Tag: Members Only

Registration for Effective Governance for Quality in Primary Care is now closed. Click here to go to the waiting list. The site also lists the objectives and full agenda for the day-long program.  The program has been approved for 3.25 credits for certified Canadian College of Health Leaders members. A corresponding application for CME credits has been submitted to the Ontario College of Family Physicians. If organizations have not been able to sign up for a session, sign up on the wait list as there will be a chance to be either 1) placed in one of the upcoming sessions; or 2) placed in a new session. Click here for the ministry’s message regarding the waiting list and possible additional training sessions.

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This is a free one-day training program to be held in seven locations across the province, for boards of family health teams, community health centres, aboriginal health access centres and nurse practitioner-led clinics.

To provide a common, evidence-based platform of governance training to support the quality agenda, the Ministry has partnered with the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO), the Association of Ontario Health Centres (AOHC), the Nurse Practitioner’s Association of Ontario (NPAO) and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute (CPSI) to develop and deliver the Effective Governance for Quality in Primary Care program.

It is recommended that each organization send three participants including the Board Chair, Chair of the Board Quality Committee (or other board representatives) and the executive director or clinical lead.

Click here for more information about the program and dates/locations for the one-day training sessions. To see this document in French, click here.

Watch for the registration announcement next week. Space is limited – register early to avoid disappointment.

AFHTO is pleased to announce two new resources to support you through the crunch of operating plan and quality improvement plan submissions – a former FHT ED joins AFHTO staff and a new secure discussion forum to facilitate communication among FHT EDs.

New staff:

On Monday, Jan. 28, Clarys Tirel joins AFHTO on a three-month contract.  Clarys was ED of the North York Family Health in 2008-2011, and most recently, interim executive director of the Mount Sinai Academic Family Health Team. In between she managed a primary care project for the Toronto Central CCAC on integration issues for non-FHT family physicians.

Her main focus will be to support FHTs as they respond to their reporting and operational requirements in the January to April time frame, namely development of annual operating plans, formal quality improvement plans, and participation in planning and development of Health Links. She will also be gauging opportunities to support and augment the Ministry-sponsored “Governing for Quality in Primary Care” training program.

To contact Clarys, e-mail her at clarys.tirel@afhto.ca or phone 647-234-8601.

Executive Director Discussion Forum:

One of Clarys’s support roles will as moderator for our newly re-launched Executive Director Discussion Forum.  This is a secure forum, accessible to only FHT EDs via username and password, to enable you to freely discuss topics that could possibly be sensitive, such as operating plans, HR issues, relations with vendors and funders, risk management, etc.

To access the AFHTO Members Discussion Forums:

1. Login to AFHTO’s Members Only website, using your FHT’s Members Only username and password.
2. Click on the Connect to Member’s Forum link on the bottom left corner of the webpage.
3. Enter your Member’s Forum username and password to log-in.  (HINT: If you click on “log me on automatically each visit”, you can skip this step in future.)
4. Click on Board index to see the discussion forums. The Executive Director Discussion Forum is visible only to those who have been authorized to use it, i.e. FHT EDs.
5. You are now able to post topics and reply to discussions. Click here if you need instructions on how to post and reply.
6. If you need assistance, contact Sal at info@afhto.ca.

You will see three (or four) additional discussion forums that are open to all AFHTO members. All of these forums are intended for asking questions and sharing ideas, advice and information resources among peers.

• FHT Governance Forum: focuses on the roles, responsibilities, structures, policies, processes and leadership that all combine to promote good governance in FHTs.
• Quality Improvement Planning Forum: is about developing and submitting QIPs, implementing the plans, collecting and reporting data, and other factors that contribute to advancing improvement.
• General Forum:  for any other topics affecting Family Health Teams across Ontario
• If your FHT is involved as the coordinating body for one of the early adopter Health Links, you will also see the Health Links Forum.  Membership in this forum is restricted at the moment as Health Links work their way through the early “growing pains”.  Access to this forum will expand over time.

We will announce these forums more broadly next week when the Ministry is ready to launch the Quality Improvement Plan templates and guidance documents, and registration opens for the “Governing for Quality in Primary Care” training program. New forums can be added as needs and interests evolve. Member participation and feedback is always welcome. Please use the Member’s Forum to share your comments, questions and ideas.

The full report, Living Longer, Living Well is now available in both English and French on the Ministry’s website at: English: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/common/ministry/publications/reports/seniors_strategy/ French: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/fr/common/ministry/publications/reports/seniors_strategy/default.aspx ************************************************************ January 8, 2013 – Living Longer, Living Well – Highlights and key recommendations from the report of Dr. Samir K. Sinha, Provincial Lead, Ontario’s Seniors Strategy – was released on Tuesday, January 8, 2013. Government committed to developing such a strategy in Ontario’s Action Plan for Health Care. The full 200 page report, containing 169 recommendations, is not yet released and is in the process of being translated. With the release, the Minister committed to moving ahead immediately with two of the recommendations:

• Match every older Ontarian who wants one with a primary care provider through Health Links and new physician incentives to care for high-needs patients. (These incentives were included in the most recent Physician Services Agreement.)
• Improve access to home care by expanding personal support worker services through community support agencies for low-needs patients.

The Seniors Strategy is built on five principles:  Access, Equity, Choice, Value, Quality. Its recommendations cover a comprehensive range of topics: promoting health and wellness, primary/community/acute/long-term care, caring for caregivers, developing elder-friendly communities, addressing ageism and elder abuse, medications, and addressing unique needs of older aboriginal peoples and others with diverse needs, such as those from LGBTQ and ethnocultural communities and those with limited abilities. The section on primary care is reproduced below.  Implementation details have not been announced – the Minister stated that Dr. Sinha is developing the detailed implementation plan. —————– Excerpt from Living Longer, Living Well : Strengthening Primary Care for Older Ontarians Through our consultations, we learned that strengthening the provision of primary care will be essential to securing the health of older Ontarians. As they are likely to have more complex and often inter-related health and social care issues, they will often benefit from a team-based approach to primary care that prioritizes continuous quality improvement. We also learned through our consultations that communication among primary care providers, hospitals, and community care co-ordinators in particular, is not currently required. This often can create care gaps that everyone agrees should not exist. We also learned that there still are older Ontarians who cannot easily find a primary care provider. This is especially the case for those who are homebound and would benefit from house calls. We need to do more to improve primary care for older Ontarians by building models of care that deliver high quality care and best serve their needs, while ensuring that every older Ontarian who wants a primary care provider can get one. Key Recommendations:

• The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care should promote and develop mechanisms in accordance with legislative/regulatory frameworks to advance the goal that all older Ontarians who want a primary care provider will have one.
• The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care should ensure that its development of Quality Improvement Plans in Primary Care and Health Links support a core focus around the care of older Ontarians – with an emphasis on supporting primary care access for older adults and focusing attention on areas of care that influence the health and well-being of older adults.
• The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care should mandate that care co-ordinators from Community Care Access Centres (CCACs), Community Support Services (CSS), and community mental health agencies providing care or service co-ordination support must identify and notify a patient’s primary care provider of their name, their role, their contact details, and the services being co-ordinated for the patient/client.
• The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care should maintain and improve funding levels to support the provision of house calls by primary care providers.

Thanks to our FHT members, AFHTO has built a strong foundation to serve family health teams. We are reaching out to FHTs to move to the next stage in your association’s development: 1.      As FHTs and AFHTO have matured, it’s time to renew the strategic vision and priorities for this association. You are each invited to give input on AFHTO’s strategic direction, to ensure your association continues to reflect the aspirations and respond to the priority needs of the AFHTO membership.  Responses are requested by February 5, 2013. 2.      A key platform for expanding AFHTO’s capacity to serve its members is the $2000 funding increment for FHTs last August – an increment the Ministry has indicated can only be used for membership in AFHTO (and/or AOHC for the 28 FHTs that are community-governed). At the October 16 Annual Meeting, AFHTO members approved a plan to request a voluntary contribution to enable each FHT to make full use of the funding they have received, but not yet used, within this 2012-13 fiscal year. AFHTO board members will conduct webinars to provide additional background and answer member questions. Click here to register for one of these sessions:

• Tuesday, January 22, 2013, from 4:30 to 5:30 pm
• Thursday, January 24, 2013, from 12:00 to 1:00 pm

  Why should FHTs make a voluntary contribution to their association? FHTs are facing immediate pressures and opportunities – delivering operating plans by February 20, making the case for new Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist positions, delivering the first Quality Improvement Plans by April 1, and some are leading or participating in development of Health Links. With the addition of contract staff and consultant assistance, AFHTO is immediately adding to our capacity to help you navigate these uncharted waters. This expansion of service is made possible by the Ministry’s $2000 funding increment for FHT membership fees in AFHTO (and/or AOHC). The Ministry has indicated these funds are specifically earmarked for this purpose. For AFHTO members who paid 2012-13 fees that were less than this, or those who expensed their membership fees in the previous fiscal year, you are invited to calculate a voluntary amount based on your own unique budgetary circumstances. Please note that 2013-14 membership renewal notices will go out after April 1. Auditors have advised that membership fees should be expensed in the year in which the benefit is received. Since the AFHTO membership year runs from April 1 to March 31, AFHTO is adopting the practice of issuing renewal invoices at the start of the membership year. FYI – One hard copy of this package has been mailed to each FHT. This invitation is also being e-mailed to the addresses we have on file for the board chair, lead physician and executive director for all member FHTs. If you have any comments, questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact AFHTO’s Executive Director (angie.heydon@afhto.ca or 647-234-8503) or Membership Coordinator, Sal Abdolzahraei (info@afhto.ca or 647-234-8605). AFHTO looks forward to continuing to support FHT success in improving and delivering optimal, sustainable interprofessional care.

Executive Directors: You have received your Family Health Team 2013/14 Annual Operating Plan Submission Package at some point today.  Plans must be submitted to the Ministry by February 20. To support FHTs in this submission process, AFHTO will re-launch a Peer-to-Peer discussion forum in early January.  This facility will help you seek and share advice with your peers as you develop your plans. The 2013/14 package offers FHTs the opportunity to propose implementation of a new role – the Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist (QIDSS). The package states, “The ministry strongly encourages and will give preference to requests for this resource that are shared among a collection of FHTs, where appropriate. … This new position is meant to assist FHTs in moving forward with their use of data to guide clinical decision-making, develop patient-centred programs and other improvement activities. With the assignment of these resources, the ministry expects demonstrated improvements in these and other areas.” To help FHTs with their proposals for the new QIDSS position, AFHTO is preparing an advice document for FHTs. With the view to gaining the greatest value from these new positions, AFHTO is looking into various ways FHTs could structure and frame their proposals for shared use of this resource. We are aiming to complete this advice document for members no later than January 23. With the many new initiatives FHTs will be responding to over the next few months – e.g. the first Quality Improvement Plans by April 1, development of Health Links – AFHTO is enhancing its ability to support FHTs in these common needs by recruiting a contract position, Senior Project Lead- FHT Governance, Quality, Operations.  We expect to have this additional assistance in place before the end of January. We look forward to continuing to support FHT success in improving and delivering optimal, sustainable interprofessional care.