Ultimate Blogging Championship

Category: Uncategorized

  • AFHTO 2015 Conference: registration is still open / pick your sessions early

    Presentations are being finalised, menus are being selected and posters are being created. Everything is being set up for the AFHTO 2015 Conference. Now all we need is you. There is still time for you and your colleagues to register for energising discussions, forward-looking plenaries, and networking with your peers. If you’ve already registered, don’t forget to pick your sessions if you haven’t already done so as some of them have limited space available. Just click on the Edit/change registration icon in your confirmation email titled “AFHTO 2015 CONFERENCE: REGISTRATION CONFIRMATION – Do Not Delete”.

    Attendees at the AFHTO 2015 Conference will spend two session-packed days studying innovations in primary care, strengthening partnerships and addressing the challenges facing Ontario’s primary care teams.  Highlights include diverse and relevant topics across 7 core themes:
    Concurrent Sessions Posters Interprofessional Collaboration as the Anchor of Team-Based Primary Care
        Effective Governance for Quality in Primary Care     Leadership Session: Leading primary care through the next stage EMR Communities of Practice Meetings (vendors included)
     This program has been accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter for up to 17 Mainpro-M1 credits. Attendance at this program entitles certified Canadian College of Health Leaders members (CHE / Fellow) to 2.5 Category II credits for Oct 27th Governance in Primary Care; 1.5 Category II credits for Oct 28th pre-conference (Leadership and IHP Sessions); 4 Category II credits for the Conference towards for their maintenance of certification requirement.

     

  • NPAO honours AFHTO members’ nurse practitioners at annual conference

    On September 25, 2015 the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO) held their Awards and Celebration Dinner as part of their annual conference. Nurse practitioners (NPs) from different organizations were honoured, with half of the awards presented to NPs from member FHTs and NPLCs.

    Congratulations to:

    Huronia Nurse Practitioner Network Bursary Ann Kerr – Alliston Family Health Team

    Member Bursary Jessie Rumble – Two Rivers Family Health Team Sue Tobin – Ingersoll Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Nicole Ilavsky – Barrie and Community Family Health Team

    Patient Choice Award Kristy Naulls – Belleville Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic

    Poster winners Comprehensive Health Care for Newcomers at Toronto Western Family Health Team: A Model of Culturally Competent Care – Soumia Meiyappan, Natasha Mirchandani, Brenda Pupo, Ian Waters, Gillian Graham – Toronto Western Family Health Team

    To see the full list of award recipients please visit NPAO’s website.

  • Health Link Leaders: Forming a Link (Sept 27)

    AFHTO’s Health Link Community of Practice met on September 21st. This communique provides an overview and highlights key items discussed:

    • Shaping the Future: Advanced Health Links Mode
    • Health Link CoP: Building a Partnership with the Ministry
    • NSM Integrate Project
    • Care Coordination Tool
    • Primary Care Update: what we know & what we’re doing about it

    Shaping the Future: Advanced Health Links Model

    In June 2015, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care announced the introduction of the Advanced Health Link Model , to be introduced over the course of the 2015-16 fiscal year. Based on the learnings from 69 established Health Links, the Advanced Health Link model identifies four areas of focus that include enhanced performance management and oversight, elements of standardization, funding model redesign (including sustainability planning)  and wider system integration. The Advanced Health Link model also illustrates the accountability of LHINs for their respective local Health Links. Through this renewed commitment to advance Health Links, the Ministry has acknowledged the need for stable, operational base funding and for better alignment between primary care and strengthened integration/collaboration, specifically with primary care teams. The evolution from the ‘pilot phase’ to a more mature state will also put in place formal processes to identify and disseminate emerging/best practices as a way to build on the successes achieved  to date. A health links guide will be released end of September or early October that will set out the new expectations of the model, including key functions of lead organizations.

    Health Link CoP: Building a Partnership with the Ministry

    The Health Link CoP was pleased to have Ministry representation at the September 21st meeting, including the acting Director (Michael Robertson) and his colleagues from the Capacity Planning and Priorities Branch as well as representation from the Primary Care Branch. Through open and transparent discussions, members highlighted a number of ongoing challenges for FHT led Health Links, including:

    • Timing of funding: it is widely recognized that the absence of stable base funding creates significant challenges in terms of sustainability, planning, HR retention, and maintaining the ongoing momentum of health links. Many FHTs are faced with the risk of using reserves to bridge the funding gap or obtaining loans from health service partners, such as hospitals or CCACs.
    • Reporting burdens: Streamlining and/or minimizing the numerous reporting obligations (for some FHTs this includes reports to: HQO, LHIN, Ministry, CCAC and/or hospital) could minimize the associated work load and promote more consistent, standardized reporting. The movement to reporting through the Self Reporting Initiative (SRI) could also help to enhance consistency.
    • Inconsistent direction: there has been some concern with inconsistent direction being received across the FHT led health links between the Ministry and the LHIN. For example, the Ministry contract identifies physician engagement as an eligible expense, however many LHINs have been providing conflicting advice. There is a desire to improve standardized messaging, materials and expectations, and develop a more common approach across the LHINs.

    Member leadership from the CoP, with the support of AFHTO, will continue to work closely with the Ministry in finding possible solutions to the challenges identified. There is a strong commitment from the Ministry to maintain ongoing communication and participation with the Health Link CoP!

    NSM Integrate Project

    The Health Link CoP continues to be a platform to share achievements and spread success stories! The Integrate Project was launched by Cancer Care Ontario and the approach is being piloted in select regions of Ontario (from 2014-2017). Members received an overview of INTEGRATE project piloted in the North Simcoe Muskoka LHIN. This project is enabling early identification and management of patients who could benefit from a palliative care approach across settings.  The collaborative method is transforming the palliative care system from one with a lack of service integration and fragmentation to a system with integrated care across care sites and improved patient related outcomes.

    Care Coordination Tool (CCT)

    East Toronto Health Link (ETHeL) is going live with its first published CCT on Wednesday, September 23rd – despite the very tight timelines and delay in funds, they are on track to meet this deliverable for the Ministry and Orion! The administrative burden/challenges that arose from the management of this initiative have been highlighted to the Ministry with the intent to inform subsequent roll-outs of the Care Coordination Tool, including the need to provide input to the Ministry on non-clinician feedback as it pertains to implementation. Further conversations with the Ministry are planned to occur before the end of the CCT proof of concept in March. Just a reminder that ETHeL has already done a legal review on all three agreements (DSA, ESPA and EULA) and comments from the lawyers are available for use by any Health Link that will be participating in the CCT proof of concept.  In addition, ETHeL has its agent agreement (for authoring model #3) that they are happy to share for any Health Links using that model. If you would like any of this information please contact Kavita at kavita.mehta@setfht.on.ca.

    Primary Care Update: what we know & what we’re doing about it

    Over forty AFHTO members from around the province – the combination of AFHTO’s Physician Leadership Council (PLC) and ED Advisory Council (EDAC) – came together on September 17th  to dialogue with the Ministry to gain further clarity on what is known (and not known) as it plans for primary care.  One of the key messages is that work to develop policy and strategy is underway and that there will be further discussion and consultation as this progresses. For further details from this meeting please see the meeting summary  and/or full report [PDF].

    Members expressed interest in conducting a face to face meeting in early 2016. Further details will be provided over the coming months. For any further questions, or if you are interested in participating on the Health Link CoP, please contact:
    Marg Alfieri (Chair, Health Link CoP) Health Link Manager, KW4 Health Link Centre for Family Medicine FHT margalfieri@icloud.com Bryn Hamilton Provincial Lead, Governance & Leadership Program 647-234-8601 Bryn.Hamilton@afhto.ca

     

  • AFHTO 2015 Conference: The early bird takes flight today (Sept. 28th). Register before prices go up!

    Don’t miss out on this opportunity to join thought-provoking plenaries, vibrant discussions and networking with your peers. Register before early-bird rates end Monday (Sept. 28th). Ontario’s health system is transforming to become more sustainable and person-centred; primary care is the critical component. Now is the time for leaders and collaborators to ask – how are we strengthening primary care to fill this need?

    Ed Wagner Head Shot Danielle Martin Head Shot Bob Bell-resized
    Ed Wagner Opening Plenary Team-Based Primary Care: The Foundation of a Sustainable Health System             Danielle Martin Bright Lights Awards Dinner Celebrating primary care innovations Robert Bell Closing Plenary Evolution of a Sustainable Health System: Where do we go from here?

     

    Early-bird registration closes this Monday, September 28, 2015.

    Attendees at the AFHTO 2015 Conference will spend two session-packed days studying innovations in primary care, strengthening partnerships and addressing the challenges facing Ontario’s primary care teams. Highlights include such diverse and relevant topics across 7 core themes:

    Concurrent Sessions Posters Interprofessional Collaboration as the Anchor of Team-Based Primary Care
    Effective Governance for Quality in Primary Care Leadership Session: Leading primary care through the next stage EMR Communities of Practice Meetings (vendors included)

      This program has been accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter for up to 17 Mainpro-M1 credits. Attendance at this program entitles certified Canadian College of Health Leaders members (CHE / Fellow) to 2.5 Category II credits for Oct 27th Governance in Primary Care; 1.5 Category II credits for Oct 28th pre-conference (Leadership and IHP Sessions); 4 Category II credits for the Conference towards for their maintenance of certification requirement.

  • FHTs lead to improved diabetes care / Auditor’s report on CCACs

    Two important reports were released in this past week:

    • CMAJ published evidence that the combination of physician payment reform and team-based care led to improved diabetes care. “Our study suggests that Ontarians might be healthier if everyone had access to team-based care” said lead author Dr. Tara Kiran of St. Michael’s Hospital Academic FHT.
    • The Auditor General’s Special Report on CCACs instructs government to “take a hard look” at CCACs and the delivery of home and community-based care. As health system reforms move forward, AFHTO joins with its colleagues on the Ontario Primary Care Council to call on government and others in Ontario’s health system to ensure primary care is supported to fulfill this central role in coordinating care.

  • Auditor General’s Report: Hard look needed to improve CCAC service delivery model

    In a news release announcing a Special Report on CCACs, the Auditor General of Ontario stated, “The Ontario government needs to take a hard look at how the province’s Community Care Access Centres (CCACs), along with their third-party service providers, deliver home- and community-based health care and related support services to patients outside hospital settings.” Effective care coordination is best led by a person’s primary care team throughout his or her lifetime. It reduces duplication, facilitates access and ensures continuity of care regardless of setting, be it care in the home, community, hospital or long-term care facility. As we work together to improve our health system, AFHTO joins with its colleagues on the Ontario Primary Care Council to call on government and others in Ontario’s health system to ensure primary care is supported to fulfill this central role in coordinating care. This Special Report on CCACs (Auditor’s Report) and the Report of the Expert Group on Home and Community Care (Donner Report) provide sound analysis to guide the way forward. Click here to read the Ontario Primary Care Council’s Position Statement on Care Coordination in Primary Care.

  • Data to Decisions eBulletin #19: It’s time to play… Physician Family Feud!

    Physician networking session: What’s an avoidable Emergency Department visit? And who can do what to avoid it? Join your fellow physicians and QIDSS for a networking debate at the AFHTO 2015 Conference that will pit attendees against two feuding teams made up of family and ED physicians. It will consider real-life ED visits that may or may not be avoidable, depending on how the feud plays out. Winners will come away with a sense of satisfaction from helping teams help their patients stay out of ED (note: everyone is a winner!). You won’t want to miss the action! All your colleagues will find sessions of interest during the IHP Networking or Leadership Sessions. The early bird takes flight Monday (Sept. 28th). Register for the AFHTO 2015 conference before prices go up! Other upcoming Events: AFHTO staff, your fellow teams and QIDSS are going to these free conferences OntarioMD Every Step Conference (Oct. 1) and HQO’s Health Quality Transformation (Oct. 14). Sign up for team-level administrative (ICES) data from HQO by Oct. 30, 2015. Ensure you have physician agreement first! Helping patients gain access to their own health information – check out the “hot-off-the-press” summary of the Ontario policy dialogue about implementing electronic personal health records in Canada. Watch for stories from AFHTO members about what works to achieve great performance! Help spread the word about D2D. Invite others to sign up for the eBulletin online.  What is D2D? Data to Decisions (D2D) is a member-wide summary of performance on indicators that are both possible for members to measure and that are meaningful to members. See the D2D page on AFHTO’s website for more information.

  • Family health teams deliver improved diabetes care for Ontario patients

    According to research published in in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), switching doctors from fee-for-service payment and adding interprofessional health providers to the team appears to result in moderately improved diabetes care for Ontario patients. “Our study suggests that Ontarians might be healthier if everyone had access to team-based care” said Dr. Tara Kiran of St. Michael’s Hospital Academic FHT and one of its authors. Based on data from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) on more than 10 million patients, this longitudinal study asked whether the move of physicians to blended capitation models with care provided by a health care team improved patient outcomes. FHT patients were 22% more likely to receive recommended diabetes testing, more likely to be monitored for diabetes (40% v. 32%), to undergo screening for breast cancer (77% v. 72%) and colorectal cancer (63% v. 61%), than those in a fee-for-service practice. They experienced the greatest improvements in diabetes care over time but had similar improvements in mammography and colorectal cancer as non-FHT patients. With capitation payment, instead of a fee per service provided, physicians earn a set fee per patient per year, regardless of the number of patient visits. Since 2002 in Ontario, 45% of primary care physicians have moved to capitation payment and approximately half of these physicians are with a FHT. The authors, which include Dr. Rick Glazier, Alexander Kopp and Dr. Rahim Moineddin of ICES, also note that while these measures have the potential to improve quality of care, this needs to be weighed against the cost of reforms. For further details please read the relevant articles below:

  • AFHTO members meet with Ministry: what we know and what we’re doing about it

    Over forty AFHTO members from around the province – the combination of AFHTO’s Physician Leadership Council (PLC) and ED Advisory Council (EDAC) – came together last Thursday to dialogue with the Ministry to gain further clarity on what is known (and not known) as it plans for primary care.  One of the messages is that work to develop policy and strategy is underway and that there will be further discussion and consultation as this progresses. Following this dialogue, members concluded the priorities for action they identified over July/August are on the right track, and then developed further advice on each topic.

    Meeting summary

    For the full meeting report click here. So what do we know and where do we go from here?  EDAC and PLC members concluded that:

    • Members should expect a closer relationship between LHINs and primary care, but we don’t know yet what that will look like and whether or not this will include any form of funding and accountability. We need to further develop these relationships right away. AFHTO is facilitating meetings and preparing education materials to help members do this.
    • Government’s priority on access and equity signals that interprofessional teams must continue (or begin) to look more broadly at their communities to find ways to broaden access to team-based care to those who need it most.
      • More equitable funding is needed to attract and retain the staff needed to do all this work. We have no formal commitment from government as of yet; this remains the top priority for AFHTO’s advocacy.
      • As demand grows to broaden access to teams, AFHTO members’ collective work in defining how we measure and track health human resource capacity is critical to reduce the risk of compromising patient care and teamwork. The goal is to introduce an initial indicator of this capacity in the next cycle of Data to Decisions – D2D 3.0.
    • Government is considering a common set of publicly reported, primary care performance indicators. The collective work of AFHTO members to advance measurement is absolutely critical to lead the way to ensure these measures are meaningful to clinicians and manageable for reporting.
    • At the strategy and planning level, we remind the Ministry and LHINs of the need for thoughtful ways to include primary care leaders in its development.
    • As teams, we also need to look internally at how we can improve the value we deliver to our patients and communities.
    • Transparency is critical – at all levels, from the Ministry, from LHINs, from AFHTO, from all of the stakeholders. Information is needed from the Ministry since the voids are being filled by misinformation.

    In light of AFHTO’s growing impact on the provincial stage, EDAC and PLC members applauded as the AFHTO President announced the board’s decision to confer the title of Chief Executive Officer to Angie Heydon, following their recent leadership review. For further details from this meeting please see the full report [PDF].

  • New Look. New Website. Still AFHTO.

    We’re pleased to announce the launch of our new website. With a fresh new look and user-friendly navigation, it’s been updated to help you and our partners find what you’re looking for faster and easier than ever. Changes include:

    • Updated look – Our new homepage features the latest and most relevant news for members.
    • Members Only News preview – missed our last email? A sneak peek at content is now available on the homepage.
    • Improved access to Members Only content – clicked on a link from an e-mail? Now, once you log in, you will be taken directly to the page you’re looking for.
    • Member resources and toolkits are now accessible from the footer on every webpage.
    • Public content updated to more clearly reflect AFHTO’s work and member priorities
    • Easier mobile browsing – the AFHTO website is now accessible on smartphones and tablets

    Member Log-in

    All member log-in details remain the same. If you do not remember your log-in information please contact your team administrator or e-mail info@afhto.ca.

    Further Improvements to the AFHTO Website

    While this is the most dramatic change to the site this year, it’s not the first. The Members Only section was reorganized into five broad categories in April to make our resources easier to find. More changes will be coming within the next year including simplified access to the Members Only section. Stay tuned for more information as these come into effect. We hope you will enjoy the new site. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please e-mail info@afhto.ca.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    1.      Why have you changed the site?

    The changes to the AFHTO website are part of an overall strategy to provide easy to find and useful information to our members and partners. In our old website, members were finding it increasingly difficult to find the information they needed and asked us to remove barriers to the site. We’ve taken this opportunity to re-organize the content, upgrade the website for browsing on multiple platforms, and provide direct access to the newest and most relevant information.

    2.      Are you making any more changes to the site?

    Yes, this is the second stage of a three-part project. In April 2015, we re-organized the categories of the Members Only section to be more reflective of the work we do and resources we offer. The next stage of the project is to improve access to the Members Only website with more personalized log-ins for individuals working with AFHTO member organizations.

    3.      I see members only news on the home page. Can anyone see this now?

    Everyone visiting the AFHTO website can see the titles of webpages in Members Only News and under AFHTO Programs. You must be logged in to Members Only to see the content of these pages. HINT: All pages with a light blue border are Members Only content and you must be logged in to see the page.

    4.      What is my log-in for the Members Only section?

    All member log-in details remain the same. If you do not remember your log-in access information please e-mail info@afhto.ca or contact your team administrator.

    5.      Can I share my Members Only log-in with my colleagues?

    All AFHTO members have a general log-in to the AFHTO website. This is shared by the administrator of your team with staff, board members and clinicians affiliated with the team.

    6.      I can’t find what I’m looking for. Where can I get help?

    With the reorganization of the site, some content may be in new sections. While we hope this has made things easier to find, we understand there may be a period of adjustment. A few tips for searching content:

    • Web Categories: Take a look at the top menu of the website and Members Only. All content is organized within these categories with the most recent information appearing at the top.
      • HINT: Members Only categories have brief descriptions for the type of content found within each.
    • Keyword Search: Click on the search icon at the top right of your screen and input key words. The search results will pull all public, members only and PDF/Media content on the website based on the key word search.

    And if you’re still not able to find what you’re looking for, please email us at info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605 x200.

    7.      I’ve found something out of date or incorrect on the website. How can I get this changed?

    Please send an e-mail to info@afhto.ca with the URL and section of the page that needs updating. We will make necessary corrections as needed.

    8.      How can I add an event, careers posting, success story, etc?

    Send an e-mail to info@afhto.ca with your request to post content on the AFHTO website. As a general rule we accept requests as follows:

    • Events: We will post conferences, webinars, education opportunities and other events that are relevant to AFHTO members and organized by AFHTO partners, non-profit organizations and/or government agencies.
    • Career postings: AFHTO members are welcome to post job openings on this site, free of charge. Please send the complete posting in Word format, including how to apply and closing date, by e-mail to info@afhto.ca.
    • Success Story or Members in the Media: These posts are curated from Canadian news sites. All AFHTO members are invited to share their accomplishments and updates to be posted.
    • Member resources and shared templates: The Members Only website holds a repository of templates and resources developed by other teams. All members are welcome to share content.
    • Other resources: We will post free resources for AFHTO members on our Members Only website. Please contact us to see what information may be relevant.

    Need further help? Contact us at info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605 ext. 200.