Ultimate Blogging Championship

Category: Uncategorized

  • PORTRAITS OF GIVING: Georgina nurse practitioner inspired by her patients

    Georgina Advocate Published an article on August 15th 2022

    By Sheri Andrunyk

    Beth Cowper-Fung is a nurse practitioner (NP) specializing in primary care, as well as the clinic director at the Georgina Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic (GNPLC). She has worked in Georgina and as an NP since January 2009 and is continually inspired by her patients to give back in the community and beyond. The appreciation goes both ways, and the thoughtful expressions of thanks Beth regularly receives is a tremendous gift to her.

    Through Beth’s nursing she personally provides health-care services to over 400 patients, ranging in age from mere months to 93 years. She also leads an amazing team of health-care professionals and administrators in caring for over 3,600 residents of Georgina. Beth prides herself in being involved in committee work with the Southlake Community Ontario Health Team, York Region Vaccine Taskforce, Ontario Health: Quality Division for Primary Care Quality Advisory Committee, and the Provincial Primary Care Advisory Table. Through this, she provides important perspectives on primary care, health-care planning, and issues that affect people locally, regionally, and provincially.

    Before going back to university to become a registered nurse, Beth was a medic with the Canadian Armed Forces. Her training as a medic has been the foundation for her education and leadership throughout her career.

    In 2003, she was a clinical nurse educator when SARS broke out in the hospital where she worked. Beth was responsible for sharing the updates and personal protective equipment changes of the day to all the medical units in the hospital. This experience was instrumental for her during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In 2010, she partnered with her NP colleagues, Anne Hughes and Melissa Cassidy, in a successful bid to open the GNPLC to provide services to the people of Georgina who did not have primary care providers. They also provide care to the residents of Georgina Island, local group homes for special needs adults, and outreach to the two local shelters.

    Understandably, the pandemic has been very difficult and busy for Beth and her team, from COVID-testing in their parking lot, community centres and schools, to running vaccine clinics and supporting mass vaccination centres, and treating patients with COVID. This, all in addition to their ongoing primary services. That said, one of Beth’s most memorable moments was setting up the first local drive-through COVID-19 testing day in July of 2020, grateful to work with the mayor, local EMS, the fire department, York Region Public Health, and the GNPLC team and board.

    To strike a balance during these trying times, Beth relishes quality time with her lovely teenage daughter, Isabelle, and her husband, Sean, who together celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in 2022. She continues to horseback ride with friends, walks and cycles with Sean, and has developed a daily yoga practice.

    For more information, visit merkphotography.com/portraits-of-giving.

  • Bits & Pieces: Wellness Check – Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress, and more

    Bits & Pieces: Wellness Check – Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress, and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Wellness Check: Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress Sep. 15
    • Farewell to Sombo Saviye
    • Ontario Health seeking Regional Clinical Leads
    • EMR queries for under 5 vaccines and more
    • Deadline to nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award this Friday
    • Upcoming events including COVID-19 vaccination for kids under 5 and more

     

    Wellness Check: Dealing with Transitions and Managing Stress Sep. 15

    Uncertainty and unpredictability have been constants throughout the duration of the pandemic as has the need to navigate transitions. In a webinar hosted in partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario, participants will have the opportunity to gain insight into change processes and their impact on workplace mental health from Nancy Hood, the head trainer of the Your Health Space program.

    Strategies for managing hybrid working models and combating stress will also be explored. Learn more and register here.

    Sombo Saviye at #AFHTO2017

    Farewell to Sombo Saviye

    It is with deep emotion we announce that Sombo Saviye will be leaving AFHTO for a new role supporting an MPP.

    Sombo has been with AFHTO for over 9 years, most recently as Manager, Finance and Corporate Affairs. Her colleagues have been known to not so jokingly refer to her as the heart of the team, keeping everything running so smoothly.

    We’re going to miss Sombo but know she will bring so much to her new role. And it’s great to know that a person with great integrity is moving to support an elected candidate! Please join us in giving her our sincerest best wishes. Her last day with AFHTO will be Friday, August 26th – any questions related to her work can be directed to info@afhto.ca.

    If anyone is interested in joining our team in a similar role, you can find details here. Deadline August 19, 2022.

     

    Ontario Health seeking Regional Clinical Leads

    Ontario Health is seeking expressions of interest from experienced clinicians to provide clinical leadership and collaborate with regional partners to evolve the health system in Ontario. A few postings are especially relevant for the primary care community:

    • Regional Clinical Lead, MHA (RHP, excl. physician)
    • Regional Lead, Primary Care
    • Regional Lead, Palliative Care (physician)
    • Regional Lead, Palliative Care (RHP, excl. physician)
    • Regional Lead, Mental Health and Addictions (physician)

    You can find more details here.

    EMR queries for under 5 vaccines and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Deadline to nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award this Friday

    The AFHTO board invites all members to help them select the recipient of a Board award.

    Submit a nomination online for the Board Award category by August 19, 2022.

    Find out more about the criteria here. You can find the nomination template here.

    COVID-19 vaccination for kids under 5, Aug. 19, 2022
    Next in the series ‘Changing the way we work’ from the COVID-19 CoP by OCFP and UofT DFCM. Register here.

    ECHO Ontario Bariatric Network, starting Aug. 19, 2022
    New sessions in this learning series hosted Ontario’s Bariatric Centres of Excellence starting August 19th and various dates in September. Find out more here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022

    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    Data To Action: Making Your Data Visible and Useful, Sep. 28, 2022
    Hosted by TechSoup Connect’s Ontario chapter. Register here.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Conference, Sep. 29-30, 2022
    Virtual conference hosted by OntarioMD. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Register with your verification code here.

  • Bits & Pieces: Indigenous Midwifery Programs, Expanded Midwifery Care Models and more

    Bits & Pieces: Indigenous Midwifery Programs, Expanded Midwifery Care Models and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Applications open for Indigenous Midwifery Programs, Expanded Midwifery Care Models
    • Climate Conscious Inhaler Prescribing Collaborative
    • Updates to GoodLife member benefits
    • Guidance on testing and management of monkeypox for primary care, and more

     
    • Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network seeking speaker
    • Reminder- nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award
    • Upcoming events including Moving Beyond Technology: Exploring the Clinician Change Virtual Care Toolkit and more

     

     

    Applications open for Indigenous Midwifery Programs, Expanded Midwifery Care Models

    The Ministry of Health is inviting applications for two programs:

    • Indigenous Midwifery Programs (IMP). This includes an Indigenous Midwifery Program working within Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams
    • Expanded Midwifery Care Models (EMCM). This includes full spectrum midwife in primary care team-based setting and primary care team-based prenatal and postpartum midwife

    Get more information here.

    The Primary Health Care Branch is hosting a webinar on August 23, 2022. To participate, please email midwifery@ontario.ca by Thursday, August 19, 2022, noting contact information for interested participants and the ministry will reach out to them with the
    webinar details.

    Picture of inhaler connected to a road with a car driving away. Text says 100 MDI doses are equivalent to a 290 km car journey.

    Climate Conscious Inhaler Prescribing Collaborative

    This fall, CASCADES (Creating a Sustainable Canadian Health System in a Climate Crisis) will be running the Climate Conscious Inhaler Prescribing Collaborative.

    Through three learning sessions (between September 2022 and March 2023) and regular check-ins, participating teams from primary care settings across Canada will receive access to and training on a few tools that can be used to facilitate appropriate prescribing, switching, teaching technique, and proper disposal. Read for further details (EN and FR).

    Updates to GoodLife member benefits

    As of May 30, 2022, AFHTO members have been eligible for a 25% discount on membership types. To take advantage of discounted rates, you need a membership ID assigned by AFHTO. Right now, IDs are automatically assigned to those on the ‘Bits & Pieces’ mailing list.

    As of Sep. 1, 2022, member IDs will only be generated upon request. These will still be sent to GoodLife monthly near the end of the month. To get your ID or be put on the list for one, staff need to email info@afhto.ca.

    Guidance on testing and management of monkeypox for primary care, and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network seeking speaker
    The Colorectal Cancer Resource & Action Network (CCRAN) is seeking a primary care clinician for a panel session at their virtual Early Age Onset Colorectal Cancer (EAOCRC) Symposium, October 27 & 28, 2022. The session will address barriers and opportunities for improving patient care pathways and outcomes for people with colorectal cancer (CRC).

    Given CRC is preventable and treatable if detected early on, an understanding of facilitators and enablers of timely diagnosis from a collaborative primary care perspective is integral to the optimization of the CRC service and care trajectory. Please contact info@afhto.ca if interested.

    Reminder- nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award

    The AFHTO board invites all members to help them select the recipient of a Board award.

    Submit a nomination online for the Board Award category by August 19, 2022.

    Find out more about the criteria here. You can find the nomination template here.

    Moving Beyond Technology: Exploring the Clinician Change Virtual Care Toolkit, Aug. 16, 2022
    Developed by a collaborative of 25 primary care teams and dedicated coaches, the Clinician Change Virtual Care Toolkit can help organizations choose and implement approaches to virtual care that lead to good outcomes and experiences for both clients and providers. Hosted by Healthcare Excellence Canada, this webinar features Dr. Kevin Samson, AFHTO board director. Register for free here.

    ECHO Ontario Bariatric Network, starting Aug. 19, 2022
    New sessions in this learning series hosted Ontario’s Bariatric Centres of Excellence starting August 19th and various dates in September. Find out more here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022

    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    Data To Action: Making Your Data Visible and Useful, Sep. 28, 2022
    Hosted by TechSoup Connect’s Ontario chapter. Register here.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Conference, Sep. 29-30, 2022
    Virtual conference hosted by OntarioMD. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Register with your verification code here.

  • AFHTO 2022 Conference: announcing our opening speaker

    AFHTO 2022 Conference: announcing our opening speaker

    Reconnect and Reimagine: moving forward together

     

    Dr. Thomas Bodenheimer has white hair and beard with grey mustache. He's wearing a black shirt and smiling. The background is blurred bushes with purple flowers.

     

    Featuring Dr. Thomas Bodenheimer

    Thomas Bodenheimer MD, MPH is a general internist who received his medical degree at Harvard and completed his residency at UCSF. He spent 32 years in full-time primary care practice in San Francisco’s Mission District – 10 years in community health centers and 22 years in private practice.

    He is currently Professor Emeritus of Family and Community Medicine at University of California, San Francisco, and Founding Director of the Center for Excellence in Primary Care (CEPC). He is co-author of Understanding Health Policy, 8th Edition, 2020, and Improving Primary Care, 2006 (both McGraw-Hill).

    His work includes both foundational pieces for team-based care and new relevant information. We’re finalising the content for the opening plenary. What would you like him to use as the foundation? Vote below! (Deadline Tuesday, Aug. 9, 9:00 am)

    I want him to discuss:

    • The 10 Building Blocks of High-Performing Primary Care
    • From Triple to Quadruple Aim: Care of the Patient Requires Care of the Provider
    • Primary care is no longer doable without a team
    • Anatomy and Physiology of Primary Care Teams
    • Combination of some of the above

    Register today!

    Hotel deadline Sep. 19
    A block of rooms at the Sheraton has been set aside at a discounted rate. Book by September 19th to take advantage of the $285 group rate (plus tax, single/double occupancy); after this date, availability and prices cannot be guaranteed. Click here to book online.

    Conference Highlights:

    We’ll also release more information about other sessions throughout the summer so stay tuned!

    Patients and students welcome! For general information, you can visit our conference page.  

    We look forward to seeing you at the AFHTO 2022 Conference!

  • Bits & Pieces: member stories, KTE materials and more

    Bits & Pieces: member stories, KTE materials and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Member stories
    • Reminder- nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award
    • ICYMI- January to June KTE webinar materials
    • Radon: Is it in your patients’ homes
    • The voices of skin and wound care clinicians during COVID-19, and more
    • Upcoming events including NPAO 2022 Annual Conference and more

     

    Member stories

    Georgina NPLC– Beth Cowper-Fung honoured for contributions during COVID

    West Carleton FHT– Dr. Barry Bruce and partners launch open-air market for local food in Carp

    Reminder- nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award

    Screenshot of opening of 2021 board award winner video. Logo at top with Board Award, Dr. Brian Klar 2021 below. Background is navy blue with gold stars.

    The AFHTO board invites all members to help them select the recipient of a Board award.

    The Board award recognizes an individual (or a group) who is not an AFHTO member but has significantly contributed to the development and growth of team-based primary care within their local community or at the provincial level.

    Submit a nomination online for the Board Award category by August 19, 2022.

    Find out more about the criteria here. You can find the nomination template here.

    ICYMI- January to June KTE webinar materials

    We know you’re busy but if you have a little time, now might be a great time to catch up on the KTE webinars we’ve held so far this year.

    Radon. machealth Is it in your patients’ homes. People need to test their homes for radon with diagram of peson with respiratory system coloured pink, showing radon molecules being inhaled

     

    Radon: Is it in your patients’ homes

    Across Canada, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-
    smokers. In persons who do smoke, the risks of developing lung
    cancer when exposed to radon are further compounded.

    Learn how and why you should speak to your patients about radon in this free & certified online program designed by McMaster University, together with Health Canada.

     

    The voices of skin and wound care clinicians during COVID-19, and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    ECHO Care of the Elderly, Sep. 7-Dec. 21, 2022
    The latest cycle of the ECHO Care of the Elderly program focuses on Community care and providers. Find out more here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022

    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    Data To Action: Making Your Data Visible and Useful, Sep. 28, 2022
    Hosted by TechSoup Connect’s Ontario chapter. Register here.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Conference, Sep. 29-30, 2022
    Virtual conference hosted by OntarioMD. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Registration with your verification code here.

  • Bits & Pieces: where will children under 5 get vaccines and more

    Bits & Pieces: where will children under 5 get vaccines and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • COVID-19 vaccinations for kids under 5
    • Open letter to keep expanded access to care for uninsured people
    • Minto Mapleton FHT meets with MPP
    • Member stories
    • New toolkit to help health care providers deliver virtual care to Canadians
    • Paid COVID sick days back until March 31, 2023, and more
    • Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 29, 2022
    • Reminder- AFHTO 2022 Conference networking leads wanted
    • Reminder – apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council
    • Upcoming events including integrating hepatitis C care with safer supply practice and more

    COVID-19 vaccinations for kids under 5

    To help the ministry with their planning on where children under 5 are or will be receiving vaccines, please take a moment and complete this short survey that should take less than 2 minutes. We thank you very much in advance as your answers will be helpful in determining how widespread the vaccines will be given. Deadline Monday, August 1.

    Open letter to keep expanded access to care for uninsured people

    In March 2020, in response to community advocacy, the Ford government temporarily expanded access to care for uninsured people, by: (1) removing the three-month waiting period for OHIP which affects new immigrants, new permanent residents, and returning Canadian citizens; and, (2) creating a new funding stream for physicians and hospitals for providing medically necessary services to uninsured people (see details here).

    Healthcare for All Coalition has learned the government may be looking to imminently roll these changes back. They ask you to sign this open letter to urge the Ontario government to implement a permanent program to ensure universal access to healthcare services, independent of insurance status. Deadline Friday, July 29.

    If you have any questions, please contact healthcare4allcoalition@gmail.com.

    Minto Mapleton FHT meets with MPP

    Screenshot of virtual meeting- Minto Mapleton FHT with MPP

    On July 22, Minto Mapleton FHT met with their MPP Matthew Rae.

    “We all agreed that it felt really successful in educating him about how team based primary care is different from other sectors of the health care system. We gave many examples of how we are able to wrap around patients with members of the team to help them preventatively achieve good health and ultimately be most cost effective for the system.

    Mr. Rae shared that being born, raised, and currently residing in this riding makes him aware of care however, today’s presentation elevated his knowledge especially surrounding recruitment, retention and expansion of our team to support our community currently and in the near future.

    He also acknowledged that his riding is unique from other members of  caucus in that his entire riding is FHT for primary care. (Minto Mapleton, Mount Forest, Listowel/North Perth, and Stratford). This is very different than his colleagues in the GTA who are not in this model and therefore have different priorities. We asked what he needed from us to allow him to advocate accordingly and he felt that collaborating with AFHTO would be a great first step as our representing association.”

    If you are meeting with your MPPs and want AFHTO to connect, please let us know. Finding internal champions in government to help with advocacy efforts to expand team-based care is important as we ensure every Ontarian who needs it has access to team-based primary care.

    Member stories

    Couchiching FHT – Rec centre fees waived so students, patients can make waves

    Guelph FHT – 2021-2022 annual report

    Prince Edward FHT- County and Family Health Team welcome new physician recruiter

    Summerville FHT- 2021-2022 annual report

    Screenshot of Virtual Care Together Design Collaborative home page- healthcare excellence logo in top left, with a graphic of 2 women having a virtual meeting below

    New toolkit to help health care providers deliver virtual care to Canadians
    Canada Health Infoway and Healthcare Excellence Canada have released a new virtual care toolkit to give care providers the tools they need to provide safe, high-quality virtual care to their patients, regardless of experience. Topics include the appropriate use of virtual care, use and optimization of virtual care services and quality and safe virtual care interactions. Information in the toolkit was refined and tested by 25 teams in 10 provinces and territories through the Virtual Care Together Design Collaborative.

     

    Paid COVID sick days back until March 31, 2023, and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 29, 2022
    Are you interested in serving on the AFHTO board of directors? The Governance Committee of AFHTO’s board invites anyone who works within an AFHTO member organization to apply. Please share this call for nominations with all who work in your team and with members on your Board. Find out more here.

    Reminder- AFHTO 2022 Conference networking leads wanted

    We have an hour in the schedule at the AFHTO 2022 conference for networking, and we’d like IHP session leads. Leads are responsible for programming while AFHTO staff will simply allocate the rooms. Smaller groups will be able to meet at a table in the ballroom. Limited space is available, so this is first come, first serve.

    If you are interested in leading an IHP session, please contact Beth MacKinnon by July 29, 2022.

    Reminder – apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council!

    Are you interested in advising AFHTO on the top issues facing IHPs in team-based primary 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, please apply to join our IHP Advisory Council!

    We invite any IHP in a member team to apply by completing this survey by Friday, July 29.

    More information is here. Please share this opportunity with providers across teams.

    Integrating Hepatitis C Care with Safer Supply Practice, July 28, 2022

    Co-hosted by National Safer Supply Community of Practice and CATIE on World Hepatitis Day. Register here.

    Demystifying the Cloud for Nonprofits, July 28, 2022
    Hosted by TechSoup with presentation by Amazon Web Services. Register here.

    ECHO Care of the Elderly, Sep. 7-Dec. 21, 2022
    The latest cycle of the ECHO Care of the Elderly program focuses on Community care and providers. Find out more here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022

    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Registration with your verification code here.

  • Vaccines for Under 5, Second Boosters, Monkeypox

    Dear members,

    As many of you saw in a recent memo issued by the Chief Medical Officer of Health on July 21, there is increasing international community transmission of two sub-variants of the Omicron variant of concern of COVID-19, BA.4 and BA.5. In Ontario, recent data indicates that an increasing proportion of cases are due to these sub-variants, and the BA.5 variant is now the dominant sub-variant in the province. With these trends of increasing transmission, and with the recognition that flu season is quickly also approaching, just a reminder that you can still access PPE and RATs through the provincial stockpile. Oxygen saturation monitors are also available to order for those teams currently, or will be, participating in the COVID@Home program.

    Vaccinating Children Under Age 5
    As you know, Health Canada has approved the Moderna vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, stating there were no safety signals from the trial and that it will look to “more data from ongoing studies and real-world use to ensure the benefits of the vaccine continue to outweigh any risks.” NACI issued these recommendations to advise on its use.
     
    The Ontario government announced on July 21 that appointments for the paediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to under five years will be available starting Thursday, July 28, 2022. EN FR. It is anticipated with this age group that the majority of these vaccines will be delivered in primary care or paediatrician offices. If you have not yet done so or have not heard about the distribution of the paediatric vaccines, please contact your public health unit or the COVID-19 delegated vaccine lead.
     
    You may also expect that parents and caregivers will come to you with their questions over the following weeks and months. To support providers in these conversations, please see:

     
    **To help the ministry with their planning on where children under 5 are or will be receiving vaccines, please take a moment and complete this short survey that should take no more than 2 minutes. We thank you very much in advance as your answers will be helpful in determining how widespread the vaccines will be given.

    Second Boosters (or 4th Shot)
    On July 20, the government announced that it would be expanding eligibility for the 4th shot (2nd booster) of the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone aged 18 to 59. Here are some resources you may find helpful:

    Teams are also being asked to continue to encourage eligible patients to get their third dose if they haven’t already done so. Evidence shows vaccine effectiveness remains high six months after the third dose in otherwise healthy patients.
     
    Monkeypox
    Finally, teams are also getting questions about monkeypox, especially now that the WHO has declared it a global health emergency. The Ministry of Health and Public Health Ontario are posting tools to assist providers with learning more about the disease, such as fact sheets, Q&As, and other resources. Dr. Allan Grill was also on CTV News to provide an overview of monkeypox, including what you need to know and how to protect yourself. If you have any questions about monkeypox in your community or how to access vaccination, please contact your PHU.

    You may have also heard that the Ontario Government announced the extension of the 3-day COVID sick days to March 31, 2023. Though this does not go far enough in ensuring permanent sick days, it is a start – please see here for an ebulletin on the COVID sick days and what you need to know from Maria McDonald of McDonald HR Law.

    We hope you are all getting some much-deserved rest this summer and spending time with your loved ones. If you need any assistance or have questions, please contact us any time.

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

  • Second boosters for those aged 18 to 59

    On July 13, the government announced that it was expanding eligibility for 4th dose COVID-19 vaccines to everyone over the age of 18. It had previously only been available to those considered high risk:

    • an individual aged 60 and over
    • First Nation, Inuit and Métis individuals or a non-Indigenous household member aged 18 and over
    • a resident of a long-term care home, retirement home, or Elder Care Lodge or an older adult living in other congregate settings that provide assisted-living and health services
    • an individual who is moderately to severely immunocompromised

    Healthcare providers have been getting questions from people who are now eligible but are uncertain of the benefit. Below are resources that we hope can be of assistance.

    Continue to encourage eligible patients to get their third dose if they haven’t already done so. Evidence shows vaccine effectiveness remains high six months after the third dose in otherwise healthy patients.

  • Cybersecurity

    We will be posting tools and resources related to cybersecurity. New and updated resources will be added to the top of each list as they become available. We ask teams who develop or know of good tools to please consider sharing them for distribution. 

    Resources

    • OMD Privacy and Training Resources
    • Cyber Security Ontario Learning Portal provides IT and security professionals, and change management leaders in Ontario’s public sector with foundational learning on cyber security. 
    • eCE Shield is a comprehensive, accredited online cybersecurity and privacy self-learning program that addresses the unique needs of Canadian healthcare environments.  It is a fully managed service that provides relevant online training without disrupting day-to-day operations. With up-to-date resources and tools, the eCE Shield solution will support your clinic’s compliance with privacy requirements, help build your cybersecurity and privacy program to help protect your patients, team, and clinic.
      • Key features include: computer-based micro training modules and simulations, leaderboard with staff and clinic shield score, incident registers and breach logs, policy development templates and tools, phishing challenges. 
      • Accreditation: College of Family Physicians of Canada (7.5 Mainpro+ credits)
      • eCE Shield is a subscription-based awareness and education program
         
    • Cyber Tip Sheet
    • Cybersecurity Article: Empower Your Staff, Protect Your Patients
    • Why Nonprofits Can’t Afford to Ignore Cyber Risk – White Paper (Hub International Limited, insurance brokerage)
    • 5 Cyber Insurance Myths Debunked (Hub International Limited, insurance brokerage)
    • Privacy/Cyber Liability (Gallagher, insurance brokerage)

    Past Presentations/Webinars

     

    For Privacy and Data-Sharing Resources, click here. 

  • CMHA Ontario Launches Your Health Space

    CMHA Ontario Launches Your Health Space

    The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for everyone working in primary care. Health care workers, support staff, and organizational leaders are all facing extreme levels of stress and burnout. The Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario has launched Your Health Space, a free mental health service for Ontario’s health care organizations. This program provides the training, resources, and tools needed to encourage complex conversations about stress and burnout and promote psychological health and safety in health care workplaces.

    Your Health Space offers self-directed modules and live workshops, the latter of which can be tailored to your organization’s unique needs. This programming is delivered through three distinct spaces designed to address the needs of 1) Leaders, 2) Health Care Workers, and 3) Support Staff working within an organization. Furthermore, Your Health Space has a team of trainers across Ontario that are available to facilitate workshops virtually or in person, at your workplace. Upon completion of the program, primary care teams will receive a digital badge and individuals will receive a digital certificate.

    If you are an organizational leader interested in bringing this free program to your workplace, please visit www.yourhealthspace.ca or contact yourhealthspace@ontario.cmha.ca. 

    Please see the attached materials for additional information about Your Health Space.