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Tag: Highlights

  • AFHTO 2019 Conference: Presentation notifications sent out; hotel group rate and other key updates

    AFHTO 2019 Conference: Presentation notifications sent out; hotel group rate and other key updates

    conference tree picThank you to everyone who submitted an abstract for concurrent session and poster presentations at the AFHTO 2019 Conference. The working groups have now reviewed all submissions and a notification e-mail has been sent to each contact person.

    If you are part of a group that has prepared an abstract, please ensure your group contact has received an e-mail including the words “AFHTO 2019 Conference” in the subject on May 24, 2019.

    If your contact person has NOT received this notification, please contact info@afhto.ca before Wednesday, May 29, 2019. The notification e-mail is your assurance that your abstract has been reviewed by a working group for presentation at the conference and a decision made.

    The program with all concurrent session descriptions will be announced when registration opens in early June 2019.

     

     

    Other important updates

    • Hotel: Book by August 19 to take advantage of the $222 group rate (plus tax, single/double occupancy); after this date, availability and prices cannot be guaranteed. Call 1-888 627 8559 and state that you are part of the AFHTO Annual Conference group. Online reservations coming soon.
    • IHP individual sessions: we need volunteers to lead the popular individual professional sessions, so if you’re interested, please contact Beth MacKinnon by May 28, 2019.

    We look forward to seeing you at the AFHTO 2019 Conference!
    Health System Integration Built on the Foundation of Team-Based Primary Health Care
    September 19 & 20, 2019
    Westin Harbour Castle, One Harbour Square, Toronto

  • Essex County NPLC’s Peer-led Workshop Walks through Diabetic Foot Complication Prevention

    The Windsor Star article published on May 9, 2019

    By Katie Jacobs, the Windsor Star

     

    Windsor experts are taking steps to teach people with diabetes how to properly care for their feet.

    The Diabetes, Healthy Feet and You workshop was led by two peers at the Essex County Nurse Practitioner Led Clinic at the Gino Marcus Community Centre on Drouillard Road on Wednesday.

    It is a 2 1/2-hour course developed by Diabetic Foot Canada that discusses diabetic foot management by being aware of changes in one’s feet — like bone structure, deformities, sores, loss of sensation and temperature.

    Carrie White, a diabetic foot care nurse at ECNPLC, said people with diabetes don’t normally seek help for their feet until there is an issue.

    “Our feet is the most important things we have, they are going to hold us for the rest of our life,” White said. “Unfortunately with diabetes, majority of the problems start in your feet. So if we can keep our feet healthy, it will help them keep the deformities at bay.”

    Peer leader Geri Robitaille, who has diabetes herself, also teaches a six-week Master your Health course since 2011.

    Robitaille said monitoring feet helps avoid serious infections.

    “If it’s unattended and it gets infected, then gangrene can set in and it could lead to amputations and further complications, so this course is to teach people how to look out for that,” Robitaille said.

    For people with diabetes, foot complications are common because of poor circulation. Without assessing ulcers, calluses, fungus, deformity, numbness or proper footwear, some feet could be amputated.

    However, White said eight out of 10 amputations can be avoided through proper attention.

    “My grandfather lost his leg from complications,” White said. “Since then, I want to help people to prevent that from happening, and I just want them to know how easy it is to prevent it from happening.”

    The workshop featured a slideshow presentation and discussions about foot screening — up-keeping feet like trimming toenails — and resources for finding foot care specialists. It also taught how to self-advocate one’s care, such as asking for professionally fitted shoes or taking off shoes and socks before a nurse or doctor walks in for a check-up.

    “My mother had diabetes for a long time, and she was in denial for a long time, and she had some very bad complications,” Robitaille said. “It was hard for my mom, and if I can just help one person, then that makes what I’m doing worthwhile.”

     

    Click here to access the complete Windsor Star article.

  • St. Michael’s Hospital Academic FHT Physician prescribes money to low-income patients: Vox interview

    Vox article published on May 3, 2019

    By Sigal Samuel, Vox

    Gary Bloch became a doctor because he wanted to help people who were less privileged than him. For years, he tried his best to treat patients coping with poverty and homelessness.

    But no matter how many blood tests he ordered and prescriptions he wrote, many of his patients’ health problems persisted. He realized it was because he wasn’t addressing the issue that most plagued them: poverty.

    So in 2005, instead of prescribing only medication, he started developing the concept of prescribing money. And for the past 10 years, he’s been putting that concept into practice.

    In concrete terms, that means that Bloch connects his patients to ways of boosting their income, like applying for welfare or disability support. Often, it means guiding patients to fill out their tax forms so they can access government benefits. Is it a doctor’s responsibility to do this? Yes, Bloch says, because if you don’t treat the social determinants of health (like income and housing), you’re not actually doing what you can to ensure your patients get healthier.

    Similar to the notion behind universal basic income, the idea here is that if you really want to help people, the most effective starting point might be to simply give them more money.

    As a family doctor at St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team in Toronto, Bloch hasn’t contented himself with prescribing income in one-on-one appointments: He’s also been pushing for broader social policy change. Treating individuals’ poverty may be a good step, but he wants to see systemic change, including a more robust social assistance program. In 2016, he was appointed to an Ontario government commission tasked with creating a 10-year road map to income security for the province (you can read the resulting recommendations here).

    Although some doctors have told him they just don’t have the time or resources to prescribe money, Bloch says he’s gotten an overwhelmingly positive response from across Canada and beyond.

    Click here to access the complete interview transcript & article on Vox.

  • Susan Fitzpatrick Named Interim CEO of Ontario Health

    On April 24 Christine Elliott, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, announced that Susan Fitzpatrick will assume the role of interim CEO of Ontario Health, the new superagency which will ensure a consistency of care across Ontario.

    Susan Fitzpatrick was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) in 2015, following a career in the Ontario Public Service that spanned more than three decades. Prior to joining the LHIN, Susan was Associate Deputy Minister, Health System Delivery and Implementation, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. As Associate Deputy Minister, Susan was responsible for bringing together health programs in LHINs, CCACs, Long-term Care and Physician Services, and creating alignment opportunities in order to deliver quality health services to patients.

    Prior to her role at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Susan was the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Negotiations and Accountability Management Division and the General Manager of the Ontario Health Insurance Plan where she led significant policy achievements.

    Susan holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario, and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Queen’s University.

    Relevant Links

  • AFHTO 2019 Conference: JUST ONE WEEK LEFT to submit your abstract

    AFHTO 2019 Conference: JUST ONE WEEK LEFT to submit your abstract

    AFHTO 2019 conference logo

    The call for Ontario Health Teams has gone out, signaling another phase in a major change to Ontario’s healthcare system. Within a very short span of time the landscape will look very different, so we need to make sure primary health care teams are as prepared as they can be.

    Attentive conference attendee

    Colleagues from other health care sectors, non-profits, and the academic community will be at the conference, all eager to hear about your programs and patient care in our 6 core themes.

    The deadline to submit abstracts for concurrent sessions and posters is April 24, 2019 at 5:00 PM (EDT).

     

     

     

    Helpful links to get you started:

    Conference key dates:

    • April 24, 2019             Deadline to submit concurrent session and poster abstract
    • June 2019                    Conference registration opens
    • Sep 19 & 20, 2019     AFHTO 2019 Conference

    If you have any questions about the submission process or want to know if your work is a good fit, email info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605x 200. We’d be happy to help.

  • AFHTO 2019 Conference: we really want you to submit your abstract

    AFHTO 2019 Conference: we really want you to submit your abstract

    AFHTO 2019 conference logo

    Are you:

    • A small, rural or Northern team?
    • Helping your patients live healthier lives?
    • Improving your community through effective partnerships and programs?
    • Providing truly integrated care and embodying the patient medical home?

    Then your peers across the province want to hear from you! Don’t wait to impart your tips and lessons learned to colleagues from all across the province under 6 core themes. Your experience is invaluable.

    Now more than ever we want to ensure our sessions reflect the ever-changing health care environment and are relevant to primary health care today. This means we want to hear what’s worked for you. The deadline to submit abstracts for concurrent sessions and posters is April 24, 2019 at 5:00 PM (EDT).

    All are welcome. Please pass this along to your peers, colleagues and network including those from other healthcare sectors, non-profits, and the academic and research communities.

    Not sure if your work is a good fit? Feel free to ask us! Email info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605x 200. We’d be happy to help.

    Helpful links to get you started:

    Reduced registration fee for concurrent session presenters: For each approved concurrent session, up to 2 presenters will each be granted a $50 discount off the conference registration fee. Additional discounts apply for patients presenting at the conference. (Discount doesn’t apply for poster displays.)

    Conference key dates:

    • April 24, 2019             Deadline to submit concurrent session and poster abstract
    • June 2019                   Conference registration opens
    • Sep 19 & 20, 2019      AFHTO 2019 Conference

  • AFHTO’s Submission on Bill 74: The People’s Health Care Act, 2019

    On April 2 AFHTO presented its submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy on Bill 74: The People’s Health Care Act, 2019. Our key recommendations are:

    1. That Bill 74 require primary care to be part of an Ontario Health Team (OHT). It is also recommended that primary care teams be the lead of an OHT in areas with highly functioning teams who can continue to be leaders in delivering truly integrated care. Primary care is the entry point to the health care system. These are the health care providers who know the patients and their families the best.

    2. That Bill 74 (Part IV – Definitions) be strengthened by including the vision of the Patient’s Medical Home when speaking about the Integrated Care Delivery Systems, with specific notation made to the Minister’s Patient and Family Advisory Council Patient Declaration of Values. While there is notation in the preamble about the importance of the patient in the development of Bill 74, it is important that there also be a strong vision for this health system restructuring, especially with the creation of the local level Ontario Health Teams. The Patient Medical Home encompasses that vision – it puts the patient and the family in the center of care while also recognizing the importance of the Quadruple Aim through its pillars.

    3. That there be an addition in Part IV of the Bill under Integrated Care Delivery Systems that specifically outlines governance of integration, including principles of collaborative governance and what the requirements will be of the Boards of the HSPs that are coming together to change the way care is being delivered in their community. For integrated health care systems, it is truly placing the patient at the center of care – not the organization where the care is being delivered. And that, for many, will require a tremendous amount of change management support. Health care organizations have been funded in siloes for decades with targets and indicators that are very specific to their funding. A move towards a shared budget will require a shift in thinking, new partnership building and, fundamentally, trust.

    4. a)  As Ontario Health starts becoming operational, we recommend it stay true to Part II (The Agency) Objects and General Powers and support the health service providers in the sector as outlined in the Bill and NOT be involved in direct service delivery, including in the area of home and community care.
    b)    We ask that the relationship between primary care and home and community care be strengthened by transitioning the function and associated resources of care coordination to primary care.
    c)    It should also be noted that in any application for an OHT, there should be concerted effort made to ensure that primary care and mental health and addictions supports are integrated and it is our recommendation that this is a priority for each integrated care delivery system in the province.

    AFHTO is pleased to see the government’s commitment towards truly integrated patient-centred care. Health care providers in interprofessional team-based primary care have been working in integrated systems of care for years but have felt that there is still fragmentation in the care they are able to provide, mainly because of the disconnect between the siloes of care, from acute to home care, from mental health and addictions to long-term care. Primary care is the entry point to the health system and for many patients in the province, the relationship they have with their family physician or nurse practitioner is everlasting and built on trust. A truly effective, high quality health care system needs to be coordinated, integrated and foundationally built in primary care, which will ensure we are delivering a sustainable health system for the future.

    Team-based primary care is popular with its 3.5 million patients because it provides a better patient experience, helping people avoid long and confusing waits for referrals and getting lost navigating our complex system. We need to expand this experience so that every Ontarian can get access to the care they need when they need it. We look forward to working with the government as it starts the journey on implementing this very important health restructuring plan and creating a new integrated system of care that is focused around the patient.

    Relevant Links:

  • AFHTO 2019 Conference: submit your presentation & poster abstracts

    AFHTO 2019 Conference: submit your presentation & poster abstracts

    It’s time to show everyone what you can do.

    Present your ideas and initiatives at the AFHTO 2019 Conference:
           
    Health System Integration Built
    on the Foundation of Team-Based Primary Health Care

    Beautiful green tree with many-branching roots

    ‘Integration’ may be the word of the day, but primary care teams already embody it. Interprofessional comprehensive care creates a patient medical home that is the foundation for a high-performing health care system.

    With The People’s Health Care Act, and the introduction of Ontario Health Teams, team-based primary health care needs to demonstrate how much we truly provide patient-centred care. To do this we need to ask…what if?

    What if that little program you’re quietly doing, reducing trips to the ER, relieving patients of unnecessary complications, could spread?
    What if your peers in other small towns could learn more from your trial and error and go straight to better outcomes? What if this happened all across Ontario?

     

    It can, if you submit an abstract to present a concurrent session or poster in 6 core themes at the AFHTO 2019 Conference on September 19 & 20, 2019.

    AFHTO 2018 panorama

    The deadline to submit abstracts for concurrent sessions and posters is April 24, 2019 at 5:00 PM (EDT)

    Review submission guidelines

    Submit your abstract online

    Reduced registration fee for concurrent session presenters: For each approved concurrent session, up to 2 presenters will each be granted a $50 discount off the conference registration fee. Additional discounts apply for patients presenting at the conference. (Discount doesn’t apply for poster displays.)

    Conference key dates:

    • March 27, 2019          Applications for concurrent session and poster abstracts open
    • April 24, 2019             Deadline to submit concurrent session and poster abstract
    • June 2019                   Conference registration opens
    • Sep 19 & 20, 2019      AFHTO 2019 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 is now this Friday, March 29. Come behind the scene and become among the first to learn about new developments in the field, influence conference programming and discover the innovators in your areas of interest.

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

  • Introducing our revamped website

    Introducing our revamped website

    Doctor examining young boy on table

     

    We’re pleased to introduce our new website, updated with a new look and layout. Now updated to become an even better resource to the public and members alike. Changes include:

    Member login buttonIndividual login for members– now members can register for their own login by clicking on this button at the top of our home page. No more need to email us if you’ve forgotten your password- you can reset it yourself.

     

    search buttonImproved search experience – not only is our search tool more sensitive, bringing you even more appropriate results, you can filter by topics and tags.

     

    team map

    Making it easier for people to find teams – not just using Google Maps and a table. Teams can be sorted alphabetically and by region. Multiple sites can be added as well.

     

     

    Other changes to improve your experience:

    • Better use of roles and permission levels – members-only items are only visible once you log in, and sensitive items specific to the leadership triad are only visible to qualifying members.
    • Simplified structure– we had quite a few categories and subcategories on our old site and these determined whether a specific post was public or members-only. Now we have just 9 topics, and ‘public vs. members-only’ is picked according to content instead. This makes it easier to share resources with partners as needed.
    • Online job posting – now open to qualifying organizations for a moderate fee, AFHTO members can still post for free here once logged in, instead of sending an email.
    • Fresh pics – we’ll be changing our home page photo throughout the year, all the better to reflect the interprofessional comprehensive care AFHTO members provide. These gear towards member photos, including those from past Bright Lights nominations, like our current picture, from McMaster FHT.
    • And more!

    If you have any questions, please see our Frequently Asked Questions below. Adjustments to all the content we’ve brought over are ongoing, but if you spot a glitch, please feel free to contact us. We may experience some glitches during launch, so please bear with us as we work to update your website experience.

    We hope you enjoy the new site. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please e-mail info@afhto.ca.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    1. Why have you changed the site?

    The changes to the AFHTO website are part of an overall strategy to provide a more streamlined user-friendly experience for our members and partners, tailored for each. In our old website, members were finding it increasingly difficult to find the information they needed. We’ve taken this opportunity to re-organize the content, refine the search experience, and provide direct access to the newest and most relevant information.

    2. Ok, but why are you doing it now?

    We actually started this process last spring, as reported to members during our 2018-19 renewal season. It’s simply taken until now because it’s a fairly involved project and we wanted to make sure we got it right.

    3. I don’t see members only news on the home page any more. Where is it?

    Before, everyone visiting the AFHTO website could see the titles of webpages in Members Only News and under AFHTO Programs. Now you must log in as a member to see any members only items.

    4. What is my log-in for the Members Only section?

    We now have individual instead of team login. Click on Member Login to start setting up your individual login. All individuals will be verified by AFHTO staff before permission is granted, so to facilitate the process, please use your team’s email address if you have one. If you experience any difficulties, please e-mail info@afhto.ca.

    5. Can I share my Members Only log-in with my colleagues?

    We no longer have team log-in to the AFHTO website. Please encourage your colleagues, affiliated physicians and board members to create their own and do not share your login with anyone else.

    6. I can’t find what I’m looking for. Where can I get help?

    With the reorganization of the site, some content may be in new sections. While we hope this has made things easier to find, we understand there may be a period of adjustment. A few tips for searching content:

    • Keyword Search– Click on the search icon at the top right of your screen and input key words. The search results will pull all public and members only content on the website based on the key word search and your login status. You can further filter by topic and sort by relevance or date.
    • Explore – you can click on ‘Explore’ at the top of the screen or explore topics in the middle of the home page to see posts in any of 9 topics. You can also click on the tags, if any, on these posts.

    And if you’re still not able to find what you’re looking for, please email us at info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605 x200.

    7. I’ve found something out of date or incorrect on the website. How can I get this changed?
    Please send an e-mail to info@afhto.ca with the URL and section of the page that needs updating. We will make necessary corrections as needed.

    8. How can I add an event, careers posting, member story, etc.?

    For career postings: AFHTO members are welcome to post job openings on this site, free of charge, while qualified non-member organizations can now do so for a moderate fee. Both can do this online through our Careers page. Members need to be logged in to post for free.

    For other content, please send an email to info@afhto.ca with your request to post content on the AFHTO website. As a rule, we accept requests as follows:

    • Events: We will post conferences, webinars, education opportunities and other events that are relevant to AFHTO members and organized by AFHTO partners, non-profit organizations and/or government agencies.
    • Members’ stories: both success stories and ‘members in the media’ posts are curated from Canadian news sites. We invite all AFHTO members to share their accomplishments and updates to be posted.
    • Member resources and shared templates: The Members Only website holds a repository of templates and resources developed by other teams. All members are welcome to share content.
    • Other resources: We will post free resources for AFHTO members on our Members Only website. Please contact us to see what information may be relevant.

    Need further help? Contact us at info@afhto.ca or call 647-234-8605 ext. 200.

  • Windsor FHT’s Team Care Centre opens doors to Windsor community, offers ‘upstream approach’ to patient care

    CBC News article published on January 23, 2019

    By CBC News, Windsor

    Everyone at Team Care Centre ‘gets it’ says patient

    The Windsor Family Health Team (WFHT) officially launched its Team Care Centre (TCC) today. The initiative is what they’re calling an “upstream approach” to integrate patient care.

    “We have a significant stake in community vitality,” said WFHT executive director Mark Ferrari. He believes patient health plays a big role in that.

    The WFHT also provides health services to students at St. Clair College campuses. The TCC program was launched with a $1.5 million lot of funding in collaboration with the Canadian Mental Health Association.

    “There are many things that affect health and wellbeing, not just physical illness,” said Ferrari.

    “All of that, within the centre, we can address it.”

    A team-based care centre brings the referral system internal, allowing for almost a “menu” of services that are provided in a quick timeline. The TCC focuses on mild-to-moderate mental health issues.

    “Sometimes we don’t have the resources, social work that’s affordable, psychiatry that’s readily available,” said Dr. Christel Tayag, a family medicine practitioner who helped TCC launch the program, who said her patients are thrilled with how fast the referral process is.

    Tayag said patients often have more than one mental health problem, listing stress, anxiety and depression as just a few.

    After Tayag refers her patients to Team Care Centre, she doesn’t treat them anymore for mental health problems — but she can collaborate with the patient’s other practitioners.

    “You can get their input, their advice, their recommendations,” said Tayag. “It helps the patient as a whole, to connect with everybody else.”

    The referral system is free, which Tayag says especially helps low-income patients. There is a psychiatrist, social worker, dietician, addictions counsellor, nurse practitioner, pharmacist and podiatrist on the team. Ferrari said they are “desperately” in search of a physiotherapist and kinesiologist.

    “My patients are grateful [for this team],” said Tayag. “Hopefully we continue to grow.”

    A patient’s perspective
    “In the decade I’ve been struggling with substance abuse, it’s the first time I don’t feel embarrassed to admit it,” said Brittni Jacobs at the media launch.

    “I’ve judged myself enough but I’ve been shown so many outlets to keep manage my life.”

    Jacobs said everyone at TCC “gets it.” She’s been working through the centre’s program for about four months and said it has really made a difference.

    “My experience here has been different than my past journeys in trying to become sober,” said Jacobs, adding that the relationship she’s built with her counsellor and the rest of the care team has made her feel like she was “worth saving.”

    Jacobs works with Beth Lalonde, a certified addictions counsellor. Jacobs thinks they were “destined to meet.”

    “She wouldn’t let me quit, even when I wanted to. She extended herself and her time, even out of appointments when I really needed someone,” said Jacobs. “She treated me like a person.”

    To get into the centre, patients need to be referred by a doctor. The centre has had 500 referrals to date.

    Click here to access the CBC News article