Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Management/Operations

  • Bits & Pieces: virtual funding opps, aggregate report update, and more

    Bits & Pieces: virtual funding opps, aggregate report update, and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Virtual funding opportunities for primary care, Sep. 16
    • Expanding your differential diagnosis, Oct. 14
    • 3rd dose referral and guidance
    • Update on COVaxON Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report
    • Reminder – Pandemic PPE Transitional Supports (PPTS)
    • Keeping our kids safe at school, new IPAC guidance, and more
    • New telementoring program for health-care providers in occupational medicine
    • PSHSA workplace violence toolkits: work refusal and emergency response to workplace violence (code white)
    • Opportunity to bring Early Words program to your team – at no cost
    • Upcoming events regarding COVID-19 malnutrition and more

    Virtual funding opportunities for primary care, Sep. 16
    Co-hosted with Ontario Health, this webinar will provide information and answer questions about FY2021-22 digital and virtual care provincial funding opportunities for Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) and In Development Team, including support for online appointment booking and virtual primary care projects.
    Find out more and register here.

    Expanding your differential diagnosis, Oct. 14
    Co-hosted with ECHO Ontario at UHN, this presentation provides an overarching schema of rheumatic diseases, with a focus on types and patterns of articular involvement, and extraarticular and serologic correlates. By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to apply this schema when approaching common rheumatic disease presentations.
    Find out more and register here.

    3rd dose referral and guidance

    Since Ontario announced third doses of COVID-19 vaccine for some populations, the Ministry has prepared a draft sample letter that physicians and nurse practitioners may wish to use to provide their patients with the necessary referral and attestation in the cases where the patient’s own primary care provider/specialist are not administering the COVID-19 vaccine. Your local public health unit may also have additional forms/information so please also check with them too.

    The updated guidance on third does for special populations can be found in this link.

    Update on COVaxON Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report

    Please find attached a memo from Ontario Health highlighting two important changes that have made to the COVaxON Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report:

    • The full list of rostered patients (everyone born in 2009 and older) will be available to PEM primary care providers not just those who received one or two doses; and
    • The refresh cycle is moving from monthly to weekly to provide data in a timelier manner.

    Reminder – Pandemic PPE Transitional Supports (PPTS)

    Just a reminder about the availability of PPE for Primary Care Providers and Interprofessional Primary Care Teams from the provincial stockpile. As part of the Pandemic PPE Transitional Support (PPTS)  for Primary Care Providers, Specialists (Community-based Physician Specialists), Community Health Service Providers, and Indigenous Communities and Health Service Providers, it is imperative to follow the steps in the ‘How-To Complete Remedy Form’ document before submitting a request. For more detailed instructions on how-to complete the Remedy Intake Form, please reference the ‘Detailed How-To’ document. For additional information related to the transitional support, please reference the ‘FAQ’ document.

    Please note the below attestation, which is at the bottom of the “General” section of the intake form, does not apply to the Pandemic PPE Transitional Support. Primary care providers, specialists (community-based physician specialists), community health service providers, and Indigenous communities and health service providers are asked to please select this box to continue with the intake process.

    ☐   By selecting this box, your organization confirms it still has a supply shortage of under 14 days of stock despite following Steps 1-3* and requires PPE from the pandemic stockpile to continue providing services. Additionally, I have verified or will verify and confirm that any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) I receive from Ontario Health will remain in Ontario, and will be used for direct patient care. Further, the PPE received will not be resold or redistributed without the express written consent of Ontario Health.
     
    The ministry provides guidance on the use of PPE that can be found on the Ministry of Health (MOH) COVID-19 website and in the Guidance for Primary Care Providers in a Community Setting.

    Keeping our kids safe at school, new IPAC guidance, and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Someone whose hands and torso are visible sits in front of an open laptop with stehoscopre beside it and a clipboard with pen in front of it

    New telementoring program for health-care providers in occupational medicine

    Primary health-care providers in Ontario are invited to join ECHO Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ECHO OEM). The new program will increase provider capacity to recognize occupational and environmental exposures, and support patients in recovery and return to work. Over 12 weekly, 1.5-hour sessions, an interprofessional team of specialists will guide and mentor providers as they discuss patient cases and pertinent topics in OEM. Health-care providers will also gain CME credits, confidence in providing comprehensive care for their patients, and a new community of practice.  

    The ECHO OEM sessions run on Fridays from September 17 to December 3, 2021. Learn more and register here.

    PSHSA workplace violence toolkits: work refusal and emergency response to workplace violence (code white)
    PSHSA’s Violence, Aggression and Responsive Behaviours (VARB) toolkits were developed in partnership with healthcare and labour stakeholders to support healthcare workplaces in reducing and preventing the risk of workplace violence.

    Two new toolkits are now available on Work Refusals and Emergency Response (Code White). These join their five initial toolkits on Workplace Violence Risk Assessment, Individual Client Risk Assessment, Risk Communication/Flagging, Security and Personal Safety Response System.

    Opportunity to bring Early Words program to your team – at no cost
    Early Words, the Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation’s literacy program is expanding and accepting expressions of interest from clinics and hospitals.

    The program launched in Iqaluit in 2020 and is now operating in 12 clinics in Nunavut, as well as two clinics in Winnipeg. They provide free books, training, and resources to support healthcare professionals integrate early literacy into their practice.

    They’re seeking Expressions of Interest from healthcare clinics and hospitals whose patient population includes children aged five and under experiencing barriers to literacy – such as families with low literacy, limited access to programs and resources, and low socioeconomic status. They provide access to books and resources to help professionals counsel families on early literacy.

    For more information, you can visit their site or register for the September 14 info session.

    The deadline to apply for the Expression of Interest is October 1 at midnight local time. If you have any questions, you can contact Zoe Keefer at zkeefer@childrensliteracy.ca.

    COVID-19 malnutrition – how to identify and treat in team-based primary care, Sep. 20, 2021

    Gain a greater awareness of prevalence of malnutrition in primary care and the impact of undiagnosed malnutrition on quality of life, health outcomes and health care dollars. Find out more and register here.

    NPAO 2021 Virtual Annual Conference, Sep. 23-24, 2021
    This years’ Conference theme is Nurse Practitioner: Innovative Influencers of Health and Wellness. Find out more and register here.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Day, Sep. 30, 2021
    This virtual day will focus on leveraging digital health and virtual care tools to complement the in-person delivery of patient care. Register here.

    Promoting Resiliency in Children, Youth, and Families in Primary Care, Sep. 30, 2021

    ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health Special Interest ECHO Session. Register here.

    Tapering and Stopping Opioids, Oct. 19, 2021
    Co-hosted with ECHO Ontario Chronic Pain and Opioid Stewardship (UHN). Register here.

    AFHTO 2021 Conference, Oct. 27-28, 2021
    Post-Pandemic Primary Care: Respond, Recover, Rebuild. Members get a significant discount on the registration fee. Find out more here.

  • Order Printed Cancer Screening Awareness Materials by Sept 3rd for your Team

    Content below developed by Ontario Health

    Dear members,

    As you know, Ontario’s health care system has been significantly impacted by COVID-19, including preventive care like cancer screening. Ontario Health runs the province’s organized cancer screening programs, the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP), the Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OCSP) and ColonCancerCheck (CCC). Since March 2020, all three programs have seen a decrease in the number of tests completed, compared to pre-pandemic.   

    Ontario’s primary care providers play an important role in cancer screening. To help support you and your patients get caught up on cancer screening tests, Ontario Health will be sharing a cancer screening awareness tool-kit.

    The tool-kit has digital and print options that include materials like key messages that can be used for emails or newsletters, social media content, slides for digital screens in offices. This email is to provide information to Association of Family Health teams of Ontario (AFHTO) members who wish to order print materials – more information will be shared in the coming weeks about how you can access the digital tool-kit.

    Printed cancer screening awareness materials
    Ontario Health develops materials to support partners and providers in raising awareness of the importance of cancer screening for all three of our organized programs. Breast Cancer Awareness Month is in October, as is Cervical Cancer Awareness Week and Colon Cancer Awareness Month is in March. Though developed for these awareness months/week, the materials can be used at any time.  

    Posters (8.5 x 11 inches) and postcards (5 x 7 inches) are being made available to print and ship to AFHTO members that would like copies. A colorectal cancer fact sheet can also be ordered. These are available at no charge to members. Materials are available in English and French, and the top 10 languages based on the most recent census data (for a list, see the URL below for the ordering form).

    If your practice would like to order materials, please use the following link to access the order form: https://forms.office.com/r/zZtQ4mhmGG . The form provides an image of each product and allows you to select a quantity in each language offered. You will need to provide contact and mailing information.

    Please complete the form by September 3rd, 2021 at 6pm. Materials are expected to be delivered by the end of September/early October.

    If you have any questions, please reach out to Ontario Health at primarycareinquiries@ontariohealth.ca.

  • Aug. 24 Update on COVID Vaccines and Resources

    Dear Members,

    Like many of you we share the collective disbelief that we are in Wave 4 of the pandemic, with numbers increasing daily and back to school being just around the corner. We know how tired you are but despite that exhaustion, you are and have always been there for your patients and community.

    Thank you again for all you do day in and day out, especially during these unprecedented and challenging times. Please find below some additional resources and supports you may find helpful.

    As primary care continues to ramp up in-person care, the Ministry of Health released updated primary care guidance and the CPSO provided new information on striking the right balance between providing in-person care and virtual care.  

    These individual decisions should be made by each provider and team and these resources may help in your decision-making.  The OCFP’s Considerations for In-Person and Virtual Care document has also been updated and we are waiting for additional clinical decision-making tools on striking the right balance between in-person and virtual care which we will share once it becomes available.

    As announced on August 17th, the Ministry will begin to offer third doses to the most vulnerable Ontarians including those in high-risk congregate settings and those that are immunocompromised – you can read more about that announcement here*. To help with identifying those eligible for third doses, the eHealth Centre of Excellence (eCE) is currently developing the queries for PS Suites, Oscar and Accuro – more details to follow.

    Let’s get closer to 100% – Every health care team member, every patient, every encounter
    In collaboration with all health sector partners, the OMA has supported the development of some messaging to encourage every health care visit include a discussion around vaccines. Whether the visit is in-person or virtual, health professionals and teams can be powerful influencers when it comes to vaccine acceptance. At check-in, during the encounter, or at the end – just the act of asking about vaccine status makes a difference:

    1. Ask: “Have you had a chance to get the COVID-19 vaccine yet?” Every health care team member, every patient, every encounter.
    2. Share: “I got the vaccine. I helped my friends and family to get it too”. Listen to your patients’ concerns, share your personal experiences of vaccination, your knowledge about the vaccines, and your hope for an optimistic Canada once more of us are vaccinated. If you are comfortable doing so, tell the patient why you think a vaccine is a good decision for them.
    3. Connect: “This is where you can get a vaccine.” Know where vaccines are being offered locally (e.g., your team, other primary care clinics, pharmacy, mass clinics, pop up clinics) and point your patients there.

    By making this concerted push now, we can limit the effects of the fourth wave this fall, one patient at a time. To help support those opportunistic vaccine visits, please see the attached memo from the Chief Medical Officer of Health (Dr. Kieran Moore) and the Chair of the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force (Dr. Homer Tien) on managing those unused vaccine doses vials.

    As in other jurisdictions, there are early indicators of slowing vaccination rates for the 12-17 age group. There appears to be a variety of reasons for increasing hesitancy, but the main rationale is the perceived safety of vaccines, including:

    • Concerns from parents about what the long-term effects of a new vaccine will be on their children; and
    • Concerns about the evolving reports of adverse health events resulting from vaccine administration, including myocarditis.

    Here are some key messages to use in your conversations about the vaccines with children/youth:  

    • All vaccines provided in Ontario provide strong protection against COVID-19 and its variants.
    • Health Canada approved vaccines are conveniently available at hospitals, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and mass vaccination sites.
    • Vaccinating as many people as possible is the most important thing we can do to protect against COVID-19 and help us all get back to normal life as soon as possible.
    • Every dose brings us closer to what we’ve missed.
    • Vaccines are the best way to protect your child and your family from COVID-19, including highly contagious variants.
    • The faster everyone gets vaccinated, the sooner we can all safely resume doing the things we’ve missed.
    • When you and your kids 12 and over get vaccinated, it helps protect other family members too, such as those under 12 who can’t get vaccinated yet, or older individuals who may have a lower immune response to the vaccines.
    • Ensuring youth 12-17 are vaccinated means getting them back to class, to sports, to band practice, and to being kids again.

    Resources for patients:

    Resources for health care providers:

    COVID@Home
    Ontario Health will be hosting its next COVID@Home CoP on September 8th at 8:00 a.m. They will share their thoughts on the QI evaluation to date, review any new or emerging evidence and discuss the group needs moving forward. Please click here to register or see attached flyer for more details.

    If you are a clinician or staff who participated in the implementation of, or patient care for, the COVID@Home initiative OH would be grateful to hear about your or your patients’ experiences. Please fill in this survey link or contact Julie Datta (dattaj1@mcmaster.ca) to participate.

    Additional Resources you may find helpful:  

    We look forward to continually updating you on the provincial vaccination strategy and hope you continue to stay safe. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or ideas.

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

    *Please note that the news release also speaks to mandatory vaccination policies for high-risk health care settings. At the moment this is limited to hospitals, home and community care and paramedic services. To help support our teams with their policies, we have invited EDs, Admin Leads, lead MDs/NPs and board chairs to a webinar with an HR lawyer to address your questions. If this is relevant to your role, please discuss your participation with your leadership. If you are part of the triad mentioned above and have not received the registration email, please contact us and we will send the information to you.

     

  • Register now! Vaccinations in the Workplace: Top Questions Employers Are Asking

    Hello triad members,

    We invite members of the triad to join Maria McDonald from McDonald HR Law for guidance on questions we all have about vaccination in the workplace. Can vaccines be mandatory? Can a policy be written? What do you do if a frontline staff does not want to be vaccinated?

    Join Maria on September 8 from 12 PM to 1:30 PM to learn more!

    Please submit your questions when you register, so she can address what is most top of mind. We will ensure any question that does not get addressed in the webinar receives a follow-up response.

    This webinar is intended for executive directors, admin leads, HR staff, and other management. We leave it at your discretion to share this invitation with staff as deemed appropriate.

    This is being done in collaboration with the Alliance for Healthier Communities, the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, and the Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association.

    Register here!

  • Bits & Pieces: election consultation, last chance for board award and more

    Bits & Pieces: election consultation, last chance for board award and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • It’s election time! Please register for AFHTO’s member consultation forum
    • Board Award nomination deadline this Friday, Aug. 20
    • Ontario makes COVID-19 vaccination policies mandatory for high-risk settings and more
    • Federal Holiday on September 30, 2021 – Does NOT impact health care and other provincial employers
    • Seeking family physicians’ input regarding routine screening of patients for poverty
    • Upcoming events regarding caregivers, COVID-19 CoP and more

    It’s election time! Please register for AFHTO’s member consultation forum

    The 2022 provincial election is fast approaching, and we need to hear from you! We’re asking all members in all professions to join our member consultation forum with our government relations firm, Enterprise Canada, on Wednesday, September 15, from 12 PM to 1:30 PM.

    Enterprise will present the election material they’ve drafted, and then we’d like your input. Is the proposed messaging effective? What would you change? What tools do you need for successful local advocacy that we may be missing?

    Please register here to receive your individual join info.

    We ask leaders to circulate this important invitation across your teams.

    If you have any questions, please email info@afhto.ca.

    Board Award nomination deadline this Friday, Aug. 20

    Bright Lights logo

    For the first time ever, the AFHTO board invites all members to help them select the recipient of a Board award. Submit a nomination online for the Board Award category by August 20, 2021.

    Find out more about the criteria here. You can find the nomination template here.

    And don’t forget to shine a light on your team’s achievements. Nominate an outstanding team or individual for a “Bright Lights” Award by August 27, 2021. Find out more here.

    Ontario makes COVID-19 vaccination policies mandatory for high-risk settings and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Federal Holiday on September 30, 2021 – Does NOT impact health care and other provincial employers

    Per Maria McDonald, McDonald HR Law regarding the new Sep. 30th National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:

    “The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is ONLY for FEDERAL workplaces, such as banks, Canada Post, Federal public servants, etc.

    It is NOT a holiday for provincial employees, such as those working in healthcare.

    Here’s a tip to determine if you are federal employer or not. If you are governed by the Ontario Employment Standards Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code, or the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act; then you are NOT a federal employer and the September 30, 2021 holiday does NOT apply to your workplace.”

    Seeking family physicians’ input regarding routine screening of patients for poverty

    Queen’s University researchers are conducting an online survey study titled, ‘Identifying barriers and facilitators for family physicians in Ontario around routine screening of patients for poverty’.

    Poverty has been recognized as a risk factor for many health conditions, and family physicians may be well-positioned to identify poverty among their patients. They are seeking participants who are licensed family physicians currently involved in or previously have been involved in office-based primary care in Ontario.  

    Participation in the study involves completing a 15-minute online anonymous survey; participants can be entered into a draw for a $100 gift card, as a token of appreciation. For more information, please contact Ashvini Yogarajah at ashvini.yogarajah@queensu.ca or Dr. Amrita Roy at amrita.roy@queensu.ca.

    Pandemic Recovery and Chronic Disease Management: Primary Care for Adults with Asthma, August 19, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health and the Lung Health Foundation. Find out more here.

    Caregivers And Puppets: The Perfect Pair, Aug. 19, 2021
    Hosted by the Ontario Caregiver Organization. Find out more here.

    COVID-19 CoP- OCFP, Aug. 20, 2021
    “The vaccine, virus and in-person visits as we head into Fall”. Register here.

    Health Law: A primer for family caregivers in the mental health and addictions sector, Aug. 26, 2021
    Hosted by the Ontario Caregiver Organization. Find out more here.

    ECHO Ontario Child and Youth Mental Health, starting Sep. 7, 2021
    Limited spots available. The next cycle begins on September 7, 2021.  These weekly sessions take place via Zoom from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST every Tuesday for 24 weeks. Register here.

    COVID@Home Monitoring for Primary Care Connecting Call, Sep. 8, 2021
    Hosted by Ontario Health, the webinar will cover some thoughts on the QI evaluation to date, review any new or emerging evidence and discuss the groups needs moving forward. Find out more here.

  • Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Reports for Family Physicians

    Dear Triad Members,

    Yesterday Ontario Health (OH) released a memo about accessing the COVaxON Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Reports for family physicians working in a Patient Enrolment Model (PEM) of your rostered patients who have been vaccinated.

    A reminder that you do need a ONE® ID account to access the report – instructions on how to register for an account can be found in the memo. OH will also be hosting a number of information sessions and physicians, administration and QIDSS are encouraged to attend to learn how you can access the reports and other useful information.

    We know that the report leaves fee-for-service, CHC family physicians and Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics without this important information and solutions are being sought for you to receive similar information. We have also heard that many BSM (blended salary model) physicians in cFHTs are able to access the reports, but please let us know if that is not the case.
     
    With about 20% of eligible Ontarians currently unvaccinated, and a higher percentage in the youth population (ages 12-17), the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health are asking for our help with outreach to unvaccinated patients – and specifically to youth and families to encourage their vaccination before the school year. Primary care has trusted relationships with patients, and we know they can play a key role in supporting their vaccination decisions.
     
    An FAQ has been created in partnership with the Ontario Medical Association, OMA Section on General and Family Practice, OntarioMD, Ontario Health and the Ontario College of Family Physicians, and provides information on:

    • what data you will receive;
    • how to use the report and identify which of your enrolled patients have not yet been vaccinated;
    • billing information; and
    • supports available – including upcoming webinars and template scripts for outreach.

    We know that you are all working very hard in looking after your patients and your community, and we recognize the many demands on primary care, from assessment centres to vaccination to increased demands in caring for even sicker patients.  

    We know how hard primary care worked to get as many #NeedlesInArms over the last few months and the tremendous amount of work that goes into counselling and educating your patients before vaccinating. Thank you for all your incredible work and please let us know if you have any questions.

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

  • Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report, Provincial Antigen Screening Program and Last Chance to Order Oxygen Saturation Monitors

    Dear Triad Members,

    Please see below for some important information from Ontario Health.

    Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report
    Together with their stakeholders, Ontario Health will be providing family physicians with a new report to help you identify patients in your panel that have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Additional supports will help you to identify who in your practice has not yet been vaccinated.

    This Aggregate Primary Care Vaccination Report will be available for all primary care providers who practice as part of a patient enrollment model (FHO, FHG, FHN, or CCM).  A OneID account is required to access the report. Please see the attached memo from Ontario Health about this important initiative. This report is not yet available to NPLCs and CHCs and we are seeking clarity for the BSM model as well.  

    Just a reminder that Health Report Manager (HRM) has been pushing data prospectively to primary care providers when their name has been collected through COVaxON at point of vaccination. Further information around HRM COVaxON Vaccination Reports can be found on the OntarioMD website here.

    COVID vaccination data is also available through the provincial clinical viewers, Connecting Ontario and Clinical Connect. Access to the viewers can be requested via Ontario Health’s Digital Health Service’s website.

    Provincial Antigen Screening Program
    Led by the Ministry of Health, with support from partner ministries, Public Health Ontario and Ontario Health, the Provincial Antigen Screening Program (PASP) provides free rapid antigen test kits to any organization that is open and requires individuals to be on-site, including primary care practices. The PASP allows employers in priority settings to add an additional safety measure in high-risk and essential workplaces, to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

    Through the program, rapid antigen point-of-care tests (POCTs) can be distributed to primary care settings to enhance existing routine screening measures for asymptomatic employees and other identified groups. Please see attached memo for more information about the PASP and how you can order test kits for your clinics.

    Oxygen saturation of COVID home monitoring
    The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unexpected surges in demand on the provincial healthcare system, and healthcare settings across the province face patient capacity constraints, potentially affecting care for all patients. To help ease these constraints, Ontario Health is providing tools and resources for COVID@Home to help primary care providers who wish to remotely monitor people who have mild to moderate COVID-19 in the community.

    Oxygen saturation monitors are still available to be ordered by primary care clinics and interprofessional primary care team offices through the provincial pandemic stockpile until June 30th. Thank you to all the teams that are also participating in the COVID@Home or other programs that support patients with mild to moderate in their homes – if you are interested in the clinical pathways to help support the development of a program in your team please click here.

    As always please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

  • Bits & Pieces: PTSD, relationships & accessible supports, farewell to Rachel and more

    Bits & Pieces: PTSD, relationships & accessible supports, farewell to Rachel and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14
    • Farewell to Rachel So
    • Attn: Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk only available live
    • Call for applications to Indigenous and expanded midwifery programs
    • Member stories
    • Q&A for mixed COVID-19 mRNA vaccine schedules and more
    • COVID@Home: winding down of distribution pathways for oxygen saturation monitors
    • Mental health of northern Ontario nurses working during COVID-19 study
    • Upcoming events regarding providing care to 2SLGBTQ persons and more

    PTSD, Relationships & Accessible Support, July 14

    Co-hosted with Couple HOPES, join this webinar with Dr. Candice Monson, Professor of Psychology at Ryerson University, Director of the IMPACT psychology research lab, and Registered Clinical Psychologist as she discusses posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and relationships.

    During this webinar, you will learn about:

    • PTSD and its symptoms;
    • how PTSD impacts relationships;
    • and how relationships impact PTSD.

    Register here.

    Rachel So headshot

    Farewell to Rachel So

    It is with genuinely mixed feelings we announce that Rachel So will be leaving AFHTO for a new role in the non-profit sector.

    Rachel has been with AFHTO for nearly three years, starting first as our conference assistant before becoming our Programs & Operations Coordinator, so many have you had the pleasure of working with her over the last few years.

    We’re going to miss Rachel but know she will bring so much to her new team. Please join us in giving her our sincerest best wishes. Her last day with AFHTO will be Friday, June 25th – any questions related to her work can be directed to info@afhto.ca.

     

    GeriMedrisk title slide

    Attn: Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk only available live

    In Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk: drug safety for older adults beyond “Start Low, Go Slow” on June 24, Dr. Ho will review the pharmacology of aging and its impact on adverse drug events among seniors. We’ll also explore tools and services for primary care providers to use to optimize drug safety. Unlike most of our webinars, this will NOT be recorded, and slides will NOT be available afterwards. So register today.

    Call for applications to Indigenous and expanded midwifery programs

    The Ministry of Health is inviting applications for two programs with a special focus on improving access, choice, and care that is responsive to the needs of the community. These are:

    • Indigenous Midwifery Programs (IMP)- one of these models works within Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams
    • Expanded Midwifery Care Models (EMCM)- could include, but are not limited to, interprofessional primary care teams in areas of demonstrated need.

    The Primary Health Care Branch is hosting a webinar about this initiative on June 28, 2021. To participate, please send an email to midwifery@ontario.ca by Friday, June 25, 2021, noting contact information for interested participants and the ministry will reach out to those individuals with the webinar details. The Indigenous midwifery team at the AOM is also offering a webinar on Wednesday, July 14 12:00pm-1:30pm. Get more information here.

    Member stories
    Markham FHT – our president and chair Dr. Allan Grill on CTV on protecting immunocompromised individuals and vaccine interchangeability

    Municipality of Assiginack FHT– Gwekwaadziwin Miikan success leads to new pilot project for adults over 30

    Norfolk FHT – wins Transformative Change Award with Grand River CHC for providing primary and COVID-19 support to seasonal agricultural workers.

    Q&A for mixed COVID-19 mRNA vaccine schedules and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    COVID@Home: winding down of distribution pathways for oxygen saturation monitors

    The COVID@Home initiative was designed to help primary care providers to remotely monitor patients who have mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms in the community. As the third wave of the pandemic subsides and health care capacity constraints gradually abate, Ontario Health will begin to wind down the distribution program for oxygen saturation monitors. Primary care professionals and teams who are still in need of oxygen saturation monitors should place orders by June 30th. Find out more here. 

    Mental health of northern Ontario nurses working during COVID-19 studyResearchers from Laurentian University’s Centre of Research in Occupational Health and Safety (CROSH) and the Public Services Health & Safety Association are conducting a study to explore the mental health of Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) in northern Ontario working during the COVID-19 global pandemic. This study aims to understand the perspective and experiences of nurses, their support needs to cope with the COVID-19 crisis, and its consequences. For more information visit their site.

    COVID@Home Community of Practice, June 23, 2021

    Learn how to monitor your COVID-19 patients in the community through this CoP.
    Learn more here.

    Providing Care to 2SLGBTQ Persons, June 24, 2021

    Discuss cultural safety and humility, clinical competencies, and interdisciplinary care for cisgender and transgender patients with speakers with the Ontario Caregiver Organization.
    Register here.

    OHT Learnings through COVID-19, June 28, 2021

    The Ministry of Health (ministry) and Ontario Health are hosting the third OHT Virtual Engagement Series webinar Register here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP, June 17 & July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: 2022 election priorities, free bot to document vaccines and more

    Bits & Pieces: 2022 election priorities, free bot to document vaccines and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • 2022 Election Priorities: seeking members’ input
    • AFHTO statement on racism and hate
    • Reminder- Cancer screening during the pandemic and onwards, June 21
    • Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 30
    • Free bot to help document vaccinations and more
    • Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program slides and video
    • COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky webinar materials
    • New regulation to streamline reporting requirements under OHSA
    • Oxygen saturation monitors still available
    • Seeking dietitians’ input -nutrition screening in primary and community care
    • Upcoming events regarding geriatric clinical pharmacology and more

    2022 Election Priorities: seeking members’ input

    The provincial election is fast approaching! Election day will be on or before June 2, 2022 – less than a year away.

    We will continue to be strongly advocating for expansion of team-based primary care, and we want your input to ensure we are effectively advocating for you and with you.

    We ask all members complete this survey to share your priorities. We want to hear from you all: executive directors/admin leads, board members, physicians, nurse practitioners, IHPs, QIDSS, admin staff! This will only take about 5-10 minutes of your time, and the results will be kept confidential.

    Please click here to complete the survey!

    Please complete this by tomorrow, June 16. We will be taking the feedback to our board of directors at their board meeting next week. 

    AFHTO statement on racism and hate
    We want to start by expressing our grief and sorrow about the tragic and horrifying events of the last few weeks, recognizing that racism and hate has been part of Canada since its inception. We are committed to working with our partners and allies to listen, learn, grow, and do better at creating a more equitable and safer country for all. You can read AFHTO’s statement here.

    Reminder – Cancer screening during the pandemic and onwards, June 21

    In collaboration with our primary care partners and Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario), we will be hosting a webinar to further explore guidance for resuming breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening and share stories from teams that have already resumed cancer screening.

    Register here.

    Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 30
    Are you interested in serving on the AFHTO board of directors? The Governance Committee of AFHTO’s board invites anyone who works within an AFHTO member organization to apply. Please share this call for nominations with all who work in your team and with members on your Board. Given the composition of the continuing board members, priority for the directors to be elected will be given to candidates who are:

    • Executive Directors, especially those actively involved in their Ontario Health Team (OHT) development and supporting integrated care in their community;
    • Interprofessional Health Care Providers, especially those actively involved in OHT development;
    • Members from Central Ontario Health Region;
    • Board members, especially community members in the position of Chair of the Board; or
    • Experienced in finance, including accreditation as a financial professional (e.g., CA, CPA, CMA);

    Learn more about how you can take on a leadership role here. Deadline July 30.

    Free bot to help document vaccinations and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program title slide

    Update on the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program slides and video

    The Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence at Ontario Health invited primary care organizations to a webinar on June 10 to learn more about the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) Program’s background, the vision of OSP as a provincial program, and next steps with the expansion. Slides and video now available on our site.

     

    COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky webinar slide

    COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky webinar materials
    On June 9th Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health at the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health covered key questions, including variants of concern, AstraZeneca and mixing of vaccines, breakthrough cases and emerging evidence around vaccination for children 12-17 years old. Nicole Blackman, Provincial Director at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council, discussed why Indigenous people were prioritized to receive vaccines. Resources include:

    New regulation to streamline reporting requirements under OHSA
    A new regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) will come into effect on July 1, 2021: Ontario Regulation 420 / 21 – Notices and Reports under Sections 51 to 53.1 of the Act – Fatalities, Critical Injuries, Occupational Illnesses and Other Incidents– EN and FR.

    The new regulation incorporates the critical injury definition and streamlines reporting requirements into a single regulation that applies to all workplaces covered under the OHSA. The amending regulations include:

    • O. Reg. 427/21: HEALTH CARE AND RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES –EN and FR

    Oxygen saturation monitors still available

    Oxygen saturation monitors are still available free of charge for primary care providers. Please be sure to order yours before the end of June!  Every primary care provider can benefit from having these in their practice and for distribution to patients you may be monitoring with COVID, but also for other conditions (e.g., COPD).  These monitors will then belong to your practice – you do not need to return them to the Ministry of Health. Link to ordering survey HERE. Monitors usually arrive within 2-3 days after requesting. For questions, please contact OH_COVIDatHome@ontariohealth.ca. For a link to the one-pager with all the resource you need for monitoring COVID patients visit HERE.

    Seeking dietitians’ input -nutrition screening in primary and community care
    Professor Heather Keller (University of Waterloo), Marg Alfieri (Primary Care Dietitians Association) and the Primary Care working group of the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force are conducting a survey to determine what models of nutrition screening have been implemented in primary and community care, the reach of these efforts and for those who have yet to start screening, the challenges they are experiencing. This data will be used to launch further research on the outcomes and benefits of different nutrition screening models and further investigate how to support implementation of nutrition screening in the community. Get additional information and complete survey here.

    Geriatric Clinical Pharmacology and GeriMedRisk: drug safety for older adults beyond “Start Low, Go Slow”, June 24

    Co-hosted with GeriMedRisk, in this webinar, Dr. Ho will review the pharmacology of aging and its impact on adverse drug events among seniors. We’ll also explore tools and services for primary care providers to use to optimize drug safety. Register here.

    NACI Recommendations On COVID-19 Vaccine Interchangeability, June 21, 2021 *NEW DATE*
    Join PHAC as they discuss evidence around interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines, as well as NACI recommendations for interchangeability of COVID-19 vaccines.
    Learn more here.

    Applying an Equity Lens when Caring for your Population, June 17, 2021

    This RISE OHT webinar will be based on a PHM approach, deep diving into co-designing care models for different priority populations.
    Learn more here.

    Primary Care Vaccination QI Support CoP, June 17 & July 8, 2021
    Join PCPs, EDs & clinical managers from AFHTO, AHC & NPLCA to share learnings, tools and strategies to deliver COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario.
    Find out more here.

    COVID-19 CoP, June 18, 2021
    Join the OCFP’s COVID-19 CoP where they will be discussing “Getting to herd immunity: addressing children, confidence, and complacency”.
    Find out more here.

    Evaluating Integrated Care: How should we be evaluating integrated care? June 22, 2021
    Join the HSPN, IFIC Canada and Emerald Publishing as they discuss evaluation of integrated care both at a local and health system level.
    Register here.

  • Bits & Pieces: vaccine consent and information for youth, physiotherapy month and more

    Bits & Pieces: vaccine consent and information for youth, physiotherapy month and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Vaccine consent and information for youth and more updates
    • National Physiotherapy Month
    • Member stories
    • Ontario is creating a roadmap to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030
    • Important information about AstraZeneca second doses and more
    • MindWell for Healthcare Workers
    • Support reminder- BounceBack
    • Call for applications for FASD support groups-deadline May 26
    • Public Health 2021– call for submissions
    • DYK- board postings on AFHTO site
    • NPAO Patient Choice Award
    • Upcoming events including virtual wellness workshop series for patients and more

    Vaccine consent and information for youth and more updates

    There were so many updates in Friday’s situation report from the Ministry, this had to be separate from our COVID-19 section below. Documents include:

    Three COVID-19 vaccine documents have been developed for youth and/or parents/legal guardians:

    Two COVID-19 vaccine documents have been updated:

    The following documents have been updated and are available on the Ministry’s website:

    These documents and links will be updated on our site shortly.

    National Physiotherapy Month
    Primary care takes care of patients for a lifetime, which is why physiotherapists are an integral part of the team. For National Physiotherapy Month, we’d like to say THANK YOU to the amazing PTs in primary care teams.

    Member stories
    Northumberland FHT – radio interview on facilitating vaccinations

    Rideau FHT – Vaccines on wheels: organizing a drive-through vaccination clinic in your practice

    Text= We're building Ontario's roadmap to eliminate hepatitis C. Background= illustration of the profiles of people of different colours with different hairstyles and head coverings

     

    Ontario is creating a roadmap to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030

    Ontario is creating a roadmap to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030. Over 110,000 Ontarians are living with hepatitis C. With a diagnosis that is simple, an effective cure, and proven prevention strategies, eliminating hepatitis C is within our reach. Building upon a 2019 national strategy, multiple stakeholders are coming together to chart the path to elimination in Ontario.

    AFHTO is an advisor on this project. To find out more, visit the Ontario Hepatitis C Elimination Roadmap website.

     

    Important information about AstraZeneca second doses and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    MindWell for Healthcare Workers
    MindWell for Healthcare Workers is designed for healthcare workers by healthcare workers to give you the tools you need to feel confident and capable, remain calm amidst chaos and build overall resilience and well-being so you can perform at your best no matter what is happening around you.
     
    Short, simple, and effective lessons are provided in 4 weekly modules designed to give you maximum results in the least amount of time.  Sign up today to see positive change.
     
    MindWell for Healthcare Workers is a 4-week self-paced online learning experience accessible from any device. Each week includes approximately 10-15 minutes of learning content plus one 50-minute live session offered several times a week to fit most schedules.

    I miss my friends. I miss my social life. I'm lonely. Superimposed over a man's downcast face.

    Support reminder- BounceBack

    Bounceback’s latest campaign targets different demographic groups and highlights the struggles their coaches and clinicians have been hearing about from program participants during the pandemic. This includes concerns from middle-aged moms, men, parents of young children, people working from home, front-line workers, and students.

    If you’re interested, please feel free to share on your social channels and broadly with your networks.

    Call for applications for FASD support groups-deadline May 26
    Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is a neuro-developmental, permanent disability that affects 4% of the population in Ontario. Support groups for individuals with FASD or their parents/caregivers provide information, support, and reduce isolation and loneliness.

    Health Nexus has launched its application process for FASD Support Groups. Apply to receive up to $4,500 to run a virtual support group for individuals with FASD or their caregivers (and in person when COVID-19 permits). Candidates will be able to reapply for projects annually. To learn more, visit their site.

    Public Health 2021– call for submissions
    The Canadian Public Health Association is now accepting submissions for presentation at Public Health 2021. Submissions will be accepted for oral and poster abstracts, didactic symposiums or interactive workshops that are focused on one of their conference keywords. Deadline June 3, 2021.

    DYK- board postings on AFHTO site
    You know the AFHTO careers section as the best place to advertise job openings for staff, but did you know you can also post volunteer board positions there as well? Now you do. Feel free to post here.  And for any of your partners, as non-members they can post for a nominal fee.

    NPAO Patient Choice Award
    The NPAO NP Patient Choice Award is presented at the NPAO annual conference in September. Please share with your patients, colleagues and friends. How has your NP made a difference in your life or that of your family or friend? Deadline June 18, 2021.

    COVID-19 Education with Daniel Warshafsky, Office of CMOH, June 9

    This session with Dr. Daniel Warshafsky, Senior Medical Consultant at the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health will cover key questions, including variants of concern, AstraZeneca and potential mixing of vaccine, breakthrough cases and emerging evidence around vaccination for children 12-17 years old. Nicole Blackman, Provincial Director at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council will talk about why Indigenous people are prioritized to receive vaccines. Register here.

    The Path to an Effective Vaccine – Lessons Learned in Real Time, June 2, 2021
    Free panel by Dalla Lana School of Public Health. Register here.

    Virtual wellness workshop series for patients, starting June 1, 2021
    New Vision FHT is opening their upcoming Anxiety during COVID and Emotional First Aid virtual workshop series to non-FHT patients and would like to invite you to share this with your team/patients to register. Registration is limited, so please encourage patients to register as soon as they can. Find out more.

    Child & Youth Eating Disorders: Information for Primary Care, June 1 – 15, 2021
    This special interest ECHO session series will cover:

    • Understanding Medical Implications and Monitoring for Children and Youth with Eating Disorders, June 1, 2021
    • Supporting a Young Person with an Eating Disorder in Primary Care – Tips and Tricks for the Primary Care Provider, June 15, 2021

    For more information, click here.

    Project ECHO: Ontario Bariatric Network, Starting June 2, 2021
    Join these OBN Project ECHO Series held by Guelph General Hospital BCOE & The Ottawa Hospital BCOE.
    Find out more here.