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Tag: Members Only News

  • Bits & Pieces: details on shutdown, COVID vaccine resources and more

    Bits & Pieces: details on shutdown, COVID vaccine resources and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Details on provincial shutdown
    • COVID-19 safety and planning
    • COVID vaccine foundation webinar video and more
    • Members’ stories
    • Additional funding for mental health and addictions services
    • HPCO continues virtual activity wellness hub
    • Upcoming events including Advancing Quality Improvement in Primary Care and more

    Details on provincial shutdown

    Yesterday the Ontario government imposed a provincial shutdown to go into effect on Dec. 26. They released details here.

    We have contacted the Ministry and it has been confirmed- there has been no change to the guidance for primary care services. Please continue to deliver care to your patients virtually or in person based on clinical judgment. The OCFP has updated their guidance document on considerations for in person visits that you may find helpful.

    COVID-19 safety and planning
    Teams may receive inspections as part of a multi-ministry COVID-19 enforcement blitz coordinated with local public health and other provincial officers to promote education and compliance with the Reopening Ontario Act in efforts to tighten public health and workplace safety measures to limit the transmission of COVID-19.

    Depending on the part of the province teams are in – and more specifically the “colour zones” under the COVID-19 response framework that have been assigned based on COVID transmission in the community, teams may be required to provide a ‘safety plan’ as part of these inspections and we are  encouraging all teams to have one in place. Here are a sample template and policy that teams can use to build their own plans. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

    COVID vaccine foundation webinar video and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Members’ stories

    Rural Lambton COVID Testing Centre

    Central Lambton FHT: Central Lambton FHT and partners increase access to testing

    City of Kawartha Lakes FHT: ensuring its team has increased knowledge and skills in providing health care for questioning, transitioning and transgender patients and their families and caregivers.

    Elliott Lake and Wawa FHTs: Algoma Public Health has officially named this year’s Public Health Champions

    Additional funding for mental health and addictions services

    On Dec. 17, Ontario’s government announced increased funding for mental health and addictions services, meant to address the increasing demand for services due to COVID-19.
    Per the announcement, this includes:

    • Over $62.2 million in community-based mental health and addictions services and inter-professional primary care teams, including $30 million in targeted funding for child and youth mental health services. Services include local in-person and virtual community mental health and addictions services, housing and accommodation supports, capacity-building for front-line workers, peer supports and resources, and enhanced services through interprofessional primary care including Family Health Teams, Indigenous governed supports and Community Health Centres.

    Funding to interprofessional teams was already announced in our November 24th Leadership Triad email so this is not new money. However, according to our contacts, progress is being made on the funding packages so teams should hopefully get further details, including funding flow, within a couple of weeks.

    HPCO virtual activity wellness hub flyer

     

    HPCO continues virtual activity wellness hub

    HPCO is continuing the Virtual Activity Wellness Hub beginning Tuesday, January 12th due to high interest from participants. They’re piloting virtual activities via Zoom meetings for seniors, people isolated at home, caregivers, and hospice volunteers. Activities will be run by facilitators in a fun and interactive group setting to increase social connection. See the flyer.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Now is the Time to Choose Wisely: Advancing Quality Improvement in Primary Care, Jan. 27, 2021

    Engaging primary care providers in QI can play an important role in improving practice, enhancing patient experiences, and reducing unnecessary tests and treatments.

    This is particularly relevant now, as the pandemic has further emphasized the importance of resource stewardship given the urgent care needs and constraints related to COVID-19. Learn more and register here.

    COVID-19 Community of Practice for Ontario Family Physicians, Jan. 8, 2021
    “Update on Covid-19 vaccines”. Register here.

    Family Medicine Summit, Jan. 30- Feb. 27, 2021
    Registration is now open for the OCFP’s Family Medicine Summit (the former Annual Scientific Assembly – ASA). Find out more.

    ECHO Sessions: Supporting Parents/Caregivers During a Pandemic: Information for Primary Care, Jan. 27 & Feb. 3, 2021
    Offered at no cost to participants. Register here.

  • Bits & Pieces: new COVID vaccine information, Min. Patty Hajdu and more

    Bits & Pieces: new COVID vaccine information, Min. Patty Hajdu and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Appreciation event for health care, Dec. 16, 2020
    • MOH updates on COVID vaccine and more
    • Results of draw for Legal Issues webinar series
    • Senior friendly care learning series for clinicians now available in French
    • Call for abstracts- Choosing Wisely Canada
    • Find an OT search tool
    • Upcoming events including Q& A with CMHA and more

     

    Appreciation event for health care, Dec. 16, 2020

    On behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health for the Government of Canada, you are invited to an appreciation event on Wednesday, December 16, 2020.
    RSVP: Nada Nasri nada.nasri2@canada.ca
    Click here to learn more

    MOH updates on COVID vaccine and more

    Recent updates include:

    • Ontario Delivers First COVID-19 Vaccine in the Country– Office of the Premier, Dec. 14, 2020
    • Memo from General Rick Hillier- EN and FR
    • Ontario’s Vaccine Distribution Implementation Plan – EN and FR
    • Ministry of Health:
      • COVID-19 About Vaccines- EN and FR
      • Guidance for Vaccinated Health Care Workers- EN and FR
      • COVID-19 Vaccine Information Sheet – EN and FR
      • COVID-19 Vaccine Approval Process and Safety- EN and FR
      • COVID-19 Vaccine Availability and Rollout- EN and FR
      • COVID-19 Vaccine Administration- EN and FR

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

    draw for Legal Issues webinar series - wheel of names

     

    Results of draw for Legal Issues webinar series

    AFHTO members had the chance to win one (1) free registration to the 2021 Legal Issues for Primary Care Teams series, with Kate Dewhirst and Maria McDonald. The deadline to enter was Nov. 27, 2020. A winner was randomly drawn Dec. 2, 2020. See the results here.

     

    Senior friendly care learning series for clinicians now available in French

    A critical factor in improving outcomes for older adults living with complex health concerns (e.g. frailty) during the second wave of the pandemic and beyond is ensuring that all healthcare providers are knowledgeable and skilled in addressing the unique needs of older adults.

    To support the knowledge needs in Francophone communities, the RGP and the Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Office have launched the senior friendly care (sfCare) Learning Series for clinicians in French.

    The series comprises nine educational modules for clinicians, along with supporting posters and patient handouts on the following clinical topics: delirium, mobility, polypharmacy, pain, loneliness, nutrition, and urinary incontinence. Access the sfCare Learning Series – French

    Call for abstracts- Choosing Wisely Canada

    Choosing Wisely Canada’s Sixth Annual National Meeting will be offered virtually on May 12 and May 13, 2021. You can submit an abstract by February 1, 2021. Find out more.

    Find an OT search tool

    Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists’ Find an OT search tool can aid Ontarians attempting to access private OT services. It allows the public, heath care professionals, referral agents and others to access a directory of licensed occupational therapists who provide private OT services. Searches can be made based on location, practice area, services, and age group.

    Q& A with CMHA, Dec. 18, 2020

    At the end of the COVID-19 wellness series: building your team’s psychological PPE, there will be a Q&A session on Dec. 18. This will be a wrap up of the previous sessions and an opportunity for a live Q&A with CMHA staff around resources, supports and questions for staff mental health. Register here.

    Other sessions:

    Isolation and Loneliness, Dec 15, 2020 02:00 PM EDT

    Register: Click here

    Mindfulness at Work, Dec 17, 2020 1:00 PM EDT

    Register: Click here  

    Learn more here.

    Family Medicine Summit, Jan. 30- Feb. 27, 2021
    Registration is now open for the OCFP’s Family Medicine Summit (the former Annual Scientific Assembly – ASA). Find out more.

    Morning Rounds and Lunch & Learns with ECHO Child Youth Mental Health, Jan. 12 – Jan. 14, 2021
    From depression, anxiety and parent-child relationships in toddlers, children or adolescents- join the CHEO as they cover it all in these sessions.
    Learn more here.

    ECHO Ontario Conference, Jan. 29, 2021
    Registration is open for Improving Access and Equity in Healthcare through the ECHO Model. See agenda and details here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #102: Choosing Wisely during the Pandemic and Beyond, Health Equity and Provider Experience

    In collaboration with the Alliance for Healthier Communities

    In this Issue:

    • Toolkits – Choosing Wisely Canada
    • AFHTO Resources as You Plan Ahead
    • Provider Experience during COVID-19 – Dr. Catherine Donnelly
    • Health Equity – Public Health Ontario
    • Upcoming Events

    These are unprecedented times. COVID-19 is an era of resource scarcity and deciding which method of care delivery is best can be challenging. In response, and per Ministry directive, we have seen many teams transition to virtual care (mostly telephone) while being available and accessible when in-person care is required. Health care systems and providers are rapidly learning and changing in response to ongoing COVID-19 developments. As we wrap up this year and think of 2021, we have collaborated with Choosing Wisely Canada to provide you with a set of resources that can help shape your new year.

    Toolkits:

    • The Cold Standard:
      • A revised toolkit for Using Antibiotics Wisely in the Era of COVID-19 and Virtual Care
      • A webinar recording to learn more about this can be found here
      • A recent article on Using Antibiotics Wisely and The Cold Standard toolkit written by Drs. Jerome Leis and Allan Grill was published in The BMJ. The article can be found here
    • Drowsy without Feeling Lousy:
      • A toolkit for reducing inappropriate use of benzodiazepines and sedative-hypnotics among older adults in primary care
    • BYE-BYE, PPI:
      • A toolkit for deprescribing proton pump inhibitors in EMR-enabled primary care settings
    • Understand the Gland:
      • A toolkit for appropriate ordering practices of free thyroid hormone testing

    Now is the Time to Choose Wisely: Advancing Quality Improvement in Primary Care  

    January 27, 2020 (12-1 pm EDT)

    Engaging primary care providers in quality improvement can play an important role in improving practice, enhancing patient experiences, and reducing unnecessary tests and treatments. This is particularly relevant now, as the pandemic has further emphasized the importance of resource stewardship given the urgent care needs and constraints related to COVID-19.  

    In this webinar, Dr. Kimberly Wintemute, Primary Co-Lead for Choosing Wisely Canada, and Dr. Peter Kuling, Family Physician at The Ottawa Hospital Academic FHT, provide insights on how to advance resource stewardship and implementation efforts in primary care using Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations and resources.   

    The webinar will:

    • Describe Choosing Wisely Canada as it relates to primary care
    • Identify ways to implement Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations in primary care  
    • Review tools and resources to support implementation of Choosing Wisely Canada recommendations in primary care

    Click here to register.

    AFHTO Resources as You Plan Ahead

    A survey of interprofessional health care providers in Family Health Teams during the COVID-19 pandemic

    We are now nine months since the initial restrictions of COVID-19 and we are interested in hearing about your experiences working in Family Health Teams during this time. IHPs are invited to participate in a brief web-based survey to understand the evolving experiences of interprofessional health care providers in Family Health Teams in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Click on the link here to complete the web-based survey!

    This research is being led by Drs. Catherine Donnelly (Associate Professor, Queen’s University) and Jordan Miller (Assistant Professor, Queen’s University). If you have any questions, please contact Dr.  Donnelly by email at catherine.donnelly@queensu.ca.

    COVID-19 and Health Equity
    Health Equity and COVID-19 Website:

    • Social determinants of health (SDOH), such as gender, socioeconomic position, race/ethnicity, occupation, Indigeneity, homelessness, and incarceration, are factors that potentially increase risk and severity of COVID-19 infection.
    • Incorporating SDOH into risk considerations and assessments is crucial for supporting an equitable COVID-19 response.

    Take the health equity impact assessment course to understand how to measure the impact of SDOH in your community and learn how to use the tool.

    Learn more from the webinar: Introduction to race, income, and language data collection, hosted by PHO.

    Upcoming Events:
    Virtual Learning Exchange in Virtual Primary Care
    The virtual learning exchange will be delivered in three 90-minute webinars and will focus on the following identified priority topics within the overarching theme of virtual primary care:

    • Enhancing Equity and Access (January 29, 2021, 1:30-3:00pm ET)
    • Patient and Family Centred Care (March 5, 2021, 1:30-3:00pm ET)

    To find out more information please click here.

    Choosing Wisely Canada’s 2021 National Meeting (May 12-13, 2021)

    • Choosing Wisely Canada in collaboration with the Canadian Medical Association will be hosting a two-day virtual event on May 12 & 13, 2021. Please save the dates! More details about the meeting can be found here
    • Choosing Wisely Canada is now accepting abstract submissions for the National Meeting. Please click here for more details and to submit your abstract

    Interested in sharing your teams’ initiatives in a future webinar? Email Sandeep Gill – Sandeep.gill@afhto.ca to learn more about the AFHTO KTE Webinar Schedule!

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #101 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

     

  • Bits & Pieces: Q & A with CMHA, initial groups getting the COVID vaccine and more

    Bits & Pieces: Q & A with CMHA, initial groups getting the COVID vaccine and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Q& A with CMHA, Dec. 18, 2020
    • COVID-19 vaccine update
    • Hope for Christmas video
    • Perkopolis for AFHTO members
    • Resources for crisis and more
    • Complicated grief and COVID-19: slides and videos
    • Access to clean drinking water to all First Nation and Inuit communities
    • Reminder- IHP experience during COVID study
    • Systems navigator graduate certificate student placement request
    • OTF resilient communities fund- update on eligibility
    • Provincial Primary Care and Cancer Network newsletter available
    • SDOH tools from PHO
    • Study: RD beliefs and behaviours on physical activity counselling
    • Upcoming events on coping with the holidays and more

    Q& A with CMHA, Dec. 18, 2020

    At the end of the COVID-19 wellness series: building your team’s psychological PPE, there will be a Q&A session on Dec. 18. This will be a wrap up of the previous sessions and an opportunity for a live Q&A with CMHA staff around resources, supports and questions for staff mental health. Register here.

    You can also still register for the sessions below:

    Mental Health and Telecommuting, Dec 10, 2020 11:00 AM EDT

    Register: Click here

    Isolation and Loneliness, Dec 15, 2020 02:00 PM EDT

    Register: Click here

    Mindfulness at Work, Dec 17, 2020 1:00 PM EDT

    Register: Click here  

    Learn more here.

     

    COVID-19 vaccine update

    As you are aware, yesterday the government released a news release identifying the key groups for distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines. Aligned with the recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, early vaccine doses will go to:

    • Residents, staff, essential caregivers, and other employees of congregate living settings (e.g., long-term care homes and retirement homes) that provide care for seniors as they are at higher risk of infection and serious illness from COVID-19;
    • Health care workers, including hospital employees, other staff who work or study in hospitals, and other health care personnel;
    • Adults in Indigenous communities, including remote communities where risk of transmission is high; and
    • Adult recipients of chronic home health care.

    Our understanding is that the definition of health care workers is very broad and will include primary and community care providers though we continue to seek clarity on this.

    To ensure there is a strong primary care voice to the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force led by General Rick Hillier, AFHTO has been working collaboratively with our primary care partners to advocate and provide solution-focused ideas so that primary care is at the forefront of the community vaccine deployment. The work is rapidly moving and ever changing but in the next few days we will be sharing some of the activities under way. Please stay tuned.

    Hope for Xmas- Dr. Sean Blaine

     

    Hope for Christmas video

    STAR FHT’s Dr. Sean Blaine has released his latest YouTube video There’s Hope for Christmas. With over 3400 views already, you may wish to share this with your patients through your social media channels.

     

     

    Dec perks

    Perkopolis for AFHTO members

    While we certainly encourage you to #shoplocal for your everyday needs and holiday gifts, we would be remiss if we didn’t remind you AFHTO members are eligible to sign up for free access to over 5000 perks through Perkopolis. Get discounts on shopping, attractions and more.

    EDs, if your team doesn’t have access yet, please email info@ahto.ca.

     

     

    Resources for crisis and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Complicated grief and COVID-19 slide

    Complicated grief and COVID-19: slides and videos

    Espanola and Area FHT and Powassan and Area FHT organized mental health sessions for teams in the north east. The webinar series presents helpful and practical tools to use when patients are experiencing physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering as they cope with complicated grief. Special attention is directed to ways for health care providers to support themselves and coworkers during this pandemic.

    The presentation decks and recordings available to date are on our site.

    Access to clean drinking water to all First Nation and Inuit communities

    The Alliance for Healthier Communities’ Board of Directors has issued a statement and written a letter to the Prime Minister calling for the government to hold itself accountable to its promise for clean drinking water to all First Nation and Inuit communities.

    If you wish to participate in this call to action, you can use this letter template (in English and French). You can tailor it and use it to send letters to your MPs to urge the government to accelerate the work on this issue and provide clear timelines and funding commitments.

    Reminder- IHP experience during COVID study

    We are now six months since the initial restrictions of COVID-19 and we are interested in hearing about your experiences working in Family Health Teams during this time.  You’re invited to participate in a brief web-based survey to understand the evolving experiences of interprofessional health care providers in Family Health Teams in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Click on the link here to complete the web-based survey.

    This research is being led by Drs. Catherine Donnelly (Associate Professor, Queen’s University) and Jordan Miller (Assistant Professor, Queen’s University). If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Catherine Donnelly at catherine.donnelly@queensu.ca.

    Systems navigator graduate certificate student placement request

    To be eligible for admission, students must possess a bachelor’s degree, advanced diploma or diploma in health, or social/community or other health-related or human services field.  

    Humber College students are prepared to work across various health/community service systems to guide and assist patients, clients and families through complex health and social care systems. Placement runs from May 3rd – June 11th, 2021 and students are to complete 240 hours (full-time, 8hrs/day for 6 weeks) of unpaid internship. Should you be interested, email Stephanie.Montemarano@humber.ca by no later than Feb 15, 2021.

    OTF resilient communities fund- update on eligibility

    We regret to inform our members that we’ve recently been notified FHTs are in fact not eligible to apply for the OTF Resilient Communities Fund. Although we had originally been informed that our teams could qualify, upon further investigation Section 3.3 of the document states that “subsidization of government mandated positions or activities” is considered ineligible, and it appears that is where they see FHTs fitting.

    There is nothing in the online eligibility criteria list that directly excludes FHTs like it does call out hospitals, municipalities, etc., and we have engaged in lengthy conversations to determine if there is any way to make FHTs eligible but unfortunately, we have not been successful in these discussions. This is obviously very disappointing and frustrating for all of us. We sincerely apologize for acting on bad information and for creating any unnecessary workload for our members. If you have any questions or would like chat further, please contact Bryn.Hamilton@afhto.ca.

    Provincial Primary Care and Cancer Network newsletter available

    Every month, Ontario Health’s (Cancer Care Ontario) Provincial Primary Care and Cancer Network (PPCCN) sends out an electronic newsletter to any interested primary care provider in Ontario. The electronic newsletter provides regular prevention and cancer screening updates on topics such as the fecal immunochemical test, upcoming educational opportunities, and regional activities which may be relevant to you or your staff.

    Here is a copy of the most recent newsletter.

    If interested in receiving the monthly newsletter, please contact the Primary Care and Lung Screening team at Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) to subscribe: PrimaryCareInquiries@ontariohealth.ca.

    SDOH tools from PHO

    Study: RD beliefs and behaviours on physical activity counselling
    “Registered dietitians’ beliefs and behaviours related to counselling patients on physical activity and sedentary behaviour from a theory of planned behaviour perspective”- BMC Nutrition article by University of Guelph researchers on Nov. 30

    Coping with the Holidays: A Family Survival Guide, Dec. 14, 2020
    Caregivers of someone living with mental health issues are invited to this webinar held by IAM.
    Click here to learn more

    ECHO Pain, Liver and Rheumatology, Jan. 07 – Dec. 09, 2021
    View the newest ECHO offerings starting in January at UHN.
    Register here.

    Morning Rounds and Lunch & Learns with ECHO Child Youth Mental Health, Jan. 12 – Jan. 14, 2021
    From depression, anxiety and parent-child relationships in toddlers, children or adolescents- join the CHEO as they cover it all in these sessions.
    Learn more here.

    ECHO Ontario Conference, Jan. 29, 2021
    Registration is open for Improving Access and Equity in Healthcare through the ECHO Model. See agenda and details here.

  • Bits & Pieces: COVID-19 vaccine, wellness series for members and more

    Bits & Pieces: COVID-19 vaccine, wellness series for members and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Changing the way we work – COVID-19 vaccine, public health collaboration, and supporting our teams
    • COVID-19 wellness series: building your team’s psychological PPE
    • Members’ stories including 12 days of Christmas
    • Addition of FluMist to the universal influenza immunization program and more
    • Reminder- The CONCEPT study survey
    • 2021 Alliance Conference call for proposals
    • Upcoming events on pediatric asthma and more

    Changing the way we work – COVID-19 vaccine, public health collaboration, and supporting our teams

    The next meeting of the COVID-19 CoP of Ontario Family Physicians on Dec. 11 will focus on the COVID vaccine. Learn more here.

    COVID-19 wellness series: building your team’s psychological PPE

    We recognize that the pandemic has impacted our teams and continues to impact you in many ways. PPE has been critical during the pandemic to help protect teams’ physical wellbeing; however, the “psychological PPE” is crucial to protect teams’ mental well being.

    Coping with the stress in a healthy manner will allow for you to take care of yourself and in return take care of patients. To support your mental well being, AFHTO has partnered with CMHA’s Mental Health Works program to provide 4 workshops to help build your “psychological PPE”.

    Health Anxiety, Dec 7, 2020 11:00 AM EDT

    Register: Click here

    Mental Health and Telecommuting, Dec 10, 2020 11:00 AM EDT

    Register: Click here

    Isolation and Loneliness, Dec 15, 2020 02:00 PM EDT

    Register: Click here

    Mindfulness at Work, Dec 17, 2020 1:00 PM EDT

    Register: Click here  

    Please share the workshop registration information with your team! For more information on the webinar series please click here.

    12 days of Christmas PSFHT

    Members’ stories including 12 days of Christmas

    Cochrane FHT– making Christmas merry for LTC residents

    Parry Sound FHT– since the usual Christmas parties are cancelled, Parry Sound FHT is trying something else – 12 Days of Christmas

    Starting on Dec 9th, Staff/MD participating in the “theme of the day”, are eligible to win prizes. Details will be on posters around the clinic. This staff/MD appreciation initiative is funded by the PSFHT, and two FHOs, and will be supporting 24 local Parry Sound businesses.

    Just a thought if you’d like to celebrate with your teams and foster community spirit as we go into an unusual holiday season.

     

     

     

     

    Addition of FluMist to the universal influenza immunization program and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    The CONCEPT study survey

    Reminder- The CONCEPT study survey

    Coordinating Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Evaluation of Providers’ Perspectives of their Practices

    You are invited to participate in an exciting research endeavour evaluating existing care coordination practices in Ontario and how

    they have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CONCEPT study will evaluate providers’ perspectives on current care coordination practices for patients with multiple comorbidities, and modifications made during the COVID-19 pandemic.  
     
    If you agree to participate in this study, you will be asked to complete a 10-minute survey. You are asked to answer each question based on your opinion of the care coordination provided at your FHT or community-based primary care health centre before and during COVID-19.

    If you have any questions, please contact  Joanne Permaul, Study Coordinator, at jpermaul@msh.on.ca or Dr. Donatus Mutasingwa, Principal Investigator, at dmutasingwa@msh.on.ca.

    2021 Alliance Conference call for proposals

    For the first time ever, the Alliance for Healthier Communities will host their conference online. Join on June 16-17, 2021 for Power in Community.

    The call for workshop proposals is open. Visit their website to review the conference criteria, priority topics, formats and terms and conditions. Deadline for submissions is January 8, 2021.

    CMHO Burnout webinars, Nov. 27-Dec. 4, 2020

    Pediatric Asthma Webinar Series, Dec. 2, 2020
    Register for the final webinar in the series, titled Managing a Child with Severe Chronic Asthma. Click here to register and access the link to past webinar recordings in the series.

    COPD Update 2020: Primary Care Perspective, Dec. 8, 2020

    Discuss COPD management in primary care with Dr. Anthony D’Urzo and the Lung Health Foundation.
    Register here.

    PHO Rounds: COVID-19 and Mental Health of Children and Adolescents
    Understand children’s mental health in a global to local through the pandemic, and the potential impacts that public health measures may lead to. Find out more here.

    ECHO Ontario Mental Health- Winter Programs, Jan. 11 – Mar 30, 2021

    CAMH has released their winter programming schedule. Deadline Dec. 4.
    Learn more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: members in newly approved OHTs, updated case definition and more

    Bits & Pieces: members in newly approved OHTs, updated case definition and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Thirteen new OHTs announced
    • How collaboration created an essential PPE community hub during the first wave of COVID-19
    • Members’ stories – #PrimaryCareAlwaysThere
    • Reminder- enter to win free registration to Legal Issues for Primary Care Teams series
    • Updated case definition, testing guidance and more
    • Call for applications – TUTOR-PHC 2021
    • CFPC dementia care needs assessment survey
    • Seeking input for study on the role and practice characteristics of Kinesiologists
    • Seeking input for COVID-19 research study for Toronto healthcare workers
    • Upcoming events on building resilience beyond COVID by CMHO and more

    Thirteen new OHTs announced

    Congratulations to the thirteen new Ontario Health Teams and to our member teams that are engaged and participating in the development of OHTs. Visit our site to see which members are involved with the latest OHTs announced.

    Rebuilding Podcast Episode1

    How collaboration created an essential PPE community hub during the first wave of COVID-19

    As on-demand sponsor of #AFHTO2020, HIROC has interviewed several presenters for their podcast series. The first episode focuses on the remarkable efforts of the London-Middlesex PPE Initiative. Listen to the episode here. It’s also available via Apple and Spotify (search HIROC).

    Members’ stories – #PrimaryCareAlwaysThere

    North Simcoe FHT- launched a virtual care clinic in Feb, at the start of COVID-19. About 700 locals who didn’t have a doctor are now part of the clinic. Those 700 have accumulated 3,500 visits in 8 months. That’s 3,500 visits that didn’t go to the ED. Read more here.

    This and other stories are profiled on our Twitter and Facebook accounts as ways to highlight the pivotal role that primary care plays in the health system.

    #PrimaryCareAlwaysThere and #PrimaryCareFluFighters are getting a lot of attention, so please let us know about your team initiatives so we can highlight the great work you’re doing!

    Reminder- enter to win free registration to Legal Issues for Primary Care Teams series

    AFHTO members have the chance to win one (1) free registration to the 2021 Legal Issues for Primary Care Teams series, with Kate Dewhirst and Maria McDonald. The deadline to enter is Nov. 27, 2020. A winner will be randomly drawn and announced Dec. 1, 2020 (also the early bird pricing deadline). Enter today!

    Updated case definition, testing guidance and more

    Updates recently released include:

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

    Call for applications – TUTOR-PHC 2021

    The final call for applications for TUTOR-PHC Transdisciplinary Understanding and Training on Research – Primary Health Care (TUTOR-PHC) has gone out.

    TUTOR-PHC is a one-year, pan-Canadian interdisciplinary research capacity building program that has been training primary and integrated health care researchers, clinicians and decision-makers from family medicine, nursing, psychology, epidemiology, social work, occupational therapy, education, policy and many other disciplines since 2003.

    Please find more information here- English and French. Deadline to apply is Nov. 30, 2020.

    CFPC dementia care needs assessment survey

    In collaboration with the Alzheimer Society of Canada, the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) wants to compile a repository of existing practice tools and develop new tools or continuing professional development programs that will improve family physicians’ ability to provide care to patients with dementia.
     
    The CFPC is seeking your participation in this needs assessment survey to develop a better understanding of the gaps, barriers, and facilitating factors you have experienced in accessing educational resources and tools for family physicians on caring for patients with dementia.

    Seeking input for study on the role and practice characteristics of Kinesiologists
    University of Guelph researchers are investigating the role and practice characteristics of Registered Kinesiologists within Ontario’s healthcare system and invite you to complete an online survey.

    Your responses will aid in identifying the barriers and facilitators of integrating Registered Kinesiologists into Ontario’s healthcare system.

    The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete and if you are one of the first 200 participants, you will be eligible to receive a $10.00 gift card to your choice of iTunes, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, Cineplex, Amazon, Best Buy, Indigo/Chapters or an Ultimate Dining Card.

    Seeking input for COVID-19 research study for Toronto healthcare workers
    Sinai Health System and McMaster University researchers want to better understand how many people develop COVID-19 infection, how often infection is spread in households, and whether there are microbes or early immune responses (in our nose) that protect or make people more susceptible to infection.

    Physicians, nurse practitioners, midwives, physicians’ assistants, nurses, or receptionists working in private medical practices/medical clinics working in the greater Toronto area are eligible to participate. Find out more here. If you have further questions, email covid.study@sinaihealth.ca or call (647) 267-2413 weekdays between 8AM and 7PM.

    Increasing older adults’ access to care: Lessons learned from the pandemic response, Nov. 25, 2020
    In this webinar hosted by CAMH, Sara Bhatti , Alliance for Healthier Communities and Alvis Choi, Yet Keen Seniors’ Day Centre describe specific responses taken by CHCs to address the needs of older adults during the pandemic. Register here.

    Healing the Gender Gap, Nov. 27, 2020
    The OMA and the SGFP will hold a panel discussion and Q&A about gender issues in medicine.
    Learn more here.

    CMHO Burnout webinars, Nov. 27-Dec. 4, 2020

    Cultural Safety and Indigenous Partnership, Nov. 27, 2020
    Join the first webinar of this Virtual Learning Exchange in Primary Care series held by the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement. Learn more here.

    COVID-19 CoP of Ontario Family Physicians, Dec. 11, 2020

    Learn alongside other Ontario family physicians on how to adapt to these challenging times.
    Learn more here.

    ECHO Ontario Mental Health- Winter Programs, Jan. 11 – Mar 30, 2021

    CAMH has released their winter programming schedule. Deadline Dec. 4.
    Learn more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: apply for messaging pilots, free registration for legal webinars and more

    Bits & Pieces: apply for messaging pilots, free registration for legal webinars and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Teams can apply for messaging pilots
    • Enter to win free registration to Legal Issues for Primary Care Teams series
    • Mental Health Works modules available from CMHA Ontario
    • Urgent need for physio student placement
    • Quality standard placemats- low back pain and osteoarthritis
    • Recommendations for resuming spirometry, Supply Ontario & PPE, and more
    • Registered Respiratory Therapist job descriptions
    • Upcoming events on increasing older adults’ access to care and more

    Sustaining virtual care-Dr. Ed Brown

    Teams can apply for messaging pilots

    Primary care teams are eligible to apply for funding for tech licenses and fee-for-service messaging as part of Ontario Health’s COVID‐19 funded projects. If you are interested, please contact Vivian Henderson – vhenderson@otn.ca. As a bonus, you can also see Dr. Ed Brown’s recent presentation on sustaining virtual care here.

     

    Enter to win free registration to Legal Issues for Primary Care Teams series

    AFHTO members have the chance to win one (1) free registration to the 2021 Legal Issues for Primary Care Teams series, with Kate Dewhirst and Maria McDonald. Topics include employment law, OHTs, employees as patients and more. The deadline to enter is Nov. 27, 2020. A winner will be randomly drawn and announced Dec. 1, 2020. Enter today!

    Mental Health Works modules available from CMHA Ontario

    Mental Health Works is a nationwide social enterprise of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division. It offers 13 individual ‘essentials’ training modules that provide workplaces tools to foster mental wellness. Topics range from depression and anxiety, to substance use and addictions, to trauma, to psychological health and safety.

    Urgent need for physio student placement –request from Dr. Jane Philpott

    The Physiotherapy Clinical Education Team at Queen’s is in the process of coordinating clinical placements for 2021. Learning opportunities have been hit hard by the impact of COVID-19 and they are now reaching out for support from clinical partners across the province.

    Does your team have a PT who could supervise a student? Read here to find out what’s required.

    Quality standard placemats- low back pain and osteoarthritis

    In response to feedback from primary care, Ontario Health (Quality) has shared a newly developed tool called the Quality Standard (QS) Placemat. The placemat is a quick-reference tool that concisely summarizes key information from its corresponding quality standard in an at-a-glance format.

    Since acute low back pain and osteoarthritis represent two of the most common clinical conditions in the primary care setting, their first placemats have focused on these. They’re posted on Quorum.

    They also have a list of tools and resources that support the implementation of quality standards related to pain and associated symptoms, including chronic pain, low back pain, and osteoarthritis.

    Recommendations for resuming spirometry, Supply Ontario & PPE, and more

    Updates recently released include:

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

    Registered Respiratory Therapist job descriptions
    Respiratory Therapy Society of Ontario has recently released RRT job descriptions across multiple settings. They are now listed as a resource in our library of organizational policies & procedures page -Staff roles, recruitment and development.

    Race, Racism, And COVID-19: The Institute For Pandemics Inaugural Lecture, Nov. 24, 2020
    This panel will explore evidence and examine the implications for using policy and other strategies to dismantle structural racism.
    Learn more here.

    Increasing older adults’ access to care: Lessons learned from the pandemic response, Nov. 25, 2020
    In this webinar hosted by CAMH, Sara Bhatti , Alliance for Healthier Communities and Alvis Choi, Yet Keen Seniors’ Day Centre describe specific responses taken by CHCs to address the needs of older adults during the pandemic. Register here.

    Cultural Safety and Indigenous Partnership, Nov. 27, 2020
    Join the first webinar of this Virtual Learning Exchange in Primary Care series held by the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement. Learn more here.

    End of Life with ALS and assisted non-invasive ventilation, Dec. 1, 2020
    This webinar is the first of a 3-part webinar series on End-of-Life. Learn more alongside the HPCO and Proresp starting on Dec. 1. Find out more here.

    Osgoode Professional Development, Oct. 5, 2020 – Apr 28, 2021
    AFHTO is partnering with York University’s OPD to provide members 10% off a variety of health law programs for professional development. For discount code and course offerings, click here.

     

  • QI in Action eBulletin #101: Primary Care Team Lessons and Patient & Provider Virtual Experience During COVID-19

    QI in Action eBulletin #101: Primary Care Team Lessons and Patient & Provider Virtual Experience During COVID-19

    In collaboration with the Alliance for Healthier Communities

    In this Issue:

    • Crossing Chasms: Primary Care Teams’ Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
    • Thank You for Sharing Your Teams’ Experiences During The COVID-19 Pandemic
    • Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey  
    • Primary Care Experience Surveys – Updated Version for OH QIPs
    • Provider virtual care experience survey
    • IHP experience during COVID-19
    • Coordinating Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Evaluation of Providers’ Perspectives of their Practices (The CONCEPT Study)
    • Survivors of Homicide Victims and Mental Health Project FOCUS GROUPS WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS
    • Upcoming Events

    Crossing Chasms: Primary Care Teams’ Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

    Crossing Chasms

    In July we asked teams to participate in an AFHTO Research Project to look at how teams stepped up during the pandemic and we received an overwhelming response. A special thank you to our teams for participating in this very important work!

    Click here to see a recap of how teams stepped up during the first wave of the pandemic and continue to do so. We have also recorded your experiences within a video!

    trillium day presentation 2020

    Thank You for Sharing Your Teams’ Experiences During The COVID-19 Pandemic

    We are sharing your experience! AFHTO along with our research partners presented at Trillium Research Day demonstrating the value of primary care teams’ response to COVID-19 and patients’ experience with virtual care. Please see the video for the poster presentation and visit our site to see the other research we presented!

     

    Primary Care Patient_Client Virtual Care Experience Survey

    Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey  
    In August, we launched the Primary Care Patient/Client Virtual Care Experience Survey for teams to implement in order to capture the patient experience with virtual care. Moving ahead we are collecting teams’ aggregate responses as we create a narrative of how virtual care could be permanently included in the patient care journey – submit your data here!

    Another option of patient experience data collection is to provide the survey link created by Women’s College Hospital Institute of Health Systems Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV). WIHV is conducting a third-party evaluation of virtual care in the COVID-19 era on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Health. If you would like to share your current virtual survey and results, please email Rebecca Liu – Rebecca.Liu@wchospital.ca.

    NOTE: Participation in this survey should only take 10-15 minutes and includes the option to enter a draw for one of four $50 gift cards to Amazon, the Bay or Shoppers Drug Mart. This data will go directly with WIHV and you will not have access to the data.  

    This research will be important as the Ministry looks at the future of virtual care – please spread the word and encourage your patients to participate!

    Primary Care Experience Surveys – Updated Version for OH QIPs
    We have heard from multiple teams that they would like to see an updated version of the Patient Experience Survey. We have had conversations with our partners about next steps as many of the questions within are aligned with QIPs. To do this update, there will be a thorough review of all current teams’ surveys. Please share your current survey with Sandeep Gill at Sandeep.gill@afhto.ca, to help support this important initiative!

    Provider virtual care experience survey
    Women’s College Hospital Institute of Health Systems Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV) is conducting a third-party evaluation of virtual care in the COVID-19 era on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Health, measuring the provider experience on virtual care. The objectives are to provide the Ontario Ministry of Health anonymous feedback on:

    • Health care Provider experiences with and preferences for virtual care during the pandemic;
    • The types and features of virtual services which provide the most value for health care providers;  
    • The clinical utility and appropriate uses of virtual services in Primary Care; and
    • Policy recommendations related to virtual care services in Primary Care for the provincial government.  

    You can participate in providing feedback by filling this short 10-15 mins online survey, which includes the opportunity to enter a draw to win one of four $50 electronic gift cares to the Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart or Amazon. Your participation will remain completely anonymous and confidential. Feel free to reach out to Jamie Fujioka (Jamie.fujioka@wchospital.ca) if you have any questions or concerns.

    This research will be important as the Ministry looks at the future of virtual care – please spread the word and we really encourage you to participate!

    IHP experience during COVID-19

    IHP experience during COVID-19

    At the beginning of COVID-19, Dr. Catherine Donnelly reached out to IHPs to hear their experience during the pandemic. You can review the findings from the earlier survey here. We are now seven months since the initial restrictions of COVID-19 and Queen’s University researchers are interested in hearing about your experiences working in Family Health Teams during this time. You are invited to participate in a brief web-based survey to understand the evolving experiences of interprofessional health care providers in Family Health Teams in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic. Complete the web-based survey here.

    Coordinating Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Evaluation of Providers’ Perspectives of their Practices (The CONCEPT Study)
    Researchers are writing to invite you to participate in an exciting research endeavour evaluating existing complex care programs within team-based care models, and how these programs have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study will evaluate providers’ perspectives on existing care coordination practices for patients with multiple comorbidities and adaptations made during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

    If you agree to participate in this study, you will be asked to complete an electronic survey which should take about 10 minutes to complete. You are asked to answer each question based on your opinion of the care coordination provided in your team before and during COVID-19. You may also seek clarification from your physicians, NPs or IHPs within your team in order to answer some of the questions.
     
    Your participation in this study is voluntary. You may decide not to be in this study, or to be in the study and then change your mind later. You may refuse to answer any question you do not want to answer. You may choose to end your participation at any time without having to provide a reason.

    Responses will be kept strictly confidential. No identifying information is being collected and only aggregate data will be presented or published.

    The survey can be accessed using this link:  The CONCEPT Study Survey
                                     
    Thank you for considering this request.  If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Joanne Permaul, Study Coordinator, at jpermaul@msh.on.ca or Dr. Donatus Mutasingwa, Principal Investigator, at dmutasingwa@msh.on.ca.

    Survivors of Homicide Victims and Mental Health Project FOCUS GROUPS WITH SERVICE PROVIDERS

    Led by The Centre for Research and Innovation for Black Survivors of Homicide Victims (The CRIB), the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, and the Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario (CMHA Ontario), the Survivors of Homicide Victims and Mental Health Project is exploring the impact of supporting surviving family members and friends of murdered victims (survivors), and the service providers (i.e. clinicians, law enforcement, legal services, medical professionals, etc.) that support them. They are recruiting for providers from the Brantford, Toronto, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, and Windsor regions.

    LINK TO REGISTER: SERVICE PROVIDER FOCUS GROUPS Or visit:https://serviceprovfocusgroups.eventbrite.ca

    If you have any questions, please contact Megan McPolland at megan.mcpolland@mail.utoronto.ca.

    Upcoming Events:
    Health Promotion Ontario conference
    Nov. 5- 26, 2020
    The Annual Health Promotion Ontario conference will be a free virtual experience this year. There will be a four-part webinar series on Health Promotion in a Global Pandemic in November. Find out more here.

    Employing Digital Health Tools During COVID-19 – and Beyond
    November 16, 2020 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm EST
    As part of Digital Health Week, eHealth Centre of Excellenc will be hosting a webcast/webinar that provides a comprehensive overview of how their suite of digital health tools can be used during COVID-19 and beyond.
    You’ll have an opportunity to learn more about their innovative EMR decision support tools, virtual visit platforms, Ontario eServices Program (eReferral & eConsult), eCE Automates “bots”, tablets, and ePrescribing, as well as hear from a primary care physician on how these tools have impacted his practice.
    Please join Ted Alexander, VP of Partnerships and Clinical Innovation, for this webinar (with an interactive Q&A session to follow). Register here.

    2020 CMHO Virtual Conference
    Nov 23-Dec 4
    Register today for 2020 CMHO Virtual Conference sessions. They’re covering the latest in innovating and advancing child and youth mental health, with short, engaging sessions and leading speakers spread over two weeks. Click here to find out more.

    Virtual Learning Exchange in Virtual Primary Care
    The virtual learning exchange will be delivered in three 90-minute webinars and will focus on the following identified priority topics within the overarching theme of virtual primary care:

    • Cultural Safety and Indigenous Partnership (November 27, 2020, 1:30-3:00pm ET)
    • Enhancing Equity and Access (January 29, 2021, 1:30-3:00pm ET)
    • Patient and Family Centred Care (March 5, 2021, 1:30-3:00pm ET)

    To find out more information please click here.

    Interested in sharing your teams’ initiatives in a future webinar? Email Sandeep Gill – Sandeep.gill@afhto.ca to learn more about the AFHTO KTE Webinar Schedule!

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #100 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

     

  • Bits & Pieces: always open, updated primary care guidance and more

    Bits & Pieces: always open, updated primary care guidance and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • We may be working differently, but we never stopped working
    • Celebrating Nurse Practitioner Week
    • Designing integrated care and indicators for older persons’ health services
    • QSC patient advisor needed
    • 2020 Ontario Budget overview
    • Updated primary care guidance and more
    • Diabetes Awareness Month
    • Upcoming events on advancing diversity and inclusion and more

    We may be working differently, but we never stopped working

    As part of our ongoing efforts to promote primary care stepping up during the pandemic, we have partnered with OCFP and SGFP on their latest campaign to your availability in your communities. Here’s the information sheet, which partners have already started sharing on social media. Please share widely with your own patients and communities.

    We are also collecting your flu vaccine success stories as well as any fall COVID Wave 2 initiatives your teams are doing so please share those (with pictures if you have them) so we can use them in our advocacy work with the government.  #PrimaryCareAlwaysThere

    Essex County NPLC

    Celebrating Nurse Practitioner Week

    This week, we’d like to recognize the important work of NPs in primary care teams. No matter the team, whether it be FHTs, NPLCs, CHCs or other, nurse practitioners are truly invaluable in providing comprehensive care to Ontarians. Thank you to our NP team members!

     

     

     

    Designing integrated care and indicators for older persons’ health services

    The Provincial Geriatrics Leadership Office has recently provided two important updates:

    QSC patient advisor needed

    Involving patients as partners on our Quality Steering Committee (QSC) is integral to advance best practice and optimize performance measurement capacity across team based primary care and ensuring we meet the needs of patients, caregivers, and their families.

    We are seeking individuals who can see beyond their personal experience and share insights around quality improvement for team-based primary care. If you have a patient that you believe would be interested, please read here.

    2020 Ontario Budget overview
    On Thursday, Nov. 5 the PC government released their 2020 Ontario Budget entitled “Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover”.

    Investments in health mainly centred on the Long-Term Care and hospital sectors and focused mainly on strengthening the Ontario healthcare system’s pandemic response. Here is a brief prepared by AFHTO on the budget and the announcements and investments being committed.

    Unfortunately, there were no announcements made to support primary care, team-based primary care or any additional supports to mental health and addictions beyond what was already announced.

    We will continue to work with our partners and advocating around the importance of primary care in the pandemic response and the integral role the sector plays in supporting the most vulnerable populations.

    Updated primary care guidance and more

    Updates recently released include:

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

    Diabetes Awareness Month
    November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and Wounds Canada has organised a national social media campaign to #EndDiabetes and #PreventAmputations. Teams can get engaged by use pre-made posts created by Wounds Canada or create your own using the hashtags provided. A campaign activation kit, social media content, and infographics can be seen here.  You could also send a jpeg of your logo to katie.bassett@woundscanada.ca to be included on their website and in other communications.

    Governance Master Class: Advancing Diversity and Inclusion, Nov. 12, 2020
    Miller Thomson Health Industry Group is holding a Special Edition of their Health Industry Directors Series. It’s also free! Find out more here.

    COVID-19 Community of Practice for Ontario Family Physicians, Nov. 13, 2020

    The eleventh in the series on “Supporting patients with COVID-19, evolving guidance, fatigue and more”. Register here.

    Diabetes Care and Management for Ontario, Nov. 12, 2020

    This HeathcareRounds virtual event will be a discussion with leaders devoted to the health and care of those living with diabetes to discuss next steps and action items.
    Find out more here.

    COVID-19 Preparedness and Management in Primary Care, Nov. 13, 2020
    Public Health Ontario (PHO) is holding a webinar to introduce primary care stakeholders to the new PHO Checklist: COVID-19: Infection Prevention and Control Assessment for Primary Care Facilities. Register here.

    Cultural Safety and Indigenous Partnership, Nov. 27, 2020
    Join the first webinar of this Virtual Learning Exchange in Primary Care series held by the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement. Learn more here.

    Race, Racism, And COVID-19: The Institute For Pandemics Inaugural Lecture, Nov. 24, 2020
    This panel will explore evidence and examine the implications for using policy and other strategies to dismantle structural racism.
    Learn more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: conference videos and posters and more

    Bits & Pieces: conference videos and posters and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • AFHTO 2020 conference videos and posters
    • Hybrid model of pharmacist services in a large multisite FHT
    • Blast from the past: Data to Decisions article
    • COVID-19 response framework and more
    • Upcoming events regarding health promotion, diabetes and more

     

    Helen Bevan presenting at AFHTO 2020 conference

    AFHTO 2020 conference videos and posters

    Recordings from special sessions at the AFHTO 2020 Conference are now available for members, including Helen Bevan, Jane Philpott, Minister Elliott, and Matt Anderson on our site here.

    Posters are also uploaded here.

    Other session videos are also available for those who registered for the conference so please stay tuned for an email later today. If you don’t see it, please check your junk mail.

    Hybrid model of pharmacist services in a large multisite FHT

    NYFHT pharmacist hybrid graphs

    “Hybrid model of pharmacist services in a large multisite family health team” details the experience of North York FHT’s pharmacist team as published in The Canadian Pharmacists Journal (CPJ).

    Blast from the past: Data to Decisions article

    “The data reinforce the need to consider differences between rural and urban settings. They also suggest that further analysis is needed to identify characteristics that teams can change to improve the quality of care their patients experience.”

    “High and Sustained Participation in a Multi-year Voluntary Performance Measurement Initiative Among Primary Care Teams”, authored by Carol Mulder and Jennifer Rayner, was recently published in the International Journal of Health Policy and Management.

    COVID-19 response framework and more

    Updates recently released include:

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

    Health Promotion Ontario conference, Nov. 5- 26, 2020
    The Annual Health Promotion Ontario conference will be a free virtual experience this year. There will be a four-part webinar series on Health Promotion in a Global Pandemic in November. Find out more here.

    COVID-19 Community of Practice for Ontario Family Physicians, Nov. 13, 2020

    The eleventh in the series on “Supporting patients with COVID-19, evolving guidance, fatigue and more”. Register here.

    SGFP semi-annual general meeting, Nov. 9, 2020
    Taking place from 5 to 7 p.m., there will be updates on negotiations, public health policies, elections and sharing of mid-year financials. Please share with your family physician colleagues. Register here.

    Diabetes Care and Management for Ontario, Nov. 12, 2020

    This HeathcareRounds virtual event will be a discussion with leaders devoted to the health and care of those living with diabetes to discuss next steps and action items.
    Find out more here.

    Race, Racism, And COVID-19: The Institute For Pandemics Inaugural Lecture, Nov. 24, 2020
    This panel will explore evidence and examine the implications for using policy and other strategies to dismantle structural racism.
    Learn more here.

    Osgoode Professional Development, Oct. 5, 2020 – Apr 28, 2021
    AFHTO is partnering with York University’s OPD to provide members 10% off a variety of health law programs for professional development. For discount code and course offerings, click here.