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  • Bits & Pieces: apply for Indigenous and expanded midwifery programs, join our ED mentorship program & more

    Bits & Pieces: apply for Indigenous and expanded midwifery programs, join our ED mentorship program & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Apply for Indigenous Midwifery Programs and Expanded Midwifery Care Models- webinar July 16
    • Join our ED Mentorship Program!
    • AFHTO 2020 Conference: call for submissions, including Bright Lights
    • Guidance on managing type 2 diabetes and other updates
    • Possible discounts for Microsoft 365 and UpToDate
    • Prenatal screening and COVID-19
    • Nominate an outstanding physician for the CPSO Council Award
    • thehealthline.ca, CEP and primary care
    • Upcoming events regarding in-person visits and more

    Apply for Indigenous Midwifery Programs and Expanded Midwifery Care Models- webinar July 16

    The Ministry of Health (ministry) and the Association of Ontario Midwives (AOM) are inviting applications for two programs – Indigenous Midwifery Programs and Expanded Midwifery Care Models. Both include team-based care options. See the memo here.

    The Primary Health Care Branch is hosting a webinar on July 16, 2020. To participate, please send an email to midwifery@ontario.ca by 4pm tomorrow, July 15, 2020 noting contact information for interested participants and the ministry will reach out to those individuals with the webinar details.

    Join our ED Mentorship Program!
    Are you a leader with 3+ years of experience in a team-based primary care model? Are you interested in supporting new EDs in settling into their job? We are looking for EDs from different regions and working/funding models to join our ED Mentorship Program as mentors!
     
    Mentoring is about supporting people to develop more effectively. It’s a relationship based on trust that is designed to help a mentee take on increasing initiative, build confidence, and excel as leaders. New EDs can learn from others who have experience and who are willing to help them in developing their skills and expanding their knowledge.

    If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please complete this survey and we will be in touch.  More information is here.

    Podcast mic

    AFHTO 2020 Conference: call for submissions, including Bright Lights

    It’s time to highlight primary care. Present your ideas and initiatives at the AFHTO 2020 Conference

    This year’s conference will be a streamlined but with even more variety in presentation format.

    Podcasts. Webcasts. Rapid Fire sessions. We want your insight, from system and policy-level discussions to patient-focused inquiries into the ways teams can better serve their communities in a pandemic and beyond. Find out more here. Deadline July 29.

    You can also:

    • Shine a light on your team’s achievements. Nominate an outstanding team or individual for a “Bright Lights” Award by July 29. Awards will be presented at the AFHTO 2020 Conference Awards ceremony, on October 8, 2020. Read more here.
    • And Join a working group  by July 15 for a $20 discount on the registration fee (now available)

    Guidance on resuming cancer screening and other updates

    Resources and updates released recently include:

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

    Possible discounts for Microsoft 365 and UpToDate

    As mentioned in last week’s email to the leadership triad, AFHTO is looking at possible discounts for two platforms for teams:

    • Microsoft Teams is becoming a preferred platform for virtual meetings, including with the ministry and Ontario Health. Microsoft Teams comes with the purchase of Microsoft 365. If there is enough interest in licenses, we will ask about a reduced rate for bulk purchasing of Microsoft 365.
    • UpToDate is a computer and mobile device-based clinical reference tool. AFHTO has been speaking with UpToDate and there is potential for a discounted rate for teams; however, it depends on uptake. Please let us know if you are interested. If there is enough interest, we will arrange a contract with UpToDate.
    • If you are interested in Microsoft 365 and/or UpToDate, please complete this survey by Friday, July 17.

    Prenatal screening and COVID-19

    Temporary prenatal screening changes have been in effect since April 6, 2020. These changes have now been extended and will continue through to December 31, 2020.

    Visit Prenatal Screening Ontario’s website for more information.

    thehealthline.ca, CEP and primary care

    Thehealthline.ca has partnered with the Centre for Effective Practice to support primary care professionals with rapidly updated information that reflects current on-the-ground status for more than 15,000 priority health and social services.

    You can find updated service records integrated into the comprehensive provincial system navigation directory here.

    Nominate an outstanding physician for the CPSO Council Award

    The College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPSO) is now accepting nominations for the 2021 Council Award.  The Council Award honours outstanding Ontario physicians who have demonstrated excellence and embody society’s vision of an “ideal physician”.  Details about the selection criteria are outlined on their website. Deadline Sep. 28, 2020.

    Ramping Up In-Person Office Visits in Primary Care in the Aftermath of COVID-19, July 15, 2020

    Join the Choosing Wisely Canada community with Dr. Tara Kiran, Family Physician at St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team and Fidani Chair of Improvement and Innovation, University of Toronto. Dr. Kiran will share insights from her recent CMAJ article on how to weigh the benefits and risks of virtual and in-person care for patients and providers as we ramp up in-office primary care services. Find out more here.

    Having Difficult Conversations: webinar series, July 23 – August 13, 2020

    Hospice Palliative Care Ontario and Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association are hosting a new 4-part webinar series, entitled Having Difficult Conversations: Tips & Strategies in the Context of COVID-19.
    Find out more here.

    Integrated Mental and Physical Health, June 5- August 28, 2020

    Hosted by CAMH, University of Toronto and Project ECHO. Find out more here.

    NPAO Annual Conference, September 24 – 25, 2020

    This year, the NPAO annual conference will be held digitally to connect NPs so they can hear updates in clinical practice to improve the delivery of healthcare in Ontario.
    Learn more here.

  • AFHTO 2020 Conference: call for submissions

    AFHTO 2020 Conference: call for submissions

    AFHTO 2020 Conference logo

    It’s time to highlight primary care.

    Present your ideas and initiatives at the AFHTO 2020 Conference:
           
    Tectonic shifts: rebuilding primary care in a new world

    We asked and you answered. This year’s conference will be a streamlined virtual event- a little shorter but with even more variety in presentation format. We’ll be curating content for our 5 core themes,  focused on interactive sessions, and we want your help.

    Podcast mic

     

    Podcasts. Webcasts. Rapid Fire sessions. These are some of the new options this year. Podcasts and webcasts will be released on the day of their relevant theme, while interactive sessions e.g. workshops will be live.

    We want your insight, from system and policy-level discussions to patient-focused inquiries into the ways teams can better serve their communities in a pandemic.

     

    The deadline to submit for an #AFHTO2020 presentation is July 29, 2020 at 5:00 PM (EDT)

    Review submission guidelines

    Submit online

    Reduced registration fee for concurrent session presenters: For each approved concurrent session, up to 2 presenters will each be granted a discount off the conference registration fee (coming soon). Additional discounts apply for patients presenting at the conference. (Discount doesn’t apply for poster displays.)

    Bright Lights Hall of Fame banner cropped

    Shine a light on your team’s achievements. Nominate an outstanding team or individual for a “Bright Lights” Award by July 29, 2020.

    AFHTO’s “Bright Lights” Awards recognize AFHTO members’ leadership, outstanding work and the significant progress being made to improve the value interprofessional primary care teams across Ontario deliver.

    Bright Lights Award recipients are:

    • Innovators – making small changes for maximum impact to improve patient experience and outcomes
    • Team Players – interprofessional teams, collaborators and relationship builders
    • Demonstrating Impact – can show how their work is benefitting the health care system

    Awards will be presented at the AFHTO 2020 Conference Awards ceremony, to be held on the morning of October 8, 2020.

    Award Categories
    Awards will be presented in six categories, including the conference themes and special recognition for team(s) that demonstrated a community response to COVID-19. The winner(s) will be selected based on the strength of their nomination to one of the five categories above.

    Shine a light on your team – Make a nomination today:

    • Review the nomination categories in advance (see nomination guide pg. 3 for descriptions).

    • Review the nomination evaluation criteria (see nomination guide pg. 2 for details).

    • Complete the online nomination form and send all supporting materials before July 29, 2020

    • Submit supporting documents to info@afhto.ca:
      • 1-4 high-quality photos of nominees in png. or jpg. format to be featured at the Awards Ceremony on October 8th (Photos should be at least 500 KB in size.)
      • Take a video (up to 10 seconds long) with your smartphone and share with info@afhto.ca.
      • Signed statement to release photos for AFHTO use.
      • Any supporting evidence and materials as appropriate.
      • Deadline to submit photos and video is August 12, 2020.

    We look forward to seeing your nominations and recognizing ALL the excellent work being done!

    Conference key dates:

    • July 8, 2020          Call for concurrent session, poster and Bright Lights opens
    • July 29, 2020        Deadline for concurrent session, poster and Bright Lights submissions
    • August 2020         Conference registration opens
    • October 8-9, 2020      AFHTO 2020 Conference

    Do you know anyone with interesting and innovative initiatives to share? Please forward this email to your colleagues, community partners and stakeholders to make sure everyone has an opportunity to present their initiatives.

    And don’t forget, the deadline to join a working group is next Wednesday, July 15. Come behind the scene and become among the first to learn about new developments in the field, influence conference programming and discover the innovators in your areas of interest.

    For more information, you can contact us by phone (647-234-8605) or e-mail (info@afhto.ca).

  • Update from the Primary Health Care Branch, transitions to a new normal, PPE, virtual care, and HR updates

    This email was sent to EDs/Administrative Leads, Board Chairs and Lead Clinicians of AFHTO member organizations.

    Dear triad members,

    We held our fifth round of regional ED calls on June 29 and 30. We’ve been holding these calls since March, and we will be pausing them for the summer as people break and prepare for the fall. We will look at resuming regular calls in September. To ensure we keep in touch, we will be arranging a province-wide ED call with ministry officials for the end of July or early August. Stay tuned for details!

    A third webinar for executive directors on Managing HR through COVID-19 with Maria McDonald of McDonald HR Law has been confirmed for July 29. Please see the HR section of this communique for registration details.

    Below is information on the topics discussed on the recent calls and on supports that we heard would be helpful.

    Update from the Primary Health Care Branch

    • The 2020-21 Annual Operating Plan Submission package was released on July 2 with a due date of mid-September. In recognition of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry is being flexible with the timeline and is not imposing a specific due date. A few years ago, AFHTO held a webinar with the ministry on how to complete AOP and Schedule A that newer EDs may find helpful – please click here for this archived recording.
    • It is going to be crucial for teams to report Q1 and Q2 accurately and to forecast for year-end as best they can to capture any COVID-related costs, such as PPE and IT. The ministry will be using this data to understand the additional cost pressures facing teams. This will be the basis used for additional funding requests. To help with forecasting the impact of the pandemic on your budget, you can adapt and use the COVID-19 Expense Forecast Checklist.
    • The FHT contract is set to expire in 2022. We hope to start work in the fall with the ministry to scope out opportunity for change and improvement through modifications to the contract.
    • AFHTO is also hoping to meet with the anti-racism directorate at the ministry to explore ways AFHTO and teams can help further address anti-racism and social determinants of health.

    Transitioning to a new normal

    PPE

    • PPE supply remains a concern. Many teams indicated they have a 1- to 3-month supply, but many others also indicated only a 1- to 3-week supply. Most teams expressed concern about PPE quantity for increasing in-person visits and a possible second wave in the fall.
    • Primary care is now included and recognized as a priority sector in the in OH’s ethical framework document used to guide distribution of the provincial PPE supply. However, the process for acquiring PPE through the regional tables appears to be inconsistent across the province, and even within regions. OH North has initiated a primary care PPE start-up allocation, and primary care entities in OH West have been successfully receiving PPE supplies regionally; however, access seems to vary across sub-regions.
    • Teams are encouraged to connect with their Regional Table Leads for PPE and Critical Supplies to access this inventory if regular supply chains are unavailable.  
    • AFHTO will continue to advocate for a consistent and sustainable long-term approach based on regional coordination.
    • We encourage teams to check out the resources posted on our site.

      Virtual care

    Human Resources

    • On June 24, AFHTO circulated a Temporary Pandemic Pay update and confirmed that eligibility of workers does include primary care team members who are redeployed to the COVID-19 assessment centres and other eligible workplaces (i.e. hospitals, long-term care homes, retirement homes).
    • The ministry will be rolling out pandemic pay funds through existing TPAs shortly. Teams that are leading FHT-run assessment centres should connect with their OH contact  at MOH.PPInquiries@ontario.ca to seek clarity on receiving their pandemic pay.
    • There will be two webcasts this summer:
      • There will be a webinar for EDs on Wednesday, July 29, at 11 AM with Maria McDonald, McDonald HR Law, to discuss ongoing topics of concern around employer obligations, including matters related to staff challenges with childcare and mental health. A portion of the webinar will be to address pre-submitted questions. You can register for the webinar and submit your questions here. Webinar registration will require approval, which EDs will receive from AFHTO within 24-48 hours of registration. Registration will close end of day Tuesday, July 28.
      • AFHTO is organising a webinar that will provide guidance to boards on governance throughout COVID-19 and beyond. This will include guidance on the role of the board in resumption of services, what governors should know about the direction of OHTs, and where to go from here. Stay tuned for details!
    • A reminder that R&R funding was disbursed in April, and teams should be working on reallocating the increases. For guidance, please see the Recruitment and Retention Planning Document and the Compensation Guidance Document.

    AFHTO is working with partners to showcase how primary care has stepped up – and will continue to step up – to support Ontarians and to ensure a sustainable and equitable healthcare system. We have received ethics approval from the Office of Research and Innovation at the University of Toronto to proceed with our research project entitled COVID-19: Understanding how primary care teams stepped up to help support their communities and patients.

    We ask all EDs to spare up to 30 minutes for an interview with one of the researchers who is working with us on this project. We will send a poll out shortly to schedule a time for a call. The calls will happen throughout July and August.

    Keep checking out our COVID-19 section that we regularly update with news, tools, and resources, including the daily situation reports and regular memos from the ministry’s command table.

    Please contact us any time. We’re here to support you.

    Sincerely,

    Your AFHTO Team

  • Participating in AFHTO’s COVID-19 Research Study

    Help AFHTO highlight your teams’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

    Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve heard countless stories of our teams’ commitment, diligence and initiative to continue providing team-based primary care around the province.

    We’re here to ensure that your hard work gets noticed – but to do so, we need your help.

    Participation in AFHTO’s Research Study (University of Toronto REB Approval #39432)
    AFHTO is conducting a research study to capture the efforts of all our members to ensure no story is left untold. This information will help influence and shape how teams will continue to adapt virtual care after the pandemic, as well as to meet patient needs.

    Your participation will be in 2 steps:

    Participating in the research study
    Each team ED is invited to participate for the research study. If you cannot participate, please delegate these tasks to one program manager or clinical lead who can answer questions on what initiatives your team have championed since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

    Please note that although we appreciate your participation in the study, you can choose not to participate, and this decision will not impact your relationship with AFHTO in any way.

    For those interested in participating:

    1. Select an interview time slot 

    These dates and times will be available on a first come, first served basis- so please respond ASAP and block off the time in your/your respondent’s schedule. Please book at least 1 day in advance of your requested interview date.

    • Have your team’s respondent complete the relevant doodle with their preferred interview date & time
    • Be sure to include in the doodle:
      • study respondent’s full name
      • study respondent’s e-mail.

    Please fill out the doodle poll based on your OH region:

    North | West | East | Toronto & Central

    2. Complete consent form & send to sandeep.gill@afhto.ca

    3. Complete the survey & interview preparation

    • Your team’s respondent will receive a link to our online survey to be completed prior to the interview
    • They will also receive:
      • an e-mail confirming details (time, date and interview link on Microsoft Teams) for the virtual interview
      • this consent form to sign off and send to sandeep.gill@afhto.ca before the one-on-one interview (if not already completed) 
      • the questions to prepare for the interview

    4. Complete the virtual interview- and all done!

    If you have any questions at all, please send them to info@afhto.ca and we’ll be happy to respond.

     

  • Bits & Pieces: create YOUR virtual conference, cancer screening guidance & more

    Bits & Pieces: create YOUR virtual conference, cancer screening guidance & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Create YOUR virtual conference-deadline July 15
    • Guidance on resuming cancer screening and other updates
    • COVID-19 tip sheet-management of CT and MRI for recovery planning
    • Survey about COVID-19 physical distancing guidelines
    • Self-help booklet series for people with intellectual disabilities
    • Respiratory Health Forum – call for presentations
    • Upcoming events regarding virtual care and more

     

    Create YOUR virtual conference-deadline July 15

    AFHTO 2020 Conference logo-cropped

    Primary care has risen to the challenge of COVID-19, but the ground is still shifting, and the future is uncertain.

    Interprofessional teams need to cross newly opened chasms to ensure they continue to provide patients and communities the care they require, all while they renew team dynamics to strengthen the foundation on which patient care rests.

    In short, we need to rebuild primary care for this new world.

    Join a working group for our AFHTO 2020 Conference, Tectonic shifts: rebuilding primary care in a new world.

    We’re setting up groups for each of the five concurrent streams and for the Bright Lights Awards program. Sign up by July 15, 2020.

    Guidance on resuming cancer screening and other updates

    Resources and updates released within the last week include:

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

    COVID-19 tip sheet-management of CT and MRI for recovery planning

    Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) has developed a tip sheet to additional guidance specific to diagnostic imaging services for oncology – mainly computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) – and provides practical considerations for organizations, radiologists, diagnostic imaging administration and referring physicians during COVID-19 recovery. Please review and share as appropriate with your colleagues who perform or support diagnostic imaging services.

    Self-help booklet series for people with intellectual disabilities

    CAMH has adapted COVID-19 Guided Self-help Booklet Series from The University of Glasgow. The series is for people with intellectual disabilities and can be used with the support of family members, friends, staff, and health care professionals. Find out more here.

    Survey about COVID-19 physical distancing guidelines

    Western University researchers are assessing the impact of the COVID-19 physical distancing guidelines on Ontario adults’ lifestyle-related health behaviours, wellbeing, and chronic disease development. This could provide future health promotion programs with relevant information to guide program planning.

    It takes about 15 minutes to fill out a survey. Participants could win a $100 grocery store gift card.

    Respiratory Health Forum – call for presentations

    The Respiratory Health Forum planning committee is looking for interested people and sites who would like to showcase their programs, innovations and/or outcomes.  
     
    For details on how to and to submit your Expression of Interest application, please visit their site. The deadline for submission is July 16, 2020.

    Choosing Wisely in Virtual Care as we Emerge from the COVID-19 Pandemic, July 8, 2020

    Join the Choosing Wisely Canada community in their virtual gatherings to discuss the shift to virtual care and its future in the healthcare system. Find out more here.

    COVID-19 and IDD: Mental Health Research and Practice, July 14, 2020

    Join the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine and the Surrey Place’s expert panels discuss IDD. Discover resources and listen to research around the effects on adults with intellectual developmental disabilities during the pandemic.
    Find out more here.

    Integrated Mental and Physical Health, June 5- August 28, 2020

    Hosted by CAMH, University of Toronto and Project ECHO. Find out more here.

    HPCO CoPs, Ongoing

    HPCO hosts Community of Practice meetings virtually relating to the following fields:

    • Health Care Consent, Advance Care Planning
    • Rural Hospice Palliative Care
    • Compassionate Communities.

    Find out more here.

  • AFHTO 2020 Conference: create YOUR virtual conference. Sign up by July 15

    AFHTO 2020 Conference: create YOUR virtual conference. Sign up by July 15

    AFHTO 2020 Conference logo

     

    Join a working group

    We asked you what you wanted in a virtual conference and now you can make even more of an impact. Play a vital role 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 each of the five concurrent streams and for the Bright Lights Awards program. The five concurrent streams will focus on:

    1. Mental health and addiction support in primary care
    2. Integrating digital health and virtual care
    3. Integrated care and community responses
    4. Public health and primary care
    5. Addressing social determinants of health

    (Full descriptions here)

    Working Group Details

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

    • July 8 to 29: AFHTO staff will manage the call for proposals process.
    • Week of July 20: working groups will have an initial Zoom meeting to brainstorm ideas on specific topics and speakers to contact/encourage to submit for a presentation.  
    • July 31 to August 12: each working group member individually reviews and scores presentation abstracts for their program.
    • August 13 to 18: working groups will teleconference to review scores and determine the program for this theme.

    Sign up by July 15, 2020 to confirm your participation and select your conference theme.

    2020 Bright Lights winners

    “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 15, 2020

    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 50% discount on conference registration fees (coming soon).

    Conference key dates:

    • July 8, 2020          Call for concurrent session, poster and Bright Lights opens
    • July 29, 2020        Deadline for concurrent session, poster and Bright Lights submissions
    • August 2020         Conference registration opens
    • October 8-9, 2020      AFHTO 2020 Conference

    For more information, you can contact us by phone (647-234-8605) or e-mail (info@afhto.ca).

  • 2020 Conference Themes

    2020 Conference Themes

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

  • Bits & Pieces: Join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council, member renewal & more

    Bits & Pieces: Join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council, member renewal & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council!
    • Reminder – member renewal deadline July 31, 2020
    • Which FHT physician has over 39,000 views on YouTube?
    • More resources for reopening and other updates
    • Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors close this Friday
    • Pandemic pay update
    • Thomas Edison and weight loss
    • Upcoming events regarding integrated mental and physical health and more

     

     

    Join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council!

    Are you interested in advising AFHTO on the top issues facing IHPs in team-based care? Would you like to be a leader in working with IHPs in primary care to advocate for and to speak to the critical role of teams? Would you like to share and spread knowledge and learnings?

    If yes, AFHTO invites you to apply to join the IHP Advisory Council. Applications are now open, and the deadline to apply is Friday, July 31. More information is here.

    Reminder – member renewal deadline July 31, 2020

    Thank you to all the teams that have renewed their membership to date. This is a reminder the renewal deadline is July 31, 2020. If you have not received a confirmation email titled “Team Name: Membership Renewal Confirmation M-20-invoice number”, we have not received your payment as of June 24. Please send your cheque or pay electronically to avoid losing access to your membership benefits.

    Dr. Sean Blaine of STAR FHT - “Matter of Masks: A family physician speaks out about mask complacency

     

    Which FHT physician has over 39,000 views on YouTube?

    That would be Dr. Sean Blaine of STAR FHT  for “Matter of Masks: A family physician speaks out about mask complacency.” That’s not the only one he’s done either.

    Read about it in this CBC article.

     

     

     

    More resources for reopening and other updates

    Resources and updates released recently include:

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

    Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors close this Friday

    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. Priority for the directors to be elected will be given to candidates who are:

    • Interprofessional health care providers (IHPs), especially those working in mental health and addiction;
    • 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).

    Deadline is July 3, 2020. Find out more here.

    Pandemic pay update

    Last week we sent an update to EDs and Administrative Leads regarding the implementation of pandemic pay. While eligibility has not changed from public announcements, we received a Ministry memo afterwards that may provide further clarification. It is available on our site for those with triad-level access.

    Thomas Edison and weight loss

    Enjoy this article in the spring issue of The Diabetes Communicator co-authored by Central Lambton FHT’s RD Emily Opthof and psychiatrist Dr. David J. Robinson.

    Integrated Mental and Physical Health, June 5- August 28, 2020

    Hosted by CAMH, University of Toronto and Project ECHO. Find out more here.

    HPCO CoPs, Ongoing

    HPCO hosts Community of Practice meetings virtually relating to the following fields:

    • Health Care Consent, Advance Care Planning
    • Rural Hospice Palliative Care
    • Compassionate Communities.

    Find out more here.

  • Thomas Edison and Weight Loss

    Article published in the Spring 2020 issue of The Diabetes Communicator

    By David J. Robinson, MD, FRCPC; Emily Opthof, RD, B.Sc.FN

    Canadian Mental Health Association, London; Central Lambton Family Health Team, Petrolia, Ont.

    Thomas Edison, the revered American inventor, defined genius as 98 per cent (%) to 99% perspiration and 1% to
    2% inspiration (1). A tireless investigator, Edison considered sleep to be “a waste of time”. Edison took naps on a cot
    in his laboratory and reportedly didn’t sleep for more than four hours per night. He passed away from complications of
    type 2 diabetes in 1931 at the age of 84, having limited himself at that point in his life to a diet of milk and cigars.

    Whether Edison’s sleep habits were a factor in his diabetes is unknown, but his legacy is an inspiration for many, and his inventions brought sweeping changes to North American society in the 20th century. His development of the incandescent light bulb into a safe and reliable means of household illumination has, however, been blamed for permanently altering our biological clocks and interfering with sleep.

    Sleep deprivation is one of many potential factors leading to weight gain. Edison would have been intrigued that one of his inventions might have had deleterious effects and would have been inspired to find a solution. Can we use similar scientific curiosity to investigate potential ways that he might have found to help manage diabetes with weight loss?

    Read the full article here.

  • Join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council – Applications are now open!

    Are you interested in advising AFHTO of the top issues facing IHPs in team-based care? Would you like to be a leader in working with IHPs in primary care to advocate for and to speak to the critical role of teams? Would you like to share and spread knowledge and learnings?

    If yes, AFHTO invites you to apply to join the IHP Advisory Council! The council was established in 2018, and several two-year terms are now open. 

    This council provides input on IHP-related matters, gives advice and input to the AFHTO board and staff on AFHTO and primary care priorities, and fosters leadership across the IHP community within FHTs, NPLCs, and other interprofessional teams.

    The council is a mechanism to advance best-practice knowledge transfer and exchange, to enhance collaboration, and to give IHPs the opportunity to communicate operational, governance, and other team-related items. 

    AFHTO seeks a diversity of professions and regional representation on the council. However, the primary role of every council member is to represent and be a voice and a leader for all IHPs who work in teams. 

    More detail is in the terms of reference, which can be seen on the IHP Advisory Council page on AFHTO’s website.

    To apply, please complete this application: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Y9GNY5F

    The deadline to apply has been extended to Friday, August 7, at 11:59 PM.

    Any IHP who is part of a member team is welcome to apply. All applications will be reviewed by the AFHTO team, and new council members will be notified in the week of August 24. 

    As the summer IHP Advisory Council meeting is scheduled for the following week on Wednesday, September 2, from 12 PM to 1:30 PM, we suggest anyone applying hold that time now.

    If you have any questions, please contact Beth MacKinnon at beth.mackinnon@afhto.ca