May 4 – Sometimes wait list times for psychiatric services last up to a year but family doctors are often the first to hear about children and teens’ mental health concerns. With this in mind Central Lambton FHT has partnered with Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine in what is believed to be a first-in-Ontario research project. The goal is to better equip them to assist rural youth who have mental health issues. As one of the first steps the team’s doctors received training on a variety of mental health conditions as well as additional skills to properly treat, refer and counsel young patients. It’s hoped early detection and intervention can decrease patients’ suffering. Read the full article here.
Category: Uncategorized
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AFHTO 2015 Conference: Submission deadline extended to May 19 at 9:00 AM
Click here to submit a presentation abstract by May 19, 2015 at 9:00 AM
These past few weeks have been a busy period for AFHTO members, in response the deadline to submit abstracts has been extended for the AFHTO 2015 Conference “Team-Based Primary Care: The Foundation of a Sustainable Health System”. Take this opportunity to:
- Share your knowledge, experience and innovative work by submitting an abstract.
- Encourage your colleagues, community partners and stakeholders to share innovations in primary care by submitting an abstract.
Reduced registration fee for concurrent session presenters: For each approved concurrent session, up to 2 presenters will each be granted a $50 discount off the conference registration fee. (Discount does not apply for poster presentations.) Submissions for concurrent session and poster presentations are invited in 7 core themes:
- Population-based primary health care: planning and integration for the community
- Optimizing capacity of interprofessional teams
- Transforming patients’ and caregivers’ experience and health
- Building the rural health care team: making the most of available resources
- Advancing manageable meaningful measurement
- Leadership and governance for accountable care
- Clinical innovations keeping people at home and out of the hospital
Review the submission guidelines and template for abstracts before submitting online by May 19.
Conference key dates:
- May 19, 2015 at 9:00 AM: Deadline to submit concurrent session and poster abstracts
- June 8 to 10, 2015: Notification of acceptance for presentation sent
- End of June 2015: Conference registration opens
- October 28 & 29, 2015: AFHTO 2015 Conference
If you have any questions about the submissions process or the conference in general, please contact info@afhto.ca.
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Data to Decisions eBulletin #10 – April 30, 2015
Contributing to D2D 2.0 Over half of AFHTO members have signed up for D2D 2.0! One hundred and five AFHTO member organizations (56%) have signed up to submit data for D2D 2.0! The most common reason teams give for being part of D2D 2.0 is to be able to compare with peers to better focus their local QI efforts. If you are still deciding whether to contribute data, check out this short video for a family doctor’s perspective about why D2D matters to her. Even if you missed the deadline for requesting ICES data you can still sign up to submit D2D data before the May 28, 2015 deadline. Check out the data dictionary or any of the other resources on the D2D webpage or contact Carol Mulder for more details. Detailed data submission “cheat sheet” coming soon Please check out the D2D webpage next week for a “cheat sheet” with step by step instructions for compiling and submitting data. Included will be directions on how to access EMR queries for the two EMR-based indicators (i.e. childhood immunization and EMR data quality). The QIDSS are finalizing those queries and will be ready to share them with all members within the next week. The deadline for all D2D 2.0 data submission is May 28, 2015. Timelines and distribution for D2D 2.0 The D2D 2.0 report will be available to AFHTO members only mid June 2015. Unlike QIP, Schedule A and other MOHLTC reports, D2D 2.0 is by and for AFHTO members only. A membership-wide aggregate summary of the report will be shared with external partners to demonstrate the maturity and leadership of AFHTO members in advancing QI and measurement –the team-level performance will only be available to teams themselves. Using data to improve data quality and care Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) moving forward on team-level cancer screening reports CCO is creating a team-level (vs individual doctor-level) screening activity report. The report is being designed in direct response to requests from and in collaboration with the QIDSS. It won’t be ready for D2D 2.0 – but it’s coming! Partnering with patients on measurement works! Early results from the patient-doctor relationship survey highlight the value of partnering with patients about measurement in primary care. At least three-quarters of the 200+ responses came via Patients Canada – a reach we would not have had without their active partnership. So far we’ve learned that over half of the respondents want a 50-50 decision making partnership with their doctors. That might not be true of all patients, as Patients Canada will be sharing at an upcoming conference on “Managing the Canadian Healthcare Strategy” – YET it is certainly an observation well worth considering! Analysis continues and will be shared in subsequent updates. Contact Puja Ahluwalia for more details. Other news REMINDER submit your abstracts for AFHTO 2015 – deadline May 11, 2015 Share your successes, processes and tools that strengthen Team-based Primary Care: The Foundation of a Sustainable Health System by submitting an abstract for the AFHTO 2015 Conference. Success stories about using data to improve care might include anything from “how we got a QI committee going and what people like about it” or “how we changed the conversation about quality improvement from whether to how to do it” to “how we dealt with the phone ringing off the hook when we sent out screening reminders” – any big or little thing that has made a difference to your team. Submissions are being collected for presentations and posters in 7 core streams. Deadline to submit is May 11 at 9:00 AM. QIDSS in the spotlight! Congratulations to Hope Latam (QIDSS) and Dr. Kevin Samson who are presenting from the East Wellington FHT at the upcoming TELUS Health Ontario EMR User Conference. Their presentation illustrates useful ways of improving access data to EMR data, including the use of the custom queries that were developed as part of an AFHTO Innovation Project and are now being deployed to FHT’s across the province. They will also showcase the new Postgres Reporting Appliance that they have been beta testing for TELUS. For more information please contact Marg Leyland. What do you think? We hope you find value in the D2D eBulletin and will continue to subscribe to this newsletter. Other members of your team can sign up by clicking here. Once they complete the sign-up form a confirmation e-mail will be sent within 24 hours. In the meantime, if you have any comments or questions about the eBulletin, please let us know by e-mail to improve@afhto.ca. 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.
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AFHTO 2015 Conference: Two weeks left to submit concurrent session and poster abstracts – Deadline is May 11
The deadline to submit an abstract for the AFHTO 2015 Conference is only two weeks away. This is your opportunity to share your knowledge, experience and innovations to show what comprehensive, interprofessional primary care can deliver. Submit an abstract or encourage your colleagues to submit in one of our 7 core themes.
To help with your ideas for presentation topics, the conference review groups have shared some key topics of interest for each of our seven concurrent session themes (refresh to ensure you see the latest version). If you know anyone doing interesting work in the areas identified (or indeed any area that fit into our themes), please share this with them.
Click here to review submission guidelines
For further information on the submissions process including guidelines and a template visit our site here. If you have any questions you can also contact us at info@afhto.ca. This message was forwarded with a previous email sent on April 7, 2015.
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EDAC News: Preparing for PC Change and the Contract Renewal Process
To: EDs, Lead MDs/NPs and Board Chairs of all AFHTO member organizations AFHTO’s Executive Director Advisory Council (EDAC) met on April 22nd. This email provides an overview and highlights key items discussed:
- Ministry-FHT Contract Renewal: Update from PHC Branch Meeting on April 8th
- The Commitment to Recruitment & Retention Efforts
- What’s Ahead for Primary Care: Preparing for Change
- AFHTO Program Updates
Ministry-FHT Contract Renewal: Update from PHC Branch Meeting on April 8th
Following from the principles and priorities that emerged from the AFHTO membership last fall, AFHTO has been pursuing next steps for contract renewal with the ministry. This renewal provides opportunity to demonstrate the evolution of FHTs (and NPLCs since the same principles will most likely apply to all team-based models), and to develop more meaningful contracts that will support teams to continue to deliver high-quality primary care. Its content will be informed by the ministry’s plans to review team-based primary care models from the perspectives of performance and accountability, funding, and use of interprofessional teams (as reported to members on March 3). During the April 8th meeting with senior officials in the PHC branch, AFHTO reached provisional agreement on the following:
- Leverage work of D2D and aim for 6-10 meaningful measures to be included in the next contract agreement;
- Ensure performance measures support and align with ministry priorities;
- Reduce the current reporting burden by eliminating that which is not meaningful, including removal of the current Schedule E;
- Retain Schedule A as a document that encourages and gives evidence of program planning and enables an inventory of programs across LHINs/Province (with improvements to Schedule A as a planning and reporting tool).
Over the next few weeks, members of an EDAC work group will begin the process of reviewing the contract, identifying issues that need to be addressed, and begin strategizing the approach to the renewal process. Work will evolve over the coming months in collaboration with the members of the leadership triad (EDs, Board Chairs, and Physician Leads) and the Ministry.
The Commitment to Recruitment & Retention Efforts
AFHTO continues to give top priority to advocacy for increased funding to enable our members to recruit and retain the staff needed to deliver comprehensive team-based primary care. EDAC members reconfirmed the significance and urgency of dealing with recruitment and retention efforts and spoke about the desire to explore alternative actions and strategies if no further movement is seen on behalf of the Ministry. As reported to the AFHTO membership on April 24, the 2015 Ontario Budget included no formal commitments; however, political staff confirmed the Minister is committed to making progress in the next few months.
What’s ahead for Primary Care: Preparing for Change
EDAC members reviewed recent Ministry announcements and key messages, including: – An email summarizing Associate Deputy Minister Susan Fitzpatrick’s meeting with the AFHTO board on March 3 and the intent to move to “comprehensive regionally governed, population-based primary health services for Ontarians.” To this end, members are encouraged to build upon current relationships and strengthen partnerships with their local LHINs and regional health service providers. – A summary of what’s ahead for primary care in Ontario based on a March 5th meeting between AFHTO’s representatives and the PHC Branch. The Ministry’s emphasis on providing “solid evidence of the value of FHTS/NPLCs and team-based care” will be a strong influencing factor in the development of new MOHLTC-FHT contracts. EDAC commented on the need to showcase the matured state of FHT/NPLCs, demonstrate the impact of team-based care through manageable, meaningful measurement and to focus on strengthening the development of high performing teams.
Governance & Leadership Program Update
Members of EDAC reviewed excerpts from AFHTO’s Year Two Report and Year Three Proposal (2015-16) to the Ministry. A number of achievements were acknowledged from the 2014-15 plan (most of which could not have been done without the support and contribution of EDs!), including:
- Executive Director Resource Toolkit (members were pleased to support the formal launch of the toolkit – this is a terrific achievement and an extremely useful tool for use by all EDs!)
- Launch of the Physician Leadership Council, NPLC Community of Practice (CoP) and re-launch of the Health Links CoP – communiques released after every meeting to keep all leadership informed
o Governance Webinars o Governing for Quality Workshops o Case Studies (to be completed early May – stay tuned!) Visit Governance and Management on AFHTO website for access to tools/resources achieved. Focus for 2015- 2016 Together with our members and in collaboration with the ministry and other partners, AFHTO is striving to advance the objectives listed below by March 31, 2016.
- Measuring and improving
- Demonstrating and assuring value
- Strengthening governance and leadership practice
- Optimizing team capacity
- Supporting and strengthening collaborations and partnerships
- Maintaining and strengthening the foundation of AFHTO membership and leadership
To support these objectives, AFHTO is proposing to conduct a series of one-day leadership sessions in each of the LHINs beginning in the fall. EDAC members reflected on their role in supporting the outcomes and deliverables to be achieved and the role of EDs as facilitators in bringing leadership together. There are a number of work items that EDAC will focus on over the coming few weeks including: establishing a mentor/buddy system for new EDs, establishing/strengthening the development of regional ED networks; and developing case studies that will illustrate FHTs that have transitioned human resources such that physician-funded and FHT-funded staff all come under one entity as a mechanism to harmonize working relationships.
QIDS Program Update
The QIDS program has reached their goal to grow member participation in D2D from 30% in the first iteration to, so far, 55% for the second iteration. As of today, 104 out of 187 AFHTO members have signed up to submit data for D2D 2.0! Members can continue to sign up until the data submission deadline of May 28. For members who are considering whether to participate, this new 4 minute video tells a story about why D2D matters from the perspective of a family doctor. See Data to Decisions eBulletin #9 for further information and updates.
Kavita Mehta (Chair, EDAC) Executive Director, SETFHT kavita.mehta@setfht.on.ca Bryn Hamilton Provincial Lead, Governance & Leadership Program 647-234-8601 Bryn.Hamilton@afhto.ca -
2015 Ontario Budget: What it means for AFHTO members
April 23 – The Minister of Finance released the 2015 Ontario Budget, providing a blueprint for government spending for the 2015-2016 fiscal year Retention and recruitment in primary care AFHTO attended the budget lock-up along with our colleagues from AOHC and NPAO. While we are very disappointed there wasn’t a formal commitment in the budget to address primary care retention and recruitment, we remain optimistic that there’s still an opportunity to move on this issue within this fiscal year. Conversations with Minister Hoskins’ political staff during the budget lockup confirmed the Minister is committed to making progress on this issue in the next few months. This is evidenced by the Minister’s statement earlier in the legislature when he said he’s looking at this issue of retention and recruitment and knows it affects NPs and other health care practitioners. We need to make sure MPPs remain aware of this issue and the urgent need for action to resolve it. All members are encouraged to meet with and/or write to your local MPP. To help you do this, click here to access advocacy tools and resources. Budget overview The key themes in the 2015 Ontario Budget are infrastructure, skills training, business environment, and strengthening retirement security. In the 370-page budget document, 10 pages are devoted to an Effective Health Care System for All (pp.161-170) and another 15 pages on key determinants of health – Renewed Poverty Reduction Strategy (pp.171-177) and Assistance for the Vulnerable (pp.178-185). Health care highlights This is a restraint budget for health care. Annual growth in overall health care spending is cut in half from last year – projected to be 1.2% in 2015/16, then 1.9% in the two subsequent years – well-less than inflation and population growth. The commitment to increase home and community care funding continues. Click here for a 2-page summary of the health care highlights from government relations firm Santis Health. Primary care The Faster Access to Primary Health Care section (pp.163-4) confirms one of AFHTO’s core messages – “primary care is the foundation of a strong health care system.” This section also confirms government’s intent to move toward a population-based approach to primary care. The Budget says, “government plans to continue organizing primary health care providers and teams around the needs of the population across the province,” and “To better align key initiatives, maximize investments and ensure that Ontarians have a health care system that is both high quality and sustainable, the government is moving forward to establish a comprehensive capacity planning framework.” There is no additional funding announced in this budget for primary care; there is just a re-announcement of funds to expand access to physiotherapy in primary care settings. The only new announcement for primary care is that “government is removing the barriers to direct referrals to specialists by nurse practitioners.” This is welcome news that will increase the efficiency of teams and timeliness for patients who need specialist care. Pension plans and compensation As employers, many FHTs and NPLCs are asking about the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP). When it comes to pensions, AFHTO’s advocacy goal is sufficient funding to enable primary care teams to offer the HOOPP plan, as stated in the AFHTO-AOHC-NPAO recommendations for primary care recruitment and retention. HOOPP is the standard pension plan for much of the healthcare workforce, and therefore the ideal for recruiting and retaining staff. As individual employers, members may want to consider the ORPP as an alternative – see pages 138-145 of the 2015 Ontario Budget. The section – Ontario’s Plan to Eliminate the Deficit (pp.203-223) – confirms government’s continuing focus on Managing Compensation Costs (pp.210-213). It states, “Any modest wage increases must be offset by other measures to create a net-zero agreement.” This section announces the launch of Program Review, Renewal and Transformation (PRRT) to “assess outcomes in an effective, efficient and sustainable way …. Using evidence to inform better choices and improve outcomes.” The emerging evidence of the value delivered by team-based primary care – such as through the Conference Board’s FHT Evaluation and our collective work on Data to Decisions – has helped to gain support across the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care for the need to address the crisis in primary care retention and recruitment. We know AFHTO members will continue to demonstrate and improve the value delivered, and with your contact with your MPPs, we will continue to build the political will to act. To help you do this, click here to access advocacy tools and resources.
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2014-15 QIP cross-sectoral analysis by HQO: Advancing Integrated Care
April 23 – Health Quality Ontario released a report on Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs) submitted by health care organizations in 2014-15: Advancing Integrated Care: Cross-sector perspectives from Ontario’s health system. Using data from the 2014/15 QIP reports from all healthcare sectors, this analysis shares how organizations are reflecting a focus on integrated care. AFHTO members can review the report for insight into other organizations’ QIPs and to compare their priorities with those of other sectors. Discussing collaboration– This report shows that all healthcare sectors are showing an increased desire to work collaboratively. The graphic below (page 7) shows the percentage of times a given sector mentioned collaboration with another sector within its QIP. (Click on the graphic for a larger picture.)
Interprofessional primary care teams are highlighted in the report in several places. Those highlighted include Inner City FHT (page 7), Georgian Bay FHT (page 12), Barrie and Community FHT (page 16) and VON 360 Degrees NPLC (page 17). Additional Resources- Blog post “A cross-sectoral look at integrated care and the patient’s perspective” by Dr. Joshua Tepper, President and CEO, HQO (English and French)
- Video of a family caregiver on the need for a well-integrated system (French transcript here)
- For more information about primary care QIPs in particular, go to Key Observations: 2014-15 Quality Improvement Plans, Primary Care. This report outlines the priority indicators, the number of organizations that included these indicators (page 5) in their QIPs, shares the sector’s overall approach to each indicator, and provides an overview of prominent themes in QIP submissions (page 6).
- To access other QIP resources, visit http://www.hqontario.ca or contact QIP@hqontario.ca.
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Announcing the launch of the ED RESOURCE TOOLKIT!
To: Executive Directors and Board Chairs of all AFHTO member organizations AFHTO is thrilled to announce the launch of the Executive Director Resource Toolkit! In collaboration with The Osborne Group, members of the Executive Director Advisory Committee (EDAC) and work group have developed this very thorough toolkit to orient new EDs of FHTs/NPLCs 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 FHT/NPLC boards as they hire, orient and oversee the ED role.
The material is organized as follows:
- Introduction to Family Health Teams and Nurse Practitioner-led Clinics
- Key information about the role of the Executive Director
- 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 (see Sample Policies.) A huge congratulations and thank you to everyone that contributed to the development of the Executive Director Resource Toolkit. We hope all of you will find this to be a valuable resource for you and your team.
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Akausivik Inuit FHT: “Ottawa’s ‘best-kept secret’”
April 20- The Ottawa Citizen profiled Akausivik Inuit FHT for their whole person approach to patient care. The team treats members of Ottawa’s Inuit community, the biggest Inuit population of Canadian cities outside of the Arctic. With patients that tend to have other issues that can complicate their treatment and their health, such as their living conditions, team members take care to address these issues along with their overall health. Care is also provided in both Inuktitut and English. Read the full article here. Akausivik was also profiled by Nunatsiaq News earlier this year.
