Let us help you get to the AFHTO 2019 conference. Introducing our referral program!
In the spirit of Ontario Health Teams and the potential for increased collaboration they represent, we’d like you to invite your community and partners to experience the conference for themselves and better understand the work you do.
All non-members have to do is say who recommended them during registration and the organization with the most referrals wins a complimentary registration! Non-members and members alike can win. This offer is good until Friday, August 9, 2019.
Want another way to attend for free?
We have several openings for program hosts. These volunteers help keep our sessions on track and get complimentary registration in return. See the role description here and email paula.myers@afhto.ca if you’re interested.
Other volunteer opportunities exist with the IHP Sessions– we still need leads for these individual sessions:
The Premier’s Council on Improving Healthcare and Ending Hallway Medicine released its second interim report yesterday. “A Healthy Ontario: Building a Sustainable Health Care System” contains ten policy recommendations from the council to the government, intended to help the government stay on track as it works to improve the health care system.
The third recommendation?
“Support patients and providers at every step of a health care journey by ensuring effective primary care is the foundation of an integrated health care system.”
Do you want your colleagues to be recognized for the amazing work they do?
Do you think it would be great to see your initiative spread across the province?
If you’ve said yes to any of the above, submit a Bright Lights nomination!
Don’t be left out- they’ve started to pour in so send in your nominations and supporting documents before the deadline, Friday, June 28.
Four categories have education grants to help you strengthen your team’s development.
Small, rural and Northern teams are encouraged to apply.You can watch this 2016 webinar or view the slides if you’ve never submitted a nomination before. There will also be special recognition for underrepresented teams.
And don’t forget- some award recipients will receive an education grant valued at $1,250.
There will also be special recognition for underrepresented teams. You could win an award for your contributions to Ontario’s healthcare system. The winner(s) will be selected based on the strength of their nomination to one of the six categories.
Webinar series on collaborative leadership for OHTs
Renew your membership before June 30
AFHTO partners with eHealth Centre of Excellence to advance QI practices
Developing cross-sector partnerships: facilitators, strategies and barriers
Seeking Clinical Knowledge Translation and Exchange Specialist
Join a quality standards advisory committee on hypertension
Abstract deadline for Toronto International Conference on Quality in Primary Care extended
Upcoming events including Primary Care Virtual Community and more
Farewell to Laura Belsito
It’s with really mixed feelings we announce the departure of Laura Belsito, AFHTO’s Clinical KTE Specialist, as she leaves to join one of our member teams, Women’s College Academic FHT, to be their Program Coordinator, working directly on program planning and evaluation while continuing her work in quality improvement.
Laura has been with AFHTO for over two years and during that time AFHTO and its members benefitted from Laura’s enthusiasm and expertise in supporting the QI and knowledge translation activities for the QIDSS and IHPs in our teams. She was critical in developing several knowledge translation events and has been the ‘glue’ in furthering our quality agenda.
We’ll miss Laura but know she is not too far away – her wealth of experience and her dedication will continue to further the quality agenda in primary care. Please join us in wishing Laura our sincerest best wishes and good luck in her new role. Laura’s last day with AFHTO will be Friday, July 19th – any questions related to the QIDS work can be directed to improve@afhto.ca.
<em>Closing Plenary speaker Dr. Rueben Devlin, Special Advisor and Chair of the Premier’s Council on Improving Health Care and Ending Hallway Medicine</em>
AFHTO 2019 Conference: registration now open!
Change can come fast and furious, and Ontario’s healthcare system is no exception. With the introduction of Ontario Health Teams, ‘upheaval’ could be considered an understatement. But the fundamentals remain- no matter the structure surrounding them, patients need care. And primary health care teams need to position themselves to provide this care in the best way possible.
AFHTO members receive a 50% discount on registration- check with your administrator for the code!
Webinar series on collaborative leadership for OHTs
The Community Health Organization has developed a series of webinars called “Building Collaboration Capacity for OHTs.” They’re starting today and rolling out over the summer. We’re pleased that the invitation has been extended to AFHTO members to join these webinars, and we encourage you do. Dates, times and registration are here.
We’ll be arranging a series of webinars with OCFP and other partners to support members with practical tools and resources for OHT development that factor in clinical leadership in governance. Stay tuned for dates and times!
Renew your membership before June 30
While most teams have renewed their membership, there are a few who haven’t done so yet. Renew your AFHTO membership today to continue your access to resources and supports uninterrupted. We have launched AFHTO 2019 Conference registration and only AFHTO members receive a 50% discount on registration.
AFHTO partners with eHealth Centre of Excellence to advance QI practices
AFHTO has recently formed a partnership with the eHealth Centre of Excellence (eCE) to advance QI practices in the field. This partnership aims to equip AFHTO members with electronic decision support tools and change management support during the implementation of these tools. The eCE, in collaboration with AFHTO, will work with teams to incorporate these decision support tools into clinical practice, customize them for different regions, and extract data from the tool. This partnership will allow quality specialists across the province to be better equipped to support their teams’ data collection and reporting, while simultaneously improving quality of care.
Developing cross-sector partnerships: facilitators, strategies and barriers
AFHTO is working in partnership with the Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) and several other organizations on The Keeping Kids Healthy through Collective Impact project. Developing and sustaining partnerships takes time and effort. In the first of three webinars, the OPHA will share the results of a primary study conducted to understand the facilitators, strategies and barriers when working in a cross-sector partnership. There will also be time for open discussion.
Seeking Clinical Knowledge Translation and Exchange Specialist
Reporting to the CEO, the Clinical Knowledge Translation and Exchange (KTE) Specialist will be responsible for facilitating sharing of the rapidly expanding body of knowledge about quality improvement (QI) and decision support (DS) among AFHTO members, primarily via QIDSS and QIDSS-like individuals, clinicians, and administrators. Deadline June 28, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.
Join a quality standards advisory committee on hypertension
Health Quality Ontario is seeking volunteers to help develop a new quality standard outlining what quality care looks like for hypertension.
They’re taking applications from people who have hypertension, their family members, health care professionals, community service providers and researchers from across Ontario. Deadline June 21.
Abstract deadline for Toronto International Conference on Quality in Primary Care extended
The deadline to submit a poster for this Nov. 16 conference has been extended to July 5. The theme is health equity.
Primary Care Virtual Community, June 26, 2019
Attend the second webinar held by AFHTO, OCFP and The Change Foundation. This time, the focus is on the 10 High Impact Actions created in the UK, and the possibilities in Ontario. Learn more here.
Considerations for Primary Care Teams as a Not-for-Profit Corporation, July 17, 2019
Join AFHTO & Grant Thornton LLP for their second webinar in the Financial Webinar Series. Register here.
The Power of Partnership: Reducing Hallway Health Care, Enhancing The Patient Experience, June 26, 2019
This webinar focuses on how partnerships helped create better health outcomes during the growing demands around hospital services. Held by HQO, SE Health and Trillium Health Partners. Learn more here.
ECHO Liver: Liver Disease in Primary Care: Approach To Hepatitis C, July 11, 2019
Join the ECHO Liver evening series as they hold a lecture based on real team and patient cases on Hepatitis C. Learn more here.
Nominate your team, partnership or colleague for a Bright Lights Award
and gain your biggest audience ever.
The AFHTO 2019 Conference Awards ceremony, which will be held at lunchtime on September 19, 2019. Open to all attendees at the AFHTO 2019 Conference, this is an audience about three times larger than past awards dinners.
Past winners have also:
Gotten media coverage
Been presented as shining examples with local and provincial political leaders
It’s also an opportunity to raise your profile even if you don’t win. Nominations are some of the best resources we use to publicise your work with external stakeholders and the public at large.
You can:
Nominate your own team –you should be proud of your own work.
Apply even if you didn’t send in an #AFHTO2019 abstract.
Nominate your initiative if you’re not an AFHTO member but work in partnership with one.
Not sure if your team’s achievements merit recognition? Never submitted a nomination before?You can watch this 2016 webinar or view the slides for an overview of what reviewers are looking for and tips for writing a nomination.
And don’t forget- some award recipients will receive an education grant valued at $1,250.
There will also be special recognition for underrepresented teams. You could win an award for your contributions to Ontario’s healthcare system. The winner(s) will be selected based on the strength of their nomination to one of the six categories.
Shine a light on your team – Make a nomination today:
Review the nomination categories in advance (see nomination guide pg. 3 for descriptions).
Review the nomination evaluation criteria (see nomination guide pg. 2 for details).
Complete the online nomination form and send all supporting materials before June 28, 2019.
Change can come fast and furious, and Ontario’s healthcare system is no exception. With the introduction of Ontario Health Teams, ‘upheaval’ could be considered an understatement. But the fundamentals remain- no matter the structure surrounding them, patients need care. And primary health care teams need to position themselves to provide this care in the best way possible.
‘Integration’ may be the word of the day, but primary care teams already embody it. At AFHTO’s 2019 Conference over 800 primary care providers, interprofessional health care providers, patients and community partners will explore how comprehensive care creates the patient medical home.
Evidence shows this home is the best foundation for a high-performing health system, so together we’ll tackle how teams can provide truly patient-centred care and value for all Ontarians.
Shine a light on your team’s achievements. Nominate an outstanding team or individual for a “Bright Lights” Award by June 28, 2019.
AFHTO’s “Bright Lights” Awards recognize AFHTO members’ leadership, outstanding work and the significant progress being made to improve the value interprofessional primary care teams across Ontario deliver.
There’s no better time to show what you can do. Select award recipients will receive an education grant.
“Bright Lights” Award recipients are:
Innovators – making small changes for maximum impact to improve patient experience and outcomes
Team Players – interprofessional teams, collaborators and relationship builders
Demonstrating Impact – can show how their work is benefitting the health care system
Awards will be presented at the AFHTO 2019 Conference Awards ceremony, which will be held at lunchtime on September 19, 2019.
Not sure if your team’s achievements merit recognition? Never submitted a nomination before?You can watch this 2016 webinar or view the slides for an overview of what reviewers are looking for and tips for writing a nomination.
Award Categories
Awards will be presented in seven categories this year:
Access to care: improving access to team-based care
Continuous care: ensuring seamless transitions for patients across the continuum of care*
Comprehensive team-based care*
Patient and family-centred care*
Community and social accountability*
Enabling high -performing primary health care
Special recognition for underrepresented teams
In 2018 Algonquin and Cottage Country FHTs won special recognition for effective response to rural community need. This year all new/underrepresented primary care teams will again have the opportunity to win an award for their contributions to Ontario’s healthcare system. The winner(s) will be selected based on the strength of their nomination to one of the six categories above.
Education grants will be given to award recipients in the categories* above thanks to the generous donations of our sponsor Boehringer Ingelheim.
Shine a light on your team – Make a nomination today:
Review the nomination categories in advance (see nomination guide pg. 3 for descriptions).
Review the nomination evaluation criteria (see nomination guide pg. 2 for details).
Complete the online nomination form and send all supporting materials before June 28, 2019.
For the first time ever, the AFHTO board invites all member EDs, lead clinicians and board chairs to help them select the recipient of a Board award.
The Board award recognizes an individual (or a group) who is not an AFHTO member but has significantly contributed to the development and growth of team-based primary care within their local community or at the provincial level.
The winner(s) will receive their award(s) during the Bright Lights Awards Ceremony at the AFHTO 2019 Conference on Sep. 19, 2019.
Thank you to everyone who submitted an abstract for concurrent session and poster presentations at theAFHTO 2019 Conference. The working groups have now reviewed all submissions and a notification e-mail has been sent to each contact person.
If you are part of a group that has prepared an abstract, please ensure your group contact has received an e-mail including the words “AFHTO 2019 Conference” in the subject on May 24, 2019.
If your contact person has NOT received this notification, please contact info@afhto.ca before Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The notification e-mail is your assurance that your abstract has been reviewed by a working group for presentation at the conference and a decision made.
The program with all concurrent session descriptions will be announced when registration opens in early June 2019.
Other important updates
Hotel: Book by August 19 to take advantage of the $222 group rate (plus tax, single/double occupancy); after this date, availability and prices cannot be guaranteed. Call 1-888 627 8559 and state that you are part of the AFHTO Annual Conference group. Online reservations coming soon.
IHP individual sessions: we need volunteers to lead the popular individual professional sessions, so if you’re interested, please contact Beth MacKinnon by May 28, 2019.
Over 115 submissions were received for concurrent session and poster presentations at the AFHTO 2019 Conference. Thank you to all those who applied!
A confirmation email has been sent to the contact person for each abstract submission.
If you are part of a group that has prepared an abstract, please ensure your group contact has received the email with the subject: “AFHTO 2019 Conference: Abstract received confirmation”.
If your contact person has NOT received this confirmation, please contact info@afhto.ca by April 30.
The confirmation email is your assurance that your abstract has been received and will be reviewed by a working group for presentation at the conference.
Final concurrent session and poster presentations will be selected by May 24, 2019.
The program will be announced when registration opens in early June 2019.
