Ultimate Blogging Championship

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  • FHT Leaders’ Response to AFHTO’s Draft Strategic Plan – February 2011 survey results

    AFHTO belongs to FHTs and is the voice for FHTs.  The AFHTO board of directors therefore engaged FHT leaders in developing a strategic plan, and in finding the way to build AFHTO into a strong and sustainable voice for FHTs. Building on the consensus achieved among 150 FHT leaders in November 2009, the board further developed these ideas into a draft strategic plan. The draft was sent out to all FHTs for consultation via a web meeting in February 2011 with approximately 70 FHTs in attendance to explain the strategic directions of AFHTO. This was followed up with a survey sent to all FHT leaders to invite further feedback, and 127 responded. Click here to see the survey results regarding AFHTO’s vision, mission, principles, values and priority initiatives. Click here to see the survey results regarding FHT engagement and fair and affordable fees.

  • How FHT Leaders Interact With One Another – January 2011 survey results

    AFHTO’s membership is our strength, and so we have been seeking input from FHT leaders to help determine AFHTO’s path for the next 2-3 years to ensure that it captured and reflected the key priorities shared by FHTs across Ontario. As a first step, we asked FHT leaders to fill out a survey to find out how they were interacting with one another and the media they used to do this. The next step is an AFHTO Strategic Plan Meeting on February 9th, 2011 where we will be asking for feedback from all FHTs. Responses to this initial survey helped us determine the most effective ways to foster and support membership engagement. On January 10th, 2011, an email was sent out to all FHTs in the province inviting them to participate in the survey. By the January 31st deadline, 118 people responded. Click here to see the survey results. Click here to see comments.

  • All FHT leaders are invited to give input on AFHTO’s future

    A web-based meeting attended by over 70 FHT leaders on February 9 indicated agreement with AFHTO’s general direction.  We would like to hear more from you about where we place our priorities and how we resource the work needed to advance them. Whether or not you participated in the web meeting, we invite all FHT leaders to complete a brief survey to give more detailed input on your association’s direction and the ways in which we can power this work through volunteer resources and sustainable infrastructure.  The link to the survey was e-mailed to all FHT leaders on February 10. If you missed the survey link, please e-mail caitlin.burgess@afhto.ca to receive it. To download a copy of the draft strategic plan, please click here To view the slides from the February 9 meeting, please click here . AFHTO works with FHTs and for FHTs as the advocate, champion, network and resource centre for this innovative model of care.  The draft strategic plan flows from the direction provided by 150 FHT leaders at the AFHTO leadership retreat held in November 2009.  It aims to take AFHTO to the next level with the goal of delivering greater value to all members. About two-thirds of the February 9 participants responded to each of the polls conducted at the meeting.  These FHT leaders told us:

    • All agreed that AFHTO’s vision, mission, principles and values continue to reflect their expectations for their association.
    • All agreed that the 10 priority initiatives proposed in the draft strategic plan reflect some or all of the key priorities their FHT holds for AFHTO.
    • Four-fifths of those who responded (about half of the group) were willing to volunteer their time to work on AFHTO projects.
    • All support AFHTO’s work. Naturally, the level of financial support that individual FHTs are able to provide is mixed. We hope to learn more from you about what is fair and affordable to enable all FHTs to become members in their association.

    We look forward to your participation in this survey.

  • New Nicotine Replacement Therapy program announced: AFHTO seeks FHT leaders to consult on implementation issues

    The Minister of Health Promotion and Sport just announced a new program here. The Ministry of Health’s FHT Unit is sending out a “Question and Answer” package to help staff in FHTs respond to public inquiries about this program.  In the next week or two, FHTs that want to participate will be invited to complete and submit an expression of interest document. AFHTO remains committed to work on behalf of its members to address policy and implementation issues, on this program and others. To do this we need help from the field — please let us know if you would like to be part of a small group of FHT leaders who can be called upon to give input and feedback as the implementation plant for the NRT/Smoking Cessation program is developed. Thank you, Dr. John McDonald, President Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario ……………………………………………………………. McGuinty Government Takes Steps To Reduce Costs Of Tobacco-Related Disease Ontario is taking action to address the rising costs of tobacco-related disease on the province’s health care system by expanding services that help smokers quit. Beginning in Spring 2011, participating Family Health Teams will provide access to over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) such as nicotine patches and gum, combined with counselling, at no cost to the smoker. These services are also already available in many Public Health Units, Community Health Centres, Aboriginal Health Access Centres, pharmacies and hospitals. Expanding these services to Family Health Teams will give 20,000 more Ontarians the tools to quit smoking over the next two years, and help the province reduce the $1.93 billion in tobacco-related health care costs. Family Health Teams will work in partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health to:

    • Identify, advise and assist current smokers within Family Health Teams
    • Offer NRT treatment and expert smoking cessation counselling
    • Follow-up with participants to prevent relapses
    • Offer additional counselling and follow-up support through the Smokers’ Helpline and online services

  • AFHTO is seeking your FHT’s input for the 2011 Strategic Plan

    AFHTO works with FHTs and for FHTs as the advocate, champion, network and resource centre for this innovative model of care.   Our membership is our strength.  We need your help to determine AFHTO’s path for the next 2-3 years to ensure it captures and reflects the key priorities shared by FHTs across Ontario. As a first step, we ask you to help us learn more about how FHT leaders interact with one another and the media you use to do this.  Please take a two minute survey; e-mail caitlin.burgess@afhto.ca for the link. For the following step, in the last week of January you will receive a draft set of strategic priorities for AFHTO.  We will collect your input and feedback on these priorities over the first three weeks of February. Your responses to the survey above will help us determine the most effective ways to foster and support membership engagement. The draft strategic plan you will receive flows from the direction provided by 150 FHT leaders at the AFHTO leadership retreat fourteen months ago.  The plan aims to take AFHTO to the next level with the goal of delivering greater value to all members. AFHTO’s board is currently completing work on this draft. To help facilitate this process over the next 2-3 months, we have added to AFHTO’s staff complement.  Caitlin Burgess, who recently worked to help launch one of the Wave 5 FHTs, joins our executive director, Angie Heydon, to assist with membership communications and engagement.   We look forward to your participation! Sincerely, Dr. John McDonald AFHTO President On behalf of the AFHTO Board of Directors

  • New Family Health Centre for North Perth a Reality

    It is with great excitement and anticipation that the Listowel Memorial Hospital, the Listowel Memorial Hospital Foundation, the Listowel Medical Centre, John Wilkinson, MPP for Perth-Wellington and the North Perth Family Health Team announce the beginning of construction of the Fisher Family Primary Care Centre. The new centre is being named in honor of the Fisher family and their generous contribution toward the capital construction. Building on a tradition of collaboration and integration, the Listowel Memorial Hospital, Listowel Medical Clinic and the North Perth Family Health Team have worked hard with the Ministry of Health to realize their shared vision of an integrated local health system designed around a one-campus model.  The new Fisher Family Primary Care Centre will house all of the health professionals together in a modern facility.  It will provide ease of access for all North Perth residents and enhance our ability to provide quality primary care services. We wish to acknowledge the Honorable Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, for the significant financial contribution by the government of Ontario. A special acknowledgement goes to John Wilkinson, MPP, Perth-Wellington who has worked tirelessly to support the vision of a family health centre as part of an integrated and local system of rural health services. The Fisher Family Primary Care Centre represents a strong community partnership.  “The Fisher Family Primary Care Centre is a tribute to the many strong local partnerships among our Hospital, Municipality, local physicians, the health care team, the Province and of course, the community of North Perth.   We sincerely thank the numerous hard working individuals who have made this possible, and look forward to continuing to provide world class rural primary health care in a new state of the art facility,” said Dr. Rob Annis, Chair, North Perth Family Health Team. “The Listowel Memorial Hospital is excited to see this project begin construction.  This facility will further enhance the excellent working relationship between the Hospital, physicians and North Perth Family Health Team.  Having the members of the community health care team in close proximity provides additional opportunities to strengthen relationships and share scarce health care resources.  Working closely together will help us improve the handoffs between providers and further benefit our patients,” said Kris Dekker, Chair, Listowel Memorial Hospital. “North Perth will soon add the new Fisher Family Primary Care Centre to its impressive list of cutting edge rural health care services”, said MPP John Wilkinson. “When you add in the recent state of the art redevelopment of Listowel Memorial Hospital and our highly successful North Perth Family Health Team you can see how these three investments by the government of Ontario are making North Perth an even better community to recruit and retain much needed health care professionals.   On behalf of my constituents I want to publicly thank my Cabinet colleague, the Hon. Deb Matthews, Minister of Health & Long Term Care for personally believing in the dream of our rural community and committing just over $1 million to make it a reality.” Ron Coghlin, Chair, Listowel Memorial Hospital Foundation goes on to state, “The Listowel Memorial Hospital Foundation is extremely grateful for the generous community support that has helped make this facility possible.  This facility will be owned and operated by the Listowel Memorial Hospital.  We hope that the community finds the new Fisher Family Primary Care Centre an asset that they can be proud of.  As a Foundation, we are very pleased to see this project underway.” The Fisher Family Primary Health Care Centre will support the vision of being a leader in the provision of high quality primary health services to our local community.  “Our commitment to care and to our community of North Perth has never been stronger,” quotes Mary Atkinson, Executive Director, North Perth Family Health Team. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Friday, January 7, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at the new site on Inkerman Avenue (adjacent to Shopper’s Drug Mart).  Following the groundbreaking ceremony, an open house reception for the family health team was held at the Out Patient building.

  • Best wishes to all Ontario’s Family Health Teams

    As we draw to the close of 2010, AFHTO salutes the continued progress of the Family Health Teams of Ontario.  We are now 200 strong, thanks to your vision, commitment and innovation, proving the value of the FHT model. As you work to meet the health needs of Ontario families, your association works to meet your needs as professional teams. Over the past year AFHTO has made significant progress in our capacity to do this.  We received clear direction from the 150 FHT leaders who gathered to renew and refocus our association.  We hired our first executive director to take AFHTO to a new level. We’ve built stronger relationships with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and other health organizations.  For example, we’ve been working with the Ministry toward improvements in the FHT budget and funding process, and in developing learning modules to support effective governance.    You’ll be hearing more from AFHTO in January, and in February we’ll be looking for your input on the strategic priorities to pursue in this election year.  For FHTs in Ontario, we sincerely believe the future is getting brighter! All the best to you and yours throughout 2011, From the AFHTO board and staff: Dr. John McDonald, President and Chair: (Lead Physician, PrimaCare Community FHT – Paris) Dr. Ruth Wilson, Vice President (Queen’s FHT) Mr. Brian Gray, Secretary (Executive Director, Harrow FHT) Ms. Keri Selkirk, Treasurer (Executive Director, Thames Valley FHT) Ms. Kavita Mehta, Member at Large: (Executive Director, South East Toronto FHT) Mr. Randy Belair, Director (Executive Director, Sunset Country FHT – Kenora) Dr. Sean Blaine, Director (Lead Physician, STAR FHT – Stratford) Ms. Gwen Devereaux, Director (RN, Physician Recruitment Lead, Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance and Alexandra Marine & General Hospital) Dr. Val Rachlis, Director (Chair of the Board, North York FHT) Dr. George Southey, Director (Lead Physician, Dorval Medical Associates FHT – Oakville) Mr. John Stanczyk, Director (Pharmacist, Delhi FHT) Ms. Durhane Wong-Rieger, Director (President & CEO, Institute for Optimizing Health Outcomes) Ms. Angie Heydon, Executive Director

  • Dr. Ruth Wilson is named one of Canada’s Top 100 women.

    Dr. Ruth Wilson, a Queens FHT family physician and AFHTO Vice President, was recently named one of Canada’s Top 100 women by the Women’s Executive Network.   The Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards recognizes the country’s highest achieving female leaders in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Dr. Wilson was chair of the Queen’s department of Family Medicine from 1991-2001. During her tenure the department established a program to send faculty to help train family doctors in Bosnia and Herzegovina after the war there, and created the Centre for Studies in Primary Care at Queen’s. In March, 2010, Dr. Wilson was one of two physicians from around the world who received the ‘5 Star Doctor’ award – the highest honour given by the World Organization of Family Doctors.  She also served as the president of the College of Family Physicians of Canada from 2007-2008.

  • Data Input Test Platform

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  • West Queen West FHT: Permanent Family Medicine Practice Opportunity

    Overview: The West Queen West Family Health Team (FHT) is a recently approved Wave 5 FHT currently in its physician recruitment and start-up phase. Located in one of the fastest growing neighbourhoods of Toronto, the FHT will service the community at large and incorporate a specialty focus on serving the primary care need of patients with mental health and addiction issues (approximately 25-30% of overall roster). The implementation of the West Queen West FHT is being sponsored by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Location: West Queen West Family Health Team (Queen St. W and Ossington Ave. area), Toronto Central LHIN. Position Description: Family Physicians in the Queen West Family Health Organization (FHO) will provide medical services to the West Queen West FHT and enjoy working in an interprofessional team. The FHT will adopt best practice in the provision of comprehensive primary care and strategically focus on chronic disease management, illness prevention and health promotion. Call Arrangements: Queen West FHO physicians will participate in an on-call rotation (potentially with other FHOs) and enjoy the benefits of a partnership with Telephone Health Advisory Service (THAS). Practice Hours: 9:00am-5:30pm, 3-5 days per week and occasional evenings until 8:00pm Patient Volume: Each FULL TIME family physician is expected to have approximately 1300 patients rostered to them. This is prorated based on full time equivalency. Compensation: Blended, FHO (Queen West FHO). Blended model typical of FHO arrangements. Income stabilization available to eligible physicians. Inpatient opportunities at CAMH available upon interest. Teaching Opportunity: Through an affiliation with the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, residents will have an elective opportunity to rotate through this placement. With a goal of increasing the competency and confidence of medical trainees in working with patients with mental health and addictions the West Queen West FHT will serve an important role in building capacity throughout the system. Research Opportunity: Through a partnership with CAMH and affiliations with multiple institutions of higher education, research opportunities abound. Positions Available: 4 Vacation Details: As per eventual FHO Association Agreement, but typically 6 weeks per year. Successful Applicant must speak: English Contact Information: Cara Vaccarino at: cara_vaccarino@camh.net