Tectonic shifts: rebuilding primary care in a new world
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Tag: Indigenous
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Spring Highlights 2022: AFHTO Leadership Council
The AFHTO Leadership Council met on June 14, 2022. Below are highlights from the spring 2022 council meeting, projects that are underway, and links to useful resources, including last week’s webinar on the Working for Workers Act.
Compensation Markey Review in Primary and Community Care
- We know that compensation rates across teams is a huge concern. Primary and community care providers/staff are underfunded compared to other areas of the healthcare sector, and funding for these roles has not kept up with inflation and cost of living increases.
- AFHTO has begun work with 10 other associations to provide recommendations to government on reasonable and fair compensation in the sector, outside of acute care.
- Our RFP has been issued, and a vendor is expected to be confirmed in August. The market review work will be complete in November. A summary of the work will be shared with members shortly.
Vaccine Update in Primary Care
- AFHTO received an update from the ministry last week on vaccines in primary care, including those given to Indigenous communities.
- The Primary Care COVID Vaccine Update can be read here. If you are experiencing any challenges with vaccines in your community, please let us know.
FHT Contract Consultation
- FHT 2018-2022 contracts have been extended to March 2023, and AFHTO will be providing recommendations on an updated contract to the ministry in the fall.
- There are now three working groups discussing the top three areas for modernization in the contract and who will be finalizing recommendations: governance, performance and accountability, and FHT/physician affiliation.
- AFHTO will keep members apprised of this work and may reach out for more input. Stay tuned for more details!
AFHTO Conference and Bright Lights Submissions
- The AFHTO conference is on October 12, and nominations are now open for the Bright Lights Awards. Awards will be presented at the conference – which will be hybrid this year! – and fall in the conference themes:
- It takes a team: collaboration inside and out
- Health equity at the centre
- Sustainable solutions to primary care problems
- Mental health and addictions
- Special recognition for underrepresented teams
- Please check out the Bright Lights Nomination guide here!
- Any questions, members are welcome to contact Paula Myers.
Provincial and Federal Advocacy
- The 2022 election is done, and a majority progressive conservative government has been elected. AFHTO looks forward to continuing our work with them. We expect to learn who the next health minister is shortly and will begin outreach this summer.
- Thank you to all members for your excellent local advocacy. We encourage you to congratulate your MPP on their (re)election and begin/continue relationship building.
- Please share any stories and pictures from the election with Beth MacKinnon to support AFHTO’s central advocacy.
- AFHTO will be starting federal advocacy to encourage prioritization of funding to team-based primary care in Ontario. This advocacy will begin this summer.
Resource Library Refresh
- AFHTO is updating our members’ resource library with samples of by-laws, policy manuals, strategic plans, agreements, and more. Many of the samples we post are contributed by members for members, so we need your help!
- If you have any resources or tools you are willing to share with other teams, please send them to us or to the member on our leadership council who will be reaching out to you. Stay tuned!
- Members with any questions are welcome to contact Bryn Hamilton.
Increase in Nurse Practitioners’ Scope of Practice
- As of July 1, 2022, nurse practitioners will see an increase in their scope allowing them to order computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.
- NPs will now have the ability to:
- Refer individuals to the Ontario Lung Screening Program (OLSP) and the High-Risk Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP)
- Manage unattached OBSP participants with abnormal results
- Authorize OBSP sites to arrange all assessment tests required for OBSP participants
- NPs have been able to provide colonoscopy referrals for the ColonCancerCheck (CCC) program, but if they would like to be added to the OH list of providers who can support patients with an abnormal FIT result who does not have a primary care provider, they can put their names on the CCC attachment form.
- Here are the slide deck and one-pager from Ontario Health for more information. Please share this with the NPs and other members on your team.
Managing Risk Post Pandemic
- As the insurance industry experienced high claims during the pandemic, renewing in 2022 will be met with increased premiums and changes to policy packages. Sourcing for insurance that meets a primary care team’s need within its budget can be cumbersome. Working with an insurance broker can help a team compare its existing policy against what’s available on the market and to get an affordable renewal premium rate.
- Starting the renewal process at least two months in advance of the coverage expiry gives enough time to evaluate the team’s insurance requirements and the quotes received.
- To connect with an insurance broker or if you have any questions, please reach out to Sombo Saviye.
Update on Temporary Retention Incentive for Nurses
- Roll-out on this funding is slow but the ministry has told AFHTO it is a priority. They’re working on a funding package for approval by the minister, once appointed, as quickly as possible.
- While timing is not confirmed, the ministry anticipates it may be late summer before nurses begin to see this first payment. The second payment would be in the fall.
Mental Health Supports for Healthcare Providers
- Ontario Health has started providing bilingual mental health and wellness supports for healthcare workers, a collection of services alongside the Ontario Psychological Association.
- Frontline workers can self-refer to one of the five mental health hospitals where they will be matched with a social worker or psychotherapist for up to 6 sessions of 1-1 therapy. If they are deemed to require more sessions or may be best served by a psychologist/PA by the hospitals, the patient may be referred to an OPA psychologist for 8 (up to 12 sessions) of therapy covered by MOH. Check out their digital toolkit.
- CMHA has also launched Your Health Space, a free mental health program designed to support healthcare organizations in addressing burnout and promoting psychological health and safety in the workplace.
Working for Workers Act: Tools and Recording from Webinar
- Maria McDonald from McDonald HR Law joined members of AFHTO, the Alliance, and the NPLCA on June 16 to review and answer questions on the “Working for Workers Act: What Employers Need to Know.”
- The slide deck, recording, and draft policy can be seen here.
Other Webcasts and Supports
- Upcoming webinars can be seen here. Check them out and share with your staff!
- Don’t forget to check out our website for COVID-19 tools and supports, as needed.
Apply to Join AFHTO’s Board of Directors!
- Members are encouraged to apply to become a board member of AFHTO. There are four 3-year terms open and one 1-year term.
- To apply, please complete this survey and send your CV to Beth MacKinnon. The deadline is July 29.
- We encourage you share this invitation with all board members, physicians, and IHPs on your team. Three people on AFHTO’s board can also be non-AFHTO members.
Apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council!
- There are several openings on AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council. A call has gone out in our weekly newsletter today, and members will also see an email on this soon.
- EDs and admin leads are asked to encourage IHPs on their team to apply.
- Any interested IHP is asked to complete this survey by July 29 and can contact Beth MacKinnon with any questions. More information is here.
Thank you for the great work you all do, and please let us know if there are any other ways in which we can support you. We hope you all find a bit of down time this summer for some much-deserved rest.
Sincerely,
Your AFHTO Team -
Bits & Pieces: National Indigenous Peoples Day and more
Your Weekly News & Updates
In This Issue - National Indigenous Peoples Day
- Apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council!
- Bright Lights Awards nominations now open!
- Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients webinar materials available
- Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence seeking clinical leads
- Monkeypox designated a Disease of Public Health Significance, IPAC materials and more
- BFI Coach – Mentor opportunity
- for primary care organizations
- Trans health mentorship call
- Upcoming events regarding the Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative and more
National Indigenous Peoples Day
Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day. We recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures & contributions of First Nations, Inuit & Métis peoples. We are especially grateful for the partnership with our colleagues at IPHCC at advancing culturally safe primary health care, and our member teams who embody culturally safe care.
Apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council!
Are you interested in advising AFHTO on the top issues facing IHPs in team-based primary care? Would you like to be a leader in working with IHPs in primary care to advocate for and to speak to the critical role of teams? Would you like to share and spread knowledge and learnings? If yes, please apply to join our IHP Advisory Council!
We invite any IHP in a member team to apply by completing this survey by Friday, July 29.
More information is here. Please share this opportunity with providers across teams.
Bright Lights Awards nominations now open!
Shine a light on your team’s achievements. Nominate an outstanding team or individual for a “Bright Lights” Award by July 15, 2022. AFHTO’s “Bright Lights” Awards recognize AFHTO members’ leadership, outstanding work and the significant progress being made to improve the value interprofessional primary care teams across Ontario deliver. There’s no better time to show what you can do. Find out more here.
Plus, reviewers needed
We just need a couple more people on the review committee. If you’d like to learn more about your peers’ contributions and get a $35 discount on your registration fee, please apply here. Deadline June 22, 2022.
Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients webinar materials available
On June 17 we cohosted a webinar focused on new, gender-affirming cancer screening guidelines developed to support the health and wellbeing of Transgender and Non-Binary clients. Slides and video are available here.
Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence seeking clinical leads
The Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence is recruiting provincial clinical leads to support their priority clinical areas of focus:
- Depression and Anxiety-Related Disorders
- Schizophrenia and Psychosis
- Substance Use Disorders
- Eating Disorders
The call for expressions of interest for these positions can be found at the specific links above, as well as on a general page here. The deadline to apply is 11:59 on July 14, 2022. If you have questions about the roles for Depression and Anxiety-Related Disorders or Eating Disorders, please contact Amanda Wong (Amanda.Wong@OntarioHealth.ca); if you have questions about the roles for Substance Use Disorders or Schizophrenia and Psychosis, please contact Monisha Patel (Monisha.Patel@OntarioHealth.ca).
The posting for the Clinical Lead, Indigenous, Depression & Anxiety-Related Disorders can also be found on the website here. The posting will be live until June 30, 2022. For more information or questions about the role, please review the expression of interest in the link above or email Danyal Martin (Danyal.Martin@OntarioHealth.ca).
Monkeypox designated a Disease of Public Health Significance, IPAC materials and more
Recent updates include:
- Memo regarding Monkeypox as a Disease of Public Health Significance – CMOH, June 16, 2022
- Infectious Disease Appendix for “Smallpox and other Orthopoxviruses including Monkeypox”– MOH, June 2022
IPAC Strategies to Ensure a Safe Environment in Primary Care Clinics materials:
- Active/passive screening
- Distancing (in the context of whether or not physical distancing is necessary in waiting rooms)
- Air Quality Checks
- PPE selection for suspected COVID
- Return to work checklist
We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:
- Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and updates
BFI Coach – Mentor opportunity for primary care organizations
The Breastfeeding Committee for Canada is upscaling the Baby-Friendly Initiative across all health sectors. Several skilled coaches have been hired to work with organizations who want to take a deliberate, quality improvement approach to implementing best practice in terms of infant feeding advice and support. Read the invitation here.
Trans health mentorship call
Rainbow Health Ontario’s Trans Health Mentorship Call is a biweekly teleconference for any Ontario health care professional to connect with peers who have experience caring for trans and non-binary service users. Topics range from specific case-based questions to more general issues. Find more information here.
Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative, June 23, 2022
In this webinar, we will hear about the work of the Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative as it pertains to identified priorities around fall indicators and falls risk screening and assessment and how we can better align our efforts across the province. Find out more here.
Online Appointment Booking, June 21, 2022
Ontario Health webinar featuring a panel of primary care providers to learn about the benefits of using online appointment booking in primary care practices. Register here.
What’s new with COVID-19 and Monkeypox, June 24, 2022
46th in the series ‘Changing the way we work’, OCFP & UofT’s COVID-19 CoP for family physicians. Register here.
BounceBack: Back-to-the-office guide and tips to manage stress and anxiety, June 28 & 29, 2022
Presented with the Canadian Mental Health Association. You’ll hear about coping strategies to help you better manage life’s stresses. Register for EN (June 28) and FR (June 29). -
Monkeypox Update, Planning Vaccination for the Under 5 and Please Fill in a Quick Survey
Dear Members,
We hope you are all doing well and staying safe as we all navigate through this current wave of COVID-19, while closely monitoring the situation concerning monkeypox cases that have been reported in Europe, the US and now in Quebec and Ontario. Please find attached the following information from the Chief Medical Officer of Health:- CMOH memo on monkeypox
- Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Order under section 77.6 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act
- Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Monkeypox in Health Care Settings
As the Ministry continues to learn more about this disease, we will ensure that we will share any information that we do receive. In the meantime, we all know COVID-19 is not over and this particular wave has had a tremendous impact on HHR capacity. We hope you’re all staying safe and getting outdoors for some fresh air after a long winter.
In the meantime, vaccination continues for COVID-19. The Ministry has shared the most recent update on Vaccine Implementation in Primary Care (week of May 16th). In this slide deck you will see that vaccination numbers for fourth doses for 60+, third doses for over 12+ and second doses for 5- to 11-year-olds are seeing only gradual moves. Discussion is also just starting on planning for vaccination for the under 5-year-old age group, which will rely very heavily on primary care and pediatricians. To better understand the current state and to start the planning process, please take a moment and fill in this very quick vaccine survey so we can ensure we set up the sector is supported in this next phase of vaccination: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/May2022VaccineSurvey. Please fill in by June 3, 2022, if possible.
In the meantime, please find below some additional information and updates.
Evusheld and Paxlovid
- Evusheld, a prophylactic treatment authorized for the prevention of COVID-19 in immunocompromised individuals, has been available for several weeks. From Ontario Health:
- Materials related to prescribing Paxlovid, an oral antiviral medication that can help reduce the risk of hospitalization or death in people at higher risk of serious illness due to COVID-19, has already been shared but here are materials you may find of interest:
- From Ontario Health:
- Memo to primary care providers – Tools for identifying high-risk patients eligible for Paxlovid (April 29, 2022) EN FR
- Guidance for health care providers: Access to COVID-19 antiviral treatment (April 11, 2022) EN FR
- Patient handout – Antiviral treatment (April 11, 2022) EN FR
- Paxlovid use in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease and patients on dialysis with COVID-19 ( April 13, 2022) EN FR
- From the Science Advisory Table and the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy – What Prescribers and Pharmacists Need to Know and Paxlovid for a Patient on a Direct Oral Anticoagulant
- eHealth Centre of Excellence Paxlovid prescription form for Telus PS Suite, OSCAR and Accuro EMRs
Vaccines
- Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Administration guidance from the Ministry of Health (April 29, 2022) EN FR
- Novavax is available through local PHUs for patients who are unable or unwilling to receive mRNA vaccines
- From there Ontario Medical Association (for physicians) – a new resource on Indigenous patients and COVID-19 vaccine distrust (sign in to access), including practical steps to gain understanding and build cultural safety into your practice. This resource was co-designed with the IPHCC.
Other Resources and Supports
- From the eHealth Centre of Excellence, a new post COVID-19 condition EMR tool (for Telus PS Suite and soon Oscar) that captures and tracks the progression of symptoms associated with the condition over time. This tool will allow you build a comprehensive plan based on symptoms – you do need to log into the community portal to download.
- A reminder of the excellent tools on the Confused About Covid by OCFP/UofT DFCM that has a number of practical resources for patients.
Events
PHO Primary Care IPAC Community of PracticePublic Health Ontario is hosting a community of practice series that will review key concepts and support resources for Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) in Primary Care settings. Intended for those who oversee or implement IPAC in Primary Care settings, the series will be held over four sessions starting late May. Find your regions and more here.
- Register here for the West Primary Care Series.
- Register here for the Central West Primary Care Series.
- Register here for the Central Primary Care Series.
- Register here for the East Primary Care Series.
- Register here for the North Primary Care Series.
Ontario College of Family Physicians/University of Toronto DFCM Community of Practice
Next COVID-19 Community of Practice will be held on Friday, May 27th starting at 7:55 a.m. and will include speakers:- Dr. Jeff Kwong, Epidemiologist, Family Physician, Toronto Western Family Health Team, Toronto, ON
- Dr. Gerald Evans, Infectious Disease Specialist and Chair of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON
- Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, Senior Medical Consultant at the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Toronto, ON
A short update on what you need to know about Monkeypox will also be discussed. Please register here.
Ontario Health
A reminder that the Primary Care and COVID-19 Support CoP Monthly Series is held every second Wednesday of the month from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Click here to register.Once again thank you for all you are doing to keep your patients and the community safe. If you need any assistance or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Stay safe.
Yours in good health,
The AFHTO Team -
Bits & Pieces: reminder re election consultation, annual report and more
Your Weekly News & Updates
In This Issue - Reminder- It’s election time- member consultation forum, Nov. 16, 2021
- 2021 Annual Report available
- New date- Practical approaches to polypharmacy: the gentle art of deprescribing
- Tapering and stopping opioids slides and video available
- Managing Mental Health in the Workplace During COVID-19 videos and more
- Just launched- Indigenous cultural safety training
- 2022 Family Medicine Summit call for abstracts
- Upcoming events regarding introduction to ONCA and more
Reminder- It’s election time- member consultation forum, Nov. 16, 2021
The 2022 provincial election is fast approaching, and we need to hear from you! Interest and registration were high for our fireside chat, and now we need to discuss next steps.
Members have consistently told us our advocacy on your behalf is one of the things you value most, so now it’s time to take part.
Click here for more information and to register.
2021 Annual Report available
It has been a challenging 20 months, and primary care teams have been leaders.
Throughout this pandemic, teams adjusted to new circumstances and continued to provide comprehensive care while extending reach to support their communities. They were leaders in organizing assessment centres, conducting tests, and administering COVID-19 vaccines. They collaborated with their partners to help keep communities safe, while keeping their doors open to provide care to their patients and others who needed it most.
Thank you to all our members who shared your stories. Get more from our annual report.
New date- Practical approaches to polypharmacy: the gentle art of deprescribing
In this webinar on Dec. 1, we will explore approaches to the issues and problems around polypharmacy and deprescribing in primary care patients. We will discuss approaches to the integration of patients’ goals and priorities with evidence. In the second part of the webinar, we will demonstrate the TAPER tool (Team Approach to Polypharmacy Evaluation and Reduction), an integrated pathway designed for use in a primary care team-based approach as routine “prevention” in primary care patients with polypharmacy. Register here.
Tapering and stopping opioids slides and video available
On Oct. 19 Dr. Furlan summarized the 10 years of experience of the pain clinic at Toronto Rehab UHN where she works with an interprofessional team to help patients come off long term opioid therapy for chronic non-cancer pain. Slides and video are now available.
Managing Mental Health in the Workplace During COVID-19 videos and more
Recent updates include:
- Managing Mental Health in the Workplace During COVID-19– videos which can be viewed offline from the day of learning- Ontario Psychological Association, Oct. 19, 2021
- Testing for COVID-19 and “last mile” vaccination video and materials– OCFP COVID-19 CoP, Oct. 22, 2021
- COVID-19 Vaccine Administration– new guidance document which combines the former ‘Administration of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine’, ‘Administration of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine’, and ‘Administration of AstraZeneca and COVISHIELD COVID-19 Vaccine’ guidance documents- Ministry of Health, Oct. 20, 2021
- COVID-19 guidance for primary care providers in a community setting– Ministry of Health, updated Oct. 19, 2021
We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:
- Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates– the original page, with news and Ministry situation reports (please note that the Ministry Situation Reports on COVID-19 are posted daily so review them to better understand the provincial response)
- COVID-19 Vaccination Information
- COVID-19 assessment centres in Ontario
- COVID-19 information for Patients, Caregivers and the Public
- Infection control resources and tools for primary care
- Management and operations, human resources and COVID-19
- Mental health and wellness during COVID-19
- Providing Comprehensive Care During COVID-19
- Resources for Re-opening
- Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19
Just launched- Indigenous cultural safety training
The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) is starting a training series called Anishinaabe Mino’ayaawin – People in Good Health; the first course in the series, Foundations of Indigenous Cultural Safety, was created in partnership with the IPHCC’s Indigenous Knowledge Keepers’ Circle, bioethicists, and Indigenous patient navigators from across Ontario. It is grounded in a two-eyed-seeing approach to knowledge. It’s an online, multi-media course that takes about three hours to complete. Enrolment is free for individuals and organizations.
- For more information, check out their website or email the IPHCC ICS Team to register.
- If your organization provides care for Indigenous clients, has Indigenous staff, or works with Indigenous community partners, consider using the free Ne’iikaanigaana (“All My Relations”) Toolkit to help you implement your cultural safety learnings and create safer environments for Indigenous people.
2022 Family Medicine Summit call for abstracts
The 2022 Family Medicine Summit (FMS) will include two days of livestream events – January 28 and 29, 2022 – with dozens of additional sessions available on demand to participants until July 31, 2022. New this year, they have reserved space in the agenda for speakers selected from a Call for Abstracts.
The Call for Abstracts is open exclusively to family medicine residents and early-career family physicians. Selected presenters will receive guidance and support in preparing to deliver their session. While all abstracts are welcome, they’d be especially keen to hear from someone who has been working on implementing Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations within their practice and/or someone who has been involved in establishing their local Primary Care Network. Submissions are due by November 8.
Choosing Wisely Post Pandemic: How COVID-19 Opened Our Eyes to Low-Value Care, Nov. 10, 2021
Part of the De/Implement: CWC Implementation Research Webinar Series. Find out more.
Introduction to ONCA, Nov. 17, 2021
Join Benjamin Miller from Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) for an education session on what is new in the Ontario’s Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA), and steps nonprofits can take to set themselves up for success in transitioning to the new requirements under the Act. Register here.
Curbing Unnecessary Antibiotic Use in Children: Navigating Colds, Flu, and Kids This Respiratory Season, Nov. 17, 2021
Part of ‘Choosing Wisely Talks’. Find out more here.
Special Interest ECHO Sessions – Gender Diversity: Information for Primary Care Providers, Nov. 17- Dec.1
Three-part ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health series. Get more details here.
Primary Care and COVID-19 Support CoP Connecting Call, Nov. 24, 2021
Hosted by Ontario Health. Find out more here. -
AFHTO 2021 Conference: less than a week to early bird deadline
There is less than a week to our early bird deadline Oct. 20, 2021
Don’t miss out-register today!Bright Lights Hall of Fame
Get a first look at all our deserving nominations from members- so many and so varied! Winners will be announced at the ceremony.
Conference Highlights:
- Special appearance by Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Hon. Christine Elliott
- AFHTO “Bright Light” Awards Ceremony presented with the support of Boehringer Ingelheim
- Facts vs. Myth: the realities of equity in Canadian healthcare
- The Power of Social Media during COVID
- The Opioid Epidemic – The Forgotten Public Health Crisis
- Artificial Intelligence and Robots in Primary Care. The Future is Now
- “MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER: The Power of Resilience”, Featuring Dr. Mamta Gautam
- Fireside chat with Enterprise Canada (members only)- speakers announced
- Posters
See the Conference Schedule for the current agenda.
Register today!
And yoga for all
Well, more like yoga for anyone who registers for Day One or the full conference, but still! Announcing a 30-minute session in the morning before the conference starts! More details to come for registered attendees.
And don’t forget, members get a deep discount on registration. Email us if you haven’t gotten your access code. Patients and students welcome! For general information, you can visit our conference page.
We look forward to seeing you at the AFHTO 2021 Conference!
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AFHTO 2021 Conference: less than 2 weeks to early bird deadline
There is less than two weeks to our early bird deadline Oct. 20, 2021
Don’t miss out-register today!Facts vs. Myth: the realities of equity in Canadian healthcare
Oh Canada. Home of hockey, poutine, and public health care. We take pride in our healthcare system but does a country nicknamed the Great White North need to rethink the way it treats some of its own? If it’s supposed to be accessible to all, why does inequity persist?
Moderator:
- Tai Huynh– Founding editor-in-chief, The Local
Panel:
- Dr. Andrew Boozary, Executive Director, Population Health and Social Medicine, University Health Network
- Dr. Amy Montour, Multidisciplinary Co-Lead, Ontario Palliative Care Network, and physician, Six Nations of the Grand River Territory
- Dr. Onye Nnorom, President, Black Physicians’ Association of Ontario
Learn more about this session and our speakers.
Conference Highlights:
- Special appearance by Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Hon. Christine Elliott
- AFHTO “Bright Light” Awards Ceremony presented with the support of Boehringer Ingelheim
- The Power of Social Media during COVID
- The Opioid Epidemic – The Forgotten Public Health Crisis
- Artificial Intelligence and Robots in Primary Care. The Future is Now
- “MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER: The Power of Resilience”, Featuring Dr. Mamta Gautam
- Fireside chat with Enterprise Canada (members only)
- Posters
See the Conference Schedule for the current agenda.
Register today!
And don’t forget, members get a deep discount on registration. Email us if you haven’t gotten your access code. Patients and students welcome! For general information, you can visit our conference page.
We look forward to seeing you at the AFHTO 2021 Conference!
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Truth and Reconciliation Day Statement from the Primary Care Collaborative
On the inaugural National Truth and Reconciliation Day being recognized today across Canada, the Primary Care Collaborative values the opportunity and responsibility to acknowledge some of the actions that can help support better understanding of colonization, the trauma of residential schools for Indigenous people and communities, and the ongoing impacts of systemic racism, and the steps to create safer spaces and change for Indigenous health and wellbeing.
For our collaborative group of primary health care associations, ensuring our staff have the tools they need to support improving Indigenous healthcare experiences and outcomes, is an essential step towards truth and reconciliation. Through the Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) Program, offered by the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, our associations are committed to taking concrete steps towards the respect and understanding at the core of de-colonization work. The ICS Program will help us to better understand our roles as individuals in supporting primary care providers to decolonize health care, and also in organizational change both within our associations and among the partners we work with.
Through a series of moderated and facilitated sessions, the program facilitates a deeper level of understanding of how colonialism is embedded in health systems and services, and how to motivate change at the organizational levels. The ICS Program also explicitly connects the impacts of racism and discrimination on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous people and communities, with real-world examples of how these impacts play out in people’s lives. Importantly, this program also includes follow-up steps for organizations and providers and offers tools to deepen the learning of the initial program. Ultimately, the ICS Program supports a practical understanding of the truth of colonization for Indigenous people’s experiences, and then some paths for how to support reconciliation.
The Primary Care Collaborative believes that collective commitments to actions such as mandating Indigenous cultural safety training for public service organizations is what will ultimately change the culture and the mindset of individuals and organizations. Increasing awareness of both historical context and connections to the current environments and conditions that Indigenous people face in health care is an essential foundational step to moving forward together, and to ensuring that Indigenous people’s voices, concerns and trauma are heard and heeded within organizations, policy-making circles and governments alike.
The Primary Care Collaborative, therefore, remains committed to our own journey of Truth and Reconciliation this year, and on this inaugural day, by committing all of the staff at our associations to undertake ICS Program training, and to engage with other programs such as the University of Alberta’s Indigenous Canada program, or resources and modules from Cancer Care Ontario. In doing so, we also challenge and call on the wider public and government sectors across all of Ontario, who have also engaged with the ICS Program, to set out your organizational plans and commitments to ongoing learning and the steps being taken to promote organizational transformation.
Taken as a whole, it is these actions, which will outlast Truth and Reconciliation Day that will enable us to start moving on a path where Indigenous people and communities will be able to lead safer, healthier and happier lives, with lowered risk of violence and trauma from colonization’s impacts.
About the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC):
We are a coalition of primary care organizations collectively representing 14,000 family doctors, 1,000+ primary care nurse practitioners, 286 primary care teams, 28 Indigenous primary care teams, including northern, rural, and remote teams in Ontario. This alliance of comprehensive primary care organizations joined together by common purpose to build on the collaborative work during the COVID-19 pandemic as we move towards recovery in a time of health system transformation. The PCC provides a collective and cohesive voice with the purpose of advancing equitable person-centred primary care in Ontario and is focused on influencing policy by creating a unified voice towards resolving barriers or challenges that prevent comprehensive primary care from being the foundation of the health system. -
Need for Indigenous Cultural Safety Training and Education for all public servants
To: Hon. Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier, Minister of Health
Hon. Sylvia Jones, Solicitor GeneralCc: Hon. Greg Rickford, Minister, Indigenous Affairs
Matthew Anderson, CEO, Ontario Health
Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ministry of Health
Helen Angus, Deputy Minister, Ministry of HealthRe: Need for Indigenous Cultural Safety Training and Education for all public servants
August 3, 2021
Dear Deputy Premier Elliott and Minister Jones,
The leaders representing the Ontario Primary Care Collaborative across the province write to you today urgently about the ongoing crisis facing Indigenous people and communities due to systemic racism and trauma rooted in colonization. Throughout the pandemic, the challenges of COVID-19 have intersected with other public health challenges and emergencies and we’ve seen that racism can create and maintain barriers – to vaccinations, to people getting the services and care they need, and to healing. The impacts of racism, intolerance and lack of understanding contribute to ongoing trauma experienced by Indigenous people and communities.
Deputy Premier and Minister, we all know systemic racism is itself an emergency that impacts health. It’s why we’ve seen governments at all levels talking the talk on addressing anti-Indigenous racism in the last several months, particularly as Canada has started to reckon with the full truth and ongoing trauma of residential schools. Walking the walk of addressing anti-Indigenous racism requires bold leadership and courage, however, and taking practical steps with foundational policy shifts that can truly change the systems, organizational structures, cultures and actions that perpetuate and sustain systemic racism against Indigenous people and communities.
We need to work together to create truly safe spaces (physical and virtual), environments, and the ability for Indigenous people to interact with Ontario’s systems with a reduced risk of racism and violence, and to increase access to health and social care and services across the board. To do it, Ontario needs to mandate and fund Indigenous cultural safety training for all decision-makers and all branches of government whose services and programs interact with and serve Indigenous communities. We need meaningful training opportunities that are created and led by Indigenous people and communities, and which broker the conversations and connections needed to create conditions for healing, safe spaces and active reconciliation. It is also essential – while we support behavioural changes for individuals through Indigenous cultural safety training opportunities – that we also simultaneously work to create change at organizational levels, so the health system not only supports, but encourages and fosters change of practices and policies.
The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) is in the process of modernizing a made in Ontario Indigenous Cultural Safety approach to health care that will aim for individual behavioural change through Foundational ICS, but which will also work to support organizations within the health system on their journey towards creating culturally safe spaces through implementation of culturally appropriate policies, procedures and practices. The IPHCC Indigenous Cultural Safety approach is focused on supporting Indigenous Health transformation as part of the overall health and social service systems transformation underway in Ontario. We are strongly recommending that you learn more about this program and make this available to your staff.
By now, we are all acquainted with the stories of Joyce Echaquan, Brian Sinclair, and many others, which speak to the worst-case scenario of racism seen in Canada’s health systems. At that higher level, we also see through occurrences with the recent evacuation efforts in Northern Ontario and reported living conditions that the need for Indigenous cultural safety is as great as ever. Ontario has the capacity to improve how all of the province engages with Indigenous leaders, organizations and populations when action and coordination are needed to help people. We can and must do better, and we know you agree we can.
Changing minds, hearts and attitudes long term is what many governments have professed to in the wake of the discovery of mass and unmarked graves across Canada. We believe the Ontario government has an opportunity to lead with concrete actions that will truly change behaviours and make an impact with safer, fairer and more just spaces, services and organizations serving Indigenous peoples. Together, we can make a tangible impact in addressing systemic anti-Indigenous racism and showing others the path forward, but we need your support to do it.
We look forward to hearing from you very soon, and we’re available to meet or answer any questions you might have on next steps.
Sincerely,
Leanne Clarke, CEO, Ontario College of Family Physicians
Katie Hogue, Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association
Sarah Hobbs, CEO, Alliance for Healthier Communities
Caroline Lidstone-Jones, CEO, Indigenous Primary Health Care Council
Kavita Mehta, CEO, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
Allie Kinnaird, Executive Director, Ontario Medical Association, Section on General & Family Practice