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  • Bits & Pieces: UpToDate price change and more

    Bits & Pieces: UpToDate price change and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • UpToDate price changes coming in October
    • Welcome to Veronica Jiang
    • Member stories
    • #AFHTO2022 updates- ED networking sessions and more
    • Long COVID materials and more
    • WSIB health and safety rebates are available – and they’re doubled for 2022!
    • Ministry and Ontario Health updates- MH data and substance use treatment
    • Toronto Geriatrics Update Course, Nov. 4, 2022
    • Upcoming events including Indigenous Cultural Safety and more

    UpToDate price changes coming in October

    AFHTO members are able to save on an individual subscription to UpToDate® and optional add-on products. (*Savings on annual and longer subscriptions only and based on subscription type).

    WoltersKluwer has informed us a price increase will go into effect October 1 for members, so now would be a good time to subscribe.

    EDs and Admin leads, if you need additional information to access these discounts, please email info@afhto.ca.

    Veronica

    Welcome to Veronica Jiang

    We’re happy to introduce Veronica Jiang, our new Manager, Finance and Corporate Affairs.
    After graduating from the University of Windsor, Veronica worked in both not-for-profit and financial service industries. She gained experience in reporting and compliance requirements for not-for-profit organizations in the Association of Ontario Midwives and Junior Achievement of Canada.

    Veronica takes pride in providing the best fund valuation, investment information reporting, and revenue governance services to institutional investors through her employment at CIBCMellon. Over the years, Veronica expanded her expertise to the areas of corporate finance, budgeting and forecasting, financial investment instruments, and data management. She is a lifelong learner, and her career ambition is to eliminate redundancy and manual input with the most cost-efficient technology.

    Welcome, Veronica to the team!

    Member stories

    Arnprior and District FHT and Ottawa Valley FHT – Family health team expansion in the works for Carleton Place

    Queen’s FHT – how system navigator Valerie Dewal, RN, helps high-needs patients through their health-care journeys (article in FLA OHT newsletter)

    #AFHTO2022 updates- ED networking sessions and more

    Reconnect and Reimagine: moving forward together

    Long COVID materials and more

    Recent updates include:

    We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:

    WSIB health and safety rebates are available – and they’re doubled for 2022!

    To help smaller businesses (businesses with 1-99 full-time employees) recover from the pandemic, the WSIB is doubling the rebates through their Health and Safety Excellence program this year – and they’re giving businesses $1,000 towards their health and safety plan!

    EDs/Admin Leads, lead clinicians and board chairs can join for a webinar on Thursday, September 22 from 12-1pm to learn more about the program benefits and how investing in health and safety keeps your employees safe and can boost your bottom line. Check out WSIB’s website for more information and click here to register for the webinar.

    Ministry and Ontario Health updates- MH data and substance use treatment

    Toronto Geriatrics Update Course, Nov. 4, 2022

    Content provided by Sinai Health and University Health Network and Dr. Samir K. Sinha (edited for length)

    You are invited to attend our 10th Annual CME Course, which has been designed to provide primary care providers and health care professionals with the latest practical and evidence-based knowledge in providing geriatric care. We are bringing back the highly requested Top 10 Geriatric Medicine Articles, as well as providing you with Updates on MAID, tools on how to Navigate a Cognitive Assessment, and lots of other surprises from well renowned professionals! You don’t want to miss this one.

    This year’s course will once again be delivered virtually. Just note that the day will run from 8:40 AM – 3:30 PM EDT.

    Registration is Open! Scholarships are also available to ensure this can be an accessible event. Please contact us if you need assistance.

    For further information, please visit our website. View the agenda here.

    Introduction to ICS: What It Is and Why It’s Important, Sep. 22, 2022
    First of a three-part webinar series, which will aim to provide OHTs with the knowledge and skills necessary to meaningfully engage and include Indigenous organizations and communities in the planning, design, delivery, and evaluation of health services. The first webinar will focus on the foundations of Indigenous Cultural Safety, in recognition that learning to apply culturally safe care is lifelong. Register here.

    Community of Practice: Infection Prevention and Control in Primary Care, Oct. 4- 31, 2022

    Quarterly (CoP) meetings hosted by Public Health Ontario to support Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) programs in Primary Care settings.  

    Sessions will be held on several dates and times for different regions. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Register with your verification code here.

    Social Prescribing Conference: Current Practices & Community Conversations, Oct. 20, 2022
    Virtual conference hosted by the Alliance. Find out more here.

    Practical Evidence for Informed Practice, Oct. 21-22, 2022
    Family medicine rapid fire conference. Find out more here.

  • Summer 2022 Highlights – AFHTO Leadership Council

    Summer Highlights 2022: 
    AFHTO Leadership Council and Meeting with the Ministry

    AFHTO met with the Primary Health Care Branch on August 24 and with the AFHTO Leadership Council on September 8. Below are highlights from those meetings and updates on work that is underway.

    AFHTO conference – Reconnect & Reimagine: Moving Forward Together

    • AFHTO’s annual conference is fast approaching. It will be a full day event on October 12 and is preceded by the AGM, dinner, fireside chat, and a social event the evening before. We hope members can join the day before, October 11, for the informal kick-off as we gather in person for the first time since October 2019.
    •  If you have not registered yet, please do so here. The early bird rate is available until September 28. If you do not have your discount member code, please email info@afhto.ca. 
    • Although the conference is hybrid this year, not all sessions will be virtual so try to come in person if you can. It will be nice to see many of you for the first time in three years!
    • Only events in the main ballroom will be available through livestreaming.
    •  We’d like to highlight two in-person sessions for EDs:
      • There will be an informal Q&A session for EDs/Admin Leads with Fernando Tavares, Program Manager, Primary Health Care Branch, and any senior program consultants who attend. It will be on October 11 before the AGM. This will be a great chance to chat with officials and your colleagues. Note: this session will be in person only, but we will explore options on how to share any relevant information after the conference. Registration for this will open shortly so stay tuned!
      • EDs/Admin Leads who are interested in leading a regional ED networking session on Wednesday, October 12, from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM are encouraged to contact bryn.hamilton@afhto.ca to reserve space by this Thursday, September 15.

    Nursing incentive update

    • We know that you are getting a lot of questions from your nursing team about when they will be receiving the temporary retention incentive. 
    • Despite what you may have heard, no funds have been flowed to interprofessional primary care teams (FHTs, NPLCs, AHACs, CHCs) or to nurses employed by family physicians or community specialists. Any team that has already provided funding to their nursing staff did it through their unspent dollars in their budgets OR, if affiliated with an academic institution, received it as a flowthrough from their parent organization.
    • As per the Ministry:
      • The Ministry continues the work of getting approval to allow for the flow of the funding for this sector. We are expecting that payment will be by the end of summer.  Nurses who applied to the Ministry for the incentive (these are nurses who are directly employed by family physicians or specialists) will receive their payments directly from us, not their employers. Again, late summer is the target. 

    NOTES:

    • Funding packages are complete and only require Minister’s Office approval. The biggest delay was due to verifying that the thousands of nurses who applied for the incentive were employed by a family physician or a community specialist. 
    • End of summer is September 21. If timelines are adjusted again, we will let you know.
    • Given the late funding, it is anticipated you will receive both payments at the same time.
    • Verified by HOOPP – this is a one-time ‘bonus’ and does not impact base salary and, as a result, has no impact on employer or employee contributions/deductions. 
    • If members have questions, they are encouraged to consult their senior program consultant.

    Compensation market review in primary and community care

    • Along with nine other associations in primary and community care, AFHTO is part of the Community Health Compensation Working Group that will do a compensation market review of salaries/benefits/pension in primary and community care. We are reviewing proposals from candidates who have responded to our RFP to lead this work.
    • While the scope of work will be finalised upon selection of the vendor, it is anticipated that this refresh will highlight the significant wage gaps in the sectors. This will help support a data-driven advocacy campaign on how to make pay fair and reasonable across these sectors. This is a fundamental piece of recruitment, retention, and, ultimately, healthcare delivery. 
    • As was done back in 2016-17 with our last market compensation work, advocacy tools for members will be developed. MPP advocacy will be important.
    • A more thorough update on this work will be provided once the vendor is confirmed and work is underway.

    FHT-Ministry contract update

    • At our August meeting, AFHTO updated the ministry on our consultations with members and stakeholders. The ministry is expecting to receive our FHT contract recommendations at the end of this month.
    • The council was joined by Dale McMurchy from McMurchy Consulting for an overview and discussion of the draft recommendations that have been co-designed by many of our members. 
    • The draft recommendations will be taken to the AFHTO board this week, be refined, and then submitted to the ministry for consideration. Discussion with the ministry will continue throughout the fall.
    • We ask members stay tuned for possible consultation this fall.

    Work underway on IHP roles and responsibilities

    • Members have requested updated information on roles and responsibilities of IHPs to aid in the coordination and management of care in their teams. The last time such a document was available was in 2007 and there have been significant changes in scopes of practice since then.
    • Working with our IHPs, AFHTO has completed the first draft of the guidance document, entitled Guidance to Interprofessional Healthcare Provider Team Roles and Responsibilities. To support next steps, IHPs have been invited to participate in focus group sessions to strengthen and validate the draft guidance for teams. 
    • We want this to be truly designed by the IHPs in teams so if you have any IHPs that would be interested in participating in the focus groups, please reach out to abisola.otepola@afhto.ca. 
    • Please share the invitation with your relevant networks to maximize participation.

    Register now! A webinar on WSIB health and safety rebates 

    • WSIB is not a requirement for FHTs and NPLCs, but many teams have voluntarily enrolled in the program as a best practice to support the occupational health and safety of employees. 
    • To help smaller businesses recover from the pandemic (1-99 full-time employees), the WSIB is doubling the rebates through their Health and Safety Excellence Program this year – and they’re giving businesses $1,000 towards their health and safety plan.
    • Join us for a webinar on Thursday, September 22, from 12 PM to 1 PM to learn more about the program’s benefits and how investing in health and safety not only keeps your employees safe but can boost your bottom line. 
    • Register here!

    REMINDER: Please help AFHTO update its resource page!

    • AFHTO is reviewing the tools and resources page on our website so that resources are up to date and relevant. We’ve asked EDs on the AFHTO Leadership Council to ask fellow EDs about tools they’d share. Most beneficial are governance, finance, and HR manuals.
    • If you’re an ED, please expect to hear from your ED rep if you haven’t already. You can also send any resources to alexander.christy@afhto.ca or bryn.hamilton@afhto.ca
    • We thank teams for sharing their resources with others, and it is very helpful for your peers.

    As we move into the fall, we continue to thank you for the great work you all do. If there are ways we can support you, please let us know. 

  • AFHTO 2022 Conference: announcing our closing speaker

    AFHTO 2022 Conference: announcing our closing speaker

    Reconnect and Reimagine: moving forward together

     

    Bee is smiling. She has an updo and is wearing hoop earrings, a blue and brown floral top with jeans and brown boots. She sits on a stool at an angle.

    Featuring Bee Quammie
    The Power and Pitfalls of Resilience

    What if we didn’t need to be so resilient? Bee Quammie takes a new approach to addressing resilience by outlining the ongoing need to do the work for each other so that there are fewer obstacles to face that require such perseverance.

    While it’s meaningful to celebrate the resilience of individuals, we must also push for change in the systems and norms that have made resilience a necessity for many. Full description here.

     

    Register today!

    New sessions

    Hotel deadline Sep. 19
    A block of rooms at the Sheraton has been set aside at a discounted rate. Book by September 19th to take advantage of the $285 group rate (plus tax, single/double occupancy); after this date, availability and prices cannot be guaranteed. Click here to book online.

    Program host and other volunteer opportunities
    One of our program hosts had to cancel so we have an opening! These volunteers help keep our sessions on track and get complimentary registration in return. See the role description here and email paula.myers@afhto.ca if you’re interested.

    We also have volunteer opportunities onsite for deeply discounted registration, such as registration desk, attendee assistance at breakfast and lunch and wayfinding. Email us for more information.

    Conference Highlights:

    We’ll also release more information about other sessions so stay tuned!

    Patients and students welcome! For general information, you can visit our conference page.  

    We look forward to seeing you at the AFHTO 2022 Conference!

  • QI in Action eBulletin #121: Primary Care Ontario Practice-Based Learning and Research Network (POPLAR)

    QI in Action eBulletin #121: Primary Care Ontario Practice-Based Learning and Research Network (POPLAR)

    In this Issue:

    • What is POPLAR and How to Join
    • Examining the Work Done by Interprofessional Healthcare Providers
    • Pan-Canadian Study on Outpatient Interventions for Mild to Moderate COVID-19
    • CareCanvas: A New Tool to Support Practice Improvement
    • Upcoming Events

     

    What is POPLAR and How to Join
    Content below developed by POPLAR

    The Primary Care Ontario Practice-based Learning and Research Network (POPLAR) is an initiative of Ontario’s six University Departments/Sections of Family Medicine and the Alliance for Healthier Communities. POPLAR works with clinicians, researchers, and policy makers, providing information on the vital work primary care does, while supporting practices in delivering optimal care across Ontario.

    POPLAR securely collects and de-identifies electronic medical record (EMR) data. Currently, over 1,000 primary care providers are contributing EMR data for over 1.5 million patients to the POPLAR database. The time and effort it takes to safely and securely contribute is minimal. All you need do is fill out a consent form and a brief survey; POPLAR staff will coordinate data extraction at your practice, with all safeguards in place.

    If you are interested in registering, or if you would like to find out more information about POPLAR, please visit www.poplarnetwork.ca or contact info@poplarnetwork.ca.

    Collectively, primary care’s voice can be heard by providing safe and secure access to real-world data; this is possible with your help!  

    Examining the Work Done by Interprofessional Healthcare Providers in Primary Care Teams
    Content below developed by AFHTO & POPLAR

    Interprofessional Healthcare Providers (IHPs) are key members of interprofessional teams.  Disciplines include nursing, social work, clinical pharmacy, dietetics, chiropody and more. IHPs run programs that include, amongst others, diabetes education, mental health supports, and smoking cessation. However, the impact of patient encounters by IHPs and through IHP-led programs on health outcomes at a larger scale is challenging to capture.  

    Billing data are often used to measure and monitor services to patients provided by physicians on a provincial scale. Since IHPs do not bill OHIP, these data are of limited value for examining their work. AFHTO has been working on finding ways to show the value of interprofessional healthcare providers for many years and the standardized, cleaned, and curated provincial-level EMR data for analytics available through POPLAR provides an avenue to do this work.

    Currently, AFHTO is working with POPLAR on a project that involves developing methods to determine which encounters involved IHPs from which discipline, and what types of encounters these were. Larger scale information on IHP work can then be used to correlate patient outcomes and IHP activity. Knowing more about what IHPs do and their impact on patient care and outcomes is a key aspect of planning for team-based care across Ontario.

    To learn more about this project, visit us at the AFHTO Conference during Concurrent Session A: The Value of IHPs In Team-Based Primary Care: Large Scale Measurement and Effects on Outcomes.

    POPLAR to Help Lead Pan-Canadian Study of Outpatient Interventions for Mild to Moderate COVID-19

    Content below developed by CanTreatCOVID Team & POPLAR

    CanTreatCOVID Canadian Adaptive Platform Trial of Treatments for COVID in Community Settings To the left is a graphic of stylised molecule with pills at the center

    While public health measures and vaccines have reduced the impact of COVID-19, most scientists predict that new variants will continue to emerge, and that the virus will become endemic. The Canadian Adaptive Platform Trial of Treatments for COVID in Community Settings (CanTreatCOVID) spans 6 provinces across Canada and aims to identify effective and affordable out-patient medications for COVID-19 so that they can be made readily available in community settings, including for those at a higher risk for hospitalization and death.

    Currently, the evidence supporting existing medications is weak and provincial guidelines are complex, making decision-making by health care providers, provincial decision-makers, public health leaders, and patients extremely difficult. Adaptive platform trials (APTs) are designed to concurrently compare multiple interventions and allow the inclusion, exclusion, and removal of treatment arms over time-based on a decision algorithm. This makes APTs uniquely suited to studying medications for this novel and dynamic virus.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, APTs have been crucial in identifying what does and does not work in the treatment of COVID-19 among in-patients, and CanTreatCOVID hopes to replicate this success at the community level. The trial is open to Canadian residents aged 50 years and older, or between the ages of 18 and 49 with 1 or more chronic high-risk medical condition or immunosuppression. Eligible patients must also be within the first 5 days of experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19 and test positive for the condition.

    In Ontario, building on work done in the past 10+ years, POPLAR will be supporting CanTreatCOVID’s multi-faceted recruitment strategy through prospective recruitment of patients using EMR data from its primary care research and learning networks.

    Recruitment of patients is set to launch in late 2022. To find out how you and your patients can participate, follow the project through their webpage and newsletter, or on Twitter using #CanTreatCOVID.

    CareCanvas: A New Tool to Support Practice Improvement

    Content below developed by the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine & POPLAR

    The University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine and the POPLAR network are launching a new tool to support practice improvement. CareCanvas is an interactive web-based dashboard that summarizes clinical information from your practice EMR to make it easier to care for your patients. Three types of dashboards are available: one for physicians, one for clinics, and one for Ontario Health Teams.

    CareCanvas summarizes more than 15 quality of care measures including information on diabetes, hypertension, prescribing, and immunizations. You can see trends in your practice over time and can compare your practice to your peers. For some measures, you can see differences in care by age, gender, and neighbourhood income. Click here to view the dashboard.

    CareCanvas makes it easier for you to catch up on chronic disease and preventative care. Physicians can download a list of at-risk patients who would benefit from follow-up.

    CareCanvas is private, secure, and available at no cost. Physicians will be able to use their OneID account to sign-in. Data will be updated approximately every 6 months.

    To access CareCanvas, physicians need to use Telus Practice Solutions, Accuro, or Oscar and contribute their data to one of the seven Practice Based Research Networks that make up the POPLAR network.

    Starting in November, CareCanvas will be available to existing UTOPIAN contributors, with plans to expand the program to all of POPLAR in early 2023.  There is no limit to the number of physicians that can sign up and the value of CareCanvas will grow as more physicians participate and contribute data to POPLAR.

     

    Upcoming Events

    POPLAR Webinar Series: EDIIA in Research
    Equitably improving primary health care requires research and practice-based learning that are thoroughly grounded in the principles of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility (EDIIA). POPLAR, Ontario’s provincial primary healthcare Practice-Based Learning and Research Network has the vision to advance equitable primary healthcare delivery and health outcomes for everyone in Ontario, and is hosting the following webinars for anyone who wants to learn more about building these principles into their work:

     
    Part 3: Embedding Equity in Leadership and Teams- Measuring EDIIA
    Wednesday, September 21, 2022, 12-1 pm | Dr. Nicole Kaniki, University of Toronto
    Learn more and register here.

    Part 4: EDIIA and Data – Building Capacity
    Wednesday, October 19, 2022, 12-1 pm | Dr. Andrew Pinto, Upstream Labs
    Learn more and register here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference
    Thursday, September 22 to Friday September 23, 2022
    This year’s theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    HSPN OHT Webinar: Leadership Survey Results
    Tuesday, September 27, 2022, 12-1:30 pm
    This webinar will provide new findings from the HSPN Organizing for Ontario Health Teams’ Survey comparing and contrasting current state with results from the same surveys undertaken in 2020 and 2021. Register here.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Conference
    Thursday, September 29 to Friday, September 30, 2022
    Learn how to take advantage of innovative technologies to realize more of their benefits and integrate them with your EMR workflows. Find out more here.
     
    AFHTO 2022 Conference
    Wednesday, October 12, 2022
    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together. Members get more than 50% off registration. Register here.

     

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #120 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Family health team expansion in the works for Carleton Place

    Inside Ottawa Valley Published an article on September 10, 2022

    By Tara Gesner

    Beckwith local Karen Simpson feels strongly that Carleton Place needs a family health team to serve Beckwith and Carleton Place residents.

    “I see the benefits of a family health team through my work in Arnprior,” she told Carleton Place council on Aug. 23.

    Simpson is the executive director of the Arnprior and District Family Health Team and is aiding Ottawa Valley Family Health Team (OVFHT) executive director Peter Hamer to bring a family health team to Carleton Place.

    “Not having a family health team in Carleton Place makes it much more difficult to recruit physicians,” Simpson said. “Family physicians look for team-based care these days.

    “Carleton Place and Beckwith are growing significantly, looking at projections, so we know we will need more physicians,” she added.

    A family health team is a community-centred primary care organization whose programs and services are geared to the population groups it serves. Located in Almonte, the OVFHT is funded by the province’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC).

    According to Hamer, the MOHLTC has a significant interest in expanding the teams, but almost none in creating new ones. Hence, an application is before the Ministry of Health, submitted in May 2022, for the extension of the OVFHT.

    The proposal looks at additional nurse practitioners, registered nurses, registered practical nurses, mental health workers, dietitians, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and psychologists. They offer a myriad of programs and services — from individual ones provided to patients but also those aimed at health prevention to management of chronic illness (diabetes, obesity, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, frailty in older adults, hypertension, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation and more).

    “We want to bring these allied health-care professionals and resources into Carleton Place,” Hamer noted. “It is both a significant need and value for the Carleton Place and Beckwith communities.”

    He explained: “If you are a patient of a doctor in Carleton Place and need to see a psychotherapist, dietician, diabetic educator, etc., you pay for these programs and services if you do not have benefits. However, you do not pay if you have a family health team that supports your doctor.”

    In Almonte, the OVFHT is co-located with the municipality’s doctors but physicians are not participants in the team.

    Carleton Place physicians voted unanimously to support the extension of the OVFHT, recognizing it as a retention and recruitment strategy.

    “This was a key component,” Hamer stressed. “We needed to have the physicians buy into it.”
    Another critical piece to making this successful is finding a location — creating a space to colocate the physicians with the family health team.

    “Across the province, it is the model that works the best,” Hamer indicated.

    Currently, there are five offices in Carleton Place and Beckwith that house the family physicians.

    “We are working hard with some developers and the family health team resources to bring everybody under one roof,” Hamer stated. “This is what new graduates want.”

    The ministry has recommended the OVFHT form a working group that involves members (individuals, politicians, etc.) from the two municipalities. Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston MPP John Jordan has already agreed to participate as well as representatives from Beckwith and the health-care sector.

    “Carleton Place council’s support means everything because it is by working together that we will move this forward and get it funded,” Simpson said.

    With the upcoming municipal election, Mayor Doug Black commented: “No matter who is elected, I am sure you would get support for this initiative. It is long overdue.”

    “Carleton Place is a lovely town with a really good hospital and some really dedicated health-care professionals who want to do good things for the community,” Hamer pointed out.

    Simpson and Hamer also met with Beckwith council earlier this summer.

    The OVFHT executive director is confident ministry approval will come by the end of this calendar year or fiscal year (March 2023).

    “Fingers-crossed it goes through, but I do not have any doubts,” Hamer expressed.

  • Bits & Pieces: bivalent COVID-19 booster dose and more

    Bits & Pieces: bivalent COVID-19 booster dose and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Ontarians aged 18+ eligible for bivalent COVID-19 booster dose
    • Reminder- Wellness Check: Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress, Sep. 15
    • New resources- Cannabis and Older Adults
    • Reminder- submit questions for the fireside chat with the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health by Sep. 23
    • OHT and PHU fall vaccine collaboration and more
    • Program extensions to 2023 for publicly funded vaccines
    • Upcoming events including Long COVID and more

     

     

    Ontarians aged 18+ eligible for bivalent COVID-19 booster dose

    Bivalent COVID-19 boosters are available to vulnerable populations immediately. All Ontarians aged 18+ will be eligible as of September 26 and can book through the provincial booking line or call 1-833-943-3900. Vaccines also will be available to primary care clinics who wish to provide them – please contact your PHU for more details.

    Read the full news release here.

    Reminder- Wellness Check: Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress, Sep. 15

    Hosted in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario, participants will have the opportunity to gain insight into change processes and their impact on workplace mental health. Learn more and register here.

    Cannabis and Older Adults infographic

     

     

    New resources- Cannabis and Older Adults

    The Cannabis and Older Adults eLearning modules by CCSMH Canadian Coalition for Seniors Mental Health are still available, and new resources are available in both English and French. New material will be added over the next few months. Current titles include:

    • Assessing Appropriateness of Medical Cannabis for Older Adults
    • Optimizing Communication with Older Adults About Cannabis
    • Monitoring for Potential Adverse Effects of Cannabis Among Older Adults

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Reminder- submit questions for the fireside chat with the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health by Sep. 23

    We are pleased to welcome Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Catherine Zahn, and Ontario Health CEO, Matt Anderson, to the AFHTO conference this year at our pre-conference fireside chat on Oct. 11! Together, we will have an informal conversation about the current state of health care in Ontario, including their reflection on the role of primary care during the pandemic and in the build back of the health care system in the province.

    Moderated by AFHTO’s past president, Dr. Allan Grill, this session will be an important opportunity to hear about the work the government is doing. We encourage members to join and to submit questions by Sep. 23, 2022. Register with your verification code here.

    OHT and PHU fall vaccine collaboration and more

    Recent updates include:

    We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:

    Program extensions to 2023 for publicly funded vaccines

    Content below provided by Ministry of Health

    The Ministry of Health put out a guidance document to communicate the extended eligibility for publicly funded vaccines for high risk and school-based programs (see here for English and French). Since several vaccines have age- or grade-based eligibility, some individuals may have missed their opportunity to receive the recommended vaccines under the publicly funded program as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This document indicates the applicable vaccines for continued access for missed doses beyond the age or grade-based eligibility criteria and outlines eligible cohorts, and the timeframe individuals must receive their missed vaccine doses.

    Primary Care & Covid-19 Support CoP, Sep. 14, 2022
    Hosted by OH, there are updates on Covid-19 trends and impacts from a provincial perspective; Covid-19 Clinical Pathways/resources; Ontario Health’s Guidance for the Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care in Primary Care. Register here.

    Long COVID, Sep. 16, 2022

    49th in the series ‘Changing the way we work’- OCF and UofT DFCM COVID-19 CoP. Register here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022
    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Conference, Sep. 29-30, 2022
    Virtual conference hosted by OntarioMD. Find out more here.

    Community of Practice: Infection Prevention and Control in Primary Care, Oct. 4- 31, 2022

    Quarterly (CoP) meetings hosted by Public Health Ontario to support Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) programs in Primary Care settings.  

    Sessions will be held on several dates and times for different regions. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Register with your verification code here.

  • AFHTO 2022 Conference: less than 3 weeks to early bird deadline

    AFHTO 2022 Conference: less than 3 weeks to early bird deadline

    Reconnect and Reimagine: moving forward together

     

    Register before Sep. 28!

    Time to harness that back-to-school energy and register for the conference– there are less than 3 weeks to the early bird deadline!

    via GIPHY

    Networking update
    Social workers can sign up for focus groups by Sep. 9. Details on this and sessions for other groups and interests here.

    Volunteer opportunities
    We have volunteer opportunities onsite for deeply discounted registration, such as registration desk, attendee assistance at breakfast and lunch and wayfinding. Email us for more information.

    Conference Highlights:

    We’ll also release more information about other sessions so stay tuned!

    Patients and students welcome! For general information, you can visit our conference page.  

    We look forward to seeing you at the AFHTO 2022 Conference!

  • Bits & Pieces: aconitine poisoning memo and more

    Bits & Pieces: aconitine poisoning memo and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • CMOH memo re aconitine poisoning
    • Reminder- Wellness Check: Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress, Sep. 15
    • Member stories
    • Submit questions for the fireside chat with the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health by Sep. 23
    • First boosters open for children 5- to 11-years-old and more
    • Reminder – deadline to email re social worker focus groups at #AFHTO2022 is Sep. 9
    • Upcoming events including Immunizations Across the Lifespan and more

     

    CMOH memo re aconitine poisoning

    “I am writing to notify all healthcare providers and local public health units that the Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation concerning aconitine poisoning cases reported in Ontario this week. I am urging all healthcare providers to be alert for patients presenting with symptoms that are consistent with aconitine poisoning.”

    Read the full memo here.

    Reminder- Wellness Check: Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress, Sep. 15

    Hosted in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario, participants will have the opportunity to gain insight into change processes and their impact on workplace mental health. Learn more and register here.

    Member stories

    Central Lambton FHT- Health team among the few accepting patients

    Peninsula FHT – Health unit commends Peninsula FHT for COVID-19 efforts

    Queens FHT – Nine new family doctors to practice in the City of Kingston

    Submit questions for the fireside chat with the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health by Sep. 23

    Dr. Catherine Zahn profile picture shows her smiling with a closed mouth. She has a silver haired pixie cut and is wearing a dark grey top with black polka dots, grey pearl earrings and a statement necklace Matt Anderson

    We are pleased to welcome Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Catherine Zahn, and Ontario Health CEO, Matt Anderson, to the AFHTO conference this year at our pre-conference fireside chat on Oct. 11! Together, we will have an informal conversation about the current state of health care in Ontario, including their reflection on the role of primary care during the pandemic and in the build back of the health care system in the province.

    Moderated by AFHTO’s past president, Dr. Allan Grill, this session will be an important opportunity to hear about the work the government is doing. We encourage members to join and to submit questions by Sep. 23, 2022.

    First boosters open for children 5- to 11-years-old and more

    Recent updates include:

    We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:

    Reminder – deadline to email re social worker focus groups at #AFHTO2022 is Sep. 9

    Content below provided by University of Toronto
    We want to hear your thoughts on how social work practice is organized and supported in primary care! Take part in a 60-minute focus groups with other social workers to discuss how social work practice has shifted during the pandemic. We’ll be hosting focus groups in-person at the AFHTO 2022 Conference and invite you to join the discussion. Please note the in-person focus groups are for conference attendees but we’ll also host online focus groups for social workers who are not attending the conference.

    To participate, please email Simon at sck.lam@utoronto.ca by Friday, September 9 and let us know if you will be attending the conference.

    This study from the University of Toronto is led by Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft, Associate Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and supported by the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario and the Ontario Association of Social Workers.

    Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: A Three-Part Series, starting Sep. 15, 2022
    Hosted by ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health. Register here.

    Immunizations Across the Lifespan, Sep. 17, 2022

    Hosted by Canadian Collaborative Research Network for family physicians and pharmacists. Register here.

    OMGMA Conference 2022: Together Again, Sep. 21- 23, 2022
    In-person event in Mississauga. Register here.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Conference, Sep. 29-30, 2022
    Virtual conference hosted by OntarioMD. Find out more here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022
    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Register with your verification code here.

  • First boosters open for children 5- to 11-years-old, updated public health guidance going into the fall

    September 1, 2022

    Dear members,

    Yesterday, the government announced that first boosters for children 5- to 11-years-old would be available as of today through the provincial COVID-19 vaccination portal or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900.

    Primary care plays a huge role in the delivery of paediatric vaccines, including with counselling and educating parents and family members. If you haven’t yet done so or haven’t heard about the distribution of the paediatric vaccines, please contact your public health unit or the COVID-19 delegated vaccine lead.

    COVID-19 Paediatric Vaccination in Primary Care
    The ministry has shared the primary care update for vaccine implementation for the week of August 29.

    Vaccination uptake for children 0-4 years old is very low with first dose sitting at only 4.4% in Ontario. As of today, children 5- to 11-years-old qualify for their first booster, with a recommended interval of 6 months since the second dose (minimal of 3 months). Though the discretionary NACI recommendation is that this should be available to any child aged 5 to 11, the priority population is those with an underlying medical condition that places them at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19.

    A reminder that the following resources are available:

    Updated Public Health Guidance
    In yesterday’s announcement, CMOH Dr. Moore presented updated public health guidance to manage COVID-19 during the respiratory illness season this fall. Some of the key highlights include:

    • If you are in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, continue to self- monitor for symptoms. There is no longer a need to isolate but you should wear a mask for 10 days when in public.
    • If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, cough, or runny nose, stay home from school, work, and social events until your fever is gone and symptoms are improving, get a rapid antigen test or, if eligible, a PCR test. Wear a mask for 10 days after and avoid non-essential visits to high-risk individuals and settings.

    A reminder that you can still access PPE and RATs through the provincial stockpile, along with oxygen saturation monitors that are available to order for the COVID@Home program.

    Additional resources

    • Memo – Paxlovid prescribing in primary care – Testing and tools – EN and FR– OH, Aug. 30, 2022
    • Addendum: Guidelines for Pandemic Stockpile Use- EN and FR – MOH, Aug. 24, 2022
    • COVID-19 Vaccine Administration (version 7.0) –  EN – MOH, Aug. 31, 2022
    • COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Recommendations (version 9.0) – EN – MOH, Aug. 31, 2022
    • Management of Cases and Contacts of COVID-19 in Ontario –  EN and FR – MOH, Aug. 31, 2022

    We know this fall will be challenging with the backlog you are trying to manage and bracing for the release of the influenza and the highly anticipated bivalent vaccines. As always, we’ll provide you with information as it becomes available, but please always feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

    In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the last few days of summer and continue to stay healthy and safe.

    Yours in good health,

    Your AFHTO Team

  • Bits & Pieces: deadline to come to #AFHTO2022 for free and more

    Bits & Pieces: deadline to come to #AFHTO2022 for free and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Deadline to come to #AFHTO2022 for free is today
    • Reminder- Wellness Check: Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress, Sep. 15
    • Member stories
    • Paxlovid memo, addendum to COVID-19 PPE guidance and more

     
    • Integrate early literacy into your practice with Early Words/Premiers mots
    • Ontario Health seeking feedback on a new quality standard: sickle cell disease
    • Upcoming events including Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health and more

    Deadline to come to #AFHTO2022 for free is today
    We have several openings for program hosts. These volunteers help keep our sessions on track and get complimentary registration in return. See the role description here and email paula.myers@afhto.ca if you’re interested. Deadline Aug. 31, 2022.

    Reminder- Wellness Check: Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress, Sep. 15

    Hosted in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario, participants will have the opportunity to gain insight into change processes and their impact on workplace mental health. Learn more and register here.

    Member stories

    A large group of CarePoint Health staff stand in front of their logo in thier building

    CarePoint Health – PMH Success Story: CarePoint Health

    Credit Valley FHT – Canada experiencing shortage of family doctors

    Paxlovid memo, addendum to COVID-19 PPE guidance and more

    Recent updates include:

    • Memo – Paxlovid prescribing in primary care – Testing and tools – EN and FR– OH, Aug. 30, 2022
    • Addendum: Guidelines for Pandemic Stockpile Use- EN and FR – MOH, Aug. 24, 2022

    We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:

    Integrate early literacy into your practice with Early Words/Premiers mots

    The Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation is inviting clinics and hospitals across Canada to apply to join its Early Words/Premier mots program. Early Words provides healthcare professionals with resources, training, and books to deliver early literacy support to families with babies and young children.

    If your team serves children from newborn to age five who face barriers to literacy, you can learn more here, and apply to join here. Expressions of interest are due by Sep. 30. For more information please email earlywords@childrensliteracy.ca.

    Ontario Health seeking feedback on a new quality standard: sickle cell disease
    Ontario Health is developing a new quality standard for sickle cell disease and invite you to review the draft and offer feedback. Primary care providers can play a key role in monitoring of symptoms and management of chronic complications for people with sickle cell disease. The quality standard and patient guide will be available for review here from September 2 to 23.

    Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health: A Three-Part Series, starting Sep. 15, 2022
    Hosted by ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health. Register here.

    Immunizations Across the Lifespan, Sep. 17, 2022

    Hosted by Canadian Collaborative Research Network for family physicians and pharmacists. Register here.

    OMGMA Conference 2022: Together Again, Sep. 21- 23, 2022
    In-person event in Mississauga. Register here.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Conference, Sep. 29-30, 2022
    Virtual conference hosted by OntarioMD. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Register with your verification code here.