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Tag: Highlights

  • Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19

    Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19

    Originally posted Mar. 17, 2020. Last updated July 7, 2023

    Shift to Virtual Care - Primary Care Response to COVID-19 Pandemic Document

    On Thursday, March 19 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. Below are resources to assist teams. These will be updated as they become available.

    We are collecting stories from our members on they have shifted to virtual care in response to COVID-19. Summary of findings and a resource table can be found here: Shift to Virtual Care-Primary care response to COVID-19. We will continue to update this document so if you would like share any stories please email: improve@afhto.ca.

     

    Virtual Care & Digital Health

    Guidance Documents
    Virtual Care Platforms, Supports & Fact Sheets for Teams

    For EMR Screening Tools and Toolbars, see the Infection Control Resources And Tools page. 

    Consent for Electronic Communication
    Policies

    For IT resources while clinics transition to virtual care during COVID-19, refer to Management And Operations, Human Resources And COVID-19

    Documents for Patients

    To capture the patient experience with virtual care please refer to the Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey. 

    Webinars and Recordings
    Special Offers to Teams

     

    Some resources have restricted access: * Members-only resources, ** Triad-only resources

    Return to: Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates

    Disclaimer: The information in this resource centre represents general guidance developed by AFHTO and their partners, gathered through a rapid, non-systematic scan of relevant and valuable guidelines with an intent to support you in a timely fashion. The information reflects best knowledge at the time of writing and is subject to revision based on rapidly changing circumstances and conditions. As new best practice evidence emerges, recommendations may evolve. The resources above should be considered supplementary guidance and are not meant to replace clinical judgement or organizational directives.

  • AFHTO 2023 Conference: call for abstracts

    AFHTO 2023 Conference: call for abstracts

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

    It’s time to highlight primary care.

    Present your ideas and initiatives at the AFHTO 2023 Conference:
           
    Team-Based Care: Making it a reality for all

    We’ll be selecting sessions and posters for our 4 core themes and we want to hear from you. This is YOUR opportunity to showcase the great work being done in your team, to share innovative approaches occurring in primary care, and to highlight initiatives that are making an impact on your communities’ health needs. Your submissions allow us to recognize the high-quality care each of you provide as we strive to make team-based care a reality for all.

    What do we mean? Dive deeper into our conference theme.

    The deadline to submit for an #AFHTO2023 presentation is
    May 24, 2023, at 5:00 PM (EDT)

    Review submission guidelines

    Submit online

    Reduced registration fee for concurrent session presenters: For each approved concurrent session, up to 2 presenters will each be granted a $40 discount off the conference registration fee. Additional discounts apply for patients presenting at the conference. (Discount doesn’t apply for poster displays.)

    This is a hybrid conference. This means it will be a mix of in-person sessions (some streamed live) and on-demand. For this conference, we welcome speaker suggestions.

     

    Conference key dates:*

    • April 25, 2023- Call for abstracts
    • May 24, 2023– Deadline for abstracts
    • June 15, 2023 – Bright Lights nominations
    • July 2023- Conference registration opens
    • October 3, 2023 – Early bird registration deadline
    • October 25, 2023– AFHTO 2023 Conference

    Do you know anyone with interesting and innovative initiatives to share? Please forward this email to your colleagues, community partners and stakeholders to make sure everyone has an opportunity to present their initiatives.

    And don’t forget, the deadline to join a working group and/or Bright Lights review committee is next Tuesday, May 2. Come behind the scenes and be the first to learn about new developments in the field, influence conference programming and discover the latest innovators in areas directly relevant to your work. Working group members also receive a discount off their registration fee.

    For more information, you can contact us by phone (647-234-8605 x1200) or e-mail (info@afhto.ca).

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

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

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

    Join a working group

    You can have an impact by joining a working group today. 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.  

    Please extend this invitation to your patients, colleagues, and staff. Having diverse voices in the working groups, especially among patients, helps us build a varied and relevant program.

    Conference Themes

    We’re setting up working groups for concurrent sessions, posters, and the Bright Lights Awards program. For this conference, we welcome speaker suggestions. The four conference themes will focus on:

    1. Using a population-based approach to provide care to the community
    2. Optimising teams’ capacity and creating efficiencies
    3. Organizing primary care to advance Ontario Health Teams
    4. Embedding mental health and home care in primary care

    (Full list of sub-topics here)

    Working Group Details

    Concurrent program working group members:
    The task requires a total of 4-10 hours of effort in May and June, specifically:

    • April 25 to May 24: AFHTO staff will manage the call for proposals process.
    • Week of May 15: working groups will have an initial Zoom session to brainstorm ideas on specific topics. Brainstorming on speakers to contact/encourage to submit a presentation abstract will also occur this week. 
    • May 26 to June 9: each working group member will individually review and score abstracts for their program.
    • June 13 to 16: working groups will meet via Zoom to review scores and determine the program for this theme.

    Sign up by May 2, 2023, to confirm your participation and select your preferred conference theme.

    Bright Lights logo

    “Bright Light” Awards Review Committee:
    The task requires a total of 6-12 hours in July and August, to individually review and score nominations. The review and scoring will be followed by a Zoom meeting to determine the award winners. Sign up by May 2, 2023

    We may also need volunteers onsite during the conference itself. There may be other duties as we update our conference program. Onsite volunteers will also receive discounted conference registration. Sign up today.

    Registration Fees for Conference Working Groups:

    • Conference working group members and presenters receive a $40 discount off their registration fee
    • We understand patients face additional financial and time pressures and do not want the registration fee to limit patient participation in a working group. Patients participating in full in a conference working group will be eligible for complimentary registration (to be determined once the working group task is complete).   

    AFHTO members still receive a significant discount on conference registration fees.

    Conference key dates:*

    • April 25, 2023- Call for abstracts
    • May 24, 2023– Deadline for abstracts
    • June 15, 2023 – Bright Lights nominations
    • July 2023- Conference registration opens
    • October 25, 2023– AFHTO 2023 Conference

    *All dates subject to change, except the conference dates.

    To our sponsors, the sponsorship prospectus is coming soon. For more information, you can contact us by phone (647-234-8605) or e-mail (info@afhto.ca).

  • 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

  • Farewell Message from Kavita Mehta, Outgoing CEO of AFHTO

    Farewell Message from Kavita Mehta, Outgoing CEO of AFHTO

    Kavita Mehta is smiling. Her hair is down to below her shoulders and blends in with her black top.

    Dear members, colleagues, partners, and friends,

    It is hard to put down in words just how difficult it was to write this message to an amazing group of people who I have had the pleasure of working with, and learning from, over my many years in primary care.

    I don’t even really know where to start. I started my journey in primary care, specifically with primary care teams, 17 years ago and it has been an absolute privilege to be part of a sector that continually does everything they can to provide exceptional care to patients, their families, and communities. We know primary care is the foundation of the health care system and working from the policy angle from my time at the Ministry to the operational level during my time as an Executive Director of a family health team to now here at AFHTO with an advocacy lens, it just highlights to me that a sustainable health care system MUST start and end with strong primary care.

    I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your best wishes as I step into this next chapter of my professional life. Your emails and phone calls have been truly uplifting and I appreciate your kind words – these relationships matter a lot, and I am thankful for the opportunity to have met so many great people along the way.

    • To everyone on our member teams – it is always astounding to see how much primary care gets done, even when there are not a lot of supports or even understanding of what primary care truly is. Thank you for your leadership, your engagement, and your ongoing commitment to AFHTO – your stories, your innovations, your passion is what drives the organization and for that I am truly grateful.
    • To the many partners I have had the privilege of working with – I want to thank you for your partnership and collaboration as we work towards creating a much more integrated health care system. I especially want to thank my partners in the Primary Care Collaborative. Working together to create that unified voice with like minded individuals who are truly passionate about creating a sustainable and equitable health care system that is foundationally based in primary care is truly motivating and inspiring.
    • To my colleagues in the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health – thank you for always being readily accessible and available as we collectively navigate towards rebuilding our health care system where primary care, through the lens of the quintuple aim, is prioritized and supported. I know it is not an easy task and I am grateful for your ongoing commitment at ensuring we have a voice.
    • To the AFHTO Board members, new and those who have been around for a while – thank you for always being there, always willing to jump in and provide support and guidance when it was needed and when times were tough, always being that compassionate ear.
    • And then finally, to the small but mighty AFHTO team! We say that a lot, but I think a lot of people are always surprised by how much we get done with such a small team. It has been a true honour to work with each and every one of you and I know that your collaborative spirt and willingness to always jump in to support our members is as important to you as it was to me. There are no other words than thank you.

    Without our member teams, our amazing board members, our partners and most importantly, the AFHTO team, it would have been very difficult to do this job. After all, we always say #ItTakesATeam to deliver the best care but it also takes a team to develop solutions and work towards policy that ensures we develop roadmaps to deliver better care, with primary care at the centre. Now, more than ever, we are seeing a lot of discussion around creating more primary care teams and I feel that there is momentum like we have not seen in many years. The pendulum is shifting!

    I am truly grateful for everyone’s support, guidance and partnership over the years – health care is a truly small space so I am sure our paths will cross again. Please take care of yourselves and each other and a very warm thank you!

    Kavita signature

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Kavita Mehta
    CEO, AFHTO

  • Update on CEO Recruitment Process, Appointment of Interim CEO and Sending Your Best Wishes to Kavita

    Update on CEO Recruitment Process, Appointment of Interim CEO and Sending Your Best Wishes to Kavita

    Message Sent on Behalf of Sara Dalo, Chair of the AFHTO Board of Directors

    Dear Members,

    I am pleased to share that the AFHTO Board has appointed Bryn Hamilton to become AFHTO’s interim CEO, effective March 27, 2023. Many of you already know Bryn as AFHTO’s Director of Governance and Integration, supporting our membership through her focus on primary care integration, strengthening Board governance practices and supporting health system integration. Bryn has been with AFHTO since 2014 and is well versed in the needs of the members and the health system transformation currently underway. We invite you to join us in welcoming Bryn in her new role!

    With Bryn in the role of the Interim CEO, the work has started to recruit our current CEO’s (Kavita Mehta) successor. The AFHTO Board of Directors has established a CEO Selection Committee to recruit  our new CEO and ensure a smooth leadership transition by July 2023. The Committee has engaged Mirams Becker to lead the search. Inquiries may be directed to Sarah Adams, Principal, at sarah@miramsbecker.com.

    As we wind down the time we have with Kavita, I would like to recognize her once again for the contributions to our sector, especially in advancing interprofessional team-based primary care. Kavita, your leadership, passion, and values will not be forgotten. You will be missed and we wish you all the best! If you would like to join us in wishing Kavita farewell with your own best wishes, please leave your message to her on this e-card before her last day on Friday, March 10, 2023: https://ellacard.com/sign/6166bcff-87e1-4bd2-bcb6-fdae8226a1a7.

    Over the next year we will see a lot of changes in AFHTO, but it also mirrors a lot of changes happening in the health care system. I want to take this opportunity to thank all our members for their support and patience as we navigate this new chapter for AFHTO – your ongoing dedication to ensuring the ongoing success and sustainability of the organization is very much appreciated. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at any time.

    Yours in Good Health,

    Sara Dalo signature

     

     

     

     

    Sara Dalo
    Board Chair and President, AFHTO

  • 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:

  • Evaluation of an Enhanced Primary Care Team Model to Improve Diabetes Care

    Research article published in The Annals of Family Medicine November 2022, 20 (6) 505-511

    Evaluation of an Enhanced Primary Care Team Model to Improve Diabetes Care

    Abstract

    PURPOSE Primary care practices manage most patients with diabetes and face considerable operational, regulatory, and reimbursement pressures to improve the quality of this care. The Enhanced Primary Care Diabetes (EPCD) model was developed to leverage the expertise of care team nurses and pharmacists to improve diabetes care.

    METHODS Using a retrospective, interrupted-time series design, we evaluated the EPCD model’s impact on D5, a publicly reported composite quality measure of diabetes care: glycemic control, blood pressure control, low-density lipoprotein control, tobacco abstinence, and aspirin use. We examined 32 primary care practices in an integrated health care system that cares for adults with diabetes; practices were categorized as staff clinician practices (having physicians and advanced practice providers) with access to EPCD (5,761 patients); resident physician practices with access to EPCD (1,887 patients); or staff clinician practices without access to EPCD (10,079 patients). The primary outcome was the percentage of patients meeting the D5 measure, compared between a 7-month preimplementation period and a 10-month postimplementation period.

    RESULTS After EPCD implementation, staff clinician practices had a significant improvement in the percentage of patients meeting the D5 composite quality indicator (change in incident rate ratio from 0.995 to 1.005; P = .01). Trends in D5 attainment did not change significantly among the resident physician practices with access to EPCD (P = .14) and worsened among the staff clinician practices without access to EPCD (change in incident rate ratio from 1.001 to 0.994; P = .05).

    CONCLUSIONS Implementation of the EPCD team model was associated with an improvement in diabetes care quality in the staff clinician group having access to this model. Further study of proactive, multidisciplinary chronic disease management led by care team nurses and integrating clinical pharmacists is warranted.

    Authors:

    • Joseph R. Herges, Mayo Clinic
    • John C. Matulis, Mayo Clinic
    • Dr. Maya E. Kessler, Mayo Clinic
    • Lisa L. Ruehmann, Mayo Clinic
    • Kristin C. Mara, Mayo Clinic
    • Dr. Rozalina G. McCoy, Mayo Clinic

    Relevant Links:

     

  • The experience of primary care teams during the early phase of COVID-19

    Research article published in BMC Primary Care 23, 294 (2022)

    The experience of primary care teams during the early phase of COVID-19: A qualitative study of primary care practice leaders in Ontario, Canada

    Abstract

    Background

    The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a rapid shift to virtual care in primary care practices around the globe. There has been little focus on the experiences of interprofessional teams through the lens of primary care practice leaders. The objective of this study was to examine the experience of primary care teams during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of primary care leadership.

    Methods

    Qualitative study using qualitative description methods. Executive Directors of interprofessional primary care teams belonging to the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) were invited to participate. Executive Directors were interviewed and the interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.

    Results

    Seventy-one Executive Directors from across all regions of Ontario were interviewed for the study, representing 37% of the AFHTO member clinics. Four themes were identified in the data: i) Complexities of Virtual Care, ii) Continuation of In-person Care, iii) Supporting Patients at Risk, and iv) Stepping up and into New Roles.

    Conclusions

    Primary care teams rapidly mobilized to deliver the majority of their care virtually, while continuing to provide in-person and home care as required. Major challenges to virtual care included technological infrastructure and unfamiliarity with virtual platforms. Advantages to virtual care included convenience and time savings. Virtual care will likely continue to be an important mode of primary care delivery moving forward.

    Authors:

    • Dr. Catherine Donnelly, Queen’s University
    • Christine Mills, Queen’s University
    •  Sandeep Gill, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
    • Kavita Mehta, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
    •  Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft, University of Toronto
  • Year End Message from AFHTO’s President and Board Chair

    Year End Message from AFHTO’s President and Board Chair

    Sara Dalo smiling. Wearing snakeskin blouse.

    Normally I take the month of December for reflection on the past year, but this year was different. Interestingly, I spent the majority of the year overthinking my purpose and goals and brainstorming restorative ways to help my team recover and look ahead.

    Over the year, I have been humbled with personal reflections shared by friends and colleagues; their experiences and reflections helped me get through the challenges that accompanied the recovery phase of the pandemic.

    The AFHTO conference is always a reminder of the exceptional efforts that our members are capable of. All work showcased through concurrent and poster presentations, along with the remarkable initiatives recognized through the Bright Lights, are only a glimpse of the work on the ground, so thank you for all the initiatives you take to help our primary care teams evolve to better serve our communities.

    Examples of the impressive work included, but is not limited to redesigning roles, partnering to offer needed services, and measuring success to demonstrate effectiveness. These examples are strategies that are being leveraged to address identified gaps, while demonstrating value. Congratulations on continuously demonstrating the importance and value of primary care.

    My transition from acute care to a team-based primary care environment 10 years ago was enlightening and it continues to be. Since then, I’ve been promoting team-based care as an effective model for continuous and comprehensive patient-centred care. I need to thank all team members, from administration to front line staff, for helping people see the value in team-based care through their interprofessional collaboration and leadership!

    Let’s continue to demonstrate our value, so that our political decision makers can appreciate the importance of investing in team-based primary care! In addition to presenting at conferences, other opportunities to promote team-based primary care include op-eds, articles, interviews and participating in research studies.

    As we continue to work through the HHR challenges, let’s remain positive through focusing on what is in our immediate control. Identifying strategies through seeking guidance and advice from our team members and OHTs can help us overcome these challenges. We are fortunate to have a strong association that continues to support us through trying times as well as our accomplishments. The advocacy, strong governance and communication shared through AFHTO is invaluable and continues to serve us well as we navigate through life’s unprecedented challenges.

    I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the tremendous amount of work put in by the AFHTO team to support its members throughout the year. The bittersweet news of Kavita’s departure is saddening, but I am sure I speak on behalf of the membership when I commend her for her exceptional leadership and dedication to quality and integrity as she advanced the primary team-based care platform over the last seven years at AFHTO. We wish you all the best in your new venture of this next chapter!

    I would also like to acknowledge the contributions of Beth MacKinnon as she also has decided it is time for her to pursue a new chapter in her life. Beth has spearheaded our advocacy work by helping decision makers appreciate our primary care goals at both the provincial and federal level. Thank you for your dedication over the years, Beth. You will be missed!

    Finally, I’d like to thank Raveen for contributions in the short time she has been with us. Raveen has been accepted into medical school and has decided to pursue that dream. Congratulations Raveen, we hope to see you practice in team-based care in the near future!

    While I appreciate these departures are a lot to digest, we must view these as opportunities to adapt ourselves to the changes that await us. Here’s to our future. Let’s do what we do best- support one another as we navigate the road ahead.

    Thank you again to you all. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and joyous Holiday Season and a most prosperous and healthy New Year! Enjoy this special time with your loved ones.

    Respectfully,

    Sara's signature

     

     

     

     

    Sara Dalo,

    President and Board Chair
    Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario