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  • Draft legislation and other leaked documents on health system transformation

    A draft bill from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care was leaked to the media at the end of January. The Health System Efficiency Act, 2019 appears to be in early stages, but the draft provides a high-level overview of what may be a major structural overhaul of health services in the province.

    A summary of the draft legislation, as it read on January 31 when leaked, can be seen here. The draft legislation itself can be seen through online media.

    Additional documents that show major changes to the health care system were leaked on February 4. These provide more information on a policy that is being formed, including information about MyCare Groups, the “Super Agency,” and how the ministry may be restructured. Information about the February 4 leaked documents can be read here.

    While there is now more clarity about the government’s plans, much is still up in the air and will be seen in the weeks and months ahead. As we get more information, we’ll let our members know. In the meantime, we continue to encourage teams to reach out to their MPP to speak about the value of team-based care in their communities. Tools and resources are here. 

    If you have any questions, please contact Beth MacKinnon (Program Associate, Policy, Leadership and Strategic Communications) at beth.mackinnon@afhto.ca or 647-234-8605 x206.

  • Bits & Pieces: new website coming soon, deadline to build together this week & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In this Issue:

    • New website coming soon
    • Building Together registration deadlines this week
    • Teams continue to meet with MPPs
    • Call for submissions – Ted Freedman Award

     

    • OCFP 2019 Awards call for nominations
    • Social Work Week Resources
    • Upcoming events regarding NP role implementation and more

    New website coming soon

    We’re working hard on the new AFHTO website, testing every feature to ensure it works for you.

    Some of these include:

    • Individual login
    • Different access levels for triad and staff
    • Refined search and more user-friendly features

    We’re currently checking for bugs and glitches, but we’ll be revealing it within a couple of weeks. Stay tuned for the results!

    Building Together registration deadlines this week

    The deadlines to register for Building Together: How to become a high-performing team are Feb. 20 and Feb. 22 for the Ottawa and Toronto workshops respectively.

    What makes a good team great? Join us at this FREE workshop on March 6 and 8 to find out.

    Developed and presented with our research partners at Western University, originated with last year’s QI Enablers Study.

    This is for every member of a primary care team. Everyone is welcome, from the official and unofficial leaders to the clinicians and the clerical staff. Team-building happens from the bottom up and the top down, and from all other directions as well.

    When and where?

    • Ottawa: Wed., Mar. 6, 2019
    • Toronto: Fri., Mar. 8, 2019

    For more information, check out our FAQ or the web post.

    Teams continue to meet with MPPs

    It’s great to see MPP meetings happening across the province! This work is helping to ensure MPPs understand and can speak to the value of team-based care. The legislature resumes today, and work around health care reform is expected to be a focus. Now is the time to meet with MPPs. Tools and resources are here, including the key points we encourage you communicate.

    Call for submissions – Ted Freedman Award

    The Ted Freedman Award for Innovation in Education is open to all healthcare organizations and recognizes those individuals or organizations that inspire, advocate and enable education in health, health services and healthcare management. Deadline is Mar. 15, 2019.

    For submission guidelines and further information visit their site.

    OCFP 2019 Awards call for nominations

    Nominations are now open for the 2019 OCFP Awards, celebrating family medicine and the contributions that Ontario’s family physicians make with their patients, communities and our healthcare system. AFHTO members have won numerous awards, including Family Physician and Family Practice of the Year.

    For additional information please visit their site. Deadline is Apr. 8, 2019.

    Social Work Week Resources

    Social Work Week will take place from March 4 – 10, 2019. The Ontario Association of Social Workers invites teams to participate in an online celebration by sharing what issue you turn into answers using their downloadable speech bubbles. You can use the hashtag #TurnIssuesIntoAnswers and/or #SocialWorkWeek2019

    Social workers or teams can also use the speech bubbles to engage with one another in person and create a collage or poster in their workplace, transitioning this into a meaningful and interactive experience for all. You can access digital resources here.

    Government Webcast Series: Strategic Planning and Public Complaints: Feb. 20, 2019

    Attend this webcast on strategic planning and public complaints. Register now!

    Building Together: How to become a high-performing team, Mar. 6 & 8, 2019

    What makes a good team great? To find out, join us on March 6 in Ottawa and March 8 in Toronto. It’s free, interactive, and interprofessional! Register now for Ottawa and Toronto.

    Spirometry Interpretation Workshop, Feb. 21, 2019

    Learn the ins and outs of Spirometry at this workshop held in Stratford. Learn more here.

    Considerations for Implementing the NP Role within your Team, Feb. 22, 2019

    Join Beth Cowper-Fung, AFHTO’s President and Board Chair and Clinical Director of Georgina NPLC & Claudia Mariano, Manager, Practice and Policy, NPAO, for this interactive session. Register here

    Team-Based Approaches to Chronic Pain Management: Opioid Stewardship, Feb. 28, 2019

    Nearly 20% of Canadian adults experience chronic pain. This webinar will provide insights to help your patients manage their pain safely and effectively, and introduce you to the Opioids Clinical Primer. Register today.

  • Bits & Pieces: how you can learn with Harvard, pain competence assessment & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In this Issue:

    • Build, broaden and refresh your leadership skills with Harvard ManageMentor
    • Teams meeting with MPPs
    • Reminder- fill out the GoodLife Fitness discount survey by Feb. 19
    • ECHO Evening Series
    • Pain competence assessment tool reliability testing
    • Seeking input: a draft early pregnancy complications and loss quality standard
    • Trillium Primary Health Care Research Day
    • Seeking input – national guidance on workplace violence and harassment
    • Upcoming events regarding NP role implementation and more

    Build, broaden and refresh your leadership skills with Harvard ManageMentor

    Join us Tues. Mar. 5, 12:00-1:00 p.m. for a lunch and learn session hosted in partnership with Harvard ManageMentor.

    What is Harvard ManageMentor?

    • A self-directed online-learning program affiliated with the Harvard School of Business
    • Covers over 40 topics of vital relevance to today’s healthcare managers. Each module helps strengthen specific leadership skills that drive performance and results.
    • Includes quick videos, Learn-Practice-Reflect lessons, assessments and downloadable resources/tools for your everyday management responsibilities and challenges

    Teams meeting with MPPs

    Several teams in Niagara region met with MPP Wayne Gates this week. Meetings across the province continue, helping MPPs from all parties speak to the value of team-based care for their community. The legislature resumes next week, and the government is undertaking health system reform, so now is the time to meet! Tools and resources are here.

    Please aim to communicate the three key points, so the message the government hears is consistent and aligns with their priorities.

    And don’t forget to let us know when you’re meeting, so we can add it to our website!

    Reminder- fill out the GoodLife Fitness discount survey by Feb. 19

    AFHTO is looking into setting up a partnership with GoodLife Fitness to provide great savings on membership for all our members and their families. This includes access to all GoodLife Fitness clubs across Canada.

    We need to find out if there’s enough interest first before we can proceed. If you’re interested in a possible membership, please complete the survey by Feb. 19. This will determine if we go ahead with the program.

    ECHO Evening Series

    ECHO Ontario will be hosting 2 different series in February/March, 2019. ECHO sessions consist of a short didactic lecture by an interprofessional specialist team and real de-identified patient cases presented by participants.

    ECHO Liver:
    Date:  Feb. 21, 2019
    Topic:  Liver Disease in Primary Care: Approach to Liver Enzymes

    Click here to register or for more details

    ECHO Chronic Pain/Opioid Stewardship
    A 4-part series on Buprenorphine/Naloxone prescribing, starting Feb. 25

    Click here to register or for more details

    Pain competence assessment tool reliability testing

    The Musculoskeletal Program at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute (TRI) has developed a new Pain competence assessment tool (PCAT) to assess competence among clinicians managing chronic pain (CP) patients. They’re now conducting a reliability testing for the new PCAT.

    To do this, they’re recruiting clinicians (family physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, social workers, and psychologists), who are working at a primary care setting to participate in this study. As an appreciation for your time, you will be compensated by a $25 gift card. You can find out more or take the survey here.

    Seeking input: a draft early pregnancy complications and loss quality standard

    Share your thoughts on a draft quality standard to address early pregnancy complications and loss. It’s estimated that 1 in 5 pregnancies will end in miscarriage, with 80% of them occurring in the first trimester.

    Send your feedback by Feb. 26, 2019.

    This quality standard and accompanying patient guide, being developed by Health Quality Ontario and the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network, outline for patients and clinicians what quality care looks like.

    Trillium Primary Health Care Research Day

    Taking place on June 5, 2019, you can submit an abstract or register today. Limited travel grants available.

    Seeking input – national guidance on workplace violence and harassment

    The Public Services Health and Safety Association (PSHSA) is conducting research on behalf of the Canadian Standards Association (CSA Group), a global organization dedicated to safety, social good, and sustainability.

    The purpose of the research is to determine the need for national standards or guidance on the prevention and management of workplace violence and harassment and to recommend where further work needs to be done on any identified gaps. Please respond to the survey. Deadline is Feb. 21, 2019.

    Government Webcast Series: Strategic Planning and Public Complaints: Feb. 20, 2019

    Attend this webcast on strategic planning and public complaints. Register now!

    Considerations for Implementing the NP Role within your Team, Feb. 22, 2019

    Join Beth Cowper-Fung, AFHTO’s President and Board Chair and Clinical Director of Georgina NPLC & Claudia Mariano, Manager, Practice and Policy, NPAO, for this interactive session. Register here

    Building Together: How to become a high-performing team, Mar. 6 & 8, 2019

    What makes a good team great? To find out, join us on March 6 in Ottawa and March 8 in Toronto. It’s free, interactive, and interprofessional! Register now for Ottawa and Toronto.

    Team-Based Approaches to Chronic Pain Management: Opioid Stewardship, Feb. 28, 2019 Nearly 20% of Canadian adults experience chronic pain. This webinar will provide insights to help your patients manage their pain safely and effectively, and introduce you to the Opioids Clinical Primer. Register today.

    How big data changed sports and will revolutionize your health care, Feb. 21, 2019

    Join HQO’s Quality Rounds on how teams can leverage data to support patients. Save the link here.

  • MPP Meetings – Advocacy Tools & Resources

    A new government and many new Members of Provincial Parliament (MPP) were elected in June 2018. AFHTO members are encouraged to meet with  their local MPP.

    Establishing a relationship with new MPPs – or building on existing relationships with longer-serving MPPs – and communicating the value of team-based primary care is key to helping see MPPs do two things:

    • Advocate for investments in team-based care, and
    • Understand the value of team-based care for their constituents, so they can speak to it as the new government undertakes primary care reform.

    It’s important to include primary care providers and, where possible, a patient in these meetings. These are people the government is especially interested in hearing from. Where there is more than one team in an MPP’s riding, we encourage teams coordinate one meeting together, if possible.

    Working with Hill+Knowlton Strategies, our government relations firm, the following tools have been prepared to help with local advocacy:

    It’s important that teams across the province are consistent in saying why team-based care matters. The key messages are the main points to communicate, with proof points to back you up, but the document is not intended to be left with the MPP. The slide deck summarises the key messages, and it’s what can be left behind after the meeting.

    In the deck, be sure to add a couple success stories and accomplishments where patients – the MPP’s constituents – benefitted because of team-based care.

    Other tools, resources and references

    If you have any questions, please contact Beth MacKinnon (Program Associate, Policy, Leadership and Strategic Communications) at beth.mackinnon@afhto.ca or 647-234-8605 x206.

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #84: Building Together

    In this issue

    • Register now for Building Together
    • Team-Based Approaches to Chronic Pain Management: Opioid Stewardship
    • Resources to Support Follow-Up after Hospitalization
    • The “Q” Council – Towards a More Self-Sustaining Community of Practice
    • QIPS, Program Planning and Schedule A

    Register now for Building Together

    What makes a good team great? To find out, join us on March 6 and 8 for Building Together: How to become a high-performing team. We’ll take a deep dive into what makes teams – your teams – work!  

    This FREE workshop, developed and presented with our research partners at Western University, originated with last year’s QI Enablers Study. Dr. Judith Belle Brown will lead us through an exploration of the foundational elements that teams are built on. In small-group sessions throughout the day, we’ll examine three of the pillars that are built on this foundation and elevate a team’s performance.

    This workshop is for every member of a primary care team. Everyone is welcome, from the official and unofficial leaders to the clinicians and the clerical staff. Team-building happens from the bottom up and the top down, and from all other directions as well.

    When and where?

    • Ottawa: Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at the Holiday Inn Express Ottawa-Nepean, 2055 Robertson Road
    • Toronto: Friday, March 8, 2019 at St. Paul’s on Bloor, 227 Bloor Street East

    For more information, check out our FAQ or the web post. When you’re ready, register at the links below:

    We look forward to seeing you – and your team – there!

    Team-Based Approaches to Chronic Pain Management: Opioid Stewardship

    Nearly 20% of Canadian adults experience chronic pain. This webinar will provide insights to help your patients manage their pain safely and effectively.

    Join us on Thursday, February 28 from 12:00-1:00pm for Team-Based Approaches to Chronic Pain Management: Opioid Stewardship, presented by Dr. Jennifer Wyman. Topics to be covered include:

    • The role of the team in supporting patients who use opioids to manage chronic non-cancer pain.
    • When is the dose too high? Assessing opioid benefits and risks.
    • Supporting patients on their journey with chronic pain.
    • Recognizing opioid use disorder in the primary care setting.

    This webinar will also introduce you to the Opioids Clinical Primer. Led by Dr. Wyman from the University of Toronto, in collaboration with experts and community practitioners from across the province, this free, accredited online course is intended to help clinicians address opioid use disorder and implement safer opioid prescribing strategies in the management of chronic pain. Please consider reviewing Course 3: Safer Opioid Prescribing Strategies prior to the session.

    Please use this link to register for the webinar.  Can’t make it on the 28th? We’ll post the recording here along with the slide deck and other materials.

    Resources to Support Follow-Up after Hospitalization

    Meaningful follow-up for patients who have been hospitalized is an essential element of high-quality, comprehensive care. Not only does it reduce the likelihood of readmission, it saves lives. It has also been identified as a priority by AFHTO’s members and board. Transitions in care, including follow-up, are also a priority area for the 2019-20 QIPs. And it’s not as hard as you think!

    Need help? Here it is! We’ve pulled together resources from AFHTO and beyond, and we’ve turned them into a step-by-step process that can help whether you’re just getting started or fine-tuning a program that’s been in place for a while. If you think we’ve missed something, let us know.

    The “Q” Council – Towards a More Self-Sustaining Community of Practice

    The “Q” – that’s what we call the community of practice made up of QIDS Specialists, QIDSS-like folks, QIIMS, and E-QIP coaches – is five years old! And as you’ve probably heard by now, they’re embarking on a transition towards greater self-direction, peer support, and collective advocacy.

    A big, important step has been the selection of a council. This small but mighty group of peer leaders will advocate for the Q and for quality improvement; coordinate resource-sharing and collaboration; and help build an even stronger community of practice.

    Here are the members of the first-ever Q Council:

    • Brice Wong, QIDSS, Windsor FHT partnership
    • Cameron Berry, QIDSS, Kawartha North FHT partnership
    • Sandeep Gill, QIDSS, Queen Square FHT partnership
    • Abigail Scott, QIDSS-like, Queens FHT
    • Charles Bruntz, QIDSS, Timmins FHT

    Please join us in thanking Brice, Cam, Sandeep, and Abi for stepping forward as volunteer leaders. They’re taking on a big and important job.

    QIPs, Program Planning and Schedule A

    It’s that time again! QIP and Schedule A submission are right around the corner. We have tools to make these processes a little easier. Check them out!

    Help for your 2019-20 QIPs brings together resources from AFHTO, Health Quality Ontario, and others. These include webinars and documents to support you through the QIP process and orient you to this year’s priority themes and indicators, as well as tools to help you start making improvements in these areas.

    Program planning & evaluation tools will help you complete your Schedule A submissions. To help you choose measures for the evaluation portion of Schedule A, we’ve made some updates to the Program Performance Measures Catalogue (PPMC). As teams use it, the PPMC will help build consensus and consistency in program planning measures across the province, and this will make it easier for teams to learn from each other about how best to measure and improve program effectiveness. To make the most of the PPMC, check out the Quick Reference Guide to the Catalogue; Choosing Better Indicators: How teams are using the PPMC; and the PPMC Video Walkthrough.

     

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #83 or other back issues here!

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

  • Bits & Pieces: important healthcare updates, GoodLife, community investment grants & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In this Issue:

    • Important healthcare updates
    • Interested in knowing how to maximize your HOOPP pension and to get a retirement estimate?
    • Do you want a GoodLife Fitness discount?
    • Better care for your patients who experience chronic pain
    • Radon course
    • Virtual masterclass on the conduct and use of patient-oriented research
    • Reminder – you can join a virtual primary care network
    • Reminder – 2019 LeaderShift registration open!
    • Humber students available
    • CIRA community investment program applications open
    • Upcoming events regarding strategic planning, public complaints and more

    Important healthcare updates

    Premier’s Council interim report: The Premier’s Council on Improving Health Care and Ending Hallway Medicine just released their first report. It provides an assessment of Ontario’s health care system and lays the groundwork for future reports that will speak to recommendations for health system restructuring. Visit our site for an overview.

    AFHTO’s 2019 Pre-Budget Submission: many of the report’s findings are consistent with AFHTO priorities and aligned with our most recent Pre-Budget Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs as part of the 2019 Ontario Pre-Budget Consultations in January.

    See our key recommendations on primary care and mental health; transitioning care coordination to primary care; expansion of interprofessional team-based care; and facilitating and funding a strategy that spreads existing models of performance measurement in primary care across Ontario. Delve deeper here.

    Draft Health System Efficiency Act in the media:

    AFHTO is aware that a draft bill from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care was leaked to the press last week. The Health System Efficiency Act, 2019 appears to be in early stages, but the draft provides a high-level overview of what may be a major structural overhaul of health services in the province.

    A summary of the draft legislation, as it read on January 31 when leaked, is here. The draft itself can be seen through online media.

    Additional documents that imply major changes to the health care system were also leaked to the media on Feb. 4. When we get factual information about the direction the government is heading with health system restructuring, we will let our members know. In the meantime, we continue to encourage teams to reach out to their MPP to speak about the value of team-based care in their communities. Tools and resources are here.

    Interested in knowing how to maximize your HOOPP pension and to get a retirement estimate?

    HOOPP is offering 3 webcasts for employees who are on the pension plan.

    • HOOPP Overview
    • HOOPP Connect, your pension at a glance
    • Preparing for retirement

    You can view the webcasts and register through this link -scroll to the bottom for the link to the webcast schedule and registration link.

    HOOPP will also be hosting several regional presentations in the evening and on weekends at various cities across Ontario. These will be added to the link when they’re scheduled. If your organization has the HOOPP, please distribute this to all your employees on the pension plan.

    Do you want a GoodLife Fitness discount?

    AFHTO is looking into setting up a partnership with GoodLife Fitness to provide great savings on membership for all our members and their families. The membership includes access to all GoodLife Fitness clubs across Canada.

    We need to determine whether there is enough interest from our members first before we can proceed with a program. Please complete the survey no later than Feb. 19, if you’re interested in a possible membership. This will determine if we go ahead with the program.

    Better care for your patients who experience chronic pain
    Nearly 20% of Canadian adults experience chronic pain. This webinar will provide insights to help your patients manage their pain safely and effectively. Join us on Thurs., Feb. 28 for a free one-hour webinar, Team-Based Approaches to Chronic Pain Management: Opioid Stewardship. Register here.

    Radon course

    For non-smokers, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in Canada. Talking to your patients about the need to test their homes is an important part of preventing radon-related cancer.

    McMaster University has designed a free, certified program to provide you and your colleagues with reliable, evidence-based information on radon. Get started at radon.machealth.ca.

    Virtual masterclass on the conduct and use of patient-oriented research

    McMaster Health Forum is offering four virtual offerings of the Masterclass on the Conduct and Use of Patient-Oriented Research. Each offering will cover the same material as the original face-to-face masterclass although in a virtual setting spread over 11 weeks each. You can find all of the details here.

    The first of the four virtual masterclass offerings is scheduled to begin on Mon. Feb. 25.

    Reminder – you can join a virtual primary care network

    The Change Foundation has agreed to convene Ontario’s first virtual primary care network to discuss health system change. AFHTO and the Ontario College of Family Physicians look forward to continuing to support creating the space and opportunity for future discussions with primary care and propelling change within Ontario.

    Does joining a virtual community interest you? Click here

    Reminder – 2019 LeaderShift registration open!

    Registration is open for the spring 2019 LeaderShift LEADS learning series cohorts. Build your capacity to lead organizations, strengthen partnerships, improve the health and vitality of your community, and contribute to transformation of the health system in a 5-day, in-person learning series that will make you LEADS certified. Toronto cohort deadline is Feb. 8. Learn more and see the dates and registration links here.

    Humber students available

    Humber College invites you to participate in the Paid Work Term (Work-Integrated Learning) component of Bachelor of Commerce – Healthcare Management program. Students will be available to start near the end of April 2019. For more information:

    • Letter of introduction
    • Curriculum
    • Job opportunity form

    CIRA community investment program applications open

    Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has requested applications to help ‘build a better online Canada’. Focus areas include infrastructure, access, digital literacy, engagement and services.

    Deadline Feb. 28, 2019. Find out more.

    Government Webcast Series: Strategic Planning and Public Complaints: Feb. 20, 2019

    Attend this webcast on strategic planning and public complaints. Register now!

    Considerations for Implementing the NP Role within your Team, Feb. 22, 2019

    Join Beth Cowper-Fung, AFHTO’s President and Board Chair and Clinical Director of Georgina NPLC & Claudia Mariano, Manager, Practice and Policy, NPAO, for this interactive session. Register here

    Building Together: How to become a high-performing team, Mar. 6 & 8, 2019

    What makes a good team great? To find out, join us on March 6 in Ottawa and March 8 in Toronto. It’s free, interactive, and interprofessional! Register now for Ottawa and Toronto.

    Opioids Clinical Primer

    MacHealth has released “Safer Opioid Prescribing Strategies, the third of six free courses on understanding and managing the ongoing opioid crisis. Learn more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: members in the media, advocacy materials, frailty webinar & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    Members in the media

    Windsor FHT: Team Care Centre opens doors to Windsor community, offers ‘upstream approach’ to patient care

    Powassan and Area FHT: Powassan and Area FHT officially opens new home

    Madawaska Valley FHT: Madawaska Valley opens family health team

    Advocating for team-based care with your MPP

    Tools and resources to help communicate the value of team-based care to your MPP are now online. As the new government undertakes health system and primary care reform, let’s show how team-based care aligns with their priorities.

    Share your stories and the great work you’re doing every single day. And don’t forget to tweet (and tag @afhto) and send a picture to info@afhto.ca so we can share the amazing advocacy work happening across the province!

    Transforming primary care for older Canadians living with frailty

    In this interactive webinar, you’ll learn about an innovative research project that is currently underway across Canada. With the support of the Canadian Frailty Network, researchers, collaborators, health care providers and older adults are working together to develop a feasible and sustainable model that includes: consistent screening and assessment of frailty, improved patient engagement and shared decision making, and the use of technology to improve care coordination. The webinar will take place on Thursday, March 21 from 12:00-1:00pm EST.

    Learn more and register for the event.

    Ontario eConsult

    The Ontario eConsult program, co-developed by Dr. Clare Liddy, The Ottawa Hospital Academic FHT, is designed to improve access to specialists. It’s being broadly rolled out across the province.

    Family physicians and nurse practitioners can now access 78 different specialty groups including addiction medicine, genetics, chronic pain, and transgender care in addition to the more frequently requested services such as GI, cardiology, rheumatology, and neurology.

    Primary care providers using the service are very enthusiastic especially as the response time is so quick-2 days on average- instead of waiting months for an appointment. Read the fact sheet to find out more.

    Mediterranean Diet Toolkit

    Developed by the Ontario Primary Health Care Action Group, the Mediterranean Diet Toolkit: Supporting Patients to Reduce CVD Risk and Improve Mental Health is designed to help primary care practitioners successfully implement the Mediterranean diet with their patients and clients. Special thanks to Michele MacDonald Werstuck, Lee Kapuscinski and Denis Tsang for their leadership and expertise in its development.

    In the toolkit you’ll find:

    • Validated Mediterranean Diet Adherence and Screening tools
    • Patient resources such as handouts and menu plans
    • Custom EMR templates for Telus Practice Solutions
    • Key research articles
    • Powerpoint presentation

    And don’t forget, the revised Canada’s Food Guide was released last week.

    Government Webcast Series: Strategic Planning and Public Complaints: Feb. 20, 2019

    Attend this webcast on strategic planning and public complaints. Register now!

    Building Together: How to become a high-performing team, Mar. 6 & 8, 2019

    What makes a good team great? To find out, join us on March 6 in Ottawa and March 8 in Toronto. It’s free, interactive, and interprofessional! Register now for Ottawa and Toronto.

    Considerations for Implementing the NP Role within your Team, Feb. 22, 2019

    Join Beth Cowper-Fung, AFHTO’s President and Board Chair and Clinical Director of Georgina NPLC & Claudia Mariano, Manager, Practice and Policy, NPAO, for this interactive session. Register here

    Leukemia 101- Training for oncology nurses and allied healthcare professionals, Feb. 6, 2019

    Join this free webcast on Leukemia, hosted by the LLSC. Learn more here.

  • Windsor FHT’s Team Care Centre opens doors to Windsor community, offers ‘upstream approach’ to patient care

    CBC News article published on January 23, 2019

    By CBC News, Windsor

    Everyone at Team Care Centre ‘gets it’ says patient

    The Windsor Family Health Team (WFHT) officially launched its Team Care Centre (TCC) today. The initiative is what they’re calling an “upstream approach” to integrate patient care.

    “We have a significant stake in community vitality,” said WFHT executive director Mark Ferrari. He believes patient health plays a big role in that.

    The WFHT also provides health services to students at St. Clair College campuses. The TCC program was launched with a $1.5 million lot of funding in collaboration with the Canadian Mental Health Association.

    “There are many things that affect health and wellbeing, not just physical illness,” said Ferrari.

    “All of that, within the centre, we can address it.”

    A team-based care centre brings the referral system internal, allowing for almost a “menu” of services that are provided in a quick timeline. The TCC focuses on mild-to-moderate mental health issues.

    “Sometimes we don’t have the resources, social work that’s affordable, psychiatry that’s readily available,” said Dr. Christel Tayag, a family medicine practitioner who helped TCC launch the program, who said her patients are thrilled with how fast the referral process is.

    Tayag said patients often have more than one mental health problem, listing stress, anxiety and depression as just a few.

    After Tayag refers her patients to Team Care Centre, she doesn’t treat them anymore for mental health problems — but she can collaborate with the patient’s other practitioners.

    “You can get their input, their advice, their recommendations,” said Tayag. “It helps the patient as a whole, to connect with everybody else.”

    The referral system is free, which Tayag says especially helps low-income patients. There is a psychiatrist, social worker, dietician, addictions counsellor, nurse practitioner, pharmacist and podiatrist on the team. Ferrari said they are “desperately” in search of a physiotherapist and kinesiologist.

    “My patients are grateful [for this team],” said Tayag. “Hopefully we continue to grow.”

    A patient’s perspective
    “In the decade I’ve been struggling with substance abuse, it’s the first time I don’t feel embarrassed to admit it,” said Brittni Jacobs at the media launch.

    “I’ve judged myself enough but I’ve been shown so many outlets to keep manage my life.”

    Jacobs said everyone at TCC “gets it.” She’s been working through the centre’s program for about four months and said it has really made a difference.

    “My experience here has been different than my past journeys in trying to become sober,” said Jacobs, adding that the relationship she’s built with her counsellor and the rest of the care team has made her feel like she was “worth saving.”

    Jacobs works with Beth Lalonde, a certified addictions counsellor. Jacobs thinks they were “destined to meet.”

    “She wouldn’t let me quit, even when I wanted to. She extended herself and her time, even out of appointments when I really needed someone,” said Jacobs. “She treated me like a person.”

    To get into the centre, patients need to be referred by a doctor. The centre has had 500 referrals to date.

    Click here to access the CBC News article

  • Bits & Pieces: how to become a high-performing team, farewell to Catherine Macdonald & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    How to become a high-performing team

     

    What makes a good team great? To find out, join us on March 6 in Ottawa and March 8 in Toronto for Building Together: How to become a high-performing team. It’s free, interactive, and interprofessional! Register now for Ottawa and Toronto.

    Farewell to Catherine Macdonald

    It is with genuinely mixed feelings we announce that Catherine Macdonald will be leaving AFHTO to join the Alliance for Healthier Communities (formerly AOHC) in a new role of Knowledge Translation Specialist, working directly with their performance and communication teams.

    Catherine has been with AFHTO for three and a half years, starting first as our conference assistant before moving on to supporting our Governance & Leadership and Quality Improvement Decision Support Programs, so many have you had the pleasure of working with her over the last few years.

    We’re going to miss Catherine but know she will bring to the Alliance a wealth of experience and dedication that will continue to further the quality agenda in primary care. Please join us in wishing Catherine our sincerest best wishes and wish her well in the new role. Her last day with AFHTO will be Friday, February 1st – any questions related to the QIDS work can be directed to improve@afhto.ca.

    Considerations for implementing the NP role within your team

    Join Beth Cowper-Fung, AFHTO’s President and Board Chair and Clinical Director of Georgina NPLC & Claudia Mariano, Manager, Practice and Policy, NPAO, for an interactive session on the role of an NP in team-based primary care. Bring your questions and examples and hear directly from two experienced NPs.

    When:  Friday, Feb. 22nd, 2019
    Time:  12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

    Register here.

    LeaderShift Spring 2019 LEADS applications now open

    Earn your LEADS certificate this spring for free. Applications for four new LEADS cohorts are now open and travel subsidies are available. You can apply for:

    • Toronto #1: March 5- 20
    • Oshawa: May 1- 30
    • Hamilton: May 1- June 5
    • Toronto #2: May 7- June 6

    Application deadlines are on the LeaderShift website.  Spread the word to your colleagues, and if you applied for a cohort in 2018 and didn’t get an opportunity to attend, now’s your chance to re-apply. Learn more today.

    Primary Care and Health System Change video available

    In November The Change Foundation hosted Primary Care and Health System Change webinar, the recording of which is available here. Focused on how to lead change in Ontario, the conversation was facilitated by globally recognized change leader, Dr. Helen Bevan. Dr. Robert Varnam, who has led transformative primary care change in the National Health Service (NHS)- England, and an esteemed panel of primary care physicians, including Dr. Rob Annis, North Perth FHT and AFHTO’s board and Dr. Sarah Newbery, Marathon FHT, joined her.

    Building on this momentum, The Change Foundation has agreed to convene Ontario’s first virtual primary care network to discuss health system change. AFHTO and the Ontario College of Family Physicians look forward to continuing to support creating the space and opportunity for future discussions with primary care and propelling change within Ontario.

    Does joining a virtual community interest you? Click Here

    CHOGIP and online Human Resources toolkit

    CHOGIP: as AFHTO members, you’re eligible for the customized Community Health Ontario Group Insurance Program (CHOGIP). Contact Arthur J. Gallagher to request a complimentary consultation session to review your present Benefits Plan on a no-cost/no-obligation basis.

    Human Resources toolkit: AFHTO, in partnership with Humaniqa and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Gallagher), is pleased to offer a comprehensive, online Human Resources toolkit. This web‐based solution offers tools and resources aimed at streamlining and easing the administrative burden for HR professionals. The program is free to CHOGIP members and available at a discounted price for others.

    HOOPP webinars for primary care

    Eighty percent of public sector employees said that pension benefits are a critical factor in accepting a job. Find out if becoming a participating Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) employer is right for you. The presentation will include detailed steps to becoming a participating HOOPP employer including information about becoming an OHA member.

    New resource to help obtain income support for patients with mental illness related disability

    Many people receive mental health care in primary care with limited access to specialists, yet ODSP uses specialist treatment and hospitalization to determine degree of disability. This report from the Collaborative Mental Health Care Working Group, University of Toronto can help you advocate for your patients.

    Global Leadership Conference proposals due Feb. 1

    On October 24-27, 2019 the International Leadership Association (ILA) is hosting their 21st Annual Global Conference “Leadership: Courage Required” in Ottawa.

    Submission deadline is Feb. 1, 2019 and can be submitted at their site.

    Health Quality Ontario news

    2019/20 Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) priorities: priorities are now available and based on issues highlighted in Measuring Up 2018.

    The 2019/20 QIP priorities focus on issues related to reducing wait times, better transitions and hallway health care. There are also fewer indicators to make it easier for organizations to complete and implement their plans.

    New quality standard for low back pain: Health Quality Ontario has released a new quality standard: Low Back Pain. For more information about quality standards, visit their website.

    Falling Through the Cracks: Greg’s Story: Jan. 24, 2019

    Bookmark the webinar link for HQO’s virtual screening of Greg’s Story, a short film of a cancer patient’s journey through Alberta’s healthcare system. Learn more here.

    Leukemia 101- Training for oncology nurses and allied healthcare professionals: Feb. 6, 2019

    Join this free webcast on Leukemia, hosted by the LLSC. Learn more here.

    Government Webcast Series: Strategic Planning and Public Complaints: Feb. 20, 2019

    Attend this webcast on strategic planning and public complaints. Register now!

  • Asking patients about sexual orientation, gender identity: study

    Andrew D. Pinto, Tatiana Aratangy, Alex Abramovich, Kim Devotta, Rosane Nisenbaum, Ri Wang and Tara Kiran; St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team

    Abstract

    BACKGROUND: Sexual orientation and gender identity are key social determinants of health, but data on these characteristics are rarely routinely collected. We examined patients’ reactions to being asked routinely about their sexual orientation and gender identity, and compared answers to the gender identity question against other data in the medical chart on gender identity.

    METHODS: We analyzed data on any patient who answered at least 1 question on a routinely administered sociodemographic survey between Dec. 1, 2013, and Mar. 31, 2016. We also conducted semistructured interviews with 27 patients after survey completion.

    RESULTS: The survey was offered to 15 221 patients and 14 247 (93.6%) responded to at least 1 of the sociodemographic survey questions. Most respondents answered the sexual orientation (90.6%) and gender identity (96.1%) questions. Many patients who had been classified as transgender or gender diverse in their medical chart did not self-identify as transgender, but rather selected female (22.9%) or male (15.4%). In the semistructured interviews, many patients expressed appreciation at the variety of options available, although some did not see their identities reflected in the options and some felt uncomfortable answering the questions.

    INTERPRETATION: We found a high response rate to questions about sexual orientation and gender identity. Fitting with other research, we suggest using a 2-part question to explore gender identity. Future research should evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of administering these questions in a variety of care settings. These data can help organizations identify health inequities related to sexual orientation and gender identity.

    Click here for access to full article

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