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  • Chief Medical Officer of Health Memo- Novel Coronavirus in China

    January 10, 2020

    Dear Health System Partners,

    I am writing to share information with you about the World Health Organization’s announcement (WHO’s) yesterday, of the identification of a new (or novel) coronavirus in China.

    This new virus was identified as part of the investigation of a cluster of 59 people in Wuhan, China that presented with viral pneumonia of unknown origin over the past few weeks. These laboratory findings are preliminary, and more investigation is needed to understand the epidemiology of the virus. Persons under investigation (PUIs) associated with this cluster have also been in identified in neighbouring countries/ autonomous regions (Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea) and these individuals had reported travel history to Wuhan.

    Together with Public Health Ontario (PHO) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), we have been monitoring this cluster closely since it emerged over the holidays. The identification of a novel coronavirus is a key step in understanding this outbreak. Other important features of the outbreak to date include that:

    • Cases have been identified in a discrete geographic region (Wuhan, China), and there are additional PUIs among returned travellers from Wuhan, China to other regions and countries (Hong Kong, Thailand, South Korea).
    • The initial reports link many cases to a seafood market in Wuhan, which has since been closed and cleaned.
    • No deaths have been associated with the cluster in Wuhan, and many patients have been discharged from hospital.
    • No significant human-to-human transmission has been documented.
    • No cases have been reported in health care workers.

    Given what is known at the present, the risk of infection with the novel coronavirus to Ontario and to Ontarians is low.

    Read the full memo here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #94: Quality and Measurement New Beginnings

    QI in Action eBulletin #94: Quality and Measurement New Beginnings

    In this issue

    • Moving Forward with AFHTO’s Quality Agenda
    • Formation of the Quality Improvement in Primary Care Council
    • Mental Health and Addictions Support
    • Support for Teams
    • Tools and Resources (including standardized EMR queries)
    • Webinar videos and slides (including opioid stewardship)
    • Workshops, events and presentations (including focus on follow up)
    • Upcoming Webinars

    Moving Forward with AFHTO’s Quality Agenda

    2019 was a challenging and busy year with ongoing health system transformation changes along with changes to the QI program at AFHTO. Despite the sunset of D2D, AFHTO will continue its efforts to support teams in the field of quality and demonstrate the value of team-based primary care.

    Quality improvement remains a key focus, and AFHTO’s Quality Steering Committee (QSC), in partnership with key stakeholders, is currently working on a priority list and areas of focus for this year. As we begin this new year, we wanted to provide you with a wrap-up of 2019 along with resources that will help projects this year.

    If you would like to share a tool, resource or highlight a successful program or service in your team, we would love to hear from you! Please fill out this quick survey.

    Formation of the Quality Improvement in Primary Care Council

    In January of 2019, the Quality Improvement in Primary Care (QI in PC) Council was formed. The QI in PC council consists of 5 appointed QIDSS and QIDSS-like individuals with the goal to support the QIDSS Community of Practice (CoP) and strengthen collective QI capacity across the sector.

    The priority areas for the group are primary care QI priorities, EMR queries and much more. eCE has partnered with AFHTO to help support this council in areas such as 7-day post-hospital discharge follow up.

    The members of the council include:

    • Cameron Berry, QIDSS, Kawartha North FHT
    • Abigail Scott, Data and Quality Improvement Analyst, Queen’s FHT
    • Brice Wong, QIDSS, Windsor FHT
    • Mitch Chartier, QIDSS, Elliot Lake FHT
    • David Raan, QIDSS, Humber River FHT

    Contact the council by emailing: qiprimarycouncil@emaildodo.com.  

    Mental Health and Addictions Support

    AFHTO continues to advocate for more supports in primary care, especially as it pertains to ensuring more patients have access to team-based care, in particular in the areas of mental health and care coordination. This year, the Mental Health and Addictions webinar series in collaboration with CMHA & AMHO will continue and you can participate in the remaining 3 parts.

    AFHTO, along with our mental health and addictions and primary care partners, is co-leading the development of a OHT Guidebook for Mental Health and Addictions and Primary Care Integration which will be helpful not only to those teams that are moving forward with OHTs in their community but will also be helpful with program planning at the local level.

    We are also partnering with other organizations like OntarioMD, Ontario Health, CEP, eCE, OCFP, ECHO project and the Ontario Pain Management Resources (OPMR) group partners to help support a learning collaborative for the NorthWest LHIN addressing opioids prescribing.

    The Algorithm Project team at AFHTO is in the final stage of completing a MEQ tool/query that will be compatible with OSCAR, Telus PS and Accuro. If you’re interested in piloting these tools, please reach out to us at improve@afhto.ca.

    Support for Teams:

    AFHTO has a library of resources that you may find helpful in developing your programs and services and with your Quality Improvement Plan. As always, if you have an innovation you want to share please let us know, by completing this quick survey.

    Measuring tape

    Tools and Resources:

    We have so many tools and resources available for members, but since they have been announced throughout the

    years, we thought a refresher would be welcome, especially since we know you’re exposed to so much information every day.

    Just a reminder that in our Dec. 17 communique we provided you a comprehensive list of Governance and Leadership tools, resources and training. .

     

    Below are measurement and quality-related tools, resources, slides and videos. You can flag these emails or bookmark the related posts, so they’ll be easy to find for future reference.

    Webinars:

     

    Business chart

    Workshops, Events and Presentations

     

    Upcoming Webinars:

    If you have a suggestion for a webinar/QI in Action eBulletin topic or if you would highlight a tool, resource, successful program and/or innovation please let us know by filling out this quick survey.

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #93 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: offering patients a medical home, 2020 conference feedback & more

    Bits & Pieces: offering patients a medical home, 2020 conference feedback & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Offering patients a medical home – not a hallway
    • We need your feedback for the 2020 conference
    • Governance and leadership tools, resources and supports
    • Members’ stories
    • Reminder – Mental health and addiction QI collaborative webinar
    • The Change Foundation launches Future Innovator Awards
    • Ontario Health CEO starts Feb. 1
    • Seeking volunteers for lower-limb preservation advisory committee
    • Upcoming events on preparing for audits and more

    Offering patients a medical home – not a hallway

    “Not incidentally, a fully implemented PMH vision is also the linchpin of a high-performing, integrated, sustainable health system, a system without a need, or sign, of hallway medicine (Aggarwal and Hutchison 2012)”.

    Read “Offering Patients a Medical Home – Not a Hallway – and a Stronger Health System” featuring Peterborough FHT, Markham FHT and Marathon FHT as examples of high performing teams implementing the features of the patient medical home.

    Included in the December Healthcare Quarterly, this article was a collaborative effort between AFHTO and the Ontario College of Family Physicians.

    We need your feedback for the 2020 conference
    The conference on Oct. 8-9, 2020 will be undergoing a major revamp, and now we’d like you to weigh in. What should the conference look like? How can we make sure it stays relevant to your needs? Tell us everything! It should take less than 5 minutes. Deadline Jan. 20, 2020.

    Governance and leadership tools, resources and supports

    Library

    We have so many tools and resources available for members, but since they have been announced throughout the years, we thought a refresher would be welcome, especially since we know you’re exposed to so much information every day. In this Dec. 17 communique is a comprehensive list of Governance and Leadership tools, resources and training. These include manuals and guides; libraries; toolkits; case studies; additional tools and resources; and webinar and workshop slides and videos.

    More emails with resources related to measurement, quality and member benefits are coming.

    You can flag these emails or bookmark the related posts, so they’ll be easy to find for future reference. And if you know any of your staff, board or physicians would appreciate getting these sorts of notifications, please remind them they can sign up for this weekly newsletter, where we announce the latest relevant news and updates. They can just email info@afhto.ca and we’ll be happy to add them!

    Julie Samson Timmins academic dec 2019 video

    Members’ stories
    Timmins Academic FHT – Timmins FHT becomes Timmins Academic FHT

     

    Women’s College Academic FHT – How should family physicians provide physical activity advice? Qualitative study to inform the design of an e-health intervention

     

    Reminder-Mental health and addiction QI collaborative webinar

    Join CMHA, AMHO, and AFHTO on Jan. 14 for a second of a 4-part webinar series on community and primary care QI projects and initiatives with a focus on mental health and addictions.

    In preparation for Ontario Health Teams, learn about opportunities for collaboration with your local mental health and addiction agencies and how to implement quality improvement initiatives. You can also see the recording and slides from the first webinar in June.

    The Change Foundation launches Future Innovator Awards
    The Change Foundation is celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2020. To mark this important milestone, they want to recognize innovators and put a spotlight on people, organizations and partnerships that are trail blazers and will likely make important and meaningful change in the next 25 years. To do this, they created the Future Innovator Awards.

    The Future Innovator Awards will recognize people, teams and/or organizations that have a strong vision for positive change for patients and caregivers and have the potential to make notable impact going forward. Deadline Feb. 5, 2020.

    Ontario Health CEO starts Feb. 1
    Per a memo from Bill Hatanaka, Ontario Health Board Chair, the Board of Directors of Ontario Health has appointed Matthew Anderson as Ontario Health’s President and CEO effective February 1, 2020.

    Since 2016 Matthew has been serving as the President and CEO of Lakeridge Health, the health system and hospital network that serves Durham Region, Ontario.

    Visit our site to learn more.

    Seeking volunteers for lower-limb preservation advisory committee
    CorHealth Ontario is developing a lower-limb preservation strategy for Ontario with practical ideas that could be implemented locally/ regionally.  The goal is to reduce the rates of non-traumatic lower-limb amputation in high-risk patient populations.  An advisory committee is being established to advise on development the project and its deliverables.  They believe that family medicine plays a vital role in identification and management of at-risk patients and would like to include the family medicine voice on the committee.  

    If you’re interested in participating or learning more, please contact Mike Setterfield, Clinical Strategist at CorHealth Mike.Setterfield@corhealthontario.ca.   

    Preparing for Audits, Jan. 15, 2020
    Register early for AFHTO’s upcoming Financial Webinar Series session. Learn how to prepare for audit season. Register now!

    Mental Health and Addiction QI Collaborative Webinar Series – Part 2, Jan. 14, 2020
    Join CMHA, AMHO, and AFHTO for a second of a 4-part webinar series on community and primary care QI projects and initiatives with a focus on mental health and addictions. Register now!

    Traumatic Brain Injury Conference, Feb 7, 2020
    Learn about innovative and evidence driven strategies and recommendations to enhance wellbeing following TBI. Learn more here.

    Shifting the Feeding and Eating Conversation- An Introduction to Satter Feeding Dynamics and Eating, March 5, 2020
    Interprofessional Healthcare Providers are invited to join this 1-day workshop held in Toronto by Nutrition Connections. Learn more here.

  • Ontario Health Memo: Ontario Health President & CEO

    December 20, 2019

    MEMORANDUM TO: Ontario Health Stakeholder Partners

    FROM: Bill Hatanaka, Ontario Health Board Chair

     

     

    As a valued partner, I am very pleased to share with you that the Board of Directors of Ontario Health has appointed Matthew Anderson as Ontario Health’s President and CEO effective February 1, 2020.

    Since 2016 Matthew has been serving as the President and CEO of Lakeridge Health, the health system and hospital network that serves Durham Region, Ontario. He has been working in health care since 1992 and rose quickly to leadership positions. He became Chief Information Officer of University Health Network (UHN) in 1998, became a Vice President at UHN in 2000, and in 2004 was named one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40 by the Globe and Mail. In 2008, Matthew was named CEO of the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network and in 2010, became CEO of William Osler Health System.

    Throughout his career, he has worked extensively with stakeholders across Ontario’s health system, finding opportunities, forging relationships and building strong partnerships to advance integrated and patient-centred models of care and most importantly, provide better quality care to Ontarians.

    We are delighted that Matthew is joining the team at Ontario Health as its President and CEO. He has extensive team-building, system change and health care experience, including immersion in hospital and community networks. He is highly focused on the needs of patients and caregivers and brings a wide range of experiences to draw on as he leads the transformation of Ontario’s health system.

     

    Please see the complete memo below:

  • Year End Message from AFHTO’s President and Board Chair

    Year End Message from AFHTO’s President and Board Chair

    Tom Richard

    As we at AFHTO approach this holiday season, I think it is a great time to reflect on 2019 and offer some thoughts on what 2020 could possibly hold for us all.

    This last year has brought many changes, challenges and opportunities to all of us working in team-based care. AFHTO, like many of our members, has had to adjust to a new funding reality that has caused us to reevaluate our priorities and work even harder to provide meaningful value to those we serve.

     Happily, we have succeeded in continuing to keep a focus on those issues that matter for primary care teams. By advancing the cause of team-based care and celebrating the incredible successes of our members, we raise the profile of primary care in Ontario to the foundational status that it deserves.

    Our annual AFHTO conference was a great opportunity to learn from each other as well as network and spotlight the inspiring work of so many of our teams. It’s also a great venue to highlight how our efforts with trusted partners such as the OCFP, NPAO, SGFP and the ministry continue to pay dividends by advancing the interests of our patients in building a world class primary care system. Every year I am amazed and impressed of the work that is on display at our annual conference and if you haven’t attended in the last year or so, I urge you to participate in 2020.

    As many of you know, despite financial challenges last year, AFHTO continues to emphasize and demonstrate that quality and performance are the cornerstone of team-based care. Along with our partners, we will continue to advocate that all residents of Ontario have the benefit of access to the quality that primary care teams offer to their patients. There is no reason that this superior model of care should only be available to a minority of Ontarians.

    Hopefully, as Ontario continues to undergo primary care reform, we can influence the development of a system that truly puts patients first and builds an effective primary care landscape that embraces the principles of the quadruple aim.

    We would like to thank member teams who have generously donated unspent dollars through voluntary contributions in the past few years. As we’re undergoing unprecedented massive health system transformation, we look forward to continuing to support you with the tools and resources that you need during these times and encourage you to consider supporting AFHTO again this year with any unspent dollars you may have in your budgets. We are always grateful for your support.

    As we look forward to 2020, it’s obvious that much work will need to be done. With the advent of OHTs, it’s more critical than ever that primary care be involved in advancing the interests of our patients. Nobody is in a better position to advocate for what our patients need and deserve than those that work for and care for them on a day to day basis. Our patients and their caregivers need us to take a foundational role in helping develop a system that embraces and protects their interests first and foremost.

    I am proud that AFHTO has taken a leadership role in helping teams prepare for OHTs and lead the way in visioning what primary care reform should look like in Ontario. Our Governance and Leadership program has been instrumental in developing valuable tools to help teams navigate the confusing waters of OHT formation. We’re here to help our teams and have collected great resources to assist them in this process.

    Speaking of OHTs, I can’t help but recognize a new sense of optimism and engagement in primary care that I have observed develop over the last 6 months or so. I think this is partly motivated by frustration with a long-standing dysfunctional health care system that seemed to serve the bureaucracy rather than patients or providers. I have witnessed a surge of grassroots providers that have been inspired by the hope of being included as integral in the development of a new model of care that puts the patient and their caregiver at the centre and with a focus on the quadruple aim.

    Together, we can make this a reality for Ontario. We need to continue to keep our patients’ interests first and use team-based care as the model that has already demonstrated the enviable qualities we hope to see offered to everyone in our province.

    With these final thoughts I wish to thank the dedicated staff at AFHTO who work so hard to meet our members needs and represent their interests. Their efforts are truly appreciated.

    As an insufferable optimist, we must celebrate our accomplishments in 2019 and have much to look forward to in 2020. And so, on behalf of the board at AFHTO and all the staff, I am wishing each and every one of you a happy holiday season and a very safe and happy New Year!

     

    Dr. Tom Richard
    President and Board Chair
    Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario

  • 2019 Operational Updates Wrap-Up Communique

    2019 Operational Updates Wrap-Up Communique

    This email is being sent to Lead Clinicians, Board Chairs and EDs/Administrative Leads of AFHTO member organizations.

    Contents

    • OHT Development
    • Expansion of Team-Based Care, More Mental Health and Addictions Support and Care Coordination
    • Governance and Leadership Tools, Resources and Supports
      • Manuals and Guides
      • Libraries
      • Toolkits
      • Case Studies
      • Additional tools and resources
      • Webinar and workshop slides and videos

    Clock in snow

    Every year we say the same thing – what a challenging and busy year it’s been! But for this year in particular truer words have never been spoken! 2019 was an exceptionally busy year,and with ongoing health system transformation it has really tested the resiliency of our teams as many took on more leadership within their communities to support local level partnerships and collaboration.

    As we close out the year, we wanted to provide you with an operational update wrap-up on some of the activities we are working on your behalf.

     

    OHT Development

    Now that the first cohort of 24 Ontario Health Teams has been announced, we understand that the real work in implementation begins if we are to realize the true potential of this initiative. But as fairly lean organizations, we also understand that capacity remains an ongoing challenge – there are only so many hours in a day!

    Capacity and resources (both human resources and infrastructure support), importance in valuing and supporting clinical leadership, and ensuring there is a move towards true population health with primary care as the foundation is part of our ongoing discussions with the Branch. As a reminder, we have ongoing monthly meetings with the OHT Branch to express any questions or concerns that you may have so please let us know if you do have any at any time so we can let them know.

    Expansion of Team-Based Care, More Mental Health and Addictions Support and Care Coordination

    Primary care teams provide value for health dollars by speeding up access to care and offering a wider range of programs and services to promote health and manage chronic disease. They bring together the variety of skills needed to help people stay as healthy as possible. This is what is going to help with reducing hallway healthcare.  

    AFHTO continues to advocate for more supports in primary care, especially as it pertains to ensuring more patients have access to team-based care, in particular in the areas of mental health and care coordination. In the new year, we hope to see a roll out of a comprehensive structured psychotherapy program which will provide much needed mental health supports to more Ontarians and we continue to advocate to ensure that the care coordination resources that currently reside in the LHINs are embedded in primary care.

    Governance and Leadership Tools, Resources and Supports

    We have so many tools and resources available for members, but since they have been announced throughout the years, we thought a refresher would be welcome, especially since we know you’re exposed to so much information every day. Below are Governance and Leadership tools, resources and training. More emails with resources related to measurement, quality and member benefits are coming.

    You can flag these emails, so they’ll be easy to find for future reference. And if you know any of your staff, board or physicians would appreciate getting these sorts of notifications, please remind them they can sign up for our ‘Bits & Pieces’ weekly newsletter, where we announce the latest relevant news and updates. They can just email info@afhto.ca and we’ll be happy to add them!

    Most of these are members only resources. You will need a login to access them so please create your individual login if you don’t already have one.

    Manuals and Guides

    Libraries

    Library

    Toolkits

     

    Case Studies

    Additional tools and resources

    And for those who would rather watch than read, here are some of our past webinars and events:

    privacy webcast 2

    If you have any questions about these resources and materials, please feel free to contact us at info@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: In year reconciliation materials, mental health and addiction QI collaborative webinar & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • In-year reconciliation deadline webcast slides and video
    • Mental health and addiction QI collaborative webinar
    • Increasing access to patients through virtual care visits slides and video
    • Measuring Up 2019
    • The Unnecessary Conference – Choosing Wisely Canada’s National Meeting
    • Opportunity with Geriatric Mental Health Education Network on Jan 24
    • Upcoming events on preparing for audits and more

    In-year reconciliation deadline webcast slides and video

    In-year reconciliation deadline webcast

     

    On Monday, December 16, a webcast was held with the ministry to discuss submission of the year-end expenditure forecast and resulting in-year surplus. The presentation, recording and Qs and As are now posted on our website.

    If you’d like to make a voluntary contribution to AFHTO, please contact accounts@afhto.ca for an invoice and set up for EFT if preferred.

     

    Mental health and addiction QI collaborative webinar

    Join CMHA, AMHO, and AFHTO on Jan. 14 for a second of a 4-part webinar series on community and primary care QI projects and initiatives with a focus on mental health and addictions.

    In preparation for Ontario Health Teams, learn about opportunities for collaboration with your local mental health and addiction agencies and how to implement quality improvement initiatives. You can also see the recording and slides from the first webinar in June.

    Increasing access to patients through virtual care visits slides and video

    Increasing access to patients through virtual care webinar

    On Dec. 10, AFHTO hosted a webinar featuring Minto Mapleton and Peterborough FHTs’ focus on virtual care.

    Minto Mapleton is 4th out of 125 FHTs in the use of eVisits with the most referrals for respirology and psychiatry. And Peterborough has been supporting unattached patients since August 2018 through their Virtual Care Clinic (VCC) in Peterborough and a NP run PFHT Clinic in Lakefield that supports rural unattached patients and seasonal visitors.

    Visit our site to see the slides and video.

    Measuring Up 2019

    Health Quality Ontario, now the Quality Business Unit of Ontario Health, has released Measuring Up 2019 — a yearly report on the performance of Ontario’s health system. This year’s report, with Bright Lights award winner Dr. Paul Gill, Maitland Valley FHT on the cover, focuses on a set of 10 key indicators and is based on the Quadruple Aim of health care improvement: better health outcomes, better patient experience, better provider experience, and better value and efficiency.

    Findings include:

    • About 69% of Ontarians say the timing to see their primary care provider when they were sick or had a health problem was “about right.” About 17% say their wait was “somewhat long” and about 13% say it was “much too long.”
    • In a 2019 survey, 54% of primary care doctors in Ontario reported that their job was “extremely” or “very” stressful, while 37% said it was “somewhat” stressful.
    • Ontarians’ life expectancy is flattening, mainly due to a steep increase in opioid-related deaths.

    Find out more here.

    The Unnecessary Conference – Choosing Wisely Canada’s National Meeting
    There’s a fine line between what is necessary and unnecessary in health care. The Unnecessary Conference will explore the nuanced ways in which overuse permeates health care delivery and what people are doing about it.

    The Unnecessary Conference takes place on May 25 and 26, 2020 at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, Ontario and is hosted by Choosing Wisely Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Medical Association. You can get involved by submitting an abstract to be considered in their interactive breakout sessions. For more details, visit their site.

    Opportunity with Geriatric Mental Health Education Network on Jan 24
    Geriatric Mental Health Education Network, Baycrest has a gap in their schedule on January 24, 2020. They’d be happy to facilitate if any external site would like to present a challenging case.

    Also, if individuals would like to forward clinical challenges, or send questions about geriatric mental health, they could have an interprofessional panel to discuss, with everyone’s input. For details, please contact Anna Virdo or Cindy Grief, Geriatric Psychiatrist, Medical Director for Mental Health, Baycrest.

    Preparing for Audits, Jan. 15, 2020
    Register early for AFHTO’s upcoming Financial Webinar Series session. Learn how to prepare for audit season. Register now!

    Unlocking the Future Of Healthcare: Digital Health Forum, Jan. 25, 2020
    Attend the Lung Association’s First Digital Health Forum online, for free. Learn more here.

    Holiday hours 2019

  • Bits & Pieces: In year reconciliation materials, mental health and addiction QI collaborative webinar & more

    Bits & Pieces: In year reconciliation materials, mental health and addiction QI collaborative webinar & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • In-year reconciliation deadline webcast slides and video
    • Mental health and addiction QI collaborative webinar
    • Increasing access to patients through virtual care visits slides and video
    • Measuring Up 2019
    • The Unnecessary Conference – Choosing Wisely Canada’s National Meeting
    • Opportunity with Geriatric Mental Health Education Network on Jan 24
    • Upcoming events on preparing for audits and more

    In-year reconciliation deadline webcast slides and video

    In-year reconciliation deadline webcast

     

    On Monday, December 16, a webcast was held with the ministry to discuss submission of the year-end expenditure forecast and resulting in-year surplus. The presentation, recording and Qs and As are now posted on our website.

    If you’d like to make a voluntary contribution to AFHTO, please contact accounts@afhto.ca for an invoice and set up for EFT if preferred.

     

    Mental health and addiction QI collaborative webinar

    Join CMHA, AMHO, and AFHTO on Jan. 14 for a second of a 4-part webinar series on community and primary care QI projects and initiatives with a focus on mental health and addictions.

    In preparation for Ontario Health Teams, learn about opportunities for collaboration with your local mental health and addiction agencies and how to implement quality improvement initiatives. You can also see the recording and slides from the first webinar in June.

    Increasing access to patients through virtual care visits slides and video

    Increasing access to patients through virtual care webinar

    On Dec. 10, AFHTO hosted a webinar featuring Minto Mapleton and Peterborough FHTs’ focus on virtual care.

    Minto Mapleton is 4th out of 125 FHTs in the use of eVisits with the most referrals for respirology and psychiatry. And Peterborough has been supporting unattached patients since August 2018 through their Virtual Care Clinic (VCC) in Peterborough and a NP run PFHT Clinic in Lakefield that supports rural unattached patients and seasonal visitors.

    Visit our site to see the slides and video.

    Measuring Up 2019

    Health Quality Ontario, now the Quality Business Unit of Ontario Health, has released Measuring Up 2019 — a yearly report on the performance of Ontario’s health system. This year’s report, with Bright Lights award winner Dr. Paul Gill, Maitland Valley FHT on the cover, focuses on a set of 10 key indicators and is based on the Quadruple Aim of health care improvement: better health outcomes, better patient experience, better provider experience, and better value and efficiency.

    Findings include:

    • About 69% of Ontarians say the timing to see their primary care provider when they were sick or had a health problem was “about right.” About 17% say their wait was “somewhat long” and about 13% say it was “much too long.”
    • In a 2019 survey, 54% of primary care doctors in Ontario reported that their job was “extremely” or “very” stressful, while 37% said it was “somewhat” stressful.
    • Ontarians’ life expectancy is flattening, mainly due to a steep increase in opioid-related deaths.

    Find out more here.

    The Unnecessary Conference – Choosing Wisely Canada’s National Meeting
    There’s a fine line between what is necessary and unnecessary in health care. The Unnecessary Conference will explore the nuanced ways in which overuse permeates health care delivery and what people are doing about it.

    The Unnecessary Conference takes place on May 25 and 26, 2020 at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa, Ontario and is hosted by Choosing Wisely Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Medical Association. You can get involved by submitting an abstract to be considered in their interactive breakout sessions. For more details, visit their site.

    Opportunity with Geriatric Mental Health Education Network on Jan 24
    Geriatric Mental Health Education Network, Baycrest has a gap in their schedule on January 24, 2020. They’d be happy to facilitate if any external site would like to present a challenging case.

    Also, if individuals would like to forward clinical challenges, or send questions about geriatric mental health, they could have an interprofessional panel to discuss, with everyone’s input. For details, please contact Anna Virdo or Cindy Grief, Geriatric Psychiatrist, Medical Director for Mental Health, Baycrest.

    Preparing for Audits, Jan. 15, 2020
    Register early for AFHTO’s upcoming Financial Webinar Series session. Learn how to prepare for audit season. Register now!

    Unlocking the Future Of Healthcare: Digital Health Forum, Jan. 25, 2020
    Attend the Lung Association’s First Digital Health Forum online, for free. Learn more here.

    Holiday hours 2019

  • Measuring Up 2019

    Health Quality Ontario, now the Quality business unit of Ontario Health has released Measuring Up 2019 — a yearly report on the performance of Ontario’s health system. This year’s report, with Bright Lights award winner Dr. Paul Gill, Maitland Valley FHT on the cover, is based on the Quadruple Aim of health care improvement: better health outcomes, better patient experience, better provider experience, and better value and efficiency.

    The key findings in this year’s report show that many parts of the system are working well or improving:

    • The proportion of common cancer surgeries completed within the recommended maximum wait time increased substantially in the last decade.
    • More Ontarians say they can email their primary care provider when they have a medical question, compared to five years ago.
    • Most people who were hospitalized say they received enough information about what to do if they had problems after leaving hospital.

    The report also reveals key areas where improvement is needed:

    • Many people often wait for hours in the emergency department to get admitted to a hospital bed.
    • Once admitted, they may get stuck in the hospital for months as they wait for care elsewhere.
    • Wait times for long-term care homes also continue to be an issue.

    Other findings include:

    • About 69% of Ontarians say the timing to see their primary care provider when they were sick or had a health problem was “about right.” About 17% say their wait was “somewhat long” and about 13% say it was “much too long.”
    • In a 2019 survey, 54% of primary care doctors in Ontario reported that their job was “extremely” or “very” stressful, while 37% said it was “somewhat” stressful.
    • Ontarians’ life expectancy is flattening, mainly due to a steep increase in opioid-related deaths.

    Read the report here.

  • Timmins FHT becomes Timmins Academic FHT

    Media release published December 2, 2019

    Timmins, December 2, 2019 – The Timmins Family Health Team / Équipe de Santé Familiale unveiled it’s new name and logo today. Now known as the Timmins Academic Family Health Team/Équipe de Santé Familiale Académique, (TAFHT), the new brand will help tell the story of the impact this organization has on providing sustainable quality healthcare in the Timmins region.

    TAFHT is a primary care teaching centre that provides primary care clinical training to medical residents, medical students, nurse practitioner students, nursing students and many other students in the health professions.  As an Academic Family Health Team, the organization must meet rigorous standards for excellence in healthcare set by the Ministry of Health, and has continued to uphold this standard for the last 20 years.

    The new name brand reflects what the organization and it’s partners have always done: play a vital role in attracting and retaining high quality healthcare professionals in the north and provide primary care training in a rich northern learning environment.

     “It is very important for physicians to become involved in a primary care healthcare team. This provides a great opportunity for physicians/preceptors to be able to teach to us what they’ve learned through patient interaction.” said Dr. Kyle Harper, TAFHT Medical Resident.

    The Timmins AFHT has been effective in the recruitment and retention of many Family Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Nurses and Dietitians at the Family Health Team, adding stability and sustainability to the primary care team-based services and programs accessed by our community. Patients can continue to expect high quality healthcare from their provider team, knowing that they are a part of an organization that is crucial to the continued sustainability of healthcare in the north. 

    “It’s gratifying to see the good work the organization has been doing over the last 20 years reflected in the new name and logo.” said Dr. Julie Samson, TAFHT Family Physician.

    Celebration will take place in all clinical offices during the week of December 2nd, beginning with a staff celebration and video viewing on November 29th, 2019. Learn more by watching the new ‘Academic FHT’ video is available at VIMEO.

    Founded by Timmins Family Physicians, and incorporated in 2006, the Timmins Academic Family Health Team/Équipe de Santé Familiale Académique (TAFHT) is a not-for-profit primary health care organization. Through a volunteer physician/community member Board of Directors, this mixed governance Family Health Team ensures that primary care team-based services continue to meet the needs of its patients.  The TAFHT serves approximately 30,000 rostered and non-rostered patients through 35 physicians associated with the White Pines Family Health Network and 5 TAFHT nurse practitioners.  Services are provided in both English and French.  

    Over the past 13 years since the FHT’s inception, the FHT has expanded to 7 clinical sites across the City of Timmins that include 5 primary care clinics, a geriatric & memory clinic, an integrated palliative care team, a minor surgery clinic and a musculoskeletal clinic. The TAFHT has established many collaborative care relationships and partnerships with its many health partners and has been recognized as a leader for the implementation of integrated care models in Timmins.

    Click here to watch the VIMEO video on their announcement.