Dear members,
We know many of you are feeling frustrated by the ongoing challenges surrounding salary increases, and the government’s response to the growing issues in primary care. We share your concerns, and we want to assure you that we are actively advocating on behalf of primary care teams.
In the recent announcement, one of the statements highlighted the government’s intention to introduce targeted strategies aimed at addressing recruitment and retention challenges within primary care. Specifically, the plan mentions initiatives to support family doctors, nurse practitioners, and allied healthcare professionals, including efforts to reduce administrative burdens through digital tools, enhance recruitment and retention in northern and rural communities, and ensure that Ontario’s healthcare professionals can work to their full scope of practice. We see this statement as a win!
While we would have liked to see greater clarity on how these strategies will unfold, we are encouraged that dedicated funding for health human resources (HHR) is part of the plan—although the full extent of this remains unclear at this stage. We are actively working to influence how this funding will be allocated.
In our previous meeting with Dr. Philpott, as part of the Primary Care Collaborative, and in our recent letter, we raised concerns about the lack of HHR funding as a critical risk to the mandate of the Primary Care Action Team. We are glad to see these issues being acknowledged, though we will continue to advocate for more concrete commitments.
It is important to note that this announcement comes just ahead of an election campaign, so it must be viewed in that context. In the coming weeks, we will be focusing on election advocacy, seeking clarity on both the government’s plans and those of their political opponents. We encourage all members to join us in this vital work as we continue to push for the changes that are so urgently needed.
Register Now – AFHTO Election Advocacy Webinars
With a provincial election now underway, this is a crucial time to advocate for team-based primary care and ensure its value is recognized by candidates of all political parties. To support you in these efforts, AFHTO is hosting two election advocacy webinars designed to equip members with practical strategies and resources. Even more important, we want to ensure a well aligned and coordinated approach as One Team /One Voice.
These webinars will introduce AFHTO’s Election Advocacy Toolkit, developed in collaboration with Santis Health, and provide guidance and support skills on how to engage effectively with provincial candidates and other stakeholders.
Webinar 1: Election Advocacy for Leadership (Triad Members Only)
- Date: February 10, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
- Register Here
- For Executive Directors, Board Chairs, Physician Leads and NP Leads. This session will focus on high-level election engagement strategies and an overview of the toolkit as well as how to best leverage team members.
Webinar 2: Election Advocacy for All Team Members
- Date: February 12, 1:00 – 2:00 PM
- Register Here
- Open to all members (IHPS, admin staff, physicians, etc.) of AFHTO member organizations. This session will cover similar content as the first webinar but tailored for a broader audience. It will also be recorded for those unable to attend.
We encourage all members to participate and take advantage of this opportunity to be election-ready.
Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to primary care.
Best regards,
Jess Rogers
CEO
AFHTO – Advancing Primary Care Teams
400 University Avenue, Suite 2100
Toronto, ON
Mobile: 437-441-5626
Email: jess.rogers@afhto.ca