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  • Susan Fitzpatrick Named Interim CEO of Ontario Health

    On April 24 Christine Elliott, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, announced that Susan Fitzpatrick will assume the role of interim CEO of Ontario Health, the new superagency which will ensure a consistency of care across Ontario.

    Susan Fitzpatrick was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) in 2015, following a career in the Ontario Public Service that spanned more than three decades. Prior to joining the LHIN, Susan was Associate Deputy Minister, Health System Delivery and Implementation, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. As Associate Deputy Minister, Susan was responsible for bringing together health programs in LHINs, CCACs, Long-term Care and Physician Services, and creating alignment opportunities in order to deliver quality health services to patients.

    Prior to her role at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Susan was the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Negotiations and Accountability Management Division and the General Manager of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan where she led significant policy achievements.

    Susan holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Queen’s University.

    Relevant Links

  • Examining the Healthcare Experiences of Foreign-Born Older Canadians: Call for Participants

    Examining the Healthcare Experiences of Foreign-Born Older Canadians: A Pilot Study – Call for Participants

    Overview: Although foreign-born older adults (immigrant seniors) are at a higher risk for certain chronic diseases and negative health conditions, limited Canadian studies have examined healthcare experiences of foreign-born older adults (FBOAs), and few have developed or proposed practical solutions to support patient engagement, system navigation ,and care coordination. This is an exploratory study aimed at further understanding FBOA-patient and provider interactions and experiences across the system. The intent is use these pilot data to develop a future program of research and grant application to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research focused on supporting FBOAs and their health care providers.
     
    Requested Support: The University of Waterloo is reaching out to community organizations and partners to seek their preliminary guidance and perspectives. If you currently work with FBOAs, they would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you to learn from your experiences.  Furthermore, if there are any FBOA patients that you think would be interested in sharing their healthcare experiences, please let them know.
     
    This study is being led by Dr. Paul Stolee, with the assistance of Dr. Catherine Tong, whose PhD research focused on the health of foreign-born older immigrants and who has prior experience conducting multilingual studies with older adults. If you are interested in participating or if you have any questions please contact Alison Kernoghan (alison.kernoghan@uwaterloo.ca).

  • 2019/20 Quality Improvement Plans available

    In April Health Quality Ontario received 1,024 Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) from hospitals, primary care organizations, long-term care homes, and LHIN home and community care services across Ontario. All of the 2019/20 QIPs are now available on QIP Navigator.

    You can use the Download QIPs tool to download the full QIP of any organization, or use the Query QIPs tool to search all submitted QIPs for a key word or indicator of interest. These tools are a great way to find out what organizations in your area are working on this year or read about the lessons organizations have learned during their efforts to address the key quality issues targeted by the QIPs.

    Another source for ideas and inspiration is Quorum, Health Quality Ontario’s health care quality improvement community. You can browse the new Indicators & Change Ideas page to explore and comment on approaches to improvement for this year’s QIP indicators, or search for the QIP tag to read spotlight stories and interviews related to the QIPs.

    It’s clear from initial observations on the 2019/20 QIPs that organizations are focusing their efforts on the three critical themes of timely and efficient transitions, service excellence, and safe and effective care. If you or your team have any questions about the QIPs or about Health Quality Ontario’s quality improvement resources, please contact QIP@HQOntario.ca.

  • AFHTO 2019 Conference: extended abstract deadline – now Friday at 9 am

    AFHTO 2019 Conference: extended abstract deadline – now Friday at 9 am

    Happy children pointing at laptop

    These past few weeks have been very busy for AFHTO members. Given the demands on your time, we’ve responded by extending the deadline to submit abstracts for the AFHTO 2019 Conference “Health System Integration Built on the Foundation of Team-Based Primary Health Care”.

    The Ontario health landscape will look very different very soon, so we need to hear from you. Don’t wait to impart your lessons learned, your tips and experiences to colleagues from all across the province under 6 core themes.

    submit button

    The deadline is now April 26, 2019 at 9:00 AM (EDT).

    All are welcome. Please pass this along to your peers, colleagues and network including those from other healthcare sectors, non-profits, and the academic and research communities.

    Email info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605x 200 if you have any questions. We’re here to help.

    Helpful links to get you started:

    Reduced registration fee for concurrent session presenters: For each approved concurrent session, up to 2 presenters will each be granted a $50 discount off the conference registration fee. Additional discounts apply for patients presenting at the conference. (Discount doesn’t apply for poster displays.)

    Conference key dates (updated):

    • April 26, 2019             Deadline to submit concurrent session and poster abstract
    • June 2019                    Conference registration opens
    • Sep 19 & 20, 2019     AFHTO 2019 Conference
  • Bits & Pieces: abstract deadline tomorrow, OHT webinar on patient partnership & more

    Bits & Pieces: abstract deadline tomorrow, OHT webinar on patient partnership & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In this Issue:  
    • Deadline to submit your #AFHTO2019 abstract tomorrow
    • OHT webinar on patient partnership Apr. 25
    • Creating a “Balanced” View: we want to learn from you!
    • Registration open for LeaderShift Health System Leaders webinar #4 Apr. 30
    • Seeking input on improving primary stroke prevention
    • Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) launch
    • Trillium Primary Health Care Research Day, June 5, 2019
    • Upcoming events including primary care virtual community meeting and more

    Deadline to submit your #AFHTO2019 abstract tomorrow

    AFHTO 2018 Panorama

    Time’s almost up to submit your AFHTO 2019 Conference abstract. Within a very short span of time the Ontario health landscape will look very different, so we need to make sure primary health care teams are as prepared as they can be. Deadline to submit tomorrow Apr. 24. at 5:00 p.m.

    OHT webinar on patient partnership Apr. 25
    The Ministry has announced its third webinar on the Ontario Health Teams with a focus on patient partnership on April 25 at noon. If you have not yet done so, please click here to register.   
     
    Ongoing information about the development about the OHTs are available on our website so please make sure you check there periodically.

    Creating a “Balanced” View: we want to learn from you!
    Is your team using a balanced scorecard approach to monitor progress towards strategic objectives? Has your team developed tools or frameworks for the board to assess organizational performance? We’d like to learn from you!

    Please consider sharing your tools with AFHTO as we continue in our collective pursuit to drive quality and identify opportunities for improvement.   

    Registration open for LeaderShift Health System Leaders webinar #4 Apr. 30
    Cross-sector collaboration is a major goal of the LeaderShift project. But how can we collaborate when we don’t really know what other parts of the community and primary care sector are doing?
     
    Tune into what’s happening in and across community & primary health today and uncover where the biggest opportunities for current and emerging leaders lie in the webinar: Innovation and Opportunity in Community and Primary Health Care. Find out more here.

    Seeking input on improving primary stroke prevention
    The Translation Research Program at the University of Toronto is looking for family physicians to participate in a study on improving primary stroke prevention. The study involves a 2-hour focus group at a pre-determined location and a short questionnaire about stroke knowledge.

    An honorarium will be provided for your time, and refreshments will be served during the focus groups. Click here for more details.

    Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) launch
    On June 24, 2019, Ontario is transitioning from the guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) to the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) as the recommended screening test for people at average risk of developing colorectal cancer. To support primary care providers, Cancer Care Ontario has updated existing ColonCancerCheck resources and developed new resources outlining changes to the program. Learn more here.

    Inaugural Primary Care Virtual Community meeting, Apr. 25, 2019
    With special guest, Dr. Robert Varnam, GP and Head of General Practice Development at NHS England. Join us as he shares learning from the journey that the UK underwent in health system transformation where primary care was at the centre of reforms, and how we might use that learning in Ontario. Join the first virtual conversation

    Transitions in Care: A Quality Standards Webinar, May 8, 2019
    Learn about a draft quality standard for quality care for patients transitioning from hospital to home. Find out more here.

    Project ECHO Liver: Liver Disease in Primary Care: Approach to Hepatitis B, May 16, 2019
    Join this webinar held by ECHO Ontario for their Liver series, which will cover approaches to different liver diseases in a primary care setting.  Learn more here.

    Trillium Primary Health Care Research Day, June 5, 2019
    Submit your abstracts by May 1 if you would like to present your research. You can also register now. Learn more here.

  • AFHTO 2019 Conference: JUST ONE WEEK LEFT to submit your abstract

    AFHTO 2019 Conference: JUST ONE WEEK LEFT to submit your abstract

    AFHTO 2019 conference logo

    The call for Ontario Health Teams has gone out, signaling another phase in a major change to Ontario’s healthcare system. Within a very short span of time the landscape will look very different, so we need to make sure primary health care teams are as prepared as they can be.

    Attentive conference attendee

    Colleagues from other health care sectors, non-profits, and the academic community will be at the conference, all eager to hear about your programs and patient care in our 6 core themes.

    The deadline to submit abstracts for concurrent sessions and posters is April 24, 2019 at 5:00 PM (EDT).

     

     

     

    Helpful links to get you started:

    Conference key dates:

    • April 24, 2019             Deadline to submit concurrent session and poster abstract
    • June 2019                    Conference registration opens
    • Sep 19 & 20, 2019     AFHTO 2019 Conference

    If you have any questions about the submission process or want to know if your work is a good fit, email info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605x 200. We’d be happy to help.

  • Bits & Pieces: OHT webinar today, we really want your abstract & more

    Bits & Pieces: OHT webinar today, we really want your abstract & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In this Issue:  
    • Ontario Health Team webinar today
    • We really want you to submit your AFHTO 2019 Conference abstract. Deadline Apr. 24
    • Member news -the case for a single EMR in each OHT
    • Prenatal Screening Ontario – new program for primary health care
    • Chronic Kidney Disease Medication Safety List now available online
    • Brain health and wellness project
    • Trillium Primary Health Care Research Day, June 5, 2019
    • Upcoming events regarding financial statements and more

     

    Ontario Health Team webinar today
    The Ministry has just announced its second webinar on the Ontario Health Teams with a focus on Readiness assessment supports and process scheduled for today at noon. If you have not yet done so, please click here to register.   
     
    AFHTO has started a series of Executive Director Forums (North, South, East and GTA) for EDs to come together from the province to discuss how OHT development is happening in their community. Invitations have already gone out and we’ll be collecting questions from each of the Forums which we’ll send to the Ministry for response. If you haven’t received your invitation to attend the Forum please contact Beth MacKinnon at beth.mackinnon@afhto.ca.
     
    Ongoing information about the development about the OHTs are available on our website so please make sure you check there periodically.

    We really want you to submit your AFHTO 2019 Conference abstract. Deadline Apr. 24

    AFHTO 2019 Conference logo

    Are you:

    • A small, rural or Northern team?
    • Helping your patients live healthier lives?
    • Improving your community through effective partnerships and programs?
    • Providing truly integrated care and embodying the patient medical home?

    Then your experience is invaluable! Your peers across the province want to hear from you. Deadline to submit Apr. 24.

    Member news -the case for a single EMR in each OHT

    “Nothing Truly Valuable can be Achieved Except by the Unselfish Cooperation of Many”- Longwoods essay by Dr. David Kaplan, North York FHT and Chief, Clinical Quality, Health Quality Ontario

    Prenatal Screening Ontario – new program for primary health care
    Looking for resources for your prenatal practice? Prenatal Screening Ontario (PSO) is a provincial resource supporting providers and patients by providing up-to-date information, current requisitions, and practice guidelines for prenatal screening in Ontario. Find new resources, including point-of-care tools, and screening timelines and pathways on their site.

    Do you have questions about prenatal screening? Would you like PSO to present an update to your group? Call their prenatal screening info line (833)351-6490.

    Chronic Kidney Disease Medication Safety List now available online
    The Medication Safety List for chronic kidney disease (CKD) is now available online.
    Many people with CKD have other chronic conditions and take multiple medications. Some drugs used to treat other conditions are cleared through the kidneys, which increases the risk of harm, including acute kidney injury.
    The list is available on the Ontariorenalnetwork.ca site and as a link in the KidneyWise Clinical Toolkit.

    Brain health and wellness project
    Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health (CCSMH) is seeking interested clinicians to participate in a project that has recently received funding through the Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CABHI).  

    The project involves clinicians promoting mental wellness by supporting their patients in setting a SMART goal during routine care in an area of brain health and resilience and then checking in with the patient 4 weeks later to gauge their success.

    Piloted in Nova Scotia with great success, this concept is now being attempted nationally. Introductory webinars are being held on April 25 and 26. Find out more here.

    Trillium Primary Health Care Research Day, June 5, 2019
    Learn about ongoing primary health care research through presentations and posters and participate in skill-building workshops. Participants will be exposed to the latest in peer-reviewed primary health care research.

    *Includes the Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Rick Glazier
     
    Abstract submissions open until May 1. Learn more and register.

    Understanding Financial Statements, Apr. 17, 2019
    The first in our financial webinar series, presented by Grant Thornton LLP. Board members are also encouraged to attend this webinar as they have been charged with fiduciary and duty of care responsibilities. Register and find more information here.

    A Successful Nurse-Led Program in Primary Care for Patients with Chronic Pain, Apr. 18, 2019
    Learn about the feasible, evidence-based and cost-effective program based on self-management support for chronic non-cancer pain. Find out more here.

    Microcytic Anemia in Primary Care, Apr. 23, 2019
    Presented by Marg Alfieri, RD and AFHTO board member. Register here.

    CMHA and Mental Health Works workplace conference, May 13-14, 2019
    Held in Toronto, it will bring together leaders, managers, employees, researchers and experts in the field to discuss emerging best-practices and practical, on-the-ground skills that will develop resiliency in the workplace. Find out about Roadmaps to Resiliency: Investing in Mental Wellness for Ontario’s Workplaces.

    Primary Care Virtual Community meeting, Apr. 25, 2019
    With special guest, Dr. Robert Varnam, GP and Head of General Practice Development at NHS England. Join us as he shares learning from the journey that the UK underwent in health system transformation where primary care was at the centre of reforms, and how we might use that learning in Ontario. Join the first virtual conversation.

    FHT Mental Health Networking and Education Event, May 30-31, 2019
    Held in Chatham-Kent. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please email Marijke Jurriaans at Marijke.jurriaans@hamiltonfht.ca or call (905) 667-4848 extension 160. Learn more here.

  • R&R Funding Letters Rolling Out Soon

    Dear Executive Directors and Admin Leads,

    We received word late Friday afternoon that the FY 2019-20 recruitment and retention letters will be rolling out in the next month or so. Annual Operating Plans (AOPs) will be released shortly as well. As we learn more information, we will share with you, but we are pleased to see that the R&R investment made in the 2018 Ontario Budget is still committed.

    Background Documents:

  • 2019 Ontario Budget Overview

    Today the PC government released their first Ontario Budget entitled  “Protecting What Matters Most”. In this budget, the government spoke about a foundation of four clear priorities:

    • First – Restoring accountability and trust by introducing a credible, sustainable and fully costed plan that will return the province to fiscal balance in five years.
    • Second – Protecting what matters most by adopting bold new ways to deliver services in areas of health care and education, while supporting our front-line workers.
    • Third – Putting people first by making life more affordable and convenient with a new Childcare Access and Relief from Expenses (CARE) tax credit, a plan to make auto insurance more accessible and affordable, an expanded rapid transit system, and a reduced Estate Administration Tax.
    • Fourth – Making Ontario Open for Business and Open for Jobs by lowering business costs, and making it easier for employers to hire workers and for workers to find a job.

    The focus on health included mainly investments in hospitals, long-term care, home and community care and mental health and addictions. There was also a focus on reducing inefficiencies by streamlining back-office functions and the mention of the implementation of a digital first strategy which will increase the use of virtual care in the province.  

    There was no mention of any further investments in primary care nor was there any mention of the already committed recruitment and retention funding made in last year’s budget so we will work with our Ministry colleagues to get further information on that.
     
    In the meantime, please find attached a brief on the health care commitments made in the 2019 budget. Further information, including H&K’s synopsis, will be uploaded on our website once we receive it.   
     
    Additional information:

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #86: Moving Forward with Quality

    In this issue

    • Upcoming changes to the D2D eBulletin
    • Moving forward with AFHTO’s quality agenda
    • Introducing the Quality Improvement in Primary Care (QI in PC) Council and the IHP Advisory Council, and their vision for improvement
    • AFHTO 2019 Conference call for abstracts

    Refreshed eBulletin

    The D2D eBulletin will be undergoing changes and refocusing to highlight efforts of teams in the field. As quality continues to remain a priority in AFHTO’s mandate, the eBulletin will act as a resource to share and spread innovations, tools and stories from primary care teams across the province. Each eBulletin will focus on a specific topic and help guide your team on how to improve in these areas of quality in concrete ways.

    If you would like to share a tool, resource or highlight a successful program or service in your team, we would love to hear from you! Please contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

    Moving Forward with AFHTO’s Quality Agenda

    Although we’re looking to sunset the work of D2D given the current environment and uncertainty around funding, AFHTO will continue its efforts to support teams in the field of quality and demonstrate the value of team-based primary care. AFHTO’s priorities have shifted from measurement to driving improvement across the sector. AFHTO’s Quality Steering Committee (QSC) will work closely with the QI in PC Council, the IHP Advisory Council, AFHTO members, and partners to set priorities for improvement in areas of transitions, access, integration, mental health and addictions, and patient engagement.

    Quality Improvement in Primary Care Council

    In January of 2019, the Quality Improvement in Primary Care (QI in PC) Council was formed. The QI in PC council consists of 5 appointed QIDSS and QIDSS-like individuals with the goal to support the QIDSS Community of Practice (CoP) and strengthen collective QI capacity across the sector. The QI in PC Council surveyed members of the QIDSS CoP to determine where to focus their efforts and supports for teams in the field. The priority areas are listed below.

    Priority tasks:

    • Provide a voice in Ontario’s primary care data collection and QI priorities
    • Strengthen existing communication formats in the QIDSS CoP
    • Make it easy to share EMR queries
    • Share HQO’s QIP to members and develop a collective QI project

    Click here to view the council’s framework.

    The members of the council include:

    • Charles Bruntz, QIDSS, Timmins FHT
    • Cameron Berry, QIDSS, Kawartha North FHT
    • Sandeep Gill, QIDSS, Queen Square FHT
    • Abigail Scott, Data and Quality Improvement Analyst, Queen’s FHT
    • Brice Wong, QIDSS, Windsor FHT

    Contact the council by emailing: qiprimarycouncil@emaildodo.com  

    IHP Advisory Council

    The Interprofessional Health Care Providers (IHP) Advisory Council fosters leadership across the IHP community within FHTs and NPLCs; provides input on FHT and NPLC matters related to IHP issues; and gives advice and input to the AFHTO board, staff, and other leadership councils.

    The council provides 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 FHT- or NPLC-related items. The council’s vision includes acting as a resource to teams, providing advocacy on behalf of IHPs, and demonstrating the value of interprofessional primary care teams. Click here to view details of the IHP Advisory Council’s vision.

    For more information about the IHP Advisory Council including the terms of reference and contact list, click here.

    AFHTO 2019 Conference Call for Abstracts

    Share your team’s ideas by submitting an abstract to present a concurrent session or poster at the AFHTO 2019 Conference on September 19 & 20, 2019. Find out more here. Deadline is April 24, 2019.

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #85 or other news here!

    Questions? Comments? Connect with the QIDS team at improve@afhto.ca.