Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Indigenous

  • Bits & Pieces: cultural safety toolkit, many vaccine resources and more

    Bits & Pieces: cultural safety toolkit, many vaccine resources and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Creating a safer environment for Indigenous Peoples
    • Reminder- Supply Ontario survey
    • Reminder- primary care virtual groups webinar tomorrow
    • Saegis cybersecurity clinic update webinar Mar 4
    • PHAC COVID-19 vaccination toolkit for HCWs, many Ministry resources, and more
    • Wellness Together Canada
    • OCFP Awards – call for nominations
    • CPSO policy consultations including MAID
    • Noninvasive Fetal RhD Blood Group Genotyping Task Force
    • Upcoming events including engaging and supporting caregivers and more

    Creating a safer environment for Indigenous Peoples

    The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council has just released Ne’ iikaanigaana Toolkit: Creating Safer Environments for Indigenous Peoples. Ne’ iikaanigaana is the Anishinaabe word for ‘All Our Relations’.

    The toolkit was created to support mainstream organizations on their journey towards creating safer environments for Indigenous participation, which is inclusive of participating as both an employee and a client or patient seeking services.

    Reminder- Supply Ontario survey

    The government recently established Supply Ontario, a single integrated supply chain across the public sector that will leverage the province’s purchasing power to provide greater value and consistent access to high-quality products and services.

    They’re need your input to help identify opportunities to improve the value they can deliver for your organization and patients, through better supply chain processes. Deadline February 24.

    Reminder- primary care virtual groups webinar tomorrow

    This webinar is in collaboration with two FHTs transitioning in-person programs to virtual. Scarborough Academic FHT will share how they transferred their CBT skills group for depression and anxiety to online along with the benefits and challenges.

    Arnprior FHT is presenting on how they modified an in-person Cardio-Pulmonary Rehab to Virtual in their rural community. In this webinar they will share their patients’ thoughts and feelings on the program adjustment, discussing wins and struggles along the way. Register here.

    Pre-budget submission
    AFHTO submitted recommendations last week to the Ministry of Finance as part of the 2021 Ontario Pre-Budget Consultations. The submission is entitled “The Heart of Health Care: Delivering Better Primary Care for Ontarians.”  This was done in collaboration with the Ontario College of Family Physicians, the OMA Section on General & Family Practice, and the Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario. The submission can be read here.

    Saegis cybersecurity clinic update webinar Mar 4

    This webinar on March 4 will explore Canadian data/trends from the Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity, discuss the top security threats facing your team, and explore best practices to decrease the risk of breaches in the clinic setting. We will take a look at what a cyber-attack looks like, and how to respond if one should happen. Register today.

    COVID-19 vaccine fact sheet, cancer screening update and more

    Recent updates include:

    We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:

    Woman in pyjamas sits on the floor wth her head resting against a bed

    Wellness Together Canada

    Wellness Together Canada is Canada’s first and only online platform offering immediate mental health support for people of all ages, in every province and territory, and in both official languages.

    It provides a “stepped care” model where Canadians can be instantly connected to virtual mental health services, from a five-minute self-assessment, to extensive support and resources, to live phone, video or text counselling with a mental health professional or crisis responder.

     

    All services and resources are available at no cost to users, ever. This includes:

    • Immediate crisis support
    • Mental health self-assessment and monitoring
    • Access to self-directed virtual programs
    • Moderated community of support
    • Virtual group coached anxiety program
    • E-courses, including drop-in mindfulness class
    • Live one-on-one counselling support by video, phone, or text

    Visit Wellness Together Canada for 24/7 access to free mental health and substance use support at wellnesstogether.ca.

    OCFP Awards – call for nominations

    Nominate your colleagues for an OCFP award. Multiple categories ae open, including regional Family Physician of the Year. Deadline Feb. 28, 2021

    CPSO policy consultations including MAID

    CPSO is conducting policy consultations on the issues below. You can provide your input by March 15 for the first and April 12 for the rest:

    Noninvasive Fetal RhD Blood Group Genotyping Task Force

    The PSO Advisory Committee is looking for representation from the following categories to join the Noninvasive Fetal RhD Blood Group Genotyping Task Force:

    • Primary Care (Family Medicine, Midwifery, Nurse Practitioner)
    • Care for Indigenous Populations and/or Remote Care

    This is a short-term task force that will provide evidence-based and clinical/scientific leadership advice on implementation considerations for noninvasive fetal RhD blood group genotyping in Ontario. The terms of reference are here.

    How to Apply (Deadline: February 24, 2021):

    1. Complete and submit the RhD Task Force Survey
    2. Forward your CV to pso@bornontario.ca

    Engaging and supporting caregivers in primary care teams: working together to improve outcomes and enhance the patient, caregiver, and family experience, Feb. 25, 2021

    Cohosted with Ontario Caregiver Organization, this webinar will highlight resources and opportunities for teams to support and engage caregivers.

    Register today.

    Infection Prevention and Control at Work: Basic Awareness Training

    The PSHSA recently released this free, 30-minute training module for Ontario workers to recognize and prevent infection hazards in the workplace. Learn more here.

    Goal Management Training for Treatment of Executive Dysfunction, Feb. 19, 2021
    Learn more about the intervention, research, and models to deliver Goals Management Training virtually. Learn more here. 

    Changing the way we work: Long COVID and lessons from the UK, Feb. 19, 2021
    The COVID-19 CoP by the OCFP is covering learnings from the Dr. Greenhalgh, a renowned primary care researcher and GP in the UK. Learn more here.

    Atopic dermatitis seminar for healthcare professionals, Mar. 1, 2021

    The Eczema Society of Canada and University of Ottawa is hosting this webinar aimed towards primary care providers.
    Find out more here.

    Personal Resilience for Hospice Palliative Care, Mar. 3, 2021
    Learn how to enhance personal resilience during even the most challenging times.
    Find out more here.

    Advancing Excellence in Transgender Health, Mar. 4, 2021
    The aim of this conference is to bridge this gap and provide information and resources to better equip Nurse Practitioners providing care to Gender Diverse individuals. The highlight is hearing the patient perspective. Find out more.

  • Bits & Pieces: apply for Indigenous and expanded midwifery programs, join our ED mentorship program & more

    Bits & Pieces: apply for Indigenous and expanded midwifery programs, join our ED mentorship program & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Apply for Indigenous Midwifery Programs and Expanded Midwifery Care Models- webinar July 16
    • Join our ED Mentorship Program!
    • AFHTO 2020 Conference: call for submissions, including Bright Lights
    • Guidance on managing type 2 diabetes and other updates
    • Possible discounts for Microsoft 365 and UpToDate
    • Prenatal screening and COVID-19
    • Nominate an outstanding physician for the CPSO Council Award
    • thehealthline.ca, CEP and primary care
    • Upcoming events regarding in-person visits and more

    Apply for Indigenous Midwifery Programs and Expanded Midwifery Care Models- webinar July 16

    The Ministry of Health (ministry) and the Association of Ontario Midwives (AOM) are inviting applications for two programs – Indigenous Midwifery Programs and Expanded Midwifery Care Models. Both include team-based care options. See the memo here.

    The Primary Health Care Branch is hosting a webinar on July 16, 2020. To participate, please send an email to midwifery@ontario.ca by 4pm tomorrow, July 15, 2020 noting contact information for interested participants and the ministry will reach out to those individuals with the webinar details.

    Join our ED Mentorship Program!
    Are you a leader with 3+ years of experience in a team-based primary care model? Are you interested in supporting new EDs in settling into their job? We are looking for EDs from different regions and working/funding models to join our ED Mentorship Program as mentors!
     
    Mentoring is about supporting people to develop more effectively. It’s a relationship based on trust that is designed to help a mentee take on increasing initiative, build confidence, and excel as leaders. New EDs can learn from others who have experience and who are willing to help them in developing their skills and expanding their knowledge.

    If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please complete this survey and we will be in touch.  More information is here.

    Podcast mic

    AFHTO 2020 Conference: call for submissions, including Bright Lights

    It’s time to highlight primary care. Present your ideas and initiatives at the AFHTO 2020 Conference

    This year’s conference will be a streamlined but with even more variety in presentation format.

    Podcasts. Webcasts. Rapid Fire sessions. We want your insight, from system and policy-level discussions to patient-focused inquiries into the ways teams can better serve their communities in a pandemic and beyond. Find out more here. Deadline July 29.

    You can also:

    • Shine a light on your team’s achievements. Nominate an outstanding team or individual for a “Bright Lights” Award by July 29. Awards will be presented at the AFHTO 2020 Conference Awards ceremony, on October 8, 2020. Read more here.
    • And Join a working group  by July 15 for a $20 discount on the registration fee (now available)

    Guidance on resuming cancer screening and other updates

    Resources and updates released recently include:

    We continue to update several pages on our site with resources and news:

    Possible discounts for Microsoft 365 and UpToDate

    As mentioned in last week’s email to the leadership triad, AFHTO is looking at possible discounts for two platforms for teams:

    • Microsoft Teams is becoming a preferred platform for virtual meetings, including with the ministry and Ontario Health. Microsoft Teams comes with the purchase of Microsoft 365. If there is enough interest in licenses, we will ask about a reduced rate for bulk purchasing of Microsoft 365.
    • UpToDate is a computer and mobile device-based clinical reference tool. AFHTO has been speaking with UpToDate and there is potential for a discounted rate for teams; however, it depends on uptake. Please let us know if you are interested. If there is enough interest, we will arrange a contract with UpToDate.
    • If you are interested in Microsoft 365 and/or UpToDate, please complete this survey by Friday, July 17.

    Prenatal screening and COVID-19

    Temporary prenatal screening changes have been in effect since April 6, 2020. These changes have now been extended and will continue through to December 31, 2020.

    Visit Prenatal Screening Ontario’s website for more information.

    thehealthline.ca, CEP and primary care

    Thehealthline.ca has partnered with the Centre for Effective Practice to support primary care professionals with rapidly updated information that reflects current on-the-ground status for more than 15,000 priority health and social services.

    You can find updated service records integrated into the comprehensive provincial system navigation directory here.

    Nominate an outstanding physician for the CPSO Council Award

    The College of Physicians and Surgeons (CPSO) is now accepting nominations for the 2021 Council Award.  The Council Award honours outstanding Ontario physicians who have demonstrated excellence and embody society’s vision of an “ideal physician”.  Details about the selection criteria are outlined on their website. Deadline Sep. 28, 2020.

    Ramping Up In-Person Office Visits in Primary Care in the Aftermath of COVID-19, July 15, 2020

    Join the Choosing Wisely Canada community with Dr. Tara Kiran, Family Physician at St. Michael’s Hospital Academic Family Health Team and Fidani Chair of Improvement and Innovation, University of Toronto. Dr. Kiran will share insights from her recent CMAJ article on how to weigh the benefits and risks of virtual and in-person care for patients and providers as we ramp up in-office primary care services. Find out more here.

    Having Difficult Conversations: webinar series, July 23 – August 13, 2020

    Hospice Palliative Care Ontario and Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association are hosting a new 4-part webinar series, entitled Having Difficult Conversations: Tips & Strategies in the Context of COVID-19.
    Find out more here.

    Integrated Mental and Physical Health, June 5- August 28, 2020

    Hosted by CAMH, University of Toronto and Project ECHO. Find out more here.

    NPAO Annual Conference, September 24 – 25, 2020

    This year, the NPAO annual conference will be held digitally to connect NPs so they can hear updates in clinical practice to improve the delivery of healthcare in Ontario.
    Learn more here.

  • Increased access to primary care in Kapuskasing area

    TimminsToday article published on May 4, 2018 TimminsToday staff NEWS RELEASE NORTH EAST LOCAL HEALTH INTEGRATION NETWORK People will have greater access to high-quality health care closer to home thanks to a new team of health care professionals coming to Kapuskasing and a new Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team that will serve Indigenous Northerners. On Thursday, the North East Local Health Integration Network (NE LHIN) along with local partners announced:

    • A new Family Health Team for Kapuskasing ($755,600)
    • The creation of an Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team ($2.3 million) based in Cochrane which will serve Indigenous Northerners, including in Kapuskasing and area.

    The new Family Health Team will connect people in Kapuskasing with a range of health care professionals, such as nurse practitioners, social workers, and physiotherapists to address a broad range of healthcare needs, including mental health and chronic disease management. The family health team will also complement and extend services presently provided by primary care physicians with the Riverbend Family Health Organization The creation of the Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team is in keeping with the North East LHIN’s Aboriginal Health Reconciliation Action Plan, published in 2016, to increase access to care for Northerners. Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Teams are Indigenous community-led, primary health care organizations. They provide a combination of traditional healing, primary care, cultural programs, health promotion programs, community development initiatives, and social support services. Team-based health care clinics help empower patients and their families and encourage them to be active participants in living healthy lives. Ontario is creating new and expanded primary care programs and services in order to respond to the health and social service needs of communities across the province, including Franco-Ontarians, newcomers and seniors. For many years, Kapuskasing has had challenges securing access to primary care health providers. The NE LHIN worked closely with local physicians, health service providers and other key stakeholders in the community to address the challenge. The LHIN also assisted the Kapuskasing Interprofessional Primary Care Committee with the development and submission of the business case for establishing the Family Health Team. The development of a Family Health Team will help to improve primary care service capacity and delivery in Kapuskasing. The Centre de santé communautaire de Kapuskasing et region, Riverbend Family Health Organization and Sensenbrenner Hospital worked collaboratively to increase access to specific interdisciplinary services to residents in the area. This partnership has increased access to the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN), clinical nutrition counselling, blood pressure monitoring, and clinical pharmacy consultations, amongst other services. Quotes “Our government is committed to ensuring everyone in Ontario has access to high-quality primary care, closer to home. The support of interprofessional primary care teams in the community is an important and significant step toward achieving this goal.” – Dr. Helena Jaczek, minister of Health and Long-Term Care “The North East LHIN is pleased to have worked collaboratively with health service providers and community members in Kapuskasing to develop a successful business case for the new family health team. This new team will support on-going efforts to recruit and retain primary care providers in the community. The addition of a new Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team will also improve access to care for Indigenous people living in the area and is in keeping with the North East LHIN’s Aboriginal Health Care Reconciliation Action Plan.” – Jeremy Stevenson, CEO, North East LHIN “We are thrilled by the news that Kapuskasing will be gaining a new Family Health Team. This new resource will be a great support to both patients and current primary care physicians in the community, and we appreciate the work of the North East LHIN and area partners to make this happen.” – Dr. Julie Boucher, lead physician with the Riverbend Family Health Organization Quick facts

    • Kapuskasing Family Health Team will receive $755,600 to support the establishment of interprofessional primary care as part of Ontario’s commitment to expand access to interprofessional primary care across the province.
    • The Shkgamik-Kwe Aboriginal Health Access Centre will receive $2,280,000 to support the establishment of the Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Team, which will serve Indigenous Northerners from communities from Cochrane to Constance Lake.
    • There are currently 294 interprofessional care teams across Ontario delivering care to more than four million people.

    Learn more

    Click here to access the TimminsToday article

  • MOHLTC Inviting Applications for New Midwifery Programs

    The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Association of Ontario Midwives are inviting applications for two new programs that have been introduced with a special focus on access, choice, and addressing health inequities:

    • Indigenous Midwifery Programs are designed to enhance culturally safe midwifery care and traditional services for expectant families in Indigenous communities.
    • Expanded Midwifery Care Models (EMCM)are intended o enable community based midwifery services to be delivered in a variety of settings where the existing midwifery practice group (MPG) model and funding arrangement aren’t appropriate. These settings could include interprofessional primary care teams.

    Interested parties can contact the Ministry at midwifery@ontario.ca to request the application and supporting guidance documents. For those unable to apply this year, there will be an annual application process. Relevant Links

  • Member news: AFHTO board nominations, EOI for Indigenous teams and more

    Below are relevant updates and items for AFHTO members, some with fast-approaching deadlines:

    AFHTO News
    AFHTO 2017 Conference registration now live: Members receive a 50% discount on registration. Contact your administrator for your access code. Learn more here.  Interested in serving on the AFHTO board of directors? Nominations are open until Thursday, July 6, 2017.

    News Relevant to Primary Care
    Expression of Interest to establish an Indigenous IPC Team: application process now launched by the Ministry. Indigenous member teams are invited to apply. Deadline August 21, 2017. Patients First – latest updates available here, including news on the latest CCAC transfers to LHINs and the “Achieving Excellence Together” Conference.
    Funding and remuneration of interdisciplinary primary care teams in Canada: a conceptual framework and application – BMC Health Services Research article Medical Assistance in Dying Statute Law Amendment Act, 2017: slides from the Ministry’s May 16 webinar now available.

    Resources, Reports and Requests for Input
    Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) seeking input from teams in Northeastern Ontario: o Now working with the Réseau du mieux-être francophone du Nord de l’Ontario (Réseau) to identify physicians, NPs, receptionists and IHPs providing services in both official languages. Legal information for patients: Steps to Justice is a new website from Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) providing information on common legal problems in family, housing, employment, social assistance, criminal, and other areas of law.
    o By answering a quick 5 minutes questionnaire by phone, you will contribute to the goal of capturing the present picture of French-language services being offered in Northeastern Ontario. The findings will be used by both NOSM and the Réseau to direct their efforts in improving the access to primary care services and human resources planning. If you are a family physician or a nurse practitioner and would like to participate, please contact Doniya Quenneville, project lead, at (705) 674-9381 ext. 203 or 1-866-489-7484 or by email at dquenneville@rmefno.ca. Deadline is August 1st, 2017. Rainbow Health Ontario seeking input from health and mental health providers working with children and youth: 5- minute survey to assess capacity in addressing the needs of gender-diverse child and youth clients/patients. If you have any questions, please contact Ilene Hyman i.hyman@utoronto.ca. Deadline July 15, 2017. Standards for Post-Concussion Care: recently released by Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF)
    Engaging Patients in Patient Safety – a Canadian Guide: developed by Canadian Patient Safety Institute in collaboration with Health Quality Ontario and various partners.  

    Conferences and Events
    Protecting Personal Health Information, June 26, 2017: webinar co-presented by AFHTO and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario  Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) workshops: o Mood Disorders: Advanced Strategies for Primary Care Physicians, Sep. 22, 2017
    Strategies for Building and Maintaining an Effective Board in Primary Care, July 11, 2017: first webinar in a series of webcast and online learning modules from AFHTO’s partnership with Governance Centre for Excellence. o Women’s Health Intrauterine Contraception: Theory to Practice, Sep. 23, 2017  
    NPAO Conference, Sep. 21 – 23 2017: and NPAO Patient Choice Award – deadline June 23, 2017.  

     

  • Expression of Interest to establish Indigenous Interprofessional Primary Care Teams

    On May 25, 2016, the Government of Ontario launched the Ontario First Nations Health Action Plan (OFNHAP), a multi-year initiative to improve health care for Indigenous peoples in Ontario. A key part of this Plan is the creation or expansion of new primary care teams; community-based models of primary health care that are designed based on the needs and cultures of the communities they will serve. We are pleased to inform you that the Expression of Interest (EOI) process for this important initiative has now opened. This process is an initial step associated with this commitment and will allow for the submission of applications for interprofessional primary care teams, which will then be evaluated and assessed. As part of the assessment process, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (the “ministry”) will engage an inter-ministerial committee as well as a committee of Indigenous partners. While the primary focus of this initiative is on northern First Nations communities, as a means to addressing significant gaps in primary care access, Indigenous organizations and communities across Ontario are also welcome to submit applications through this process. Below are an Application Kit and Guidance documents that have been developed to assist organizations and communities participating in the EOI process. The submission of Application Forms will close on August 21, 2017. Applications received after this time will not be considered. We encourage interested organizations to read all of the Guides and materials in the Application Kit in order to prepare a comprehensive application for evaluation. If you have further questions, please email the ministry at IIPCT@ontario.ca or contact John Roininen, Northern Lead, Primary Health Care Branch, at 705-564-7494 or 1-866-727-9959. Relevant Links:

  • EF2 Who Wants to be Tolerated: Improving Indigenous Specific Patient Experiences and Equity

    Theme 2. Planning programs for equitable access to care

    Presentation Details

    • Date: Thursday, October 26, 2017
    • Concurrent Session E & F
    • Time: 10:45am-12:30pm
    • Room:
    • Style: Workshop (session is structure for interaction and/or hands-on learning opportunities)
    • Focus: Balance between both (e.g. Presentation of a best-practice guideline that combines research evidence, policy issues and practical steps for implementation)
    • Target Audience: Leadership (ED, clinical lead, board chair, board member, etc.), Clinical providers, Administrative staff, Representatives of stakeholder/partner organizations

    Learning Objectives

    1. Awareness of the connections between attitudes (including unconscious) and behaviour/practice specifically related to Indigenous people;
    2. Awareness of how this affects the standard of care for Indigenous patients/clients
    3. Knowledge about models of Indigenous cultural competency, stereotyping and Indigenous-specific colonial narratives
    4. Practical application of knowledge and awareness to specific scenarios
    5. Awareness of rationale for specific education to address Indigenous specific bias held by health care providers

    Summary/Abstract Are we all tolerated equally? Many health care leaders across Canada are asking this critical question in their efforts to improve the quality of health services for all clients. We all know that attitudes like tolerance, appreciation, and repulsion are connected to particular behaviours. This connection is the foundation for understanding how and why cultural competency is needed for transformation in health care today.   The workshop will explore the connection between attitudes and behaviours through a variety of engaging and thought-provoking activities and exercises. Participants will have the opportunity to explore models of Indigenous cultural competency, stereotyping, and the Indigenous-specific colonial narratives that inform dominant attitudes in Canada. They will be able to reflect on their own attitudes and beliefs through an individual activity, and then apply this knowledge and insight to specific scenarios. The scenarios will deal with health care situations that are relevant to the participants’ experiences. This part of the workshop is often full of “a-ah” moments for the whole group!   Participants will come away with a deeper understanding of the connection between attitudes and behaviours and a greater appreciation for the ways that this can play out differently in relationships with Indigenous clientele. “Getting to the Roots of Tolerance” provides participants with a unique experience to step out of the everyday and look at the roots of the issues that impact their work, the efficacy of health care, and clients’ quality of care. Presenters

    • Diane Smylie, Provincial Director Ontario ICS Program, Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre
    • Leila Monib, Health Equity Specialist, Toronto Public Health

    Authors & Contributors

  • B4 An Opportunity to Collectively Lead – A Rural Collaborative of Primary Care Leaders

    Theme 4. Strengthening partnerships

    Presentation Details

    • Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2017
    • Concurrent Session B
    • Time: 3:30pm-4:15pm
    • Room:
    • Style: Panel Discussion (in addition to providing information, panelists interact with one another to explore/debate a topic)
    • Focus: Practical (e.g. Presentation on how to implement programs and/or practices in the team environment)
    • Target Audience: Leadership (ED, clinical lead, board chair, board member, etc.)

    Learning Objectives This panel presentation is intended to present a concept that we have been working on at the leadership level across many partnering organizations. Our Rural Island Health Care Collaborative

    1. Can we as leaders from our various organizations come together and articulate a Common Cooperative Vision, as a shared pathway for improving local health care services for indigenous people and non-indigenous people?
    2. “Does this align with your values, your organization’s Strategic Directions, and is this best for Patient Care?”
    3. If you put the patient first you can coordinate primary care and acute care with all your rural health care partners.
    4. Please take these points away, think about them, discuss them amongst yourselves as Board Members, Directors, Community Partners in Primary Care.

    Summary/Abstract With so many of our organizations at local, regional and provincial levels, we gathered the right partners to join a Manitoulin Island Health Care Collaborative. Our 13,000 patients/community members living on the island live in 7 first nations’ communities, 3 of the long term care homes, and are 64 rural communities. Therefore in order to provide population-based patient care in a complex environment, forging new partnerships and strengthening current ties was necessary. This collaboration highlights how primary care teams can do so, whether it is with social and community organizations or through LHIN sub-region collaboration, to provide island wide services. We will demonstrate how the Manitoulin Island Health Care Collaborative was established. We will highlight our common goals that brought us together. We will address some of the rural challenges in partnering and how they were implemented. We will share with the group the steps the Collaborative has taken, in various areas of shared care initiatives such as programs, preventative care, chronic disease management, increasing access and sharing resources. Presenters

    • Sandra Pennie, Executive Director, Assiginack FHT, (Manitowaning)
    • Judy Miller, Executive Director, Northeastern Manitoulin Family Health Team, (Little Current)
    • Lori Oswald, Executive Director, Manitoulin Central FHT (Mindemoya)
    • Pam Williamson, Executive Director, Noojmowin Teg Health Centre ,AHAC, Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation

    Authors & Contributors

  • B3 Indigenous-Specific Cultural Safety Training Programs: Exploring the Evidence… to Achieve Better Outcomes

    Theme 3. Employing and empowering the patient and caregiver perspective

    Presentation Details

    • Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2017
    • Concurrent Session B
    • Time: 3:30pm-4:15pm
    • Room:
    • Style: Presentation (information provided to audience, with opportunity for audience to ask question)
    • Focus: Research/Policy (e.g. Presentation of research findings, analysis of policy issues and options)
    • Target Audience: Leadership (ED, clinical lead, board chair, board member, etc.), Clinical providers

    Learning Objectives

    • In this presentation, inter-professional primary care teams (IPCTs) will learn about the evidence-based wise practices for developing and implementing Indigenous-specific cultural safety (ICS) training programs.
    • IPCTs will also learn
      • What is needed to improve the patient-centered care they deliver to Indigenous peoples;
      • What should be expected from ICS training programs;
      • What to be cautious about when striving to deliver and learn more about culturally safe care.

    Summary/Abstract An Evidence Brief was prepared to identify the “wise practices” for developing and implementing Indigenous-specific cultural safety training (ICS) programs in Ontario. We will present the key findings from this Evidence Brief. The Evidence Brief included articles that were identified from a list of resources generated from a scoping review (i.e. n=7 peer-reviewed review papers evaluating the effectiveness of cultural safety training programs) and, to fill critical gaps in the literature, from cross-referencing the resources and consulting with colleagues in Ontario and British Columbia (i.e. several peer-reviewed and grey literature sources that were informed by critical theoretical perspectives, such as critical race theory and decolonizing anti-racist pedagogy). We opted for the term “wise practices” because it has been widely used in Indigenous contexts. We chose “cultural safety” rather than “cultural competency” because the former has a distinct focus on power structures, healthcare providers engaging in critical self-reflection, and being defined by clients/recipients of care. Seven evidence-based wise practices were identified. It is anticipated that these wise practices will help guide the development, implementation, and evaluation of ICS training programs that effectively address the root causes of inequities, reduce the barriers that Indigenous peoples face in accessing high-quality culturally safe care, and contribute to a wider systemic shift towards safer more equitable healthcare and outcomes for Indigenous peoples. Points of caution are also noted. The findings of this Evidence Brief are timely given the recent expansion of ICS training programs that are meant to improve how care is delivered by groups like inter-professional primary care teams. Presenters

    • Michèle Parent-Bergeron, RN, PhD, Provincial Practice Lead, Ontario Indigenous Cultural Safety Program, Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre
    • Diane Smylie, Director, Ontario Indigenous Cultural Safety Program, Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre
    • Mackenzie Churchill, MPH, Research Coordinator, Well Living House, Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael’s Hospital

    Authors & Contributors

    • Janet Smylie, MD, MPH, FCFP
    • Michelle Firestone, PhD

  • Dilico FHT One of Six Funded Aboriginal Midwifery Programs

    CBC News article published February 10, 2017. Article in full pasted below. Cathy Alex, CBC News The Ontario government is establishing six Aboriginal midwifery programs, with the goal of offering culturally appropriate child and maternity care to a number of Indigenous communities. “If you think about it now, most Indigenous communities don’t have midwives anymore, and what’s left in Indigenous communities is not birth anymore. We’re hearing in the media about suicides, we’re hearing about death but the way that I look at it, now that we’re going to be having midwives coming through and working in community, we will now see the restoration of that beautiful ceremony,” said Ellen Blais, the policy analyst on Indigenous midwifery for the Association of Ontario Midwives. As an Indigenous midwife herself, she is helping to deliver an initiative that is near and dear to her heart, because she believes it preserves families. “I was apprehended from my mother at birth and never got to meet her, so I became a midwife because I thought if we had midwives standing at the births of our women, and being there as primary care providers, this would interfere with some of the numbers of apprehensions we’re seeing of out infants and babies,” she said. Provides choice The certified Aboriginal midwives will offer health care throughout a woman’s pregnancy and for up to six weeks after, and in most cases will work in existing health care teams with family doctors, nurse practitioners, social workers, mental health and addiction counsellors and traditional healers. “It provides choice,” said Dr. Eric Hoskins, Ontario’s minister of health. “It enables Indigenous women to receive care from an individual that understands and respects their uniqueness and their tradition and their culture and provides it, as all midwives do, in a highly comprehensive way.” Sign of reconciliation Hoskins made the program announcement Thursday at the Dilico Family Health Team Clinic in Fort William First Nation, explaining that the clinic is hiring two Aboriginal midwives to provide culturally appropriate child and maternity care for up to 30 women over the next three years. Both Hoskins, and Nathaniel Izzo, the manager of the family health team at Dilico, see the restoration of midwifery to Fort William First Nation as a sign of reconciliation. “We will work with Indigenous women from our 13 affiliated communities and the midwife will travel to and from those communities to ensure that service is provided in the comfort of home for those women, so I think it will mean a repatriation of traditional midwifery services,” said Izzo. Some of the Aboriginal midwives are already using traditional practice said Blais. “They go out on the land and they pick the traditional medicines and herbs and things and they make teas and they know all of their medicines for prenatal care, and to help get labour going and to support breastfeeding, ” she said. Midwives are “the keeper of that knowledge”, said Blais. In addition to the Dilico clinic on Fort William First Nation, the government is spending approximately $2-million to support the establishment of Aboriginal Midwifery programs in:

    • K’Tigaaning Midwives, Nipissing First Nation
    • Kenhte:ke Midwives, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory
    • Onkwehon:we Midwives, Akwesasne
    • Shkagamik-Kwe Health Centre, Sudbury
    • Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre, London.

    As well there are development grants to explore future sites for Aboriginal Midwifery services being offered to organizations in Cornwall, Cutler, Fort Frances, Keewatin, Kenora, Nestor Falls, Oshawa, Thamesville and Thunder Bay. Click here to access the CBC article.