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Learn more about virtual care at PACE event

By Cecilia Nasmith


The Northumberland PACE Talk series continues virtually with a timely topic for February – Virtual Care.

This Feb. 17 session – presented through Zoom – features a panel of speakers that includes Community Health Centres of Northumberland Executive Director Taryn Rennicks, Alliance for Healthier Communities Privacy Professional Simeon Kaney, and Northumberland Family Health Team primary-care physician Dr. Erin Pepper.

Bringing a wide variety of expertise and experience, panelists will provide an overview of what virtual care is (as well as virtual-care opportunities available in Northumberland County), explore privacy and security practices as they relate to virtual care, and share the clinician experience in providing care virtually.

Moderated by Bill Prawecki, a member of the Northumberland Hills Hospital Patient and Family Advisory Committee, this 5:30 p.m. Session will also see the unique patient perspective woven throughout with questions and conversation framed to speak to patients and caregivers.

PACE stands for Personalized Assessment and Change Education, and the idea came from NHH chief of staff Dr. Mukesh Bhargava when he noticed his patients seemed to be asking the same questions about their health care.

Northumberland PACE talks began in 2018 as free public-education sessions on a broad range of health and wellness topics. When they were held in person, alternating between Cobourg and Port Hope, they consistently drew large groups of community members with a range of questions and perspectives. The most recent PACE talks have been in a new virtual format as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Future 2021 topics planned include end-of-life care in Northumberland, advance care planning, maintaining mental health in a global pandemic, and life-style improvements that are within our control (like sleep and exercise).

Each one-hour sessions consists of a 30-minute talk, a 20-minute question-and-answer period with the guest speaker(s) and a 10-minute moderator summary.

Bring your questions, your suggestions and your experience, and join in what is expected to be another informative discussion.

Pre-registration is required (as is a Zoom account and internet access), and space is limited to the first 300 registered attendees. Plan to log in to the event five minutes prior to the start.

Register for Virtual Care today at www.pacetalks.com, where you'll also find video and highlights from many of the previous seasons’ talks.

For those unable to attend, efforts will be made to share a recording of this conversation following the event, technology permitting.