Thank you to all of our poster presenters who came to the AFHTO 2018 conference. Posters were submitted by interprofessional health teams across the province. Like the concurrent session presentations, they represent the full breadth of professions within collaborative primary care and showcase evidence-based, impactful innovations that will be useful to other teams.
Blog
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AFHTO 2018 Conference on October 24 & 25
Relationship Design with Starfield in Mind
- CONTINUITY through better relationships,
- COORDINATION of better transitions,
- first point of CONTACT into the health care system, and
- COMPREHENSIVENESS by providing a wide range of services that deal with a broad range of patient problems and needs (‘womb to tomb’ care of the WHOLE person).
Ontario’s health system is ever-changing, but these shifts aren’t always fluid or easy to predict. Each change has the potential for far-reaching implications, but the fundamentals remain- clinical innovations, the latest medical advances… these won’t make a lasting difference unless primary health care sustains and strengthens the relationships that matter to serve to serve #EveryCommunityEveryPatient. At AFHTO’s 2018 Conference over 800 primary care providers, interprofessional health care providers, patients and community partners will explore how we can contribute to a high performing health system. Together we’ll tackle how to make the most of opportunities and minimize challenges, both locally and regionally, to improve health, health care, and value for all Ontarians.
Registration is now open!
- Register an individual or team for the conference
- Early-bird registration extended to October 9, 2018
- Members receive a 50% discount on registration. Concurrent session speakers and planning committee members are also eligible for additional discounts
- Find out more about registration fees and discounts
- Reserve a room at the preferred group rate at the Westin Harbour Castle
- Book discounted travel arrangements with Porter Airlines and/or VIA Rail Canada
- Conference and registration FAQs
For an overall view of the conference, visit our conference section.
Conference Program
See below for more on our detailed and varied conference program: Sessions to be certified
- Conference Schedule
- Featuring Jody Gittell, Executive Director, Founder, Relational Coordination Research Collaborative
- Concurrent Sessions & Themes
- Get more from your EMR Sessions (vendors included)
- Programs available exclusively to AFHTO members:
- Leadership Triad Session –Addressing Mental Health and Addictions Needs in Primary Care – Leadership workshop for board members, board chairs, EDs and Lead MDs/NPs of AFHTO member organizations
- Expansion of Team-Based Care Community of Practice
- Governing Through Healthcare Transformation: Leading Practices in Effective Governance and Collaborative Governance
This 1-credit-per-hour Group Learning program has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada and the Ontario Chapter for up to 12 Mainpro+ credits. Also, attendance entitles certified Canadian College of Health Leaders members (CHE / Fellow) to 6.25 for Category II credits for conference and 1.5 Category II credits for pre-conference towards their maintenance of certification requirement. Non-certified sessions
- To find out more about our other great sessions, visit this page.
Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities
Increase your corporate visibility with more than 800 leaders from primary care organizations across Ontario by sponsoring or exhibiting at the AFHTO 2018 Conference.
Future AFHTO Conferences:
For the forward planners, AFHTO’s conference dates for future years are listed below.
- September 19-20, 2019
- October 8-9, 2020
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Congratulations to the 2018 Bright Lights Awards winners!
Please join us in congratulating the winners of this year’s Bright Lights awards. Their achievements are shining examples of how relationships contribute to high-quality, effective care.
- By partnering with patients, they’ve developed programs that help patients meet their health goals.
- By fostering interprofessional teamwork, they’ve expanded their reach without stretching their resources.
- By collaborating with community groups, they’re providing wraparound care for people outside their enrolled patient population.
Through the work they do every day, these teams are demonstrating the value of team-based primary health care as the basis of a strong Ontario health system and a healthy population.
Review committees made up of AFHTO members and partners selected the winners from among 69 nominees.
The awards below recognize achievements in our six conference themes.
1. Caroline Families First Wraparound Program
- Award category: Mental health and addictions
- Achievement: Addressing gaps in care in children’s mental health
Burlington and Caroline Family Health Teams partnered with Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK) and other community partners to address an unmet need – mental health care for children in Burlington. This multidisciplinary, family-based, and client-directed approach has allowed them to provide care that is responsive, comprehensive, and accessible to the broader community.
2. Dr. Vanita Lokanathan, Lindsay Chmarney, Sheena Howard, Brittany Murray, and Kelly Pensom, Peterborough Family Health Team
- Award category: Healthy relationships, healthy teams
- Achievement: Full scope RNs in family practice improve access, continuity and reduce ER visits
By introducing a full-scope role for registered nurses (RNs), the Greater Peterborough FHO, part of the Peterborough FHT, was able to improve access for their patient population with existing human resources.
3. McMaster Family Health Team
- Award category: Expanding your reach
- Achievement: Healthy Aging Series
By offering its Healthy Aging Series to all seniors in the City of Hamilton, McMaster Family Health Team is extending the reach of its services beyond its own enrolled patient population. This program was designed in partnership with older adults to help seniors keep themselves healthier, longer.
4. Mount Sinai Academic Family Health Team
- Award category: The “How To” stream
- Achievement: HIPS Home based Interdisciplinary Primary care for Seniors
Home-based Interdisciplinary Primary Care for Seniors (HIPS) was created by a team of physicians, nurse-practitioners, and registered nurses working side-by-side with pharmacists, volunteers, and homecare service providers. The program enhances social supports, promotes healthy behaviours, and improves health access for medically complex, socially isolated seniors.
5. Marathon Family Health Team
- Award category: Why hasn’t this expanded? Scalable pilot programs
- Achievement: The HARMS Program for Safer Opioid Prescribing through Systematic Risk Stratification and Urine Drug Testing
The High-yield Approach to Risk Mitigation and Safety (HARMS) program is a new approach to pain management and opioid stewardship developed in response to the high rates of opioid addiction in Ontario’s north. This cost-effective program has significantly reduced opioid prescribing and increased the number of patients receiving treatment for addiction.
6. Northeastern Ontario Family Health Team Network
- Theme: The future of the regional approach to healthcare
- Achievement: The North Stars – Leading the Way into Collective Action
In northeastern Ontario, 27 family health teams have joined together as members of the Northeastern Ontario Family Health Team Network (NEOFHTN) to implement a regional quality improvement program tailored to the specific needs of their population.
The Spotlight Award: Algonquin and Cottage Country Family Health Teams
- In recognition of: Effective Response to Rural Community Need – Muskoka Community Health Hubs
Presented in recognition of underrepresented primary care teams, the Spotlight Award is presented to the Algonquin and Cottage Country Family Health Teams for the community health hubs they developed to meet the needs of unattached rural residents, seasonal residents, and visitors to Muskoka.
Board award: Primary Care Asthma Program, The Lung Association
- In recognition of: Promotion of Best Practices in Primary Care Treatment of Respiratory Diseases
Each year, the AFHTO board recognizes an organization or individual – outside of AFHTO’s membership – that has made an extraordinary contribution to team-based primary care.
This year’s Board Award was presented to the Primary Care Asthma Program, which supports best practices for diagnosing, assessing, and managing asthma.
Three award winners have received education grants from the Bright Lights sponsor, Merck Canada Inc and one from Boehringer Ingelheim.
The Bright Light Awards were presented at the beginning of AFHTO’s 2018 Conference, “Relationship Design with Starfield in Mind.”
A hearty congratulations to all this year’s winners and nominees!
The call for nominations for the 2019 Bright Light Awards will go out in May-June 2019. All AFHTO members and their partners are welcome and encouraged to participate.
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2018 Bright Lights Hall of Fame
We are now sharing more information on all the nominations for the Bright Lights Awards! See the Bright Lights Hall of Fame below for all submissions and their details:
Nomination Title
(Click title to open submission description)
Theme Nominee Information Foam Rolling for Chronic Pain Management Mental health and addictions Temagami FHT and Great Northern FHT Making Real Functional Gains While Living with Chronic Pain: McMaster FHT (MFHT) Allied Health: Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physiotherapy (PT) programs. Mental health and addictions McMaster FHT – Martha Bauer (OT), Laura Doyle (PT), Colleen McPhee (PT), Colleen O’Neill (OT) HFAFHT Safe Opioid Prescribing Initiative Mental health and addictions Health for All FHT – Dr. Maya Maliakkal, Jadie Stone (Nurse Practitioner) Zhanying Shi (IT/EMR Program Administrator) An Innovative eHealth Approach to Opioid Prescribing Developed Through a Multi-Organization “Think Tank” Collaboration Mental health and addictions Waterloo Wellington eHealth Think Tank Investing in Intake: Increasing Patient Engagement and Reducing Wait-times for Mental Health Services within the Dufferin Area FHT Mental health and addictions Dufferin Area FHT – Mental Health Team Centre for Family Medicine FHT (CFFM) Partnership for Mental Health Services (The Partnership) Mental health and addictions Centre for Family Medicine FHT – (CFFM) Partnership for Mental Health Services (The Partnership) The Launch of MHART (Mental Health & Addictions Response Team): An innovative partnership between Welland McMaster FHT and Niagara Region’s Emergency Medical Services to reduce ED visits and improve patient outcomes. Mental health and addictions Welland McMaster FHT Advocacy in Addition Medicine (or Addictions) – Dr. Anita Srivastava Mental health and addictions St. Joseph’s Urban FHT – Dr. Anita Srivastava Caroline Families First Wraparound Program (CFF) Mental health and addictions Caroline Families First Mental Health Services at WCH AFHT: Improving Access without increasing resources Mental health and addictions WCH AFHT Mental Health Committee [Karen Burrell (SW), Ken Callaghan, Dr. Melissa DeSouza, Holly Finn, Dr. Stephen Holzapfel, Bibi Khan, Dr. Bradley Lichtblau, Chantal Simms (SW), Sherry Teeter, Todd Tran (OT)] Reduced hospitalization rate for COPD in population with serious mental illness Mental health and addictions Village FHT Emotion-Focused Mindfulness Group to Enhance Coping and Resilience in Family Medicine Patients Living with Common Mental Illnesses Mental health and addictions Mount Sinai Academic FHT – Mental Health Team Identifying ‘At Risk’ Opioid Patients in a FHT Mental health and addictions Credit Valley FHT When Things Aren’t Adding Up, Start Subtracting! – Benzodiazepine/Z-Drug Deprescribing Initiative at Taddle Creek FHT Mental health and addictions Taddle Creek FHT Delivering a condensed approach to group therapy to optimize patient commitment and reduce attrition rate while providing enhanced coping tools and self-awareness techniques. Mental health and addictions West Durham FHT – Bhavna Verma Social Aces and The School Success Program at the Couchiching FHT: An effective partnership to boost social competence in children struggling with mental health issues and learning disabilities. Mental health and addictions Couchiching FHT We have an incredible team of IHPs Healthy relationships, healthy teams Jane Finch FHT IHPs Working together – Healthy team – healthy community Healthy relationships, healthy teams Manitouwadge FHT Full scope RNs in family practice improve access, continuity and reduce ER visits Healthy relationships, healthy teams Dr. Lokanathan & Team – Lindsay Chmarney, Sheena Howard, Brittany Murray, Kelly Pensom (part of Greater Peterborough FHO) Team Awesome Healthy relationships, healthy teams Sunnybrook Academic FHT Northeastern Ontario FHT Executive Director Network (NEOFHTN) Healthy relationships, healthy teams Northeastern Ontario FHT Network (NEOFHTN) – Cochrane FHT, Huron Shores FHT, Corporation of the Municipality of Assiginack FHT, East End FHT, Elliot Lake FHT, Blue Sky FHT, Englehart & District FHT, Burks Falls FHT, Espanola & Area FHT, Chapleau & District FHT, Great Northern FHT, City of Lakes FHT, Haileybury RNPG FHT, Kirkland Lake FHT, South Algonquin FHT, Manitoulin Central FHT, Superior FHT, Northeastern Manitoulin FHT, Temagami Medical Centre and FHT, NORD-ASKI FHT, Timmins FHT, Baawating FHT, Wawa FHT, Parry Sound FHT, West Nipissing FHT, Powassan & Area FHT, Iroquois Falls FHT, and the five Northeastern QIDSS Creating A Healthier Team Environment Through Practice Facilitation Healthy relationships, healthy teams Clinton FHT A Well-Supported Team-Based Practice Excelling Chronic Disease Management and Immunization in Communities with a High Percentage of Older Asian Immigrants Healthy relationships, healthy teams Carefirst FHT SAFHT Cares Healthy relationships, healthy teams Southlake Academic FHT Prescott Family Health Team (PFHT) engages all multidisciplinary team members in the fight against HPV Diseases including Cervical Cancer. Healthy relationships, healthy teams Prescott Family Health Team Don Mills FHT Prenatal Outreach Pilot for At Risk Women in North SubRegion Expanding your reach Don Mills FHT/Sunnybrook Department of Family and Community Medicine Centre for Family Medicine Refugee Health Clinic Expanding your reach Centre for Family Medicine FHT Refugee Health Clinic MAC H2OPE: Helping Hamiltonians through Occupational therapy and Physiotherapy Engagement Expanding your reach MAC H2OPE, Hamilton FHT, McMaster FHT, McMaster University, YMCA Physician Assistant’s Impact upon vulnerable community patients at high risk of hospitalization Expanding your reach Jean Guo McMaster FHT Healthy Aging Series Expanding your reach McMaster FHT: Dajana Lukic, Laura Doyle, Glenda Pauw, Colleen McPhee, Dr Doug Oliver, Dr Dale Guenter, Martha Bauer, Kiska Colwill and Sophia Lourenco KW4 Community Ward Team: Interprofessional In-Home Primary Care for Medically and Socially Complex Patients Expanding your reach KW4 Community Ward Providing Healthcare on Pelee Island Expanding your reach Harrow Health Centre Inc – A FHT Leading Our Community to Better Care and Access Expanding your reach Atikokan FHT Delhi Community COPD Program Expanding your reach Delhi Community COPD Program Building Capacity within SAFHT Expanding your reach Southlake Academic FHT Improving Access to a Rural Community Expanding your reach Espanola and Area FHT Increasing Access and Safety to Newcomers Expanding your reach Nancy Frink-Costa Bringing together Primary Care Practitioners of the Couchiching FHT for a yearly Quality Improvement and Information Technology Summit Expanding your reach Couchiching FHT How To Handle a National Drug Recall: The Pivotal Role of the FHT Pharmacist The “How to” stream The Credit Valley FHT – Superna Ramesh- Pharm D candidate U of T APPE student PPI Deprescribing – Where We Came From, Where We’re At, Where We’re Going The “How to” stream Credit Valley FHT Team-Based Transition Management- A Hospital Discharge Follow-up Process The “How to” stream Tilbury District FHT SAFHT’s Complex Patient Program The “How to” stream Southlake Academic FHT Empowering patients to improve their diet and exercise habits to reduce cardiometabolic risk The “How to” stream Northumberland FHT (NFHT) and Loyalist FHT (LFHT) Improving Quality Patient Care and Safety Through a Team-Based Data Standardization Committee The “How to” stream North York FHT EMR Standardization Committee HIPS Home based Interdisciplinary Primary care for Seniors: for medically complex, socially isolated seniors The “How to” stream Mount Sinai Academic FHT – HIPS Innovative Use of EMR Reminders to Make a Difference to Renally Impaired Patients. The “How to” stream Dr. Bernie Murphy Enhancing Patient Experience – Directing Patients to the Correct Location The “How to” stream St. Joseph’s Urban FHT – Clerical Team How to Recover Quickly from a Catastrophic Business Operations Interruption The “How to” stream Georgina NPLC Be Well Community Collective – To raise happy, healthy children in South Georgian Bay. The “How to” stream Be Well Community Collaborative – Jennifer McMaster (Georgian Bay FHT), Jennifer Parker (Healthy Kids Community Challenge), Fiona Proctor & Ruth McArthur (Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit) Creating a Medical Home in Harrow The “How to” stream Harrow Health Centre Inc – A FHT Alliston FHT Nordic Walking Program The “How to” stream Alliston FHT – Karim Zia & Leanne Martin Bringing Care Closer to Home for Patients with COPD – Pulmonary Rehab in a Small Rural Northern FHT The “How to” stream Temagami FHT Population Health- A Call to Action The “How to” stream City of Lakes FHT The Guelph FHT has been accepted as a Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) pre-designate The “How to” stream Guelph Family Health Team Finding Poverty at Sunnybrook Why hasn’t this expanded: scalable pilot programs Sunnybrook Academic FHT Primary Care Palliative Care Pathway Why hasn’t this expanded: scalable pilot programs City of Lakes FHT Primary Care Collaborative Memory Clinics: Enhanced care in FHTs for persons living with dementia Why hasn’t this expanded: scalable pilot programs The Centre for Family Medicine FHT Memory Clinic Reach Out And Read (ROAR): Addressing Literacy in Primary Care Why hasn’t this expanded: scalable pilot programs St Joseph’s Health Centre Electronic Medical Record: Integrated Solution in Primary Care to Screen and Provide Supports for Those Living in Poverty Why hasn’t this expanded: scalable pilot programs Two Rivers FHT Income Security Health Promotion Program: St. Michael’s FHT Why hasn’t this expanded: scalable pilot programs St. Michael’s Hospital Academic FHT – Social Determinant of Health Committee Markham FHT Eating Disorders (ED) Bridge Program Why hasn’t this expanded: scalable pilot programs Markham FHT – ED Bridge Program Program Lead Ontario’s First FHT To Achieve Baby Friendly (BFI) Designation Why hasn’t this expanded: scalable pilot programs Two Rivers FHT The HARMS Program for Safer Opioid Prescribing through Systematic Risk Stratification and Urine Drug Testing Why hasn’t this expanded: scalable pilot programs Marathon FHT – Chronic Pain and Addictions Committee Muskoka Community Health Hubs Why hasn’t this expanded: scalable pilot programs Cottage Country FHT In-house Medical Cannabis Program Why hasn’t this expanded: scalable pilot programs Thamesview FHT Making ends Meet – How To Improve Health by addressing Social Determinants of Health : The Niagara Medical Group FHT Community Health and Prosperity (CHP) Program The future of the regional approach to healthcare Niagara Medical Group FHT Community Health and Prosperity Program: Katie McNeil, Brian Turner, Dr. Roxan Guise Improving Quality Together – Working as a LHIN sub-region to decrease readmission rates The future of the regional approach to healthcare North Huron and North Perth FHTs and Listowel Wingham Hospital Alliance Primary Care Health Link Coordination / System Navigation Experiences The future of the regional approach to healthcare Maple FHT The North Stars: Leading the Way in Collective Action The future of the regional approach to healthcare Northeastern Ontario FHT Network If you have further questions , please feel free to contact conference@afhto.ca for more information.
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Dr. Thomas Richard
Tom Richard is a community family physician practicing in Peterborough since 2003. He has been heavily involved in the Peterborough Family Health Team since its inception. PFHT is comprised of 5 FHO’s that serve over 105,000 people. It is made up of over 80 physicians and over 80 Allied Health Providers. Since 2006 he has served as a Board Director for PFHT and for the last 5 years served as Chair. Tom also enjoys his role as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Family Medicine at Queen’s University since 2010 and enjoys teaching Residents and Medical Students. Tom graduated from Western University’s Family Medicine Program in 1989 before practicing rural medicine in Gananoque, Ontario from 1989 until 2003. In 2015, he received the Chartered Director designation from The Director’s College at DeGroote Business School. He has a keen interest in governance and strategic planning.
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Dr. Allan Grill
Allan Grill is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine at the University of Toronto and is the Lead Physician at the Markham Family Health Team. He has a staff appointment at Markham Stouffville Hospital, and also teaches medical students and family medicine residents at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in the Division of Long-Term Care. Allan completed a Master Certificate in Physician Leadership from the Schulich School of Business in 2012, and serves in several other primary care leadership roles. As the Provincial Primary Care Lead for the Ontario Renal Network, he focuses on innovative ways to improve Early Detection and Prevention of Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease in the primary care setting. He is also the current Chair of the Committee to Evaluate Drugs (CED), an expert advisory committee to the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care on drug policy issues, and a member of the Central LHIN Primary Care Council.
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Governance Workshop: Governing Through Healthcare Transformation
At AFHTO’s 2018 conference, over 60 members joined our governance session: “Governing Through Healthcare Transformation: Leading Practices in Effective Governance and Collaborative Governance.” With Ontario’s healthcare transformation underway, health care provider boards face increasing expectations for how they govern their own organizations as well as how they interact with, and contribute to governance leadership of, the broader health care system. Making sense of how a board can meet these new requirements, while staying within its governance role, can be a challenge. This workshop helped make sense of the changes and identified practical steps FHTs can take to enhance their governance capacity. Topics covered included:
- Latest governance thinking on the crucial role of a board and what it means to provide effective governance leadership to an organization;
- Changing expectations of health care provider boards in Ontario and what they mean for how boards operate, including the new governance requirements of the recent MOHLTC-FHT contract;
- What collaborative governance is and how it is done, including learnings and case studies of FHTs that have been successful; and,
- Practical tips and tools for building a “systems” perspective into your board’s current governance processes.
Presenters:
- Catherine Anastakis, Collaborative Solutions
- Mary Keith, ED, Niagara North FHT
The following are the materials from the session:
- Governance workshop presentation
- Governance workshop participant workbook
- Presentation “Merging Two Family Health Teams – Progress Report”
If you have any questions, please contact Bryn Hamilton, Provincial Lead, Governance & Leadership, at bryn.hamilton@afhto.ca
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Lead Executive Performance Assessment Guide
Shared by AFHTO & Accompass
Created November 2018
To assist FHT boards with their fiduciary duty to regularly measure and assess the performance of the lead executive of the organization, a Performance Assessment Guide has been developed by Accompass.
This optional guideline provides FHT boards with a simple and straightforward process to follow when conducting the annual performance evaluation for their lead executive:
- Lead Executive Performance Guide (doc)
- To view the Governance Webcast Series: ED Performance Management Webinar & Materials that discusses this guide, click here
If you have any questions, please contact info@afhto.ca
Resource includes:
- Introduction
- Lead Executive Performance Assessment Process
- How to use the guide
- Setting performance and development objectives
- Mid-year performance review and discussion
- Self-assessment summary
- Performance assessment and discussion
- Ongoing communication and interim progress reviews
- Interpreting and Applying Performance Assessment Results
- Appendix
- Lead Executive Illustrative Work tasks
- Lead Executive Performance Goal Forms
- Lead Executive Self-Assessment Form
- Board Assessment Form
- Lead Executive Performance Goal Forms – Illustrative Examples
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Quality Specialists
They’re everywhere!
QIDS Specialists QIDSS-Like Folks QIIMS Find out more about what a QIDS Specialist is and what they do.
QIDS Specialists and QIDSS-like folk | Click map for detailsQuality Improvement Decision Support (QIDS) Specialists
Mo AlHaj (St. Michael’s Hospital Academic FHT)
Cameron Berry (Kawartha North FHT)
Victoria Bui, Mary Mouck, Rachel Kott, Urslin Fevrier-Thomas (Hamilton FHT)
Mitch Chartier (Elliot Lake FHT)
Elizabeth Forde, Laura Weichel (Barrie & Community FHT)
William Homerston (Queen Square FHT)
Amanda Hiemstra (Peterborough FHT)
Rajat Kumar (Upper Canada FHT)
Zach Mathew (East GTA FHT)
Lindsay McGee (North Huron FHT)
Julie Moody (Kirkland District FHT)
Sandra Palmer (Toronto Western FHT)
Meghan Peters (City of Lakes FHT)
Joyce Stansell (Nipigon District FHT)
Matthew Terrill (STAR FHT)
Lynn Turcotte (Great Northern FHT)
Joel Wilson (East Wellington FHT)
Debi Page, Hailey Barker (Windsor FHT)
Melonie Young (Sunset Country FHT)
Sarah Grace Bebenek (North Simcoe FHT)
Lisa Hawkins, Robert Cihelka (Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre)
Wendy Dalby (Trent Hills FHT)
Samantha Gupta (Central Brampton FHT)
Shuchi Ranasinghe (Timmins Academic FHT)
Sima Sajedinejad (Summerville FHT)
Tamara Bruce (Fort William FHT)
Wasiema Gohozar (Guelph FHT)
Connor Kemps (Maple FHT)
Peter Nguyen (Health for All FHT)
Gwen Montroy (Bancroft Community FHT)
Desa Marin (Village FHT)
QIDSS-Like
Although they are not QIDS Specialists in name, their work encompasses many of a QIDS Specialist’s roles.
Margaret Cousins (epidemiologist, Marathon FHT)
Denise McRiner (Quality Improvement Specialist, North York FHT)
Desiree DeMelo (Health Outcomes Assessor, New Vision FHT)
Kelly McConnell (Quality Coordinator- Projects and Programs, Thames Valley FHT)
Chance Spencer (Prescott FHT)
Gwen Kostal (Manager of Quality and Programs, Upper Grand FHT)
Leanne Taylor (Program Assistant, Dryden Area FHT)
Lindsay Donaldson (Research & Evaluation Manager, The centre for family medicine fHT)
Julie Ann Gamache (EMR & Data Collection Assistant, Équipe de santé familiale Nord-Aski FHT)
Angela Holbrook (Data management Coordinator, Bancroft Community FHT)
Hilary Blackett (Manager of Quality and Programs, Upper Grand FHT)
Niharika Kumar (EMR IT Specialist, Upper Grand FHT)
Lisa Blevins (Communications and Payroll Administrator, Couchiching FHT)
Natalie Scidmore (Quality Coordinator- Data and Informatics, Thames Valley FHT)
Allan Lam (IT System Specialist, Carefirst FHT)
Amanda Gomez (Manager of Quality Risk and Performance, Carea CHC)
Sheri McMenemy (Executive Director, Dryden Area FHT)
Jeremy Howcroft (Manager of Integrated Care, eHealth Centre of Excellence)
Suja Arackal (Data Manager, North York FHT)
Derek Ditner (Kinesiologist/QI Support, Brockton And Area FHT)
Kassandra Loewen (Quality Decision Support Specialist, AHACs)
Melanie Anger (Manager of Quality, Experience and Patient Safety, Thamesview FHT)
Candice Potts (Administrative Assistant, Atikokan FHT)
Jordan Weber (Finance and Quality Manager, Couchiching FHT)
Leanne Aarts (Research and Evaluation Assistant, Centre for Family Medicine)
Stephanie Nash (Data and Quality Improvement Analyst, Queen’s FHT)
Tamara Belfer (Executive Director, Carefirst FHT)
Rachel Sales (Medical Billing/Super User, Tilbury District FHT)
Emily Landry (QI and EMR Support Specialist, Dufferin Area FHT)
Jill Strong (Director of Operations, Thames Valley FHT)
Tara Lambert (Research Assistant, Centre for Family Medicine)
Christina Park-Christmas (IT Lead, Parry Sound FHT)
Abel Gebreyesus (QI And Data Coach, Excellence in Quality Improvement Project, AMHO and CMHA Ontario)
Jasmine Zhu (System Information Coordinator, Guelph FHT)
Maeve Clark-Tyrrell (QI Support, Hamilton FHT)
Bonnie Ramsay (Program Assistant, Kingston FHT)
Stacy-Ann-Walker-Brown (Executive Director, Hamilton FHT)
Jennifer Sarkella (QI and Performance Lead, Ontario’s Community Health Centres)
Lee Kapuscinski (Manager of QI and Evaluation, Guelph FHT)
Michael Murray (Manager of QI and Programs, South East Toronto FHT)
Quality Improvement & Information Management Support
In the spring and summer of 2018, three Quality Improvement & Information Management Support persons (QIIMS) came onboard to support Ontario’s 25 Nurse-Practitioner-Led Clinics (NPLCs).
Ed Donaldson (Sudbury District & Partner NPLCs)
Kathryn Nicholson (Ingersoll NPLC & partner NPLCs)
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Announcing the Bright Lights 2018 Award Winners
AFHTO has named the winners of our annual Bright Lights Awards. These innovators have improved primary care by making the most of their resources, strengthening interprofessional collaboration, and building strong partnerships beyond their walls. This has resulted in better patient outcomes, better access, and better experience of care.
Review committees made up of AFHTO members selected the winners from more than 70 nominations.
In addition to the awards in our seven conference themes, the AFHTO board presented a special award for their Primary Care Asthma Program to The Lung Association. They demonstrate a strong commitment to health promotion, working with FHTs, NPLCs and CHCs in their community to design coordinated, evidence-based programs and services.
The Six Bright Lights Award recipients are listed below. Click on the links to read a summary of each of their achievements.
1. Burlington and Caroline Family Health Teams
Award category: Mental Health and Addictions
Achievement: Caroline Families First Wraparound Program (CFF)
–Write little blurb here
2. Belleville Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic
Award category: Planning Programs for Equitable Access to Care
Achievement: Primary Care Low Back Pain Pilot – Successfully implementing a new interprofessional approach to managing low back pain. This improved patient outcomes with less reliance on medications and fewer ER visits, and fortified collaboration both within the team and with other organizations
3. Leamington and Area Family Health Team
Award category: Employing and Empowering the Patient and Caregiver Perspective
Achievement: Changing the Culture Around Advance Care Planning – Breaking taboos through an education program for patients, caregivers, families and the community, destigmatizing conversations around end-of-life care.
4. St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team
Award category: Strengthening Partnerships
Achievement: Health Justice Initiative– Implemented a multilevel program to address legal issues that present a barrier to better health, including providing onsite legal assistance for patients, educating staff and undertaking advocacy at the system level.
5. eHealth Centre of Excellence, Centre for Family Medicine Family Health Team
Award category: Optimizing Use of Resources
Achievement: Coordinated Access to All Services – Demonstrating leadership in digital health through the development and spread of a systemwide coordinated approach to access to a wide variety of care and services.
6. Thamesview, Tilbury District and Chatham Kent Family Health Teams
Award category: Using Data to Demonstrate Value and Improve Quality of Care
Achievement: Primary Care Impact on an Integrated Case Management Model for the Frequent User – Adopted an integrated case management model that improved the healthcare experience of individual patients with complex needs, simultaneously reducing ER visits and hospital admissions.
7. North York Family Team
Award category: Clinical Innovations for Specific Populations
Achievement: Multidisciplinary Approach To Deprescribe Sedative Hypnotics In The Elderly – Introduced a two-stage, interprofessional insomnia reduction program for older adults, resulting in improved mood and sleep quality, reduced anxiety and lower drug use.
The call for nominations for the 2018 Bright Light Awards will go out in June 2018. All AFHTO members are welcome and encouraged to participate.
For additional event photos, please contact info@afhto.ca.
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