Ultimate Blogging Championship

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  • Strategic direction for AFHTO is renewed; 2013-14 plan is approved

    AFHTO has a renewed vision, mission and strategic priorities to guide our work on behalf of our members over the next 2 – 3 years. The AFHTO board is pleased to present the Strategic Direction document, and thanks the many members who provided input through webinars and a survey. To move the organization along this direction, the board also approved the 2013-14 operating plan and budget (outlined further below). The early success of AFHTO’s first strategic plan – put in place two years ago – established the foundation to create the strong voice for family health teams.  AFHTO’s most recent Annual Report documents the progress made to recruit virtually all FHTs into this one organization, build the infrastructure base, and develop the profile, credibility and key relationships with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and many other stakeholders. AFHTO’s next stage builds on this solid base as the advocate, champion, network and resource for FHTs. The focus is on supporting, measuring, and promoting the value of well-integrated interprofessional primary care, and advocating for its expansion so that more Ontarians can access this high-quality comprehensive care. The webinars and survey also invited members to identify the investment priorities to build AFHTO’s capacity to deliver greater value for members. Last August the Ministry added $2000 per year in base funding for FHTs to pay for an annual membership in their representative association. Members approved a new fee structure at the Annual General Meeting in October; this is expected to increase AFHTO’s annual operating budget by roughly $200,000. Member responses gave clear direction – build capacity in government relations, performance measurement and knowledge transfer. Operationalizing the Strategic Direction In this next fiscal year AFHTO’s ongoing capacity to advocate for and support members will expand as staffing grows from two full-time staff to four. The addition of an Office Manager/Admin Assistant will allow the ED to focus more time in government relations and performance measurement. Continuing the position of Senior Project Lead – Governance, Quality and Operations (currently a short-term contract) significantly expands AFHTO’s ability to engage with members and help FHTs to leverage knowledge. Initiatives to advance each of the six strategic priorities include the following:

    • Governing and leading: AFHTO staff continue to support roll-out of the MOHLTC-funded Governing for Quality training program, advocate for additional sessions so that all who are interested can participate, and identify further opportunities to support governance and leadership development, including the Leadership and Governance for Quality stream at the AFHTO 2013 Conference.
    • Measuring and improving quality: A number of developments are converging in a way that could significantly accelerate the ability of FHTs to measure and track their own performance. In line with AFHTO’s Recommendations on the Optimal Configuration of the Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist (QIDSS) positions, the Ministry is considering funding for a small number of provincial-level resources operating under a governance structure representative of all FHTs (QIDSS Steering Committee) to be established and supported by AFHTO. Following from last year’s proposal – Advancing a Performance-Oriented Model for Primary Care – the Ministry has expressed interest and has asked AFHTO to re-fresh and re-submit this proposal. Through AFHTO’s work to bring together the Ontario College of Family Physicians, the Ontario Medical Association and its Section on General and Family Practice, OntarioMD and eHealth Ontario have agreed to establish a joint working group to define requirements and processes to extract EMR data.
    • Achieving more seamless integration: AFHTO has been convening bi-weekly teleconferences with the eight FHTs coordinating the first group of Health Links.  This is expected to lead to a number of knowledge transfer opportunities, beginning with the sharing of business plans (once MOHLTC-approved) via the AFHTO website and an Improving outcomes for “the 10%” stream at the AFHTO 2013 Conference.
    • Recruiting and retaining staff:  Building on last year’s report and advocacy initiative, AFHTO is continuing its joint advocacy with AOHC and NPAO for a primary care recruitment and retention strategy. The three organizations commissioned the Hay Group to update a market review of salaries; the results of this work will become the basis for future advocacy.
    • Promoting the value/role of family health teams: Under the direction of AFHTO’s Executive Committee of the AFHTO board, AFHTO’s government relations activity will be raised to more strategic, senior levels of government decision-making.
    • Engaging with AFHTO members: In addition to the Health Link coordinator network mentioned above, AFHTO has recently launched a network through which PS Solutions EMR users will problem-solve with this EMR vendor.  Recruitment for an ED Advisory Council has just begun. Anticipating approval of provincial-level resources to support the new QIDSS positions, a QIDSS Steering Committee (also noted above) is expected to be formed in the next few months.

    For sustainability into the future, membership revenue and on-going operating expenses remain fully balanced. One-time expenses for special projects and other contingencies will be funded as needed from the reserves accumulated thanks to expansion of AFHTO conference sponsorships and the one-time voluntary contribution made possible by the Ministry funding increase this year. AFHTO looks forward to keeping members informed of progress in advancing the Strategic Direction.

  • FHT Leaders’ Response to AFHTO’s Draft Strategic Plan – February 2013 survey results

    To renew its strategic direction, the AFHTO board developed a draft document and invited members give input to via two webinars, held on Jan. 22 and 24, and a membership survey.  Please click here to access the survey results. Responses indicated strong support for the direction. Some modifications were made as the responses gave valuable insight into concepts that needed to be incorporated or clarified. The results appear reasonably consistent:

    • Reasonably strong support for the revised Vision and Mission for AFHTO. A few comments suggested need to clarify the reference to “expand access” in the mission statement and add concepts that were felt to be missing, i.e. equitable access for the marginalized and commitment to collaborative teams.
    • Strong support for the Strategic Priorities as well.  All received reasonably high ratings as priorities (2.4 to 2.6 points out of 3.0).  Comments were varied, but a number spoke to the theme of “equity” – for first nations, marginalized populations, in allocating resources among FHTs, and in compensation for FHT professionals.
    • The final question asked about priorities for investing the roughly $200K increase to AFHTO’s operating budget. Government relations, performance measurement and knowledge transfer capacity were consistently rated the top three; group purchasing and research/analysis capacity as the bottom two.

  • HQO webinars now available online & QIP deadline extended to April 2 at noon

    As you know, Aboriginal Health Access Centres (AHACs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), Family Health Teams (FHTs) and Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics (NPLCs) are required to submit a QIP to Health Quality Ontario (HQO). To support primary care organizations in the development of QIPs, HQO recently hosted a webinar series. You can find each of the webinar presentations as well as a comprehensive Q&A on HQO’s website. For more information on this webinar series or for any other QIP-related questions, please contact QIP@hqontario.ca In recognition that the Good Friday statutory holiday falls on the weekend before QIP submissions, the deadline to submit your QIP has been extended from April 1 to noon on April 2, 2013. Please share this notification with the members of your organization. Access QIP guidance materials, templates, and other supports on the Excellent Care for All Act website

  • AFHTO is setting up an ED Advisory Council

    The ED Advisory Council is being established to provide a mechanism to surface operational issues, provide a sounding board on operational matters, and give advice to the AFHTO board and staff as needed on these matters. As the key link between their teams and the Ministry’s FHT Unit, EDs are in the unique position to identify the opportunities and challenges with respect to the on-going operations of their FHTs and their interactions with the FHT Unit.  The ED Advisory Council will strengthen the voice for members on these operational issues as AFHTO meets with the Ministry’s FHT Unit on behalf members. The ED Advisory Council will build on the existing ED networks and support the development of new networks in areas where a formalized network does not exist.  The intent is to include a representative for each LHIN and one for each group of FHTs that has distinct needs and perspectives (i.e. FHTs with blended-salary physicians, aboriginal/Inuit FHTs, francophone FHTs, academic FHTs). Terms of reference  for the ED Advisory Council received AFHTO approval yesterday. Please click here to view. EDs in each of the groupings identified in the terms of reference will receive a follow-up e-mail inviting these groups to determine among themselves who they wish to have as their representative (for networks that are already fully developed and have a defined leader) or to volunteer for the role.

  • QIPs – NEW resources and general update

    Reminder:  QIPs are due to HQO on April 1, 2013 Templates and guidelines to complete QIPs:

    For questions about completing the QIP templates, e-mail qip@hqontario.ca NEW — Cancer Screening – Quality Improvement Toolkit available: For FHTs interested in including cancer screening in your QIP, Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) has developed a cancer screening toolkit for FHTs. This toolkit will assist FHTs in planning, implementing, monitoring and reporting on improvements in colorectal, cervical and breast cancer screening and contains a cancer screening sample timeline, instructions, a planning tool and a measurement tool. The toolkit also provides information on potential data sources, including the ColonCancerCheck Screening Activity Report (CCC SAR). Many Thanks to Dr. Suzanne Strasberg, lead physician of the Jane-Finch FHT and regional primary care lead with CCO, who shared this toolkit with AFHTO. Primary Care Metrics available on Health Data Branch Portal: The primary care data is on a special section of the Health Data Branch portal a. Please go to https://hsimi.on.ca/hdbportal/user/register to create an account for your organization. When on this page, you will be asked to create a username and password. It is important that you record your username and password, as you will not be able to retrieve it later:

    1. For “Organization/Sector”, please indicate the name of your organization (e.g. “Sunnybrook Academic FHT”)
    2. For “What areas of the web portal will you access?” Please leave this section blank.
    3. For “user type” please select “Health Service Provider”
    4. For “Reason for requesting access to the website”, please write, “Primary Care QIP”

    For questions about logging into the portal, please contact DDMSupport@ontario.ca. Metrics available:

    • Percent of patients who visited the ED for conditions best managed elsewhere (BME)
    • Percent of patients/clients who see their primary care provider within 7 days after discharge from hospital for selected conditions
    • Hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC)
    • Hospital Readmission within 30 days for select CMGs
    • Patient admissions (all causes)
    • ED visits (all causes)
    • Physician house calls

    This data is being provided at the organization-level for models that have rostered patients/clients. Governance Training: The response to the workshops has been overwhelming and all seven current sessions are at full capacity. The Ministry of Health has confirmed that additional sessions will be available in late April or early May. The locations are yet to be determined and will be, as much as possible, responding to the waitlist composition. If you have not yet registered, please click here to add your name to the waitlist. The Governance training workshop is an important resource that will provide board members and Executive Directors with the knowledge and tools to ensure that Boards understand their role and responsibility in the improvement of quality care in their organization. Please note that attending the governance training after completing your QIP will not place you at any disadvantage. While the governance training is essential for your organization, you will be able to complete your QIP without having attended the session. AFHTO Members’ Discussion Forum: The “Quality Improvement Planning Forum” is a tool for asking questions or starting a discussion with your FHT colleagues about developing and submitting QIPs, implementing the plans, collecting and reporting data, and other factors that contribute to advancing improvement.  Clarys Tirel, our new AFHTO staff member, will moderate and respond when required. Click here to access the Quality Improvement Forum, enter your personalized username and password to log-in to the discussion forum.  Contact Sal at info@afhto.ca if you need help accessing the site.

  • Cancer Screening – Quality Improvement Toolkit

    Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) has developed a Cancer Screening Toolkit to help FHTs develop cancer screening quality improvement plans. This toolkit will assist FHTs in planning, implementing, monitoring and reporting on improvements in colorectal, cervical and breast cancer screening. Tools include:

    • Cancer Screening Sample Timeline,
    • Instructions for developing your QIP based on the Plan, Do, Study, Act principles,
    • Planning and Measurement templates
    • An Appendix of additional data sources, including the ColonCancerCheck Screening Activity Report (CCC SAR).

    While the toolkit provides guidelines on implementing a cancer screening QIP for all three cancer modalities, FHTs can scale back or expand their scope depending on the maturity of their cancer screening practices and other priorities. It is hoped that FHTs who choose to incorporate cancer screening into their 2013/2014 QIP will find the Cancer Screening Toolkit to be useful. Many Thanks to Dr. Suzanne Strasberg, lead physician of the Jane-Finch FHT and regional primary care lead with CCO, who shared this toolkit with AFHTO.

  • Primary Care Metrics now available on the Health Data Branch Portal

    Please see the message below from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care regarding primary care data to support development of your Quality Improvement Plans: The Ministry has provided data for several primary care metrics. This data will support development and planning for Quality Improvement Plans and other quality initiatives. Important information on how to access this data: The primary care data is on a special section of the Health Data Branch portal and permission is required to access the data. Please go to https://hsimi.on.ca/hdbportal/user/register to create an account for your organization. When on this page, you will be asked to create a username and password. It is important that you record your username and password, as you will not be able to retrieve it later. When creating a username, please follow the instructions below:

    1. For “Organization/Sector”, please indicate the name of your organization (e.g. “Sunnybrook Academic FHT”)
    2. For “What areas of the web portal will you access?” Please leave this section blank.
    3. For “user type” please select “Health Service Provider”
    4. For “Reason for requesting access to the website”, please write, “Primary Care QIP”

    For questions about logging into the portal, please contact DDMSupport@ontario.ca. Metrics available:

    • Percent of patients who visited the ED for conditions best managed elsewhere (BME)
    • Percent of patients/clients who see their primary care provider within 7 days after discharge from hospital for selected conditions
    • Hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC)
    • Hospital Readmission within 30 days for select CMGs
    • Patient admissions (all causes)
    • ED visits (all causes)
    • Physician house calls

    This data is being provided at the organization-level for models that have rostered patients/clients. For CHCs, AHACs and NPLCs who are members of the Association of Ontario Health Centre (AOHC) much of this data will be provided in the ICES Practice Profile. These groups should contact their RDSS or Jennifer Rayner for more information.

  • Ontario Government agenda outlined in today’s Speech from the Throne

    A new session opened in the Ontario Legislature today. The Hon. David Onley, Lt. Governor of Ontario, set out the new premier’s agenda for the upcoming legislative session in the Speech From the Throne.  The components of the Government’s plan are:  a Steady Hand and a Bold Vision focusing on economic growth and increased employment; A New Sense of Community focusing on prosperous communities; A Fair Society that ensures all Ontarians have the same footing; and The Way Forward focusing on working collaboratively with all MPPs in the legislature. There are a number of healthcare and seniors initiatives included in the speech such as Community Health Links, home care, mental health and addictions, research and innovation, seniors and health promotion.   You can find the speech online at http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/en/news/24955.

  • Sign-up now for the wait list for Governance Training – additional sessions to be added

    The following message is being forwarded on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care:

    The high level of interest for the Effective Governance for Quality in Primary Care training sessions is an indication of the level of commitment and enthusiasm of the primary care sector. Unfortunately this means that the seven current sessions are at full capacity. The Ministry is committed to ensuring that FHTs, NPLCs, CHCs, and AHACs have access to this program, and is looking into funding additional sessions this spring. We need your help to determine the number of additional sessions needed.

    One of the goals of the program is to ensure good representation from across the province and among all models of primary care.  Ensuring all models (AHAC, CHC, NPLC, FHT) have access to this training is essential to our commitment to build capacity of governance in primary care. However, to support this, it is possible that some organizations who pre-registered will be moved to a wait list or asked to attend a different session to accommodate a diverse group. As noted, there is commitment to providing additional sessions later this spring.

    If organizations have not been able to sign up, we encourage them to sign up on the wait list as there will be a chance to be either 1) placed in one of the upcoming sessions; or 2) placed in a new session. The wait list will be used to identify the need and potential locations for these additional sessions so it is important that all organizations that have not yet been able to register for the program get on the wait list. To access the wait list, please see: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e6y7uiac83d1f49a&oseq=&c=&ch.

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    If you have any questions about the training and the upcoming sessions please contact Clarys Tirel by phone (647-234-8601) or by e-mail (clarys.tirel@afhto.ca).

    Click here to see the program description and the announcement when registration first launched.

  • Help for developing your 2013 Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs)

    FHTs are to submit their QIPs to Health Quality Ontario by noon on April 2, 2013. The Ministry’s templates and guidance materials are found at:

    Health Quality Ontario has hosted several information webinars to help with completing your QIP, click below to access materials from the following sessions:

    Tips for completing your QIP templates: 1) When submitting your QIP’s, HQO requests that you submit the Narrative in Word format and the Template in Excel format. This formatting is necessary for them to be able to effectively compare and analyze the data. Understanding that it is difficult to include the signatures of Board members in a Word document, sending in an unsigned Word document is acceptable as long as it is accompanied by a PDF version that does include the requisite signatures. 2) In recognition that the Good Friday statutory holiday falls on the weekend before QIP submissions, the deadline to submit your QIP has been extended from April 1 to noon on April 2, 2013. If you have any questions about the QIP development process, please contact Health Quality Ontario’s QIP Team at QIP@hqontario.ca