OPH Updating Chlamydia Follow-up to Prioritize Higher-risk Infections

Ottawa Public Health (OPH) has updated its protocol for managing reports of positive chlamydia test results. This change in practice will reduce the number of forms physicians and nurse practitioners complete for chlamydia cases and will allow OPH to prioritize high-risk cases

Each year, OPH receives more reports of positive chlamydia test results than any other infectious disease. In 2023, OPH received more than 3,400 positive chlamydia results, representing an incidence rate of 313 cases per...

Professional Development & Resources

1. Webinar: Implementation of HPV testing in Ontario, Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OSCP) (English only). Supports the Ontario Cervical Screening Program’s HPV testing implementation on March 3, 2025. HPV testing will be used with reflex cytology in cervical screening and as a co-test with cytology in colposcopy for managing screening abnormalities. The session provides an overview of the implementation and a Q&A opportunity. For any questions, please contact Ontario Health toll free at 1.866...

Rebranding for 2025: Physicians' Update Becomes Public Health Update

As we begin 2025, we are pleased to announce that Physicians’ Update will now be known as Public Health Update—a change that better aligns with the content and focus of the information we provide to you.

This rebranding reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering timely, relevant public health information tailored to support physicians and nurse practitioners (NPs). Our aim is to help you stay informed about the latest public health developments in Ottawa.

New editions of the Public Health Update

Virtual, February 7: Colloque francophone de médecine Bal de Neige 2025 (in French only)

Provider

Symposium organized by the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine's Francophone Affairs in partnership with Médecins francophones du Canada, an organization accredited by the Collège des médecins du Québec.

Overview

• Assessing loss of autonomy in the elderly, Dr. Geneviève Lemay
• COPD in 2025: what's new? Dr. Catherine Charron
• Exercise: the best medicine, Dr. Steve Truong and Dr. Marie-Ève Bérubé
• Managing respiratory and cardiac emergencies in the office, Dr. Yanick Massé
• Borderline personality...

Newly Reportable Disease: Candida auris (C. auris)

To: Ottawa Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
Date: January 30, 2025
From: Dr. Monir Taha, Associate Medical Officer of Health

Dear Colleagues, 

We are writing to inform you that on January 1, 2025, Ontario’s Ministry of Health designated Candida auris (C. auris) a Disease of Public Health Significance. Per Ontario Regulation 569 under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, health care providers are required to report all suspect or confirmed cases of C. auris clinical infection to Ottawa Public Health...