Bits & Pieces: NP funding program, OHT webinar, Ministry updates & more

Your Weekly News & Updates

Ontario primary health care nurse practitioner program funding update
We have received notice from the Ontario Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner Program that it has received confirmation from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care that the program will be funded for a period of two years.

This will allow the nine universities participating in the program to continue to provide high quality education for students in a fully distributed model across Ontario (in both English and French), accepting an additional 200 students into the schools.

Ontario Health Teams: a primary care perspective
Last week’s webinar with Karima Kanani from Miller Thomson LLP reviewed primary care as a key component for Ontario Health Teams, and how this health system reform will impact AFHTO members. Key features of the Connecting Care Act were discussed, as well as OHT requirements, the role of primary care in OHTs, and tips for proactive planning. The presentation and recording are now on our website.

Ministry updates and related news
Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019: On June 5th, the government introduced legislation that would allow them to manage public sector compensation growth – the Protecting a Sustainable Public Sector for Future Generations Act, 2019. The legislation is undergoing public consultations over the summer with the opportunity to provide feedback to the government on the Act.  

At first glance this appears to be focusing on managing environments with collective agreements, but we know that there are some concerns about the potential impact on our teams, especially in relation to the rollout of next year’s R&R funding. We hope to have a briefing over the summer to get more details and will pass them along when we have more answers.

Ontario Health Teams Timelines Extended: due to the large volume of self assessment submissions, the timelines for the Ontario Health Teams has been extended

OMA information webinar on Ontario Health Teams
The OMA is hosting an information webinar on OHTs tonight – the webinar will be led by Dr. Jim Wright, Chief, Economics, Policy & Research, who will be joined by Dara Laxer, Executive Director, Economics, Policy and Research, Jennifer Gold, Director, Legal & Governance and Sarah Hutchinson, OntarioMD, Chief Executive Officer. There will be a presentation providing updates on OHTs followed by questions.

When: Jun 11, 2019 7:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance.

LeaderShift Conference July 11

The LeaderShift Conference is fast approaching and will welcome the Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, the Honourable Christine Elliott. See the schedule at a glance and register here.

Seeking physiotherapists’ input
Do you practice as a physiotherapist in a primary health care organization in Ontario (e.g. family health team, community health centre, etc.)? Consider completing this brief survey being led by researchers at Queen’s University. It seeks to describe the current state of physiotherapy integration in primary health care organizations in Ontario. You’ll have a chance to enter a random draw to win a $100 gift-card after completing the survey.

NP Patient Choice Award
Nominations for NPAO’s NP Patient Choice Award are submitted by patients, based on
their description of their nurse practitioner’s professional qualities, approach to patient care and specific stories of dedication and how the nurse practitioner has made a difference in their lives or the lives
of others. You can post this flyer to encourage patients to submit a nomination. Deadline June 21, 2019.

ECHO complex patient management needs assessment survey
Project ECHO Complex Patient Management focuses on helping family physicians and nurse practitioners manage complexity in primary care, particularly where there is a need to integrate physical and mental health guidelines to prioritize care issues, or mental health concerns that are complicated by physical health concerns. Sessions take place via videoconference.

Help define the educational supports and curriculum that matter to you. Your responses to this short survey will help create the curriculum for the weekly ECHO-CPM sessions here.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Lucy.Trojanowski@camh.ca.

Environmental scan of social determinants of health and equity in primary care
Dr. Gary Bloch, St. Michael’s Hospital Academic FHT and Inner City FHT, is carrying out an environmental scan of primary care-based interventions into health inequities and the social determinants of health in Canada.

Visit our site to find out how you can participate.

For Patients: A Skill-Building Webinar on The Habits of Highly Effective Patient Partners, June 12, 2019
In this webinar, HQO will cover how patients can effectively contribute as patient partners in Ontario’s healthcare system. Learn more here.

Mental health and addiction QI collaborative webinar, June 13, 2019
Join CMHA, AMHO, and AFHTO for a 4-part webinar series on community and primary care QI projects and initiatives with a focus on mental health and addictions. Register here for the first webinar.

Primary Care Virtual Community, June 26, 2019
Attend the second webinar held by AFHTO, OCFP and The Change Foundation. This time, the focus is on the 10 High Impact Actions created in the UK, and the possibilities in Ontario. Learn more here.

Considerations for Primary Care Teams as a Not-for-Profit Corporation, July 17, 2019
Join AFHTO & Grant Thornton LLP for their second webinar in the Financial Webinar Series. Register here.