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  • Status of Nurse Practitioner Access Reporting (NPAR) pilot project

    Click here to access an update bulletin from MOHLTC’s Primary Health Care Branch on the NPAR pilot project.

  • Accessibility Standards for Customer Service: reminder of requirements

    By January 1st, 2012 Family Health Teams must comply with the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service. The information below is provided for your reference, from MOHLTC’s FHT to Print newsletter, Winter 2011 edition. In addition, click here for  a brief, practical, self-assessment tool intended to assist primary health care settings to increase their awareness of the needs of disabled patients, and to enhance accessibility in the practice. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) is legislation that sets out specific standards of accessibility in a number of key areas. The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service, Ontario Regulation 429/07, is the first standard to be developed under the AODA. Effective Dates The customer service standard designates that Family Health Teams must comply with the standard by January 1st, 2012. Additionally, FHTs with 20 or more employees will have to file online accessibility reports. FHTs with fewer than 20 employees are currently exempt from filling out the report, but must still comply with the standard. Types of Accessibility When thinking about accessibility in primary care clinics, physical space is what usually comes to mind first. However, there are four broad areas of accessibility to consider: 1. Physical: The space should allow for disabled patients to freely enter and move around in the practice; 2. Attitudinal: The level of service provided at the clinic should be proportionate with the needs and abilities of the patients; 3. Expertise: FHT staff a should have an understanding and awareness of disability and its effect on the clinic and practice; and 4. Systemic: FHT policies, practices and procedures (both formal and informal) should be designed with the following four principles in mind: independence, dignity, integration and equal opportunity. Step by Step: Meeting the requirements of the customer service standard There are 11 compliance requirements associated with the Standards, with an additional three for providers with 20+ employees. Please refer to the Guide to Accessibility Standards for Customer Service for a complete listing. Here is a quick overview with additional detail in the links below.  Establish policies, practices and procedures related to providing services to persons with disabilities. They should be consistent with the principles of dignity, independence, integration and equality of opportunity.  Develop a policy for dealing with various assistive devices/methods used by persons with disabilities.  Develop a strategy for communicating with people with various disabilities (i.e. in person, over the phone or online).  Allow persons with disabilities to be accompanied by service animals as well as support persons.  Provide advance notice of any situation where admission fees would be charged for a support person.  Provide notice when facilities or services that persons with disabilities rely on are temporarily disrupted.  Establish a training program and train staff on accessibility and customer service.  Establish a feedback process on how you provide services to persons with disabilities.  FHTs with 20 or more employees must prepare documentation on accessibility standards.

  • Over 90% of Family Health Teams belong to AFHTO

    Family Health Team membership in AFHTO surpassed the 90% mark as of in the last week of September.  171 of Ontario’s 186 FHTs have now joined. AFHTO is the voice for Family Health Teams (FHTs) in this province.

  • AFHTO-OMA survey of physicians working in FHTs (due Oct.16)

    The purpose of this AFHTO-OMA collaboration is to inform both associations on the experience of physicians working in this model, and gain insight into their needs, ideas, issues and concerns.  The results will be released as part of a joint OMA/AFHTO presentation and discussion at the AFHTO 2011 Conference on Oct. 26. FHT physicians will receive the link to the on-line survey from the Lead Physician or ED of your FHT. If you have not received this link, please send an e-mail to info@afhto.ca . Please include your name and the name of the FHT in which you practice in order to receive the link. Responses must be submitted by Sunday, October 16. Thank you for your assistance, and we hope to see you at the AFHTO conference. Sincerely, Dr. John McDonald                                                               Dr. Stewart Kennedy President                                                                               President Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario                   Ontario Medical Association Lead physician, PrimaCare FHT, Paris                               Physician, Harbourview FHT, Thunder Bay

  • South East Toronto FHT’s “Virtual Ward” recognized in Hospital News

    Aging at home the right way: Toronto Family Health Team’s Virtual Ward is the story that appears in the October 2011 issue of Hospital News. Click here to read the  Hospital News story. Click here for more background on SETFHT’s Virtual Ward.

  • CIHR Training Grant in Interdisciplinary PHC Research: applications due Oct.31

    Transdisciplinary Understanding and Training on Research– Primary Health Care — “TUTOR‐PHC” Program information and application forms for TUTOR-PHC are now available on TUTOR-PHC’s website at http://www.uwo.ca/fammed/csfm/tutor-phc/applications/applicationforms.html For more information about TUTOR-PHC, go to http://www.uwo.ca/fammed/csfm/tutor-phc/ Who should apply?

    • Graduate Students from Canadian Universities that are interested/ engaged in primary health care research regardless of their home discipline
    • Post‐doctoral fellows, policy-makers, OR clinicians* that are interested/ engaged in primary health care research

    *Clinicians can include any type of Health Professional in Primary Health Care (i.e. Physician, Nurse, Social Worker, Dietician, Occupational Therapist, etc.). Please see our website for more information. The deadline for applications is October 31, 2011 (program runs from May 2012 to April 2013).

  • Rural health care providers unite to provide optimal health services

    Wellington hospitals, Family Health Teams, Community Care Access Centres and Mental Health Services signed a collective agreement last Wednesday aimed at optimizing health and patient care in our rural communities. The local rural health partners include Groves Memorial Community Hospital, North Wellington Heath Care, Minto-Mapleton, Mount Forest and Upper Grand Family Health Teams, Waterloo Wellington Community Care Access Centre and Trellis Mental Health and Developmental Services. By entering into this agreement each partner commits to improving the overall efficiency and effectiveness of health care services through collaboration, joint planning and sharing. “We are stronger working together than we could be independently,” said Jerome Quenneville, President and CEO of the Wellington Health Care Alliance. “By working together we can potentially leverage sources of funding to improve patient services.” Shirley Borges, administrator for Minto-Mapleton Family Health Team said, “Through collaboration we are able to explore sharing of health care information systems and services. This will allow all partners to enhance the current level of health care available in our rural communities.” “This agreement will strengthen the current collaborative approach and set in motion the evolution of existing capabilities and service roles to better meet the unique rural health care needs of Centre and North Wellington. The ripple effect of success in our relationship will drive further success by others,” said Lana Palmer, Executive Director, Upper Grand Family Health Team. “The agreement between our seven organizations is just a beginning.  As part of building health care access and healthier communities, in future, we hope to work more closely with public health, community support services, social services, education providers, local citizens and our local municipalities,” said Suzanne Trivers, Executive Director of the Mount Forest Family Health Team. These local rural health partners have created a working group they call “Rural Health Care of Tomorrow”. The first order of business for the group is to work with community health and social support partners to further develop the vision of coordinated health services and work toward the physical structures that will support the vision. “We are all committed to achieving and ensuring excellence in patient care,” said Kevin Mercer, CEO of the Waterloo Wellington Community Care Access Centre. “This Memorandum of Understanding helps mark a new beginning of efforts to work together to further improve service connections between our organizations.” Fred Wagner, Executive Director, Trellis Mental Health and Developmental Services said, “Those living in rural areas have a close relationship with their local health care providers. By working together we will be able to improve upon that relationship.” Posted from the Mount Forest Confederate, Sept.15, 2011

  • Tools to make your voice heard in the provincial election

    The upcoming provincial election gives each Family Health Team the perfect opportunity to build awareness about the value we deliver to our communities.  People running for office need to know (and want to know) how well their constituents are being served through their tax dollars. Why is this important?

    • To make sure all candidates running in your riding know you exist, what you do, and what your work means for the people in their riding. As many FHTs have experienced, the person who becomes your MPP can be a valuable resource for the FHT.
    • To build confidence in the added value generated by this model of care. AFHTO has met with the Health Minister and Health Critics for the three major parties.  All three acknowledged that FHTs are popular with their colleagues and constituents, but many politicians remain skeptical as to whether the results are “worth” the extra investment. The July 23 Petrolia Topic recently reported, “(NDP leader Andrea) Horwath said the NDP hopes the provincial auditor-general looks at the FHT model ‘…to make sure it’s value for money.’”

    Many FHTs are very involved with their political representatives already. To help all AFHTO members become more active, AFHTO has developed the following tools:

    • Three 3 key messages that can have stronger impact the more consistently they are used.  Family Health Teams are Ontario’s innovation in team-based care that:
      • Improves access to health care.
      • Promotes health and reduces the impact of chronic disease.
      • Has the potential to reduce the total cost of care.
    • A brochure in English (click here) and French (click here), which:
      • Delivers these three messages and provides some evidence for each.
      • Contains one page for FHTs to enter their own information.
      • Allows you to print out copies as needed to hand out to candidates and campaign workers in your riding, and leave in your waiting areas.
    • A list of candidates in each provincial riding and their contact information (click here).

    AFHTO sent out e-mails to members by riding on Aug.31/Sept.1 and on Aug.5/6, to enable coordination within ridings. AFHTO encourages you to meet your candidates and spread the good news about your FHT and the FHT model. We hope you will find these resources helpful in your communications. As always, your feedback is welcome.

  • Improving care for persons with serious mental illness

    August 31 – 6:00 PM – Toronto.  Dr. Benjamin Druss, a specialist in improving the physical health of individuals with serious mental illness will be coming to Toronto on August 31st, 2011 to do a free evening talk. This talk is focused on individuals working in the primary care field. As the  first Rosalynn Carter Chair in Mental Health at  Emory University, Dr .  Druss is working to  build linkages between mental health, general medical health, and  public health .   He works closely with  Carter Center Mental Health Program, where he is a member of the  Mental Health Task Force and Journalism Task Force.  He  has  been  a member of two  Institute of Medicine Committees, and  has  served as  an  expert consultant to  the  Substance Abuse and  Mental Health Services Administra­ tion, the  Centers for  Disease Control, and  the  Assistant Secre­ tary for  Planning and  Evaluation. Dr.  Druss’s  research focuses on  improving physical health and healthcare  among persons with  serious mental disorders .   He has published more  than 120  peer-reviewed articles on this and related topics, including the  first randomized trial of an  inter­vention to  improve medical care in this population in  2001 .   His research is funded by grants from the  National Institute  of Mental Health and  the  Agency  for  Healthcare  Quality and  Re­ search, and  he serves as  a standing  member of an  NIMH  study section .   He has  received a number of  national awards for  his work, including the  American Psychiatric  Association Early Ca­ reer Health Services Research Award, the  AcademyHealth Arti­ cle-of-the-Year Award, and  the  AcademyHealth Alice  S.  Hersh New Investigator Award. Event takes place Aug.31, 2011 @ 6 PM at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 252 Bloor St. W. Toronto. RSVP knicholls@schizophrenia.on.ca.

  • NEW Specialized Family Practice Nursing Program at George Brown

    Are you, or is someone you know, a Registered Nurse currently practicing or aspiring to practice in a Family Practice/Primary Care setting? If so, you will be interested to know that George Brown College now has a new postgraduate certificate program in Family Practice Nursing for Registered Nurses. Sign up for an information session to find out more about this exciting new program.