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Tag: government

  • IMPORTANT ACTION REQUIRED – Personal Protective Equipment Survey (Due March 30)

    This email was sent to EDs/Administrative Leads, Board Chairs and Lead Clinicians of AFHTO member organizations.  
     
    Some of you may have already received this email from your Ontario Health regional planning table so please disregard. For those who have not received it, please see below. Please note that there is a password for the survey:
     
    PPEsurvey2020  (note – password is case sensitive, please enter exactly as it appears here).
     
    Please ensure that the person in your organization who will be completing the survey has this password.
     
    If you have any questions pertaining to the completion of this survey, we will be offering 1:1 support over the phone. Please call the PPE Survey help-desk (available 24/7) at 416-687-8445.
     
    From: EOC Operations (MOH) <EOCOperations.MOH@ontario.ca>
    To: EOC Operations (MOH) <EOCOperations.MOH@ontario.ca>
    Subject: IMPORTANT ACTION REQUIRED – Personal Protective Equipment Survey (Due March 30)
     
    Hello,
     
    Acknowledging your feedback on the Minister’s Order on Personal Protective Equipment Data Collection, we are moving all non-acute sectors to the online survey for ease of use. Please pause on reporting via the email template and follow the instructions below. Thank you to those that have already submitted reports by email.
     
    This survey is intended only for organizations identified in the Minister’s Order, excluding hospitals. Hospitals should continue to report through the Daily Bed Census tool. As a reminder, these organizations include:
     

    1. Public hospitals within the meaning of the Public Hospitals Act;
    2. Private hospitals within the meaning of the Private Hospitals Act;
    3. Psychiatric facilities within the meaning of the Mental Health Act;
    4. Independent health facilities within the meaning of the Independent Health Facilities Act;
    5. All ambulance services operating under the Ambulance Act;
    6. Long-term care homes under the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007;
    7. Service providers within the meaning of the Home Care and Community Services Act, 1994;
    8. Local Health Integration Networks within the meaning of the Local Health System Integration Act, 2006 in respect of the home and community care services they provide;
    9. Homes for special care within the meaning of the Homes for Special Care Act;
    10. All centres, programs or services for community health or mental health whose primary purpose is the provision of health care

    If your organization has previously received this request and is already completing the survey, please note the updated due date for the initial response: Monday, March 30, 2020.
     
    Per the Minister’s Order, Ontario Health will begin collecting this data daily.

    As the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to evolve locally and globally, a key challenge identified across the health care sector has been the availability of and access to personal protective equipment (PPE).
     
    To support the provincial response to the outbreak, Ontario Health is collecting data on PPE inventories across the health sector. Understanding your current status and anticipated needs is essential to our shared success in protecting your health and the health of all Ontarians.
     
    Initial provincial data will be collected through the PPE Survey described below. In addition, we continue to evaluate appropriate tools for ongoing reporting in each sector, and will provide more information when available.
     
    Time is of the essence, and we appreciate your efforts to share information as best you can.
     
    The following sections of this email provide you with the information you will need to access the survey, support completion, and the deadline for submission.
     
    Provincial PPE Survey
     
    Survey link and password
    Here is a link to the survey we are asking you to complete: survey link – click here. You will receive a password to access the survey in a separate email.
     
    Who should complete the survey?
    Please identify the individual within your organization that would be most appropriate to complete the survey (e.g., individual responsible for procurement of PPE).
     
    When should the survey be submitted?
    Please submit the initial completed survey by 5 pm, Monday, March 30, 2020. Please continue to submit completed daily surveys by 5 pm.
     
    Instructions
    The following resources are available to support survey completion:
     
    PPE Survey How-To Guide (updated April 2, 2020):
    Attached to this email is a PDF document. This document includes step-by-step instructions and tips for how to fill out the survey. (Please note – non-health sectors were asked to complete this survey on a weekly basis. We are still evaluating solutions for health sectors, so please disregard all references to a weekly cadence).
     
    Webex Training Sessions:
    A training session has been scheduled for those sectors onboarding now. Additional sessions will be scheduled if required. If you would like to attend, please add the session to your calendar, and access using the link below:

    1.    March 31: 9:30-10:30am: Click here to join  

    Help Desk Phone Number:
     
    If you have any questions pertaining to the completion of this survey, we will be offering 1:1 support over the phone. Please call our PPE Survey help-desk (available 24/7) at 416-687-8445.

    Next Steps

    • Share this email and accompanying password email with all your health service providers
    • Review the How-To Guide and attend either of the optional Webinars for instructions on completing the survey
    • Complete the survey no later than 5 pm, Monday, March 30, 2020
    • Continue to monitor your local supply and daily demand of PPE and other critical supplies and escalate any issues through your local partners and Ontario Health Region if needed

    We appreciate how responsive you have been to the many other requests you have received. Our goal is to centralize this collection to better support you in your critical work caring for the people of Ontario.
     
    Attachments:

     
    EOC Operations
    Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Emergency Operations Centre
    Eocoperations.moh@ontario.ca
    Health Care Provider Hotline: 1-866-212-2272
     
    This communication is confidential and is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. Any unauthorized disclosure, copying, other distribution of this communication or taking any action on its contents is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify me immediately and delete this message without reading, copying or forwarding it to anyone.

  • HR, privacy and risk management during the COVID-19 pandemic- webinar

     

    This email was sent to EDs/Administrative Leads, Board Chairs and Lead Clinicians of AFHTO member organizations. 

    HR, privacy and risk management during the COVID-19 pandemic –Mar. 27 webinar
    These are uncertain times and the way we are now practicing primary care has changed dramatically in the last few weeks. As we move towards more virtual care and accommodating more work from home, there are a lot of questions around how to support our staff and ensure that patient and provider safety be paramount in this ‘new normal’.  Things are evolving every day and new announcements of support are continuing to be announced.

    Making sense of it all can be a challenge with the ongoing flow of information so join us for a Q and A with Maria McDonald of McDonald HR Law and Kate Dewhirst of Kate Dewhirst Health Law to learn more about what you need to know during this challenging time.

    If you would like to submit your questions in advance to ensure they are addressed during the webinar, please feel free to send them to info@afhto.ca and we will make sure that Maria and Kate are aware of them prior to the presentation. We will add the slides and recording to our site within a business day or so of the webinar.

    A few additional items of interest:
    1. The Ontario Government released Ontario’s Action Plan 2020: Responding to COVID-19 which includes $17-billion action plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding announced can be divided into the following three categories:

    • Direct support for health care;
    • Direct support for people and jobs;
    • Deferrals to help people and businesses increase cash flow.

     As expected, this Action Plan is noted as the first step in its response to COVID-19, with a focus on ensuring front-line health care providers get the resources they need to fight the outbreak. For details of the Action plan please visit the government website or read the H+K Insights Note that provides a summary of the investments announced.  

    2. Ontario Health is evolving its COVID-19 regional response table into a revised Health System Response structure – as details emerge we will let our members know but please take a moment to read this memo from H+K on the New Health System COVID-19 Response Structure.

    3. Ontario College of Familly Physicians has just released their In-Office Assessment Guidance to manage in-person visits.

    4. A reminder that we continue to post the Ministry situation reports daily and other relevant COVID-19 information on our website. If you have any tools/resources that you have developed and want to share, please email info@afhto.ca.

  • Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19

    On March 25, 2020, Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips released Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 (OAP) in the Legislature. The action plan is a fiscal and economic update, which constitutes another legislative step in the Ontario government’s response to the pandemic.

    Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world have had to respond in unprecedented ways using whatever public policy instruments they have to combat the economic uncertainty this crisis is creating. Ontario had to shelve their budget, which was expected today, in favour of a more focused economic update and one-year plan that accounts for today’s current economic reality with targeted measures to address health care capacity, struggling people and the businesses where they work. 

    The OAP is a $17-billion action plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding announced can be divided into the following three categories: 

    1.    Direct support for health care;
    2.    Direct support for people and jobs;
    3.    Deferrals to help people and businesses increase cash flow.

    The foremost objective of today’s fiscal update is to provide stability to Ontario’s health care system and support for Ontario’s most vulnerable groups.  

    In Ontario’s 2020 Action Plan, the deficit is pegged at $20.5 billion for 2020-21. The government’s intention with this plan is to ensure that immediate challenges are met while still giving Ontario the ability to respond to future capacity challenges associated with COVID-19. Once the government begins to gain clarity on our ability to “flatten the curve,” they will begin planning what will be required to support Ontarians in the “recovery phase.”  

    The Ontario government has been closely coordinating with the federal government with regard to their public policy responses to COVID-19. These measures are meant to complement each other’s plans. 

  • Update on COVID-19 and Moving Towards More Virtual Care

    This email was sent to EDs/Administrative Leads, Board Chairs and Lead Clinicians of AFHTO member organizations.

    These are challenging times and we really appreciate the phenomenal care that is being provided by everyone working in team-based primary care and in health care. As the foundation of the health care system, your relationships with your patients and families are based on trust and they are looking to you now more than ever to be there for them during these very uncertain times. But through it all, taking care of yourself and your team to ensure there is a healthy workforce is paramount and important for your own health and well-being.

    However, things are ramping up and there is a real need to start capacity planning should there be a need to redeploy health human resources to the ongoing fight against COVID-19. In the next few days you’ll receive a survey from the Ministry who are looking at capacity in the system – we’ll send that as soon as we get it, and would request that you prioritize filling that in as soon as you receive it.

    Planning for More Virtual Care
    Today Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health issued a memo Re: Managing Health Worker Illness and Return to Work COVID-19. In the document he makes recommendations related to travel and return to work for health care providers. He also notes:

    While other services are decreasing their operations, in health care you are being called upon to care for patients and to be ready for surge. I am asking, where there may be an opportunity, for all health system employers to facilitate work arrangements that enable appropriate employees to work from home or to work virtually, if not re-deployable.

    Health system employers should also consider a review of their services and practices to identify how they can provide services to patient groups virtually or remotely.

    These are uncertain times, but the recommendation is to try to accommodate care for patients virtually as much as possible. If your providers, including IHPs and admin staff, do need to come into the clinics please ensure they are well protected. We are very aware of the PPE challenges in primary care and continue to press the Ministry and Ontario Health for updates on the supply issues and hope to have some information on that when provided.  

    We are currently working on business continuity plans and collecting policies related to accommodating staff to work from home and hope to share that with you soon – a reminder that we are posting materials on our site daily including the Ministry’s COVID-19 Situation Reports. If you have anything you can share, please send to info@afhto.ca and we will make sure to share it with the teams.

    Many teams have already started virtual care or employing some activities to support patients and families during this period of self isolation and social distancing. Here are some tools you may want o implement with your teams:

  • Annual Operating Plans: Update from Primary Health Care Branch, Ministry of Health

    Email Sent on behalf of Fernando Tavares, Program Manager, Interprofessional Programs Unit, Primary Health Care Branch.
     
    Dear Colleagues,
     
    We have recently received questions from several of you regarding the deadline for the 2020/21 Annual Operating Plans (AOPs) and other timelines in the context of the work that is currently happening to deal with the impact of COVID-19 in Ontario.
     
    At this time, we understand that your attention should be focused on planning and supporting patients, caregivers, and staff who may be impacted by COVID-19.
     
    Annual Operating Plans
     
    After much consideration, we have decided to delay the distribution of the 2020/21 AOPs. If you wish to get a head start on your AOP, you are welcome to use last year’s version as it will be very similar to this years template.  We want to give extra time to organizations whose staff and leaders might be working on COVID-19 planning.
     
    COVID-19
     
    We have been receiving a lot of questions regarding operational issues generated by the spread of COVID-19.  We wanted to share our key messages that have been developed for staff on how to respond to these questions.
     

    • The Ministry of Health is supportive of interprofessional primary care teams supporting locally driven initiatives. The Ministry is asking for teams to deploy clinical resources where they are most needed.
    • Interprofessional primary care teams should take the lead from Public Health experts (at the Federal, Provincial and Municipal levels), who are taking the lead on the response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
    • The Ministry will consider reimbursing for extraordinary expenses incurred on a case by case basis, and should contact their Ministry representative.   
    • For issues related to critical shortages PPE of supplies and equipment, please contact EOCLogistics.MOH@ontario.ca.

    We will continue to monitor this situation closely, and please reach out to your Ministry contact if you have additional questions or concerns.
     
    Reporting Timelines:
     
    As teams head into year end reporting, a number of question have come up with regard to pressures in meeting these timelines. We want to reassure you that staff have been directed to be flexible on report submission timelines. We understand that we are in uncharted waters, and things will come up that are not within your control, nor expected. We will work with you to address these issues as they arise but be reassured that deadlines will be treated as guidelines until things get back to normal.
     
    On behalf of the Primary Health Care Branch staff, we thank you for your continued work toward keeping our communities safe and healthy.  

    Fernando Tavares
    A/Program Manager, Interprofessional Programs Unit
    Primary Health Care Branch
    Ministry of Health
    49 Place D’Armes Floor 3, Kingston, ON, K7L 5J3

  • Bits & Pieces: ON state of emergency, COVID-19 updates & more

    Bits & Pieces: ON state of emergency, COVID-19 updates & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Ontario declares state of emergency
    • COVID-19 updates including memo
    • Selecting an IPAC representative
    • Virtual visit billing codes, PPE recommendations & steps to reduce spread
    • Members’ stories
    • Registration now open for Project ECHO Ontario Bariatric Network (OBN) series starting April 2, 2020
    • NPAO Patient Choice Award
    • Upcoming events including Leading in turbulent times

    Ontario declares state of emergency
    Today, the Government of Ontario announced that it is making an order declaring a state of emergency under s 7.0.1 (1) the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.

    Updates relevant to health care include:

    • $100 million for increased capacity in hospitals to assist with the effective treatment of COVID-19 patients both in critical care and medicine beds.
    • $50 million for more testing and screening through public health, including additional funding to support extraordinary costs incurred to monitor, detect and contain COVID-19 in the province. This includes contact tracing, increased laboratory testing capacity and home testing.
    • $50 million to further protect frontline workers, first responders and patients by increasing the supply of personal protective equipment and other critical supplies and equipment to protect them.
    • $25 million to support frontline workers working in COVID-19 assessment centres, including the creation of a new fund to provide respite care, child care services and other supports as they are needed.
    • $4 million for Indigenous communities to support transportation costs for health care professionals and the distribution of critical supplies.

    You can also read H+K’s insight note on the declaration here.

    COVID-19 updates including memo

    For EDs, Lead Clinicians and Board Chairs:
    At this time only 107 of 193 members have either completed this short survey to track provider preparedness, or otherwise contacted us. The Ministry of Health and Ontario Health (Shared Services) have emphasised the importance of filling this out. Please do so as soon as possible. This is a direct link to the spreadsheet, with no need to log in.

    Health care providers facing immediate challenges with their personal protective equipment supply levels can email the ministry at EOCLogistics.MOH@ontario.ca.We have also asked Ontario Health for an update on PPE supply and hope to get some information to you soon.

    We continue to update the relevant page on COVID-19, including the self-assessment tool and a memo from the provincial command table dated Mar. 16. If you have any questions, you can also email EOCOperations.moh@ontario.ca.

    You can also read H+K’s memo on yesterday’s press conference from the Ontario government here.

    Infection control resource page

    Selecting an IPAC representative

    During emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, clinical sites may start thinking about their own policies including infection control.  Per a regional IPAC Specialist at Public Health Ontario, selecting an IPAC representative may be very different from team to team. Hamilton FHT, for example, has designated Quality Improvement individuals who take on this role.

    Smaller teams may not have this option and may choose to find someone who is interested in the role, or whose current role most closely fits with the role (e.g., patient safety).  

    It may also be the case that they do not wish to have an overarching IPAC person but have an individual at each clinical site that is responsible for IPAC.

    If you are looking at training for your team you may want to consider:

    • IPAC Canada keeps a list of paid courses here. They cover a lot of ground and have a lot of information that may not be applicable to a team setting.
    • Free Public Health Ontario resources are shown on our infection control resource page.

    We’re working with PHO to develop tools, resources and webinars for our members once we’re able to focus more on everyday concerns and will be surveying our members shortly to get your thoughts on what is needed. But in the meantime, please share any resources you have developed by sending them to info@afhto.ca.

    Virtual visit billing codes, PPE recommendations & steps to reduce spread

    Members’ stories

    Bancroft Community FHT – Bancroft Community FHT Doctor presented with Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Award

    South East Toronto and North York FHTs – Your next visit to a doctor may not be face to face. Ontario shifting to virtual-first model in bid to halt spread of COVID-19

    Project ECHO Ontario Bariatric Network

    Registration now open for Project ECHO Ontario Bariatric Network (OBN) series starting April 2, 2020

    Update your knowledge on post bariatric care and obesity management by joining the upcoming videoconferencing series hosted by Guelph General Hospital Bariatric Centre of Excellence. Discuss patient cases and learn about leading surgical and medical treatment options for patients with obesity and strategies to identify and prevent potential post – operative complications. Sessions are offered at no cost to all practitioners and allied health professionals working in primary care.

    Find out more and register here.

    NPAO Patient Choice Award
    Nominations for this award are submitted by patients, based on their description of their nurse practitioner’s professional qualities, approach to patient care and specific stories of dedication and how the nurse practitioner has made a difference in their lives or the lives of others. You can find a poster for your wait room and more information here. Deadline June 22, 2020.

    Leading in turbulent times – how to guide your teams through the Coronavirus pandemic, March 19, 2020
    Learn how to apply LEADs framework so you can lead to support and protect the community from widespread exposure.
    Learn more here.

    Electronic Asthma Management System (EAMS) – OSCAR Tool Demonstration, March 24, 2020
    Join this webinar for an hour-long demonstration to learn more about EAMS. Register here!

    Managing the Complex Patient: Diagnosis, Treatment and Follow-Up: CHEP+ Conference, April 4, 2020
    The second annual CHEP+ conference is accredited and now being offered online. Learn to cover C-CHANGE guidelines. Find out more here.

    Rainbow Health Ontario Conference, CANCELLED
    The RHO conference was cancelled, and paid conference registration fees will be fully refunded. Click here for more information.

    Understanding Bronchiectasis Webinar, April 21, 2020
    Learn more about this neglected pulmonary disease. By the end of this webinar, you will be able to help patients self-manage the disease and avoid the acquisition of nontuberculosis mycobacteria. Find out more here

    Together We Care: OTLCA & ORCA Conference, CANCELLED
    This convention has been cancelled, including the OLTCA’s general meeting and leadership dinner. The ORCA general meeting will proceed via webinar. Click here for more information.

    Insomnia Interventions: First-Line Treatment for Insomnia in Primary Care, POSTPONED
    This program has been postponed. Click here for more information.

  • H+K Memo on Ontario Government COVID-19 Press Conference

    MEMO:

    To: H+K Clients

    From: Hill+Knowlton Strategies

    Subject: Ontario Government Press Conference on COVID-19

    Date: March 16, 2020

    Context
    On March 16, 2020, Ontario Premier Doug Ford held a press conference to update on the province’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Premier Ford was joined by Finance Minister, Rod Phillips; Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, Monte McNaughton; Minister of Health, Christine Elliott; and Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams. Primary topics addressed during the press conference included new legislation being tabled to protect workers and jobs, as well as an update on Ontario’s provincial budget, previously scheduled for March 25, 2020.

    It is worth noting that the legislature is currently on an already scheduled recess with a scheduled return of March 23. On March 12, MPPs voted to give the government the authority to extend the break, if necessary, to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

    Read the full memo here.

  • Bits & Pieces: COVID-19 memo, changes to mental health system, AI fellowship & more

    Bits & Pieces: COVID-19 memo, changes to mental health system, AI fellowship & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • COVID-19 updates including memo and tools
    • Members’ stories
    • Ontario Health Teams and privacy: a legal perspective
    • Ontario government announces changes to mental health and addictions system
    • Fellowship in compassion and artificial intelligence
    • Integrating mental health services in primary care- deadline March 23
    • Spring registration for ECHO Ontario mental health programming now open
    • Deadline to join Prenatal Screening Ontario Advisory Committee extended
    • Insomnia focus groups invitation
    • Upcoming events including The Art of Doing More with Less

    COVID-19 updates including memo and tools

    For EDs, Lead Clinicians and Board Chairs:
    We understand you have quite a lot on your plate; however, the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health (Shared Services) have emphasised the importance of completing this short survey, to assist in tracking provider preparedness. Please do so as soon as possible. This is a direct link to the spreadsheet, with no need to log in.

    Health care providers facing immediate challenges with their personal protective equipment supply levels can email the ministry at EOCLogistics.MOH@ontario.ca.

    We continue to update the relevant page on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), including memos from the Deputy Minister dated Mar. 6 and Mar. 9. If you have any questions, you can also email EOCOperations.moh@ontario.ca.

    New resource page: we now also have a new infection control resource page, with screening tools and more, including educational resources and tools from Public Health Ontario A reminder to please share any resources you have developed by sending them to info@afhto.ca.

    Ministry updates now twice a day: Every weekday at 10:30 a.m. the Ministry has been updating its dedicated web page with the most up-to-date information on the status of cases in Ontario, including: the number of cases currently under investigation; and the number of confirmed positive, negative and resolved cases.

    They will now update this page twice daily (10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. EST), seven days a week. It will also now include general information on each new confirmed case of COVID-19, including gender, age, public health unit, hospital (if applicable), where acquired and status.

    Members’ stories

    South East Toronto FHT: opening a COVID-19 screening and assessment centre

    Ontario Health Teams and privacy: a legal perspective
    On Feb. 28, BLG published their article Ontario Health Teams: Personal Health Information Sharing, Client Privacy and PHIPA Compliance. Read on to get their perspective.

    Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario's Mental Health and Addictions System

    Ontario government announces changes to mental health and addictions system
    Last week the Ontario government launched their Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions System. The new Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence within Ontario Health will serve as the plan’s foundation. The plan’s four pillars include:

    1. Improving quality;
    2. Expanding existing services;
    3. Implementing innovative solutions; and
    4. Improving access.

    You can read the report here, visit the Ministry’s site to get the full plan in English or French, and you can also read H+K’s memo here.

    If you have questions or comments about the Roadmap, you can send an email to Roadmaptowellness@ontario.ca.

    Fellowship in compassion and artificial intelligence
    AMS Healthcare is offering up to eight (8) one-year fellowships of up to $75,000 to early and mid-career academic researchers and regulated health care professionals to study and develop expertise/ competence in the impact of DT/AI on compassionate care. An information call will be held on Monday, March 16. Find out more here.

    Integrating mental health services in primary care- deadline March 23

    Are you doing something innovative to integrate mental health services and supports in primary care delivery?

    The College of Family Physicians of Canada is partnering with the Canadian Psychiatric Association and the Canadian Psychological Association to highlight innovative practices among family physicians, psychiatrists, and psychologists that address common challenges and barriers to integrating mental health services in primary care across Canada and how best to influence patient, provider and system outcomes.

    They have extended the deadline for publication in the Innovation in Primary Care (IPC) series to Mar. 23. Find out more here.

    Project ECHO CAMH

    Spring registration for ECHO Ontario mental health programming now open

    ECHO Ontario Mental Health is a virtual training and capacity building model that supports primary and community care providers in delivering high quality, evidence-based mental health and addictions care in their local communities.

    It links expert interdisciplinary teams with front line care providers in order to share best practices, jointly discuss practical recommendations for complex client care, and build sustainable communities of practice. The program is offered at no cost, thanks to funding from the Ministry of Health. CME Credits are available for participants.

    BORN EOI Jan 2020

     

    Deadline to join Prenatal Screening Ontario Advisory Committee extended

    BORN Ontario is seeking family physicians with a special interest in prenatal care for the Prenatal Screening Ontario Advisory Committee.

    For more information email PSO@BORNOntario.ca. Deadline Mar.27, 2020. See poster pdf.

     

     

    Insomnia focus groups invitation
    Participate in a virtual focus group about system-level challenges and enablers to adopting the care outlined in Ontario Health’s Insomnia Disorder Quality Standard being developed by the Quality business unit at Ontario Health, formerly Health Quality Ontario. Your feedback will inform the recommendations for adoption to support the uptake of this quality standard.

    The Insomnia Disorder Quality Standard focus groups will be held on the following dates:

    1. Monday March 23, 2020 (12:00 – 1:00PM EST) – follow this link to register via Eventbrite  
    2. Friday March 27, 2020 (12:00 – 1:00PM EST) – follow this link to register via Eventbrite

    If you have any questions, please contact Mandy Lee, Quality Improvement Specialist at mandy.lee@hqontario.ca.

    The Art of Doing More with Less, March 18, 2020
    The final webinar in AFHTO and Grant Thornton’s Financial webinar series is next week! Join Christy McClelland and Sanjay Desai as we explore how non-profits can improve performance with financial sensibility. Register today!

    Electronic Asthma Management System (EAMS) – OSCAR Tool Demonstration, March 24, 2020
    Join this webinar for an hour-long demonstration to learn more about EAMS. Register here!

    Understanding Bronchiectasis Webinar, April 21, 2020
    Learn more about this neglected pulmonary disease. By the end of this webinar, you will be able to help patients self-manage the disease and avoid the acquisition of nontuberculosis mycobacteria. Find out more here

    RNAO Nurse Executive Leadership Academy, October 20-23, 2020
    Save the date for this 3-night knowledge exchange in Niagara Falls. Learn more today.

  • Bits & Pieces: Updated COVID-19 case definitions, RISE update, member renewal & more

    Bits & Pieces: Updated COVID-19 case definitions, RISE update, member renewal & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • COVID-19 updates including updated case definitions
    • RISE update
    • Premier’s Council on Improving Healthcare and Ending Hallway Medicine – newsletter updates
    • Home and community care modernization
    • Member renewal emails
    • March is Pharmacist Awareness Month
    • Social Work Week
    • Nutrition Month
    • New webinars in LeaderShift Applied Leadership E-Learning Series – How to Build Resiliency During Times of Change
    • Upcoming events including The Art of Doing More with Less

    COVID-19 updates including updated case definitions
    We continue to update the relevant page on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), including the latest situation reports, updated case definitions, self-isolation fact sheets, and more. If you have any questions, you can also email EOCOperations.moh@ontario.ca.

    The Ministry has also implemented a number of governance structures to respond to the specifics of COVID-19, which may also include engaging our members at the five regional planning tables in the province.

    Health care providers facing immediate challenges with their personal protective equipment supply levels can email the ministry at EOCLogistics.MOH@ontario.ca.

    RISE update
    The latest update from Rapid-Improvement Support and Exchange (RISE) is now available. It includes reflections on the Ontario Health Teams (OHT) Provincial Learning and Improvement Collaborative Forum that occurred on Feb. 18 and 19, upcoming webinars on priority topics, and our latest resources:

    Premier’s Council on Improving Healthcare and Ending Hallway Medicine – newsletter updates
    The Premier’s Council has provided an update on their work as well as an overview of what to expect from the Council this year with the release of their February newsletter. Highlights from the past year include the release of two reports:

    Home and community care modernization
    Last week the Minister announced changes to the delivery of home and community care. More details on how this modernization impacts our members will be shared once we read through the legislation and regulations.

    Member renewal emails
    Last week we sent out member renewal emails to lead physicians/NPs, EDs/Administrative leads and board chairs of all current AFHTO members. We look forward to your renewal!

    If you didn’t receive an email, please contact us at info@afhto.ca.

    http://www.ontarioprimarycareteampharmacists.ca/

    March is Pharmacist Awareness Month

    Family Health Teams, Nurse-Practitioner-Led Clinics and Community Health Centres include different healthcare professionals to help address many kinds of healthcare needs.

    Celebrate with primary care team pharmacists this month as we recognize the expertise and services they offer interprofessional primary care teams and patients! Thank you for all you do to support patients, families and the team!

    Learn more about how primary care team pharmacists embedded in primary care teams work to ensure medications are necessary, safe and effective by visiting visiting their site.

    Social Work Week

    Social Work Week

    It’s also Social Work Week. We recognise the valuable contributions social workers make with programs like our 2019 conference presentations:

    Their role was also explored in “The Emerging Role of Social Work in Primary Health Care: A Survey of Social Workers in Ontario Family Health Teams”, published in 2018.

    You can celebrate with OASW too. Digital posters and social media images can be downloaded here.

    Nutrition Month
    Please join our Registered Dietitians in celebrating the impact of good nutrition on our patients’ health outcomes. Examples successfully integrating this focus in primary care teams include:

    New webinars in LeaderShift Applied Leadership E-Learning Series – How to Build Resiliency During Times of Change

    There are new webinars being offered through LeaderShift’s Applied Leadership E-Learning Series. The next topic, How to Build Resiliency During Times of Change, is now open for registration.

    Organizational change—resulting from both internal and external factors—is no longer an “event”. We all know that change has become an ever-present reality in our organizations that has defined our new normal. Now that our work environments are always in flux, teams are experiencing what is called change resistance and change fatigue. The research tells us that part of the solution to these challenges is to bring an adaptive (vs. technical) leadership approach to managing change. It through adaptive leadership that we will find the role and importance of resiliency. Multiple timeslots are available in March.

    To learn more, register for free or view previous recordings in this series, visit their website today.

    Optimizing Your EMR For Safer Opioid Prescribing and Pain Management (Part 1), March 5, 2020
    This webinar is targeted towards family physicians and nurse practitioners in northern Ontario. Hosted by Ontario Health Quality and Ontario Pain Management Resource Partners. Learn more here.

    The Art of Doing More with Less, March 18, 2020
    This is the final webinar in AFHTO and Grant Thorton’s Financial webinar series! Join Danzel Pinto as we explore how non-profits can improve performance with financial sensibility.
    Register today!

    Rainbow Health Ontario Conference, April 21-23, 2020
    Register for Canada’s forum for LGBT2SQ health, being held in Niagara Falls this year. For more information, click here.

    ECHO Liver, March 12, 2020
    For 2020, ECHO Liver will be offering a quarterly evening series. The first is Liver Disease in Primary Care: Approach to Liver Enzymes. Find out more here.

  • H+K Memo on Ontario Government’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy

    MEMO:
    To: Public Affairs Clients

    From: Hill+Knowlton Strategies

    Subject: Ontario unveils its mental health and addictions strategy, Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions System

    Date: March 3, 2020

    Today, Minister of Health Christine Elliott and Associate Minister of Mental Health Michael Tibollo unveiled government’s mental health and addictions strategy, Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions System. The plan, it is said, will provide a clear path forward toward offering Ontarians easier access to higher-quality care and supports in the community, which government also believes will significantly support them in their goal to end hallway health care.

    This plan comes following “extensive consultations” in communities across Ontario over the past year, which highlighted key challenges and barriers to access for mental health and addictions services and which the Roadmap seeks to address.

    Read the full memo here.