Ultimate Blogging Championship

Category: Uncategorized

  • A1-b Nutrition Education at Your Local Coffee Shop

    Theme 1. Population-based primary health care: planning and integration for the community

    Presentation Materials (members only)

    Presentation Slides: Nutrition Education at your Local Coffee Shop

    Learning Objectives

    Participants will:

    • Understand the barriers preventing connection with marginalized individuals who lack food security.
    • Learn how to connect with and equip individuals to use food bank items together with cheap local produce to prepare nutritious meals and snacks.
    • Learn how to start from the home setting and work with individuals at their own pace.
    • Learn how useful printed materials are for this population.
    • Learn how to effectively provide nutrition advice outside a health care setting.

    Summary

    541 Eatery and Exchange is a for-benefit, not-for-profit business that provides affordable nutritious homemade food in an area of Hamilton where this is not otherwise available. Using volunteers and very few paid staff keeps costs low and encourages community participation. There is a pay it forward system that uses buttons, and the café is full of all kinds of people. It has become a focus for the resilience and strengths in the neighbourhood. Using a grant from the Learning by Giving Foundation – McMaster University, we will describe hiring a Registered Dietitian to work with participants from our community, beginning with home visits to each participant to ensure the program meets their needs. Using existing resources as much as possible she will develop a simple illustrated text that accompanies each of the six sessions per series. Food is available but not always accessible or usable for our neighbors. It is easier to rely on fast food rather than deal with the contents of a food bank box. We will unpack a typical box and make meals from it, adding simple fresh ingredients. We will look at what a store cupboard should contain. We will visit the local farmers market together. This presentation will demonstrate how collaboration with local organizations and businesses enhances access to nutrition advice for hard to reach populations, and offers health care in an unexpected setting.

    Presenters

    • Michele MacDonald-Werstuck, Registered Dietitian, DFM McMaster University; McMaster FHT; Stonechurch FHC
    • Rev. Sue Carr BSc MTS, Executive Director 541 Eatery and Exchange, DFM McMaster University, Stonechurch FHC
    • Marika Smit, Registered Dietitian (pending July 2015), 541 Eatery and Exchange

    Presentation Materials (Members only)

    • Materials will be posted following the 2015 Conference.

  • A1-a Taking Collaboration to the Next Level…Dealing with the Social Determinants of Health

    Theme 1. Population-based primary health care: planning and integration for the community

    Presentation Materials (Members only)

    Presentation Slides: Taking Collaboration to the Next Level…Dealing with the Social Determinants of Health

    Learning Objectives

    The purpose of this presentation is to share the knowledge we have gained through our Medically Complex Patient Pilot Program and the changes in practices that have resulted in reaching out to more patients and their caregivers.

    1. How to identify patients.
    2. How to determine which partnerships can best serve the patients.
    3. How to provide health care when those most in need don’t show up.
    4. How Mental Health, addictions, physical health and crime can be tackled together with success.

    Summary

    The Family Health Team interdisciplinary model has increased accessibility and revolutionized primary care. However, complex patients with significant medical and social problems require a different approach to providing care. During our Medically Complex Patient Pilot Program (MCPPP) some of the most complex patients identified by our partners did not come to appointments and were frequently unreachable. These were often folks with no phone, no fixed address or had mental health and addiction problems which made travelling to appointments and or making appointments near impossible for them. The Innovation Centre is an organization in Sault Ste Marie which uses data to drive innovation. They identified an area of the city where a significant number of residents are marginalized and economically and socially disadvantaged. It indicates that this area of the Sault has the highest poor academic performance and poor health, the highest crime rates and mental health and addiction issues. The police had already initiated a Neighbourhood Resource Centre (NRC) located in the heart of the identified region where frontline Mental Health workers work side by side with police officers to serve the population in a better way. We identified a lack of primary care through a community engagement survey funded by NELHIN and with support from Police Services, the Resource Centre was equipped with an examination room and a weekly drop in clinic was started. Through our MCPPP and the NRC, we have forged collaborations with various agencies to identify and address a broad spectrum of concerns, including medical and social issues. Regular case conferencing that may include the patient keeps everyone involved connected. Thus far there have been plenty of anecdotal reports of better chronic disease management and emergency room diversion and these stats will be followed.

    Presenters

    • Dr. Alan McLean, MD, CCFP; Physician Lead, Superior FHT

    Authors and Contributors

    • Superior FHT
      • Dr. Alan McLean, MD, CCFP, Physician Lead Superior FHT
      • Michelle Brisbois, Interim Executive Director, Superior FHT
      • Susan McLean, RN; Director, Clinical Services and Program Development, Superior FHT

  • “Bright Lights” Awards Nominations – Deadline Extended to August 11

     

    Nominate an outstanding team or individual today! Deadline to submit nomination is now 12PM on  August 11!

    Little innovations, big impact – “Bright Lights” Award winners are innovators, making meaningful changes to improve the patient experience, health outcomes and reduce overall costs to the health care system. The awards program recognizes leadership, outstanding work and significant progress being made to improve the value delivered by interprofessional primary care teams across Ontario. Awards will be presented at the fourth annual AFHTO 2015 Conference Awards Dinner, on October 28, 2015. Winners in four award categories will receive an education grant*. Deadline to complete the online form and submit supporting documents is August 7 12PM on August 11, 2015.

    Make a nomination today (See “Bright Lights” nomination guide for details):

    1. Review the nomination categories in advance (see nomination guide pg. 3 for descriptions).
    2. Review nomination evaluation criteria (see nomination guide pg. 2 for details).
    3. Complete the online nomination form.
    4. Submit supporting documents to info@afhto.ca:
      1. 1-4 high-quality photos of nominees in png. or jpg. format to be featured at the Awards Dinner on October 28.
      2. Signed statement of attestation to release photos for AFHTO use.
      3. Any supporting evidence and materials as appropriate.
    5. Deadline to complete online form and submit supporting documents is August 7 12PM on August 11, 2015.

    Award nominations will be reviewed and selected by the “Bright Lights” Review Committee.

    Award Categories

    One or more awards will be presented in each of the following categories:

    1. Population-based primary health care: planning and integration for the community*
    2. Optimizing capacity of interprofessional teams*
    3. Transforming patients’ and caregivers’ experience and health *
    4. Building the rural health care team: making the most of available resources
    5. Advancing manageable meaningful measurement*
    6. Leadership and governance for accountable care
    7. Clinical innovations keeping people at home and out of the hospital

    * Thank you to our generous sponsors for providing education grants to award winners in the categories marked above:

    • Boehringer Ingelheim for providing four award recipients in the Population-based primary health care: planning and integration for the community and Transforming patients and caregivers experience and health categories with the opportunity to attend to attend the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Conference on March 20-22, 2016, in Orlando, Florida.
    • Merck Canada Inc. for providing a $3,000 education grant for the “Bright Lights” award recipient in the Optimizing capacity of interprofessional teams and Advancing Manageable Meaningful Measurement categories.

    Please note: Sponsors have no role in establishing award criteria, call for nominations, judging or selecting the program winners.

    AFHTO “Bright Lights” Awards – Past Winners

    To learn more about past “Bright Lights” Awards winners and their accomplishments, please visit any of the links below:

     

  • Executive Director Resource Toolkit

    Executive Director Resource Toolkit [PDF] (Updated in 2019) In collaboration with The Osborne Group, members of the former Executive Director Advisory Committee, and work group, AFHTO has developed this very thorough toolkit to orient new EDs of teams to their role and provide all EDs with easy access to a comprehensive collection of tools, resources and templates that will help you manage the organization effectively. The Toolkit can be used:

    • As an orientation guide for new Executive Directors
    • As a support for current Executive Directors
    • As an educational tool to help explain the scope of the Executive Director role
    • As a resource for team boards as they hire, orient and oversee the ED role.

    The material is organized as follows:

    1. Introduction to Family Health Teams and Nurse Practitioner-led Clinics
      1. Explore topics like physician practice models and relationships to FHTs, Medical consultants to NPLCs
    2. Key information about the role of the Executive Director
      1. Learn your role with your Board and the Ministry
      2. Understand: financial planning; operational planning; legislative compliance; program planning & QI; Human resources; community relationships; Risk Management
    3. Resources, tools, templates and sample documents

    Hyperlinks in the text will take you to relevant sample tools, suggested references and related information. In addition, AFHTO is committed to building a robust repository of resources for EDs on the website as part of an ongoing area of work. We encourage all EDs to share existing tools/policies/templates by adding them to our existing repository of sample organization policies and procedures.

     

    Looking for more Governance and Leadership Tools & Resources? Click here to explore more.

  • AFHTO 2015 Conference: Registration Now Open!

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    Register now for the AFHTO 2015 Conference Team-Based Primary Care: The Foundation of a Sustainable Health System

    October 28 & 29, 2015 – Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, Ontario

    Research from around the world shows that cost-effective and high-performing health systems are based on a strong foundation of comprehensive primary care. 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? Join over 800 interprofessional primary care providers, patients and community partners at the AFHTO 2015 Conference. We’ll spend two session-packed days studying innovations in primary care, strengthening partnerships and addressing the challenges facing Ontario’s primary care teams.

    For general information you can visit our conference page. We look forward to seeing you at the AFHTO 2015 Conference!

  • Call for nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors – deadline to apply July 13

    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.

    Six positions on the board are up for election:

    • Five are to be elected for a 3-year term
    • One to be elected to fulfil the remainder of a 2-year term on the 14-member AFHTO board.

    The AFHTO by-laws call for balanced representation on the board to include the various forms of governance, the regions of the province, and the mix of the professions working within FHTs, NPLCs and other interprofessional models. Given the composition of eight continuing board members, priority for the six directors to be elected will be given to candidates who are:

    • Executive Directors or Interprofessional Health Providers
    • From community-led FHTs and NPLCs

    To apply:

    The Governance Committee of the AFHTO board will review all applications to assist the AFHTO board to determine the slate of candidates to recommend to the AFHTO membership for election at the AFHTO annual general meeting.

    • Nominees will be informed of their status by October 9.
    • Nominees who are not recommended for the slate will have until October 12 to determine whether they wish to proceed with having their name go forward on the election ballot.
    • The election will take place at the Annual General Meeting in conjunction with the AFHTO annual conference.  This year it will be held:

    Wednesday October 28, 2015 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM The Westin Harbour Castle 1 Harbour Square Toronto, Ontario M5J 1A6

     

  • Essex County NPLC improving access to cancer screenings

    June 26 – Essex County NPLC is promoting cervical cancer screening for women in Ford City, a Windsor neighbourhood with a low rate of regular checkups. Residents experience multiple barriers to health care such as transportation issues, poverty and not having a family doctor, which is why an outreach office was opened there three years ago. According to clinical lead Nurse Practitioner Shelley Raymond, lack of regular testing can be extremely dangerous, as research shows early diagnosis for cervical cancer could dramatically increase survival rates, so they hope to encourage women in the neighbourhood to come in and learn more about their potential health risks. For more information you can read the full article.

  • Launch of D2D 2.0 Orientation Webinar

    D2D 2.0 Launch: June 18, 2015. Watch the webinar on the orientation of the membership wide report (Length 46:44). Click here to go back to D2D 2.0 Orientation and Supporting Materials

  • Colorectal and Cervical Cancer Screening – Interpretive notes

    Updated as of January 22, 2016

    • Virtual rostering assigns patients to the primary care physician that provided the highest dollar amount of services within a defined set of primary care services. Your team may not be aware of which patients have been virtually rostered to them so may erroneously think that these patients are not “your” patients. Hence, your team’s sense of how many of “your” patients were screened may be different than shown in D2D.
    • Screening tests performed in hospital laboratories or paid through alternate payment plans are not currently incorporated into this measure. Actual performance on this measure for teams that use hospital laboratories is therefore likely higher than the level presented in D2D.
    • Please note: for colorectal cancer screening, a small proportion of FOBTs performed as diagnostic tests could not be excluded from the analysis
    • Inaccurate recording of exclusion criteria may result in an under-estimation of screening rates as patients who are not eligible for screening would be erroneously included in the denominator, artificially driving the observed rate down.
    • The current measure does not consider patient choice in screening and therefore might reflect an under-estimate of the screening “interventions” (i.e. consultations/advice to undertake screening) by the team.

  • Patient experience: involved or Patient satisfaction with office staff – Potential actions related to processes of care

    Updated as of January 22, 2016 Assuming you have established that the data are good enough to direct action AND that improving performance in this area is a priority for your team, you may wish to discuss the following options with your clinical leaders, Quality Improvement committees, team staff and/or patients: