Tag: afhto conference

Bits & Pieces: funding for online appointment booking 2022/23 and more

Your Weekly News & Updates

In This Issue
Online appointment booking funding webinar Apr. 28 AFHTO 2022 Conference: create YOUR hybrid conference. Sign up by May 3 IPAC strategies webinar materials available	Member stories Memo on optimizing care and more Upcoming events including improving transitions from youth to adult health care and more

Online appointment booking funding webinar Apr. 28

The Ministry of Health has approved funding for Ontario Health Teams (OHT) in development teams and other health care organizations to enable more patients to schedule an online appointment with their primary care provider or other community care provider.

This funding is intended to support transforming how care is delivered and assisting OHTs and the broader health sector to build their digital health maturity.

To learn more about this opportunity, register for our webinar on Thursday, April 28 from 12:00 to 12:30pm.

AFHTO 2022 Conference: create YOUR hybrid conference. Sign up by May 3

Come behind the scenes of our first hybrid conference and be the first to learn about new developments in the field, influence conference programming and discover the latest innovators in areas directly relevant to your work. Working group members also receive a discount off their registration fee. Deadline May 3.

IPAC strategies webinar materials available

On Apr. 14, in partnership with the members of the Primary Care Collaborative, Public Health Ontario (PHO) provided infection prevention and control (IPAC) information to those working in clinical office settings. Materials are now available.

Member stories
Huron Shores FHT- “For the younger doctors, I think having a health team is very attractive compared to what we have here now, a model of the old-fashioned doc who works on his own, runs his office, runs his staff, works all night at the hospital, works the next day at the clinic.”

“NSHN … will support a joint business case between the East Algoma Primary Care Work Team and the Huron Shores Family Health Team to incorporate Thessalon, Bruce Mines and Richards Landing into the current Huron Shores Family Health Team.”

Read the full article here.

Memo on optimizing care and more

Recent updates include:

Wave 6 – COVID-19: Optimizing Care – Operational Direction– Ontario Health, Apr. 14, 2022
Update on Ontario’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan – ADM memo to PCC and OMA- MOH, Apr. 14, 2022
Prescribing Paxlovid, Fourth Doses and Additional Resources– AFHTO, Apr. 13, 2022

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

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and Ministry situation reports (please note that the Ministry Situation Reports on COVID-19 are posted daily so review them to better understand the provincial response)
COVID-19 Vaccination Information
COVID-19 assessment centres in Ontario
COVID-19 information for Patients, Caregivers and the Public
Infection control resources and tools for primary care
Management and operations, human resources and COVID-19
Mental health and wellness during COVID-19
Providing Comprehensive Care During COVID-19
Resources for Re-opening
Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19

IPAC Central West: IPAC Primary Care CoP, Apr. 20, 2022
Hosted by Public Health Ontario, IPAC Implementation and Support Team. Register here.

ECHO Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Apr. 22- Jul. 15, 2022
A free pilot telementoring program for primary health-care providers. Find out more here.

Quadruple Aim Measures for Ontario Health Teams, Apr. 26, 2022
HSPN’s next OHT webinar. Register here. Past webinar materials here.

Changing the Story: Improving Transitions from Youth to Adult Health Care, Apr. 27, 2022
Ontario Health webinar in partnership with the Provincial Council for Maternal and Child Health. Register here.

April 19, 2022

AFHTO 2022 Conference: create YOUR hybrid conference. Sign up by May 3
Join a working group

You can make an impact by joining a working group today. Come behind the scenes of our first hybrid conference and be the first to learn about new developments in the field, influence conference programming and discover the latest innovators in areas directly relevant to your work. Working group members also receive a discount off their registration fee.

Please extend this invitation along to your patients, colleagues, and staff. Having diverse voices, especially patients, in the working groups helps us build a varied and relevant program.

Conference Themes

We’re setting up working groups for concurrent sessions, posters, and the Bright Lights Awards program. We will continue to have regularly scheduled webinars focused on primary care teams’ needs for the rest of the year so as always send in your suggestions! For this conference, we welcome speaker suggestions so let us know your thoughts as the five conference themes will focus on:
1. It takes a team: collaboration inside and out
2. Health equity at the centre
3. Sustainable solutions to primary care problems
4. Mental health and addictions
(Full descriptions here)

Working Group Details

Concurrent program working group members:
The task requires a total of 4-10 hours of effort in May and June, specifically:
- April 26 to May 26: AFHTO staff will manage the call for proposals process.
- Week of May 9: working groups will have an initial Zoom session to brainstorm ideas on specific topics and speakers to contact/encourage to submit a presentation abstract.
- May 31 to June 10: each working group member individually reviews and scores abstracts for their program.
- June 13 to 16: working groups will meet via Zoom to review scores and determine the program for this theme.
Sign up by May 3, 2022, to confirm your participation and select your preferred conference theme.

“Bright Light” Awards Review Committee:
The task requires a total of 6-12 hours in July and August, specifically to individually review and score nominations followed by a Zoom meeting to determine the award winners. Sign up by May 3, 2022

We may also need volunteers onsite during the conference itself. There may be other duties as we update our conference program but like other volunteers described above, onsite volunteers will receive discounted conference registration. Sign up today.

Registration Fees for Conference Working Groups:
- Conference working group members and presenters receive a $35 discount off their registration fee
- We understand patients face additional financial and time pressures and do not want the registration fee to limit participation in a working group. Patients participating in full in a conference working group will be eligible for complimentary registration (to be determined once the working group task is complete).
AFHTO members still receive a significant discount on conference registration fees.

Conference key dates:*
- April 26, 2022- Call for abstracts
- May 26, 2022– Deadline for abstracts
- June 15, 2022 – Bright Lights nominations
- July 2022- Conference registration opens
- October 12, 2022– AFHTO 2022 Conference
*All dates subject to change, except the conference dates.

To our sponsors, the sponsorship prospectus is coming soon. For more information, you can contact us by phone (647-234-8605) or e-mail (info@afhto.ca).
April 18, 2022

Bits & Pieces: new patient resources at ConfusedAboutCOVID.ca and more

Your Weekly News & Updates

In This Issue
New patient resources at ConfusedAboutCOVID.ca 2022 conference planning committee sign up-deadline now Jan. 19 Monitoring Organizational Performance Toolkit now available Updated Omicron guidance and more	PocketWell- companion app by Wellness Together Upcoming events including Therapeutic Management of COVID-19 and more

New patient resources at ConfusedAboutCOVID.ca

The Department of Community and Family Medicine (DFCM) at the University of Toronto and the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) have created a new series of patient resources that teams can use to help patients make sense of the latest guidance around COVID/Omicron.

The resources include plain-language questions and answers about COVID management, testing, isolation and more. They offer patients and the public trustworthy advice about protecting their health and how primary care providers can help.

Find out more at ConfusedAboutCovid.ca.

2022 conference planning committee – deadline tomorrow, Jan. 19

Become an influencer (sort of)!

Maybe you’re not getting free swag as an Instagram influencer, but you can get free registration and that’s just as good! Become a part of our 2022 conference planning committee and shape our first hybrid conference. As members, you’re our main audience so you should have a major say in how 2022 looks.

Review our ToR and sign up by Jan.19, 2022 12 noon. Please also indicate your availability here.

If you have any questions, please email info@afhto.ca.

Monitoring Organizational Performance Toolkit now available

On Tuesday, AFHTO and the Centre for Organizational Effectiveness introduced the new Monitoring Organizational Performance Toolkit to board members and executive directors.

Operational oversight is a key responsibility of boards of directors, and one that can bring the challenge of striking an appropriate balance of being informed enough about operations to maintain appropriate oversight without stepping into operational management, which is the realm of the executive director. The toolkit is now online with the template dashboard, the webinar presentation and recording.

Updated Omicron guidance and more

Recent updates include:

COVID-19 Case Definition – MOH, updated Jan.17, 2022
COVID-19 Integrated Testing & Case, Contact and Outbreak Management Interim Guidance: Omicron Surge– MOH, updated Jan. 13, 2022
COVID-19 Vaccine Third Dose Recommendations– MOH, updated Jan. 13, 2022
Medical Exemptions to COVID-19 Vaccination– MOH, updated Jan. 12, 2022
After Your COVID-19 Vaccine– MOH, updated Jan. 11, 2022
Handout that outlines the drugs that can be used to treat COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms– St. Michael’s Academic FHT pharmacists, Dec. 30, 2021

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

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and Ministry situation reports (please note that the Ministry Situation Reports on COVID-19 are posted daily so review them to better understand the provincial response)
COVID-19 Vaccination Information
COVID-19 assessment centres in Ontario
COVID-19 information for Patients, Caregivers and the Public
Infection control resources and tools for primary care
Management and operations, human resources and COVID-19
Mental health and wellness during COVID-19
Providing Comprehensive Care During COVID-19
Resources for Re-opening
Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19

PocketWell- companion app by Wellness Together

To make mental health and substance use support even more accessible to all Canadians, Wellness Together Canada has launched PocketWell, a companion app to the online portal. The app is adding to Wellness Together Canada’s existing offerings and features new resources, including a self-assessment tool and tracker that monitors mood, mental health functioning and well-being. PocketWell is free and available for download through your app store right now (App Store) (Google Play Store).

2022/23 Collaborative QIP Overview and Supports, Jan. 18, 2022

In partnership with the Alliance and NPLCA, we are hosting a webinar to help primary care teams better understand cQIP and start planning theirs for 2022/23.

Dr. David Kaplan Chief of Clinical Quality at Ontario Health (Quality) will be leading the discussion

Rapid Update: Therapeutic Management of COVID-19, Jan. 20, 2022

Hosted by Ontario Health, this General Medicine Quality Improvement Network webinar brings general medicine physicians and care teams together to learn new ways to improve their patient care and to reduce variations in care. Register here.

COVID-19 Community of Practice for Family Physicians: Responding to the Omicron surge, Jan. 21, 2022

37th in OCFP’s series ‘Changing the way we work’. Register here.

Better Breathing Week, Jan. 24-28, 2022
Hosted by the Lung Health Foundation, registration is open for this free event. Find out more here.

Quality Rounds: The Reality of Virtual Care: Lessons from the Pandemic, Jan. 28, 2022
Hosted by Ontario Health. Find out more here.

ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health, starting Feb. 3, 2022
Limited spots available. These weekly sessions take place via Zoom from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST every Thursday for 24 weeks. Find out more here.

January 18, 2022

Bits & Pieces: 2022/23 cQIP webinar, FHT contract survey and more

Your Weekly News & Updates

In This Issue
2022/23 Collaborative QIP Overview and Supports webinar Jan. 18 FINAL REMINDER: FHT contract renewal survey 2022 conference planning committee sign up-deadline now Jan. 19 Member stories COVID resources and more	Nominations open for the Ontario Nursing now Awards Naloxone in the workplace consultation Twin Pregnancies: Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing now OHIP funded Upcoming events including Primary Care and COVID-19 QI Support CoP and more

2022/23 Collaborative QIP Overview and Supports webinar Jan. 18

Looking for support with your 2022-23 collaborative Quality Improvement Plan? This webinar on Jan. 18 can help. Co-hosted with the Nurse Practitioner-led Clinic Association (NPLCA), the Alliance for Healthier Communities and Ontario Health, the webinar will focus on data attribution to OHTs, this year’s cQIP priorities and indicators, and cQIP supports and helpful resources.

Register here. You may also wish to check out the 2022/23 cQIP Guidance Document and 2022/23 cQIP Technical Specifications documents.

FINAL REMINDER: FHT contract renewal survey

To EDs/Admin Leads, Lead Clinicians and Board Chairs

Thanks again to all those who have completed the survey on the suggested considerations for the FHT contract renewal that appear in the Aspirations and Recommendations document, linked in the email “AFHTO Triad Consultation – FHT Contract Recommendations” sent Jan. 4.

We recognize the turnaround time has been quick, but in preparation for our upcoming consultations, it would be fantastic if you could complete the survey by Wednesday, January 12th.

2022 planning committee sign up-deadline now Jan. 19

Become an influencer (sort of)!

Review our ToR and sign up by Jan.19, 2022 12 noon. Please also indicate your availability here.

Member stories
Central Lambton FHT- addition of two physicians finally approved

Elliot Lake FHT- mayor thanks Dr. Cathy Groh for her work in organizing and promoting the COVID-19 vaccination clinics

Lakehead NPLC – offering free weekly vaccine clinics

North Simcoe FHT- assessment centre hours expanded due to increased demand

COVID resources and more

Recent updates include:

A Challenging Start to 2022, More Resources and a Continued Call to Get More Shots in Arms– AFHTO, Jan. 7, 2022
COVID-19: Interim Guidance for Schools and Child Care: Omicron Surge – Ministry of Health, Jan. 10, 2022

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

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and Ministry situation reports (please note that the Ministry Situation Reports on COVID-19 are posted daily so review them to better understand the provincial response)
COVID-19 Vaccination Information
COVID-19 assessment centres in Ontario
COVID-19 information for Patients, Caregivers and the Public
Infection control resources and tools for primary care
Management and operations, human resources and COVID-19
Mental health and wellness during COVID-19
Providing Comprehensive Care During COVID-19
Resources for Re-opening
Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19

Nominations open for the Ontario Nursing now Awards

WeRPN, in partnership with RNAO and ONA, is seeking nominations for the Ontario Nursing now Awards. These awards will recognize an RPN, an RN, and an NP for their contributions to nursing practice and the health and well-being of Ontarians. The award winners will be announced during Nursing Week in May 2022.

The nominators can be anyone- other healthcare providers, employers, members of the public, etc. Nominations close February 25, 2022.

Naloxone in the workplace consultation

The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) is seeking feedback and information on the issue of opioid use in the workplace, with a particular focus on facilitating access to naloxone in the workplace to reduce the risk of workplace-related deaths caused by opioid overdoses. MLTSD is particularly interested in receiving feedback on whether opioid overdose and overdose management are issues in Ontario workplaces, and if they are issues, if they require changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to address the hazard they present in the workplace.

A consultation paper has been posted to the Regulatory Registry. Feedback can be submitted on any or all the discussion questions. If there are additional issues, concerns or ideas about workplace opioid use and facilitating access to naloxone not addressed in this paper, please share those thoughts as well. The deadline is January 14, 2022.

Twin Pregnancies: Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing now OHIP funded

Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) is now funded by the Ministry for all twin pregnancies, regardless of gestational age, maternal age, or prior risk. Any physician or NP can order OHIP-funded NIPT for their patients who are pregnant with twins and who wish to have a prenatal screening test. Concurrently, First Trimester Screening (FTS) has been discontinued in Ontario for twin pregnancies. For additional information please visit the Prenatal Screening Ontario website, or contact a PSO genetic counsellor by email at PSO@BORNOntario.ca or toll-free at 1-833-351-6490.

Primary Care and COVID-19 Quality Improvement Support CoP, Jan. 12, 2022
Hosted by Ontario Health, this week featuring Dr. Chris Simpson and Dr. Dee Mangin. Registration here.

ECHO Programs at UHN, starting Jan. 13, 2021

Liver -starting Jan. 17
Concussion- starting Jan. 19
Chronic Pain/Opioids- starting Jan.13
Rheumatology- starting Jan. 14
Register here.

Vax for the Future: Equity, Community and Trust – Building Vaccine Confidence with Marginalized Populations, Jan. 26, 2022

Hosted by the Alliance for Healthier Communities. Learn more and register here.

Better Breathing Week, Jan. 24-28, 2022
Hosted by the Lung Health Foundation, registration is open for this free event. Find out more here.

Quality Rounds: The Reality of Virtual Care: Lessons from the Pandemic, Jan. 28, 2022
Hosted by Ontario Health. Find out more here.

Immunizing Children With Confidence Vaccination Conversation, Jan. 27, 2022
Hosted by Children’s Healthcare Canada. Register here.

January 11, 2022

Bits & Pieces: CMOH & Ministry memos re Omicron and more

Your Weekly News & Updates

In This Issue
Focused vaccination efforts in response to Omicron variant #AFHTO2021 videos + 2022 planning committee sign up 2021 University of Toronto Family Medicine Report Post COVID-19 guidance and more	Primary care data reports for OHTs video Year-end communications and thank you Upcoming events including new ECHO sessions and more

Focused vaccination efforts in response to Omicron variant

With the Omicron variant becoming the dominant strain of COVID-19 and cases sharply increasing, the health system has been asked to implement an ‘all hands-on deck’ and immunize as many individuals over 50+ as possible before December 24th.

To highlight the urgency and the request from the Ministry, several memos have been released to the field:

The CMOH memo – Responding to Ontario’s current pandemic situation, including the Omicron variant of concern – sent on Dec.10
Ministry’s Primary Health Care Branch memo – Important Ministry Request – COVID-19 Vaccines – sent to teams on Dec.13
CMOH/MOH/OH memo – Focused Vaccination Efforts in response to Omicron Variant – sent Dec.14

As a follow up, we sent this email to the triad yesterday morning. We’ll provide more updates as soon as we can, so please check your email and let us know if you have any questions.

From OntarioMD regarding finding those who would be eligible for third shots:

OH eReport has included 3rd shots since Nov. 15. Now instead of 1 of 2 or 2 of 2, the record is showing 1, 2, or 3. All toolkits at OntarioMD website have also been updated to work with this new report.
Also, there is a New additional report which includes the full vaccination history of all rostered patients whose vaccination status is on record.

#AFHTO2021 videos + 2022 planning committee sign up

All our 2021 conference videos and slides are now available to members, including the closing plenary MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER: The Power of Resilience with Dr. Mamta Gautam.

Become an influencer (sort of)!

Review our ToR and sign up by Jan. 4, 2022.

2021 University of Toronto Family Medicine Report

The 2021 University of Toronto Family Medicine Report is authored by nearly 100 family doctors and health care providers from across Ontario, Canada and beyond. On the theme ‘caring through crisis’, it features personal stories, reflections and anecdotes that represent just a small fraction of the incredible work happening in family medicine and primary care, as well as data from the University of Toronto Practice Based Research Network (UTOPIAN). It includes stories from a number of our teams including St. Michael’s Hospital Academic and Toronto Western FHTs.

Post COVID-19 guidance and more

Recent updates include:

COVID-19 Third Dose Recommendations – MOH, updated Dec. 13, 2021
Post COVID-19 Condition: Guidance for Primary Care- EN and FR– Ontario Health, Dec. 9, 2021

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

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and Ministry situation reports (please note that the Ministry Situation Reports on COVID-19 are posted daily so review them to better understand the provincial response)
COVID-19 Vaccination Information
COVID-19 assessment centres in Ontario
COVID-19 information for Patients, Caregivers and the Public
Infection control resources and tools for primary care
Management and operations, human resources and COVID-19
Mental health and wellness during COVID-19
Providing Comprehensive Care During COVID-19
Resources for Re-opening
Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19

Primary care data reports for OHTs video

Primary Care Data Reports for OHTs were presented at a webinar on December 8, 2021. Hosted by INSPIRE-PHC, this session was intended to orient attendees to the reports and was followed with a Q and A session. The recording is available here.

Year-end communications and thank you

Although we will have further emails, this is the last newsletter for 2021, and we’d like to say thank you to all our members who allow us to provide support. May you squeeze every bit of joy you can out of these busy times. Thank you for all your hard work this year, and our very best wishes for this season.

2022 Legal Issues for Primary Care Team Webinars, Jan. 6- Dec. 1, 2022

Led by Kate Dewhirst. Learn more here.

ECHO Care of the Elderly (COE): Dementia series, Jan. 12- Mar. 23, 2022
You can find information here and register here.

Opening ourselves: An introduction to anti-oppression practices and frameworks (part 1), Jan. 13, 2021
Hosted by Healthcare Excellence Canada. Register here.

ECHO Programs at UHN, starting Jan. 13, 2021

Liver -starting Jan. 17
Concussion- starting Jan. 19
Chronic Pain/Opioids- starting Jan.13
Rheumatology- starting Jan. 14
Register here.

Winter/Spring 2022 Continuing Professional Development, Jan. 18- June 2022
Queen’s Faculty of Health Sciences’ Continuing Professional Development program. View options here.

Quality Rounds: The Reality of Virtual Care: Lessons from the Pandemic, Jan. 28, 2022
Hosted by Ontario Health. Find out more here.

December 14, 2021

AFHTO 2021 Conference: all videos now available for members + 2022 planning committee sign up
NOW AVAILABLE

All our 2021 conference videos and slides are now available to members, including the closing plenary MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER: The Power of Resilience with Dr. Mamta Gautam.

Also available to members:
- Posters – a showcase of evidence-based, impactful innovations by your colleagues that be useful to other teams
Become an influencer (sort of)!

Maybe you’re not getting free swag as an Instagram influencer, but you can get free registration and that’s just as good! Become a part of our 2022 conference planning committee and shape our first hybrid conference. As members, you’re our main audience so you should have a major say in how 2022 looks.

Review our ToR and sign up by Jan. 4, 2022.

NB- for those who would like to only participate in a concurrent session and poster working group and/or Bright Lights review committee, the call for these will go out separately in 2022.

Free Starbucks for attendees

ICYMI- most conference attendees got a $5 Starbucks digital gift card courtesy of sponsor QHR. If you didn’t see this, please check your junk mail.

We look forward to seeing you next year on Oct 12, 2022!
December 10, 2021

2021 Conference videos and slides

Pre-Conference Day: Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Program Component

Materials

Fireside Chat with Enterprise Canada – What You Can Expect in the Provincial Election

Video

Day 1: Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Opening Session- Welcome, Minister’s Address and Bright Lights Awards Ceremony

Video

Facts vs. Myth: The Realities of Equity in Canadian Healthcare

Video

The Power of Social Media during COVID

Video

Presentation slides

Day 2: Thursday, October 28, 2021

The Opioid Epidemic: The Forgotten Public Health Crisis

Video

Artificial Intelligence and Robots in Primary Care. The Future is Now!

Video

Presentation slides

MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER: The Power of Resilience with Dr. Mamta Gautam

Video

Presentation slides

December 9, 2021

AFHTO 2021 Conference: video and posters now available for members
Primary care has risen to the challenge of COVID-19. Throughout this pandemic, teams adjusted to new circumstances and continued to provide comprehensive care while extending reach to support their communities. They were leaders in organizing assessment centres, conducting tests, and administering COVID-19 vaccines. They collaborated with their partners to help keep communities safe, while keeping their doors open to provide care to their patients and others who needed it most. If you have not yet done so, take a moment and read more about the work our teams did in the 2021 AFHTO Annual Report.

Teams came together virtually at AFHTO’s conference on October 27 and 28 to network, to celebrate work of the past year, and to talk about challenges we face moving forward – and how we can work together to address them as we respond, recover, and rebuild.

“True resilience must be a shared responsibility. The heroes are hurting.”- Dr. Mamta Gautam

Opening session with AFHTO president and the Minister of Health
AFHTO’s new president, Clarys Tirel, kicked off the conference with welcoming remarks and a discussion with Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Hon. Christine Elliott, who thanked teams for their work throughout the pandemic and spoke to how primary care will be the backbone of Ontario Health Teams and a patient-centered health care system. “Without you, these teams would not work.”

This was followed by the announcement and celebration of this year’s Bright Lights Awards winners. A hearty congratulations to all our winners and to all our nominees – it is always a huge honour to showcase the phenomenal work our teams are doing.

Available to members:
- Opening Session recording– including welcome, Minister’s Q&A and the Bright Lights Awards ceremony
- Posters – a showcase of evidence-based, impactful innovations by your colleagues that be useful to other teams
Members who registered for the conference can access all recordings on the platform. Full conference session recordings and slides will be made available to all other members in early December.

Congratulations to the AFHTO 2021-22 Board of Directors
Our 2021 conference marks the beginning of the term for our new Board of Directors. Special congratulations to our new president and chair, Clarys Tirel, executive director of Mount Sinai Academic FHT.

We look forward to seeing you next year on Oct 12, 2022!
November 4, 2021
Congratulations to the Bright Lights 2021 Award Winners!

On October 27 AFHTO named the winners of our tenth annual Bright Lights Awards at our virtual ceremony. These innovators have improved access to primary care through their leadership, outstanding work and significant progress made toward improving the value delivered by interprofessional primary care teams throughout Ontario. Bright Lights Award winners are innovators and team players whose work has an impact on the healthcare system and in the lives of their patients and communities.

The review committees made up of AFHTO members chose the winners from among dozens of nominations. AFHTO gave awards for excellent response to COVID-19, as well as two special awards for reducing unnecessary care and integrated care for older adults. The winners for response to COVID-19 will receive a $750 education grant each courtesy of Boehringer Ingelheim. The winners for the special awards will receive a $750 education grant each courtesy of Choosing Wisely Canada and Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Ontario respectively.

In addition, AFHTO’s board presented an award to a physician leader who supported primary care providers in a hard-hit community and continues to tirelessly advocate for ongoing support.

Board Award: Dr. Brian Klar
In recognition of: Commitment to Integrated Healthcare with An Equitable Foundation In Primary Care

This year, the board has recognized Dr. Brian Klar, Chief of Family Medicine at William Osler Health System (WOHS) , and the co-chair of the Collaboration Council of the Brampton Etobicoke Ontario Health Team (BEOHT), for his tireless advocacy on behalf of primary care and leadership in the sector.

See the video for this award

The six recipients of Bright Lights Awards are listed below. Click on the links to read a summary of their achievements:

1. Sherbourne Health Centre, Inner City, St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Teams
Award Category: Community Response to COVID-19
Achievement: Collaborative Response to Care Needs in Downtown East Toronto

Sherbourne Health Centre, Inner City, St. Michael’s Hospital Academic FHTs collaborated to provide care and support to the most vulnerable populations living in Downtown East Toronto.

See the video for this award

2. Mental Health and Addictions Community Response Working Group of Hills of Headwaters OHT
Award Category: Community Response to COVID-19
Achievement: Taking Care of Mental Health During Covid 19 in Dufferin-Caledon

The Mental Health and Addictions Community Response Working Group of Hills of Headwaters OHT came together to support the mental health of frontline colleagues, especially at long-term care homes.

See the video for this award

3. McMaster Family Health Team
Award Category: Community Response to COVID-19
Achievement: Creating COVID-19 Community Ward /COVID@Home Program

McMaster FHT created the COVID-19 Community Ward, a proactive approach to addressing COVID-19 cases within the community, which was adapted for use across the province, and then became known as COVID@Home.

See the video for this award

4. Dilico Family Health Team & Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
Award Category: Small, Rural, and Northern teams that have taken care of their communities during COVID-19
Achievement: Supporting the Robinson Superior Treaty Area during COVID-19

Dilico Family Health Team & Dilico Anishinabek Family Care successfully reduced COVID-19 case numbers for local Indigenous communities in the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, which at one time had one of the highest case numbers per population in Ontario.

See the video for this award

5. Heather Griffin, Central Brampton Family Health Team
Award Category: Reducing Unnecessary Care
Achievement: Quality Patient Navigation Support

Led by Heather Griffin, Central Brampton Family Health Team’s new mental health referral intake process has addressed a key team concern with wait times and re-referrals.

See the video for this award

6. Couchiching Family Health Team
Award Category: Integrated care for older adults living with complex health conditions
Achievement: Integration of services for frail seniors in the Couchiching region

Couchiching Family Health Team partnered with Specialized Geriatric Services (SGS) at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health to provide a One Door for All seamless, accessible program for all frail seniors in their region.

See the video for this award

Congratulations to all our winners and nominees! And to see all our nominees please visit the 2021 Hall of Fame.

The call for nominations for the 2022 Bright Light Awards will go out in June 2022. All AFHTO members are welcome and encouraged to participate.

October 27, 2021
AFHTO 2021 Conference: early bird deadline today
Register for the AFHTO 2021 Conference before midnight EDT!

Register at the early bird rate to save on registration. After today, rates increase for both members and non-members.

In previous years we have sometimes extended the deadline, but this is one of the closest to the conference we’ve ever had, so there will be no extension this year.

Conference Highlights:
- Special appearance by Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Hon. Christine Elliott
- AFHTO “Bright Light” Awards Ceremony presented with the support of Boehringer Ingelheim
- Facts vs. Myth: the realities of equity in Canadian healthcare
- The Power of Social Media during COVID
- The Opioid Epidemic – The Forgotten Public Health Crisis
- Artificial Intelligence and Robots in Primary Care. The Future is Now
- “MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER: The Power of Resilience”, Featuring Dr. Mamta Gautam
- Fireside chat with Enterprise Canada (members only)- speakers announced
- Posters
See the Conference Schedule for the current agenda.

Register today!

And don’t forget, members get a deep discount on registration. Email us if you haven’t gotten your access code. Patients and students welcome! For general information, you can visit our conference page.

We look forward to seeing you at the AFHTO 2021 Conference!
October 20, 2021

Tag: afhto conference

Your Weekly News & Updates

Conference Themes

Working Group Details

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Your Weekly News & Updates

Your Weekly News & Updates

Your Weekly News & Updates

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Free Starbucks for attendees

Pre-Conference Day: Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Day 1: Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Day 2: Thursday, October 28, 2021