Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: COVID-19

  • Bits & Pieces: member stories, virtual CBT and more

    Bits & Pieces: member stories, virtual CBT and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Reminder – virtual CBT for insomnia webinar today
    • Member stories
    • Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP
    • Updated screening form, aggregate vaccination reports and more
    • PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support slides and video
    • 800 O2 sat monitors remaining- deadline for ordering extended
    • Support to implement large scale improvement initiatives- EXTRA call for applications
    • Upcoming events regarding aggregate primary care vaccination report and more

     

    Reminder – virtual CBT for insomnia webinar today

    In this webinar co-hosted with Queen’s FHT, we will review the first line treatment for chronic insomnia and describe its components. They will also explore how to set up and run a virtual group program in and interprofessional team setting. Get more details and register here.

    Elliott Lake FHT clinician in PPE administering their 10000th dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to a masked man sitting down

     

     

    Member stories

    Couchiching FHT– Orillia doc ‘thrilled’ to be named Family Physician of the Year

    Elliott Lake FHT– 10,000 dose milestone

    Thames Valley FHT – Final buzzer sounds on London’s rink-turned-COVID-centre as cases drop

    Upper Grand FHT– wrapping up drive-through vaccination clinics

     

     

     

     

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP

    There has been a lot of interest in the aggregate primary care vaccination reports, and we know there are a lot of questions. Apart from the information sessions, you can get answers in the Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP, an Ontario Health CoP on Quorum.

    Updated screening form, aggregate vaccination reports and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    PTSD webinar title slide with image of a forest surrounding a lake with mountains in the background

     

    PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support slides and video

    On July 14 we held a webinar co-hosted with Couple HOPES discussing PTSD and relationships with Dr. Candice Monson, Professor of Psychology at Ryerson University, Director of the IMPACT psychology research lab, and Registered Clinical Psychologist. Slides and video are now available here.

    800 O2 sat monitors remaining- deadline for ordering extended

    Only 5% of the original stock of oxygen saturation monitors are left. With some monitors remaining, Ontario Health is extending the deadline for ordering. Primary care providers can benefit from having oxygen saturation monitors in their practice for patients being monitored with COVID-19, or other serious respiratory conditions such as COPD. To place an order for a free monitor complete this form. Orders will be fulfilled while supplies last over the next two weeks. Contact OH_COVIDatHome@ontariohealth.ca for more information. Learn more on how to monitor patients with COVID-19.

    Support to implement large scale improvement initiatives- EXTRA call for applications

    Per Healthcare Excellence Canada:
    EXTRA is a program that supports teams of health leaders to implement large scale improvement initiatives. The teams are networked with others across the country, receive content from Canadian and international experts, and are supported throughout the 16-month program by QI coaches. Several teams from Ontario have participated in the past. In the 2019 cohort, a team from Michael Garron Hospital, VHA Home Health and Woodgreen Community Services led a project to deliver acute care at home to people with COPD for example.

    As we slowly emerge from the pandemic, you may be looking to solidify some of the practices you put in place to deal with the public health emergency or implement some improvement initiatives you weren’t able to get to. You can also partner with other organizations on an improvement project. The EXTRA program will support all these efforts.

    You can find more info on the EXTRA program and the application process in the Call for Applications here or by visiting the Healthcare Excellence Canada’s website.

    While the deadline for applications was July 15th, the EXTRA team is willing to extend it, should anyone express an interest in the coming few weeks. You can also reach out directly to Genevieve Martin at Healthcare Excellence Canada at EXTRA-FORCES@hec-esc.ca.

    Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report Info Sessions, July 21-29, 2021
    Hosted by Public Health Ontario. At times, primary care providers have felt detached from COVID-19 vaccine rollouts. To support primary care involvement, this session will summarize key enablers that led the Waterloo Region to achieve the highest total vaccine output through primary care across Ontario. Find out more here.

    Data Package and Data Supports Information Session, July 22, 2021

    Part of the “OHT Virtual Engagement Series”, supported by the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health. Find out more here.

    Applying the Ontario Health Asthma Quality Standards for Children and Adolescents in your practice, August 12, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health and the Lung Health Foundation. Find out more here.

    Pandemic Recovery and Chronic Disease Management: Primary Care for Adults with Asthma, August 19, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health and the Lung Health Foundation. Find out more here.

  • Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Reports for Family Physicians

    Dear Triad Members,

    Yesterday Ontario Health (OH) released a memo about accessing the COVaxON Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Reports for family physicians working in a Patient Enrolment Model (PEM) of your rostered patients who have been vaccinated.

    A reminder that you do need a ONE® ID account to access the report – instructions on how to register for an account can be found in the memo. OH will also be hosting a number of information sessions and physicians, administration and QIDSS are encouraged to attend to learn how you can access the reports and other useful information.

    We know that the report leaves fee-for-service, CHC family physicians and Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics without this important information and solutions are being sought for you to receive similar information. We have also heard that many BSM (blended salary model) physicians in cFHTs are able to access the reports, but please let us know if that is not the case.
     
    With about 20% of eligible Ontarians currently unvaccinated, and a higher percentage in the youth population (ages 12-17), the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health are asking for our help with outreach to unvaccinated patients – and specifically to youth and families to encourage their vaccination before the school year. Primary care has trusted relationships with patients, and we know they can play a key role in supporting their vaccination decisions.
     
    An FAQ has been created in partnership with the Ontario Medical Association, OMA Section on General and Family Practice, OntarioMD, Ontario Health and the Ontario College of Family Physicians, and provides information on:

    • what data you will receive;
    • how to use the report and identify which of your enrolled patients have not yet been vaccinated;
    • billing information; and
    • supports available – including upcoming webinars and template scripts for outreach.

    We know that you are all working very hard in looking after your patients and your community, and we recognize the many demands on primary care, from assessment centres to vaccination to increased demands in caring for even sicker patients.  

    We know how hard primary care worked to get as many #NeedlesInArms over the last few months and the tremendous amount of work that goes into counselling and educating your patients before vaccinating. Thank you for all your incredible work and please let us know if you have any questions.

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

  • Bits & Pieces: member stories, board award and more

    Bits & Pieces: member stories, board award and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Member stories
    • Nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award
    • Reminder – PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, tomorrow July 14, 2021
    • Vaccinating the last 25% and ramping up in-person visits and more
    • We want your input! Ontario Hepatitis C Elimination Roadmap
    • Upcoming events regarding PHO partnering with primary care in the vaccine response and more

     

    Member stories

    Bruyère Academic and North York FHTs– Ontario hopes family doctors can reach those unvaccinated against COVID-19

    Guelph FHT – 2020-2021 Annual Report is available to read online

    North York, South East Toronto, St. Michael’s Hospital Academic and Toronto Western FHTs– In stadiums and living rooms, family doctors are leading the vaccine effort

    Nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award

    2020 board award video

    For the first time ever, the AFHTO board invites all members 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.

    Submit a nomination online for the Board Award category by August 20, 2021.

    Find out more about the criteria here. You can find the nomination template here.

    PTSD takeaways

     

     

     

    Reminder – PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14, 2021

    Co-hosted with Couple HOPES, join this webinar with Dr. Candice Monson, Professor of Psychology at Ryerson University, Director of the IMPACT psychology research lab, and Registered Clinical Psychologist as she discusses PTSD and relationships.
    Register here.

     

     

     

    Vaccinating the last 25% and ramping up in-person visits and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    We want your input! Ontario Hepatitis C Elimination Roadmap

    Ontario is creating a roadmap to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030. AFHTO is participating as part of an advisory committee to help identify barriers and opportunities when it comes to primary care.
    The advisory committee wants to hear from Family Health Teams in Ontario to find out how hepatitis C fits in with your practice, and what supports or information you need to begin testing and treatment. If you are interested, please contact Christopher Hoy directly (choy@catie.ca) to set-up a time to chat.

    Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 30

    Are you interested in serving on the AFHTO board of directors? The Governance Committee of AFHTO’s board invites anyone who works within an AFHTO member organization to apply. Please share this call for nominations with all who work in your team and with members on your Board. Learn more about how you can take on a leadership role here. Deadline July 30.

    2021 Trillium Primary Health Care Research Day

    The 2021 Trillium Primary Health Care Research Day is virtual on Oct. 15, 2021. See their save-the-date for more details.

    PHO Rounds: Partnering with Primary Care in the Vaccine Response, July 15
    Hosted by Public Health Ontario. At times, primary care providers have felt detached from COVID-19 vaccine rollouts. To support primary care involvement, this session will summarize key enablers that led the Waterloo Region to achieve the highest total vaccine output through primary care across Ontario. Find out more here.

    Delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia via virtual platform, July 21

    In this webinar co-hosted with Queen’s FHT, we will review the first line treatment for chronic insomnia and describe its components.  They will also explore how to set up and run a virtual group program in and interprofessional team setting.

    Get more details and register here.

    ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) at CHEO, September 7, 2021 – February 15, 2022
    Learn how ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) at CHEO can help you better care for children and youth. Limited spots available. Find out more here.

    Queen’s Department of Family Medicine CPD Program Fall 2021, Sep. 14- Dec. 7, 2021
    Part of the CPD Subscription, topics will include Menopause, Diabetes: New Meds and Beyond, Approach to Tremors, Pediatric Growth Issues, and Ask the MOH/Hot Topics in Public Health. Find out more here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #109: Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards

    QI in Action eBulletin #109: Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards

    In this Issue:

    • Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards
    • Tip Sheets for Primary Care Providers
    • Breast Screening
    • Cervical Screening
    • Colorectal Cancer Screening
    • Ontario Health’s Screening Activity Report
    • EMR Tips to Help you Resume Cancer Screening
    • Upcoming Webinars

    Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards

    Check out our recent Cancer Screening during the Pandemic and Onwards webinar co-hosted by AFHTO, The Alliance for Healthier Communities, the Ontario College of Family Physicians, the Nurse Practitioner Led Clinics Association and Ontario Health, hosted on June 21, 2021.

    Learn some practical tips and examples on resuming cancer screening from our speakers:

    • Dr. Ed Kucharski, Family Physician, Regional Primary Care Lead (Toronto Central)
    • Dr. Jennifer Rayner, Director of Research and Evaluation, Alliance for Healthier Communities
    • Diana Noel, Executive Director, Village Family Health Team
    • Teresa Wetselaar, NP, West Parry Sound Health Centre
    • Dr. Neil Naik, Family Physician, Interim Regional Primary Care Lead (Waterloo Wellington)

    Cancer screening webinar title slide

    Content below developed by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario)

    Tip Sheets for Primary Care Providers

    Ontario’s health care system has been significantly impacted by COVID-19 and these impacts will be felt for a while. Cancer screening was paused in March 2020 because of the pandemic, and gradually started to resume after the Chief Medical Officer of Health’s Directive 2 for healthcare providers was amended in late May 2020.

    Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) runs the province’s organized cancer screening programs, the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP), the Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OCSP) and ColonCancerCheck (CCC). Ontario Health released Tip Sheets on gradually starting up breast, colorectal and cervical screening in June 2020, and most recently, has updated and streamlined the Tip Sheet for primary care providers. Tip Sheets have also been developed for OBSP sites, colposcopy, and endoscopy. Guidance in the Tip Sheets is based on the best available evidence as well as expert opinion.

    As we begin the process of system recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, here are some tips based on Ontario Health’s guidance to help you make decisions about how to resume screening for your patients. Please contact Ontario Health if you have any questions: cancerinfo@ontariohealth.ca.

    1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in her lifetime

    Breast Screening
    For most people at average risk of breast cancer, routine breast screening is a mammogram every two years for people ages 50 to 74.  If capacity is limited in your area, OBSP sites have been asked to focus on the following groups and you can support by encouraging these patients to be screened:

    • High Risk OBSP participants
    • People at average risk who have never been screened before
    • Average risk participants who have been told to rescreen in one year

    The Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) website has more information on the current routine breast cancer screening guidelines.

    Know the facts- cervical cancer is almost always preventable

    Cervical Screening
    If someone comes to your office and they are due for cervical screening, the OCSP suggests screening them. Routine cervical screening every three years with cervical cytology (Pap test) is recommended for people with a cervix. While formal OCSP guidelines currently recommend starting screening at age 21, Ontario Health encourages primary care providers to start cervical screening for patients at age 25 in alignment with best new evidence.  

    OCSP guidelines will be formally updated with the implementation of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in the OCSP. Routine cervical screening can stop at age 70 for people with three or more normal cytology tests in the previous 10 years.

    If you are unable to provide routine cervical screening, people at elevated risk for cervical cancer should be prioritized because they need annual screening. Examples of people at elevated risk include anyone who is:

    • Discharged from colposcopy with persistent low-grade cytology
    • Discharged from colposcopy with an HPV-positive test and a normal or low-grade cytology
    • Immunocompromised (e.g., HIV positive)

    Colposcopy services have also resumed. To make sure people at the highest risk for cervical cancer are able to get timely colposcopy appointments, it is recommended that primary care providers refer patients with:

    • a single high grade cytologic abnormality (e.g., HSIL+, AIS) or
    • two consecutive low grade cytologic abnormalities (e.g., LSIL, ASCUS).

    Patients with a single low grade cytologic abnormality should be re-screened in primary care in approximately 12 months with cytology. As a reminder, any patient that is positive for HPV strains 16 or 18 should be referred to colposcopy, regardless of cytology result.

    Colorectal Cancer Screening

    9 out of 10 people can be cured if colon cancer is caught early

    Routine screening with the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) should be done every two years for people ages 50 to 74 with no first-degree relatives diagnosed with colorectal cancer. 
    If you have limited capacity for screening, CCC recommends focusing your screening efforts on people over the age of 60.

    Here are some tips for sending in FIT requisitions to prevent delays:

     

    fit for colon cancer

    • Please do not batch fax requisitions as this can lead to errors and subsequent delays
    • Ensure that your patient’s mailing address information is correct including apartment numbers
    • Do not send repeat orders until at least 4 to 6 weeks have passed to allow for processing and mailing time
    • To request a replacement kit for your patient, ensure that the replacement kit checkbox near the top of the requisition is marked and submit the new requisition to LifeLabs

    Referrals to colonoscopy can also be resumed, especially for patients with an abnormal FIT result, patients who are at increased risk for colorectal cancer, or patients who are eligible for post-polypectomy surveillance with colonoscopy.

    As a reminder, patients with a previous low risk adenomas (1 to 2 tubular adenoma(s) <10mm in diameter with no high-grade dysplasia) should return to average risk screening with FIT five years after their colonoscopy instead of continued surveillance with colonoscopy. You can find out more about the current colorectal cancer screening recommendations on our website.

    Ontario Health’s Screening Activity Report
    The Screening Activity Report (SAR) is an online tool available to primary care physicians who practice as part of a patient enrolment model (PEM), or to non-patient enrolment model physicians and nurses who practice in the Sioux Lookout Municipality and Sioux Lookout Zone (27 First Nation communities).

    The SAR provides screening data for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers and can help to improve screening participation by identifying patients who are eligible for screening or require follow-up tests. Physicians can also view a comparison of their screening rates to other registered PEM physicians in their region.

    As we recover from COVID-19 in the coming months, and catch up on preventive care like cancer screening, a tool like the SAR can support your practice. The SAR uses ONE® ID to authenticate users; for more information on how to register visit our website.

     

    SAR chart and graph

    EMR Tips to Help you Resume Cancer Screening
    In fall 2020, Ontario Health partnered with OntarioMD on a blog on EMR tips to help primary care start to screen patients again for cancer. The blog includes tips to identify higher-priority patients for cancer screening in your EMR systems and can be found here.

    Upcoming Webinars:

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #108 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: virtual CBT for insomnia, call for abstracts and more

    Bits & Pieces: virtual CBT for insomnia, call for abstracts and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia via virtual platform, July 21
    • AFHTO 2021 Conference: call for poster abstracts
    • Reminder – PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14, 2021
    • IPAC/PPE FAQ, updates to vaccine product monographs and more
    • Evidence of value: Primary care teams’ experiences of delivering mental health care during the COVID‑19 pandemic
    • Practical implementation guide for Ontario’s delirium quality standard
    • Seeking pharmacists’ input on experiences and contributions to mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic
    • Upcoming events regarding vaccinating the last 25%, ramping up in-person visits and more

     

    Delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy for insomnia via virtual platform, July 21

    In this webinar co-hosted with Queen’s FHT, we will review the first line treatment for chronic insomnia and describe its components.  They will also explore how to set up and run a virtual group program in and interprofessional team setting.   Additionally, attendees will be provided with a general program outline as well as helpful tools and resources to individualize their own CBTi group program.

    At the end of this session the participant will be able to:   

    • Understand CBT-I (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Insomnia) as the first line treatment for chronic insomnia and its key components
    • Describe key processes and a general outline in setting up a virtual group CBTi program
    • Identify tools and resources to develop and individualize your own CBT-I program

    Get more details and register here.

    Post-Pandemic Primary Care: Respond, Recover, Rebuild

    AFHTO 2021 Conference: call for poster abstracts

    We’ll be selecting content for our 5 core themes, and we need your help. We want your insight, from system and policy-level discussions to patient-focused inquiries into the ways teams can better serve their communities now and as we transition to a post-pandemic reality. The deadline to submit for an #AFHTO2021 presentation is August 3, 2021, at 5:00 PM (EDT). Find out more and get your Bright Lights update here.

    And don’t forget, the deadline to join a working group is Thursday, July 8. Come behind the scenes 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.

    Reminder – PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14, 2021

    Co-hosted with Couple HOPES, join this webinar with Dr. Candice Monson, Professor of Psychology at Ryerson University, Director of the IMPACT psychology research lab, and Registered Clinical Psychologist as she discusses PTSD and relationships.
    Register here.

    IPAC/PPE FAQ, updates to vaccine product monographs and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Evidence of value: Primary care teams’ experiences of delivering mental health care during the COVID‑19 pandemic
    “From the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, primary care quickly responded to the rising mental health care demands of their patients. Despite the numerous challenges they faced with the rapid transition to virtual care, primary care teams have persevered. It is essential that policy and decision-makers take note of the toll that these demands have placed on providers. There is an immediate need to enhance primary care’s capacity for mental health care for the duration of the pandemic and beyond.”

    “Primary care teams’ experiences of delivering mental health care during the COVID‑19 pandemic: a qualitative study” was just published in BMC Family Practice, and authored by Rachelle Ashcroft et al.

    Practical implementation guide for Ontario’s delirium quality standard

    Delirium is a preventable harm for your older patients which can lead to functional decline and death. Do you have reliable and consistent processes across your organization to prevent or manage it?  Regional Geriatric Program of Toronto’s new Practical Implementation Guide for Ontario’s Delirium Quality Standard is intended to help you elevate your practice in delirium care. For any feedback or questions, you can connect with a senior friendly care (sfCare) coach at info@rgptoronto.ca.

    Seeking pharmacists’ input on experiences and contributions to mental health care during the COVID-19 pandemic

    University of Toronto researchers want to hear from primary care pharmacists, as they seek to examine primary care team pharmacist contributions to patient mental health care, and understand pharmacists’ experiences with collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 15 to 20 min survey includes a mix of multiple choice and open response question.

    COVID@Home Monitoring for Primary Care CoP, July 7, 2021
    Join us to learn about getting notifications of your COVID+ patient through HRM and to learn more about the clinical pathways (including the post-hospitalization pathway) and have your questions answered. Register here.

    COVID-19 CoP for Ontario Family Physicians, July 9, 2021
    Hosted by the Family and Community Medicine Department at the University of Toronto and the OCFP. Register here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP,  July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.

    ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) at CHEO, September 7, 2021 – February 15, 2022
    Learn how ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) at CHEO can help you better care for children and youth. Limited spots available. Find out more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: conference call for volunteers, guidance for vaccinated people and more

    Bits & Pieces: conference call for volunteers, guidance for vaccinated people and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • AFHTO 2021 Conference: create YOUR virtual conference. Sign up by July 8
    • Guidance for vaccinated people, aggregate primary care vaccination report and more
    • Space available in HPCO Virtual Compassion Care Community Centre programs
    • Evaluation of online tool for occupational hand dermatitis
    • Shaping PSHSA 2021-24 strategic plan
    • OLTCA invitation to submit an abstract
    • Upcoming events regarding PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support and more

     

    Post-Pandemic Primary Care: Respond, Recover, Rebuild

    AFHTO 2021 Conference: create YOUR virtual conference. Sign up by July 8

    You can make an impact by joining a working group today. Come behind the scenes 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. Find out about our themes and sign up by July 8! Call for poster abstracts also coming soon.

    Guidance for vaccinated people, aggregate primary care vaccination report and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Space available in HPCO Virtual Compassion Care Community Centre programs

    Recognizing the need for virtual support for seniors, caregivers, hospice volunteers and people isolated at home, Hospice Palliative Care Ontario’s Virtual Compassion Care Community Center (VCCCC) delivers free education and support programs and activities through both virtual and telephone options. The goal is to provide a safe, comfortable, and interactive setting to encourage social support and connections.

    They have the capacity to accept new participants and collaborate with other partners to reach a wide array of participants that might require this service. A few programs include the Grief Support Group, Advance Care Planning education, and the Caregiving for Serious Illness and End-of-Life series. Visit the VCCCC for a detailed list of all the programs. If you have any questions, please contact Tomilola John at tomilola.john@hpco.ca or Bolaji Idowu at bolaji.idowu@hpco.ca.

    Evaluation of online tool for occupational hand dermatitis

    Healthcare workers have many potential hazards in your workplace that can affect your skin and cause skin disease. The Centre for Research Expertise in Occupational Disease (CRE-OD) and Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA) are looking for healthcare workers to participate in an online research study evaluating an online learning module for occupational hand dermatitis. For more information visit their site.

    Shaping PSHSA 2021-24 strategic plan

    Public Services Health & Safety Association (PSHSA) is seeking insight as they develop their 2021-24 Strategic Plan. In particular, they have two important questions:

    • What lessons have you learned through COVID-19 about making, and keeping, health and safety a priority?   And reflecting on those lessons:
    • How do you think your approach to injury and illness prevention will change going forward?

    You can access their survey here until July 6, 2021.

    OLTCA invitation to submit an abstract

    Taking place October 26 & 27, the Ontario Long Term Care Association’s (OLTCA) This is Long Term Care 2021 Virtual Conference: Disruptive Impact & Transformative Change seeks to highlight emerging opportunities, research, and innovations that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can submit an abstract or learn more here. Deadline July 12.

    PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14, 2021

    Co-hosted with Couple HOPES, join this webinar with Dr. Candice Monson, Professor of Psychology at Ryerson University, Director of the IMPACT psychology research lab, and Registered Clinical Psychologist as she discusses PTSD and relationships.
    Register here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP,  July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.

    COVID-19 CoP for Ontario Family Physicians, July 9, 2021
    Hosted by the Family and Community Medicine Department at the University of Toronto and the OCFP. Register here.

    ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) at CHEO, September 7, 2021 – February 15, 2022
    Learn how ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) at CHEO can help you better care for children and youth. Limited spots available. Find out more here.

  • Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report, Provincial Antigen Screening Program and Last Chance to Order Oxygen Saturation Monitors

    Dear Triad Members,

    Please see below for some important information from Ontario Health.

    Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report
    Together with their stakeholders, Ontario Health will be providing family physicians with a new report to help you identify patients in your panel that have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Additional supports will help you to identify who in your practice has not yet been vaccinated.

    This Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report will be available for all primary care providers who practice as part of a patient enrollment model (FHO, FHG, FHN, or CCM).  A OneID account is required to access the report. Please see the attached memo from Ontario Health about this important initiative. This report is not yet available to NPLCs and CHCs and we are seeking clarity for the BSM model as well.  

    Just a reminder that Health Report Manager (HRM) has been pushing data prospectively to primary care providers when their name has been collected through COVaxON at point of vaccination. Further information around HRM COVaxON Vaccination Reports can be found on the OntarioMD website here.

    COVID vaccination data is also available through the provincial clinical viewers, Connecting Ontario and Clinical Connect. Access to the viewers can be requested via Ontario Health’s Digital Health Service’s website.

    Provincial Antigen Screening Program
    Led by the Ministry of Health, with support from partner ministries, Public Health Ontario and Ontario Health, the Provincial Antigen Screening Program (PASP) provides free rapid antigen test kits to any organization that is open and requires individuals to be on-site, including primary care practices. The PASP allows employers in priority settings to add an additional safety measure in high-risk and essential workplaces, to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

    Through the program, rapid antigen point-of-care tests (POCTs) can be distributed to primary care settings to enhance existing routine screening measures for asymptomatic employees and other identified groups. Please see attached memo for more information about the PASP and how you can order test kits for your clinics.

    Oxygen saturation of COVID home monitoring
    The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unexpected surges in demand on the provincial healthcare system, and healthcare settings across the province face patient capacity constraints, potentially affecting care for all patients. To help ease these constraints, Ontario Health is providing tools and resources for COVID@Home to help primary care providers who wish to remotely monitor people who have mild to moderate COVID-19 in the community.

    Oxygen saturation monitors are still available to be ordered by primary care clinics and interprofessional primary care team offices through the provincial pandemic stockpile until June 30th. Thank you to all the teams that are also participating in the COVID@Home or other programs that support patients with mild to moderate in their homes – if you are interested in the clinical pathways to help support the development of a program in your team please click here.

    As always please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

  • Bits & Pieces: PTSD, relationships & accessible supports, farewell to Rachel and more

    Bits & Pieces: PTSD, relationships & accessible supports, farewell to Rachel and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14
    • Farewell to Rachel So
    • Attn: Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk only available live
    • Call for applications to Indigenous and expanded midwifery programs
    • Member stories
    • Q&A for mixed COVID-19 mRNA vaccine schedules and more
    • COVID@Home: winding down of distribution pathways for oxygen saturation monitors
    • Mental health of northern Ontario nurses working during COVID-19 study
    • Upcoming events regarding providing care to 2SLGBTQ persons and more

    PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14

    Co-hosted with Couple HOPES, join this webinar with Dr. Candice Monson, Professor of Psychology at Ryerson University, Director of the IMPACT psychology research lab, and Registered Clinical Psychologist as she discusses posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and relationships.

    During this webinar, you will learn about:

    • PTSD and its symptoms;
    • how PTSD impacts relationships;
    • and how relationships impact PTSD.

    Register here.

    Rachel So headshot

    Farewell to Rachel So

    It is with genuinely mixed feelings we announce that Rachel So will be leaving AFHTO for a new role in the non-profit sector.

    Rachel has been with AFHTO for nearly three years, starting first as our conference assistant before becoming our Programs & Operations Coordinator, so many have you had the pleasure of working with her over the last few years.

    We’re going to miss Rachel but know she will bring so much to her new team. Please join us in giving her our sincerest best wishes. Her last day with AFHTO will be Friday, June 25th – any questions related to her work can be directed to info@afhto.ca.

     

    GeriMedrisk title slide

    Attn: Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk only available live

    In Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk: drug safety for older adults beyond “Start Low, Go Slow” on June 24, Dr. Ho will review the pharmacology of aging and its impact on adverse drug events among seniors. We’ll also explore tools and services for primary care providers to use to optimize drug safety. Unlike most of our webinars, this will NOT be recorded, and slides will NOT be available afterwards. So register today.

    Call for applications to Indigenous and expanded midwifery programs

    The Ministry of Health is inviting applications for two programs with a special focus on improving access, choice, and care that is responsive to the needs of the community. These are:

    • Indigenous Midwifery Programs (IMP)- one of these models works within Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams
    • Expanded Midwifery Care Models (EMCM)- could include, but are not limited to, interprofessional primary care teams in areas of demonstrated need.

    The Primary Health Care Branch is hosting a webinar about this initiative on June 28, 2021. To participate, please send an email to midwifery@ontario.ca by Friday, June 25, 2021, noting contact information for interested participants and the ministry will reach out to those individuals with the webinar details. The Indigenous midwifery team at the AOM is also offering a webinar on Wednesday, July 14 12:00pm-1:30pm. Get more information here.

    Member stories
    Markham FHT – our president and chair Dr. Allan Grill on CTV on protecting immunocompromised individuals and vaccine interchangeability

    Municipality of Assiginack FHT– Gwekwaadziwin Miikan success leads to new pilot project for adults over 30

    Norfolk FHT – wins Transformative Change Award with Grand River CHC for providing primary and COVID-19 support to seasonal agricultural workers.

    Q&A for mixed COVID-19 mRNA vaccine schedules and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    COVID@Home: winding down of distribution pathways for oxygen saturation monitors

    The COVID@Home initiative was designed to help primary care providers to remotely monitor patients who have mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms in the community. As the third wave of the pandemic subsides and health care capacity constraints gradually abate, Ontario Health will begin to wind down the distribution program for oxygen saturation monitors. Primary care professionals and teams who are still in need of oxygen saturation monitors should place orders by June 30th. Find out more here. 

    Mental health of northern Ontario nurses working during COVID-19 studyResearchers from Laurentian University’s Centre of Research in Occupational Health and Safety (CROSH) and the Public Services Health & Safety Association are conducting a study to explore the mental health of Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) in northern Ontario working during the COVID-19 global pandemic. This study aims to understand the perspective and experiences of nurses, their support needs to cope with the COVID-19 crisis, and its consequences. For more information visit their site.

    COVID@Home Community of Practice, June 23, 2021

    Learn how to monitor your COVID-19 patients in the community through this CoP.
    Learn more here.

    Providing Care to 2SLGBTQ Persons, June 24, 2021

    Discuss cultural safety and humility, clinical competencies, and interdisciplinary care for cisgender and transgender patients with speakers with the Ontario Caregiver Organization.
    Register here.

    OHT Learnings through COVID-19, June 28, 2021

    The Ministry of Health (ministry) and Ontario Health are hosting the third OHT Virtual Engagement Series webinar Register here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP, June 17 & July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: 2022 election priorities, free bot to document vaccines and more

    Bits & Pieces: 2022 election priorities, free bot to document vaccines and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • 2022 Election Priorities: seeking members’ input
    • AFHTO statement on racism and hate
    • Reminder- Cancer screening during the pandemic and onwards, June 21
    • Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 30
    • Free bot to help document vaccinations and more
    • Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program slides and video
    • COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky webinar materials
    • New regulation to streamline reporting requirements under OHSA
    • Oxygen saturation monitors still available
    • Seeking dietitians’ input -nutrition screening in primary and community care
    • Upcoming events regarding geriatric clinical pharmacology and more

    2022 Election Priorities: seeking members’ input

    The provincial election is fast approaching! Election day will be on or before June 2, 2022 – less than a year away.

    We will continue to be strongly advocating for expansion of team-based primary care, and we want your input to ensure we are effectively advocating for you and with you.

    We ask all members complete this survey to share your priorities. We want to hear from you all: executive directors/admin leads, board members, physicians, nurse practitioners, IHPs, QIDSS, admin staff! This will only take about 5-10 minutes of your time, and the results will be kept confidential.

    Please click here to complete the survey!

    Please complete this by tomorrow, June 16. We will be taking the feedback to our board of directors at their board meeting next week. 

    AFHTO statement on racism and hate
    We want to start by expressing our grief and sorrow about the tragic and horrifying events of the last few weeks, recognizing that racism and hate has been part of Canada since its inception. We are committed to working with our partners and allies to listen, learn, grow, and do better at creating a more equitable and safer country for all. You can read AFHTO’s statement here.

    Reminder – Cancer screening during the pandemic and onwards, June 21

    In collaboration with our primary care partners and Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), we will be hosting a webinar to further explore guidance for resuming breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening and share stories from teams that have already resumed cancer screening.

    Register here.

    Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 30
    Are you interested in serving on the AFHTO board of directors? The Governance Committee of AFHTO’s board invites anyone who works within an AFHTO member organization to apply. Please share this call for nominations with all who work in your team and with members on your Board. Given the composition of the continuing board members, priority for the directors to be elected will be given to candidates who are:

    • Executive Directors, especially those actively involved in their Ontario Health Team (OHT) development and supporting integrated care in their community;
    • Interprofessional Health Care Providers, especially those actively involved in OHT development;
    • Members from Central Ontario Health Region;
    • Board members, especially community members in the position of Chair of the Board; or
    • Experienced in finance, including accreditation as a financial professional (e.g., CA, CPA, CMA);

    Learn more about how you can take on a leadership role here. Deadline July 30.

    Free bot to help document vaccinations and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program title slide

    Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program slides and video

    The Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence at Ontario Health invited primary care organizations to a webinar on June 10 to learn more about the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) Program’s background, the vision of OSP as a provincial program, and next steps with the expansion. Slides and video now available on our site.

     

    COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky webinar slide

    COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky webinar materials
    On June 9th Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health at the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health covered key questions, including variants of concern, AstraZeneca and mixing of vaccines, breakthrough cases and emerging evidence around vaccination for children 12-17 years old. Nicole Blackman, Provincial Director at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, discussed why Indigenous people were prioritized to receive vaccines. Resources include:

    New regulation to streamline reporting requirements under OHSA
    A new regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) will come into effect on July 1, 2021: Ontario Regulation 420 / 21 – Notices and Reports under Sections 51 to 53.1 of the Act – Fatalities, Critical Injuries, Occupational Illnesses and Other Incidents– EN and FR.

    The new regulation incorporates the critical injury definition and streamlines reporting requirements into a single regulation that applies to all workplaces covered under the OHSA. The amending regulations include:

    • O. Reg. 427/21: HEALTH CARE AND RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES –EN and FR

    Oxygen saturation monitors still available

    Oxygen saturation monitors are still available free of charge for primary care providers. Please be sure to order yours before the end of June!  Every primary care provider can benefit from having these in their practice and for distribution to patients you may be monitoring with COVID, but also for other conditions (e.g., COPD).  These monitors will then belong to your practice – you do not need to return them to the Ministry of Health. Link to ordering survey HERE. Monitors usually arrive within 2-3 days after requesting. For questions, please contact OH_COVIDatHome@ontariohealth.ca. For a link to the one-pager with all the resource you need for monitoring COVID patients visit HERE.

    Seeking dietitians’ input -nutrition screening in primary and community care
    Professor Heather Keller (University of Waterloo), Marg Alfieri (Primary Care Dietitians Association) and the Primary Care working group of the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force are conducting a survey to determine what models of nutrition screening have been implemented in primary and community care, the reach of these efforts and for those who have yet to start screening, the challenges they are experiencing. This data will be used to launch further research on the outcomes and benefits of different nutrition screening models and further investigate how to support implementation of nutrition screening in the community. Get additional information and complete survey here.

    Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk: drug safety for older adults beyond “Start Low, Go Slow”, June 24

    Co-hosted with GeriMedRisk, in this webinar, Dr. Ho will review the pharmacology of aging and its impact on adverse drug events among seniors. We’ll also explore tools and services for primary care providers to use to optimize drug safety. Register here.

    NACI Recommendations On COVID-19 Vaccine Interchangeability, June 21, 2021 *NEW DATE*
    Join PHAC as they discuss evidence around interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as NACI recommendations for interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines.
    Learn more here.

    Applying an Equity Lens when Caring for your Population, June 17, 2021

    This RISE OHT webinar will be based on a PHM approach, deep diving into co-designing care models for different priority populations.
    Learn more here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP, June 17 & July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.

    COVID-19 CoP, June 18, 2021
    Join the OCFP’s COVID-19 CoP where they will be discussing “Getting to herd immunity: addressing children, confidence, and complacency”.
    Find out more here.

    Evaluating Integrated Care: How should we be evaluating integrated care? June 22, 2021
    Join the HSPN, IFIC Canada and Emerald Publishing as they discuss evaluation of integrated care both at a local and health system level.
    Register here.

  • Update on COVID Resources and Vaccines

    Dear Members,

    Your Primary Care Collaborative* (PCC) would like to update you on a few resources and supports for members with the ongoing pandemic and vaccine rollout. However, before providing any updates, we want to start by expressing our grief and sorrow about the tragic and horrifying events of the last few weeks, recognizing that racism and hate has been part of Canada since its inception. We are committed to working with our partners and allies to listen, learn, grow, and do better at creating a more equitable and safer country for all. You can read AFHTO’s statement here.

    A Quick Update on Vaccination Efforts
    While COVID cases have decreased over the last few weeks, the briefing by the Ontario Science Table yesterday is clear that the only way to avoid a fourth wave is to ensure first and second doses are prioritized in high-risk communities, vaccine clinics are tailored to community needs, and that there is strong testing and case and contact tracing.

    We were pleased to see yesterday’s announcement that Ontario is accelerating second doses in Delta hot spots (Halton, Peel, Porcupine, Toronto, Waterloo, Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph and York public health units) and continue to seek clarity on the role primary care providers are to play with the vaccine efforts in their communities.

    Materials from Webinar with Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, AMOH and Nicole Blackman, IHPCC
    On June 9th Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health within the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, provided updates on vaccine efficacy, breakthrough cases, Variants of Concern, vaccinations for youth, as well as a number of other questions raised by attendees. Nicole Blackman, Provincial Director at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council also spoke about why it was crucial that Indigenous people are prioritized to receive vaccines. Here are some of the resources you may find helpful that were discussed during the webinar:

    Upcoming Education Sessions and Webinars

    • OCFP Community of Practice
      • Getting to herd immunity: addressing children, confidence and complacency with Dr. Jeff Kwong (Epidemiologist, Family Physician, Toronto Western Family Health Team) and Dr. Nisha Thampi (Pediatric Infectious Disease Physician, IPAC Medical Director, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario). Register here.
    • Public Health Agency of Canada
      • NACI Recommendations on COVID-19 Vaccine Interchangeability – this moderated and live webinar includes a presentation and discussion on the NACI Recommendations on COVID-19 Vaccine Interchangeability with live Q&A to inform health care and vaccine providers. Register here for the June 16th (English) session or here for the June 18th (French) session.
    • COVID-19 Science Advisory Table
      • Medications for Outpatients with COVID-19 on Tuesday, June 15 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Register here.
    • AFHTO, OCFP, Alliance for Healthier Communities, Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics Association
      • Cancer Screening During the Pandemic and Onwards – a collaboration with our primary care partners and Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) on Monday, June 21, 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Register here.

     
    Oxygen Saturation Monitors continue to be available
    Oxygen saturation monitors are still available free of charge for primary care providers. Please be sure to order yours before the end of June! Every primary care provider can benefit from having these in their practice and for distribution to patients you may be monitoring with COVID, but also for other conditions (e.g., COPD).  These monitors will then belong to your practice – you do not need to return them to the Ministry of Health. Link to ordering survey HERE. Monitors usually arrive within 2-3 days after requesting. For questions, please contact OH_COVIDatHome@ontariohealth.ca. For a link to the one-pager with all the resource you need for monitoring COVID patients visit HERE.
     
    Additional Resources you may find helpful:  

    Updated PHAC and Ministry Guidance Documents:

    We look forward to continually updating you on the provincial vaccination strategy and hopefully a path forward to recovery. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or ideas.

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

    *Primary Care Collaborative partners

    • Alliance for Healthier Communities
    • Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
    • Indigenous Primary Health Care Council
    • Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association
    • Ontario College of Family Physicians
    • Ontario Medical Association Section on General and Family Practice