Home > Articles by: Web Services

Dr. Sokoro Awarded at National Conference

Dr. Sokoro with his CWC Award in 2024

Choosing Wisely Manitoba is proud to announce, Dr. AbdulRazaq Sokoro, PhD, FCACB, FADLM. Chief Operating Officer, Provincial Diagnostic Services, Shared Health, was awarded the Clinical Excellence in Choosing Wisely Award at the national Choosing Wisely Conference held in Montreal on April 15, 2024. This award, recognizes a clinician (physician, nursing, pharmacist, allied health) who has exhibited exceptional leadership and commitment to resource stewardship within their clinical practice, with a dedication to reducing unnecessary tests and treatments while enhancing patient care.

Dr. Sokoro has contributed to Manitoba’s health system for 14 years serving in a variety of roles including Shared Health’s Executive Director of Provincial Laboratory Operations, and Associate Head of the Department of Pathology at the University of Manitoba’s Max Rady College of Medicine

As noted in his nomination, Dr. Sokoro has supported a large number of initiatives in Manitoba, which have resulted in the following changes and improvements:

  • Streamlined and sustainably reduced Vitamin D testing in Manitoba by 90%
  • Embedded Choosing Wisely/ Resource Stewardship into curriculum with International Medical Graduate students and Post Graduate Medical Student Education
  • Championed the development and implementation of Manitoba Endocrine Guidelines including guidance on screening and adding reflex testing for Free T3 and T4
  • Introduced Provincial guidelines to reduce FOB testing of inpatients by 74%
  • Supported provincial guidelines for hospital labs to require a positive urinalysis prior to a urine culture, to encourage appropriate testing.

Dr. Sokoro holds a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry and Zoology from Egerton University in Njoro, Kenya as well as a PhD in Toxicology from the University of Saskatchewan and a post-doctoral residency in Clinical Biochemistry from the Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. He is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Clinical Biochemistry, Canada and the Association for Diagnostics and Laboratory Medicine in the United States.

His recent professional accomplishments beyond Choosing Wisely range from the standardization of quality oversight of point of care testing in a partnership with First Nations & Inuit Health Branch, development of a red blood cell utilization/transfusion strategy that brought Manitoba in line with the rest of Canada, to ongoing efforts to train, recruit and retain laboratory staff. Dr. Sokoro’s collaborative approach and passionate advocacy for communities, partner organizations and staff are valued assets as part of any team he is part of.

Congratulations Dr. Sokoro, your efforts and perseverance have assisted Manitoba’s current and future health providers to choose more wisely.

4 Questions To Ask Your Doctor

Patient sitting and talking with a doctor

Meeting with your healthcare provider can sometimes be stressful and anxiety inducing. Being told you require a test, treatment, surgery, or other procedure can cause a lot of emotion and confusion, especially if they’re using new vocabulary you don’t understand. Before you move forward with your provider’s proposed plans, there are four important questions you can (and should) ask.

Do I really need this test, treatment, or procedure?

This can be a difficult question to ask but knowing the potential benefits of pursuing any medical option is your right. If it’s a test, find out what information you and the team will receive from the results. If it’s a surgery or procedure, learn what improvements on your quality of life you’re going to gain. Getting details on the ‘why’s’ of potential actions can help you make informed decisions and lead to you being a better authority on your own health.

What are the risks or challenges?

These are important to know. You may be required to temporarily halt current medications you’re taking, or have side effects from new prescriptions. Additionally, there may be missed time from work or family, required travel, need for a mobility aid, or someone needed to look after you in the hours and days after a surgery. Tests may not directly impact physical health, but there is a chance of findings that may cause further testing and impact your mental health. Procedures come with possibilities of complications and follow-up appointments or actions. These factors need to be considered and potentially planned for ahead of time.

Are there safer, simpler options?

This might seem like an odd thing to ask, but it can spark a conversation with your doctor about the pros and cons of different alternatives and how they relate to your health goals. You may find the original plan is what’s best for you, or you and your team may discover that there’s a route that works better for your situation or lifestyle. This could mean choosing medication over surgery, or even simple lifestyle changes instead of medications or procedures. The goal should be to find the path that provides results that fit your needs, while minimizing risks and costs to you.

What happens if I do nothing?

Sometimes the best course of action is no action at all. Find out of your condition could get worse – or better – if you choose to remain as-is for the time being. Ask what the downsides and potential effects of that decision could be. If they’re acceptable to you, taking the extra time may allow you to pursue additional options or simply prepare for future actions, whether that’s notifying work or arranging for assistance. Additionally, you may decide the effects of inaction work better for you than the risks and benefits of the procedure overall.

It’s important to remember that you are the authority of your own health. It is both your right and your responsibility to know as much as you can when making decisions. Asking your provider these questions may help you navigate difficult, painful, or scary situations, knowing you’ve done as much as you can to be an advocate for yourself.

Choosing Wisely Talks | Bronchiolitis: Why Less is Best

During the cold and flu season, common viruses like Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) can lead to bronchiolitis, a lung infection primarily affecting children under the age of two. While diagnosis typically relies on physical exams, many children receive unnecessary tests and treatments, like X-rays or antibiotics, in the management of bronchiolitis.

Join Choosing Wisely Talks on January 31 at 12 p.m. ET for a discussion on why less is best when it comes to bronchiolitis. Speakers will share practical guidance in managing bronchiolitis, sharing tools and resources from the recently released Choosing Wisely Canada toolkit.

Register

Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2023 with Dr. Terry Wuerz

Dr. Terry Wuerz inspires solutions in the realm of healthcare. Serving as an Adult Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine physician at the University of Manitoba and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, his focus centers on enhancing the utilization of antibiotics within the broader health system.

In addressing the crucial issue of antibiotic usage, Dr. Wuerz highlights the important question: How can we employ antibiotics judiciously to benefit not only individual patients but the entire healthcare system? Citing international data suggesting that 30-50% of antibiotic prescriptions may be unnecessary, he underscores the gravity of the situation.

The concept of ‘unnecessary’ antibiotics can be divided into two key domains—prolonged regimens and application in non-bacterial infections such as viral or other organisms. Prolonged regimens, often characterized by doctors erring on the side of caution, contribute to a concerning trend. Meanwhile, the use of antibiotics for non-bacterial infections like viral bronchitis or influenza proves ineffectual and potentially harmful.

Contrary to the perception that excess medications pose no harm, Dr. Wuerz points out a startling reality. In 2019, an estimated 5 million deaths were attributed to antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections, with a quarter directly resulting from antibiotic-resistant strains. Alarming predictions by a UN report suggest that by 2050, 10 million deaths could be directly linked to AMR infections, paralleling the anticipated toll of cancer.

Addressing the misconception that AMR is predominantly a foreign concern, Dr. Wuerz sheds light on the 5,400 deaths associated with AMR in Canada in 2018. He emphasizes that AMR is not a distant future threat but a current menace affecting patients within our healthcare facilities.

While acknowledging the vital role antibiotics play in treating life-threatening infections, Dr. Wuerz underscores the double-edged nature of antibiotics. Their misuse, especially in non-bacterial infections, can lead to adverse effects, including the development of antimicrobial-resistant strains.

The repercussions of AMR infections are severe—prolonged hospital stays, costlier and harder-to-obtain medications, and an elevated mortality rate. The work of the Manitoba AMR Alliance aims to increases awareness, information and strategic studies.

This call for awareness extends beyond physicians to patients, urging them to be empowered advocates in their healthcare journey. Dr. Wuerz encourages patients to pose critical questions to their providers, including the necessity of antibiotics and the likelihood of a viral infection. The Manitoba AMR Alliance, through ongoing initiatives and the opportunity to pledge antibiotic stewardship, seeks to cultivate a collective consciousness surrounding this critical issue.

Antimicrobial Awareness Week, spanning from November 18-24th, is accentuated by the Go Blue campaign illuminating landmarks across Canada on November 24th. For more information, visit the Manitoba AMR Alliance website: https://manitobaamr.ca/ #GoBlueforAMR

Pictures of the Esplanade Riel lit up blue from November 24, 2023

Using Labs Wisely During Global Blood Tube and Other Resource Shortages

COVID-19 has put an extraordinary strain on laboratory medicine in Canada due to critical shortages in blood tubes, devices, and lab staffing.

To address the need to conserve tubes and critical laboratory resources, the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists and the Canadian Association of Medical Biochemists have assembled two sets of relevant Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations—for hospitals and primary care.

How you can get involved:

National Meeting 2022 – Call for Abstracts

Choosing Wisely Canada is now accepting abstracts to be featured virtually at Choosing Wisely Canada’s National Meeting, on May 25 and May 26, 2022.

Showcase your Choosing Wisely Canada initiatives and innovative approaches based on the following themes:

  • Quality Improvement/Implementation (e.g. interventions, health policy, interprofessional collaboration, deprescribing)
  • Measurement and Evaluation (e.g. administrative data, trends in low-value care, impact of intervention on low-value care)
  • Medical Education
  • Patient Engagement

Abstracts will be accepted in English and French. Relevant abstracts will be published in a digital abstract book and considered for online presentations in concurrent breakout sessions.

Important Dates:

  • Abstract submissions will be accepted until February 18, 2022 (extended from January 28, 2022).
  • Abstracts considered for online presentations will be notified by February 16, 2022.
  • National Meeting: May 25 & May 26, 2022.

Full details

When Every Drop Counts – Using Blood Wisely Designations

Southern Health-Santé Sud has been named the first health region in Canada to receive national Using Blood Wisely Designation. This signifies that each transfusing facility within Southern Health-Santé Sud has met or exceeded the national benchmark of appropriate red blood cell use in Canada.

As a vital and lifesaving resource, protecting Canada’s blood supply has never been more important due to the urgent care needs and constraints related to COVID-19. That’s why over 120 hospitals are participating in the Using Blood Wisely campaign, a national initiative to reduce inappropriate red blood cell transfusions. This campaign challenges hospitals to audit their inpatient red blood cell transfusions to see how they compare to national appropriateness benchmarks.

Southern Health-Santé Sud is a designated bilingual Regional Health Authority located in southern Manitoba, covering an area over 27 025 square kilometers wherein vibrant communities thrive including: 20 Rural Municipalities, 7 Municipalities, 4 cities, 4 towns, 1 village and 1 unorganized territory; 7 First Nation communities and many other cultures and communities including Métis, Hutterite, Francophone and Mennonite. They serve over 207 855 residents, the fastest growing population in Manitoba.

“These designations are an exciting achievement for all levels of health care, from leadership to front line staff,” says Dr. Charles Musuka, Medical Director, Transfusion Medicine, Shared Health. “We are so grateful for the hard work and dedication of all clinical and laboratory staff in Manitoba. This is a testament to their commitment to providing the best possible care for patients and best practices in Manitoba.”

With support from the Shared Health Transfusion Medicine Program, Best Blood Manitoba, and Choosing Wisely Manitoba, the hospitals and facilities within Southern Health-Santé Sud teamed up to implement the transfusion stewardship project – Appropriate Inpatient Red Blood Cell Utilization in Manitoba. This provincial clinical practice change implemented a new set of guidelines that optimizes laboratory and clinical processes to assess the appropriateness of each unit transfused in the inpatient setting.

Nurse educators, clinical educators, physicians, leaders and other staff from across Southern Health-Santé Sud also took part in a key step of the Appropriate Red Blood Cell Utilization project. Prior to the provincial roll out of the project, these individuals granted the Transfusion Stewardship team their time and expertise by joining in on a workshop to provide feedback on the guidelines. This additional support provided by the region was an influential aspect in the success of this important change for our province.

“The Southern Health-Santé Sud region has been an important partner in this project,” said Petr Kresta, Chief Operating Officer, Diagnostic Services, Shared Health. “Staff and clinicians from the region came together to provide important assistance to our Transfusion Medicine department by reviewing and testing changes to optimize this process for all of Manitoba. Being named the first region in Canada to receive the Using Blood Wisely designation is an exciting testament to their commitment to transfusion stewardship.”

When every drop counts, it takes a concerted effort to safeguard Canada’s blood supply. Choosing Wisely Canada and Canadian Blood Services would like to thank participating hospitals for their pursuit of best practices in transfusion medicine and collective efforts to deliver safe, quality, and appropriate care.

Facilitating Data Driven Quality Improvement Webinar

When Every Drop Counts – Using Blood Wisely Designations in Manitoba

Health Science Centre Winnipeg and Grace Hospital become first hospitals to receive national Using Blood Wisely Designation.

As a vital and lifesaving resource, protecting Canada’s blood supply has never been more important due to the urgent care needs and constraints related to COVID-19.

That’s why over 120 hospitals are participating in the Using Blood Wisely campaign, a national initiative to reduce inappropriate red blood cell transfusions. This campaign challenges hospitals to conduct a spot audit of recent red blood cell transfusion to see how they compare to national appropriateness benchmarks.

Only a few months following the official launch of the national campaign, two Manitoba Hospitals have achieved the Using Blood Wisely Designation. Health Sciences Centre (HSC) is the largest hospital in Manitoba and is the provincial tertiary care centre, serving patients from Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario and Nunavut. The Grace Hospital is a 251–bed facility that supports patients from all areas of Winnipeg and surrounding communities. Both hospitals are recognized for their significant achievements in meeting national appropriateness benchmarks for reducing inappropriate red blood cell transfusions.

“These designations are an exciting achievement for all levels of health care, from leadership to front line staff, says Dr. Charles Musuka, Medical Director, Transfusion Medicine, Shared Health. “We are so grateful for the hard work and dedication of all clinical and laboratory staff in Manitoba. This is a testament to their commitment to providing the best possible care for patients and best practices in Manitoba.”

HSC and Grace Hospital accelerated efforts with the campaign in response to anticipated blood shortages in the province. With support from the Shared Health Transfusion Medicine Program, Best Blood Manitoba, and Choosing Wisely Manitoba, the hospitals teamed up to implement their first transfusion stewardship project – Appropriate Inpatient Red Blood Cell Utilization in Manitoba. This provincial clinical practice change implemented a new set of guidelines that optimizes laboratory and clinical processes to assess the appropriateness of each unit transfused in the inpatient setting.

HSC and Grace Hospital are the first sites to achieve the designation in Canada, and more Manitoba hospitals are in the process of applying.

“We would like to congratulate all clinical and laboratory staff from Health Sciences Centre and Grace Hospital that made this a success. Their dedication and hard work have made these designations possible for Manitoba.” Petr Kresta, Chief Operating Officer, Diagnostic Services, Shared Health.

When every drop counts, it takes a concerted effort to safeguard Canada’s blood supply. Choosing Wisely Canada and Canadian Blood Services would like to thank participating hospitals for their pursuit of best practices in transfusion medicine and collective efforts to deliver safe, quality, and appropriate care.

New Choosing Wisely Manitoba Champions: The Transfusion Stewardship Team

In recognition of their excellent work towards implementing resource stewardship projects in Manitoba, the Transfusion Stewardship Team has been named Choosing Wisely Manitoba’s newest Champions.

Learn more about the team and their projects here.

Skip to content