Ultimate Blogging Championship

Category: Uncategorized

  • Re: Update on Compensation Commitment Announced in 2016-17 Provincial Budget 2016-17

    Dear Colleagues

     

    As we all now know, the Government announced in their budget funding for compensation related to interprofessional primary care teams. Specifically, the commitment stated: “To ensure these clinics (CHCs, NPLCs, FHTs, AHACs and nursing stations) can effectively recruit and retain qualified interprofessional staff in primary care settings, Ontario will invest an additional $85 million over three years.”

     

    Yesterday, AOHC, AFHTO and NPAO met with the Ministry primary care team to get a better understanding of the implications of this announcement and to discuss an implementation plan.

     

    This is what we learned:

    • The organizations included in this announcement are AHACs, CHCs, NPLCs, FHTs as well as other primary care organizations and team members such as nursing stations, providers such as social workers hired by family health groups and other funded independent Primary Care NPs.
    •  The funding for year one is effective April 1 2016.
    • The plan is to rollout these funds over 2 years.
    • The $85M is a cumulative amount but the annualized amount is to base and is permanent.

     

    The AFHTO-AOHC-NPAO proposal remains our goal – we continue to advocate to achieve the 2012 recommended salary rates for all staff (IHP and admin) in primary care teams, to be implemented over 4 years. The Ministry recognizes that this $85M commitment is the first step in a process and is committed to working with us to achieve our overall goal. Two years from now, the opportunity for further increases is likely to open up.   The Government is committed to eliminating the deficit by the end of 2017-18 and some of the compensation constraints may be lifted for the following fiscal year. This will provide opportunities to address the remaining gaps.

     

    Given this context, in the first 2 years of this rollout (the $85M), AOHC, AFHTO and NPAO continue to be guided by the principles that our members agreed to in 2012, specifically:

    •  Increasing benefits from 20% to 22.5% to enable HOOPP
    •  Placing all professions in the correct salary band, i.e. band corrections for health promoters, registered dietitians, and nurse practitioners
    • Funding allocations that would equitably close the gap between current rates for each salary band and the 2012 recommended rates for those bands. These salary bands apply to all members of primary care teams.

     

    Next Steps:

    1. Given these principles, the MOHLTC is doing some calculations and developing options.   They have the full information they need for FHTs and NPLCs and are collecting additional information from CHCs and AHACs – specifically the number of FTEs per band.
    2. Once these calculations are completed, the MOHLTC will reconvene with the three associations to discuss next steps.

    The MOHLTC and the three associations are committed to getting you this information as soon as possible; but we need to ensure that we collectively take time to get this right and to ensure the equitable outcomes for all your staff. Please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any further questions or concerns at this time.
    Adrianna Tetley Association of Ontario Health Centres of Ontario Angie Heydon Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario Theresa Agnew Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario

     

  • New temporary clinic for those without a doctor |The Peterborough Examiner

    The Peterborough Examiner article published on Mar. 2, 2016. Article in full pasted below. Jason Bain, The Peterborough Examiner A temporary clinic for patients without a primary health-care provider scheduled to open near the downtown core Monday aims to do far more than simply care for patients, according to Peterborough Family Health Team officials. The PWD (People Without Doctors) clinic at 239 Charlotte St. will be open for six months to provide care to the nearly 2,200 city and county residents registered with Health Care Connect as being without a family doctor or nurse practitioner. But the temporary clinic won’t be your typical walk-in clinic, where health care providers general react to patients’ immediate medical needs. Staff will also be proactive, gathering data to reflect the true number of those without a family doctor. That information will be used to demonstrate to the ministry that the city is underserviced, from a primary care provider perspective, and to lobby for more doctors for the region, family health team officials stated. The Ministry of Health deemed the city fully serviced in the spring of 2015 and put a freeze on new doctors joining the health team, unless they are a replacement for a retirement. That is leaving thousands with limited options when it comes to their health care – something officials want to change. “While we have great service here, we know it’s not enough,” health team executive director Lori Richey said. The volume of unattached patients, anticipated population growth and unnecessary use of the PRHC emergency department for non-urgent care are other reasons family health team officials felt “compelled” to “improve this unacceptable situation.” “It is our hope that the People without Doctors Clinic will provide some much needed care to the unattached patients of Peterborough city, while providing accurate information on just how enormous that need is,” family health team medical director Dr. Kaetlen Wilson stated. The clinic will also be an opportunity for health care providers to get a sense of the needs of those without a primary care provider and to connect patients with other services in the community they may not be utilizing, Richey said. “We’re trying to inform our planning.” Those without a family doctor or nurse practitioner should register with Health Care Connect, a provincial service, as soon as possible, Richey said, noting how the actual number of those without a primary care provider is much higher. That figure is key because it is what will be used by the ministry to decide how many doctors the area needs, she said. “The list is what drives funding decisions.” It’s also important for those who have been on the list for a long time to ensure their health status is up-to-date and accurate, Richey added. The process to open the clinic happened quickly, the executive director said, noting how it is in line with expected Ontario health care reform. In aligning with new provincial priorities, the family health team will have a handle on the needs of local patients when the changes are implemented, she said. For example, walk-in clinics are not ideal care, Richey said, explaining how having a primary care providers who provide longitudinal care for every patient is the “ultimate goal.” The clinic will be open on weekdays and will close Aug. 22. The doctors working there are all retired or semi-retired and are assisting because they are passionate about being a part of the solution, Richey said, noting how leveraging all the players in the health care system is necessary. The temporary clinic, announced Monday, has been a community effort. AON is providing a subsidized rent cost as a community service, Brant Office Supply has loaned office furniture and McWilliams Moving and Storage picked up and delivered medical equipment. Castle Voice and Data Communications Inc. also provided a discounted rate for the phone system while Your Family Health Team Foundation supported the purchase of clinical equipment. The temporary clinic is the first phase of a two-pronged effort, with more details on the latter expected to be released soon. The second phase relates to the 109,000 city and county residents who do have a doctor, Richey said. To reach the clinic, call 705-741-2260 (phone lines open Monday) for an appointment or walk in during office hours. To register with Health Care Connect, call 1-800-445-1822 or register online at www.ontario.ca/page/find-a-family-doctor-or-nurse-practitioner. Those in need of assistance registering are encouraged to call the clinic. Click here to access the article on The Peterborough Examiner website.

  • ED Mentor Resources

    AFHTO’s Executive Director mentorship program, developed in response to member requests, aims to  provide peer support for any member EDs or Administrative Leads who feel they could benefit from it. We strive to match mentors and mentees whose teams work in similar environments, taking into consideration geography, size, governance structure, academic or Francophone status, and other characteristics that reflect the diversity of our membership.

    ED Mentorship Orientation

    The mentorship program was launched in February 2016 with an orientation webinar for ED mentors, presented in partnership with the Centre for Effective Practice (CEP).

    Mentors have been matched with mentees and will be reaching out to them over the coming weeks.

    Additional Resources for ED Mentors

    The following supplemental materials are available to assist our ED mentors in fulfilling this role:

    As the program evolves, more materials will be made available.

    ED Mentorship Program Overview

    Mentoring is about supporting people to develop more effectively. It is a relationship based on trust, designed to build confidence and to help a mentee take increasing initiative. Mentoring occurs when two individuals decide to work together to achieve specific objectives for skills, growth and development. One individual has the skill, knowledge and experience that the other individual aims to acquire.  

    Benefits of AFHTO’s Executive director (ED) Mentoring Program

    Benefits to Mentors

    Benefits to Mentees
    • Being part of a solution to build capacity for leadership in primary care
    • Pleasure of giving back and passing on skills, knowledge and wisdom
    • Satisfaction of enhancing a mentee’s understanding of the FHT/NPLC workplace
    • Heightened profile within their workplace
    • Coaching practice and leadership skills
    • Heightened self-awareness
    • Access to wisdom and expertise in a confidential safe relationship
    • Opportunities for self-assessment
    • Greater understanding of current business practices
    • Introduction to business networks and related supports

    The Program So Far

    Since the launch of the mentorship program in February 2016, we have matched 15 mentor-mentee pairs. All of them have connected, and most have had a face-to-face meeting followed by ongoing email support. What we have heard from them is very encouraging and a testament to the strong leaders in our membership. Mentees overwhelmingly agree that their mentors are well-suited to support them, knowledgeable, and able to provide needed support. Mentors are telling us that their mentees are receptive and open to receiving it. Here is a sample of what the program participants are saying:

    • “My mentor is awesome, very helpful! She provides amazing support.”
    • “My mentor is very knowledgeable and easy to work with. She always makes time to answer questions and provide guidance when required.”
    • “I would suggest having a mentor work with all new EDs when they come onboard.”
    • “I can learn as much from my mentee as she can from me. Seems to be working for both of us.”

    More Information

    Follow this link to learn more about AFHTO’s mentorship program, including the ideal qualities for successful mentors and mentees.

  • CCO Cancer Screening & Advance Care Planning QI Toolkits

    Cancer Care Ontario is pleased to share two updated Quality Improvement Toolkits. These resources have been developed to support Ontario’s inter-professional, team-based primary care organizations with their annual Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs), which are due to Health Quality Ontario by April 1st. Cancer Screening Quality Improvement Toolkit

    • This toolkit has been developed to assist primary care providers in planning, implementing, monitoring and reporting on improvements in colorectal, cervical and breast cancer screening
    • Cervical and colorectal cancer screening have been identified as priority indicators for the 2016/2017 QIP cycle
    • The toolkit includes: 1) instructions; 2) a measurement, tracking and evaluation tool; and 3) a patient tracking tool

    Advance Care Planning Quality Improvement Toolkit

    • Family physicians and other primary care providers are ideally positioned to initiate Advance Care Planning (ACP) conversations, and there are numerous benefits to incorporating ACP into primary care practices
    • This updated toolkit reinforces its connection to the Health Care Consent Act and ensures alignment with Ontario’s legal landscape

    Where can I find the Quality Improvement Toolkits? The toolkits and supporting resources are available for downloading at cancercare.on.ca/pcresources. Questions/suggestions? If you have any questions or suggestions about the cancer screening toolkit, please send them to screenforlife@cancercare.on.ca or call 1-866-662-9233. For questions or suggestions about the ACP toolkit, please send them to Tara.Walton@cancercare.on.ca. We encourage you to use these toolkits as part of your quality improvement planning and share these resources with your networks.

  • AFHTO & MOHLTC Joint Webinar: Program Development for FY 2016-17

    AFHTO & the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care have introduced a suite of program planning and evaluation tools, created by AFHTO and the Ministry to assist our member teams in developing programs for the 2016-17 fiscal

    • Program Planning & Evaluation Framework [PDF]: developed jointly between AFHTO member ED Work Group and the Ministry, the framework is intended to be a guide for FHTs and NPLCs to use when developing new or evaluating current programs, and to help promote the delivery of effective programs. The Framework will be a valuable reference to support teams in completing their program reporting requirements.
    • Indicator Catalogue [opens an Excel spreadsheet]: the indicator catalogue is another supportive guide developed for FHTs/NPLCs to use when selecting meaningful measures for their programs that are based on clinical guidelines. The catalogue will enable teams to find sample indicators that can be used to measure progress on specific objectives and select indicators that align most appropriately with the goals of their programs.

    These were presented in a webinar offered in two sessions, Wednesday, February 24, 2016 and Tuesday, March 1, 2016. The March 1 session was recorded and can be found here, along with the presentation slide deck and a number of other resources which were designed for use with the Framework and Catalogue.

  • Joint webinar – AFHTO and MOHLTC present program development tools for FY 2016-17

    The Schedule A working group and the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care have developed a suite of program planning and evaluation tools to assist AFHTO member teams in planning their programs for the coming fiscal year:

    Hyperlinks within these documents will take you to relevant sample tools, suggested references and related information, many of which can also be accessed directly from our online repository of program development tools. Please note that these documents and tools have been created for AFHTO members; you will need to log in to the AFHTO website in order to view them.

    The Framework and Catalogue will be introduced in a webinar presented jointly by AFHTO and the Ministry of Long Term Care. This webinar is offered twice:

    • Wednesday, February 24, 2016, 2:00-3:30 pm
    • Tuesday, March 1, 2016, 12:00-1:30 pm

    To register for the webinar, click on the link above and choose your preferred date. The slide deck for the webinar is available now.

    Please note that the Primary Health Care Branch is awaiting approval to finalize the annual operating plan packages. For this reason, the webinar on February 24 will not be addressing the Annual Operating Plan or Schedule A reporting requirements for 2016-17. Likewise, the Ministry’s Programs & Services Tipsheet is not yet being made available. No indication has been given yet whether these subjects will be covered during the March 1st webinar.

  • Couchiching FHT & community partners come together for new geriatric clinic

    Couchiching FHT is integrating its geriatric outreach program into a first of its kind geriatric clinic opening next month in Orillia. Led by local geriatrician Dr. Kevin Young, apart from its occupational therapists, administrator and nurse, the clinic will host Alzheimer Society staff, rehabilitation therapists, a dietitian and other health-care professionals providing seniors-focused programming. With a wait list for geriatric care of nine to 12 months, the clinic should improve timely access to care, reduce senior visits to the emergency department and, due to the co-ordination of care all in the same space, reduce duplication of efforts. Other programs will include the heart-function program, the integrated regional falls program, the Victorian Order of Nurses’ enhanced rehab program for frail seniors and Health Link. Relevant Links:

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #29: Quality Improvement focus groups with IHPs

    Moving beyond measurement to improvement in interprofessional care – Focus groups with IHPs are being set up now – please visit our site for more information and pass this on to your IHPs. How is D2D working for you? AFHTO is partnering with Dan Wagner (MSc student) and Dr. Noah Ivers to find out so invitations for interviews will be sent in the coming weeks. Contact Carol Mulder for more information. Questions about “time spent delivering care”? See the videos featuring comments by FHT doctors Rob Annis and Sean Blaine. Sean is AFHTO President and Rob serves as AFHTO Treasurer and Chair of the Physician Leadership Council. More QIP webinars from HQO – ‘Beginners Education on submitting QIPS’ and ‘QIP Conversations’ will be held on various dates in February and March. Webinars on Program Planning, Indicator Catalogue and Schedule A reporting requirements– Register and pick the session you wish to attend: February 24th 2:00-3:30 pm OR March 1st 12:00-1:30pm. Join a mental health and addictions community of practice– deadline to join ECHO Ontario Mental Health (a partnership between CAMH and University of Toronto) is February 26th, 2016.

    Help spread the word about D2D – invite others to sign up for the e-Bulletin online.  Getting too many emails? Scroll to the bottom of the original email for the unsubscribe link.

  • ECHO Ontario Mental Health Virtual CoP- Feb. 26 deadline

    We’d like to invite you to join an exciting new project which aims to build a virtual community of practice, expand knowledge, and increase capacity to manage clients with mental illness and/or addiction in primary care. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health has partnered with the University of Toronto to develop ECHO (Extension of Clinical Health Outcomes) Ontario Mental Health at CAMH and the University of Toronto (ECHO Ontario Mental Health). This project is fully funded through the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and does not require any payment from primary care provider sites. It is fully accredited as Continuing Medical Education, so participants will receive CME credits at no cost.

    Due to increased demand, ECHO Ontario Mental Health at CAMH and U of T is currently accepting registration for approximately 10 new participant sites starting immediately, and will be taking registration for additional sites for the September 2016 cycle.

    We have attached an information package, with instructions for how to apply to become a spoke site with ECHO Ontario Mental Health. We will be accepting applicants on a first come, first serve basis, with a deadline for registration in this cycle of Feb. 26, 2016. If we are unable to accommodate all the applications, your application will be put in a priority queue and you will be accepted into the next round of sessions, beginning in September. You will not be required to re-submit a registration form at that time.

    Please feel free to visit our website for more information: https://www.porticonetwork.ca/web/echo-on-mh.

    We are looking forward to your participation, and would be happy to discuss any questions you might have. To contact us, please feel free to email us at echo_ontariomentalhealth@camh.ca.

  • Thamesview FHT & partners providing cancer support programs open to public

    Thamesview FHT has partnered with Windsor Regional Hospital to provide support programs for cancer patients and their family and friends within the Chatham area. “Sexuality and Cancer” and “A Life After Cancer Educational Series” are also available via video conference using the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN). Cancer patients often have to leave Chatham-Kent to receive advance treatment, which involves a lot of time, travel and expense. Then they’re also recommended to participate in support programs, which may mean even more travel. With Thamesview FHT offering these programs, patients save time as well as money for gas and parking. Also open to the public is a monthly peer support group, facilitated by a cancer survivor and offered through a partnership with the Canadian Cancer Society. To learn more about these programs you can read the original article here.