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  • Windsor and Harrow Health Centre FHTs receive grant for oral health care support

    Windsor Star Published an article Jan 24, 2023.

    By Julie Kotsis

    Four local organizations focused on mental health and oral care services have received a funding boost with the announcement of $564,000 in community investment by Green Shield.

    The grants, made in partnership with the WindsorEssex Community Foundation, were announced during a gathering Tuesday morning at Maryvale’s Youth Wellness Hub.

    Recipients include the Canadian Mental Health Association Windsor-Essex County, which received $200,000 to support the Youth Wellness Hub Windsor-Essex.

    Windsor Family Health Team was also awarded $200,000 to support its community oral health care project, while the Harrow Health Centre Family Health Team received $100,000 for its community oral health-care project.

    And $64,000 was awarded to Trans Wellness Ontario to support queer and trans counselling services.

    “Over the past few years, Green Shield has been incredibly proud to partner with the WECF as a leading advocate for community well-being here in Windsor-Essex,” said Mila Lucio, an executive vice-president at Green Shield.

    “With their support, and thanks to the dedication and expertise of these front-line organizations, we have invested over $2 million locally since 2018 in programs that help improve access to mental and oral health care,” Lucio said, “both areas of the health-care system that are often overlooked and under-funded.”

    Lucio said the recipients’ projects will “positively impact over 3,000 lives by offering innovative solutions to help ensure that people in our community can access the resources and care they need.”

    Full article here

  • Request to Participate in the 2023 Compensation Market Salary Review – Heads Up

    Dear Executive Directors and Admin Leads,

    As you may be aware, in 2022, multiple associations/organizations came together as the Community Compensation Working Group to jointly support a market survey to get a better idea of the wage disparity and compensation challenges. To ensure a successful market study with a substantive sample, we require your collaboration and participation to complete the survey that will accompany this review.

    Why it matters:
    This survey is particularly important considering the impacts of the pandemic on healthcare as well as human resources practices within organizations, and legislated compensation restraints that have impacted many organizations in Ontario. We know that recruitment and retention, as well as salary disparity, is one of the biggest challenges in primary care and getting data on what the levels currently are and what they should be is critical in supporting our HHR advocacy asks to government.

    Who and what will be covered:
    The Community Compensation Working Group includes over 1,200 unique organizations including: 302 primary care organizations comprised of Community Health Centres, Family Health Teams, Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics, Indigenous Primary Health Care Organizations; 225 home and community care organizations, 90 publicly funded child and youth mental health agencies, 175 community mental health and addiction organizations, 30 local CMHA branches, 221 long-term care homes, 91 housing members and 95 community service agencies. Invitations are being sent to members served by these associations/organizations as well as several other organizations – Ontario and nationally.

    We have partnered with Eckler Ltd. to conduct this survey. They will provide independent evidence-based approaches to reviewing the compensation and provide insights. Eckler Ltd. will receive the surveys collected by AFHTO and others, streamline information (ensuring maintaining confidentiality and privacy for each individual organization), and provide aggregated information in reports. All survey participants will receive a summary report which we hope will assist you in compensation planning.

    The survey is focused on collecting basic salary and information for a series of benchmark positions with a few other general HR practice questions for review and consideration.

    We know you likely receive a number of requests for survey participation and are facing significant resource constraints; however, we hope our request will support any pre-planning as we prepare for a survey launch in February.

    Timing and contact
    Surveys are targeted to be launched in February 2023. You will receive the survey from AFHTO. If you have questions about this market study please feel free to contact, Abisola Otepola at abisola.otepola@afhto.ca or our Eckler contact, Deirdre Chong Smith at 647-293-0183 or dchongsmith@eckler.ca.

    If you know you would like to participate or have a designated employee that will provide the information, please let us know who to issue the survey to by emailing Abisola Otepola at abisola.otepola@afhto.ca.  

    Thank you for considering this request. This important work will provide us with the data we need to ensure we have equity among all health care providers in the health care system, no matter what sector they work in.

    Yours in Good Health,

    Your AFHTO Team

  • Bits & Pieces: perks to get you through winter and more

    Bits & Pieces: perks to get you through winter and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Perkopolis winter discounts
    • Reminder- is there a doctor on board? #AFHTO2023 help needed
    • ICYMI- mental health and addiction funding letters
    • Fellowship in Journalism and Health Impact- deadline Feb. 17
    • Association between virtual primary care and ED use and more
    • Workplace mental health training for health care settings
    • Phase I Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care for Primary Care evaluation survey
    • Upcoming events including Collaborative Governance: Towards the Next Level of Integrated Care and more

     

    Text at the top- Get a head start on your March break travel plans. Below, CityPass, Vegas foodie tour and Great Wolf Lodge

     

    Perkopolis winter discounts

    AFHTO members are eligible to sign up for free access to over 5000 perks through Perkopolis, including discounts on winter activities, travel, products, and wellness.

    EDs, if your team doesn’t have access yet, please email info@afhto.ca.

     

     

    Reminder- is there a doctor on board? #AFHTO2023 help needed
    AFHTO offers Mainpro+ accreditation for our annual conference for physicians. To ensure we maintain the standards required, we invite a member physician to take part in ONE meeting in February to provide feedback and input on the themes and format for our 2023 event. We’ll provide the appropriate materials beforehand and will be available to answer any questions you might have. Please email paula.myers@afhto.ca ASAP if you’re interested. Deadline Jan. 25.

    ICYMI- mental health and addiction funding letters

    On Jan. 18 we sent an email titled ‘Regarding mental health and addiction funding letters’ to EDs and Admin leads. This can now be found here at the triad level. If you have any questions, please contact Abisola.otepola@afhto.ca.

    Fellowship in Journalism and Health Impact- deadline Feb. 17
    You can shape the public discussion about health. The University of Toronto has a journalism fellowship designed with family physicians in mind and you can attend from anywhere. Learn more / apply / join an open house here. The next open house is Jan. 26 and they’re accepting applications until Feb. 17.

    Association between virtual primary care and ED use and more

    Recent updates include:

    We continue to update multiple pages on our site with resources and news:

    Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and updates. You can find links to related pages here as well.

    Workplace mental health training for health care settings

    The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario has launched Your Health Space. This free workplace mental health program provides the training, resources, and tools needed to support health care organizations in addressing the burnout and moral distress affecting their teams.

    Your Health Space offers self-directed modules and live workshops, the latter of which can be tailored to each organization’s unique needs. This programming is delivered through three distinct spaces designed to address the needs of 1) Leaders, 2) Health Care Workers, and 3) Support Staff working within an organization. A fourth space for Connection, invites all staff members across an entire organization to participate in training together. Your Health Space’s team of trainers are based across Ontario and are available to facilitate workshops virtually or in person.

    If you are interested in bringing this free training program to your workplace, please visit: https://yourhealthspace.ca/programs/ or contact yourhealthspace@ontario.cmha.ca.

    Phase I Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care for Primary Care evaluation survey

    Ontario Health is conducting an evaluation of the ‘Phase I Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care for Primary Care’ developed in collaboration with an Expert Panel. You’re invited to complete this survey to capture your awareness of, access to and adoption of the Phase I Guidance for Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care for Primary Care.   

    You may access the survey here.  

    The survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete, and your responses will remain anonymous. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the survey, please do not hesitate to contact Mimosa Zhao by email at zhao@theevidencenetwork.com.

    Collaborative Governance: Towards the Next Level of Integrated Care, Jan. 24, 2023
    Hosted by HSPN and IFIC Canada. Register here.

    OCFP 2023 Family Medicine Summit, Jan. 27-28, 2023
    Features two livestream days on Jan 27 & 28, plus additional pre-recorded sessions. Find out more here.

    ECHO Ontario Conference 2023, Jan. 27, 2023
    Virtual event, titled Integrated Health Systems and the ECHO Model: Lessons Learned in Ontario. Register here.

    Early Psychosis Intervention Quarterly Webinar, Feb. 9, 2023
    Ontario Health’s Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence’s first quarterly webinar on the development of a provincial Early Psychosis Intervention Program. Register here.

    Patient Safety Learning Community of Practice, Feb. 7, 2023
    Learn more about the patient safety narrative question for the 2023/24 QIP submission. Register here.

  • Regarding mental health and addiction funding letters

    This email was sent to EDs/Admin leads of AFHTO member teams

    Dear Members,

    Most of you have or will soon receive your funding letters with regards to one-time mental health and addiction funding for FY 2022-2023. Please note that although those funds are finally confirmed, the ministry is imposing an embargo on public communications related to this funding until further notice so this funding should not be announced to your communities or media until you have been provided with the direction to go ahead.

    To support teams with planning, this document provides information and options for teams to consider as you decide where to direct this funding (if you currently do not have a plan). This is for information only to help generate ideas and aren’t guidelines on how funds must be utilized.  Guidance from the Ministry of Health states that funding can be used for a range of options that are not related to capital costs, and expenses can be made retroactive for this fiscal year.

    The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) may be doing a report back to the Ministry on how the funds have been spent. While they determine the information they wish to collect, please support that work by keeping track of key indicators related to the impact of funding. Examples could include:

    • Number/percentage of patients served (including unattached)
    • Type of service provided
      • Counselling and treatment (internal)
      • Counselling and treatment (hired external)
      • Addiction services
      • Outreach (mobile unit, care in the home)
      • Youth services
      • Support groups
      • Groups/webinars including virtual workshop series
      • Crisis services
      • Purchase of patient resources/tools like workbooks etc.
      • Visual storytelling (patients, families, caregiver, HCPs)
    • Waiting times and waiting list before and after funding was released

    Our goal is to make the case to government for sustainable funding though we know it will be difficult to provide them with meaningful data. However, if you can provide any updates on how the funds made impact with your patients and/or communities it will be shared to help the ministry with their future planning.

    SUPPORTS THAT CAN BE LEVERAGED

    Existing Provincial Services:
    Teams may contract services with provincial organizations (e.g., CMHA, AMHO organizations) that provide a variety of mental health supports through a combination of virtual, in-person, or guided online sessions. These organizations have worked with interprofessional teams in varying capacities and can be leveraged to provide short term supports. This can also be extended to employing short-term contracts with independent practice social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals.

    SickKids CCMH Learning Institute

    • The SickKids CCMH Learning Institute offers high-quality and evidence-informed learning opportunities for mental health and medical health professionals, direct service workers, educators, and first responders to advance best practices in mental health care. Program length varies from half-day (3-hour) webinars to multi-day certificate programs. They offer training for professionals who work with patients of every age, across the lifespan.
    • This program is available to AFHTO members at a 15% discount, and it’s a great opportunity to provide educational opportunities for members of your team. Upcoming courses can be found here so please register as soon as you can.
    • To support the Institute with further programming, please also take a few minutes to complete their survey to share insights into training needs for you and your teams.  

    AskForHelptoday.ca

    • The Ontario Psychological Association (OPA) has implemented a stop-gap measure by introducing a navigation and matching service available to all residents of Ontario who require the services of a registered psychologist. Patients are matched to Psychologists or Psychological Associates that are in good standing with the College of Psychologists of Ontario with considerations for their personal preferences (e.g., preferred language, race, location). Services are virtual and match patients with consideration for their personal preference.
    • Primary care teams have the potential to refer patients through Ocean eReferral or on the web portal askforhelptoday.ca. OPA is willing to work with a group of teams to develop services best suited to the needs of individual health teams. An example of the service offering currently operational in Ontario is the Ministry of Health funded COVID-19 Psychological Support Program which supports the psychotherapeutic needs of frontline healthcare workers in partnership with Ontario Health and five hospitals. Click here to learn more about the CPS program.  
    • You can also click here to learn more about the types of patients that are most often referred to psychologists. For more information, please contact Dr. Sylvain Roy, DrRoy@psych.on.ca  

    MindBeacon

    • Offers Canadians a full spectrum of mental health supports for depression, anxiety and other common mental health concerns with face-to-face live therapy, virtual therapy, and a therapist-guided Internet Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TAiCBT) program. Clinicians can determine what therapy is best for their patient or can leave the decision to one of MindBeacon’s licensed professionals to help guide the patient to a therapy that meets their needs and preferences.
    • TAiCBT helps patients with over 12 mental health concerns (e.g., depression, anxiety insomnia, panic, stress, and PTSD). It is offered to patients (16+) for up to 12 weeks of personalized therapy on a platform with their own licensed mental health professional. This therapy is all delivered online, with no phone calls and no appointments and. Guidance from their therapist is done on the platform through messaging.
    • Interprofessional teams have the option of pooling funds and developing a contract with MindBeacon to help meet service demand.
    • MindBeacon can provide different referral options for teams and is currently working on having a site on Ocean eReferral. Training and communication materials for clinicians and patients on MindBeacon’s therapy and referral options is also available to all partners. Click here to learn more about MindBeacon.
    • For more information, please contact Felicia Fallen, Felicia.fallen@mindbeacon.com

    ONE-TIME, SHORT-TERM PURCHASES:

    • Modalities of therapy training (trauma, CBT, DBT, ACT, EFT, IFS) to allow for future programming.
    • Resources (e.g., textbooks, audio books (psychoeducation and worksheets for patients), podcast subscriptions, laptops, and screens for programming and remote work, increasing capacity for virtual care services.
    • Payments to support patients’ daily needs (e.g., clothing, temporary housing, utility costs, grocery gift cards, community kitchens, bus passes etc.).
    • Leverage existing partnerships (e.g., work with existing OHTs, partner with CMHA to staff a drop-in centre for MH&A patients that need a warm shelter during the winter).
    • Increase staffing capacity on a temporary or long-term basis (e.g., hire and sustain a mental health counsellor role within your team, hiring a care coordinator/patient navigator).

    IDEAS FROM INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE TEAMS:
    These are initiatives currently underway or planned by primary care teams that may spark ideas for you to consider if you choose to manage services locally.

    • North Shore Family Health Team: NSFHT received a 0.5 percent FTE staffing increase for navigation, and directed a portion of this position for intake, assessment and care coordination services for patients that experience mental health/socio-economic struggles. The program has improved inter-agency flow with patients being continuously supported as they are referred to the services that best address their needs. The care coordinator works with patients to coordinate other beneficial interventions, such as volunteer opportunities, and continues to do wellness checks until another organization can take over. Click here to learn more.
    • Windsor Family Health Team: A stand alone non-profit was created to serve anyone in need, however, the majority of the patients are those with MH&A issues. These services include providing groceries, housecleaning, transportation to out-of-town appointments, medical equipment, hotel stays, help with utility and/or rent payments, etc. A yearly limit is set for each patient. This service works in conjunction with other local agencies to provide the most comprehensive support possible. WFHT offers MH counselling and a RAAM Clinic.

    We’re here to support you. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Abisola Otepola.

    Yours in good health,

    The AFHTO Team

  • Bits & Pieces: #AFHTO2022 materials and more

    Bits & Pieces: #AFHTO2022 materials and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • #AFHTO2022 materials now available to all members
    • Is there a doctor on board? #AFHTO2023 help needed
    • Reminder: Lean Sigma Pink Belt for QIDSS
    • GoodLife member benefit- 25% off
    • Member stories
    • Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms, and recommendations and more
    • Seeking physicians for the CANHEART Improving Cholesterol Management Study
    • Seeking physician input on relational engagement in primary care
    • Upcoming events including COVID Therapeutics and more

    #AFHTO2022 materials now available to all members

    All members can now access 2022 conference resources! Find out more about what your peers are up to below.

    Resources

    On-Demand Sessions

    Is there a doctor on board? #AFHTO2023 help needed

    The conversations taking place at the 2022 conference as captured by an artist hired by HIROC

     
    AFHTO offers Mainpro+ accreditation for our annual conference for physicians. To ensure we maintain the standards required, we invite a member physician to take part in ONE meeting in February to provide feedback and input on the themes and format for our 2023 event. We’ll provide the appropriate materials beforehand and will be available to answer any questions you might have. Please email paula.myers@afhto.ca ASAP if you’re interested. Deadline Jan. 25.

    Reminder: Lean Sigma Pink Belt for QIDSS
    As you may be aware, SRA Academy is offering the Digital Lean Sigma Pink Belt program, a 30-hour skills development program that provides tools to analyze problems and formulate solutions using Lean Six Sigma methodologies.

    If QIDSS haven’t already registered, please note that the deadline has been extended to Friday, January 20th. Through a generous partnership with the eHealth Centre of Excellence, there is no charge for the program and registration can be completed here: https://forms.office.com/r/sG7zLuBgpp. Please contact us at improve@afhto.ca if you have any questions.

    GoodLife member benefit- 25% off
    We know resolutions aren’t everyone’s thing, but enough people have checked in, so we thought we’d remind you- AFHTO members are eligible for a 25% discount on membership types. To take advantage of discounted rates, you need a membership ID assigned by AFHTO. As of Sep. 1, 2022, member IDs are generated upon request. These are sent to GoodLife monthly near the end of the month. To get your ID or be put on the list for one, please email info@afhto.ca.

    Member stories

    Thames Valley FHT:

    Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms, and recommendations and more

    Recent updates include:

    We continue to update multiple pages on our site with resources and news:

    Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and updates. You can find links to related pages here as well.

    Seeking physicians for the CANHEART Improving Cholesterol Management Study

    Researchers at The Knowledge Translation (KT) Program at St. Michael’s Hospital and Women’s College Hospital are collaborating on a study to improve lipid management and cardiovascular health in Ontario.

    The Community Heart Outcomes Improvement and Cholesterol Education Study (CHOICES) is an Ontario research study being conducted in certain health regions in Ontario with higher-than-average rates of cardiovascular disease. The study is being funded as part of Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) and by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). CHOICES will involve implementing a ‘toolbox’ for cholesterol management to inform and empower people when it comes to the appropriate management of their cholesterol and cardiovascular health. The tools within this ‘toolbox’ will be widely distributed in the high-risk health regions, to allow people to work with their primary care physician and share in the decision-making process together.

    They’re recruiting physicians to complete a brief 10-minute survey assessing their insights on lipid management practices and the CHOICES materials. Find out more here. If you are interested, please complete the following survey here.

    Seeking physician input on relational engagement in primary care

    “In a 2017 article in the Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal, author Henri Zukier writes, “As the distance between physician and patient has grown, so has the empirical evidence for the inherently relational nature of medicine… The interaction between doctor and patient, like the interaction between body and mind, is increasingly recognized as an inextricable process and as a central component of therapeutic intervention” (p. 2).  

    Despite this, little to no research exists in which the relational engagement of primary care physicians has been explored.  Given this gap in knowledge, as well as the current cultural climate in which physicians are often vilified and a general distrust in the medical profession has arisen, it seems both important and timely to better understand – and be able to communicate with others – how and why physicians approach and participate in relationship with patients as they do.  

    The purpose of this study, then, is to better understand how physicians operating in the context of primary health care engage relationally with their patients, as such knowledge may contribute much to not only the medical profession but also cultural attitudes more broadly.”

    Find out more here. If you have any questions, please contact Aaron Smith at aaronsmith@tyndale.ca or 519-774-4747.

    COVID Therapeutics, Jan. 20, 2023
    55th in OCFP and UofT’s series “Changing the way we work” on Friday, January 20, 2023, at 7:55-9:15 am. Register here.

    Introduction to CARF Network Standards for OHTs, Jan. 24, 2023
    CARF Canada is hosting a complimentary webinar to describe the relevance of their Network standards for organizations working in partnership for service delivery. Register here.

    OCFP 2023 Family Medicine Summit, Jan. 27-28, 2023
    Features two livestream days on Jan 27 & 28, plus additional pre-recorded sessions. Find out more here.

    ECHO Ontario Conference 2023, Jan. 27, 2023
    Virtual event, titled Integrated Health Systems and the ECHO Model: Lessons Learned in Ontario. Register here.

  • Thames Valley FHT and partners look to break down homelessness health care barriers

    Thames Valley FHT and partners look to break down homelessness health care barriers

    Global News Posted an article January 12, 2023

    By Andrew Graham 

    Officials are gearing up to launch a facility next week that aims to break down barriers for the London, Ont., homeless population through a new collaboration that embeds a health-care provider with local social services organizations.

    It’s called the Community Hub and those leading its operation say its mission is to provide a place to belong for marginalized members in the community.

    Located at 602 Queens Ave., the Hub will be run by London Cares Homeless Response Services (London Cares), the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection (RHAC) and the Thames Valley Family Health Team (TVFHT).
    The Hub was born out of a renovation at 602 Queens Ave., a three-story, 38,000 sq. ft. building that was a church before it became an early home for Info-Tech Research Group.
    Last year, the Sisters of St. Joseph, RHAC and London Cares opened up St. Joe’s Café inside the building, which served meals for as low as $0.50 for those in need.

    That work evolved into what the Hub has planned, but a $3 million retrofitting project was needed to make way for a new kitchen, an eating area, an elevator and a renovated communal meeting space. Click here for a short video

    Click here for the full article

  • QI in Action eBulletin #125: Patient and Family support for pregnancy loss

    In this Issue:

    • Patient with a pregnancy loss? There is support – for you, and for families
    • Primary care clinicians can directly refer frontline health workers to psychological practitioners for MOH-covered psychological treatment
    • Mental Health Resources
    • CMHA Ontario’s Your Health Space
    • The Indigenous Voice | Daadibaajimo
    • Virtual Care Guidance Statements Checklist for Clinicians and other resources
    • Upcoming Events

     

    Patient with a pregnancy loss? There is support – for you, and for families
    Content developed by Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network

    Lisa Marie Buccella stands in front of a group of health care workers and shares tips for engaging with patients experiencing possibly one of the worst events of their lives: losing a baby.

    As a parent who has had a loss, she provides feedback on what wasn’t very helpful: Never start a sentence with “At least you have other children…” or “Just be grateful for…”. The room is clearly engaged and pipe up with questions. Families with an experience of pregnancy and infant loss will also share the importance of being connected with meaningful support, and how validating it feels for a professional to offer information and a referral.  

    Offered by Sunnybrook’s Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network, the workshop is just one example of a resource for professionals to help support bereaved parents and families during a loss. PAIL Network also offers suggestions for communication with families, memory making, forming bereavement committees, and practical information and handouts for families on issues like lactation after loss and employment leave.

    For families living in Ontario, PAIL Network organizes peer-led group and individual support services at no cost. The supports are comprehensive, including groups for each trimester of loss, and groups focused on infant/neonatal loss, SIDS, termination of pregnancy, pregnancy after loss, partners in grief and grief after abortion. Referring a family for support can be done online by any health care or service professional through a secure form that is sent directly to PAIL Network and ensures that a family will be contacted to be connected with peer support online or over the phone.

    We encourage you to check out their resources and consider signing up for a session as well as ordering handouts to support families. For more information, visit Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network.

    Primary care clinicians can directly refer frontline health workers to psychological practitioners for MOH-covered psychological treatment
    Content below developed by Ontario Psychological Association

    Primary care providers can now refer patients directly to psychologists from their Electronic Medical Record system (EMR) enabling increased access to timely specialized mental health services. The new development is made possible through a partnership between the Ontario Psychological Association and Ontario’s eServices Program which saw the integration of the Ocean and Strata Health e-referral platforms thereby allowing family physicians, nurse practitioners, and other primary care providers to connect with psychologists.
     
    The Covid-19 Psychological Support Program, funded by the Ministry of Health, ensures that frontline health workers can receive up to 12 psychotherapy sessions with a registered psychologist or psychological associate at no cost. Primary care clinicians wishing to learn more can email opa@psych.on.ca or read our e-referral guidelines for more details. For a demo, please click here.

    Mental Health Resources
    Webinars

    Select Resources

    CMHA Ontario’s Your Health Space
    Just a reminder that the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario has launched Your Health Space, a free mental health service for Ontario’s health care organizations. This program provides the training, resources, and tools needed to encourage complex conversations about stress and burnout and promote psychological health and safety in health care workplaces.

    Your Health Space offers self-directed modules and live workshops, the latter of which can be tailored to your organization’s unique needs. This programming is delivered through three distinct spaces designed to address the needs of 1) Leaders, 2) Health Care Workers, and 3) Support Staff working within an organization. Furthermore, Your Health Space has a team of trainers across Ontario that are available to facilitate workshops virtually or in person, at your workplace. Upon completion of the program, primary care teams will receive a digital badge and individuals will receive a digital certificate.

    If you are an organizational leader interested in bringing this free program to your workplace, please visit www.yourhealthspace.ca or contact yourhealthspace@ontario.cmha.ca.

    The Indigenous Voice | Daadibaajimo
    Content developed by IPHCC

    The IPHCC recently launched a public facing newsletter titled: Indigenous Voice | Daadibaajimo to keep the audience informed on how we are improving Indigenous health outcomes and supporting the advancement and evolution of Indigenous primary health care services throughout Ontario. This newsletter is designed for both non-Indigenous and Indigenous audiences as it entails specific content and resources to promote education and awareness about Indigenous Peoples. To learn more about how the IPHCC is shaping Indigenous health care, subscribe to our newsletter here or send an email to communications@iphcc.ca. Click here to view the past issue.

    Virtual Care Guidance Statements Checklist for Clinicians and other resources
    The Virtual Care Guidance Statements Checklist for Clinicians and other support tools for the Clinically Appropriate Use of Virtual Care Guidance in Primary Care are now live on the Ontario Health website. They are currently available in English and French. For feedback/questions, email PCP.Gudance@ontariohealth.ca.

    Upcoming Events

    ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health
    Beginning January 19, 2023, 12:00-1:00 pm
    Many Ontarian children and youth live in remote and underserved communities. Eighteen percent of Ontarians live in rural areas, where only 2% of the province’s child psychiatrists live. ECHO Ontario CYMH aims to change diagnostic, prescribing, treatment and referral practices of Primary Care Providers (PCPs) who are caring for children and youth with mental health problems. Register here.

     

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #124 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: The experience of primary care teams during the early phase of COVID-19 and more

    Bits & Pieces: The experience of primary care teams during the early phase of COVID-19 and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • The experience of primary care teams during the early phase of COVID-19
    • Member stories
    • Evidence of value- Enhanced Primary Care Diabetes (EPCD) team model
    • Corrected link – Healthcare Excellence Canada Opportunity: Partnering on Appropriate Virtual Care
    • Ontario Caregiver Organization 2022 Spotlight Report
    • Updated Post-Covid-19 Condition guidance, vaccination deserts and more
    • Help shape the future of virtual health care in Ontario
    • Comparison of bleeding risk between Rivaroxaban and Apixaban in patients with atrial fibrillation
    • Upcoming events including COVID Therapeutics and more

     

    The experience of primary care teams during the early phase of COVID-19

    Now published in BMC Primary Care are the results of “The experience of primary care teams during the early phase of COVID-19: A qualitative study of primary care practice leaders in Ontario, Canada”.

    Seventy-one Executive Directors from across all regions of Ontario were interviewed for the study, representing 37% of the AFHTO member clinics. Four themes were identified in the data: i) Complexities of Virtual Care, ii) Continuation of In-person Care, iii) Supporting Patients at Risk, and iv) Stepping up and into New Roles.

    Thank you to all the EDs and Admin Leads who provided your insights. Read more here.

    Member stories

    Espanola FHT – nurse wins prestigious award

    North Simcoe FHT- New clinic offers help for those with COVID-19, flu symptoms

    St. Michael’s Hospital Academic FHT – What the rest of the country can learn from Ontario’s family doctor payment model

    Evidence of value- Enhanced Primary Care Diabetes (EPCD) team model

    Staff clinician group with access to the model found to improve their diabetes care quality, but more research needed- “Evaluation of an Enhanced Primary Care Team Model to Improve Diabetes Care”, The Annals of Family Medicine, November 2022

    Corrected link – Healthcare Excellence Canada Opportunity: Partnering on Appropriate Virtual Care

    The Partnering on Appropriate Virtual Care collaborative will support primary care practices, organizations, and multidisciplinary teams from across Canada to determine when and how virtual care should be used in their respective healthcare settings. Participants will receive up to $20,000 in seed funding to develop a framework that supports shared decision-making with patients, ensuring choices around virtual care are based on patient needs and capabilities, their care requirements and clinician capacity. This program runs between January and November 2023 and involves a range of online learning and design activities. Learn more about the program and how to apply here.

    a black man with greying hair places a throw blanket on the shoulders of an older black woman sitting in front of him as they smile at each other

     

     

    Ontario Caregiver Organization 2022 Spotlight Report

    One in four caregivers say their caregiving responsibilities have become more difficult since the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

    Each year, the Ontario Caregiver Organization looks at the caregiving experience in Ontario and how family caregivers are coping in their role. Although much has changed since 2021’s report, what hasn’t changed is the impact caregiving is having on caregivers. Read the full report here.

     

     

     

    Updated Post-Covid-19 Condition guidance, vaccination deserts and more

    Recent updates include:

    We continue to update multiple pages on our site with resources and news:

    Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and updates. You can find links to related pages here as well.

    Help shape the future of virtual health care in Ontario

    Help shape the future of virtual health care in Ontario! We are looking for patients and caregivers in Ontario to take a 15 to 20-minutes survey on the experiences and expectations with virtual care appointments as a patient or caregiver with a doctor, nurse, or another healthcare professional in a family practice. This study from the University of Toronto and the Bruyére Research Institute is led by Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft and Dr. Simone Dahrouge.

    To take the survey, please click one of the links below:

    As part of our recruitment efforts, we are offering primary care clinics the opportunity to receive a personalized survey link and provide a custom report on the experiences of your patients. If this opportunity interests you, please contact Simon Lam, research coordinator, at sck.lam@utoronto.ca.

    Comparison of bleeding risk between Rivaroxaban and Apixaban in patients with atrial fibrillation

    Dr. Lana Castellucci, Thrombosis Physician and General Internist at The Ottawa Hospital, is leading the COBRRA AF trial (COmparison of Bleeding Risk between Rivaroxaban and Apixaban in patients with Atrial Fibrillation). The aim is to evaluate the safety and bleeding risks of apixaban compared to rivaroxaban for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter (AFL). Current guidelines do not support using one agent over another, but data suggests apixaban has lower bleeding risks. This trial will be the first to directly compare these anticoagulants for bleeding events in AF and to determine the safest treatment.
    We invite you to refer your patients with newly diagnosed AF/AFL to The Ottawa Hospital Thrombosis Unit to be considered for participation. Materials:

    Please note, these documents are meant for staff only, and not for the patients. Please let us know if you have any questions. 

    Primary Care and COVID-19 Support CoP Monthly Call, Jan. to Jul. 2023
    The Community of Practice hosted by Ontario Health to support Primary Care and Covid-19, holds monthly calls, and the new registration link for the first 7 months in 2023 is available. Register here.

    ECHO Programs at UHN, starting Jan 12, 2023

    • Liver Starting Jan. 16
    • Concussion Resumes Jan. 18
    • Chronic Pain/Opioids Starting Jan.12
    • Rheumatology Starting Jan. 14

    Register here.

    COVID Therapeutics, Jan. 20, 2023
    55th in OCFP and UofT’s series “Changing the way we work” on Friday, January 20, 2023, at 7:55-9:15 am. Register here.

    Introduction to CARF Network Standards for OHTs, Jan. 24, 2023
    CARF Canada is hosting a complimentary webinar to describe the relevance of their Network standards for organizations working in partnership for service delivery. Register here.

    OCFP 2023 Family Medicine Summit, Jan. 27-28, 2023
    Features two livestream days on Jan 27 & 28, plus additional pre-recorded sessions. Find out more here.

    ECHO Ontario Conference 2023, Jan. 27, 2023
    Virtual event, titled Integrated Health Systems and the ECHO Model: Lessons Learned in Ontario. Register here.

  • Evaluation of an Enhanced Primary Care Team Model to Improve Diabetes Care

    Research article published in The Annals of Family Medicine November 2022, 20 (6) 505-511

    Evaluation of an Enhanced Primary Care Team Model to Improve Diabetes Care

    Abstract

    PURPOSE Primary care practices manage most patients with diabetes and face considerable operational, regulatory, and reimbursement pressures to improve the quality of this care. The Enhanced Primary Care Diabetes (EPCD) model was developed to leverage the expertise of care team nurses and pharmacists to improve diabetes care.

    METHODS Using a retrospective, interrupted-time series design, we evaluated the EPCD model’s impact on D5, a publicly reported composite quality measure of diabetes care: glycemic control, blood pressure control, low-density lipoprotein control, tobacco abstinence, and aspirin use. We examined 32 primary care practices in an integrated health care system that cares for adults with diabetes; practices were categorized as staff clinician practices (having physicians and advanced practice providers) with access to EPCD (5,761 patients); resident physician practices with access to EPCD (1,887 patients); or staff clinician practices without access to EPCD (10,079 patients). The primary outcome was the percentage of patients meeting the D5 measure, compared between a 7-month preimplementation period and a 10-month postimplementation period.

    RESULTS After EPCD implementation, staff clinician practices had a significant improvement in the percentage of patients meeting the D5 composite quality indicator (change in incident rate ratio from 0.995 to 1.005; P = .01). Trends in D5 attainment did not change significantly among the resident physician practices with access to EPCD (P = .14) and worsened among the staff clinician practices without access to EPCD (change in incident rate ratio from 1.001 to 0.994; P = .05).

    CONCLUSIONS Implementation of the EPCD team model was associated with an improvement in diabetes care quality in the staff clinician group having access to this model. Further study of proactive, multidisciplinary chronic disease management led by care team nurses and integrating clinical pharmacists is warranted.

    Authors:

    • Joseph R. Herges, Mayo Clinic
    • John C. Matulis, Mayo Clinic
    • Dr. Maya E. Kessler, Mayo Clinic
    • Lisa L. Ruehmann, Mayo Clinic
    • Kristin C. Mara, Mayo Clinic
    • Dr. Rozalina G. McCoy, Mayo Clinic

    Relevant Links:

     

  • The experience of primary care teams during the early phase of COVID-19

    Research article published in BMC Primary Care 23, 294 (2022)

    The experience of primary care teams during the early phase of COVID-19: A qualitative study of primary care practice leaders in Ontario, Canada

    Abstract

    Background

    The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a rapid shift to virtual care in primary care practices around the globe. There has been little focus on the experiences of interprofessional teams through the lens of primary care practice leaders. The objective of this study was to examine the experience of primary care teams during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of primary care leadership.

    Methods

    Qualitative study using qualitative description methods. Executive Directors of interprofessional primary care teams belonging to the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) were invited to participate. Executive Directors were interviewed and the interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.

    Results

    Seventy-one Executive Directors from across all regions of Ontario were interviewed for the study, representing 37% of the AFHTO member clinics. Four themes were identified in the data: i) Complexities of Virtual Care, ii) Continuation of In-person Care, iii) Supporting Patients at Risk, and iv) Stepping up and into New Roles.

    Conclusions

    Primary care teams rapidly mobilized to deliver the majority of their care virtually, while continuing to provide in-person and home care as required. Major challenges to virtual care included technological infrastructure and unfamiliarity with virtual platforms. Advantages to virtual care included convenience and time savings. Virtual care will likely continue to be an important mode of primary care delivery moving forward.

    Authors:

    • Dr. Catherine Donnelly, Queen’s University
    • Christine Mills, Queen’s University
    •  Sandeep Gill, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
    • Kavita Mehta, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
    •  Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft, University of Toronto