NEXPLANON® (ETONOGESTREL EXTENDED-RELEASE SUBDERMAL IMPLANT) NOW COVERED BY ONTARIO,  BRITISH COLUMBIA AND NOVA SCOTIA'S PUBLIC FORMULARIES

KIRKLAND, QC, Jan. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Organon Canada — Organon (NYSE: OGN) — is pleased to share that public listings in Ontario (Ontario Drug Benefit program), British Columbia (BC PharmaCare) and Nova Scotia (Nova Scotia PharmaCare) for NEXPLANON^® (etonogestrel extended-release subdermal implant) are now currently effective. NEXPLANON^® is a progestin-only hormonal implant used to prevent pregnancy for up to three years.¹ With these additional listings, there are now eleven jurisdictions providing coverage for NEXPLANON on their public formulary.

"Choosing a method of birth control begins with understanding the options available and how to pick the type of contraceptive that's right for you." says Dr Dustin Costescu, Associate Professor and Family Planning Specialist at McMaster University. "It is important that Canadians can easily have access to the best contraceptive methods in order to meet their needs."

"Awareness and access to different forms of birth control allow patients to make informed choices," said Dr. Renée Hall, Medical Director, KGH Women's Services Clinic and Clinical Associate Professor, University of British Columbia.  "We are thrilled to see more provincial governments recognize the importance of increasing access to contraception."

"We are delighted to see that patient need continues to be a focus across Canada, allowing for more options in the contraceptive category," said Amy Cairns, Executive Director of Organon Canada's Women's Health Business. "We are proud to be at the forefront of providing access to diverse methods of contraceptives."

About NEXPLANON^®
NEXPLANON^® is approved for pregnancy prevention for up to three years.¹ It will not protect patients against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV/AIDS.¹ To prevent STIs, patients should use latex or polyurethane condoms while using the implant.¹ Health Canada approved NEXPLANON® in 2020.

The implant is inserted subdermally into the arm. It is radiopaque, meaning physicians can verify presence of the implant after insertion and can locate it prior to removal using two-dimensional X-ray, computed tomography (CT scan) and ultrasound scanning (USS), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).¹ After insertion and prior to removal, physicians should be able to verify the presence of the implant in the patient's arm by palpation.¹ If the implant cannot be palpated, the physician can use one of the four available methods to verify presence of the implant.¹

About Organon
Organon (NYSE: OGN) is a global healthcare company formed through a spin-off from Merck, (NYSE: MRK) known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, focused on improving the health of women throughout their lives. Here for her health, the company has a portfolio of more than 60 medicines and products across a range of therapeutic areas. Led by the reproductive health portfolio coupled with an expanding biosimilars business and stable franchise of established medicines, Organon's products produce strong cash flows that will support investments in future growth opportunities in women's health, including business development like recently acquired Alydia Health, a medical device company focused on treating postpartum hemorrhage. In addition, Organon is pursuing opportunities to collaborate with biopharmaceutical innovators looking to commercialize their products by leveraging its scale and presence in fast growing international markets.

Organon has a global footprint with significant scale and geographic reach, world-class commercial capabilities, and approximately 9,000 employees with headquarters located in Jersey City, New Jersey.

For more information, visit www.organon.ca and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statement of Organon & Co., Jersey City, N.J., USA
This news release of Organon & Co., Jersey City, N.J., USA (the "company") may include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the company's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to, general industry conditions and competition; general economic factors, including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of the recent global outbreak of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19); the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and health care legislation in the United States and internationally; global trends toward health care cost containment; technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges inherent in new product development, including obtaining regulatory approval; the company's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; manufacturing difficulties or delays; financial instability of international economies and sovereign risk; dependence on the effectiveness of the company's patents and other protections for innovative products; and the exposure to litigation, including patent litigation, and/or regulatory actions.

The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site (www.sec.gov).

SOURCE Organon Canada Inc.

Images help spread awareness of glaucoma by capturing moments through her lens

TORONTO, Jan. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Known as the "silent thief of sight", glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in older North Americans, and more than 400,000 Canadians are living with glaucoma today. Yet, according to a survey by the Canadian Ophthalmological Society, nearly half of Canadians (49 per cent) are unfamiliar with this eye disease. As January marks Glaucoma Awareness Month, the Canadian Ophthalmological Society is helping to spread awareness by highlighting the work of Toronto-based photographer and fashion model, Jordan Naomi Tidd, who captures the unique perspective of the world through a person living with this eye disease.

"As a photographer, there are some challenges living with this eye disease, but I've quickly learned to notice the beauty in my photographs and the way I see the world," says Tidd. "During the editing process, I'm not always able to catch all the required fixes so I have to ask others for support. However, I've turned this challenge into an opportunity to spread awareness of glaucoma. Through my lens, I want to educate others on what this eye disease is and how it can affect your eyesight."

Although glaucoma is most common in older adults, young people are at risk as well. At the early age of 17, Tidd was diagnosed with glaucoma after noticing a subtle grainy film in her eyesight during one of her regular eye exams, where she was then referred to an ophthalmologist for extensive treatment. Since then, Tidd has made it her mission to spread awareness about this eye disease through her craft by capturing moments through her lens from her international travels and life in nature.

"Since glaucoma has no noticeable symptoms, most people affected by this eye disease don't even know they have it," says Dr. Colin Mann, President of the Canadian Ophthalmological Society. "This can be especially true for younger people who may think they aren't at risk but, while there currently is no cure, the good news is that it can be controlled with proper management, and vision loss can be prevented through early diagnosis during comprehensive eye exams."

Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve, which transmits the images you see from the eye to the brain and is made up of many nerve fibres. These nerve fibres become damaged by pressure that builds up inside the eye, known as intraocular pressure (IOP), which can cause blind spots and vision loss.

Since glaucoma has no noticeable symptoms, ongoing monitoring is needed to detect any changes. During a glaucoma evaluation, you may have the following tests done by your eye care team:

• Tonometry to test eye pressure 
• Gonioscopy to determine eye drainage angles 
• Ophthalmoscopy to assess optic nerve appearance 
• Visual field test to assess peripheral vision 
• Optical coherence tomography to assess the thickness of the retina and optic nerve

"My advice is don't take anything for granted, and make sure to keep up with your eye exams, no matter the age," adds Tidd. "If I hadn't gone to my regular checkup, the optometrist wouldn't have sent me to the ophthalmologist, where I was diagnosed and provided with early treatment. If you've been diagnosed with glaucoma recently, it's natural to be a little frightened but the number one thing to remember is that it can be managed with the support and guidance of your eyecare team, so you can still live a beautiful life."

To learn more about glaucoma and your risk for developing this eye disease, visit seethepossibilities.ca to take a quick test. To view Jordan Tidd's work and make a donation to the Glaucoma Research Society of Canada, visit eyesopenexhibition.com.

About Canadian Ophthalmological Society
The Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) is the national, recognized authority on eye and vision care in Canada. As eye physicians and surgeons, we are committed to assuring the provision of optimal medical and surgical eye care for all Canadians by promoting excellence in ophthalmology and by providing services to support our members in practice. Our membership includes over 900 ophthalmologists and 200 ophthalmology residents. We work collaboratively with government, other national and international specialty societies, our academic communities (ACUPO), our provincial partners and affiliates and other eye care professionals and patient groups to advocate for health policy in Canada in the area of eye and vision health. The COS is an accredited, award-winning provider of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and is an affiliate of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). For more information, visit cos-sco.ca. 

SOURCE Canadian Ophthalmological Society

Interactive Health International receives funding to support doctors to maintain their skills in Deep Space.

VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Interactive Health International (IHI) is pleased to announce that it is receiving advisory services and up to $474,166 in funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). IHI is also contributing funding for a total investment of up to $948,000. These funds will be applied to further develop IHI's CyberPatient™ technology and the maintenance of competencies for medical crews involved in deep-space flight missions. 

The isolation for extreme durations of time for deep-space missions results in medical crews losing their clinical competencies due to the lack of clinical practice. CyberPatient will provide a virtual hospital and other clinical environments with digitally enhanced patients for medical crews to routinely practice and hone their competencies.

"We are incredibly grateful to NRC IRAP and the CSA for their support toward our mission to deliver technology solutions that advance Canada's health and medical, educational system," says Dr. Karim Qayumi, Founder and CEO of IHI, "We are especially privileged to partner with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and Dr. Nadine Caron, Co-Director, University of British Columbia (UBC) Centre for Excellence in Indigenous Health in implementing the project. IHI, as a UBC and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute spin-off company, values these partnerships that help shift medical education into the future."

About IHI IHI is a digital technology development company focused on the medical and health education sector. IHI produces digitally enhanced, interactive, competency-based learning tools to address the gap between the theory and practice of medicine and support competency-based health education. These tools provide a virtual hospital and clinic environment under our trademark banner of CyberPatient™.

SOURCE Interactive Health International

DistillerSR's Latest Release Integrates Data Reuse and Scheduled Reporting for More Efficient and Transparent Literature Reviews

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Evidence Partners® Inc., a pioneer in AI-enabled literature review automation software and creator of DistillerSR™, today launched new capabilities that enable research professionals to easily find, view, validate, and reuse previously collected reference data and PDFs across reviews and teams. The enhancements also allow project leaders to schedule reports and automate their distribution via email on a weekly, monthly, or even daily basis to keep all stakeholders up to date on the progress of their literature reviews.

For research professionals already burdened with searching and analyzing growing volumes of scientific literature, DistillerSR's CuratorCR module eliminates the time-consuming effort of repeatedly collecting data from the same references across multiple projects. The module enables research groups to easily create reference repositories, automatically identify previously collected data, and access metadata, such as author, title and response sets collected in DistillerSR, for reuse in other reviews.  

"CuratorCR allows DistillerSR users to further improve efficiency and collaboration by facilitating the sharing and reuse of references and extracted metadata collected during the literature review process. By creating a centralized repository for coded references, CuratorCR eliminates the need to repeatedly screen and extract references, accelerating the completion of literature reviews through data reuse," said Peter O'Blenis, CEO, Evidence Partners. "Seamlessly integrated with DistillerSR, CuratorCR allows organizations to create valuable repositories of reusable coded references as a byproduct of review work they are already doing."  

DistillerSR's reporting capabilities were also enhanced for this release. Reports can now be configured based on rolling date ranges and distributed via email automatically at specified time intervals. While scheduled reporting is applicable to all literature reviews, it is especially suited to teams conducting living reviews and ongoing literature surveillance. 

Literature reviews are a cornerstone of evidence-based research but have traditionally been difficult, time consuming, and error prone. DistillerSR automates the management of literature collection, triage, and assessment using AI and intelligent workflows to reduce the time it takes to complete a systematic review by as much as 60 percent. 

More than 300 of the world's leading pharmaceutical and medical device companies, contract research organizations, governments, NGOs, and academic institutions trust DistillerSR to securely produce transparent, audit-ready, and compliant literature reviews faster and more accurately than traditional manual methods. As a result, healthcare researchers can make more informed and time-sensitive health policy decisions, clinical practice guidelines, and regulatory submissions.

About Evidence Partners

For more information about Evidence Partners and DistillerSR, visit www.evidencepartners.com.

® Evidence Partners is a registered trademark of Evidence Partners, Inc.
™ DistillerSR is a trademark of Evidence Partners, Inc.

SOURCE Evidence Partners

Blue Cross Life Named Canada's Most Respected Life Insurance Company

Insurer places first among 18 companies in annual public ranking

TORONTO, Jan. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, the results of an annual extensive national survey were released, revealing that Blue Cross Life Insurance Company of Canada (Blue Cross Life) has been named Canada's Most Respected Life Insurance company. 

"Our organization is beyond thrilled with this milestone, as it's a terrific nod to our efforts in 2021 and inspires a great deal of confidence for our team as we head into the New Year," said Marie-Josée Martin, President and CEO of Blue Cross Life. "The strides we are making as an organization come as no surprise to us internally, but we are delighted to continue to see our work recognized by those outside of Blue Cross Life."

As a federally-licensed company, Blue Cross Life operates in each province across Canada. For more than 70 years, the Blue Cross name in Canada has stood for affordable, quality supplementary benefits for both groups and individuals. 

Of the eighteen companies measured, Blue Cross Life placed first, followed by Canada Life, Sun Life and Manulife Insurance.

"After finishing high in last year's rankings, placing second, Blue Cross Life claimed the coveted top spot this year as result of its surging awareness and respect scores across the country," said Jeff Munn, Executive Director, of the Canada's Most Respected Award Program. 

Established in 2019, Canada's Most Respected Award Program has measured the public respect scores of entities in eight sectoral categories based on national criteria. This year's annual award ranking of Canada's Most Respected Life Insurance Company is based on the results of a nationally representative sample of 4,082 voting adult Canadians conducted by Maru Public Opinion. The complete findings, along with the methodologies and rankings for this year's award are posted here: www.canadasmostrespected.com/awardee-categories. 

"Respect is one of the ultimate markers of success, for any organization, in any industry," said Munn. "This award is chosen by the Canadian public, not a committee or group, so its prominence cannot be overstated. We congratulate Blue Cross Life on this well-deserved distinction."

About Blue Cross Life
Blue Cross Life is a federally-licensed company with operations located in each province across Canada. The Company is owned by six shareholders, operating as Pacific Blue Cross, Alberta Blue Cross, Saskatchewan Blue Cross, Manitoba Blue Cross, Blue Cross Canassurance, and Medavie Blue Cross. The Company specializes in life insurance, living benefits and disability income protection products to supplement the portfolio of health and dental products distributed by its shareholder Blue Cross plans. The Company's products are marketed, sold and serviced by the regional Blue Cross Plans.

SOURCE Blue Cross Life

Glaucoma Awareness Month: Top NYC Doc Preventing Blindness in People of Color

New York, NY, January 11, 2022 — Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in African Americans and people from the Caribbean, but there is a simple way to prevent the devastating effects of glaucoma: Don’t skip your eyecare visits, advises Dr. Daniel Laroche, Director of Glaucoma Services and President of Advanced Eyecare of New York.

What is Glaucoma? Glaucoma is a disease of the eye characterized by three components:

1. Damage and loss of the retinal ganglions cells and optic nerve described as cupping

2. Loss of visual field

3. Usually increased eye pressure (the mean normal eye pressure is 15mmHG)

In most cases of glaucoma, there is no pain, and the loss of vision occurs slowly from peripheral to central. Many people do not even realize it’s happening until they have lost a substantial amount of peripheral vision. 

People at risk for glaucoma include the elderly, Black people, people with elevated eye pressure, primary relatives with glaucoma, persons with high myopia, high hyperopia, history of eye trauma and diabetes. 

Early cataract surgery and trabecular bypass have become the best options to stop vision loss in patients with glaucoma. The current use of eyedrops and laser help to lower intraocular pressure but do not address the causative mechanism of the glaucoma being the enlarged lens. Incisional cataract surgery and glaucoma surgery is often needed to truly stabilize glaucoma. 

All people should be screened regularly for glaucoma as part of a medical eye exam that includes gonioscopy (examination of the drainage angle), intraocular pressure measurement with Goldmann applanation tonometry and a dilated optic nerve examination. If there appears to be any damage to the optic nerve or abnormal pressure, then a visual field test should be performed, and optic nerve photos taken. Persons with thin corneas should be more aggressively monitored and treated for glaucoma as the disease tends to be worse in these patients.

If you have eye pressure or glaucoma and feel that you may be losing vision, Dr. Laroche recommends that you seek the care of a glaucoma specialist for a second opinion. DON’T GO BLIND FROM GLAUCOMA! People with conditions such as glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy that could lead to blindness if left unchecked need to stay particularly vigilant with checkups. 

“Eyesight or human vision is one of the most important senses,” Dr. LaRoche says. “As much as 80 percent of what we feel comes through our sense of sight. By protecting the eyes, people will reduce the chance of blindness and vision loss while also staying on top of any developing eye diseases, such as glaucoma and cataracts.” 

About Dr. Daniel Laroche

Dr. Laroche is an exceptional glaucoma specialist in New York. He studied and received his bachelor's degree from New York University and a medical doctorate with honors in research from Weil Cornell University Medical College. He underwent a medical internship at Montefiore Hospital and finished his ophthalmology residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington D.C., where he was the chief resident in his third year. He later completed his glaucoma fellowship at New York Eye and Ear. 

For more information about Dr. Laroche, please call (212) 663-0473 or visit: www.advancedeyecareny.com. To learn what causes glaucoma, please watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEKOj-KJ0oo. To watch a glaucoma procedure, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7gS-7fGXGE&list=UUXVc2YbXJZGBSgtoknvid8w&index=4&t=2s. 

Dr. Laroche is also the author of the new young adult book, How to Become a Successful Black Man, which educates and empowers young boys and men of African descent about their history, heritage and legacy. Dr. Laroche connects history to the present-day life experiences and challenges of the Black Man to instill self-confidence and personal growth to succeed. The book helps to address health and wealth disparities and can be ordered here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Successful-BlackMan/dp/0578841770/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=daniel+laroche&qid=1623702468&sr=8-2.

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Bunzl Canada's wandaNEXT™ audit features close the loop on intelligent cleaning

Exclusive technology provides compliance and quality audits for enhanced facility cleaning and hygiene

BURLINGTON, ON, Jan. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - Bunzl Canada (bunzlcanada.ca) today announced the latest feature enhancements in the new release of its exclusive wandaNEXT™ cleaning management software, an integral component of its overall ConfidentClean™  suite of products and services.

wandaNEXT^™ now provides the ability to monitor cleaning compliance and document quality through regularly scheduled audits along with its traffic monitoring, cleaning schedule optimization, activity management, consumption tracking, end-user feedback and reporting capabilities. These new features enable scheduled task completion and quality checks that include image upload and a quality rating system to accurately record and document facility condition in real time. Audits are completed against specific cleaning and disinfecting protocols that correlate to risk assessments for each facility area. 

"Now more than ever, facilities in critical environments such as education, long-term care and assisted living must verify and validate that cleaning and disinfecting is being done correctly and at the right intervals," said David Smith, Cleaning, Hygiene and Sanitation Director at Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene. "We design specific cleaning protocols based on a ConfidentClean™ risk assessment for each area. Adhering to those protocols is vital and the new wandaNEXT^™compliance and audit features make it easy and convenient to assess, record, report and correct as required."

wandaNEXT^™, developed by Visionstate IoT and now in partnership with Bunzl Canada, is a cleaning program management software with multiple IoT sensor-enabled data collection components such as traffic counting units and soap and paper dispensers. Its mobile application guides cleaning teams through customized cleaning procedures. The system's audit function and real-time reporting gives Facility Managers a clear line of sight so they can make scheduling adjustments, assign tasks, address training requirements, trigger supply orders and proactively address service requirements.

"With the higher transmissibility of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, facility managers need to be absolutely confident that cleaning is being done properly and effectively," said Brock Tully, Vice President, Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene. "It's not only best practice, but fundamental to workplace health and safety - that's why wandaNEXT™ is such a critical component of our ConfidentClean™ closed-loop solution." 

wandaNEXT^™ has a growing installation base that includes healthcare, education, retail, commercial office, conference, airport and distribution facilities across Canada, the United States and Europe.   

For more information on wandaNEXT™, please visit bunzlch.ca. 

About Bunzl Canada

Bunzl Canada Inc. (bunzlcanada.ca) provides the cleaning and hygiene products and equipment, food and retail packaging, safety products and industrial supplies which keep over 45,000 Canadian businesses running optimally, every day. The company brings its customers the advantage of global sourcing, product innovation and national scale combined with responsive local service and deep category expertise. Bunzl Canada Inc. is a division of Bunzl Distribution USA, LLC.

About Bunzl Distribution

Bunzl Distribution USA, LLC (bunzldistribution.com), headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., is the largest division of London-based Bunzl plc, an international distribution and outsourcing group. With more than 100 distribution centre throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, Bunzl supplies a wide range of products to food processors, supermarkets, retailers, convenience stores and other users.

SOURCE Bunzl Canada

Plastic Surgeries Boom as Variants Surge

New York, NY, January 11, 2022 — The paradigm has shifted in the world of plastic surgery, with virtual consultations streamlining the process and tightening the timeline between concept and completion. But top New York City plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Westreich cautions that consumers seeking cosmetic enhancements should never skimp on safety or due diligence.

“Your thought process and decision making about what you’re doing and who you’re doing it with should almost be more rigorous,” Dr. Westreich said in a recent interview. 

The numbers of cosmetic procedures have hit new highs since 2020 thanks to the "Zoom Boom" and flexible work schedules. Experts fully expect the trend to continue throughout 2022. 

Doctors say breast augmentation and Brazilian Butt Lifts are the top surgeries being performed; however, liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery and facelifts are also on the rise. Less invasive procedures like Botox injections also are skyrocketing. Experts say the Botulinum Toxin market jumped from a -8.6 percent slump in 2020 to a 4.7 percent increase this year, and it’s still rising at an even faster pace.  

Lower facial nonsurgical procedures and lip treatments will continue to rise, and noses will stay strong. Body procedures are booming now that people are going out again. 

Dr. Westreich offers the following tips for those considering cosmetic procedures:

Tip 1: Make sure any doctor you schedule through a virtual visit allows you to cancel AFTER an in-person meeting for surgery. There is no substitute for face to face. 

Tip 2: Results over name recognition. Your outcome will not be better than what they post online. That's considered their best work. 

Tip 3: Don't rush. COVID-19 won't last forever, and you will have opportunities in the future that are different but workable. Make sure you're solid before moving on. 

Dr. Westreich says it’s also very important that patients are vaccinated to stay healthy pre- and post-operation. “The average daily new COVID cases and deaths are increasing once again, and new variants are surfacing like Omicron. These mutations have proven to be more contagious and in many cases far more dangerous. This has caused a recent uptick in test positivity rates and virus-related hospitalizations for the first time in months. Despite these alarming statistics, many are still opting to have these elective medical procedures and must take all of the necessary precautions.”

More on Dr. Richard Westreich

Dr. Richard Westreich graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Biological Basis of Behavior, Neuroscience concentration in 1995 from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his medical school training at the New York University School of Medicine in 1999 with an M.D. and Honors in Cell Biology Research. Dr. Westreich then did his post-graduate training in Facial Plastic Surgery and Otolaryngology at the prestigious Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

He has been selected multiple times by Castle Connolly and New York magazine as one of the top doctors in facial plastic surgery. He is an assistant professor at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and is on staff at Lenox Hill and Mount Sinai Hospitals. He is a faculty member and teacher at a fellowship in Facial Plastic Surgery at Mount Sinai. His private practice is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where he specializes in rhinoplasty, septoplasty, secondary and reconstructive rhinoplasty, facelifts, eyelid surgery and nonsurgical procedures.

He can be seen regularly on several national news programs, including ABC, CBS, FOX and Newsmax.

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Moving Nursing Applicants into the System: College of Nurses of Ontario partners with Ontario Health

TORONTO, Jan. 11, 2022 /CNW/ - The College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) and Ontario Health are partnering to help address the health human resource needs of the province by launching the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership. This partnership provides an opportunity for applicants, currently going through the registration process to become nurses, to participate in a work experience to help complete their evidence of practice and language proficiency registration requirements.

CNO and Ontario Health are partnering to address health human resource needs of the province by launching a new program

"We are relentlessly focused on modernizing our applicant assessment process to ensure the health care system has access to skilled nurses needed to deliver safe, quality care," said Anne Coghlan, CNO's Executive Director & CEO. "In December alone, we registered 850 nurses. With the launch of the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership, we are providing an immediate response to the workforce needs of the Ontario health care sector, while maintaining our focus on public safety." 

CNO is responsible for protecting the public by promoting safe nursing practice. This includes ensuring applicants are qualified by having the appropriate knowledge, skill and judgement to practice as nurses. Through the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership, applicants gain relevant practice experience under the supervision of a preceptor, within a CNO-approved practice setting in Ontario, to meet the requirement to register as a nurse. A 2021 pilot of this program successfully moved applicants into the system in a shorter time frame. 

"Ontario's nurses have gone above and beyond to keep our communities safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are truly grateful for their compassion and dedication to providing exceptional care," said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. "As we continue to respond to the Omicron variant, this new initiative is one more way we will add more nurses to our health care system to support Ontario's COVID-19 response and ensure patients continue to receive the high-quality care they need."

Ontario Health is matching applicants with program approved organizations to ensure applicants are available where the need is greatest. "We recognize that COVID-19 has created a growing need for more nurses in the province. With partners across Ontario, our focus is to connect our health care system to ensure Ontarians receive the best possible care," says Matthew Anderson, CEO, Ontario Health. "This innovative program provides much needed health human resources to support safe patient care during this challenging time."

Ontario's Fairness Commissioner, Irwin Glasberg, strongly endorsed the changes that CNO is making to its registration practices. "These changes expand opportunities for many applicants, especially internationally educated nurses, to put their professional skills and experience to work," says Commissioner Glasberg. "Ensuring fair, transparent and timely registration processes improves access to the profession, enhances the government's labour market goals and contributes to safe nursing care."

The Supervised Practice Experience Partnership is one of several ways CNO is modernizing its applicant assessmentprocess and responding as a system partner to support the needs of our health care system.  

CNO will contact eligible Supervised Practice Experience Partnership applicants by email with details on how to apply to the program. Organizations wishing to become a partner can contact CNO. 

SOURCE College of Nurses of Ontario