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Tag: Highlights

  • Family Health Teams play a prominent role in Ontario’s Health Links

    The first 19 Health Links were announced today by Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Deb Matthews. Health Links bring together health care providers in a community to better and more quickly coordinate care for high-need patients. Seven of the 19 Health Links announced today will be coordinated by family health teams:

    This is a natural progression in the evolution of FHTs.  FHTs were created to join family doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, dietitians, nurses, social workers and others to strengthen primary care – the first level of care over a person’s lifetime. Health Links promise to extend the care team – they will strengthen links between primary care providers and specialists, hospitals, and other community support agencies, to give high needs patients the wrap-around care they need. Health Links start by looking at the people who have complex care needs, and build on primary care as the foundation for a person’s health care. In choosing the Taddle Creek Family Health Team as the site for her announcement, the Minister underlined the central role that primary care plays for patients, and for the health system.  In addition to the seven Health Links to be coordinated by FHTs, four will be coordinated by community health centres, one by a family health organization and one by a community service agency. The remaining six will be coordinated by a mix of hospitals and community care access centres.  Click here for the list of the first 19 Health Links. Many details about Health Links are being worked through. AFHTO expects there will be additional information forthcoming from the Ministry in the weeks and months ahead.  The following paragraphs summarize what AFHTO has learned to date from Ministry sources. Health Links are designed around, and will be accountable for, system-level metrics established by the province. Click here to see DRAFT areas to be measured. We understand the Ministry will set up an advisory table to define the indicators. The next phase for these early adopters is to prepare a business plan over the next 3 months. A guidance document is to go out early next week. The early focus is on relationship building among providers. The Ministry will encourage more applications for Health Links beginning in January. The Minister stated, “I envision that every doctor will be involved in a Health Link.”  They anticipate seeing about 75 across the province – to be rolled out as communities are ready. Health Links are accountable to their LHIN for progress in the outcome measures.  Health Links include providers who are accountable to their LHIN, and others who are accountable to the Ministry (such as FHTs). The coordinating body for each Health Link commits to plan to improve indicators, and each member is to include their role in achieving these improvements in their respective business plans.  Providers who do not have direct accountability to the LHIN will have a joint Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry and the LHIN. LHIN Primary Care Councils will continue as well.  Both are important – PCCs focus on coordination and planning of primary care, and Health Links focus on coordination and planning of multiple types of care for high-needs patients. Health Links will be supported by Health Quality Ontario’s bestPATH initiative – quality improvement tools, a framework to collect and report on outcomes, and other supports that will help them deliver more integrated care. As Health Links identify issues that get in the way of delivering more seamless care, the Ministry has committed to work with them to lower these policy barriers. Throughout this journey, AFHTO’s role is to:

    • Facilitate idea and information exchange among members;
    • Work with FHTs to identify the support they need to succeed as coordinators and members of Health Links and, where needed, to advocate for that support.

    Click here for the Ministry’s press release and backgrounders, including the list of the first 19 Health Links. Click here for a Ministry presentation to key stakeholders, prior to the public announcement. Click here for presentations that describe the population of high users that is the focus of the Health Links initiative.

  • CMOH releases “Seasonal Influenza 2012-2013: Ontario’s Blueprint for Action”

    Dr. Arlene King, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, announced the release of Seasonal Influenza 2012/ 2013: Ontario’s Blueprint for Action. This document updates the 2011/ 2012 Blueprint for Action by outlining the actions that the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Public Health Ontario and the Ministry of Labour are taking to support the health system’s response to this year’s influenza season. Every year, influenza impacts the province of Ontario. This includes impacts on our health and the capacity of our health system. Because influenza reoccurs each year, the health system has an annual opportunity to reflect on its response to the virus and to integrate lessons learned and new approaches into our actions. Many of the lessons learned from past influenza seasons – and from the 2009 influenza pandemic – are reflected in this document. The ministry is also in the process of updating the Ontario Health Plan for an Influenza Pandemic (OHPIP) to reflect best practices from the 2009 pandemic. After the release of the revised OHPIP in late fall 2012, the ministry with its partners will integrate strategies from the Seasonal Influenza Blueprint with the OHPIP to develop the Ontario Influenza Response Plan. This integrated and comprehensive response plan will include stratified, scalable response strategies that will inform the actions of the health system to all types of influenza events – including both seasonal and pandemic outbreaks. Memorandum:

  • Applications now being accepted for Wave 6 of HQO’s Advanced Access and Efficiency for Primary Care

    AFHTO is pleased to share the launch of Health Quality Ontario’s (HQO) Learning Community Wave 6 in Advanced Access, Efficiency and Chronic Disease Management in Primary Care as a valuable learning opportunity for family health teams.  Advanced Access, Efficiency and Chronic Disease Management in Primary Care has been designed to assist providers in reaching this goal by offering Independent and Coach-Supported Learning programs. Applications for Coach-Supported Learning covering Advanced Access, Efficiency and Chronic Disease Management in Primary Care are being accepted at www.hqolc.ca/wave6 until March 1, 2013. There are 100 available spots and spaces may fill with approved applicants prior to the deadline. Acceptance into the Wave is contingent on an applicant successfully completing a readiness assessment interview.  The 9-month initiative begins on March 20, 2013 and ends on December 20, 2013. Providers can join the Independent Learning at any time by visiting www.hqolc.ca. Note that the Independent Learning approach only covers Advanced Access and Efficiency. Please review the information package for a full description of the initiative, including how to join or apply and what participation entails. Please the letter of support from a family physician and a patient story for how others have already benefited from their experience. If you have any additional questions, you may also visit the Advanced Access, Efficiency and Chronic Disease Management in Primary Care in Primary Care website at http://hqolc.ca/wave6 , email learningcommunityinfo@hqontario.ca or call 1-866-623-6868 extension 281. To learn more about advanced access and efficiency, visit the CME accredited Primer e-module at advancedaccess.machealth.ca. Health Quality Ontario (HQO) is a partner and leader in transforming Ontario’s healthcare system so that it can deliver a better experience of care and better outcomes for Ontarians and better value for money. HQO was formed through the consolidation of some of the top healthcare quality improvement organizations in the province. HQO’s legislated mandate under the Excellent Care for All Act, 2010 is to evaluate the effectiveness of new healthcare technologies and services, report to the public on the quality of the healthcare system, support quality improvement activities and make evidence-based recommendations on healthcare funding. Visit www.hqontario.ca for more information.

  • Dorval Medical FHT featured for its work in quality and accountability

    Today’s edition of the Healthydebate Weekly Digest features the work done by Dorval Medical FHT to deliver high quality of care, high capacity and lower than average costs through measurement and reporting.  Click here to read the story. Dorval’s work provided the underpinning for AFHTO’s proposal — Advancing a Performance-Oriented Model for Primary Care — submitted to government last February.  The proposal can be accessed by logging on to AFHTO’s members-only website then clicking here.

  • Announcing AFHTO 2012 Bright Light Award Winners!

    Demonstrating and Celebrating the Value of Family Health Teams – this is the focal point of the AFHTO 2012 Conference, and the reason for launching the AFHTO Bright Lights Awards program.  These awards recognize the leadership, outstanding work and significant progress being made to improve the value delivered by family health teams. Bright Lights MCThe conference was built around eleven theme areas that, in combination, advance the value delivered by family health teams. Teams were invited to submit nominations for Bright Light recognition in these categories.  The submissions included descriptions and objective evidence of the scope and impact of the achievement, and action taken by the FHT to spread the achievement more broadly. An Awards Committee reviewed and rated all submissions to determine the recipients. Bright Lights AwardsThe Bright Lights Awards were presented at the conference dinner tonight, attended by over 200 people from family health teams and senior representatives from government, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the LHIN Collaborative and some of the associations who, along with AFHTO, work together as the Ontario Primary Care Council. The Bright Lights Award recipients are listed below.  Click on the links in the names below to read a summary of their achievements. Access and Capacity

    Getting Data and Using it to Improve Care

    Improving Care for People Living with Mental Health Challenges

    Improving Patient’s Experience of Care

    Leveraging Technology to Improve Quality and Efficiency of Care

    Meeting Needs of Special Populations

    Strengthening FHT Leadership and Governance

    Strengthening the FHT Team

    System Integration: Building the Team Beyond the FHT

    The Triple Aim in FHTs – Better Care, Better Quality, Better Value

    Four Awards for Best Practices in Health Promotion and Chronic Care – Each of these winners has received a grant of $3000 Boehringer Ingelheim to be used by the FHT to send one team member to the 14th Annual International Summit on Improving Patient Care in the Office Practice & the Community, hosted by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). April 7-9, 2013, in Scottsdale, Arizona

    Megan Omstead, Diabetes Education Program, Taddle Creek Family Health Team

  • AFHTO 2012 Conference: Breakfast & registration open at 7:30 Oct. 16 & 17

    The AFHTO 2012 Conference takes place Tuesday, October 16 and Wednesday, October 17 at the Hilton Toronto, 145 Richmond Street. With over 650 participants registered for each day, AFHTO Conference registration is closed. When you arrive at the conference:

    • Registration opens at 7:30 AM on both October 16 & 17
    • Breakfast will be served from 7:30 AM until 9:00 AM
      • October 16: Coffee, tea and juice served with a choice of muffin and fruit salad, or yogurt and bircher muesli
      • October 17: Coffee, tea and juice served with a buffet of sliced fresh fruit, farm fresh scrambled eggs, bacon, chicken apple sausage, home-fried new potatoes, bread, butter, breakfast preserves, marmalade and honey
    • The first sessions for the day will begin by 8:45 AM.

    Click here to see all conference details

    We look forward to seeing you!

  • MOHLTC rolling out Provincial Low Back Pain Strategy

    In order to improve the quality and efficiency of treatment for low-back pain, the province of Ontario is launching a Provincial Low-Back Pain Strategy to:

    • Decrease wait times for medically-necessary diagnostic imaging, and
    • Improve outcomes for patients suffering from low back pain.

    The strategy has three components:

    1. Evidence-based amendments to the Schedule of Benefits. Effective April 1, 2012. This change applies to all referring providers and specialists.
    2. Educational resources (e.g. a toolkit and continuing education) for primary care providers. These tools will help you better help your patients in managing low back pain.
      1. Phase one: Online tools in November 2012
      2. Phase two: Online and in-person continuing education training starting February 2013.
    3. A provincial pilot of ‘rapid assessment and education centres’ for low back pain. Launching November 2012.

    INFOBulletin updates released by the ministry:

    • Bulletin # 11048 distributed August 28, 2012: Provincial Strategy for X-Ray, Computed Tomography (CT) and/or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for Low Back Pain
    • Bulletin # 4561 distributed May 8, 2012: Amendments to the Schedule of Benefits for Physician Services – Effective April 1, 2012
    • Bulletin # 4563 distributed June 4, 2012: Computed Tomography (CT) and/or Magnetic  Resonance Imaging (MRI) for Chronic Low Back Pain

  • AFHTO 2012 Conference: Increase corporate visibility as a sponsor or exhibitor

    On October 16-17, 2012, over 500 executive directors, board members, physicians, staff, stakeholder associations and government representatives will attend the AFHTO 2012 Conference.

    AFHTO invites Family Health Team partners and stakeholders to consider the sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities at the upcoming conference.

    See the 2012 Sponsorship and Exhibitor Prospectus for opportunity details and all relevant conference information.

    Sponsorship allows you to:

    • Reach the decision makers within Family Health Teams.
    • Obtain valuable exposure with current and potential clients.
    • Deepen your insight into the needs and requirements of Family Health Teams in order to better serve them.
    • Demonstrate your support for Family Health Teams in delivering value and quality care to patients.

    AFHTO 2012 Conference Details The conference has been extended to a full 2 days; sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities will be available throughout. The conference program is built around 12 core themes that “Demonstrate and Celebrate the Value of Family Health Teams”. Please contact Sal Abdolzahraei by e-mail (info@afhto.ca) or by phone (647-234-8605) if you have any questions or for further information.

     

  • Colorectal Cancer Survivorship Program: North York FHT

    A collaboration between North York Family Health Team and North York General Hospital with funding from Cancer Care Ontario, North York Family Health Team and North York General Hospital have created a new survivorship program for patients with colorectal cancer.

    The CCSP is a new model of cancer survivorship care that transfers the monitoring of patients, who have finished active treatment, to primary care from oncologists and surgeons. This innovative program centralizes follow-up care for patients and will alleviate wait times for newly diagnosed patients needing to see a cancer specialist.

    The survivorship program follows the latest best practices and includes three important components: nurse practitioner provision of care, stoma care when needed, and connection to community resources when needed. The Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada runs a local support group and NYGH psychiatrists who support the Hospital’s cancer care program continue to support patients during their survivorship period.

    Located in the community, the CCSP provides care from North York Family Health Team’s central clinic.

    The presence of both allied health providers and electronic medical record systems have made it possible to create a robust program that translates evidence-based care into clinical best practices.

    Together, North York Family Health Team and North York General Hospital are improving access to cancer care in Ontario. They are also striving to have all clinicians work to full scope in roles that are engaging, challenging, and satisfying.

  • Nominations for election to AFHTO Board open until August 20, 2012

    Are you interested in serving on the AFHTO board of directors? The Governance Committee of AFHTO’s board invites anyone associated with an AFHTO-member FHT to apply.

    Click here to see the Governance Committee letter to members and role descriptions. (Please note member login information is required to see this page, contact info@afhto.ca for assistance.)