Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Health Care Links & Partnerships

Clinical resources available for providers and patients
AFHTO is forwarding a series of important items for providers and patients:
- Cancer Care Ontario to send letters to patients to remind them about screening
- Memo from Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health: Travel related illnesses in Ontario and Canada
- 24/7 Breastfeeding Supports now available from Telehealth Ontario
- RNAO best practice guidelines on Transitions in Care and Interprofessional Care
- Survey for family physicians: Canadian Cardiovascular Society heart failure research
Cancer Care Ontario to send letters to patients to remind them about screening

Starting March 31, CCO is sending letters inviting people to begin screening for breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer, reminding them when it’s time to get screened again and informing them of their screening test results. Letters will be sent to the following patient groups from these programs:
- Eligible women turning 50, see sample letter and learn more from the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP)
- Eligible women aged 30 to 69, see sample letters and learn more from the Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OCSP)
- All people aged 50 to 74 who have never been screened for colorectal cancer or are due for colorectal cancer screening, see sample letters and learn more from ColonCancerCheck (CCC)
This is a continuation of the Integrated Cancer Screening campaign, launched by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC), in partnership with Cancer Care Ontario (CCO). Click here for the Feb. 12 notice to members.

Memo from Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health regarding travel related illnesses in Ontario and Canada

Click here to read the memo which includes a summary of recent infectious disease activity of measles and viral hemorrhagic fever (VHF), in addition to clinical features, laboratory testing procedures and infection, prevention and control (IPC) practices for measles which will assist in mitigating further transmission.

24/7 breastfeeding supports now available from Telehealth Ontario

Starting April 1, 2014, expectant and breastfeeding moms will have 24-hour access to Registered Nurses with training in breastfeeding and lactation support, as well as lactation experts through a telephone advisory service provided by Telehealth Ontario. Healthcare providers are asked to share this service with patients. Click below for an informational brochure with details about the new service and how patients can access it:
- English brochure
- French brochure
RNAO best practice guidelines on Transitions in Care and Interprofessional Care

The Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) has launched the following best practice guidelines that may be of interest:
- Transitions in Care: This BPG focuses on building on the core competencies and concepts known to facilitate safe and effective care transitions including best practices to support the client, their family and caregivers through transitions in care and in any environment across all health-care and community settings.
- Interprofessional Care: This best practice guideline is intended to foster healthy work environments. The focus in developing this guideline was identifying attributes of interprofessional care that will optimize quality outcomes for patients/clients, providers, teams, the organization and the system.
Survey for family physicians: Canadian Cardiovascular Society heart failure research

The Canadian Cardiovascular Society is launching a study to assess knowledge of heart failure guidelines among physicians and residents. The results from this work will inform the development and refinement of heart failure educational initiatives for residency training as well as for established physicians. The survey is for practicing family physicians and residents in family medicine programs, please share this with physicians. Click here for more information on the project and to access the survey.
April 3, 2014
Invitation to participate in upcoming primary care programs
AFHTO members have been invited to participate in and provide feedback for the following programs (scroll down for more information):
- Nominate a team or individual for the Public Health and Primary Health Care Together Awards (deadline April 7)
- Provide feedback by completing the RNAO and RPNAO Primary Care Toolkit Survey
- Provide information on Diabetes and Obesity Prevention Programs (deadline March 21)
2014 Nominations Open: Public Health and Primary Health Care Together Awards

The joint Public Health and Primary Health Care awards will be presented during the Prevent More To Treat Less: Public Health and Primary Health Care Together Conference on June 4 and 5, 2014. Primary care organizations are invited to submit nominations in any of the three award categories:
1. Champion for Public Health and Primary Health Care: awards an individual for significant leadership in advancing the relationship between Primary Health Care and Public Health at system, managerial and/or frontline levels.
2. Innovation in Public Health and Primary Health Care Award: awards a policy, program or initiative for excellence in advancing collaborative practice between Public Health and Primary Health Care.
3. Media Award: awards a journalist, body of work, or media outlet which has highlighted the importance of addressing the determinants of health to improve population health and advance health equity.
Deadline for nominations is Monday, April 7, see below for nomination forms and submission guidelines:
- English nomination form
- French nomination form
Invitation to participate in RNAO and RPNAO Primary Care Toolkit Survey

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) and the Registered Practical Nurses Association of Ontario (RPNAO), with funding from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, are collaborating on a project to develop a toolkit on maximizing primary care registered nurses’ (RN) and registered practical nurses’ (RPN) full scope of practice utilization in primary care. If you are a clinical director, executive director, manager, physician, primary care nurse, team leader, or other health care professional in a primary care organization, such as a Community Health Center, Family Health Team, Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, Aboriginal Health Access Centre, patient enrollment model (FHN, FHO, etc.) or a solo practice clinic, you are invited to take part in this short survey. Click here to fill out the survey. This survey should only take approximately 5 to 7 minutes of your time and your answers will be completely anonymous. Your answers cannot be saved so please be prepared to complete this survey in one session.

Seeking Information on Diabetes and Obesity Prevention Programs

The Physical Activity Resource Centre (PARC) supports community leaders working in public health, community health centres, recreation and sport organizations, non-government organizations, and schools to enhance opportunities for healthy active living in Ontario. PARC has been asked by the Health Promotion Division, Ministry of Health and Long Term Care to identify existing best practice interventions related to the prevention of type 2 diabetes and is working with consultants on the execution of this scan. Organizations and community agencies that offer health promotion programs to adults, children and youth and specific populations focused on the prevention of diabetes and/or obesity are asked to provide information on their program. Please complete one survey for each program offered by your organization. Each survey should take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete. If you are not sure whether or not your programs are appropriate, please complete the survey. Your responses would be appreciated by March 21, 2014.
March 12, 2014
Minister’s Year Two Progress Report / Valuing comprehensive interprofessional primary care

Today the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care presented her Year Two Progress Report on achievements in implementing Ontario’s Action Plan for Health Care. The key piece for AFHTO members is the second of the Plan’s three goals – Faster access and a stronger link to family health care. The Minister’s presentation to the Empire Club in Toronto included a brief video on Health Links which clearly puts the patient and his/her primary care provider at the centre of improving care for high-needs patients. It is this message that AFHTO continues to press with our political and health care leaders – the evidence of the value of comprehensive interprofessional primary care, its impact on outcomes and total cost of care for patients, and the need for sufficient funding to support recruitment and retention of the staff required to deliver this value. In her speech the Minister signaled there would be announcements soon concerning remuneration and working conditions for personal support workers, who typically make minimum wage and face uncertain hours. It is too soon to tell what funding may be available in the next fiscal for FHTs, NPLCs and other interprofessional primary care models, but we do know that the issues and challenges have been clearly understood.

January 27, 2014
AFHTO Conference 2013 Poster Displays

Theme 1 – Leadership and governance for quality 1 The Role of an Interprofessional, Cross-Sectoral Planning and Priorities Committee in the Successful Function and Evolution of an FHT Theme 2 – Using data to improve care 2 Using EMR as a partner: Can an EMR system make you smarter about Diabetes care? 3 Lifting the Load: Utilizing University Students in Primary Care for Programming and Quality Improvement 4 How Quality Improvement and Decision Support Specialists (QIDSS) can help transform care 5 Laying the Foundation for Primary Care Performance Measurement in Ontario 6 The ABCs of M&M in a Family Health Team 7 Using EMR Data for Self Reflection and Facilitate Change to Enhance Patient Care (poster to follow) 8 Improving the Quality and Efficiency of Post-hospital Admission Visits to the Primary Care Provider 9 Healthy Weight Surveillance Pilot Study Theme 4 – Integration: building the team beyond the FHT 10 Standardization Committee: The Answer to Effective Utilization of Registered Nurses to Full Scope of Practice (poster to follow) 11 Evaluation of the Integration of the Physiotherapy Practitioner into the Toronto Western Hospital Family Health Team 12 Managing Systems Transitions – Integrated Hospital Transition Management Initiative – Poster Presentation 13 INR Clinics: the next step 14 The Nutrition Resource Centre as a Means for Collaboration between Family Health Teams and Public Health 15 Expanding Our QI team to Improve Patient Outcomes and Enhance Provider Engagement and Collaboration: Public Private Collaboration (PPC) (poster to follow) 16 Supporting Caregivers Through Problem Solving Therapy 17 Driving Transformation By Seeing The System Through The Eyes of Patients and Their Families Theme 5 – Advances in health promotion and chronic disease management 18 AFib Innovation Program (poster to follow) 19 Reducing CVD risk factors through Fostering Self-Management Skills using an Interprofessional Team in a Shared Medical Visit Setting 20 Smoking Cessation Program at St. Michael’s Academic Family Health Team (poster to follow) 21 Readiness – A Key Concept in Mental Health Intake Assessments 22 Colon Cancer Screening: A Family Health Team Approach to Improve Patient Awareness and Access (poster to follow) 23 EPIC: Expanding Paramedicine in the Community 24 Exploring Hand Hygiene in Primary Care (poster to follow) 25 Evaluation of a nursing led chronic disease management program 26 Group Visit Implementation and Program Evaluation: Interprofessional Well-Baby Group Visits (poster to follow) 27 Effect of’Beyond the Fork’ program on chronic disease self-management: a pilot RCT 28 Partnering with Patients in the Development of a Trauma Program (poster to follow) 29 Using a Novel Instructional Video on the Fecal Occult Blood Test to improve Rates of Colon Cancer Ccreening in Low Risk Patients: a pilot study at the Toronto Western Hospital Family Health Team 30 Meeting Parental Needs for Infant Feeding Education with Well Baby Group Visits (WBGV) (poster to follow) 31 The 4 Ps of Effective Health Promotion in Family Health Teams: Enhancing Patient Engagement in Community-based Programming. 32 Provider Education Program: Evidence-Based Asthma Knowledge Transfer into Primary Care Practice 33 Improved Cancer Screening Rates with Introduction of an EMR 34 Right Care, Right Time, Right Place: A Lung Health Collaborative in Primary Care (poster to follow) 35 Some Injuries You Can’t Kiss and Make Better: Fall Prevention in Young Children 36 Diabetes Group Visits – A Collaborative & Supportive Approach to Patient Care 37 Progress Beyond The Scale: Using Data Collection to Provide Patient and System Level Feedback in Healthy Weight Management Program 38 Health Coaching for patients with diabetes: impact on interdisciplinary teams 39 The Ontario Renal Network: Reducing the Impact of Chronic Kidney Disease through Early Detection – A Primary Care Innovation (poster to follow) 40 Bridging the Gap: Increasing cancer screening rates through quality improvement 41 Upstream Solutions for Downstream Congestion 42 See the Difference an HgbA1C Onsite Makes (poster to follow) Theme 6 – Improving care for seniors 43 Guelph Family Health Team Cooking Classes: A “Healthy Bite” closer to prevent and manage chronic disease 44 Evaluating a Health and Social Care Innovation; Findings from the Integrated Home-Based Primary Care (IHBPC) Study 45 Safe Medications And Reviews Taskforce (SMART Seniors Project) – An Interprofessional Collaboration at the St Michael’s Academic Family Health Team 46 Health Equity and Geriatric Care in a Rural Practice 47 Prescribing and Deprescribing in Frail Elderly: Use of an interdisciplinary team to enhance safe medication use in frail and homebound older adults. 48 Medication Reviews for Improving Care in Elderly Family Health Team Patients on Multiple Medications (poster to follow) Theme 7 – Innovation in interprofessional collaborative team implementation 49 The Primary Care Asthma Program (PCAP): A Standardized Program Model for Evidence-based Primary Care Asthma Management in Ontario 50 An Interdisciplinary Approach to Increasing Awareness of RD’s Medical Nutrition Therapy Services 51 Making Patient Safety a Priority: Moving from a culture of blame to learning via narrative 52 Improving Patient Access to Care: Removing Barriers to Receiving Assessment and Education by Health Disciplines of the St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team 53 The Patient Engagement Project: Lessons Learned 54 The Value of an Optometry-integrated Primary Care Model to Lowering Risk of Blindness and Augment Chronic Disease Management 55 Investigating the role of a NP and a PA in a Family Health Team 56 Strengthening the Circle of Mental Health Care: Social Work and Psychologists in Collaboration: A Panel of Physician/Social Worker and Psychologist 57 The “Missing Link”: The Integration of Registered Kinesiologists in Primary Care 58 Integrating Palliative Care into an Academic Family Health Team 59 Longitudinal Study of Mental Health Services at Summerville Family Health Team 60 “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”: An Insomnia Reversal Program for Primary Care 61 Primary Health Care: Chiropractic Collaboration (poster to follow) 62 A Collaborative Approach in Integrating Evidence Based Practice in Smoking Cessation- A Paradigm Shift (poster to follow) 63 Evaluation & Lessons Learned from the Interprofessional Memory Clinic: Loyalist Family Health Team – impact on the patients, care partners, health care providers and community partnerships (poster to follow) 70 PAASSPORT: Primary Care Advanced Access Study: Spreading the Practice and Optimizing interprofessional Resources and Treatment Theme 8 – Meaningful use of EMRs 64 Advanced Access – Same Day Next Day Physician Access 65 The McMaster Pain Assistant: The why, what and how of a new EMR tool that teaches. 66 Updating and Standardizing Nutrition Handouts on the EMR 67 Supporting the implementation of the Canadian Guideline for Safe and Effective Use of Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain in primary care 68 Preventing Clinically Significant Drug/Disease Interactions in Primary Care

October 24, 2013