing practice is grounded on the principles of primary health care. Although both Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses take similar core courses, there is a difference in, both the depth and breadth of knowledge covered, in the competencies that are developed, and in the expectation for clinical performance.

Registered Nurses are able to autonomously meet the nursing care needs of clients whose needs are not well defined, established or are changing. Whereas, Registered Practical Nurses can independently care for clients whose care needs are well defined and the health condition is well controlled.

Registered Nurses and Registered Practical Nurses are accountable for their own professional practice.

Registered Nurse Extended Class (Nurse Practitioner) Services

Nurse Practitioners are Registered Nurses with advanced University education, who provide healthcare services to individuals of all ages. Nurse practitioner services include:

• Annual physicals
• Routine prenatal care
• Well baby exams
• Monitoring & treatment of chronic illness (i.e. diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure)
• Immunizations
• Prescriptions (excludes narcotics and benzodiazepines)
• Treating minor illnesses and problems (i.e. ear infections)
• Ordering blood work and diagnostic tests (i.e. x-rays, ultrasounds, mammograms and PAP tests)
• Referrals to other healthcare professionals
• Provision of health counseling and education

Primary Healthcare Services:

Clients can choose to have either a family physician or the nurse practitioner as their primary healthcare provider. If you choose to have the nurse practitioner, she will work closely with the family physicians and other healthcare team members (i.e. Registered Nurses, Social Worker, Registered Practical Nurses and Registered Dietitian).

Acute Care Clinic:

Urgent, non-emergent issues can be addressed at the Nurse Practitioner acute care clinics held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, between 1 pm and 4:30 pm.

High School Clinic:

The Nurse Practitioner provides on-site healthcare clinics at the Marathon High School on Thursday mornings. Appointments can be made by contacting the Marathon Family Health Team.

Diabetes Program:

In collaboration with other MFHT professionals and the Marathon branch of the Northern Diabetes Health Network, the nurse practitioner is developing the primary healthcare diabetes program. The program will involve diabetes specific clinics and education. A needs assessment is currently underway to determine the learning needs of people with diabetes within the community. This program is expected to begin in early 2009.

Congestive Heart Failure Program:

Research is currently underway with regard to the development of a congestive heart failure program.

Further Links:

Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario: http://www.npao.org
College of Nurses of Ontario http://www.cno.org

Registered Nurse Services

In 2005, the Marathon Family Health Team was approved for two Registered Nurses, one in September – Laura Johnston, and the second in December – Alice Joseph.

The Registered Nurse program was officially launched in November 2005, and offers the following programs and services to patients:

INR Program: The Marathon Family Health Team will strive to maintain effective long-term management of Warfarin in clients who need to use this medication for any reason.  International Normalized Ratio (INR) tests will be ordered and interpreted by Registered Nurses (RNs) working in collaboration with physicians at Marathon Family Health Team.  Warfarin dosage will be modified, as needed, based on approved dosage plans.

Registered Nurses will work in collaboration with physicians, to order and interpret the results of INR tests.  Warfarin management will include continual assessment of client response to therapy and timely clinical decision-making.

Well Woman Program: The Registered Nurses will provide preventative health screening services for all well women focused on early detection of cervical cancer, breast cancer and hypertension.  If additional health concerns are identified during the visit the Registered Nurse will arrange for follow up with the appropriate health care provider.

Hypertension Screening Program: Blood pressure evaluations are done in accordance with the Registered Nurse Association of Ontario Best Practices Summary of Recommendations Guidelines to identify and / or monitor high-risk individuals.

Asthma Program: MFHT providers will endeavor to improve quality of life for those clients confirmed or suspected of having asthma by diagnosis, treatment and regular follow-up and to provide education so the client can optimize their own asthma management. The Marathon Family Health Team Asthma program rolled out in November of 2008.

Laura Johnston, RN has obtained the Asthma Educator Course and is qualified to perform spirometry testing. Policies have been developed according to current guidelines for asthma in partnership with the Ontario Primary Care Asthma Program (PCAP).

Smoking Cessation Program: At every visit, clients are asked to consider their smoking status in relationship to their health and their motivation to quit.

All healthcare providers at the Marathon Family Health Team will support and encourage those clients interested in quitting, cutting down or trying to find ways to motivate themselves to quit.

Nursing Services: The Registered Nurses provide patient appointments for services with regard to:

• prenatal care focusing on improving fetal and maternal health
• emergency contraception for early access to intervention and education
• sexual health for education on sexually transmitted diseases, prevention, treatment, support and contraception options
• breast feeding counseling
• skin treatment and education on preventative skin maintenance
• diabetes education and support, with advice around healthy eating choices and exercise with follow-up routines for blood work and progress
• travel health to provide appropriate immunization and an educational session as required for travel
• influenza preventative education and immunization

Registered Practical Nurse Services

The Marathon Family Health Team was approved for two Registered Practical Nurses in October 2006. Ada Parsons and Mona Laderoute currently offer the following services and programs:

Early Prevention Tracking System
As a means of early prevention, tracking systems were developed to promote early screening, testing and other preventative measures such as immunization. The target areas were, colorectal, breast and cervical cancer screening, and immunization and influenza immunization tracking.

Foot Care Program
The two Registered Practical Nurses (RPN’s) have completed College certified basic and advanced foot care courses allowing them to provide preventative foot care treatment and education to those patients unable to care for their own feet. Officially implemented in February 2007 the development of the program continues with the creation of patient information handouts. The RPN’s also provide treatment for certain types of warts. Access to the service is by physician referral and patient self referral via MFHT booking staff.

More…
Finally, in addition to the above programs, the Registered Practical Nurses will continue to provide patient appointments for services with regard to:

• blood pressure monitoring and education
• immunization to ensure all children are fully immunized
• wound care, dressings, suture and staple removal services
• influenza preventative education and immunization
• off site appointments for blood pressure monitoring and influenza immunization
• Ontario Telemedicine Network appointments