Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Highlights

  • AFHTO CEO to step down toward year end; Search for next CEO is launched

    To the leaders of AFHTO’s member organizations: As AFHTO’s President, I’m writing to let you know our board of directors is launching the search for its next CEO. With a combination of sadness and support for her decision, the board received notice from Angie Heydon, AFHTO’s first ED/CEO, that she would like to retire from this role at an appropriate point after the 2016 AFHTO Conference in October and before the end of the fiscal year in March 2017. Angie started with AFHTO in August 2010 as our association’s first employee. In her first year she worked tirelessly to engage virtually all FHTs in the AFHTO membership. Two years later she helped AFHTO to welcome NPLCs and any other interested interprofessional primary care organization into this association. Under her leadership, we have seen AFHTO grow its engagement with FHTs and NPLCs, the support services it offers to members, and the influence it exerts in the health system. With last week’s introduction of the Patients First Act, AFHTO members are heading into significant change. I can assure you that Angie and the AFHTO board have carefully worked through steps to ensure a smooth transition and continuing strength in our collective ability to lead and shape the direction for primary care. We see plenty of evidence of that strength, from AFHTO’s influence on government’s direction in the Act, growing interest and strong support for our work to advance measurement, governance, leadership and improvement, and the tangible support shown through government’s commitment to increased funding for compensation in primary care teams. As the Act moves through the legislative process to what we expect will be enactment on April 1, the next AFHTO CEO will be ready to fully take up the role. Angie will continue to provide support on these key files as long as needed. Our CEO search is now underway. Tony Woolgar, Legacy Partners Executive Search, has been contracted to assist. As a first step the search notice has been posted on AFHTO’s website. With Tony’s expert leadership and guidance, the board anticipates it will find the ideal candidate to become AFHTO’s next CEO. We are aiming to conclude the search by end of September so we can introduce the next CEO at the AFHTO 2016 conference. We hope to see you there to meet the new CEO, and to join in a thank you to Angie for her service to our membership and wish her well in the next stage of her life. Sean Blaine MD Family Physician, Stratford, Ontario Clinical Lead, STAR Family Health Team President, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO)

  • AFHTO 2016 Conference: Presentation notifications sent out

    Thank you to everyone who submitted an abstract for concurrent session and poster presentations at the AFHTO 2016 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 email including the words “AFHTO 2016 Conference” in the subject on June 3rd 2016. If your contact person has NOT received this notification, please contact info@afhto.ca before Friday, June 10, 2016. 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 late June 2016.

    We look forward to seeing you at the AFHTO 2016 Conference! Leading primary care to strengthen a population-focused health system October 17 & 18, 2016 Westin Harbour Castle, One Harbour Square, Toronto

  • Processes of patient-centred care in Family Health Teams: a qualitative study

    Authors: Judith Belle Brown, PhD, Bridget L. Ryan, PhD, Cathy Thorpe, MA Published in CMAJ Open, click here for the full article.

    Abstract:

    Background: Patient-centred care, access to care, and continuity of and coordination of care are core processes in primary health care delivery. Our objective was to evaluate how these processes are enacted by 1 primary care model, Family Health Teams, in Ontario. Methods: Our study used grounded theory methodology to examine these 4 processes of care from the perspective of health care providers. Twenty Family Health Team practice sites in Ontario were selected to represent maximum variation (e.g., location, year of Family Health Team approval). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with each participant. A constant comparative approach was used to analyze the data. Results: Our final sample population involved 110 participants from 20 Family Health Teams. Participants described how their Family Health Team strived to provide patient-centred care, to ensure access, and to pursue continuity and coordination in their delivery of care. Patient-centred care was provided through a variety of means forging the links among the other processes of care. Participants from all teams articulated a commitment to timely access, spontaneously expressing the importance of access to mental health services. Continuity of care was linked to both access and patient-centred care. Coordination of care by the team was perceived to reduce unnecessary walk-in clinic and emergency department visits, and facilitated a smoother transition from hospital to home. Interpretation: These 4 processes of patient care were inextricably linked. Patient-centred care was the focal point, and these processes in turn served to enhance the delivery of patient-centred care. To continue reading, go to the full article on CMAJ Open.

  • Patients First Act: Opportunity to strengthen primary care

    Government has taken a key step to move forward with its proposal for health care – the Patients First Act has been tabled in the legislature today. This legislation brings together all of the key health system players at a local level to focus on the unique health needs of people in communities across the province. Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), working with primary care, home and community care, public health and hospitals, will be better able to strengthen communication within the “circle of care” for patients. They’ll also be better positioned to distribute resources and monitor health system performance to ensure people get the appropriate care and support they need where and when they need it. AFHTO sees the potential enabled by this legislation. It creates the opportunity for much closer ties between primary care, home care and community services – a serious gap highlighted in a recent report from Health Quality Ontario. To really work, Patients First will have to go further to expand comprehensive team-based primary care. Evidence is increasingly showing that these primary care teams can provide the highest quality of care and reduce overall health system costs. Yet only 25% of Ontarians have access to these enhanced teams. This is not fair nor is it equitable. There is much work ahead to ensure implementation achieves optimal outcomes for Ontarians – patients, the underserved, and health providers. This work will also reinforce the need – and potentially reveal mechanisms – for investment to expand team-based primary care. For more information:

  • Case Study: Embedding Care Coordinators in your team

    AFHTO, in partnership with the Osborne Group, has prepared a case study for AFHTO members which looks at how five Family Health Teams (Mount Forest FHT, Sunnybrook Academic FHT, City of Lakes FHT, Guelph FHT,* and South East Toronto FHT) have effectively embedded the Care Coordinator role within primary care. Their advice to other primary care teams, and the lessons they have learned in the process, include the following:

    • Having a care coordinator as part of the team has a significant impact on quality and effectiveness of care.
    • Pay attention to the principles of change management as new models of service delivery are rolled out. Change may be difficult, and it may take some time to build relationships and trust.
    • With increased system coordination and collaboration there is a learning curve; it may take time but effective relationships are important to success.
    • Learn from other FHTs and primary care teams about their approaches so that you can build on their experience to build a collaborative model that fits the profile of your team and leverages your strengths.
    • Define the role broadly giving the Care Coordinator access to a broad array of providers and services.
    • Have a home base for the Care Coordinator at your site, or dedicated on-site time when inter-professional providers can see and talk to them. This improves efficiency and builds a sense of collaboration and teamwork.
    • Enable access to your EMR for the Care Coordinator.
    • A quality improvement perspective will contribute to a broad understanding of the role.

    *Please note: The case study on Guelph FHT, which was completed in 2016, no longer reflects the current state of care coordination in the Waterloo Wellington LHIN region. The LHIN has opted for a different approach and is not embedding care coordination in primary care. AFHTO asserts the role of primary care providers to lead care coordination. Primary care providers work to ensure access to interprofessional care for patients and identify a single point of contact to help patients and families navigate and access programs and services. The Ministry’s Patients First proposal speaks to deploying care coordinators in primary care. A number of teams have already done this and their experience can help other primary care teams as well.

    Learning from your peers: additional case studies

    AFHO has developed a series of case studies for our members to share the experience of colleagues on topics identified as being important to you:

     

  • Care coordination in primary care: new HQO report and AFHTO case study

    “Coordinating patient care is a fundamental role of primary care, which is the foundation of Ontario’s complex health system… However, patients do not always move through the system as smoothly as they could.”

    Health Quality Ontario’s (HQO) new report Connecting the Dots for Patients: Family Doctors’ Views on Coordinating Patient Care in Ontario’s Health System, released today, shows that family doctors are experiencing systemic barriers when coordinating care for their patients. The report highlights some of the experiences of family doctors including Dr. Thuy-Nga Pham, South East Toronto FHT (on pg. 13); Dr. Harry O’Halloran, Georgian Bay FHT (on pg. 28); and the CMHA Durham NPLC (p.15) in strengthening care coordination within their communities.

    This report adds to the growing body of evidence to support AFHTO and the Ontario Primary Care Council’s (OPCC) position statement on the role of primary care providers to lead care coordination. Care coordination in primary care has the potential to significantly:

    • Reduce the duplication and role conflict that currently exists in our health system;
    • Improve patient outcomes through much greater continuity and coordination of person-centred care.

    Click to read AFHTO’s position statement: Transitioning care coordination resources to primary care.

    Primary care providers work to ensure access to interprofessional care for patients and identify a single point of contact to help patients and families navigate and access programs and services. The Ministry’s Patients First proposal speaks to deploying care coordinators in primary care. A number of teams have already done this and their experience can help other primary care teams as well.

    NEW Case Study “Effectively Embedding Care Coordinators within Primary Care”* for AFHTO Members explores teams that currently have CCAC care coordinators embedded within their teams and the success factors and principles for establishing effective working relations. The case study explores lessons learned along the way and their advice to other teams. *Please note: The case study on Guelph FHT, which was completed in 2016, no longer reflects the current state of care coordination in the Waterloo Wellington LHIN region. The LHIN has opted for a different approach and is not embedding care coordination in primary care.

  • Primary care must lead care coordination

    We assert the role of primary care providers to lead care coordination.

    The Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) endorses and embraces this position statement adopted with our colleagues in the Ontario Primary Care Council in November 2015.  Primary care providers work to ensure access to interprofessional care for patients and identify a single point of contact to help patients and families navigate and access programs and services. Furthermore, AFHTO implores the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to work with primary care teams and LHINs to bring greater efficiency and patient-centredness to care delivery, through steps to transition care coordination resources to primary care teams from community care access centres (CCACs). Primary care is an anchor for patients and families, providing comprehensive care throughout their lives. Primary care providers are the first contact or entry into the system for all new needs and problems, and they directly influence the responses of people to their health needs by listening to their concerns and preferences and providing clinical evidence-based assessment and treatment recommendations. Care coordination in primary care has the potential to significantly:

    • Reduce the duplication and role conflict that currently exists in our health system;
    • Improve patient outcomes through much greater continuity and coordination of person-centred care.

    Click to read AFHTO’s position statement: Transitioning care coordination resources to primary care. Primary care teams want to coordinate care for their patients – this was clearly demonstrated by the 200+ leaders who participated in AFHTO’s October 2015 session on Leading Primary Care through the Next Stage. Through their work in Health Links, many primary care teams have demonstrated readiness to take on this role, and their success when they can mobilize the resources to fulfill this role. The transition of care coordination resources from CCACs to primary care teams is the logical next step.

    Resources for AFHTO members:

    Evidence and background on care coordination in Ontario:

  • Interested in serving on the AFHTO Board of Directors? Apply by July 5, 2016

    Dear AFHTO members: Primary care is evolving in our province; government’s Patients First proposal is pointing to significant change. It is a VERY interesting time to be serving on the AFHTO board of directors! To maintain balanced representation on the board, priority consideration will be given to candidates who are:

    • Physicians (Executive Directors and Interprofessional Health Providers are also welcome to apply)
    • From AFHTO members located in the eastern and northern regions of Ontario

    Four positions are to be elected for a 3-year term on the 14-member AFHTO board. The AFHTO by-laws call for balanced representation on the board to include the various forms of governance, the regions of the province, and the mix of the professions working within FHTs, NPLCs and other interprofessional models of primary care. The Governance Committee of AFHTO’s board invites anyone who works within an AFHTO member organization to apply by July 5th. Please share this call for nominations with all who work in your team. To apply:

    The Governance Committee of the AFHTO board will review all applications to assist the AFHTO board to determine the slate of candidates to recommend to the AFHTO membership for election at the AFHTO annual general meeting.

    • Nominees will be informed of their status by September 21.
    • Nominees who are not recommended for the slate will have until September 26 to determine whether they wish to proceed with having their name go forward on the election ballot.
    • The election will take place at the Annual General Meeting in conjunction with the AFHTO annual conference.  This year it will be held:

    Monday, October 17, 2016 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM The Westin Harbour Castle 1 Harbour Square Toronto, Ontario M5J 1A6

    Sincerely, Veronica Asgary-Eden Chair, Governance Committee AFHTO Board of Directors Clinical Psychologist, Family First Family Health Team

  • AFHTO 2016 Conference: Thank you to all those who submitted abstracts!

    Over 170 submissions were received for concurrent session and poster presentations at the AFHTO 2016 Conference. Thank you to all those who applied! A confirmation email has been sent to the contact person for each abstract submission. If you are part of a group that has prepared an abstract, please ensure your group contact has received the email with the subject: “AFHTO 2016 Conference: Abstract received confirmation”. If your contact person has NOT received this confirmation, please contact info@afhto.ca by next Monday, May 9, 2016 at 1:00 PM (EST). The confirmation email is your assurance that your abstract has been received and will be reviewed by a working group for presentation at the conference. Final concurrent session and poster presentations will be selected by June 3, 2016. The program will be announced when registration opens in late June 2016. We look forward to seeing you at the AFHTO 2016 Conference! Leading primary care to strengthen a population-focused health system October 17 & 18, 2016 Westin Harbour Castle, One Harbour Square, Toronto

  • Kincardine Family Health Team partnership secures two new programs through Westover Treatment Centre

    Kincardine News article published on Apr. 18, 2016. Article in full pasted below. Troy Patterson, Kincardine News The Kincardine Family Health Team has announced the development of a strategic partnership with Westover Treatment Centre for the provision of two new programs. The Recovery Support (formerly referred to as, ‘Aftercare’) and A New Beginning: Women’s Program are scheduled for introduction during Summer and Fall 2016. The partnership will result in the implementation of programs available at the KFHT specific to recovery support (recovery and co-dependency recovery support), women’s health and addiction treatment. “It is important we continually assess our performance and undertake review of programs and services available within the communities we serve, and to the extent possible, respond to gaps in service delivery through development or formalization of, strategic partnerships to ensure our patients receive the best care, as close to home as possible,” said KFHT chief executive officer Gerry Glover. Westover Treatment Centre is an abstinence-based residential treatment facility for those with an addiction to alcohol and other substances. Through the delivery of programs and services designed to respond to the patient in a holistic manner, Westover Treatment Centre also provides co-dependency and family programs. “We are pleased to embark on this initiative with the Kincardine Family Health Team and the benefit to the community will be seen for years to come,” said Ron Elliott, executive director of Westover Treatment Centre. Access to the Kincardine Family Health Team is at no cost to the patient. Members of the KFHT work in collaboration with your primary care provider to provide comprehensive healthcare services. For more information call 519-396-2700 or your primary care provider for further information or referral. For info on the Kincardine Family Health Team visit www.kincardinefht.ca Click here to access the article on Kincardine News website.