Ultimate Blogging Championship

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  • Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report, Provincial Antigen Screening Program and Last Chance to Order Oxygen Saturation Monitors

    Dear Triad Members,

    Please see below for some important information from Ontario Health.

    Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report
    Together with their stakeholders, Ontario Health will be providing family physicians with a new report to help you identify patients in your panel that have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Additional supports will help you to identify who in your practice has not yet been vaccinated.

    This Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report will be available for all primary care providers who practice as part of a patient enrollment model (FHO, FHG, FHN, or CCM).  A OneID account is required to access the report. Please see the attached memo from Ontario Health about this important initiative. This report is not yet available to NPLCs and CHCs and we are seeking clarity for the BSM model as well.  

    Just a reminder that Health Report Manager (HRM) has been pushing data prospectively to primary care providers when their name has been collected through COVaxON at point of vaccination. Further information around HRM COVaxON Vaccination Reports can be found on the OntarioMD website here.

    COVID vaccination data is also available through the provincial clinical viewers, Connecting Ontario and Clinical Connect. Access to the viewers can be requested via Ontario Health’s Digital Health Service’s website.

    Provincial Antigen Screening Program
    Led by the Ministry of Health, with support from partner ministries, Public Health Ontario and Ontario Health, the Provincial Antigen Screening Program (PASP) provides free rapid antigen test kits to any organization that is open and requires individuals to be on-site, including primary care practices. The PASP allows employers in priority settings to add an additional safety measure in high-risk and essential workplaces, to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

    Through the program, rapid antigen point-of-care tests (POCTs) can be distributed to primary care settings to enhance existing routine screening measures for asymptomatic employees and other identified groups. Please see attached memo for more information about the PASP and how you can order test kits for your clinics.

    Oxygen saturation of COVID home monitoring
    The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unexpected surges in demand on the provincial healthcare system, and healthcare settings across the province face patient capacity constraints, potentially affecting care for all patients. To help ease these constraints, Ontario Health is providing tools and resources for COVID@Home to help primary care providers who wish to remotely monitor people who have mild to moderate COVID-19 in the community.

    Oxygen saturation monitors are still available to be ordered by primary care clinics and interprofessional primary care team offices through the provincial pandemic stockpile until June 30th. Thank you to all the teams that are also participating in the COVID@Home or other programs that support patients with mild to moderate in their homes – if you are interested in the clinical pathways to help support the development of a program in your team please click here.

    As always please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

  • AFHTO 2021 Conference: create YOUR virtual conference. Sign up by July 8

    AFHTO 2021 Conference: create YOUR virtual conference. Sign up by July 8

    Post-Pandemic Primary Care: Respond, Recover, Rebuild

    Join a working group

    You can make an impact by joining a working group today. Come behind the scenes and be the first to learn about new developments in the field, influence conference programming and discover the latest innovators in areas directly relevant to your work. Working group members also receive a discount off their registration fee.  

    Please extend this invitation along to your patients, colleagues, and staff. Having diverse voices, especially patients, in the working groups helps us build a varied and relevant program.

    Conference Themes

    We’re setting up working groups for posters and the Bright Lights Awards program. Sessions will be streamlined this year and curated by staff (i.e., there will be panels and keynote speakers for example instead of concurrent sessions). We will continue to have regularly scheduled webinars focused on primary care teams’ needs for the rest of the year so as always send in your suggestions! For this conference, we welcome speaker suggestions so let us know your thoughts as the five conference themes will focus on:

    1. Beyond our walls: expanding access to interprofessional team-based care
    2. Primary care leading in health system transformation
    3. Harnessing the power of relationships
    4. Right care at the right time: building digital models of care
    5. Equity as the foundation in delivery of care

    (Full descriptions here)

    Working Group Details

    Concurrent program working group members:
    The task requires a total of 4-10 hours of effort in August, specifically:

    • June 29 to July 30: AFHTO staff will manage the call for proposals process.
    • August 4 to 18: each working group member individually reviews and scores poster abstracts for their program.
    • August 19 to 27: working groups will meet via Zoom to review scores and determine the program for this theme.

    Sign up by July 8, 2021, to confirm your participation and select your preferred conference theme.

    Bright Lights logo

    “Bright Light” Awards Review Committee:
    The task requires a total of 6-12 hours in August, specifically to individually review and score nominations followed by a group teleconference to determine the award winners. Sign up by July 8, 2021.

    We may also need volunteers “onsite” during the conference itself. There may be other duties as we update our conference program but like other volunteers described above, onsite volunteers will receive discounted conference registration. Sign up today.

    Registration Fees for Conference Working Groups:

    • Conference working group members and presenters receive a discount off their registration fee (to be announced shortly)
    • We understand patients face additional financial and time pressures and do not want the registration fee to limit participation in a working group. Patients participating in full in a conference working group will be eligible for complimentary registration (to be determined once the working group task is complete).  

    AFHTO members still receive a significant discount on conference registration fees (coming soon).

    Conference key dates:*

    • June 29, 2021 Call for poster and Bright Lights opens
    • July 30, 2021 Deadline for poster and Bright Lights submissions
    • July 2021 Conference registration opens
    • October 27-28, 2021 AFHTO 2021 Conference

    *All dates subject to change, except the conference dates.

    To our sponsors, the sponsorship prospectus is coming soon. For more information, you can contact us by phone (647-234-8605) or e-mail (info@afhto.ca).

  • 2021 Conference Themes

    2021 Conference Themes

    Tectonic shifts: rebuilding primary care in a new world
    (more…)

  • Bits & Pieces: PTSD, relationships & accessible supports, farewell to Rachel and more

    Bits & Pieces: PTSD, relationships & accessible supports, farewell to Rachel and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14
    • Farewell to Rachel So
    • Attn: Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk only available live
    • Call for applications to Indigenous and expanded midwifery programs
    • Member stories
    • Q&A for mixed COVID-19 mRNA vaccine schedules and more
    • COVID@Home: winding down of distribution pathways for oxygen saturation monitors
    • Mental health of northern Ontario nurses working during COVID-19 study
    • Upcoming events regarding providing care to 2SLGBTQ persons and more

    PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14

    Co-hosted with Couple HOPES, join this webinar with Dr. Candice Monson, Professor of Psychology at Ryerson University, Director of the IMPACT psychology research lab, and Registered Clinical Psychologist as she discusses posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and relationships.

    During this webinar, you will learn about:

    • PTSD and its symptoms;
    • how PTSD impacts relationships;
    • and how relationships impact PTSD.

    Register here.

    Rachel So headshot

    Farewell to Rachel So

    It is with genuinely mixed feelings we announce that Rachel So will be leaving AFHTO for a new role in the non-profit sector.

    Rachel has been with AFHTO for nearly three years, starting first as our conference assistant before becoming our Programs & Operations Coordinator, so many have you had the pleasure of working with her over the last few years.

    We’re going to miss Rachel but know she will bring so much to her new team. Please join us in giving her our sincerest best wishes. Her last day with AFHTO will be Friday, June 25th – any questions related to her work can be directed to info@afhto.ca.

     

    GeriMedrisk title slide

    Attn: Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk only available live

    In Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk: drug safety for older adults beyond “Start Low, Go Slow” on June 24, Dr. Ho will review the pharmacology of aging and its impact on adverse drug events among seniors. We’ll also explore tools and services for primary care providers to use to optimize drug safety. Unlike most of our webinars, this will NOT be recorded, and slides will NOT be available afterwards. So register today.

    Call for applications to Indigenous and expanded midwifery programs

    The Ministry of Health is inviting applications for two programs with a special focus on improving access, choice, and care that is responsive to the needs of the community. These are:

    • Indigenous Midwifery Programs (IMP)- one of these models works within Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams
    • Expanded Midwifery Care Models (EMCM)- could include, but are not limited to, interprofessional primary care teams in areas of demonstrated need.

    The Primary Health Care Branch is hosting a webinar about this initiative on June 28, 2021. To participate, please send an email to midwifery@ontario.ca by Friday, June 25, 2021, noting contact information for interested participants and the ministry will reach out to those individuals with the webinar details. The Indigenous midwifery team at the AOM is also offering a webinar on Wednesday, July 14 12:00pm-1:30pm. Get more information here.

    Member stories
    Markham FHT – our president and chair Dr. Allan Grill on CTV on protecting immunocompromised individuals and vaccine interchangeability

    Municipality of Assiginack FHT– Gwekwaadziwin Miikan success leads to new pilot project for adults over 30

    Norfolk FHT – wins Transformative Change Award with Grand River CHC for providing primary and COVID-19 support to seasonal agricultural workers.

    Q&A for mixed COVID-19 mRNA vaccine schedules and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    COVID@Home: winding down of distribution pathways for oxygen saturation monitors

    The COVID@Home initiative was designed to help primary care providers to remotely monitor patients who have mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms in the community. As the third wave of the pandemic subsides and health care capacity constraints gradually abate, Ontario Health will begin to wind down the distribution program for oxygen saturation monitors. Primary care professionals and teams who are still in need of oxygen saturation monitors should place orders by June 30th. Find out more here. 

    Mental health of northern Ontario nurses working during COVID-19 studyResearchers from Laurentian University’s Centre of Research in Occupational Health and Safety (CROSH) and the Public Services Health & Safety Association are conducting a study to explore the mental health of Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) in northern Ontario working during the COVID-19 global pandemic. This study aims to understand the perspective and experiences of nurses, their support needs to cope with the COVID-19 crisis, and its consequences. For more information visit their site.

    COVID@Home Community of Practice, June 23, 2021

    Learn how to monitor your COVID-19 patients in the community through this CoP.
    Learn more here.

    Providing Care to 2SLGBTQ Persons, June 24, 2021

    Discuss cultural safety and humility, clinical competencies, and interdisciplinary care for cisgender and transgender patients with speakers with the Ontario Caregiver Organization.
    Register here.

    OHT Learnings through COVID-19, June 28, 2021

    The Ministry of Health (ministry) and Ontario Health are hosting the third OHT Virtual Engagement Series webinar Register here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP, June 17 & July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: 2022 election priorities, free bot to document vaccines and more

    Bits & Pieces: 2022 election priorities, free bot to document vaccines and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • 2022 Election Priorities: seeking members’ input
    • AFHTO statement on racism and hate
    • Reminder- Cancer screening during the pandemic and onwards, June 21
    • Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 30
    • Free bot to help document vaccinations and more
    • Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program slides and video
    • COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky webinar materials
    • New regulation to streamline reporting requirements under OHSA
    • Oxygen saturation monitors still available
    • Seeking dietitians’ input -nutrition screening in primary and community care
    • Upcoming events regarding geriatric clinical pharmacology and more

    2022 Election Priorities: seeking members’ input

    The provincial election is fast approaching! Election day will be on or before June 2, 2022 – less than a year away.

    We will continue to be strongly advocating for expansion of team-based primary care, and we want your input to ensure we are effectively advocating for you and with you.

    We ask all members complete this survey to share your priorities. We want to hear from you all: executive directors/admin leads, board members, physicians, nurse practitioners, IHPs, QIDSS, admin staff! This will only take about 5-10 minutes of your time, and the results will be kept confidential.

    Please click here to complete the survey!

    Please complete this by tomorrow, June 16. We will be taking the feedback to our board of directors at their board meeting next week. 

    AFHTO statement on racism and hate
    We want to start by expressing our grief and sorrow about the tragic and horrifying events of the last few weeks, recognizing that racism and hate has been part of Canada since its inception. We are committed to working with our partners and allies to listen, learn, grow, and do better at creating a more equitable and safer country for all. You can read AFHTO’s statement here.

    Reminder – Cancer screening during the pandemic and onwards, June 21

    In collaboration with our primary care partners and Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), we will be hosting a webinar to further explore guidance for resuming breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening and share stories from teams that have already resumed cancer screening.

    Register here.

    Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 30
    Are you interested in serving on the AFHTO board of directors? The Governance Committee of AFHTO’s board invites anyone who works within an AFHTO member organization to apply. Please share this call for nominations with all who work in your team and with members on your Board. Given the composition of the continuing board members, priority for the directors to be elected will be given to candidates who are:

    • Executive Directors, especially those actively involved in their Ontario Health Team (OHT) development and supporting integrated care in their community;
    • Interprofessional Health Care Providers, especially those actively involved in OHT development;
    • Members from Central Ontario Health Region;
    • Board members, especially community members in the position of Chair of the Board; or
    • Experienced in finance, including accreditation as a financial professional (e.g., CA, CPA, CMA);

    Learn more about how you can take on a leadership role here. Deadline July 30.

    Free bot to help document vaccinations and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program title slide

    Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program slides and video

    The Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence at Ontario Health invited primary care organizations to a webinar on June 10 to learn more about the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) Program’s background, the vision of OSP as a provincial program, and next steps with the expansion. Slides and video now available on our site.

     

    COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky webinar slide

    COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky webinar materials
    On June 9th Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health at the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health covered key questions, including variants of concern, AstraZeneca and mixing of vaccines, breakthrough cases and emerging evidence around vaccination for children 12-17 years old. Nicole Blackman, Provincial Director at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, discussed why Indigenous people were prioritized to receive vaccines. Resources include:

    New regulation to streamline reporting requirements under OHSA
    A new regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) will come into effect on July 1, 2021: Ontario Regulation 420 / 21 – Notices and Reports under Sections 51 to 53.1 of the Act – Fatalities, Critical Injuries, Occupational Illnesses and Other Incidents– EN and FR.

    The new regulation incorporates the critical injury definition and streamlines reporting requirements into a single regulation that applies to all workplaces covered under the OHSA. The amending regulations include:

    • O. Reg. 427/21: HEALTH CARE AND RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES –EN and FR

    Oxygen saturation monitors still available

    Oxygen saturation monitors are still available free of charge for primary care providers. Please be sure to order yours before the end of June!  Every primary care provider can benefit from having these in their practice and for distribution to patients you may be monitoring with COVID, but also for other conditions (e.g., COPD).  These monitors will then belong to your practice – you do not need to return them to the Ministry of Health. Link to ordering survey HERE. Monitors usually arrive within 2-3 days after requesting. For questions, please contact OH_COVIDatHome@ontariohealth.ca. For a link to the one-pager with all the resource you need for monitoring COVID patients visit HERE.

    Seeking dietitians’ input -nutrition screening in primary and community care
    Professor Heather Keller (University of Waterloo), Marg Alfieri (Primary Care Dietitians Association) and the Primary Care working group of the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force are conducting a survey to determine what models of nutrition screening have been implemented in primary and community care, the reach of these efforts and for those who have yet to start screening, the challenges they are experiencing. This data will be used to launch further research on the outcomes and benefits of different nutrition screening models and further investigate how to support implementation of nutrition screening in the community. Get additional information and complete survey here.

    Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk: drug safety for older adults beyond “Start Low, Go Slow”, June 24

    Co-hosted with GeriMedRisk, in this webinar, Dr. Ho will review the pharmacology of aging and its impact on adverse drug events among seniors. We’ll also explore tools and services for primary care providers to use to optimize drug safety. Register here.

    NACI Recommendations On COVID-19 Vaccine Interchangeability, June 21, 2021 *NEW DATE*
    Join PHAC as they discuss evidence around interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as NACI recommendations for interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines.
    Learn more here.

    Applying an Equity Lens when Caring for your Population, June 17, 2021

    This RISE OHT webinar will be based on a PHM approach, deep diving into co-designing care models for different priority populations.
    Learn more here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP, June 17 & July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.

    COVID-19 CoP, June 18, 2021
    Join the OCFP’s COVID-19 CoP where they will be discussing “Getting to herd immunity: addressing children, confidence, and complacency”.
    Find out more here.

    Evaluating Integrated Care: How should we be evaluating integrated care? June 22, 2021
    Join the HSPN, IFIC Canada and Emerald Publishing as they discuss evaluation of integrated care both at a local and health system level.
    Register here.

  • AFHTO Statement on Racism and Hate

    AFHTO Statement on Racism and Hate

    AFHTO logo- full

     

    We want to start by expressing our grief and sorrow about the tragic and horrifying events of the last few weeks, recognizing that racism and hate has been part of Canada since its inception.

    We mourn the discovery of the mass grave at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. The profound loss of 215 young lives, some as young as three years old, will have long lasting impact on the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community and all other First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people. It will remain a reminder to all Canadians of our nation’s shameful history of residential schools and colonialism.

    To all who may have been shocked by this discovery, it’s important to remember Indigenous communities have long said there are thousands who never made it home. We must listen to marginalised communities when they speak of their pain rather than instinctively shy away because it’s hard to hear or goes against what we’d like to believe about our country.

    We support the calls to the Government of Canada to implement the 94 Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and to prioritize the search of all residential schools across the country so that all Indigenous children can be brought home. They Came for the Children is a powerful but painful story of Canadian colonialism, but it is important for all of us to read to better understand the legacy of residential schools and to participate in the work needed for reconciliation.

    We are grateful for the wisdom and support of our primary care partner, the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC), who we work with to amplify the need to confront our own biases with respect to anti-Indigenous discrimination.

    AFHTO looks forward to continuing to learn about the Indigenous Cultural Safety Program through the IPHCC, which improves Indigenous healthcare experiences and outcomes by increasing respect and understanding of the unique history and current realities of Indigenous populations. We encourage others to do so as well.

    The racism that is so prevalent in this country continued earlier this week with the deliberate, hate-filled murder of a Muslim family in London, Ontario. We grieve and are saddened by the tragic loss of four lives of people targeted because of their faith. We will forever hold in our hearts the young 9-year-old boy who has lost his family.  

    We stand in solidarity with our Muslim communities. We will work to ensure that our governments and political leaders are held accountable for their words and actions to counter hate and racism. We urge our primary care colleagues to uphold human rights, to acknowledge our collective responsibility as individuals to stand in solidarity with members of our Muslim communities, and to combat all forms of discrimination.

    On May 26, 2021, Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Professor of Global Health at the University of Toronto, wrote an op ed piece entitled Why hatred should be considered a contagious disease. He notes that ‘‘Hatred can be conceptualized as an infectious disease, a determinant of health and a public health issue spreading violence, fear and ignorance” and “Hatred is a public health issue because it often engenders widespread physical, psychological or political violence.” In the conclusion, he notes that the global community, including the medical community, needs to recognize that hatred is a public health issue, and it is up to all of us to “address the root causes through promotion, education and awareness.”

    Like many of you, AFHTO is on its own Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI) journey to address the inequities and built-in racism that exists in our health and social systems. Together with our allies, we will continue to listen, learn, grow, and do better. We look forward to this journey with our partners, our members, and our communities.

     

  • Update on COVID Resources and Vaccines

    Dear Members,

    Your Primary Care Collaborative* (PCC) would like to update you on a few resources and supports for members with the ongoing pandemic and vaccine rollout. However, before providing any updates, we want to start by expressing our grief and sorrow about the tragic and horrifying events of the last few weeks, recognizing that racism and hate has been part of Canada since its inception. We are committed to working with our partners and allies to listen, learn, grow, and do better at creating a more equitable and safer country for all. You can read AFHTO’s statement here.

    A Quick Update on Vaccination Efforts
    While COVID cases have decreased over the last few weeks, the briefing by the Ontario Science Table yesterday is clear that the only way to avoid a fourth wave is to ensure first and second doses are prioritized in high-risk communities, vaccine clinics are tailored to community needs, and that there is strong testing and case and contact tracing.

    We were pleased to see yesterday’s announcement that Ontario is accelerating second doses in Delta hot spots (Halton, Peel, Porcupine, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph and York public health units) and continue to seek clarity on the role primary care providers are to play with the vaccine efforts in their communities.

    Materials from Webinar with Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, AMOH and Nicole Blackman, IHPCC
    On June 9th Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health within the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, provided updates on vaccine efficacy, breakthrough cases, Variants of Concern, vaccinations for youth, as well as a number of other questions raised by attendees. Nicole Blackman, Provincial Director at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council also spoke about why it was crucial that Indigenous people are prioritized to receive vaccines. Here are some of the resources you may find helpful that were discussed during the webinar:

    Upcoming Education Sessions and Webinars

    • OCFP Community of Practice
      • Getting to herd immunity: addressing children, confidence and complacency with Dr. Jeff Kwong (Epidemiologist, Family Physician, Toronto Western Family Health Team) and Dr. Nisha Thampi (Pediatric Infectious Disease Physician, IPAC Medical Director, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario). Register here.
    • Public Health Agency of Canada
      • NACI Recommendations on COVID-19 Vaccine Interchangeability – this moderated and live webinar includes a presentation and discussion on the NACI Recommendations on COVID-19 Vaccine Interchangeability with live Q&A to inform health care and vaccine providers. Register here for the June 16th (English) session or here for the June 18th (French) session.
    • COVID-19 Science Advisory Table
      • Medications for Outpatients with COVID-19 on Tuesday, June 15 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Register here.
    • AFHTO, OCFP, Alliance for Healthier Communities, Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics Association
      • Cancer Screening During the Pandemic and Onwards – a collaboration with our primary care partners and Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) on Monday, June 21, 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Register here.

     
    Oxygen Saturation Monitors continue to be available
    Oxygen saturation monitors are still available free of charge for primary care providers. Please be sure to order yours before the end of June! Every primary care provider can benefit from having these in their practice and for distribution to patients you may be monitoring with COVID, but also for other conditions (e.g., COPD).  These monitors will then belong to your practice – you do not need to return them to the Ministry of Health. Link to ordering survey HERE. Monitors usually arrive within 2-3 days after requesting. For questions, please contact OH_COVIDatHome@ontariohealth.ca. For a link to the one-pager with all the resource you need for monitoring COVID patients visit HERE.
     
    Additional Resources you may find helpful:  

    Updated PHAC and Ministry Guidance Documents:

    We look forward to continually updating you on the provincial vaccination strategy and hopefully a path forward to recovery. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or ideas.

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

    *Primary Care Collaborative partners

    • Alliance for Healthier Communities
    • Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
    • Indigenous Primary Health Care Council
    • Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association
    • Ontario College of Family Physicians
    • Ontario Medical Association Section on General and Family Practice

  • Gwekwaadziwin Miikan success leads to new pilot project for adults over 30

    The Star article published June 10, 2021

    By Lori Thompson, The Manitoulin Expositor

    Five people 31 years and older began a life-changing journey on May 26 when Gwekwaadziwin Miikan (Gwek) kicked off a year long pilot project. There are five people in each cohort in addition to the 10 in the original Seven Grandfathers program for 19 to 30 year olds. A total of 15 individuals in three cohorts for adults 30 plus years are expected to complete the pilot program.

    Gwek has 10 spots available for each of its original 19 to 30 year old cohorts. “Sometimes there are 110 people on our application list,” said Sam Gilchrist, executive director. “We work to find the best services for all applicants and from there, we look at people who are a good fit for Gwek’s land-based program.”

    The pilot project is very needs driven and evolved through ongoing conversations, said Mr. Gilchrist. “We’re very active on social media, especially Facebook, and we’ve received numerous requests for service from people 30 plus years old. We also have a very good relationship with our funders and the various treatment centres and healing lodges. We all come together and meet with the ministry. If there’s an issue, we work together to try to solve it.”

    The need for mental health and addiction services has increased dramatically since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The ministry was approaching their fiscal year end and there were extra dollars available,” Mr. Gilchrist said. “They asked if we could do something to fill some of those gaps.”

    They weren’t sure if it would work. The Gwek team had always thought it was important to have smaller cohorts to maintain group dynamics. They asked whether they could make their cohort larger. “On May 26, we welcomed five 30 plus individuals into the existing program,” he said. It seems to be working. “You have 15 people and three or more staff and it feels like a bustling community coming together to experience living with the land and living with wellness.”

    There are some distinct aspects that are specific to their age group, but otherwise, it’s the same as the original. This year’s participants will build another 30-foot canoe through a partnership with Rob Mellan. “We do a lot of canoe tripping and that leads to fishing and gathering plant medicines on the islands,” Mr. Gilchrist said. The fall cohort usually completes a 200 plus km canoe trip the length of the Spanish River to Killarney and back to Manitoulin. This year, they have to see what’s happening with the pandemic before finalizing plans.

    “We’ve always participated in the UCCMM (United Chiefs of Mnidoo Mnising) community moose hunt,” he continued. “Our program participants help with different aspects. They help with set up and clean up and then embark on the canoe trip. It’s an amazing opportunity to serve their community and give back to them.”

    In addition to the hunt, some participants have begun learning to assist on the trap lines. They help with move out and work the trapline with the head trappers. All participants learn many unique life kills, including working with traditional leather crafts or using beaver fur to make mittens. “This all helps to strengthen their connection with the land and to each other,” Mr. Gilchrist explained. “There are a lot of lessons.”

    With the winter cohorts, there is storytelling, snowshoeing and cutting through the ice for fishing. There was an initial hesitancy in applications for the winter months, but now it’s almost equal for the seasons, he said. “They all have something to teach.”

    The program has continued to evolve as new things work well and other things not as well. “That’s some of the beauty of the program, that it’s open and flexible. Our staff bring their own skills and passions and share those with the cohorts and other staff members so they’re always evolving, building skills and developing (into well-rounded people). Things change seasonally.”

    The onset of COVID meant Gwek had to look at alternate ways of doing things. They decided to do a closed cohort; initially, the coverts overlapped. They weren’t sure how it was going to work but the data shows it did. “Prior to COVID we had a 60 to 70 percent success rate but with the closed cohort model the success rate has gone up to 80 percent,” Mr. Gilchrist said. “Our aftercare program has seen a 100 percent success rate (even pre-COVID) in obtaining vocational, educational and also volunteer opportunities, mostly vocational and educational. We’re really pleased and we’ve proven our models.”

    Outside of the staff and participant community building, the program owes its success to collaborations with other organizations and communities. Mr. Gilchrist acknowledged Gwek’s partnerships with each of the six UCCMM communities they serve as well as Kenjgewin Teg, Manitoulin Health Centre, Noojmowin Teg Health Centre, Mnaamodzawin Health Services, Assiginack Family Health Team, Cambrian College, Centennial College and the pandemic paramedic program through the manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board. It does indeed take a village.

    The Seven Grandfathers program is a unique residential land-based treatment program created to meet the needs of Indigenous youth and young adults ages 19 to 30 years. Participants are supported on their recovery journey from stabilization through treatment, aftercare and transitioning back into their communities. The program balances traditional culture with therapeutic best practices.

    Read the full article here

  • QI in Action eBulletin #108: COVID-19 Vaccination Data & GeriMedRisk

    QI in Action eBulletin #108: COVID-19 Vaccination Data & GeriMedRisk

    In this Issue:

    • COVID-19 Vaccination Data Workflow Updates
    • COVID-19 Vaccination Information Available via the Digital Health Drug Repository (DHDR)
    • Digital Health OHT Community of Practice (CoP)
    • GeriMedRisk
    • Upcoming Webinars

    COVID-19 Vaccination Data Workflow Updates
    As of May 18, 2021, and onwards, Health Report Manager (HRM) has been pushing data prospectively to physicians/nurse practitioners when their name has been collected through COVaxON at point of vaccination. Further information around HRM COVaxON Vaccination Reports can be found on the OntarioMD website here.

    COVaxON is now up to date to allow for documentation of mixed vaccines for those who received the AZ vaccine as their first dose. When adding the second dose vaccine a pop up will appear to remind you that this is not the same vaccine as the first dose. To proceed to the next step, you can write “guideline update” within the text box.

    COVID vaccination data is now also available through the provincial clinical viewers, Connecting Ontario and Clinical Connect. Access to the viewers can be requested via Ontario Health’s Digital Health Service’s website. In the upcoming weeks, you will also see curated lists of enrolled patients that have been vaccinated made available on a monthly basis to physicians through the eReport tool which is available to any patient enrollment model (PEM) physicians in Ontario.

    Any PEM physician with an Ontario Health ONE ID account will have access to their reports. Physicians without a One ID account can get one through the CPSO website or by making a request at Ontario Health’s Digital Health Service’s website.

    Please click here for the COVID-19 vaccination toolbar created by Guelph FHT to help support providers in vaccine data documentation. In addition, please click here for a HRM workflow document, thanks to Dr. Scott Laing of Ottawa. As the vaccination reports are sent via HRM, some issues have been flagged and OntarioMD is working to resolve these issues as they become aware of them. Please check out the OntarioMD website for up-to-date notes on any issues identified and fixed. Below is a list of updates as of June 8, 2021:

    Content below developed by Ontario Health
    COVID-19 Vaccination Information Available via the Digital Health Drug Repository (DHDR)

    The DHDR is a provincial repository of publicly funded drugs and pharmacy services, and all monitored drugs (regardless of payor). Ontarians’ COVID-19 vaccination information from COVaxON (the ministry’s provincial solution for COVID-19 vaccination information) is being made available through the DHDR as a quick solution to enable secure and easy access to authorized health care practitioners throughout the province.

    Similar to existing DHDR records, COVID-19 vaccination information available through the DHDR is limited to patients with a valid Ontario Health Number (HN).

    More information can be found within this document here.

    Content below developed by Ontario Health (Population Health and Digital Excellence) and the Ministry of Health

    Digital Health OHT Community of Practice

    Ontario Health (Population Health and Digital Excellence) and the Ministry of Health are proposing that a province-wide Digital Health OHT Community of Practice (COP) be established that would provide a framework for OHTs to collaborate and share at a provincial level related to their digital and virtual needs and programs. This group would be a sub-component of the broader OHT Learning Collaboratives and Communities of Practice and supported by the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health.

     
    The COP will be co-facilitated by OH regional digital leads and OHTs would be invited to showcase their best practices and lessons learned related to digital needs/programs for mutual learning across the province on a given topic. This collaborative should make it easier for OHTs to work on their requirements.

    This group will meet quarterly but the COP would serve as a forum for engagement more broadly in between the meetings. This will include ongoing collaboration, on-line sharing, webinars, and workshops on key subjects. Importantly, the group will have an online collaboration space on the OHT Collaborative platform called the Digital Health OHT Community of Practice that can help support these activities. The COP will be used to facilitate sharing of leading practices, enabling scale of successful initiatives and standardization across OHTs/regions.   

    To learn more, please check out the Digital Health OHT Community of Practice Quorum group.

    Content below developed by GeriMedRisk
    A Geriatric Specialist Resource for Primary Care Providers: GeriMedRisk

    GeriMedRisk is an Ontario Ministry of Health-funded clinical consultation and education service for doctors, nurse practitioners and pharmacists practicing in Ontario.

    GeriMedRisk provides virtual access to an interdisciplinary specialist team from geriatric psychiatry, clinical pharmacology, geriatric pharmacy, and geriatric medicine who collaborate to answer clinical questions regarding your older patients’ medications, physical and mental health conditions.

    Within approximately 5 business days, GeriMedRisk provides a coordinated response and educational materials back to the primary care provider for use with their patient.

     

    How to consult GeriMedRisk
    Ontario Telemedicine Network or Champlain BASE™ eConsult: select “GeriMedRisk”
     
    Fax: (519) 279-2959
     
    Call toll-free 1 (855) 261-0508 (Mon-Fri 9:00 am – 5:00 pm ET)
     
    Specialized Geriatric Services (SGS) Intake Forms
     

    GeriMedRisk Consultation Process:

    Shows lifecycle of gerimedrisk process

    1. Prescriber (doctor, nurse practitioner, specialist) or allied health care professional* identifies medication, mental health or physical concern in their patient.
    2. Clinician sends consult question and patient medical records to GeriMedRisk via eConsult, phone, fax, or central intake referral.
    3. GeriMedRisk team reviews question, medical records, and conducts a best possible medication history with patient/caregiver.
    4. Clinician receives a single, integrated consult note and relevant educational materials typically within 5 business days.

    *Includes pharmacists, nurses, physician assistants or other clinicians in partnership and with the consent of the prescriber.

    Example of Gerimedrisk resource

    Educational Resources for Primary Care Providers

    • Drug information: GeriMedRisk creates geriatric drug information summaries and infographics on safe prescribing for older adults.
      • Browse the library here and request at no cost.
    • GeriMedRisk- Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology rounds:
    • Monthly online accredited rounds on topics in safe prescribing.
    • COVID-19 Drug Information Resources

    Upcoming Event: Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology And GeriMedRisk: Drug Safety For Older Adults Beyond “Start Low, Go Slow”

    On June 24, 2021 at 12 pm, join Dr. Joanne Ho (geriatrician, clinical pharmacologist and co-executive director of GeriMedRisk) to learn more about how GeriMedRisk can support your patients’ care. Click here to register.

    For more information: www.GeriMedRisk.com |1 (855) 261-0508| info@GeriMedRisk.com | @GeriMedRisk

    Upcoming Webinars:

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #107 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: cancer screening during the pandemic and more

    Bits & Pieces: cancer screening during the pandemic and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Cancer screening during the pandemic and onwards, June 21
    • Reminder- COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky, June 9
    • Reminder- Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program, June 10
    • Member stories
    • AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD second dose Q&A, reports of myocarditis/pericarditis after vaccination and more
    • You could have over 22,619 pairs of eyes on your team’s initiative!
    • COVID@Home update
    • Upcoming events regarding geriatric clinical pharmacology and more

    Cancer screening during the pandemic and onwards, June 21

    In collaboration with our primary care partners and Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), we will be hosting a webinar to further explore guidance for resuming breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening and share stories from teams that have already resumed cancer screening.

    Objectives:

    • To understand the guidance for resuming breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening resumption midst the many waves of the pandemic.
    • To explore how to use data to understand and address health inequities in screening/tailoring service delivery as well as tools to improve screening rates.
    • To learn from practices the creative approaches such as EMR queries, clinics and much more.

    Register here.

    Reminder- COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky, Office of CMOH, June 9
    This session with Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, Associate Medical Officer of Health at the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health will cover key questions, including variants of concern, AstraZeneca and mixing of vaccines, breakthrough cases and emerging evidence around vaccination for children 12-17 years old. Nicole Blackman, Provincial Director at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council will talk about why Indigenous people are prioritized to receive vaccines. Register here.

    Reminder- Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program, June 10

    The Ministry of Health has recently approved six health service providers to serve as new lead organizations of regional psychotherapy networks for the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) Program, one of which is AFHTO member CarePoint Health.

    The Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence at Ontario Health would like to invite primary care organizations to a webinar on June 10 to learn more about the program’s background, the vision of OSP as a provincial program, and next steps with the expansion.

    Register here.

    Member stories

    Barrie and Community FHT- Barrie & Area launched their COVID@Home monitoring program

    East Wellington FHT– Lions Club donates $4,000 to East Wellington Family Health Team

    North Perth-North Huron FHT– North Perth Family Health Team, It Takes A Village start vaccine awareness partnership

    STAR and Stratford FHTs– Perth County primary care providers partnered together to offer about 500 COVID-19 vaccine doses

    AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD second dose Q&A, reports of myocarditis/pericarditis after vaccination and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    You could have up to 22,619 pairs of eyes on your team’s initiative!

    This week we’re asking for your teams’ stories on:

    AFHTO wants to feature your stories!

    –    COVID Vaccine education (myth-busting, Q&As, etc)
    –    Providing COVID-19 vaccines or supporting vaccine rollout beyond your team
    Be sure to share before Tuesday, June 15th so we can feature it on AFHTO’s social media!

    @AFHTO | info@afhto.ca| Webform submission

    COVID@Home update

    Per Ontario Health:
    “If you monitored COVID+ patients in April and May please consider entering your data on that  specific timeframe in our new easy to use DATA FORM.  For those that have already done so thank you!  For questions on this e -mail OH_COVIDatHome@ontariohealth.ca.  We will use this information to show the value of primary care in such initiatives and for quality improvement purposes. Thank you for your continued participation in this initiative.”

    Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk: drug safety for older adults beyond “Start Low, Go Slow”, June 24

    Co-hosted with GeriMedRisk, in this webinar, Dr. Ho will review the pharmacology of aging and its impact on adverse drug events among seniors. We’ll also explore tools and services for primary care providers to use to optimize drug safety. Register here.

    COVID@Home Community of Practice, June 9 & 23, 2021
    Learn how to monitor your COVID-19 patients in the community through this CoP.
    Learn more here.

    A Morning with the Lung Experts: What’s Trending in Primary Care? June 12, 2021

    Join Dr. Tony D’Urzo and the Lung Health Foundation Experts as they explore emerging respiratory care issues.
    Find out more here.

    Applying an Equity Lens when Caring for your Population, June 17, 2021

    This RISE OHT webinar will be based on a PHM approach, deep diving into co-designing care models for different priority populations.
    Learn more here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP, June 17 & July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.