Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Members Only News

  • Bits & Pieces: National Indigenous Peoples Day and more

    Bits & Pieces: National Indigenous Peoples Day and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • National Indigenous Peoples Day
    • Apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council!
    • Bright Lights Awards nominations now open!
    • Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients webinar materials available
    • Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence seeking clinical leads
    • Monkeypox designated a Disease of Public Health Significance, IPAC materials and more
    • BFI Coach – Mentor opportunity
    • for primary care organizations
    • Trans health mentorship call
    • Upcoming events regarding the Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative and more

    National Indigenous Peoples Day- narwhal, eagle superimposed over the sun, with a drummer, dancer in regalia and violinist. Background is multicoloured- blue, green, pink and orange.

    National Indigenous Peoples Day

    Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day. We recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures & contributions of First Nations, Inuit & Métis peoples. We are especially grateful for the partnership with our colleagues at IPHCC at advancing culturally safe primary health care, and our member teams who embody culturally safe care.

     

    Apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council!

    Are you interested in advising AFHTO on the top issues facing IHPs in team-based primary care? Would you like to be a leader in working with IHPs in primary care to advocate for and to speak to the critical role of teams? Would you like to share and spread knowledge and learnings? If yes, please apply to join our IHP Advisory Council!

    We invite any IHP in a member team to apply by completing this survey by Friday, July 29.

    More information is here. Please share this opportunity with providers across teams.

    Bright Lights Awards nominations now open!

    Shine a light on your team’s achievements. Nominate an outstanding team or individual for a “Bright Lights” Award by July 15, 2022. AFHTO’s “Bright Lights” Awards recognize AFHTO members’ leadership, outstanding work and the significant progress being made to improve the value interprofessional primary care teams across Ontario deliver. There’s no better time to show what you can do. Find out more here.

    Plus, reviewers needed
    We just need a couple more people on the review committee. If you’d like to learn more about your peers’ contributions and get a $35 discount on your registration fee, please apply here. Deadline June 22, 2022.

    Webinar title screenshot

     

    Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients webinar materials available

    On June 17 we cohosted a webinar focused on new, gender-affirming cancer screening guidelines developed to support the health and wellbeing of Transgender and Non-Binary clients. Slides and video are available here.

     

    Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence seeking clinical leads

    The Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence is recruiting provincial clinical leads to support their priority clinical areas of focus:

    The call for expressions of interest for these positions can be found at the specific links above, as well as on a general page here. The deadline to apply is 11:59 on July 14, 2022. If you have questions about the roles for Depression and Anxiety-Related Disorders or Eating Disorders, please contact Amanda Wong (Amanda.Wong@OntarioHealth.ca); if you have questions about the roles for Substance Use Disorders or Schizophrenia and Psychosis, please contact Monisha Patel (Monisha.Patel@OntarioHealth.ca).

    The posting for the Clinical Lead, Indigenous, Depression & Anxiety-Related Disorders can also be found on the website here. The posting will be live until June 30, 2022. For more information or questions about the role, please review the expression of interest in the link above or email Danyal Martin (Danyal.Martin@OntarioHealth.ca).

    Monkeypox designated a Disease of Public Health Significance, IPAC materials and more

    Recent updates include:

    IPAC Strategies to Ensure a Safe Environment in Primary Care Clinics materials:

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

    BFI Coach – Mentor invite

     

     

    BFI Coach – Mentor opportunity for primary care organizations

    The Breastfeeding Committee for Canada is upscaling the Baby-Friendly Initiative across all health sectors. Several skilled coaches have been hired to work with organizations who want to take a deliberate, quality improvement approach to implementing best practice in terms of infant feeding advice and support. Read the invitation here.

     

     

     

     

     

    Trans health mentorship call

    Rainbow Health Ontario’s Trans Health Mentorship Call is a biweekly teleconference for any Ontario health care professional to connect with peers who have experience caring for trans and non-binary service users. Topics range from specific case-based questions to more general issues. Find more information here.

    Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative, June 23, 2022

    In this webinar, we will hear about the work of the Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative as it pertains to identified priorities around fall indicators and falls risk screening and assessment and how we can better align our efforts across the province. Find out more here.

    Online Appointment Booking, June 21, 2022
    Ontario Health webinar featuring a panel of primary care providers to learn about the benefits of using online appointment booking in primary care practices. Register here.

    What’s new with COVID-19 and Monkeypox, June 24, 2022

    46th in the series ‘Changing the way we work’, OCFP & UofT’s COVID-19 CoP for family physicians. Register here.

    BounceBack: Back-to-the-office guide and tips to manage stress and anxiety, June 28 & 29, 2022
    Presented with the Canadian Mental Health Association. You’ll hear about coping strategies to help you better manage life’s stresses. Register for EN (June 28) and FR (June 29).

  • Bits & Pieces: member stories, infant formula shortage and more

    Bits & Pieces: member stories, infant formula shortage and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Member stories
    • Reminder- Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative June 23
    • Evaluating program planning using an equity framework at Queen Square FHT
    • New provincial prenatal screening requisition
    • Reminder- Bright Lights nominations open soon- reviewers needed
    • Shortage of infant formulas for infants with food allergies and certain medical conditions and more
    • ECHO Ontario Mental Health summer applications open
    • Upcoming events including enhancing harm reduction education, advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients and more

    Member stories

    City of Kawartha Lakes FHT– OBIO’s Early Adopter Health Network and the City of Kawartha Lakes Family Health Team launch a project with AI platform Goji Voice

    Cottage Country FHT– Cottage Country FHT looking to expand

    Dryden Area FHT– new addictions program introduced in Dryden

    Kirkland District FHT– Blanche River Health transitioning patients to the team’s outpatient collection laboratory

    Mount Forest FHT– Township of Wellington North presents $10,000 cheque to assist with local health care professional recruitment

    Reminder- Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative webinar June 23

    In this webinar, we will hear about the work of the Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative as it pertains to identified priorities around fall indicators and falls risk screening and assessment and how we can better align our efforts across the province. Find out more here.

    Evaluating program planning using an equity framework at Queen Square FHT
    Article published in Healthcare Management Forum. Please note that you need to pay for the full article. 

    New provincial prenatal screening requisition

    DNA helix

    The Prenatal Screening Requisition has been updated to reflect recent changes to screening for twin pregnancies as well as to streamline the screening process for pregnancies with confirmed or suspected vanishing twin/co-twin demise.

    The new requisition form (version 3, May 2022) is effective immediately; please discard all old forms. The updated requisition form for all three Ontario Multiple Marker Screening labs (Trillium Health Partners-Credit Valley Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, and North York General Hospital) and accompanying step-by-step guides for ordering multiple marker screening (such as enhanced First Trimester Screening) can be found on the PSO website.

    Reminder- Bright Lights nominations open soon- reviewers needed
    Bright Lights nominations open soon. If you didn’t get a chance to submit an abstract or would just like to raise your profile at the conference and beyond, consider nominating your team for an award.

    We just need a couple more people on the review committee. If you’d like to learn more about your peers’ contributions and get a $35 discount on your registration fee, please apply here. Deadline June 22, 2022.

    Shortage of infant formulas for infants with food allergies and certain medical conditions and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Administrative update: we will still provide COVID updates as necessary using this section but will also include MOH and stakeholder updates and memos on other topics.

    Reminder – impacts of transitioning cancer survivors to primary care

    Ontario Health has developed a short survey to better understand your practice, your comfort level providing care to cancer survivors, the challenges you face, and your experiences in providing care for cancer survivors. Their goal is to use the results to develop tools and resources to support you in providing care to survivors and improving patient care across the care continuum. 

    The survey will take about 5-10 minutes to complete, and your input by Friday, June 17th, 2022, would be greatly appreciated. For any questions, please contact Meaghan Wright (Meaghan.Wright@ontariohealth.ca).

    ECHO Ontario Mental Health summer applications open

    Summer programs include:

    • ECHO Ontario Addiction Medicine and Psychosocial Interventions: Hospital-Based Addictions Care (6 sessions – Mondays from 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. EST, July 11 – August 15, 2022)
    • ECHO Ontario Integrated Mental and Physical Health (12 sessions – Fridays from 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. EST, June 3 – August 26, 2022)

    Apply here.

    Enhancing harm reduction education for service providers, June 14, 2022
    This webinar will share CATIE’s new Harm Reduction Fundamentals toolkit and how it can be used by frontline organizations, along with examples of how organizations are training their workers and community partners. Register here.

    Spirometry Testing for Diagnosing Asthma and COPD in Primary Care – The Why and the How, June 16, 2022

    The Lung Health Foundation is hosting sessions to explore the why and the how of spirometry testing for the diagnosis of asthma and COPD in primary care. Register here.

    Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients, June 17

    New, gender-affirming cancer screening guidelines have been developed to support the health and wellbeing of Transgender and Non-Binary clients. These groups often have lower screening rates than their peers due to outreach that misses eligible clients and screening practices that can trigger gender dysphoria. Register here.

    Online Appointment Booking, June 21, 2022
    Ontario Health webinar featuring a panel of primary care providers to learn about the benefits of using online appointment booking in primary care practices. Register here.

    BounceBack: Back-to-the-office guide and tips to manage stress and anxiety, June 28 & 29, 2022
    Presented with the Canadian Mental Health Association. You’ll hear about coping strategies to help you better manage life’s stresses. Register for EN (June 28) and FR (June 29).

    Data To Action: Making Your Data Visible and Useful, Sep. 28, 2022

    Hosted by TechSoup Connect’s Ontario chapter. Register here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #118: Cancer Screening Program Updates and Team Initiatives

    In this Issue:

    • Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice Changes
    • Ontario Cervical Screening Program Recommendations
    • Screening Activity Report
    • Continuing Professional Development Modules
    • Cancer Screening Initiatives in Teams
    • Upcoming Webinar

     

    Nurse Practitioner Scope of Practice Changes
    Content below developed by Ontario Health

    The Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP) and the Ontario Lung Screening Program (OLSP) are pleased about amendments to Regulation 543 under the Healing Arts Radiation and Protection Act and Regulation 107/96 under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, which will allow nurse practitioners (NPs) to order computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans as of July 1, 2022.
     
    As of July 1, 2022, NPs will be able to:

    • Refer individuals to the High Risk OBSP. The updated referral form will be available on July 1st and can be found here.
    • Manage unattached OBSP participants with abnormal results.
    • Authorize OBSP sites to arrange all assessment tests required for OBSP participants.  
    • Refer individuals to the OLSP. The updated referral form can be found here.

     
    NPs are still able to provide colonoscopy referrals for the ColonCancerCheck program. Ontario Health helps people with an abnormal fecal immunochemical test (FIT) result who don’t have a primary care provider find a provider to refer them for a follow up colonoscopy. If an NP would like to put their name on the Ontario Health list to support unattached patients with abnormal FIT results, they can complete the CCC Attachment form found here.  
     
    Further information about the OBSP can be found here in English and French.
    Further information about the OLSP can be found here in English and French.

    Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OCSP) Recommendations
    Content below developed by Ontario Health

    The OCSP now formally recommends that people with the following cervical screening results repeat their cytology test in 12 months instead of in 6 months:

    • A first time low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) or atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) result
    • An LSIL or ASCUS result followed by a normal result

     
    The OCSP originally released these evidence-based recommendations to support the gradual resumption of cervical screening services during COVID-19. We are now formalizing the change to our screening recommendations. Please see the fulsome screening recommendation summary that can be found here. For evidence to support this recommendation, please see: www.cancercareontario.ca/repeatcytologyinterval
     
    Ontario Health is working with Ontario labs that provide cervical screening testing to update the relevant cytology result reports, so they reflect this recommendation change. Please reach out to cancerinfo@ontariohealth.ca if you have any questions.

    Screening Activity Report
    Content below developed by Ontario Health

    The Screening Activity Report (SAR) is an electronic audit and feedback tool for patient enrolment model (PEM) physicians. The SAR supports PEM physicians with improving screening participation and follow-up rates for Ontario’s three organized screening programs:

    • Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP)
    • Ontario Cervical Screening Program (OCSP)
    • ColonCancerCheck (CCC)

    Information and tools to support using the SAR can be found on: cancercareontario.ca/SAR

    Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Modules
    Content below developed by Ontario Health

    The following cancer screening Continuing Professional Development (CPD) modules are available for providers:

    • Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT): A Non-Invasive Test for Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening
    • Abnormal Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) Follow-Up and Surveillance
    • Lung Cancer Screening for People at High Risk (for applicable providers)

     
    Each module has been certified by the College of Family Physicians of Canada for 1 Mainpro+ Group Learning credit. If you are interested in a presentation of these new modules, please contact your Regional Cancer Program or your Regional Primary Care Lead.  Information about the Regional Cancer Programs can be found here.

    Cancer Screening Initiatives in Teams

    Preventative Care Text Reminders at Marathon Family Health Team
    Content below developed by Marathon Family Health Team

    Text reminders have been used for over 2 years at Marathon FHT to remind consenting patients the day before a scheduled clinic appointment. Aside from a small percentage of cell phone numbers being no longer valid when reminders are sent, the process has been going smoothly and reduced the administrative time needed to make reminder calls.  

    Given the success with general appointment reminders, in 2021 the team looked to expand the text reminder system to preventative care recall. In the fall of 2021, it was used first to notify patients aged 65+ of flu shot clinics.  Then in December 2021, the first set of text reminders was sent out to 31 patients due or overdue for Pap testing.  While the uptake from flu shot reminders has not been tracked, 7 (22.6%) of the patients receiving Pap reminders contacted the clinic within 2 weeks to book a Pap. Text reminders have also been successful in encouraging patients due for mammograms to book appointments with the Screen for Life Coach; last spring the booking staff for the coach confirmed that several patients called for appointments following the text reminder notifications of upcoming visits of the coach to our rural northern community.

    In all cases, the reminders are short and offer the option to opt out of preventative care reminders while retaining the usual clinic appointment reminders. Staff ensure that patient cell phone numbers are recorded in the cell phone field in the EMR (OSCAR) and consent for reminders is recorded in a previously unused demographic field now named “SMS consent”.  Patients opting out of specific preventative care reminders have that recorded under the specific prevention as “never remind”.

    Sample messages are as follows:
    MFHT Pap reminder: Email appointments@mfht.org or call 807-229-3243 to book a Pap. To opt out of Pap reminders CALL the clinic 807-229-3243
    MFHT reminder: Screen for Life Coach in Marathon June/Sep call 1-800-461-7031 to book a mammogram.  To opt out of mammogram reminders CALL the clinic 807-229-3243

    To learn more about this initiative please contact Margaret Cousins at mcousins@mfht.ca.

    Portal Messages at West Carleton Family Health Team
    Content below developed by West Carleton Family Health Team

    West Carleton FHT utilizes population health methods, namely EMR reminders, the newsletter and portal messages (note that 72% of patients at this FHT are registered on the portal) to inform patients that they are (or may be) (over)due and how to book/request the test. For the portal specifically, the health promoter runs a search to pull the list of eligible patients that are due then sends a mass portal message. Here is the response rate by cancer screening program:

    • For the FIT, over the last 2 times the portal messages were sent, 20.7% of the patients receiving those messages requested the test (370 requests out of 1,791 messages).
    • For Paps, the portal messages are staggered until the pap clinic slots are filled. During the latest pap clinic, 20.8% of the patients that received a message booked an appointment on the portal (49 appointments booked online out of 236 messages).
    • For mammography, over the last 2 times the portal messages were sent, the rate of messages read was 78.7% after 3 weeks and 52.4% after 2 weeks respectively (708 and 418 messages sent respectively).

    To learn more about this initiative please contact Charles Bruntz at charles.bruntz@esfam.ca.

    Email Communications to Engage Patients
    Content below developed by Southlake Academic Family Health Team

    Southlake Academic Family Health Team has made tremendous strides in the digital era produced by COVID-19. They have seen that email communication has been a very effective strategy to engage patients and provide them with important updates related to their health. Adapting successes from their vaccination clinics, the team is emailing education materials and newsletters to patients who are overdue for cervical cancer screening using resources from CognisantMD Ocean portal, AFHTO, Cancer Care Ontario, clinicians, and peers. These emails include a direct link to book appointments online with their providers for a Pap test. Based on past experiences, the team expects about 50% engagement from the email campaign, with 10-30% of these patients self-initiating an appointment with the team.

    To learn more about this initiative please contact Peter Nguyen at pnguyen@southlakeregional.org.  

    Content below developed by New Vision Family Health Team

    New Vision Family Health Team is actively emailing patients who have email addresses that they are due and providing them a link to book online with the NP during NP clinics. During Pap visits the team ensures that patients due for mammograms or FIT/colonoscopies are being provided requisitions or requisitions are being sent at that time. The team is actively tracking these conversations within the Pap stamp and utilizing the patient newsletter to remind patients of these screenings, letting them know they will receive a letter in the mail and need to contact the clinic to set up their appointment.

    To learn more about this initiative please contact Desirée DeMelo at desiree@newvisionhealth.ca.  

    Cancer Screening Queries
    To assist teams in pulling a list of up-to-date screening-eligible patients, the QI in PC Council members have put together a few queries. Please note, these queries are designed as a starter point to be customized according to your team’s EMR and needs. They can be found here.

    Upcoming Webinar

    Advancing Equity in Cancer Screening for Gender-Diverse Clients
    June 17 from 12:30-1:30 pm
    New, gender-affirming cancer screening guidelines have been developed to support the health and wellbeing of Transgender and Non-Binary clients. Research shows that these populations have lower than average screening rates because outreach efforts often miss eligible clients; screening practices that can trigger gender dysphoria; and many clinicians experience confusion about who is eligible for cervical and breast screening. Join us on Friday, June 17, from 12:30-1:30pm for a special lunch ‘n’ learn webinar with guests from Ontario Health and Alliance member organizations to learn about the new guidelines and how the Alliance is helping to update data standards. Register here.

     

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #117 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: Bright Lights coming soon and more

    Bits & Pieces: Bright Lights coming soon and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Bright Lights nominations open soon- reviewers needed
    • Reminder- Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients, June 17
    • Cyber Security Centre of Excellence updates
    • Speak Up Ontario is now Advance Care Planning Ontario
    • Management of Cases and Contacts of COVID-19 and more
    • Psychological impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare workers
    • EMR best practices, tips & advice
    • Deadline approaching for 2023 OCFP Family Medicine Summit call for abstracts
    • Upcoming events including Indigenous Health Care Conference and more

     

    Bright Lights nominations open soon- reviewers needed
    Bright Lights nominations open soon. If you didn’t get a chance to submit an abstract or would just like to raise your profile at the conference and beyond, consider nominating your team for an award.

    We just need a couple more people on the review committee. If you’d like to learn more about your peers’ contributions and get a $35 discount on your registration fee, please apply here. Deadline June 22, 2022.

    Reminder- Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients, June 17

    New, gender-affirming cancer screening guidelines have been developed to support the health and wellbeing of Transgender and Non-Binary clients. These groups often have lower screening rates than their peers due to outreach that misses eligible clients and screening practices that can trigger gender dysphoria. Register here.

    Cyber Security Centre of Excellence updates
    The latest email from this centre, part of the Cyber Security Division, Ministry of Government and Consumer Services, features upcoming modules (e.g., Structuring Your Organization’s Cyber Security Program) and an updated resources page. Read more and sign up for updates here. 

    Install the Advance Care Planning App Today

    Speak Up Ontario is now Advance Care Planning Ontario

    Along with this rebranding they have multiple new resources to assist the public and health service providers with Advance Care Planning conversations and Goals of Care discussions.

    Websites:

    • www.advancecareplanningontario.ca – a guide for the public
    • www.pcdm.ca – for Health Care Professionals to learn about their role in Advance Care Planning conversations, Goals of Care discussions and Consent and Capacity 

    Advance Care Planning Ontario Mobile App

    Videos:

    Translated Resources– new edition of the Advance Care Planning Guide is available for purchase in English, French, Punjabi, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Tagalog

    Management of Cases and Contacts of COVID-19 and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Psychological impacts of COVID-19 on healthcare workers

    Researchers from the University of Victoria and University of Toronto are inviting healthcare workers to take part in an online survey examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers’ wellbeing. They aim to understand how people who work in healthcare settings have been impacted, and what kinds of policies, practices or supports could help support this vital workforce.

    Whether you provide direct patient care, work in a supportive role, or provide administrative support/leadership, they would like to hear from you and understand your experiences through this pandemic. The survey takes around 40-50 minutes to complete and can be directly accessed by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3tJCvPN

    Participants will be offered a $5 Tim Hortons gift card and be entered into a draw to win one of several prizes up to $500.

    This study’s Research Ethics ID number is H21-02858. Further information can be obtained from Principal Investigators Brianna Turner (briannat@uvic.ca) and Theone Paterson (tpaterson@uvic.ca).

    EMR best practices, tips & advice

    Do you wish you could discuss your electronic medical record (EMR) with other healthcare providers who also use it and get useful and time-saving tips? You can join an OntarioMD (OMD) EMR Community of Practice (CoP).

    CoP members share best practices, tips, and advice on digital health tools at quarterly meetings. Your EMR vendor is also there so you can ask them questions. CoPs are available for Accuro® (QHR Technologies), Clinic Information System (P&P Data Systems), OSCAR Pro (WELL Health), and TELUS PS Suite electronic medical record (EMR) users.

    Find out more about OMD EMR Communities of Practice

    Join the CoP for your EMR

    Deadline approaching for 2023 OCFP Family Medicine Summit call for abstracts
    In 2023, FMS will be presented virtually, including live-stream days on January 27 and 28. Find out more about the application process on their site. Deadline June 12, 2022.

    Clearing the Air on Asthma and COPD: When Undertesting Leads to Overdiagnosis, June 8, 2022
    What are the barriers to pulmonary function testing? And how might clinicians and patients be supported to avoid over-diagnosis and over-treatment? They’ll discuss these questions and more on June’s Choosing Wisely Talks. Register here.

    Indigenous Health Care Conference, June 10, 2022
    Virtual event hosted by NPAO. Register here.

    On-Demand Insomnia Interventions: First-Line Treatment for Insomnia in Primary Care program

    Courtesy of Queen’s Health Sciences CPD team. Find out more here.

    Palliative Care in Practice, June 16 & 17, 2022
    2-Day in-person CPD event for NPs, MDs, PAs hosted by Queen’s Health Sciences. Find out more here.

    Online Appointment Booking, June 21, 2022
    Ontario Health webinar featuring a panel of primary care providers to learn about the benefits of using online appointment booking in primary care practices. Register here.

    Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative webinar June 23

    In this webinar, we will hear about the work of the Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative as it pertains to identified priorities around fall indicators and falls risk screening and assessment and how we can better align our efforts across the province. Find out more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative webinar and more

    Bits & Pieces: Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative webinar and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative webinar June 23
    • Please fill in this quick vaccine survey
    • Member renewal deadline June 30
    • Free workplace mental health program for health care settings
    • Interim guidance on monkeypox vaccination, COVaxON training, and more
    • Seeking physician input for IMproving performance in Primary Care Teams (IMPaCT) survey
    • Reminder- interview on the diagnosis and management of concussion in adolescents
    • Upcoming events including Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients and more

    Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative webinar June 23

    The Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative is a diverse group of health and social service practitioners and clinicians from across Ontario who come together to share information, analyze trends, and respond collectively to the need for change and innovation in fall prevention among older adults.

    In this webinar, we will hear about the work of the Collaborative as it pertains to identified priorities around fall indicators and falls risk screening and assessment and how we can better align our efforts across the province. Find out more here.

    Please fill in this quick vaccine survey

    Discussions are just starting on planning for vaccination for the under 5-year-old age group (when/if approved), which will rely very heavily on primary care and pediatricians. To better understand the current state and to start the planning process, please take a moment and fill in this very quick vaccine survey so we can ensure primary care is supported in this next phase of vaccination: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/May2022VaccineSurvey. Deadline extended to June 8.

    Member renewal deadline June 30
    Thank you to most of the teams who have renewed their membership already. If you haven’t sent in your renewal fee and form, the deadline to do so is June 30. After this date, access to member benefits and resources including updates, website and webinars will be removed. If you haven’t received a confirmation email from us, please email info@afhto.ca. 

    Free workplace mental health program for health care settings

    Your Health Space logo

    CMHA has launched Your Health Space, a free mental health program designed to support health care organizations in addressing burnout and promoting psychological health and safety in the workplace. Your Health Space offers training for Health Care Workers, Leaders, and Support Staff through self-directed modules and live workshops, the latter of which can be tailored to your organization’s unique needs.

    If you are an organizational leader and interested, please visit the website or email yourhealthspace@ontario.cmha.ca. Registration is now open. The Your Health Space team also invites you to attend a virtual information and Q&A session discussing the program on Tuesday, June 14th, Wednesday, June 15th, Tuesday, July 12th, or Thursday, July 14th.

    Interim guidance on monkeypox vaccination, COVaxON training, and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Seeking physician input for IMproving performance in Primary Care Teams (IMPaCT) survey

    Trillium Health Partners is seeking input from primary care physicians working in Ontario to understand what influences how physicians interact with data about their patients and their practice.
     
    You can find the survey and additional details here. You will be offered a $50 gift card in recognition for your time.
     
    If you have any questions, please contact, Zahava Rosenberg-Yunger (zahava.rosenberg-yunger@thp.ca).

    Reminder- interview on the diagnosis and management of concussion in adolescents

    Graduate students are researching the perspectives of community-based primary care providers in Toronto on the diagnosis and management of concussion in adolescents. They’re interested in connecting with a few family physicians, pediatricians, and nurse practitioners working in Toronto for a half-hour interview to participate in their capstone project.

    If you’re interested in participating or have any questions, please send them an email at concussion.trp@utoronto.ca. Deadline June 3.

    Clearing the Air on Asthma and COPD: When Undertesting Leads to Overdiagnosis, June 8, 2022
    What are the barriers to pulmonary function testing? And how might clinicians and patients be supported to avoid over-diagnosis and over-treatment? They’ll discuss these questions and more on June’s Choosing Wisely Talks. Register here.

    Spirometry Testing for Diagnosing Asthma and COPD in Primary Care – The Why and the How, June 16, 2022
    The goal of Choosing Wisely’s Let’s Clear the Air campaign is to avoid unnecessary treatment and misdiagnosis that can occur without a proper breathing test. To help, the Lung Health Foundation is hosting sessions to explore the why and the how of spirometry testing for the diagnosis of asthma and COPD in primary care. Register here.

    Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients June 17, 2022

    New, gender-affirming cancer screening guidelines have been developed to support the health and wellbeing of Transgender and Non-Binary clients. Register here.

    Palliative Care in Practice, June 16 & 17, 2022
    2-Day in-person CPD event for NPs, MDs, PAs hosted by Queen’s Health Sciences. Find out more here.

    BounceBack: Back-to-the-office guide and tips to manage stress and anxiety, June 28 & 29, 2022
    Presented with the Canadian Mental Health Association. You’ll hear about coping strategies to help you better manage life’s stresses. Register for EN (June 28) and FR (June 29).

  • Bits & Pieces: #AFHTO2022 abstract deadline tomorrow and more

    Bits & Pieces: #AFHTO2022 abstract deadline tomorrow and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • AFHTO 2022 conference abstract deadline tomorrow
    • Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors are open until July 29, 2022
    • Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place materials available
    • Almost time for Election 2022
    • Member stories
    • Mental wellness supports, planning vaccination for the under 5-yr olds and more
    • Examining cannabis use and mental health concerns in youth
    • Reminder- seeking input on the structure of social work practice in primary care
    • Upcoming events including Clearing the Air on Asthma and COPD and more

    AFHTO 2022 conference abstract deadline tomorrow

    via GIPHY

    Run, don’t walk to submit your abstract. Your peers, colleagues from other health care sectors, non-profits, and the academic community are eager to hear from YOU. The deadline to submit for an #AFHTO2022 presentation is tomorrow, May 26, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.

    Confirmations will be sent within a business day of the deadline.

    Nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors are open until July 29, 2022

    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. Find out more here.

    Title screenshot

    Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place materials available
    On May 19 Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health, and University Health Network (UHN) and Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) presented on Practical Technologies that can Enable Ageing in Place. Materials are now available here.

     

     

    Questions to ask MPP candidates: Do you support team-based primary care? How will you advocate for expanding access to team-based primary care in Ontario and in our community? How will you ensure there is a sufficient healthcare provider workforce to sustain our healthcare system now and in the future?

    Almost time for Election 2022

    Advanced voting has opened and it’s almost time for the provincial election on June 2. Healthcare is a top issue for all parties AND the public, so use all the resources available to make your voice heard.

    Share successes, pictures from candidate meetings, or pictures of patients with a voter card on social media. Broadcast what you do to deliver the best primary care in Ontario where It Takes a Team. Thank you to all the teams who have shared so far.

    AFHTO is tweeting regularly. We ask you tag @afhto when you tweet, and we’ll also retweet you! Don’t forget to use our campaign slogan #ItTakesATeam

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

    Member stories

    Marathon FHT– Marathon FHT physician feted by medical school

    Summerville FHT – Help us fix family doctor shortage ‘crisis,’ GPs tell Ontario election candidates

    Upper Grand FHT– Care map workshop to help caregivers with burnout

    Mental wellness supports, planning vaccination for the under 5-yr olds and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Examining cannabis use and mental health concerns in youth

    Dr. Toula Kourgiantakis from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto is conducting a research study titled Examining Cannabis Use and Mental Health Concerns in Youth from the Perspectives of Youth, Parents, and Service Providers: A Community-Based Participatory Research Approach. To participate, you must be a service provider (physician, social worker, psychologist, nurse, pharmacist, or psychotherapist) in a health and mental health care setting, who works with or occasionally treat youth and or young adults (aged 16-24). Read more here.

    Reminder- seeking input on the structure of social work practice in primary care

    Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft, an Assistant Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, is the lead investigator for a research study titled The Structure of Social Work Practice in Ontario Family Health Teams: A Mixed-Methods Study. It involves a provincial-wide survey and semi-structured focus groups with discussions focused on examining the daily practice of social workers in FHTs during the pandemic. Read more here.

    Ontario College of Family Physicians/University of Toronto DFCM CoP, May 27, 2022
    Starting at 7:55 a.m, a short update on what you need to know about Monkeypox will also be discussed. Register here.

    Clearing the Air on Asthma and COPD: When Undertesting Leads to Overdiagnosis, June 8, 2022
    What are the barriers to pulmonary function testing? And how might clinicians and patients be supported to avoid over-diagnosis and over-treatment? They’ll discuss these questions and more on June’s Choosing Wisely Talks. Register here.

    Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients June 17, 2022

    New, gender-affirming cancer screening guidelines have been developed to support the health and wellbeing of Transgender and Non-Binary clients. Register here.

    Spirometry Testing for Diagnosing Asthma and COPD in Primary Care – The Why and the How, June 16, 2022
    The goal of Choosing Wisely’s Let’s Clear the Air campaign is to avoid unnecessary treatment and misdiagnosis that can occur without a proper breathing test. To help, the Lung Health Foundation is hosting sessions to explore the why and the how of spirometry testing for the diagnosis of asthma and COPD in primary care. Register here.

  • Bits & Pieces: advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients and more

    Bits & Pieces: advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients June 17
    • Welcome to Abisola Otepola
    • Reminder- Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place webinar May 19
    • Just a couple weeks left for Election 2022
    • Clinical systems renewal funding guidelines and template
    • National Physiotherapy Month
    • Access to Evusheld, guidance for routine immunization and more
    • Impacts of transitioning cancer survivors to primary care
    • Updates to antimicrobial stewardship program & antimicrobial resistance comparison tool
    • Upcoming events including Inuit Wellness and Prosperity and more

     

    Advancing equity in cancer screening for gender-diverse clients June 17
     

    New, gender-affirming cancer screening guidelines have been developed to support the health and wellbeing of Transgender and Non-Binary clients. These groups often have lower screening rates than their peers due to outreach that misses eligible clients and screening practices that can trigger gender dysphoria.

    We will hear from Ed Kucharski, a family physician who has led this work at Ontario Health and is a physician at SETFHT, about the guidelines and what needs to be in place to enable their use.

    We’ll also hear from two Alliance members who are leaders in care for 2SLGBTQ+ care and members of our 2SLGBTQ+ Health Equity Committee: Celeste Turner, an outreach worker, and Michelle Hurtubise, an executive director, will share their perspectives on how implementing these guidelines will affect health care planning, delivery, and outcomes at the individual and community levels.

    Register here.

    Abisola OtepolaWelcome to Abisola Otepola

    We’re happy to introduce Abisola Otepola, our new Director of Policy and Stakeholder Relations.
    Abisola joins AFHTO from the Ontario Public Service where she worked as a Manager to the Associate Deputy Minister of Health. She also previously worked as a Team Lead with oversight of the funding, policy, and performance of Ontario Health Teams, a population health model designed to end hallway healthcare and build a connected provincial health care system.

    At the Ministry of Health, she led and developed projects from design to scale, including a multi-year plan for scaling bundled care across the province. She brings a strong understanding of integrated care programs and a wealth of experience delivering on complex policy and programs across hospital, community, and primary care settings.

    Welcome Abisola to the team!

    Reminder- Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place webinar May 19
    Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health and University Health Network (UHN) and Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) will be presenting on Practical Technologies that can Enable Ageing in Place on May 19, from 9:00 – 10:00am EDT.

    Presented by Sinai Health, in partnership with the NIA, UHN, and the Primary Care Collaborative, the webinar will aim to give health care professionals a better understanding of:

    • The risks and impacts of at-home medical emergencies
    • Why older Canadians want to age in place, now more than ever
    • Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place

    Register here.

    When it comes to keeping Ontarians healthy, it takes a TEAM

    Just a couple weeks left for Election 2022

    It’s only a couple of weeks until the provincial election on June 2. Healthcare is a top issue for all parties AND the public, so use all the resources available to make your voice heard.

    Share successes, pictures from candidate meetings, or pictures of patients with a voter card on social media. Broadcast what you do to deliver the best primary care in Ontario where It Takes a Team. Thank you to all the teams who have shared so far.

    AFHTO is tweeting regularly. We ask you tag @afhto when you tweet, and we’ll also retweet you! Don’t forget to use our campaign slogan #ItTakesATeam

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

     

    Clinical systems renewal funding guidelines and template

    The FY 2022/23 Clinical Systems Renewal funding guideline and proposal template are now available.

    Interested OHTs, In Development Teams and other health care organizations should contact their OH Region (see below) to plan collaboratively and discuss their questions and the submission process. OH Regions are responsible for facilitating submission development and determining which should be submitted for funding approval.

    For more background see our February ebulletin.

    Scrabble tiles spelling out 'thank you' on a wooden ledge outside.

     

    National Physiotherapy Month

    For National Physiotherapy Month, we’d like to say THANK YOU to the amazing PTs in primary care teams – truly an example of the value that diverse professionals working together provide in healthcare.

     

     

    Access to Evusheld, guidance for routine immunization and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Refugee Healthline

    The Ministry of Health is supporting newly arriving refugees and people arriving through other exceptional humanitarian authorizations (e.g., Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel) by providing a toll-free, multi-lingual, Refugee HealthLine where they can connect with health care providers who deliver transitional health care and services, including primary care, specialist care, and mental health supports. Find out more here and here.

    Impacts of transitioning cancer survivors to primary care

    Primary care providers are tasked with providing safe and effective follow-up care for many cancer survivors.

    Ontario Health has developed a short survey to better understand your practice, your comfort level providing care to cancer survivors, the challenges you face, and your experiences in providing care for cancer survivors. Their goal is to use the results to develop tools and resources to support you in providing care to survivors and improving patient care across the care continuum.  

    The survey will take about 5-10 minutes to complete, and your input by Friday, June 17th, 2022, would be greatly appreciated. For any questions, please contact Meaghan Wright (Meaghan.Wright@ontariohealth.ca).

    Updates to antimicrobial stewardship program & antimicrobial resistance comparison tool
    Public Health Ontario has updated the Ontario Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) & Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Comparison Tool to provide more data and increase functionality. It will include recent data on hospital ASPs, updated Antimicrobial Use (AMU) data and trending in Ontario hospitals, and new antimicrobial resistance/antibiogram data for hospital, long-term care, and community settings. For questions or more information contact asp@oahpp.ca.

    Inuit Wellness and Prosperity: The Importance of National Seal Products Day, May 18, 2022

    Hosted by the IPHCC and presented by IPHCC Knowledge Keepers Circle member Vicky auf der Mauer. Find out more here.

    Demystifying Insurance: What Nonprofits Need to Know to Protect their Operations, May 19, 2022
    Free webinar presented by HUB International in partnership with CharityVillage. Register here.

    Quadruple Aim Measures for Ontario Health Teams (Part II), May 24, 2022
    Hosted by HSPN, they will review the approach to provider experience measurement and results from the Couchiching OHT. Register here.

    Clearing the Air on Asthma and COPD: When Undertesting Leads to Overdiagnosis, June 8, 2022
    What are the barriers to pulmonary function testing? And how might clinicians and patients be supported to avoid over-diagnosis and over-treatment? They’ll discuss these questions and more on June’s Choosing Wisely Talks. Register here.

    Spirometry Testing for Diagnosing Asthma and COPD in Primary Care – The Why and the How, June 16, 2022
    The goal of Choosing Wisely’s Let’s Clear the Air campaign is to avoid unnecessary treatment and misdiagnosis that can occur without a proper breathing test. To help, the Lung Health Foundation is hosting sessions to explore the why and the how of spirometry testing for the diagnosis of asthma and COPD in primary care. Register here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #117: Caregiver Well-Being and Supporting Older Adults

    QI in Action eBulletin #117: Caregiver Well-Being and Supporting Older Adults

    In this Issue:

    • Caregiver Well-Being and Achieving Better Health Outcomes
    • Engaging and Supporting Caregivers in Primary Care Teams
    • Transforming Primary Care for Older Canadians Living with Frailty
    • Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative
    • Upcoming Events

     

    Caregiver Well-Being and Achieving Better Health Outcomes

    Content below developed by the Ontario Caregiver Organization

    Four million caregivers across Ontario provide an estimated 75% of the care in the system, caring for family, friends, and neighbours. Caregivers are critical to our healthcare system. Reducing the risk of caregiver burn-out and supporting caregiver well-being is crucial now, more than ever. In Ontario, Covid-19 has increased caregiver burn-out, and 61% of caregivers find caregiving stressful overall, up from 49% the year before1.

    As Ontario Health Teams strive to transform health care in the province, it is critical that plans for enhanced care delivery include strategies to ensure that caregivers are recognized, included and supported in care delivery.

    There is growing evidence that caregiver well-being is an important factor in achieving the Quadruple Aim of better healthcare outcomes, better patient/caregiver experience, better staff/provider experience, and improved value/efficiencies. Well-supported caregivers are more likely to provider better care.2 Evidence shows that caregiver distress can impact patient clinical and mental health outcomes and that caregiver burnout can lead to patients requiring greater hospital usage.3

    Caregiver distress impacts the health outcomes of caregivers themselves, with evidence pointing to higher rates of stress and depression among caregivers, greater loneliness and caregivers being 16% more likely than non-caregivers to live with 2 or more long-term health conditions.4,5 Organizations and front-line providers are well positioned to engage and partner with caregivers and connect them to support for their own well-being.
    For more information about the impact of COVID-19 on caregivers in Ontario, read the OCO’s Spotlight Report
    ________
    1 Spotlight Report – The Impact of Covid-19 on Caregivers, Ontario Caregiver Organization, November 2021. https://ontariocaregiver.ca/publications/oco-spotlight-report/  
    2 Canada, a Caring Society: Action Table on Family Caregivers Informed dialogue, leading to concrete action for all Canadians NOV 2013 http://www.ccanceraction.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Family-Caregivers-Meeting-Report.pdf   
    3 Shin, J. Y., & Choi, S. W. (2020). Online interventions geared toward increasing resilience and reducing distress in family caregivers. Current opinion in supportive and palliative care, 14(1), 60–66. https://doi.org/10.1097/SPC.0000000000000481
    4 Claire K. Ankuda MD, MPH,Donovan T. Maust MD, MS,Mohammed U. Kabeto MS,Ryan J. McCammon MA,Kenneth M. Langa MD, PhD,Deborah A. Levine MD, MPH (August 2017). Association Between Spousal Caregiver Well-Being and Care Recipient Healthcare Expenditures. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15039    
    5 Public Health England. (March 2021) Caring as a social determinant of health Findings from a rapid review of reviews and analysis of the GP Patient Survey. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/971115/Caring_as_a_social_determinant_report.pdf

     

    Engaging and Supporting Caregivers in Primary Care Teams

    Screenshot of title slide

    Last February we cohosted a webinar with OCO, “Engaging and Supporting Caregivers in Primary Care Teams: Working together to improve outcomes and enhance the patient, caregiver, and family experience”. Visit our site for the video and slide deck.

     

     

     

    Transforming Primary Care for Older Canadians Living with Frailty

    Content below developed by the Geriatric Health Systems Research Group

    Members of the Geriatric Health Systems Research Group (University of Waterloo) collaborated with investigators across Canada to submit a grant to the Canadian Frailty Network. The grant focused on supporting primary care through the implementation of tools to enhance risk screening, shared decision-making, and care coordination for older adults. Situated as the patient’s medical ‘Home’, and supporting older adults throughout the whole care journey, primary care is well positioned to address frailty in a proactive, preventive, coordinated and integrated manner, reaching the most people, as early as possible.

    A key output of this grant is an implementation guide, which supports interested primary care practices with implementation at their site. See here for more information, and the step-by-step implementation guide.

    Correspondence to Dr Paul Stolee: stolee@uwaterloo.ca

    Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative

    Content below developed by the Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative

    The Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative is a diverse group of health and social service practitioners and clinicians from across Ontario who come together to share information, analyze trends, and respond collectively to the need for change and innovation in fall prevention among older adults.

    In Ontario, fall prevention initiatives for older adults vary in their scope, approach, implementation, and measurement of outcomes. The heterogeneous, fragmented nature of fall prevention efforts make it difficult to ascertain what interventions are working, how interventions can be improved and where a greater investment of resources or an increased level of co-ordination and collaboration between key stakeholders is required to maximize impact (Dr. Brian Hyndman, 2018).

    The Collaborative advances excellence in fall prevention practice by carrying out applied research and practice development activities that individual practitioners do not have the time/ capacity to address on their own. The work of the Collaborative aligns with the vision for health care in Ontario by prioritizing fall prevention among older adults and emphasizing integrated approaches.

    Current Work:
    The Collaborative completed the second phase of its work by contributing to a prioritized list of falls indicators led by Public Health Ontario as well as a review of clinical practice guidelines for falls risk screening and assessment including recommendations for action in 2022-2023. This report should be coming in the next few weeks and will be posted on the Public Health Ontario website.

    See here for Environmental Scan of Older Adult Fall Prevention Indicators.
    See here for Screening and Assessment Tools for Falls in Older Adults in Ontario.

     

    Upcoming Events
    Practical Technologies that can Enable Ageing in Place
    May 19 from 9:00-10:00 am

    Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health, and University Health Network (UHN) and Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) will be presenting on Practical Technologies that can Enable Ageing in Place on May 19, from 9:00 – 10:00am EDT. This webinar is presented by Sinai Health, in partnership with the NIA, UHN, and the Primary Care Collaborative.

    The webinar will aim to give health care professionals a better understanding of:

    1. The risks and impacts of at-home medical emergencies
    2. Why older Canadians want to age in place, now more than ever
    3. Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place

    This program has been accredited by the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) for 1 Mainpro+ credit for those who are interested.
    Register here.

    Transforming Primary Care for Older Adults Living with Frailty
    June 1 from 12:00-1:00 pm

    Investigators from the CFN funded study, “Transforming primary care for older adults living with frailty”, will share key highlights, reflections and developed resources from their implementation work in team-based primary care sites. This national project aimed to improve care for at-risk older adults across Ontario, Quebec and Alberta. The project was designed to address the following areas: consistent risk screening and assessment; care coordination and system navigation; and patient/caregiver engagement and shared decision making.
    Register here.

     

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #116 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Bits & Pieces: nursing week, OAB funding materials and more

    Bits & Pieces: nursing week, OAB funding materials and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Happy National Nursing Week
    • Online appointment booking 2022/23 funding webinar materials available
    • Election 2022: It Takes a Team
    • Online OHIP renewal finally updated
    • June 2- deadline to implement right to disconnect policy
    • Long COVID: aiming for a consensus and more
    • GoodLife – chance to win a BBQ when you join
    • 2023 OCFP Family Medicine Summit call for abstracts
    • Application for ECHO Ontario Mental Health Summer Programming open
    • Upcoming events including OMA Town Hall on Paxlovid and Evusheld and more

     

    Thank You Nurses with red chocolate hearts and red paper hearts

     

    Happy National Nursing Week
     
    Happy #NationalNursingWeek to all nurses-RNs,RPNs & NPs in  primary care teams. Thank you for you dedication to your patients, communities, and teams. We appreciate you for everything you do.

     

     

    Online appointment booking 2022/23 funding webinar screenshot with points 'why OAB' and 'what is OAB?'

    Online appointment booking 2022/23 funding webinar materials available

    On April 28 Ontario Health provided information and answered questions about the 2022/23 Ministry of Health approved funding for OHTs, in development teams and other health care organizations to enable more patients to schedule an online appointment with their primary care provider or other community care provider. Slides and video are now available on our site.

     

    It Takes A Team. Team-based primary care breaks the silos of healthcare. Below is a circular picture of a smiling Black woman with an Afro in a dark yellow T-shirt. Her circle is surrounded by and slightly overlapping with 4 other circles featuring graphics of different types of healthcare providers.

    Election 2022: It Takes a Team

    Candidates have started campaigning in earnest for the provincial election on June 2. Healthcare is a top issue for all parties AND the public, so use all the resources available to make your voice heard.

    Share successes, pictures from candidate meetings, or pictures of patients with a voter card on social media. Broadcast what you do to deliver the best primary care in Ontario where It Takes a Team.

    AFHTO is tweeting regularly. We ask you tag @afhto when you tweet, and we’ll also retweet you! Don’t forget to use our campaign slogan #ItTakesATeam

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

     

    Online OHIP renewal finally updated

    The change has finally been made! OHIP cards can now be renewed online by anyone with a driver’s license OR an Ontario Photo Card. Advocacy for a fairer system was heard. Patients can renew here.

    June 2- deadline to implement right to disconnect policy

    A reminder that employers, who as of January 1, 2022, had 25+ employees, must implement a right to disconnect policy by June 2, 2022. The policy’s content is up to employers. Resources available from Maria McDonald of McDonald HR Law are:

    Long COVID: aiming for a consensus and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    GoodLife – chance to win a BBQ when you join
    You have a chance to win 1 of 5 Napoleon Rogue 365 BBQs when you enroll in the Corporate Membership Program before June 30, 2022. Find out more here.

    Right now, annual (paid in full) rates are $619 and biweekly rates $25. Effective May 30, 2022, AFHTO members will be eligible for a 25% discount on membership types.

    To take advantage of discounted rates, you need a membership ID assigned by AFHTO. Automatically assigned to those on the ‘Bits & Pieces’ mailing list, these are sent to GoodLife monthly near the end of the month. To get your ID or be put on the list for one, please email info@afhto.ca.

    2023 OCFP Family Medicine Summit call for abstracts

    In 2023, FMS will be presented virtually, including live-stream days on January 27 and 28. Find out more about the application process on their site. Deadline June 12, 2022.

    Application for ECHO Ontario Mental Health Summer Programming open
    The program includes ECHO Ontario Integrated Mental and Physical Health (12 sessions – Fridays from 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. EST, June 3 – August 26, 2022). Apply here.

    Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place webinar May 19

    Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health and University Health Network (UHN) and Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) will be presenting on Practical Technologies that can Enable Ageing in Place on May 19, from 9:00 – 10:00am EDT.

    Register here.

    OMA Town Hall on Paxlovid and Evusheld, May 10, 2022
    The OMA will host an online COVID-19 town hall on Paxlovid and Evusheld on Tuesday, May 10th from 7:30-9:00 p.m. The session will address considerations for prescribing Paxlovid for the treatment of COVID-19 and will provide an overview of Evusheld, a new prophylactic treatment for immunocompromised patients. Register here.

    Back to the Office: Redefining Workplace Wellness in the Post-Covid World, May 17, 2022
    Virtual panel presented by Canadian Club Toronto with OASW CEO Dr. Deepy Sur. Find out more here.

    Demystifying Insurance: What Nonprofits Need to Know to Protect their Operations, May 19, 2022
    Free webinar presented by HUB International in partnership with CharityVillage. Register here.

    3rd Annual McMaster University Review Course in Psychiatry, May 26-27, 2022
    Virtual CPD Conference. Find out more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place webinar and more

    Bits & Pieces: Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place webinar and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place webinar May 19
    • ONCA webinar materials available
    • Financial management training series materials available
    • Reminder – deadline to join #AFHTO22 working group today
    • Seeking input on the structure of social work practice in primary care
    • Memo regarding tools for identifying high-risk patients eligible for Paxlovid and more

     
    • Interview on the diagnosis and management of concussion in adolescents
    • Survey for a national framework for diabetes in Canada
    • FAQ: MOH “Axe the Fax” survey. Deadline May 4
    • PHO Primary Care IPAC Community of Practice
    • Upcoming events including antibiotic prescribing and your CPSO QI Requirements and more

     

    Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place webinar May 19

    Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Geriatrics at Sinai Health and University Health Network (UHN) and Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing (NIA) will be presenting on Practical Technologies that can Enable Ageing in Place on May 19, from 9:00 – 10:00am EDT.

    Presented by Sinai Health, in partnership with the NIA, UHN, and the Primary Care Collaborative, the webinar will aim to give health care professionals a better understanding of:

    • The risks and impacts of at-home medical emergencies
    • Why older Canadians want to age in place, now more than ever
    • Practical technologies that can enable ageing in place

    Register here.

    Title slide screenshot

     

    ONCA webinar materials available

    Kathy O’Brien and Simmie Palter from INQ Law reviewed the new tools and Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA)’s impact on FHTs on Tuesday, April 26. Slides and video are now available on our site.

     

     

    Screenshot of slide titled 'what is the problem we're trying to solve?'

     

    Financial management training series materials available

    Hosted by AFHTO, a two-part series on financial reporting and forecasting was held with Dr. Silvie MacLean, Executive Strategic Performance and Finance Educational Leader. Materials are now available.

     

    Reminder – deadline to join #AFHTO22 working group today
     

    The deadline to join a working group and/or Bright Lights review committee is today. Come behind the scenes of our first hybrid conference and be the first to learn about new developments in the field, influence conference programming and discover the latest innovators in areas directly relevant to your work. Working group members also receive a discount off their registration fee.

    Seeking input on the structure of social work practice in primary care

    Dr. Rachelle Ashcroft, an Assistant Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, is the lead investigator for this research study titled The Structure of Social Work Practice in Ontario Family Health Teams: A Mixed-Methods Study. It involves a provincial-wide survey and semi-structured focus groups with discussions focused on examining the daily practice of social workers in FHTs during the pandemic. Participants will be social workers working in primary care teams located across Ontario.

    Participants will be asked to complete a survey asking about the role of social work, the current and optimal state of practice, and social work leadership. At the end, participants can express their interest in taking part of a focus group. Each focus group will last 60 minutes and consist of social workers working in various team-based, primary care settings. Should you have any questions, please contact Rachelle Ashcroft at rachelle.ashcroft@utoronto.ca.

    Memo regarding tools for identifying high-risk patients eligible for Paxlovid and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Interview on the diagnosis and management of concussion in adolescents

    Graduate students are researching the perspectives of community-based primary care providers in Toronto on the diagnosis and management of concussion in adolescents. They’re interested in connecting with a few family physicians, pediatricians, and nurse practitioners working in Toronto for a half-hour interview to participate in their capstone project.

    If you’re interested in participating or have any questions, please send them an email at concussion.trp@utoronto.ca. Deadline June 3.

    Survey for a national framework for diabetes in Canada

    The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is undertaking a virtual engagement process to support Bill C-237 – An Act to Establish a National Framework for Diabetes, which received Royal Assent in June 2021.

    As part of this process, they invite you to provide your input via an online survey platform- EN and FR. Deadline May 9.

    FAQ: MOH “Axe the Fax” survey. Deadline May 4
    The Ministry of Health has initiated an analysis of the current state and drivers of fax use to identify potential options for phasing out fax use in Ontario’s health system. As part of their first phase, there is an assessment survey with a purpose to obtain input from a variety of stakeholders about their use of traditional paper-based fax and electronic fax. Only one survey needs to be submitted from each organization. For more information, an FAQ and the survey link, click here.

    PHO Primary Care IPAC Community of Practice

    Public Health Ontario is hosting a community of practice series that will review key concepts and support resources for Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) in Primary Care settings. Intended for those who oversee or implement IPAC in Primary Care settings, the series will be held over four sessions starting late May. Find your regions and more here.

    • Register here for the West Primary Care Series.
    • Register here for the Central West Primary Care Series.
    • Register here for the Central Primary Care Series.
    • Register here for the East Primary Care Series.
    • Register here for the North Primary Care Series.

    Choosing Wisely in Primary Care Series: Antibiotic Prescribing and your CPSO QI Requirements, May 4, 2022
    First in OCFP series “Choosing Wisely in Primary Care” on Wednesday, May 4, at 8:00-9:00am. Register here.

    Mental Health Week, May 2-8, 2022
    This year’s CMHA Mental Health Week is all about empathy! You can download the toolkit here

    New Horizons: Navigating towards the future of family medicine, starting May 6, 2022
    Speaker series hosted by Dr. Danielle Martin, Chair of the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine. The first session is a conversation with epidemiologist Dr. Sandro Galea. Find out more here.

    3rd Annual McMaster University Review Course in Psychiatry, May 26-27, 2022
    Virtual CPD Conference. Find out more here.

    Feeding Children – Success is in the Details, starting May 18, 2022
    Hosted by Nutrition Connection at the Ontario Public Health Association and Ellyn Satter Institute. Find out more here.

    Action Now! Building Equitable Futures Together, June 8-9, 2022
    Alliance for Healthier Communities conference. Register here.