Tag: governance

  • Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors are open until July 29, 2022

    Dear AFHTO members:
     
    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.

    Four (4) positions are to be elected for a 3-year term on the 14-member AFHTO board. The AFHTO by-law calls for balanced representation on the board to include the various forms of governance, the regions of the province, and the mix of the professions/individuals working within FHTs, NPLCs and other interprofessional models of primary care.

    Given the composition of the continuing board members, priority for the directors to be elected will be given to candidates who are:

    • Family Physicians and Nurse Practitioners, especially individuals actively involved in OHT development and understanding of the broader health care system;  
    • Board members, especially community members in the position of Chair of the Board;
    • Interprofessional Health Care Providers, especially those actively involved in OHT development; or
    • Experienced in finance, including accreditation as a financial professional (e.g., CA, CPA, CMA).

    To apply:

    The Governance Committee of the AFHTO board will review all applications to assist the AFHTO board to determine the slate of candidates to recommend to the AFHTO membership for ratification at the AFHTO annual general meeting.

    • Nominees will be informed of their status after September 14th, 2022.
    • The slate will be presented to the members at the Annual General Meeting which will be conducted in-person this year at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel:

      Tuesday, October 11th, 2022
      (time TBD)

       

    Sincerely,
    Sara Dalo, Chair, AFHTO Governance Committee

  • Help shape final recommendations for the next FHT contract! Sign up for a discussion group

    This email was sent to EDs/Admin Leads, lead clinicians and board chairs of AFHTO member teams.

    Dear triad members,
     
    Since last fall, AFHTO has been working with members and consultant Dale McMurchy to develop recommendations for the next FHT contract. The current contract expires in March 2023, and AFHTO will be providing recommended changes to the Ministry of Health this fall on behalf of our membership. Our input can influence the next stage in the evolution of interprofessional primary care.
     
    As part of the process, we have consulted with our FHT Contract Working Group (seven EDs in various models) since the beginning. We’ve held multiple consultations where we heard from well over 100 members, and we presented draft recommendations to our board in March. We have also received feedback from the ministry and kept the OMA involved in the conversations.
     
    Next, we’d like you to consider joining one of the three working groups we’re forming based on the top areas for advancement that have been identified and where further discussion is needed:
     
    Accountability and Performance Discussion Group

    • The goal is to work towards aligning current reporting and performance measures, standardizing expectations related to performance and accountability, and to have initial discussions towards laying the groundwork for developing a provincial primary care performance framework.
    • Key considerations will be the nature and timing of reporting, applicability, and level of evidence of performance measures, as well as the feasibility, effort, and resources needed.

     
    FHT/Physician Affiliation Discussion Group

    • The goal is to clarify and strengthen FHT/physician partnerships (with affiliated and possibly unaffiliated physicians) by exploring requirements for a shared agreement/MOU.
    • Key considerations for the agreement/MOU template content will include guiding principles and goals; expectations related to roles, responsibilities and outcomes; team collaboration and shared care; and use of resources.

     
    Governance Discussion Group

    • The goal is to revisit the current governance models from a lens of ensuring the boards have a diversity of skills, experience and backgrounds representative of the community served, and are responsive to health equity, community/patient needs, and patient experience.
    • Key considerations will include the minimum standards for the Governance and Compliance attestation; how Boards are held accountable for performing their fiduciary, strategic, and generative duties; the requirement for board education and training; and any additional considerations for blended salary and academic models.

     
    We would like each working group to have 8-10 members, with a mix of EDs, physicians, and board members. We also hope to include 1-2 QIDSS on the Accountability and Performance Discussion Group.
     
    These groups will review the materials developed to date and help us finalise our recommendations to the ministry. We anticipate 3 to 4 meetings for each discussion group between June and September, with the first meeting planned for early June. Timing and frequency will be determined during the first meeting, and we will work to minimize the burden.
     
    We would like to emphasise that the recommendations we develop will be submitted to and discussed with the ministry, who will make the final decisions.
     
    If you’re interested in joining one discussion group, please complete this quick survey by Friday, May 13.
     
    Any questions, please contact Bryn Hamilton at bryn.hamilton@afhto.ca.
     
    Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to these discussions.
     
    Sincerely,
    AFHTO

     

  • Ukrainians Fleeing War: Early Assessment Considerations for Primary Care Providers

    Today, the Ontario government announced the launching of a suite of supports for Ukrainian families arriving under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel. The supports available include Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) coverage. Please find the News Release here and additional information on coming to Ontario from Ukraine here.

    The ministry has developed the attached guidance document, Ukrainians Fleeing War: Early Assessment Considerations for Primary Care Providers. This document is intended to support primary health care providers in their early assessments and care of individuals arriving in Ontario who have been displaced due to the war in Ukraine.

    English and French versions will be posted on the ministry’s website shortly.

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

    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

    screenshot of webinar video with triangle depictng different governance roles

    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:

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


    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

    Register here.


    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.

  • Notice of the AFHTO Annual General Meeting – Oct. 26, 2021

    Dear AFHTO Members:

    This Notice of the Annual General Meeting (AGM) is being e-mailed to the Board Chair, Executive Director/Administrative Lead, Lead Physician or Clinic Director Nurse Practitioner, of each organization who, according to the AFHTO by-law, is eligible to vote. The AGM will be held the day before the Annual AFHTO Conference and before the Fireside Chat With Enterprise Canada – What Can You Expect In The Upcoming Provincial Election session.

    The Virtual Annual General Meeting takes place:

    Tuesday, October 26th, 2021
    4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

    Register here: https://events.myconferencesuite.com/AFHTO_2021_Registration/reg/landing

    Each AFHTO team-based model of care member is entitled to designate one voting representative for the AGM. The member Board Chair has the right to appoint any person associated with their organization as the voting delegate.

    Please e-mail sombo.saviye@afhto.ca to indicate who will be voting as representative of your organization before the Annual General Meeting as soon as possible. The AGM will take place as part of the virtual conference and voting delegates must register before the meeting to receive their log-in information. Conference registration is available here and please be sure to check the box to indicate attendance at the AGM.  

    For individuals not able to attend the AGM, you will also find a proxy ballot which you can submit 48 hours before the meeting with your vote.

    The agenda and accompanying reports for this AGM are below. The AFHTO Board will present:

    • The 2021 AFHTO Annual Report to the members;
    • AFHTO’s financial report including the audited statements for the fiscal year 2020/2021; and
    • The proposed acclamation of four Board of Directors.

    There will be an opportunity for you to ask questions and share ideas. You are also most welcome to send me your comments, questions, or ideas in advance.

    On behalf of the AFHTO Board, we look forward to virtually seeing you at the meeting.

    Sincerely,
    Kavita Mehta
    Chief Executive Officer

    AGM documents:

     

  • Eight New Ontario Health Teams Announced

    Congratulations to the eight new Ontario Health Teams and to our member teams that are engaged and participating in the development of OHTs. This list may be updated as more information becomes available.

    Ontario Health Team

    AFHTO Members
    Barrie and Area OHT

    Barrie and Community FHT

    Barrie CHC

    Elgin OHT

     

    East Elgin FHT

    Thames Valley FHT

     

    Four Rivers OHT

    Arnprior and District FHT
    Ottawa Valley FHT
    West Carleton FHT

    Grey-Bruce OHT

    Brockton and Area FHT
    Kincardine FHT
    Hanover FHT
    Owen Sound FHT
    Peninsula FHT

    Sauble FHT

    Hastings Prince Edward OHT

    Bancroft Community FHT

    Belleville NPLC
    Central Hastings FHT

    Lakeview FHT
    Prince Edward FHT
    Queens FHT

    Network 24 OHT

    Algonquins of Pikwakanagan FHT

    Madawaska Valley FHT

    North Renfrew FHT

    Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre
    South Algonquin FHT

    West Champlain FHT

    North Simcoe OHT North Simcoe FHT
    Upper Canada, Cornwall and Area OHT Rideau St. Lawrence FHT

    Relevant Link:

  • Bits & Pieces: rides to vaccination sites, immunization reconciliation and more

    Bits & Pieces: rides to vaccination sites, immunization reconciliation and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates


    In This Issue  
    • Rides to vaccination sites for people with disabilities
    • Virtual CBT for insomnia slides and video
    • Last reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 30
    • COVID-19 immunization reconciliation tool, maternal-neonatal guidelines and more
    • Request for updated member renewal forms
    • New resources- seniors’ mental health & developmental surveillance
    • Reminder- seeking pharmacists’ input on experiences and contributions to mental health care during COVID-19
    • Upcoming events regarding aggregate primary care vaccination report and more

     

    Rides to vaccination sites for people with disabilities

    The Ontario Community Support Association’s Accessible Drive-to-Vaccines program provides door-to-door rides to vaccination sites for people with disabilities, including seniors with mobility issues. To determine eligibility, identify a local transportation provider and request service, visit www.ontariocommunitysupport.ca


    CBT webinar title slide

    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. Slides and video are now available here.

     


    Last 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.


    COVID-19 immunization reconciliation tool, maternal-neonatal guidelines and more

    Recent updates include:

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


    Request for updated member renewal forms

    Thank you to all our members for renewing another year. To ensure our records are kept up to date (and to keep our auditors happy), please email your completed member renewal form to info@afhto.ca if you haven’t already done so. Any change in the leadership triad, patient numbers, etc. helps inform our advocacy and our ability to connect the right people with the most relevant information available. Contact us at info@afhto.ca if you need a new form.


    New resources- seniors’ mental health & developmental surveillance


    Reminder- seeking pharmacists’ input on experiences and contributions to mental health care during COVID-19

    If you are a primary care pharmacist, University of Toronto researchers want to hear from you! Their study seeks 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 questions.
     
    This study from the University of Toronto is co-led by Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft, Assistant Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, and Dr. Lisa Dolovich, Professor & Dean at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy.
     
    To take the survey, please click on this link: https://bit.ly/SplPharm.


    Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report Info Session, July 29, 2021
    Learn more about the new COVaxON Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report, as helpful strategies are discussed for accessing the reports and using the information to reach out to patients to understand their needs and discuss the benefits of receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Find out more here.


    How to Speak with Loved Ones About Getting Vaccinated, Aug. 4, 2021

    Join Dr. Danyaal Raza, Rexdale Vaccine Ambassador Terrence Rodriguez, and Behavioural Neuroscientist Olga Rodríguez-Sierra on having conversations with vaccine hesitant community members. Sign up 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.


    Introduction to CARF Network Accreditation for Ontario Health Teams, Aug. 18, 2021
    Hosted by CARF Canada. Register here.


    NPAO 2021 Virtual Annual Conference, Sep. 23-24, 2021
    This years’ Conference theme is Nurse Practitioner: Innovative Influencers of Health and Wellness. Find out more.

  • 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 IncidentsEN 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.

  • Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors are open until July 30, 2021

    Dear AFHTO members:
     
    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.

    Four (4) positions are to be elected for a 3-year term on the 14-member AFHTO board. The AFHTO by-law calls for balanced representation on the board to include the various forms of governance, the regions of the province, and the mix of the professions/individuals working within FHTs, NPLCs and other interprofessional models of primary care.

    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);

    To apply:

    The Governance Committee of the AFHTO board will review all applications to assist the AFHTO board to determine the slate of candidates to recommend to the AFHTO membership for ratification at the AFHTO annual general meeting.

    • Nominees will be informed of their status after September 22, 2021.
    • The slate will be presented to the members at the Annual General Meeting which will be conducted virtually this year:

    Tuesday, October 26th, 2021
    4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    (More Details to Follow)

    Sincerely,
    Clarys Tirel, Chair, AFHTO Governance Committee

  • Year-End Ministry of Health Updates

    Dear Executive Directors and Administrative Leads,

     

    We had a year-end call with ministry officials last week and would like to provide an update on multiple operational topics that were discussed.

    AOP submission

    There will be a pause on AOPs for 2021/22. They will resume for an April 2022 submission. While there will be no AOP this year, teams can still submit unsolicited funding requests as needed.

    The ministry is also analyzing quarterly reports and forecasting data to examine increases to overhead, rent, hydro, IT, professional services, etc. Through this process, they hope to get a sense of overall budgetary trends, limitations, and constraints across teams. We will share more on this work as we learn it, but we encourage teams to be timely with quarterly reports and audited financial statements to help inform this work.

    FHT contract

    The FHT contract is due to expire in 2022. However, the ministry has indicated that they will be extending the contract for one year, which they will communicate to teams directly when the decision is made. We have signalled that we would like to modernize the FHT contract to better reflect the current environment, so there will be discussion and consultation on possible contract changes and improvements. We do not yet have a timeline for these consultations, but we will begin internal discussions with members soon.

    Quality Improvement Plans (QIPs)

    Last April, OH(Q) paused QIP submissions for 2020/21 due the COVID-19 pandemic. The QIP Navigator remained open so that organizations that had the capacity to continue working on submissions were able to do so. They will be closing the 2020/21 cycle in Navigator on March 24, 2021.

    Regarding 2021/22 QIPs, OH(Q) understands that organizations continue to be under unprecedented pressure related to the pandemic and that this will likely continue for the next several months. As such, they are adjusting the 2021/22 QIP to help ensure that organizations can focus their efforts on responding to urgent needs related to COVID-19.

    While QI is of critical importance in the collective response to COVID-19, the pause on the program will continue for now. They will monitor the situation and share a revised approach in the coming months.

    The approach to 2021/22 will be designed to provide organizations with flexibility to reflect where they are with their QI efforts given the pandemic, local needs, pressures, and goals for the recovery period. They encourage organizations to continue with their local QI initiatives and will be in touch soon.    

    If your team has not submitted the 2020/21 QIP, which was due last April, it would be good to close it out. OH(Q) has created a video to help with that process. For any questions, please contact OH(Q) at qip@ontariohealth.ca.

    Mental health and addiction funding

    All teams should have received their one-time federal funding allocation to support the increase in MH&A supports needed as a result of COVID-19. Unfortunately, our request to allow these funds to be carried over due to the timing of the funding receipt and the exceptional circumstances of COVID-19 was denied. Funding must be spent by March 31, 2021. However, there is considerable flexibility in how teams can utilize this funding if it can be tied to providing MH&A relief (e.g., training, equipment, IT).

    Please note there is very specific and very limited criteria for which the government allows funds to be carried over into the next fiscal year and the MH&A funding does not meet the criteria. (For example, OHT funding meets the requirements of “project funding for implementation and start up,” so there is allowance for carry over of OHT funds.)

    Funding for vaccine clinics

    There is no direct funding from the ministry for teams that are working in or running COVID-19 vaccine clinics. Any inquiries about this funding need to be directed to your local public health unit as they are managing the budgets related to roll-out of the vaccine clinics.

    Also, a reminder that physicians on your team can review a Ministry INFOBulletin regarding newly negotiated compensation for vaccinations and vaccine outreach.

    Governance review

    The ministry recently conducted an assessment of the Governance & Attestation documents submitted by teams as part of their annual submission requirements. This assessment identified two areas that need improvement for many boards: 1) board monitoring of organizational performance; and 2) board self-performance monitoring.

    Over the next few months, we will be developing practical tools and templates to support team boards in these two areas. As a result of the review, some teams may also receive a specific action plan from the ministry identifying opportunities for further improvement in governance practices.

    Call-out to EDs to join a short-term working group!

    One of the first tools AFHTO will be developing to assist with governance, as noted in the previous section, is a toolkit for “Governance Oversight of Organizational Performance.” This will be done in collaboration with the Centre for Organizational Effectiveness. AFHTO is looking for guidance and input from EDs to inform this work.

    We’re hoping three or four EDs may be available in April and May to provide insight and feedback! We expect this would be two or three 1-hour virtual meetings over the course of the two months, and a few occasional questions via email regarding the document as it is developed. If you are able and interested, please email Bryn Hamilton.

    We hope you are all keeping well! If you have any questions, please contact us any time at info@afhto.ca.

    Sincerely,

    Your AFHTO Team