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Tag: Highlights

  • Introducing our new Strategic Plan!

    AFHTO is pleased to share its 2017-2020 Strategic Plan. This plan builds on our experience which shows that team-based comprehensive primary care is delivering better health and better value to patients.

    In the last few years AFHTO and its members have worked hard in supporting, measuring, and promoting the value of well-integrated interprofessional primary care, and advocating for its expansion so that more Ontarians can access high-quality comprehensive care. This Strategic Plan will serve as a blueprint for AFHTO to continue this very important work and assume a leadership role in the ongoing health care transformation agenda in Ontario.

    In the development of the plan, we looked at environmental trends to guide our thinking about what the future may bring and how these trends may affect the provision of primary health care. Taking on a very extensive consultative approach we spoke with our members, our stakeholders and our system partners to arrive at a plan that focuses on three strategic directions:

    • Be a Leader in Primary Health Care Transformation,

    • Demonstrate the Value of Team-Based Care and

    • Advocate for the Tools, Resources, and Conditions to Support an Effective Primary Health Care System.

    And with these strategic directions, we have a new vision that will guide our work –  High quality, sustainable, team-based primary health care.

    We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to our members whose support has been invaluable in furthering AFHTO’s commitment to be an advocate, champion, network and resource to support FHTs, NPLCs and other interprofessional models of care.

    Our sincerest gratitude also to our partners and stakeholders who have been supportive and collaborative as we collectively work to support primary care teams to continue to deliver on the excellent care that they provide.

    We look forward to continually working with you as we strive to promote and encourage system change and ensure primary care be strengthened to truly become the foundation of a health system that truly puts patients first.

  • Volunteers needed for Health Quality Standards Advisory Committees

    Health Quality Ontario (HQO) is seeking volunteers interested in joining one of three Quality Standards Advisory Committees. Quality standards are concise sets of evidence-based recommendations designed to drive positive change within a particular area of health care. HQO has  begun work on a number of new quality standards and are looking for members that will provide advice to support the development of standards of care in Ontario.  They are looking for patients, family members, informal caregivers, health care professionals, administrators and researchers from across Ontario who have lived experience in the following areas:

    • Opioid Use Disorder
    • Opioid Prescribing for Pain
    • Schizophrenia Care in the Community

    Visit this page to learn more and apply. Health Quality Ontario will be accepting applications until September 26th, 2016. If you have any questions, please contact QualityStandards@HQOntario.ca.

  • Primary care recruitment and retention strategy for Ontario

    Evidence from around the world, and Ontario, demonstrates that the introduction of primary care teams is providing patients with better care, at the best value. But one of interprofessional primary care’s biggest barriers is to attract and keep skilled providers. The key issue? Inability to offer competitive compensation to the non-physician health professionals and administrative staff who work in our community health centres, family health teams, nurse practitioner-led clinics and aboriginal health access centres. Funding for these positions has not changed in well over 7 years.

    Minister Hoskins commits $85 million over three years to interprofessional primary care

    “To ensure these clinics (CHCs, NPLCs, FHTs, AHACs and nursing stations) can effectively recruit and retain qualified interprofessional staff in primary care settings, Ontario will invest an additional $85 million over three years.”  – 2016 Ontario Budget.

    Effective April 1, 2016, this investment will certainly help CHCs, FHTs, NPLCs and AHACs retain staff so as to better serve their patients and communities. We are pleased to have this financial commitment in place and look forward to working quickly through the implementation details; however, the AFHTO-AOHC-NPAO proposal as summarised below remains our goal.

    Compensation Structure for Ontario’s Interprofessional Primary Care Organizations

    In June 2013, the three associations that jointly represent all interprofessional primary care organizations in Ontario – the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO), the Association of Ontario Health Centres (AOHC) and the Nurse Practitioners Association of Ontario (NPAO) – released their joint report to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. It presented indisputable evidence that:

    • Compensation levels in primary care are below market – averaging 15.6% for all non-physician positions, and ranging up to 30% below market.
    • The gap between market and actual compensation is growing – it has increased by an average of 4.9% from 2009 to 2012.
    • Lack of pensions is a key barrier to labour mobility – primary care organizations cannot provide both the HOOPP plan and a reasonable benefits package within the imposed financial limit of 20% of salary.
    • Pay equity challenges are a real risk – two types of positions (registered dietitians and nurse practitioners) have been consistently found to be funded at a salary grade below that of comparable health professions. These positions also post the highest vacancy rates in primary care – 19% and 14% respectively. Health promoters were also found to be in the wrong band.

    Rigorous market study conducted by the Hay Group established a recommended salary structure. It placed all positions into 13 pay bands, with 3 market exceptions. Each band has a recommended salary range and steps for proceeding from minimum to maximum within the range. Full implementation across all of the interprofessional primary care organizations would require a funding increase estimated at just over $120 million. Recognizing the need to phase in such an increase, the three associations recommended:

    • An immediate increase of 2.5% in benefits funding to enable all to participate in HOOPP;
    • Funding that would place all professions in their appropriate salary band; and
    • Funding to reduce the gap between the current and recommended salary rates in steps over four years.

    We continue to advocate to achieve the 2012 recommended salary rates for all staff (IHP and admin) in primary care teams, to be implemented over 4 years. The Ministry recognizes this $85 million commitment is the first step in a process and is committed to working with us to achieve our overall goal. Two years from now, the opportunity for further increases is likely to open up. The Government is committed to eliminating the deficit by the end of 2017-18 and some of the compensation constraints may be lifted for the following fiscal year. This will provide opportunities to address the remaining gaps.

    Relevant Links:

  • AFHTO President’s column on tentative physician services agreement published

    New deal serves doctors and patients alike

    Waterloo Region Record article published on Aug. 8, 2016. Article in full pasted below. Dr. Sean Blaine, Waterloo Region Record

    My patients are living with increasingly complex chronic medical conditions. It’s for the 2,400 patients in my family practice, and for patients across Ontario, that I add my voice in support of the new agreement between doctors and the government.

    Why? Because I believe it represents the foundation for a fresh start after two years of worsening acrimony. I believe the deal will serve the interests of physicians and patients alike.

    The tentative agreement guarantees a 2.5-per-cent increase in annual funding compared to the recommendation of 1.25 per cent that was endorsed by former Chief Justice Warren Winkler, in his report released last year.

    So contrary to some media reports, acceptance of the tentative deal will not reduce access to services in Ontario; it will instead provide funding to increase services based on population age and growth.

    I also serve as the President of the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario. Our members share a compelling vision that one day soon, all Ontarians will have timely access to high-quality and comprehensive primary care.

    We strive to deliver health care that is anchored in an integrated and equitable health system. A system that promotes good health and seamless care for all patients. Looking ahead, I believe this deal makes that system more sustainable.

    How will this agreement help us move closer to that vision? The proposed increase provides us with double the growth rate and builds in the added opportunity for essential input from Ontario’s physicians through co-management.

    What does “co-management” mean and why does it matter? It’s means having joint responsibility for the ongoing monitoring of health care costs. It includes a responsibility to make some tough decisions in updating the way doctors are paid in a manner that provides value and the best health care for patients. And the embedding of co-management throughout the agreement strongly acknowledges the key role of physicians in our health care system.

    This clearly defined joint commitment to ongoing physician participation in health system transformation is essential for physicians and patients alike.

    The deal is not perfect. Doctors wanted to achieve binding arbitration from the government in settling contract disputes but were not able to achieve this yet.

    However, the Ontario Medical Association court case asking for binding arbitration continues to go forward. Many specific measures to modernize the fee schedule have yet to be worked out and there will be difficult choices to make. However, the government has committed to avoid further negative unilateral action during the four-year course of this agreement.

    Finally, and this is key — building a great health care system that works today is only part of the challenge that we all face.

    We need to also build our system for tomorrow.

    The deal that Ontario’s doctors will vote on will accomplish that by enhancing the sustainability of the system. With this deal, doctors working in a common partnership with the government will be able to ensure that health care in this province is efficiently delivered, appropriately resourced and provides the quality of care that our patients deserve.

    Dr. Sean Blaine is the president of the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario. He works as a family physician and lead physician of STAR Family Health Team in Stratford. Click here to access the article on Waterloo Region Record website.

  • Health Promotion Resource Centre (HPRC) Survey

    The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) in partnership with the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and the Ministry of Education currently funds Health Promotion Resource Centres (HPRCs)* in Ontario to provide training, resources and supports to health intermediaries working in community agencies and public health units to implement best practice programs and policies in health promotion and chronic disease prevention. HPRCs function in a variety of content areas including: tobacco control, nutrition and healthy eating, healthy communities, physical activity, school health, mental health and addictions, injury prevention, and early childhood development. To support the ongoing transformation of the health system, the MOHLTC is interested in assessing the impact of the work of these HPRCs through a survey to health intermediaries in Ontario. The survey aims to learn more about awareness and use of the HPRCs as well as the current capacity building needs among health intermediaries to ensure the most appropriate supports are available. The survey is now also available in French and can be accessed here. It will build on the work conducted by the Institute of Governance in 2012.The intended purpose is to obtain a general sense of the functions and services valued among service providers. The link provides the background information required to complete the survey. The deadline is July 29, 2016. * HPRCs include: Best Start Maternal and Newborn Resource Centre, Centre for Addictions and Mental Health HPRC, Curriculum and School Based Health Resource Centre, HC Link, Health Promotion Capacity Building Resource Centre – formerly The Health Communication Network, Health Promotion Capacity Building Resource Centre – Alcohol Policy – formerly the Alcohol Policy Network, Nutrition Resource Centre, Ontario Injury Prevention Resource Centre, Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, Physical Activity Resource Centre, Program Training and Consultation Centre, Smoking and Health Action Foundation, Training Enhancement in Applied Cessation Counselling and Health (TEACH), Youth Advocacy Training Institute.  

  • Canadian Pharmacists Association honours AFHTO members at annual conference

    At this year’s Canadian Pharmacists Conference, Suzanne Singh and Tejal Patel were both awarded Patient Care Achievement Awards. Congratulations to Suzanne and Tejal for their important achievements! Suzanne Singh Honoured with the CPhA Patient Care Achievement Award for Innovation, Suzanne Singh is a pharmacist at the Mount Sinai Academic Family Health Team. The Brown-Bag Medication Check-Up Program, which Suzanne launched in July 2015, helps to ensure medication safety. The program focuses on ambulatory–care sensitive conditions, such as diabetes, heart failure, angina, hypertension, asthma and COPD. It is flexible and can be adapted to suit the varying needs of different pharmacies. Suzanne’s program has shifted the landscape of pharmacy practice in the future. She has advanced innovative practice by creating a collaborative practice model.  With this dynamic, team-based model, she has been able to change the lives of both her patients and their caregivers. Suzanne has helped to build a clear role for FHT pharmacists. She explains, “This has allowed me to optimize my professional scope of practice and push the limits of what an effective model of interprofessional care could look like.” With the goal of improving patients’ outcomes along with their access to health services, Suzanne recognizes that patients can be their own best advocates for proper medication use. The Brown-Bag Medication Check-Up Program was also awarded a 2015 AFHTO Bright Light Award. Tejal Patel Awarded the CPhA Patient Care Achievement Award for Specialty Practice, Tejal Patel is pharmacist at the Center for Family Medicine Family Health Team. Tejal was honoured for her work with the Memory Clinic, which she joined in 2009, at the Centre for Family Medicine Family Health Team (CFFM FHT).  Providing care to those with cognitive impairment, the clinic benefitted greatly from her skillful work—reviewing medications, assessing patient and caregiver capabilities, determining drug-related problems and performing cognitive testing.  In particular, she has helped many Alzheimer’s patients stay in their own homes longer. The success of her work with the Memory Clinic is having a profound effect on pharmacists across the province. Tehal has trained many other pharmacists by sharing her knowledge and expertise, noting, “It is imperative that we continue to train the next generation of pharmacists to provide meaningful care.” Her hard-work and invaluable contributions to a vulnerable population have helped Tejal to develop a deep appreciation of the preciousness of life. The Memory Clinic program has been recognized with a 2012 AFHTO Bright Lights Award and a 2014 Minister’s Medal.

  • Patients’ experiences receiving home-based primary care (HBPC) in Ontario: Study

    Article published in Health & Social Care in the Community on June 10, 2016

    Abstract

    The lack of effective systems to appropriately manage the health and social care of frail older adults – especially among those who become homebound – is becoming all the more apparent. Home-based primary care (HBPC) is increasingly being promoted as a promising model that takes into account the accessibility needs of frail older adults, ensuring that they receive more appropriate primary and community care. There remains a paucity of literature exploring patients’ experiences with HBPC programmes. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of patients accessing HBPC delivered by interprofessional teams, and their perspectives on the facilitators and barriers to this model of care in Ontario, Canada. Using certain grounded theory principles, we conducted an inductive qualitative content analysis of in-depth patient interviews (n = 26) undertaken in the winter of 2013 across seven programme sites exploring the lived experiences and perspectives of participants receiving HBPC. Themes emerged in relation to patients’ perceptions regarding the preference for and necessity of HBPC, the promotion of better patient care afforded by the model in comparison to office-based care, and the benefits of and barriers to HBPC service provision. Underlying patterns also surfaced related to patients’ feelings and emotions about their quality of life and satisfaction with HBPC services. We argue that HBPC is well positioned to serve frail homebound older adults, ensuring that patients receive appropriate primary and community care – which the office-based alternative provides little guarantee – and that they will be cared for, pointing to a model that may not only lead to greater patient satisfaction but also likely contributes to bettering the quality of life of a highly vulnerable population. You can read the full article here. Authors

    • Tracy Smith-Carrier PhD RSW, School of Social Work, King’s University College at Western University
    • Samir K. Sinha MD DPhil FRCPC, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto
    • Mark Nowaczynski PhD MD CCFP FCFC, House Calls: Interdisciplinary Healthcare for Homebound Seniors, SPRINT Senior Care
    • Sabrina Akhtar MD CCFP, Home-Based Care Program, Toronto Western FHT
    • Gayle Seddon BScN MHS RN, Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre
    • Thuy-Nga (Tia) Pham MD CCFP, South East Toronto FHT

     

  • AFHTO 2016 Conference: Registration now live

    Registration now open for the AFHTO 2016 Conference! Leading primary care to strengthen a population-focuses health system October 17 & 18, 2016 – Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, Ontario

    Ontario’s health system is on the cusp of a profound shift. Patients First has set a direction for primary care and organizing the health system to focus on local integration to meet the needs of people living in our communities. Primary care has the opportunity to become its strong foundation, delivering comprehensive care for all, over their lifetimes, by placing the health of populations in their local communities at the centre. Over 900 interprofessional primary care providers, patients and community partners will come together to explore how to set a course for primary care, drawing from the experience and views of leaders from all across the province. What will you learn from this 2016 AFHTO Conference to help you play your role in leading primary care to strengthen a population-focused health system?

    See the full Conference Schedule here. For general information you can visit our conference page. We look forward to seeing you at the AFHTO 2016 Conference!

  • Apply now for the 2016 Minister’s Medal – Deadline to apply July 15

    The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (ministry) has announced the launch of the fourth annual Minister’s Medal Honouring Excellence in Health Quality and Safety. This annual recognition program aims to honour exceptional work across the health system and showcase successes in cross-sector collaboration of health system partners to deliver high-quality, patient-centred care across the continuum. The focus of the 2016 program is on recognizing programs/initiatives that align with the four key objectives outlined in the Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care: Access, Connect; Inform; Protect. This year, we are also placing additional emphasis on patient engagement, seeking applications that demonstrate successes in engaging patients in the delivery of high-quality care.   Given the high volume of excellent applications submitted over the past three years, the ministry is encouraging any previous applicants to reapply. Applicants that can describe the evolution of their program/initiative, with an additional year of results to demonstrate success, would be considered excellent candidates.

    Why apply for the Minister’s Medal?

    The Minister’s Medal is a prestigious and competitive recognition program that aims to highlight the successes of Ontario’s health system partners in providing excellent, high-quality, and patient-centred care. It provides a platform to honour and showcase achievements of health system partners, and allows for sharing of these successes across the system. Benefits of being recognized through the Minister’s Medal include:

    • Participation in the award presentation at Health Quality Transformation, Canada’s largest conference on health care quality.
    • A short video showcasing the successes of the winners and the impact their work has had on the lives of patients.
    • Increased profile across the province and beyond, increasing potential for additional partnerships and collaboration.
    • Recognition and increased engagement of front-line staff dedicated to delivering high-quality care to patients.

    “Winning the Minister’s Medal was an honour and a privilege. It was a seal of approval, demonstrating that our program achieved a high mark of distinction in quality and safety” – Dr. Linda Lee, 2014 Minister’s Medal winner (individual champion) “We have been able to use winning the Minister’s Medal as a stepping stone to scale our program at a provincial and national level” – Dr. Nathalie Fleming, 2013 Minister’s Medal winner (individual champion) “The key to a successful health care system is having truly inspired, engaged and well supported front line staff and I believe the medal win helped with continued engagement of our front line teams.” – Dipti Purbhoo, Senior Director, Client Services, Toronto Central CCAC – 2014 Minister’s Medal winner (team-based initiative)

    New for 2016 – Expanded Individual Champion Stream

    This year, the ministry is expanding the individual champion stream by accepting individual applications that are not associated with a team-based application, to allow for more individuals to be nominated for their excellent work. The ministry is encouraging nomination of individuals by their colleagues, peers, or by the patients and families to whom they provide care. Application templates are now available for download from the Minister’s Medal webpage at http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/pro/programs/transformation/minister_medal.aspx. Applications are due to your Local Health Integration Network office via email by 5:00pm on July 15, 2016. The award will be presented to one team-based initiative/program and one individual champion at Health Quality Transformation 2016 on October 20, 2016. More information on the program, including profiles of previous years’ winners and honourees, is available on the Minister’s Medal webpage. AFHTO members have been recognized before, at the 2014 awards presentations. Consider submitting a nomination on behalf of your team. For any questions related to the Minister’s Medal program, please contact: ECFAA@ontario.ca

  • AFHTO “Bright Lights” Awards – Deadline to apply July 12

    Calling all AFHTO Members to shine a light on your team’s accomplishments. Nominate an outstanding team or individual for a “Bright Lights” Award by July 12, 2016

    The “Bright Lights” Awards recognize leadership, outstanding work and significant progress being made to improve the value delivered by interprofessional primary care teams across Ontario. This year, ALL award recipients will also receive an education grant valued at $3,000. “Bright Lights” Award recipients are:

    • Innovators – making small changes for maximum impact to improve patient experience and outcomes
    • Team Players – interprofessional teams, collaborators and relationship builders
    • Demonstrating Impact – can show how their work is benefitting the health care system

    Awards will be presented at the AFHTO 2016 Conference Awards Dinner on October 17, 2016. Not sure if your team’s achievements merit recognition? Never submitted a nomination before?  Watch the webinar held on Friday, June 17, 2016 for an overview of what reviewers are looking for and tips for writing a nomination.

    Award Categories

    Eight awards in seven categories will be presented this year:

    1. Planning programs and fostering partnerships for healthier communities
    2. Optimizing access to interprofessional teams
    3. Strengthening collaboration within the interprofessional team
    4. Measuring performance to foster improvement in comprehensive care
    5. Coordinating care to create better transitions
    6. Leadership and governance in a changing environment
    7. Clinical innovations to address equity

    Education grants will be given to award recipients in ALL categories thanks to the generous donations of our sponsors Merck Canada and Boehringer Ingelheim (TBC).

    Shine a light on your team – Make a nomination today:

    • Review the nomination categories in advance (see nomination guide pg. 3 for descriptions).
    • Review the nomination evaluation criteria (see nomination guide pg. 2 for details).
    • Complete the online nomination form and send all supporting materials before July 12, 2016.
    • Submit supporting documents to info@afhto.ca:
      • One to four high-quality photos of nominees in png. or jpg. format to be featured at the Awards Dinner.
      • Signed statement to release photos for AFHTO use.
      • Deadline to submit photos is July 29, 2016.

    We look forward to seeing your nominations and recognizing ALL of the excellent work being done!