AFHTO sets up Operational Issues table with MOHLTC’s FHT Unit

FHTs want to deliver optimal interprofessional care to their patients and communities, and face many day-to-day challenges along the way.  Some of the operational issues we deal with require collaboration with or assistance from the MOHLTC’s FHT Unit. To help FHTs become much more effective in raising and resolving these operational issues, AFHTO has established an Operational Issues Working Group, supported by a continuous process to engage FHTs in identifying issues and potential solutions. The FHT Unit has agreed to meet quarterly with this Working Group. The first meeting was held today to review plans for the 2012/13 budget process. Four main topics were discussed:

• 2012-13 budget process:
  • AFHTO Working Group expressed appreciation for the Unit’s on-going work to improve budget processes and tighten up response time.
  • For next round, AFHTO Working Group has asked for a 2 month window to prepare submissions and get FHT board approvals, as well as the opportunity to receive feedback on previous submissions.
  • FHT Unit will communicate information about the budget process in the next “FHT to Print” newsletter, to be distributed in next week or so.
• Need for greater flexibility in budgets:
  • FHT Unit is seeking internal approvals to introduce greater flexibility among some FHT budget lines.  If approved, FHTs would still be required to report on a line-by-line basis but would be able to shift funding among specific groups of budget lines to meet needs.
• Sector-wide funding pressures:
  • AFHTO Working Group presented two key issues: need for funding to recruit and retain staff and for IT.
  • While acknowledging government’s goal to limit expenditure growth to 1%, AFHTO Working Group pressed the urgent need to address compensation as the Public Sector Compensation Restraint Act comes to a close. AFHTO, in partnership with the Association of Ontario Health Centres (AOHC) and the Nurse Practitioners Association of Ontario (NPAO) is seeking a meeting at the ADM level to review findings and recommendations from our joint research on recruitment and retention in primary care. (Report will be shared with members of all three associations in the new year.)
  • For IT, FHT Unit has agreed to develop some guidelines for a “life-cycle” approach to planning and funding IT, and AFHTO has offered assistance in doing so.
• FHT reporting and evaluation:
  • AFHTO and the FHT Unit share a common interest in revamping reporting so that it conveys more useful information about quality and performance. FHT Unit will arrange consultations with AFHTO, AOHC and Health Quality Ontario. Meanwhile the AFHTO board has set up a Performance and Sustainability Working Group to look into questions such as indicators and data needs.
  • NPAR pilot, involving 40 FHTs, will be evaluated in April/May. Decisions about further implementation will take place after the evaluation is complete.

AFHTO’s Executive Director will continue to maintain on-going contact and follow up on these and other issues between the quarterly meetings. Engaging FHTs in raising and resolving operational issues Each member of the Operational Issues Working Group is the “point person” for a group of AFHTO members:

• For FHT EDs in LHINs 1-4 and 12 (Erie St. Clair, South West, Waterloo Wellington, Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant, North Simcoe Muskoka):
  • Michelle Karker, ED East Wellington Community FHT
  • E-mail:  michelle.karker@ewfht.ca

• For FHT EDs in LHINs 5-8 (Mississauga Halton, Central West, Toronto Central, Central)
  • Kavita Mehta, ED South East Toronto FHT, Working Group Chair, AFHTO President
  • E-mail:  kavita.mehta@setfht.on.ca

• For FHT EDs in LHINs 9-11 (Central East, South East, Champlain):
  • Joyce Phillips, ED Kingston FHT
  • E-mail:  jphillips@kfhn.net

• For FHT EDs in LHINs 13-14 (North East, North West):
  • Randy Belair, ED Sunset Country FHT,  AFHTO Secretary
  • E-mail:  rbelair@kfht.ca

• For FHT Clinical Leads:
  • John McDonald, Lead Physician PrimaCare Community FHT, AFHTO Past President E-mail:  john.mcd1@sympatico.ca

We will be developing additional communication tools via social media, SurveyMonkey and the AFHTO members only website to support the goal to raise and resolve operational issues.  We look forward to the progress we can make for all through this collaboration.