Member News: relevant updates, patient engagement resources and learning opportunities

 Updates Relevant to Primary Care

• Ontario Budget Talks 2016: online portal to offer feedback on Ontario’s budget plans is open to the public. Take the opportunity to continue our work asking the government to improve access to primary care teams by addressing recruitment and retention.

• AFHTO initial response to Patients First: statement issued from AFHTO President in response to the Ministry’s discussion paper. Ongoing consultation with members is taking place to create a more in-depth and comprehensive response.

• Memo from the Minister on the Syrian refugee crisis: the Refugee Health Line fact sheet and list of LHIN contacts for local coordination now available.

• Study: focused on Ontario interprofessional team perspectives and experiences providing home-based primary care, itsauthors include AFHTO member-affiliated physicians.

• Report: Health Quality Ontario (HQO) and Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) on access to and quality of mental health services across the province.

 Patients: Outreach Initiative and Information to share

• CCO invitation to patient enrolment model physicians: using physician-linked correspondence to encourage cancer screening.

• Census: Statistics Canada is hiring 35000 people to collect the upcoming census. Consider posting these job opportunities in your waiting rooms.

  Events and Learning Opportunities

• Jan. 27 and Feb. 3, 2016, Free Privacy Training Webinars: for AFHTO Member Executive Directors (Jan. 27) and Board Chairs (Feb. 3)

• Feb. 1, 2016, D2D 3.0 Orientation Webinars: familiarizing members with the interactive display of the D2D 3.0 report

• Feb. 1, 2016, Webinar on Bariatric Surgery: last of a 3-part series, this webinar will review advanced bariatric nutrition. Past webinar recordings and materials are posted online.

• January 15, 22 & 29, 2016, Perinatal Mental Health (OTN Mini-series): presented by Mount Sinai Hospital Department of Psychiatry

• Jan. 23, 2016, Caring for Refugees in Primary Care: archived version of this free workshop will be available online (missed our notification? Follow us on  Twitter and  Facebook.)

• Ongoing, Enhanced 18-month Well Baby Visit: McMaster and partners offering free accredited courses online.