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Tag: government

  • Bits & Pieces: create AFHTO 2023 Conference and more

    Bits & Pieces: create AFHTO 2023 Conference and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • AFHTO 2023 Conference: create YOUR hybrid conference. Sign up by May 2
    • Welcome to Connor Kemp
    • CPS: Beyond the Monograph webinar April 26
    • Compensation market survey walkthrough video
    • Member stories
    • Relevant news and reports – OHT updates and more
    • Upcoming events including Autistic people and the COVID-19 pandemic – what have we learned so far, and more

     

    text says Team Based Care: Making it a reality for all in white font on a blue streaked background, like hyperspace

    AFHTO 2023 Conference: create YOUR hybrid conference. Sign up by May 2

    Come behind the scenes of our 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 2.

     

    Welcome to Connor Kemp

    Connor is wearing a light polka dotted shirt with brown tie, belt and grey pants. he has his hands in his pockets as he leans forward a little smiling.

    We’re happy to introduce Connor Kemp, our new Project Manager and KTE Specialist.

    Connor began his professional career in the hospital sector at PRHC in decision support. His desire to work in primary care landed him in a QIDSS position in the Kingston area. He has been engaged in several primary care research initiatives, including a clinic efficiency and burnout pilot project.

    Connor’s interest in primary care research led him to pursue an adjunct position with Queen’s University, where he has spent the past year supervising students in a primary care placement. He is also collaborating with colleagues to design experiments for testing biometric wearables to aid the decision-making process for primary care providers. He wishes to expand this data-driven decision-making research in PC. Connor has a background in mechanical/materials engineering and spent much of his graduate time at McGill developing automated screening processes for biomaterials.

    Welcome, Connor to the team!

    CPS: Beyond the Monograph webinar April 26

     

    CPS: Beyond the Monograph webinar April 26

    In February we sent an email to EDs and Admin Leads titled “Introducing our new benefit- discount on CPS Full Access” (triad access only). It gives a 40% discount to members for CPS Full Access. For those who’d like a demonstration, Canadian Pharmacists Association is hosting a webinar on April 26, 12:30 pm. Register here.

    They have also extended their free trial until May 1, 2023 for those who’d like a more hands-on approach.

     

     

    Compensation market survey walkthrough video

    On Friday, April 14, the Alliance hosted the Ontario Community Health Market Review walkthrough. The video is now available. The survey package itself was sent to EDs, Admin Leads and designated representatives of AFHTO member teams on April 4. The deadline to submit the survey to Eckler has been revised to April 27 to allow closer to two weeks after the walkthrough for survey completion. If you haven’t received the email, please contact us. For inquiries regarding the survey itself, please contact Tiffney Hill at thill@eckler.ca.

    Member stories

    Bruyère Academic FHT – pilot project cuts opioid use among patients with chronic pain

    Credit Valley FHT – Minister Marci Ien highlights Budget 2023 investments to strengthen public health care

    Inner City FHT – Inner City FHT to develop substance use hub for people experiencing homelessness

    Sunset Country FHT – Northwestern Health Unit report recommends safe consumption services in 4 Ontario communities

    Relevant news and reports – OHT updates and more

    ONCA Compliance Webinar, Apr. 20, 2023
    Hosted by Mills & Mills LLP, this free webinar will address steps organizations can take and what to be mindful of as we approach the Oct 2024 deadline. Register here.

    Autistic people and the COVID-19 pandemic – what have we learned so far? Apr. 27, 2023
    Hosted by CAMH. Register here.

    How can peer counsellors extend interprofessional teams and enhance care? Apr. 28, 2023
    Part of the DFCM New Horizons Speaker Series, join a virtual fireside chat on incorporating peer counsellors into interprofessional care teams to enhance care. Register here.

    Eating Disorders Quality Standard Webinar, May 5, 2023
    This session will introduce Ontario Health’s recently released Eating Disorders quality standard and describe how it can drive quality improvement and improve care for Ontarians across the health system. Register here.

    Collaborative Health Governance Program, June 14-17, 2023
    Offered by the McMaster Health Leadership Academy. Find out more.

  • Bits & Pieces: 2023 Ontario budget and more

    Bits & Pieces: 2023 Ontario budget and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Overview of the 2023 Ontario government budget
    • Farewell to Abisola Otepola
    • PCC submission re Bill 60, Your Health Act, 2023
    • Reminder- CPS Full Access free trial ends April 1
    • Chronic noncancer pain management: Integration of a nurse-led program in primary care
    • Upcoming events including DFCM New Horizons Speaker Series with Dr. Kwame McKenzie, and more

    Overview of the 2023 Ontario government budget

    Last Thursday the government released their 2023 Ontario Budget, Building a Strong Ontario. This budget was largely a reinforcement of “Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care”. Introduced in February 2023, it focused on three pillars: The Right Care in the Right Place, Faster Access to Care, and Hiring More Health Care Workers.

    Most relevant, the provincial budget recommitted to connect Ontarians to additional primary care teams by investing $60 million over two years. We have confirmed this is the same $30 million that was announced in February, carried over 2 years resulting in a total investment of $60 million dollars. While this is a step in the right direction, we are disappointed there was not more of a commitment over the longer term.

    The health human resources crisis that currently exists was acknowledged through additional investments in nursing, medical school education and home care, but none were made for primary care nor any mention of dropping the appeal to retain Bill 124. However, much needed support in mental health and addictions was welcomed. Read full details on our site.

    Abisola Otepola

    Farewell to Abisola Otepola

    It is with genuinely mixed feelings we announce that Abisola Otepola will be leaving AFHTO for new opportunities.

    Abisola has been with AFHTO since last May as Director of Policy and Stakeholder Relations. Many have you had the pleasure of working with her as she has led our efforts on the compensation review and IHP guidance document, details of which are to be released soon.

    We’re going to miss Abisola but know she will bring so much to her future endeavours. Please join us in giving her our sincerest best wishes. Her last day with AFHTO will be April 14 – any questions related to her work can be directed to info@afhto.ca.

    PCC submission re Bill 60, Your Health Act, 2023

    On Mar. 27, members of the PCC including AFHTO presented our submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy on Bill 60, Your Health Act, 2023. “We are committed to working with the government on health policy that will uphold the principles necessary to provide Ontarians with the care they need. This submission highlights further clarification and recommendations regarding Bill 60 to ensure an equitable and sustainable approach to the delivery of care provided under this act.” Read the submission here.

    Reminder- CPS Full Access free trial ends April 1

    On Feb. 23, we sent an email, “Introducing our new benefit- discount on CPS Full Access”, to all member EDs and Admin Leads. If you spend time clarifying prescriptions, use CPS Full Access, a Canadian-developed platform that features up-to-date Canadian information such as:

    • Current drug shortages.
    • Health Canada–approved product names, indications, dosing and patient information.
    • Warnings, recalls and safety alerts.
    • Evidence-based therapeutic content and algorithms.
    • Drug tables with price ranges.  

    This is a reminder that the free trial expires April 1. After that, members can get a 40% discount. Login information for the trial is available on our site at the triad level only (i.e., accessible just to EDs/Admin Leads, lead clinicians and board members). This benefit is being offered on a trial basis for a year, at which time we will assess participation rates. If you have any questions, please feel free to email info@afhto.ca.

    Chronic noncancer pain management: Integration of a nurse-led program in primary care

    Problem addressed Chronic noncancer pain is often excessively managed with medications (most notably opioids) instead of nonpharmacologic options or multidisciplinary care—the gold standards.

    Objective of program To offer an effective alternative to pharmacologic management of chronic noncancer pain in primary care.

    Learn more about the successful integration of this nurse-led program at Bruyère Academic FHT.

    DFCM New Horizons Speaker Series with Dr. Kwame McKenzie, Mar. 31, 2023
    Join a conversation with Dr. Kwame McKenzie, CEO of Wellesley Institute and Professor of Psychiatry at U of T, on how family doctors and primary care providers can better link their work in education, research, and quality improvement to the social determinants of health, and how to partner with organizations that serve communities to be more socially accountable in their work. Learn more here.

    Surgical Site Infections Quality Standard Webinar, Apr. 13, 2023
    This session will introduce Ontario Health’s recently released Surgical Site Infections quality standard and describe how it can drive quality improvement and improve care for Ontarians across the health system. Register here.

    QI Innovations: Better Data, Better Decisions, Better Outcomes, Apr. 18, 2023
    This year’s free QI Innovations conference is for mental health and addiction providers and system planners who are interested in data driven decision making and quality improvement. Register here.

    Autistic people and the COVID-19 pandemic – what have we learned so far? Apr. 27, 2023
    Hosted by CAMH. Register here.

  • Overview of the 2023 Ontario Government Budget

    2023 Ontario Budget – Building a Strong Ontario
    An overview of the Ontario government’s budget

    March 24, 2023

    Overview
    Yesterday the government released their 2023 Ontario Budget, Building a Strong Ontario. This budget focuses on five pillars:

    1. Building Ontario’s Economy for Today and Tomorrow
    2. Building Highways, Transit and Infrastructure Projects
    3. Working for Workers
    4. Keeping Your Costs Down
    5. Better Services for You

    “With the budget’s significant focus on ways to combat the affordability crisis and tumultuous economic times, the government has made a strategic decision in this budget to shift the public dialogue from health care to those files.”- Enterprise Canada’s Health Care Analysis

    This budget was largely a reinforcement of “Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care”. Introduced in February 2023, it focused on three pillars: The Right Care in the Right Place, Faster Access to Care, and Hiring More Health Care Workers.

    Most relevant, the provincial budget recommitted to connect Ontarians to additional primary care teams by investing $60 million over two years. We have confirmed this is the same $30 million that was announced in February, carried over 2 years resulting in a total investment of $60 million dollars. While this is a step in the right direction, we are disappointed there was not more of a commitment over the longer term.

    The health human resources crisis that currently exists was acknowledged through additional investments in nursing, medical school education and home care, but none were made for primary care nor any mention of dropping the appeal to retain Bill 124. However, much needed support in mental health and addictions was welcomed.

    For additional information, please read:

    Summary of Health Care Investments:

    Team-Based Care:

    • $60 million over two years to expand existing teams and create up to 18 primary care teams in communities with the greatest need ($30 million was previously announced for 2022-2023 and this commits this funding into 2023-2024).

    HHR Recruitment and Education:

    • The government is providing an additional $3.3 million over the next three years, beginning in 2023–24, to expand access to dual credit opportunities in health care‐related courses for an additional 1,400 secondary students.
    • The province is expanding the Ontario Learn and Stay Grant to add more health care professionals in underserved and growing communities. Applications will open this spring for the 2023–24 academic year, targeting up to 2,500 postsecondary students who enrol in – nursing programs in Northern, Eastern and Southwestern Ontario; medical laboratory technologist/medical laboratory sciences programs in Northern and Southwestern Ontario; and paramedic programs in Northern Ontario.
    • $200 million in 2023-2024 to extend supports to address immediate health care staffing shortages, as well as to grow the workforce, including investments in the Enhanced Extern Program and the Supervised Practice Experience Partnership Program
    • $100.8 million over the next three years to expand and accelerate the rollout of undergraduate and postgraduate seats.
    • $33 million over three years to add 100 undergraduate seats beginning in 2023, as well as 154 postgraduate medical training seats to prioritize Ontario residents trained at home and abroad beginning in 2024
    • $51 million over three years to support the Dedicated Offload Nurses Program to support timely 911 responses by hiring health care workers focused exclusively on transferring ambulance patients to hospital care, allowing paramedics to respond to more calls.

    Home Care and Seniors Supports

    • $569 million in 2023-2024, including nearly $300 million to support contract rate increases to stabilize the workforce. (part of the government’s previous commitment to invest up to $1 billion over three years for home care.)
    • $174 million over two years, starting in 2024-2025, to continue the Community Paramedicine for Long-Term Care Program to serve all eligible seniors across Ontario.  
    • The government is investing an additional $5 million annually for three years starting in 2022–23 to support 6,500 people with dementia to live independently in their homes and to be engaged in their community. (Previously announced in 2022 budget)

    Hospital and Long-Term Care Capital Investments

    • The government is making a multibillion-dollar investment in hospital infrastructure. This is included in a 10-year plan to invest more than $48 billion in hospital infrastructure, including over $32 billion for more than 50 hospital projects that would add 3,000 new beds. (Previously announced in 2022 budget)
    • A four per cent increase in base operating funding for hospitals.
    • $72 million in 2023-2024 to increase surgeries at community surgical and diagnostic centres. (This builds on $300 million as part of the surgical recovery strategy and $18 million for diagnostics and surgeries in existing facilities.)
    • $5.5 million in 2023-2024 to build new Behavioural Specialized Units in long-term care homes, including approximately 70 new specialized beds, to expand care for individuals with complex needs.
    • $1.2 million to the Ontario Personal Support Workers Association to promote the PSW profession in the long-term care sector to help with recruitment.

    Access to MHA

    • $425 million over three years, including a five per cent increase in the base funding of community-based mental health and addictions service providers. (Builds on an investment of $3.8 billion over 10 years included in the Roadmap to Wellness.)
    • $202 million each year in the Homelessness Prevention Program and Indigenous Supportive Housing Program to help those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, struggling with mental health and substance use, those escaping intimate partner violence, community organizations that deliver housing services.

    Other Health Care

    • The government commits to expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists to cover additional minor ailments including mild to moderate acne, canker sores, diaper dermatitis, yeast infections, pinworms and threadworms, nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
    • The government is investing $3.1 million in 2023–24 for an expansion of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Ottawa House.
    • To support children and youth with complex special needs, the government is investing $12 million over three years to fund 14 additional beds at Safehaven, a not‐for‐profit organization providing residential and respite care at community sites in the Greater Toronto Area.

    This budget only goes a little further for primary care teams. Most critical will be our support to government as they roll out the investment in primary care to focus on those communities with higher rates of patients not attached to teams and/or those that have historically faced greater barriers to funding to meet population health needs.

    We will be in close communication with Ministry officials, especially considering the context of the recent federal-provincial agreements and their implications for primary care. We will keep members apprised of ongoing developments and urge each of you to stay in touch with your local MPPs as local advocacy could be a game changer in influencing the development of this expansion. #ItTakesATeam

  • $30 million new/expansion funding for teams

    Dear Executive Directors/Administrative Leads,

    On Feb 2nd we shared Minister Jones launch of the Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care. This plan includes an investment of $30 million to create up to 18 new teams and help bridge the gap in accessing interprofessional primary care for vulnerable, marginalized, and unattached patients to ensure they are able to connect to care where and when they need it. While the number of 18 was noted in the plan, the Ministry may also be looking at expansion of EXISTING teams and new satellite locations and will share their expectations as they work through their internal planning.

    As we await further information around next steps in the funding implementation process, we encourage all teams to begin thinking about and preparing for the call for proposals. We expect Ministry/OH will release guidance documents towards the end of March with a submission timeline of end of April. We have requested Ministry/OH to provide a technical briefing and review of the relevant documents and process once finalized. We will share the date of this webcast once confirmed.

    To get an idea of what the application template MIGHT look like, here is the link to the 2017-19 IPC Team Expansion Business Case Template. We anticipate the new application process will be similar in terms of structure and big categories for content. Below are also number of principles from the previous process that you may want to keep in mind to help create a successful submission:

    Planning Principles

    • Readiness for early implementation
    • Population health based planning approach
    • Promote equitable access to interdisciplinary primary care across the OHT
    • Enhance access to appropriate, linguistically and culturally sensitive care and services
    • Engage patients and caregivers in planning
    • Integrate and collaborate with local health, social and community service providers
    • Develop model for comprehensive, continuous and coordinated care
    • Enhance attachment, accessibility and timeliness of primary care
    • Enhanced quality improvement and safety
    • Reduce barriers to access to care for vulnerable populations (e.g., Francophone and Indigenous populations)
    • In areas where teams exist, it would be optimal to leverage these existing teams to minimize administrative costs and expend the majority of the allocation on direct patient care.

    Implementation Principles

    • Services/programs reflect OHT population health needs
    • Services/programs are open to the wider community (i.e. populations beyond the rostered or registered patients)
    • Patient and community engagement is a component of planning and governance
    • Health equity is a focus of programs/services
    • Increased programming that is planned and delivered in a culturally sensitive manner, with special focus on addressing the needs of disadvantaged communities, including Indigenous peoples and Francophone Ontarians in Ontario
    • Focus on quality, including reporting on key performance indicators
    • Governance structure that includes community members to ensure local population needs are met
    • Improved attachment and access to primary care across OHT
    • Embedded care coordination and care navigation in primary care settings

    Please also note that the $30M is inclusive of increases in base funding for those teams experiencing overhead budget pressures – the process for increases in your base budget will be included in your annual operating plan which is set to be released imminently. Please make sure you join Fernando Tavares for a Q&A on March 28th @ 12:00pm where he will also touch upon the process to apply for increased base funding and provide an overview of this year’s annual operating plan and governance attestation documents. Register here.

    As always, please contact us if you have any questions.

  • Register Now – New Governance Support Available

    Hello EDs/Admin leads, board chairs, and lead clinicians,

    We’ve got all your Governance Training needs covered! Please see the Governance courses, webcast and training sessions available through AFHTO below:

    Provincial Webcast: Governing Through Complexity
    As a result of COVID-19, the implementation of Ontario Health Teams, HHR challenges, capacity and access constraints, and the shift to a population based approach, the pace of change has been quick and for many governors of primary health care teams the question remains: “What is the role of our board in this changing environment? How do we strengthen our governance practices? Where should we focus our efforts?”? This provincial webcast will help explore these questions and equip board members with the necessary knowledge to lead effectively and implement high functioning governance practices.

    Facilitators:       

    Dr. Rob Annis | Family Physician & AFHTO Board Member
    North Perth Family Health Team
    Bryn Hamilton | Interim CEO
    Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario

    DATE: April 4th 12:00-1:30pm

    AFHTO/David Hartley Partnership
    Many of you are familiar with David Hartley’s particular expertise in primary care governance, so we are excited to share AFHTO’s partnership with him! David will offer his ‘Best Practice FHT Board Governance Training’ to teams on a 50/50 cost shared arrangement with AFHTO. This is $1350 in savings for teams! Up to 20 teams will receive Training in the form of either: 1) Virtual Option: 2 X 90 minute virtual training sessions (the sessions can be spread out 2 months). Cost per team = $1350; 2) In-Person Option: 3 hours at a location of your choosing. Cost per team = $1850

    More details on the resources and course content are available here.

    AFHTO/Charity Village Partnership
    We are pleased to announce a continued partnership with Charity Village to offer our teams a range of free governance courses. Over 100 members across 25 teams took advantage of these sessions last year with overwhelmingly positive feedback. We have added to the course offerings this year to ensure a broad range of topics to choose from.  

    Each course is chock full of solid information and practical resources that you can download and keep on hand for future reference. Courses are offered virtually in a self paced format. You have 3 months to complete the course once started. Below is a list of courses teams may choose from.

    1. Better Board Kit
    This is a three-part series which includes a 1.5 hr online, on-demand Boards that Work course + a Board Self Evaluation Survey + a Facilitation Guide that will walk your board through a planning session based on the survey results. The Boards that Work kit is available for up to 10 board members.

    For more information, please visit this page. This is a great refresher for all board members and a good way to complete the board evaluation that’s required as part of your governance attestation!

    2. Governing your Organization: A Deeper Dive
    Building on the foundations established in the Boards That Work course, this is a 2 hour on-demand course. For more information, please visit this page.

    3. Diversity, Sensitivity, and Inclusion Training: Promoting Anti-Discrimination and Equity in the Workplace
    This is an on-demand course that will take approximately 1-2 hours to complete. For more information, please visit this page.

    4. IDEA
    This module introduces core concepts and principles to help you establish foundational knowledge of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). For more information, please visit this page.

    5. OHSA and AODA Compliance Training Package (Available for Managers and/or Employees)
    Compliance training regarding Harassment, Health & Safety and Accessibility are mandatory for all non-profit organizations. Ensure your organization is protected from risk and non-compliance by signing up. For more information, please visit this page (managers) or this page (employees).

    If you are interested in any of the courses or training listed above, please click here.

    Setting the Cornerstone: A Blueprint for the Implementation of PCNs in Ontario Discussion document

    And finally, in our efforts to strengthen overall governance practices and models by enabling horizontal integration of the primary care sector, we are pleased to share with you the concept discussion paper developed specifically for the Ministry of Health that outlines preliminary recommendations for the establishment of Primary Care Networks (or PCNs) in Ontario. Developed jointly with AFHTO/OCFP/SGFP, the Blueprint provides an important opportunity to strengthening our province’s primary care system.

    We respectfully acknowledge that further consultation with our members and key stakeholders representative of the sector is required to refine the recommendations being presented. We hope that by sharing the document it will be considered a starting point for discussions between the Ministry of Health, Ontario Health and representative of the primary care sector. With any changes it is critical that we work in co-design and all voices are heard. We will keep all members updated as conversations unfold.

     
    Any questions, feel free to reach out! We hope you find these offerings helpful as we continue to elevate our governance practices across teams.

  • Winter Highlights 2023: AFHTO Leadership Council

    Fernando Tavares, Program Manager, Primary Health Care Branch, OHIP, Pharmaceuticals and Devices Division, MOH joined the AFHTO Leadership Council on February 17. Below are highlights from that meeting and updates on work that is underway.

    Q & A with Fernando Tavares
    Fernando Tavares joined the Leadership Council meeting for an hour-long Q&A session to discuss various topics, including provincial factors that are shaping and influencing the direction of team-based care in Ontario. Questions focused on the shift to a population-based approach to care, the future state of OHTs, relations between MOH and OH, HHR challenges, and organizing primary care. You can access the recording here.

    We are also pleased to announce that Fernando will join us for another Q&A session to provide a brief update on the Annual Operating Plan (submission timelines + process), discuss further details on the FHT contract extension including updates to the Governance & Attestation document, and review details of the “Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care” investment of $30 million to help bridge the gap in accessing interprofessional primary care.  All EDs are invited to attend the session on March 28th @ 12:00pm. Click here to register.

    Preliminary Survey to Capture MHA Funding Impact
    Further to our memo released on January 30th,the IPHCC has developed a preliminary survey to assess the progress and utilization of the MHA funding. Recognizing that teams have until March 31st to spend these funds, the intent of this survey is to capture the work you have underway and identify areas where we can provide further guidance, if necessary. The survey should take 5-7 minutes to complete. Please note this is not a replacement for the fulsome evaluation that the IHPCC will send to you in April. Read the full message here.

    Please complete the survey here before March 10. Your participation is greatly appreciated and will help to inform the feedback provided to the Ministry as well as the final survey you will receive in April. If you can’t access the link or have questions about the survey, please contact Abisola at abisola.otepola@afhto.ca.

    Market Salary Review & Compensation Working Group
    In 2022, multiple associations and organizations came together as the Community Compensation Working Group to jointly support a market survey in order to get a better idea of the wage disparity and compensation challenges across interprofessional primary care, community support services, community mental health and long-term care. The market salary review will be conducted for 78 positions across the primary and community care sectors. The Working Group has since partnered with Eckler Ltd. to begin this work with an estimated completion by end of spring 2023. Once complete, recommendations will be presented to the government and funders on reasonable, fair, and equitable compensation across the healthcare sector. Our goal is to demonstrate the significant pay gap and wage inequities across the community sector and to compel government to pay healthcare providers and staff the compensation they deserve.

    To ensure a successful market study with a substantive sample, Executive Directors are being asked to complete a survey that will accompany the market review. Surveys are targeted to be launched in late February 2023. If you have questions about this market study, please feel free to contact, Abisola Otepola at abisola.otepola@afhto.ca.

    IHP roles and responsibilities
    IHP members requested updated information on roles and responsibilities of IHPs to aid in the coordination and management of their respective teams. AFHTO is currently validating information that had been provided and is planning to release the information over the coming months.  Following the release of the guidance document, plans are in place to host a webinar series with a focus on individual IHP disciplines/roles. The goal is to have generative discussion around individual roles and responsibilities, challenges, and key enablers using the guidance document as the starting point. This work will be done in partnership with associations and key stakeholders. Preliminary timelines for this will be summer 2023.

    A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care – what we know to date
    On Feb 2nd 2023,  Health Minister Sylvia Jones launched Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, a plan that sets the vision and direction for Ontario’s health system strategy for the next few years. We were thrilled to see an investment of $30 million to expand or create new teams and help bridge the gap in accessing interprofessional primary care for vulnerable, marginalized, and unattached patients to ensure they can connect to care where and when they need it.

    AFHTO has been advocating for years around expansion of team-based care and it’s great to see the first large investment to expand teams in the province in a number of years. The details of what the implementation will look like (new teams or expansion of already existing teams) is still being worked through and we hope to provide you with more information as we continue to dialogue with the Ministry and Ontario Health. To read more about the Your Health plan please click here.

    PCN Primer
    Within the Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care we were also pleased to see the commitment to help support organizing primary care by:

    Creating a connected health care system through Ontario Health Teams by supporting collaboration and engagement with primary care providers across the province through the creation of primary care networks. Every Ontario Health Team will include a group of primary care providers organized in a network to be part of decision-making and to improve access to care for patients.

    To support the notion of primary organization, AFHTO along with our SGFP and OCFP partners have developed a concept discussion paper for the Ministry that outlines preliminary recommendations for the establishment of Primary Care Networks (or PCNs) in Ontario. A two-page primer summarizing the key concepts of PCNs can be seen here. We look forward to further consultations with our members and stakeholders over the coming months to refine the draft recommendations presented.

    $8.1M Funding Announcement for Expansion of Teams
    The provincial government is providing $8.1 million in new annualized base funding to enhance access to primary care in key regions of the province. “This funding will support various interprofessional primary care organizations, including 18 Family Health Teams (FHTs), 2 Community Health Centres (CHCs) and 2 Nurse Practitioner Led-Clinics (NPLCs), to continue the delivery of high-quality care that Ontarians know and deserve.” If your team is receiving new base funding and you’re able to share details, please contact us so we can share.

    2023 Pre-Budget Submissions
    On February 6, 2023 AFHTO submitted our recommendations to the government for their 2023 budget. Our recommendations are broken into four sections:

    1. Make team-based primary care available to more Ontarians through an investment of an additional $75 million pre year for 10 years (recommendation provided in partnership with the Primary Care Collaborative)
    2. Address the health human resource (HHR) crisis in primary care through the creation of a primary care HHR table (recommendation provided in partnership with the Primary Care Collaborative)
    3. Provide mental health and additions services and home and community care in coordination with primary care
    4. Provide resources to support the implementation of primary care networks (PCNs) and recognize PCNs as the organizing model for primary care. 

     
    AFHTO has begun to set up meetings with government bodies to present our recommendations and hopes to begin meeting with officials very soon. Members are encouraged to present the pre-budget submission to their own MPPs if given an opportunity to meet. Please let us know if we can help in your local advocacy efforts!

    AFHTO Conference
    Mark your calendars for October 25, 2023, with pre-conference sessions beginning on October 24th. Now’s the time to start thinking about your submissions for Bright Lights!  Stay tuned for more details over the coming weeks.  

    Introducing our new benefit- discount on CPS Full Access
    While you may open our emails because you know you’re getting the latest and most relevant updates, you might have forgotten about other benefits available to you. Here are some which can facilitate not just your work, but that of staff, clinicians, and board members as well, or simply make life a little easier, including a 40% discount on CPS Full Access.

    As we move into the spring, we continue to thank you for the great work you all do. If there are ways we can support you, please let us know.

  • Winter Highlights 2023: AFHTO IHP Advisory Council Meeting

    We are pleased to launch the first AFHTO IHP Advisory Council Communique. The Council meets on a quarterly basis to provide input on primary care team matters related to IHPs, give advice to the AFHTO board and staff, and foster leadership across the IHP community. The council’s Terms of Reference and membership listing can be accessed here. Below are highlights from the winter 2023 council meeting.

    Market Salary Review & Compensation Working Group
    In 2022, multiple associations and organizations came together as the Community Compensation Working Group to jointly support a market survey in order to get a better idea of the wage disparity and compensation challenges across interprofessional primary care, community support services, community mental health and long-term care. The market salary review will be conducted for 78 positions across the primary and community care sectors.

    The Working Group has since partnered with Eckler Ltd. to begin this work with an estimated completion by end of spring 2023. Once complete, recommendations will be presented to the government and funders on reasonable, fair, and equitable compensation across the healthcare sector. Our goal is to demonstrate the significant pay gap and wage inequities across the community sector and to compel government to pay healthcare providers and staff the compensation they deserve.

    To ensure a successful market study with a substantive sample, Executive Directors are being asked to complete a survey that will accompany the market review. Surveys are targeted to be launched in late February 2023. If you have questions about this market study, please feel free to contact Abisola Otepola at abisola.otepola@afhto.ca.

    IHP Roles & Responsibilities

    As many of you are aware, members requested updated information on roles and responsibilities of IHPs to aid in the coordination and management of their respective teams. AFHTO is currently validating information that had been provided and is planning to release the information over the coming months.  

    Following the release of the guidance document, plans are in place to host a webinar series with a focus on individual IHP disciplines/roles. The goal is to have generative discussion around individual roles and responsibilities, challenges, and key enablers using the guidance document as the starting point. This work will be done in partnership with associations and key stakeholders. Preliminary timelines for this will be summer 2023.

    FHT and NPLC Contracts
    In late January teams received letters from the Ministry of Health with regards to the NPLC and FHT contracts for the upcoming fiscal year. The Ministry intends to transfer the contract management and oversight of the NPLCs to Ontario Health, effective April 1, 2023. All provisions in the NPLC Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

    A separate letter went to FHTs noting the FHT contract has been extended for another year. The FHT contract now expires on March 31, 2024. Although there should be no direct impact to IHPs, we understand there may be questions on the NPLC transition process and what this might mean for the potential of a future transition of the FHT contracts to OH. We’re speaking regularly with MOH and OH and will provide regular updates to our members.

    Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care
    On Feb 2nd 2023,  Health Minister Sylvia Jones launched Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, a plan that sets the vision and direction for Ontario’s health system strategy for the next few years. We were thrilled to see an investment of $30 million to expand or create new teams and help bridge the gap in accessing interprofessional primary care for vulnerable, marginalized, and unattached patients to ensure they are able to connect to care where and when they need it.

    AFHTO has been advocating for years around expansion of team-based care and we were pleased to see the first large investment to expand teams in the province in a number of years. The details of what the implementation will look like (new teams or expansion of already existing teams) is still being worked through and we hope to provide you with more information as we continue to dialogue with the Ministry and Ontario Health. To read more about the Your Health plan please click here.

    AFHTO Conference
    Mark your calendars for October 25, 2023, with pre-conference sessions beginning on October 24th. Now’s the time to start thinking about your submissions for Bright Lights!  Stay tuned for more details over the coming weeks.  

    PCC & AFHTO Pre-Budget Submissions & Local Advocacy

    On February 6, 2023 AFHTO submitted our recommendations to the government for their 2023 budget. Our recommendations are broken into four sections:

    1. Make team-based primary care available to more Ontarians through an investment of an additional $75 million pre year for 10 years (recommendation provided in partnership with the Primary Care Collaborative)
    2. Address the health human resource (HHR) crisis in primary care through the creation of a primary care HHR table (recommendation provided in partnership with the Primary Care Collaborative)
    3. Provide mental health and additions services and home and community care in coordination with primary care
    4. Provide resources to support the implementation of primary care networks (PCNs) and recognize PCNs as the organizing model for primary care. 

     
    AFHTO has begun to set up meetings with government bodies to present our recommendations and hopes to begin meeting with officials very soon. Members are encouraged to present the pre-budget submission to their own MPPs if given an opportunity to meet. Please let us know if we can help in your local advocacy efforts!

    Connect with your peers using AFHTO’s IHP Directory
    IHPs in AFHTO member teams are encouraged to sign up to AFHTO’s IHP Directory! This directory will help improve AFHTO’s communication to IHPs, and it will support IHP networking, information sharing, and collaboration.

    After you sign up, you will be emailed a link to a spreadsheet with the names, professions, team names, and work emails of all IHPs who have signed up for open communication. You may sort by profession to see the names of those in the same discipline as you.

    AFHTO will be checking the directory and emailing links to new registrants every 1-2 weeks. We look forward to improved communication from AFHTO to IHPs, and across IHPs in AFHTO-member teams!

    Ongoing Communication
    We hope ongoing communiques will create an opportunity for you to learn and stay involved with what the AFHTO IHP Advisory Council is working on providing to the primary care community and fellow IHP members! Please contact us at any time if you have any questions and please encourage the IHPs in your team to sign up for these communiques. 

  • Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

    Originally posted Jan. 27, 2020. Last updated February 16, 2023

    This page will provide updates on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) as they become available. The Ministry of Health has released guidelines for primary care, along with posters. A website for healthcare providers is now live. You can also access information for the public on their site.

    If you have any questions, you can also email EOCOperations.moh@ontario.ca.

    Resources

    COVID-19 Vaccination Information

    for providers and administration

    Management and operations, human resources and COVID-19

    for HR and administration

    Infection control resources and tools

    for primary care providers and administration

    COVID-19 information

    for Patients, Caregivers and the Public

    Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19

    for providers and administration

    Mental health and wellness during COVID-19

    for providers and the public

     

    Providing Comprehensive Care during COVID-19

    for providers

    Ministry and other sites

    news

    News and updates

    Visit here for 2021 COVID-19 news and updates.

    Visit here for 2020 COVID-19 news and updates.

    SITUATION REPORTS

    For more recent updates, please visit Ontario’s website.

    How to sign up to automatically receive MOH Situation Reports:

    • Click here
    • There is a drop-down menu near the bottom of the form to opt into different automatic reports (Situation Reports, Cyber Security Updates, etc.)
    • If your organization is NOT in the drop-down menu, you can still fill out the form and apply.
    • Access to the report is not instant as each application is manually reviewed and added to the system.

     

  • Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care

    This email was sent to EDs/Admin leads, board chairs and lead MDs/NPs of AFHTO member teams

    Dear Triad Members,

    Today Health Minister Sylvia Jones launched Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, a plan that sets the vision and direction for Ontario’s health system strategy for the next few years. With a strategy focused on the patient experience by developing system capacity through increasing the health workforce, expanding ways people can access care and investing in health infrastructure, the plan focuses on three pillars:

    1. The right care in the right place – increasing access to care in community-based settings that improve convenience and relieve pressure on hospitals, long term care facilities and other areas of the health care system;
    2. Faster access to care – focused on cutting wait times which has led to delayed care, including backlogs for non-urgent surgeries and diagnostic procedures like MRI and CT scans;
    3. Hiring more health care workers – which includes new commitments to tackle the HHR crisis through further education and training, especially in hospitals, primary care settings, long term care homes and home care.

    In the first pillar, the plan talks about bringing together primary care. Two new commitments were announced that will help support organizing primary care and expanding access to team-based care:

    1. An investment of $30 million to create up to 18 new teams and help bridge the gap in accessing interprofessional primary care for vulnerable, marginalized, and unattached patients to ensure they are able to connect to care where and when they need it. In addition, this expansion will support primary care integration within Ontario Health Teams and sustain direct service delivery in existing interprofessional primary care teams that are experiencing increased operating costs.
    2. Create a connected health care system through Ontario Health Teams by supporting collaboration and engagement with primary care providers across the province through the creation of primary care networks. Every Ontario Health Team will include a group of primary care providers organized in a network to be part of decision-making and to improve access to care for patients.

    AFHTO has been advocating for years around expansion of team-based care and we were pleased to see the first large investment to expand teams in the province in a number of years. The details of what the implementation will look like (new teams or expansion of already existing teams) is still being worked through and we hope to provide you with more information as we continue to dialogue with the Ministry and Ontario Health.

    As part of that first commitment, it is also our assumption that already existing teams will be able to access funding to offset their increased operating costs. Once again, we will provide you with further details as they become available as we know many of you are dealing with increased costs that cannot be managed within your already constrained budgets.

    The formation of primary care networks is something that has happened organically in many OHT regions across the province and having this acknowledged in the plan is the first step toward organizing primary care and giving the important voice that the sector needs into local OHT planning, decision-making and collaboration. AFHTO, along with our partners at the Ontario College of Family Physicians and the OMA Section on General and Family Practice, has been advocating for the creation of these networks of family physicians, nurse practitioners and community specialists (where appropriate) in order to truly ensure primary care is the foundation of the OHTs and the health care system.

    The plan also provided details around increasing the health workforce by increasing the number of training spots for health care professionals every year including:

    • 455 new spots for physicians in training (160 undergraduate and 295 postgraduate)
    • 52 new physician assistant training spots
    • 150 new nurse practitioner spots
    • 1,500 additional nursing spots

    Expanding education and training programs through the Learn and Stay grant was announced as was the “As of Right” to allow health care workers registered in other provinces and territories to immediately start working and caring for people without first having to register with one of Ontario’s health regulatory colleges.

    What is not mentioned in the plan is a compensation strategy to address wage inequity between sectors and the need to increase salaries to keep up with inflation and cost of living. The government confirmed that there is separate work being done around this as they are looking at all sectors to support ongoing retention strategies. A reminder that AFHTO is working with our partners on a Compensation Market Salary Review to provide government with data to highlight the disparity in salary levels in the community/primary care level.

    There is a lot to digest in this plan and over the next few weeks we will provide you with more information as we find out more details. While we had hoped for more investments to ensure more Ontarians have access to team-based care, this is great news for team-based care which we hope will lead to further investments over the next few years.

    As always, please reach out if you have any questions.

    Yours in Good Health,

    The AFHTO Team

    Resources:

  • Bits & Pieces: member stories, welcome to Taryn and more

    Bits & Pieces: member stories, welcome to Taryn and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Member stories
    • Welcome to Taryn Jacquard
    • OurCare survey results are here
    • Fee code for Long COVID and more
    • New quality standard – sickle cell disease
    • Reports and relevant news – improving access in rural Canada and boosting balance
    • Population Health: Governance (free course), starts Jan. 31, 2023
    • Upcoming events including COVID vaccinations and digital supports and more

     

    A group of people in business clothes sit around a table in a meeting room with a white board behind them.

     

     

    Member stories

    Hamilton FHT– the Hon. Carolyn Bennett, federal Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health visited Hamilton FHT to discuss their primary care and mental health integrated service model (picture right)

    City of Lakes FHT – OMA research finds virtual care not associated with strain on emergency departments

    Harrow Health Centre and Windsor FHTs – Windsor and Harrow Health Centre FHTs Receive grant for oral health care support

     

     

    Taryn is wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. She's sitting on the floor with her back against a white wall.

    Welcome to Taryn Jacquard

    We’re happy to introduce Taryn Jacquard as our new executive assistant and programs coordinator, ensuring that the CEO, Board, and Director of Governance and Integration are well supported in their roles.  

    She brings with her over ten years of experience working in not for profit, providing support to executives, boards, and national associations.  She has deep family connections to health care and is incredibly passionate about the well-being and availability of care to those in Ontario.

    Prior to joining AFHTO, Taryn ran her own business, offering administrative support to businesses and associations. Welcome to the team!

     

    OurCare survey results are here

    OurCare survey results

    Overall, 77% of people in Canada age 18+ have a family doctor or nurse practitioner (NP) who they see regularly for care. That means:

    More than 6.5 million people in Canada don’t have a regular family doctor or NP – that’s more than 1 in 5 adults. Find out more at data.ourcare.ca. You can also read more about the survey results in a recent Healthy Debate article. 

    Fee code for Long COVID and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and updates. You can find links to related pages here as well.

    New quality standard – sickle cell disease

    Ontario Health has developed a new quality standard that outlines what high-quality care looks like for people with sickle cell disease. The standard can be used to help: 

    • Patients, families, and caregivers know what to ask for in their care  
    • Health care professionals know what care they should be offering  
    • Health care organizations improve the quality of care they provide

    To learn more about how you can use it to improve care for people with sickle cell disease, please register for a webinar on February 22, 12 – 1 p.m. ET. For more information, please contact QualityStandards@OntarioHealth.ca.

    Reports and relevant news – improving access in rural Canada and boosting balance

    Population Health: Governance (free course), starts Jan. 31, 2023
    Offered by Universiteit Leiden via Coursera, this course combines the Population Health perspective with theories of healthcare system governance. Find out more.

    COVID vaccinations and digital supports, Feb. 3, 2023
    56th in the series “Changing the way we work” by UofT and OCFP. Register here.

    Canadian Health and Well-Being In Developmental Disabilities, Feb. 8, 2023
    Digital conference hosted by Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Find out more here.

    Using Culturally Safe Practices to Build Meaningful Relationships with Indigenous Communities, Feb. 9, 2023
    Hosted by Indigenous Primary Health Care Council. Register here.

    New Horizons Speaker Series webinar, Feb.10, 2023
    What are the roles of virtual only clinics and technology-enabled care in the future of the health care system? How will these shape the future of primary care in Ontario? Join U of T Department of Family and Community Medicine faculty members for this discussion. Register here.

    Cybersecurity and Canadian Health Care: Where do vulnerabilities lie? Feb. 14, 2023
    Hosted by The Globe and Mail. Register here.

    OHT Engagement Learning Series – Session 3 of 7: Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Feb. 21, 2023
    Hosted by Institute for Better Health and Trillium Health Partners. Register here.