Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Mental Health Care

  • AFHTO partners with Ontario Psychological Association and others to improve access to psychological services for front lines during COVID-19

    Ontario Psychological Association Partners with the Ontario College of Family Physicians, Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario and the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario to improve access to psychological services for front lines during COVID-19

    Ontario Psychological Association News release

    (Toronto, ON) May 12th, 2020 – In response to Ontario’s growing mental health crisis, hundreds of licensed psychologists have been mobilized to assist our province’s front-line workers in any industry as they battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The Ontario Psychological Association continues to monitor the mental health needs emerging in Ontario with regards to COVID-19. Our partnership with leading digital health companies including Strata Health and Think Research will enable us to improve navigation, resource matching, and access to virtual care. We are hopeful that with future investments, we will be able to scale up supports to vulnerable populations such as those experiencing homelessness and seniors who have been forced to isolate.

    “This has been a trying time for everyone, especially our front-line workers. We are in this together and stand united with those who are under immense stress and pressure. As psychologists, we understand the biological, cognitive, emotional, and social impacts that this global crisis has caused. We are working with our partners to provide assistance to our communities,”
    Dr. Diana Velikonja, President of the Ontario Psychological Association.
     
    “We are so pleased to be part of such a great initiative. The Disaster Response Network ensures accessibility of essential mental health services for our frontline workers, vulnerable populations, and provides assistance in communities during this pandemic’.
        Dawn Tymianski, CEO, Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario

    “COVID-19 has created a lot of anxiety and stress for everyone and our teams are seeing an increased need for mental health support for not only their patients but for themselves as well.  The support being provided by the OPA is critical and the importance of having this support, especially for those who are vulnerable and at risk, is essential in ensuring we have a healthy and resilient population who feel connected and supported during the pandemic. We thank the OPA for this very important initiative and are appreciative of our partnership.”
        Kavita Mehta, CEO, Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario
     
    “The OCFP welcomes this collaboration with OPA, AFHTO and NPAO to provide needed mental health support for frontline workers. We know that the health impact of COVID-19 goes beyond the virus itself. It has meant interruptions in care for other chronic conditions and increased mental health struggles — especially among those working on the frontlines of this pandemic. The OPA’s program is meeting an important need for those who are providing care and we are proud to help support them through this program”.
        Leanne Clarke, CEO, Ontario College of Family Physicians

    To learn more, contact Mr. Richard Morrison, CEO of OPA at Richard@psych.on.ca.

    Read the full release here.

  • Bits & Pieces: Virtual Visits – Beginning to End webinar May 20, Nursing Week & more

    Bits & Pieces: Virtual Visits – Beginning to End webinar May 20, Nursing Week & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Virtual Visits – Beginning to End webinar
    • National Nursing Week
    • East GTA FHT NP to receive award today
    • Members’ stories, including a musical interlude
    • Resuming scheduled surgeries and procedures and more
    • eReferral to BounceBack
    • Sharing your innovative initiative
    • CAMH COVID-19 discussion forum and app
    • Upcoming events including Choosing Wisely and more

    Virtual Visits – Beginning to End webinar

    On May 20 please join us for a discussion around virtual visits (one on one & group) with our expert panel. During this IHP-focused webinar, panelists will go through multiple components of how to conduct a virtual visit and a Q&A portion.

    Topics Include:

    • Webside Manner
    • Determining the Best Mode of a Virtual Visit
    • Privacy & Security
    • EMR Documentation
    • Hosting Virtual Groups

    Panelists:

    Date: Wednesday May 20, 2020, 12:00-1:00 pm EDT)

    Registration: Register here

    National Nursing Week

    National Nursing Week

    May 11-17 is National Nursing Week and it’s also WHO’s International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. Thank you to all the RNs, RPNs and NPs in primary care teams. Whether virtual, in-person or at assessment centres, your care for patients in challenging times is truly appreciated.

     

     

     

     

     

    Michael Borja of East GTA FHT

    East GTA FHT NP to receive award today

    Michael Borja of East GTA FHT will receive the award in the Nurse Practitioner category at today’s inaugural Nursing Now Ontario Awards. In July 2017, he pioneered the Home To Stay (HTS) NP-led program for medically complex seniors. Instead of seniors having to go to the clinic, NPs provided home visits, follow-up phone calls, care coordination and community referral.

    As a result, there were fewer ER visits, increased patient satisfaction and savings of $627,000 per year on top of improvement in patient/family quality of life. You can learn more and register for the ceremony which starts at 2:00 p.m. here.

     

    Dr. Tom Higgins, Parry Sound FHT, shares a music message during COVID

     

    Members’ stories

    North Huron and North Perth FHTs: North Perth and North Huron Family Health open COVID-19 testing site

    Parry Sound FHT: Dr. Tom Higgins, Parry Sound FHT, shares a music message during COVID

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Resuming scheduled surgeries and procedures and more

    On May 7, the government released their framework to help hospitals assess their readiness and begin planning for the gradual resumption of scheduled surgeries and procedures, while maintaining capacity to respond to COVID-19. Earlier last week they also announced temporary fee codes to cover uninsured patients.

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

    We’ll update these on a regular basis as we receive relevant resources, while trying to reduce duplication with other sources. We will continue to update the news page daily.

    eReferral to BounceBack

    BounceBack Ontario is now available on the Ocean eReferral Network. This means that you will be able to send referrals to the BounceBack program directly from your EMR instead of by fax.

    If you are already an Ocean eReferral user, you can do this by opening the Ocean Healthmap from your EMR and searching for the “BounceBack Ontario” listing. If you are not an Ocean eReferral user, please see the Ocean eReferral handout, or contact ereferrals@thinkresearch.com to sign up for your free account.

    Do you need support?
    Do you need any support from the BounceBack team? Whether it’s scheduling a call or facilitating a webinar for your team to explain more about the program, they can assist you. If you have any questions or concerns or require additional resources, please email bounceback@ontario.cmha.ca.

    Sharing your innovative initiative

    Primary care continues to step up and ensure our patients get the care they need. From the beginning of this pandemic to now as the province transitions to re-opening, teams have rapidly been adapting to changes. It is important to share innovative initiatives as teams continue to do quality improvement initiatives on the go.

    Email us at improve@afhto.ca to share what your team is doing. You may be featured in an upcoming webinar!

    CAMH COVID-19 discussion forum and app

    CAMH has created a peer-to-peer COVID-19 discussion forum that is moderated. You can check it out and post a question, comment, or a suggestion on what is helping you manage your stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can also login using an anonymous name if you would like to protect your identity. During these times, it’s important to pull together and help support one another!

    Relevant links:

    You can download the app now here:

    Pivoting During the Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities for Continuing Professional Development and Choosing Wisely, May 13, 2020

    Choosing Wisely Canada hosts weekly webinars to discuss pressing topics around COVID-19. Join to learn and connect around freeing up these limited healthcare resources. Learn more here.

    Utilizing Advance Care Planning & Serious Illness Tools During COVID-19 and Throughout the Patient Journey, May 13, 2020
    Learn how to identify at risk patients in the COVID-19 context, prepare yourself & your patients, tools to support conversations and how to integrate outcomes of conversations into “in the moment” care. Learn more here.

    Optimizing Care of the Elderly and Long-Term Care Residents during the Pandemic (French only), May 14, 2020
    Join this French CFPC webinar as part of the COVID-19 Pivots. Find the webinar link posted here.

    Choosing Wisely – Canada’s National Meeting, May 26, 2020
    The Virtual National Meeting will bring together health professionals, patients, system leaders, and researchers from across the country to discuss and engage in topics related to overuse in health care. Learn more here.

    ECHO Evening Series on Cannabis and Pain, June 8-22, 2020

    Free online sessions open to all healthcare providers:

    Session Times and Topics
    All sessions are 6:30-8:00PM

    • June 8, 2020 -Cannabis: Working & Driving  
    • June 15, 2020 – Trends in Cannabis Research
    • June 22, 2020- Cannabis Use Disorder: Signs & Symptoms  

    Find out more.

  • Managing HR and Supporting Staff through COVID 19: Q&A with Maria McDonald

    This email was sent to EDs/Administrative Leads of AFHTO member organizations.
     
    1. Managing HR and Supporting Staff through COVID 19: Q&A with Maria McDonald
    Over the past 2 months Primary Care has quickly transitioned to provide the ‘new normal’ of care delivery during COVID-19. Teams became virtual overnight, accommodations were made to ensure the safety of staff and patients, and the sector implemented a range of primary care-based initiatives to enable more patients to stay at home and avoid unnecessary hospital visits during this pandemic.

    But change is not always easy and as the crisis continues, staff fatigue, anxiety and questions about the future of care delivery are beginning to arise. For many staff, balancing work load and caring for family members is becoming more and more challenging. How do we support staff, recognize their efforts, and provide the flexibility needed while maintaining equity in the workplace? For advice on these questions and more, join us for a one hour webcast hosted by Maria McDonald of McDonald HR Law.

    • Date: Thursday, May 14th 1-2 p.m.
    • Please register here: *this webcast in intended for EDs/managers only. All registrants will be authorized by AFHTO to attend. Please submit your questions for Maria via the registration link so she can prepare her presentation accordingly.

    2. Ontario Health Request for Support
    Ontario Health is reaching out to health care organizations asking for assistance in settings with urgent needs. We ask all teams to consider their capacity and identify HR availability to help with the following:

    • Provide staff needed to go into LTC homes to do PSW-type work. The greatest need is PSWs but if there are other staff willing to help out from an administrative point of view, it would be helpful. Answering phones and delivering meals are some examples of the types of support that is needed.
    • Anyone that is able to support the Northern rural areas is also being requested as the hospitals and LTC homes are at or close to 100% occupancy.

    Please fill out this survey identifying name and type of staff available, email address, availability (number of days per week, shift and number of weeks available) and we will coordinate with Ontario Health/Regional tables to facilitate the deployment of people to settings of highest need in each region. We anticipate the pandemic pay order will be applicable to staff redeployed to both hospital and LTC homes. We also suggest that each team connect locally with their hospitals to let them know if they are able to offer staffing if needed.

    3. Support for COVID related mental health issues
    The Ontario Psychological Association has set up a network of psychologists who can provide no-cost short term mental health support for COVID related mental health issues to both patients and front line workers. Find out more regarding these two opportunities for mental health support (please do not forward this letter).

  • Bits & Pieces: partnership to improve access to psychological services for the front line & more

    Bits & Pieces: partnership to improve access to psychological services for the front line & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Partnership to improve access to psychological services for front line workers
    • Letter from AFHTO’s President
    • Pandemic Pay
    • Update to critical supplies & equipment survey portal- training sessions
    • Mental Health Week
    • Updated screening and testing guidance and more
    • Infection prevention and control CoP in Ontario Central West Region
    • Ontario Community Support Association meals/essentials delivery
    • Seeking participants to examine practice patterns during COVID-19
    • Financial management webinar series
    • Upcoming events regarding Advance Care Planning and more

    Partnership to improve access to psychological services for front line workers

    AFHTO, OCFP, NPAO, and the Ontario Psychological Association partner to improve access to psychological services for front line workers- We would like to announce two pathways of care for mental health services from a Psychologist through the Ontario Psychological Association (OPA).

    One stream is for your patients who are experiencing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression related to the COVID 19 pandemic. The OPA has set up a network of psychologists who can provide no-cost short term mental health support for COVID related mental health issues.

    The second stream provides access to mental health support to you as primary care providers. As professionals providing front line care, we recognize the stresses to which you are exposed. Find out more regarding these two opportunities for mental health support (please do not forward this letter).

    Letter from AFHTO’s President

    On Friday we emailed a letter from AFHTO’s President and Chair Dr. Tom Richard:

    “As we approach a new month contending with this pandemic, I thought it would be a good time to touch base.

    The continued disruptions, frustrations and adjustments of how we provide our services has been a tremendous source of anxiety to ourselves, our families and those we look after.

    Yet, despite all this, primary care continues to step up and ensure our patients get the care they need.” Read the full letter here.

    Pandemic Pay

    The Ministry is working on its policy and implementation related to the release of pandemic pay and who is eligible. As we wait for further details, we will be working with our primary care partners to reinforce the important role primary care providers play in the COVID response and continue to advocate on behalf of team-based primary care. More details will be made available as information starts to roll out.

    And as a reminder, if you’re an interprofessional health provider at a FHT, A team of researchers wants to learn more about your experience as a provider during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 350 IHPs have filled it out to date and the deadline is this Thursday, May 7. Find out more here.

    Update to critical supplies & equipment survey portal- training sessions

    On Friday, the Ministry announced the health sector PPE survey would transition to an enhanced submission portal as of yesterday, May 4. To support the transition, they are hosting several webinars as well as providing respondents with detailed support material that they can access and reference as they input their inventory data. Training sessions include:

    Psychological First Aid for Frontline Health Care Providers: A Quick Guide to Wellness

     

    Mental Health Week

    It’s Canadian Mental Health Association Mental Health Week. This year’s theme is social connection. You can get their toolkit here and find relevant articles here. They may help you help your community not just get loud, but #GetReal.

    On a related note, there is a free resource, the Psychological First Aid for Frontline Health Care Providers: A Quick Guide to Wellness, a workbook recommended by the Ontario Psychological Association.

     

     

    Updated screening and testing guidance and more

    On May 2, the government released updates to

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

    We’ll update these on a regular basis as we receive relevant resources, while trying to reduce duplication with other sources. We will continue to update the news page daily.

    Infection prevention and control CoP in Ontario Central West Region

    Public Health Ontario would like to invite Primary Care workers responsible for Infection Prevention and Control in the Ontario Central West Region (those located within Halton, Hamilton, WDG, WW, Brant, Niagara, and HN public health units) to their virtual Community of Practice meeting on May 14, 2020 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

    The meeting will focus on the latest COVID-19 updates and provide an opportunity for primary care colleagues to discuss their questions. If you are interested in attending, please email ipaccentralwest@oahpp.ca.

    Access information:
    1. Please dial in to the teleconference at 1-866-261-6767 and enter code: 4889444#
    2. Join the webinar and enter your full name

    Ontario Community Support Association meals/essentials delivery

    Ontario Community Support Association has established a link on their website to connect individuals/community providers to meals services/essentials delivery.

    In this portal, you can search Meals providers or Essential Service providers by searching based on address. If service providers exist in the area, a referral can be made directly through the portal to the provider. If nothing can be found there, a link will pop up asking to “Sign Me Up” to receive a phone call from a Canadian Red Cross (CRC) Coordinator to make connection to services.

    Seeking participants to examine practice patterns during COVID-19

    Two primary care researchers, Rachelle Ashcroft, and Catherine Donnelly are submitting a CIHR Rapid COVID-19 response grant to examine practice patterns of interprofessional primary care teams during COVID-19. The grant is due Monday May 11. If your team would be interested in participating in the study please contact Catherine by email Catherine.donnelly@queensu.ca for further study details. 

    Financial management webinar series

    The Ontario Nonprofit Network has launched a free four-part financial management webinar series to help nonprofits adapt and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, starting May 7:

    Ask Me Anything about Health Privacy, May 6, 2020
    These monthly webinars give you the chance to ask Kate Dewhirst about your Health Privacy concerns. Register here.

    Advance Care Planning and Goals of Care In The COVID-19 Pandemic, May 6, 2020
    Choosing Wisely Canada hosts weekly webinars to discuss pressing topics around COVID-19. Join to learn and connect around freeing up these limited healthcare resources. Learn more here.

    Complicated Grief and Trauma – Skills Building Education, May 6 – July 15, 2020
    This ten-session webinar series will focus on COVID-19 related complicated and traumatic grief. Provided by the HPCO and CHPCA. Learn more here.

    PEER’s review of the evidence for COVID-19, May 7, 2020
    Join this CFPC webinar as part of the COVID-19 Pivots. Find the webinar link posted here.

    Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and COVID-19, May 7, 2020
    Join the Family Physician Airways Group for a discussion around CHF and COVID-19. To register, click here.

  • Bits & Pieces: new COVID-19 guidance for primary care; COVID-19, HR, privacy & risk webinar & more

    Bits & Pieces: new COVID-19 guidance for primary care; COVID-19, HR, privacy & risk webinar & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • COVID-19 guidance for primary care
    • HR, privacy and risk management during the COVID-19 pandemic – Mar. 27 webinar
    • Reorganizing COVID-19 resources on our site
    • Shift to Virtual Care-Primary care response to COVID-19
    • Early lessons: tackling a global crisis with a community response
    • Member renewal payments-hold cheques please
    • Upcoming events including NPAO COVID-19 peer support group and CMHA Ontario and Mental Health Works Webinars – In response to COVID-19 pandemic

    COVID-19 guidance for primary care
    The Ministry has released the latest version of COVID-19 Guidance: Primary Care Providers in a Community Setting. Please use this version as your guidance document for your teams.

    Highlights include:

    • Implementing a system for virtual and/or telephone consultations
    • Referrals to local assessment centres
    • Conducting clinical examination and specimen collection using Contact/Droplet precautions
    • Link to latest case definition, signage and PHO IPAC recommendations

    HR, privacy and risk management during the COVID-19 pandemic –Mar. 27 webinar
    These are uncertain times and the way we are now practicing primary care has changed dramatically in the last few weeks. As we move towards more virtual care and accommodating more work from home, there are a lot of questions around how to support our staff and ensure that patient and provider safety be paramount in this ‘new normal’.  Things are evolving every day and new announcements of support are continuing to be announced.

    Making sense of it all can be a challenge with the ongoing flow of information so join us for a Q and A with Maria McDonald of McDonald HR Law and Kate Dewhirst of Kate Dewhirst Health Law to learn more about what you need to know during this challenging time.

    If you would like to submit your questions in advance to ensure they are addressed during the webinar, please feel free to send them to info@afhto.ca and we will make sure that Maria and Kate are aware of them prior to the presentation. We will add the slides and recording to our site within a business day or so of the webinar.

    Reorganizing COVID-19 resources on our site
    Every day new information on COVID-19 comes and we know it’s hard to sort through it all. Considering this we have reorganised the resources and updates on our site into several pages:

    We’ll update these on a regular basis as we receive relevant resources, while trying to reduce duplication with other sources. We will continue to update the news page daily.

    *Please also note that the list of essential workplaces in response to COVID-19 was released yesterday. Primary care and the interprofessional care provided by teams are essential though not explicitly noted – as we try to get some clarity on this, the recommendation is to shift to as much virtual care as possible. We continue to press the Ministry and Ontario Health around the issue of lack of PPE and hope they will have some information in the coming days.

    Shift to Virtual Care - Primary Care Response to COVID-19 Pandemic Document

     

    Shift to Virtual Care-Primary care response to COVID-19

    On Thursday, Mar. 19 we sent the email “Update on COVID-19 and Moving Towards More Virtual Care”. It listed different tools teams might use for virtual care and activities to support patients and families during this period of self-isolation and physical distancing.

    We have now compiled those and more in Shift to Virtual Care-Primary care response to COVID-19, a document outlining what fellow teams have done to support their patients. You can also find more information on our Virtual Care, Digital Health and COVID-19 page.

     

     

     

     

    Early lessons: tackling a global crisis with a community response
    Longwoods article co-authored by Dr. Tia Pham, South East Toronto FHT on East Toronto Health Partners (ETHP)’s response to COVID-19 and lessons which may help other OHTs.

    Member renewal payments-hold cheques please
    We understand members are focused on COVID-19 right now. As we plan for the upcoming year with membership renewals please note that our building will be closed starting tomorrow. If you plan to pay by cheque, please hold for about two weeks. We can still accept payments via Interac and EFT. We’ll provide another update as soon as we’re able to do so. Please contact info@afhto.ca for further information.

    NPAO COVID-19 peer support group webinar, Mar. 26
    Infectious disease outbreaks like COVID–19 can be worrying and can affect your mental health.  Because of this NPAO has set up a group chat webinar for NPs where you can share your thoughts, experiences, concerns, etc. with your colleagues. Join at 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm for free.

    Understanding Bronchiectasis Webinar, April 21, 2020
    Learn more about this neglected pulmonary disease. By the end of this webinar, you will be able to help patients self-manage the disease and avoid the acquisition of nontuberculosis mycobacteria. Find out more here

    CMHA Ontario and Mental Health Works Webinars – In response to COVID-19 pandemic, April 2-17, 2020
    For health care professionals and workers: with topics relevant to both hospitals and clinics, as well as telehealth professionals and those who work to support patient outcomes, such as custodial staff, security professionals, and administrators.

    1. Mental Wellness for Healthcare Professionals – April 2, 6-7 pm
    2. Stress Management in Healthcare Settings -April 6, 5:30-630 pm
    3. Mental Health for Telehealth –April 15, 6-7 pm
    4. Mental Health for Support Staff: Taking Care of Yourself – April 17, 6-7 pm
  • Bits & Pieces: COVID-19 memo, changes to mental health system, AI fellowship & more

    Bits & Pieces: COVID-19 memo, changes to mental health system, AI fellowship & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • COVID-19 updates including memo and tools
    • Members’ stories
    • Ontario Health Teams and privacy: a legal perspective
    • Ontario government announces changes to mental health and addictions system
    • Fellowship in compassion and artificial intelligence
    • Integrating mental health services in primary care- deadline March 23
    • Spring registration for ECHO Ontario mental health programming now open
    • Deadline to join Prenatal Screening Ontario Advisory Committee extended
    • Insomnia focus groups invitation
    • Upcoming events including The Art of Doing More with Less

    COVID-19 updates including memo and tools

    For EDs, Lead Clinicians and Board Chairs:
    We understand you have quite a lot on your plate; however, the Ministry of Health and Ontario Health (Shared Services) have emphasised the importance of completing this short survey, to assist in tracking provider preparedness. Please do so as soon as possible. This is a direct link to the spreadsheet, with no need to log in.

    Health care providers facing immediate challenges with their personal protective equipment supply levels can email the ministry at EOCLogistics.MOH@ontario.ca.

    We continue to update the relevant page on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), including memos from the Deputy Minister dated Mar. 6 and Mar. 9. If you have any questions, you can also email EOCOperations.moh@ontario.ca.

    New resource page: we now also have a new infection control resource page, with screening tools and more, including educational resources and tools from Public Health Ontario A reminder to please share any resources you have developed by sending them to info@afhto.ca.

    Ministry updates now twice a day: Every weekday at 10:30 a.m. the Ministry has been updating its dedicated web page with the most up-to-date information on the status of cases in Ontario, including: the number of cases currently under investigation; and the number of confirmed positive, negative and resolved cases.

    They will now update this page twice daily (10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. EST), seven days a week. It will also now include general information on each new confirmed case of COVID-19, including gender, age, public health unit, hospital (if applicable), where acquired and status.

    Members’ stories

    South East Toronto FHT: opening a COVID-19 screening and assessment centre

    Ontario Health Teams and privacy: a legal perspective
    On Feb. 28, BLG published their article Ontario Health Teams: Personal Health Information Sharing, Client Privacy and PHIPA Compliance. Read on to get their perspective.

    Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario's Mental Health and Addictions System

    Ontario government announces changes to mental health and addictions system
    Last week the Ontario government launched their Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions System. The new Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence within Ontario Health will serve as the plan’s foundation. The plan’s four pillars include:

    1. Improving quality;
    2. Expanding existing services;
    3. Implementing innovative solutions; and
    4. Improving access.

    You can read the report here, visit the Ministry’s site to get the full plan in English or French, and you can also read H+K’s memo here.

    If you have questions or comments about the Roadmap, you can send an email to Roadmaptowellness@ontario.ca.

    Fellowship in compassion and artificial intelligence
    AMS Healthcare is offering up to eight (8) one-year fellowships of up to $75,000 to early and mid-career academic researchers and regulated health care professionals to study and develop expertise/ competence in the impact of DT/AI on compassionate care. An information call will be held on Monday, March 16. Find out more here.

    Integrating mental health services in primary care- deadline March 23

    Are you doing something innovative to integrate mental health services and supports in primary care delivery?

    The College of Family Physicians of Canada is partnering with the Canadian Psychiatric Association and the Canadian Psychological Association to highlight innovative practices among family physicians, psychiatrists, and psychologists that address common challenges and barriers to integrating mental health services in primary care across Canada and how best to influence patient, provider and system outcomes.

    They have extended the deadline for publication in the Innovation in Primary Care (IPC) series to Mar. 23. Find out more here.

    Project ECHO CAMH

    Spring registration for ECHO Ontario mental health programming now open

    ECHO Ontario Mental Health is a virtual training and capacity building model that supports primary and community care providers in delivering high quality, evidence-based mental health and addictions care in their local communities.

    It links expert interdisciplinary teams with front line care providers in order to share best practices, jointly discuss practical recommendations for complex client care, and build sustainable communities of practice. The program is offered at no cost, thanks to funding from the Ministry of Health. CME Credits are available for participants.

    BORN EOI Jan 2020

     

    Deadline to join Prenatal Screening Ontario Advisory Committee extended

    BORN Ontario is seeking family physicians with a special interest in prenatal care for the Prenatal Screening Ontario Advisory Committee.

    For more information email PSO@BORNOntario.ca. Deadline Mar.27, 2020. See poster pdf.

     

     

    Insomnia focus groups invitation
    Participate in a virtual focus group about system-level challenges and enablers to adopting the care outlined in Ontario Health’s Insomnia Disorder Quality Standard being developed by the Quality business unit at Ontario Health, formerly Health Quality Ontario. Your feedback will inform the recommendations for adoption to support the uptake of this quality standard.

    The Insomnia Disorder Quality Standard focus groups will be held on the following dates:

    1. Monday March 23, 2020 (12:00 – 1:00PM EST) – follow this link to register via Eventbrite  
    2. Friday March 27, 2020 (12:00 – 1:00PM EST) – follow this link to register via Eventbrite

    If you have any questions, please contact Mandy Lee, Quality Improvement Specialist at mandy.lee@hqontario.ca.

    The Art of Doing More with Less, March 18, 2020
    The final webinar in AFHTO and Grant Thornton’s Financial webinar series is next week! Join Christy McClelland and Sanjay Desai as we explore how non-profits can improve performance with financial sensibility. Register today!

    Electronic Asthma Management System (EAMS) – OSCAR Tool Demonstration, March 24, 2020
    Join this webinar for an hour-long demonstration to learn more about EAMS. Register here!

    Understanding Bronchiectasis Webinar, April 21, 2020
    Learn more about this neglected pulmonary disease. By the end of this webinar, you will be able to help patients self-manage the disease and avoid the acquisition of nontuberculosis mycobacteria. Find out more here

    RNAO Nurse Executive Leadership Academy, October 20-23, 2020
    Save the date for this 3-night knowledge exchange in Niagara Falls. Learn more today.

  • Ontario Government Announces Changes to Mental Health and Addictions System

    Ministry of Health news release – March. 3, 2020

    Ontario is launching Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions System.

    Today, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, were at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences to unveil the new roadmap, which provides a clear path forward toward offering Ontarians easier access to higher-quality care and supports in communities across the province.

    The new Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence within Ontario Health will serve as the foundation on which Roadmap to Wellness is built. Historically, Ontario has had great success in building a world-class system of care, such as cancer care. The centre will be the coordinating, central provincial body that will leverage this experience to enable and drive the effective implementation of the plan’s four pillars:

    1.     Improving quality;
    2.     Expanding existing services;
    3.     Implementing innovative solutions; and
    4.     Improving access.

    Read the entire post here.

    Relevant Links:

  • Bits & Pieces: New PPE survey deadline, Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance Queen’s Park Day & more

    Bits & Pieces: New PPE survey deadline, Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance Queen’s Park Day & more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • New PPE survey deadline and other novel coronavirus (COVID-19) updates
    • Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance Queen’s Park Day
    • Minister announces changes to home and community care
    • Members’ stories
    • Improving cancer screening rates slides and video
    • Psychology Month
    • Public Health Infection Prevention and Control resources
    • Hypertension focus groups invitation
    • Upcoming events including The Art of Doing More with Less

    New PPE survey deadline and other novel coronavirus (COVID-19) updates

    For EDs, Lead Clinicians and Board Chairs: The Ministry of Health and Ontario Health (Shared Services) have extended the deadline to complete this short survey to end of day Thursday, February 27, to assist in tracking provider preparedness. Only 34% have responded and they have emphasized the importance of filling this out.
    While we have few cases in Canada, it may be declared a worldwide pandemic soon and this will help them identify where support is needed. They will work with suppliers to distribute resources accordingly.

    We continue to update the relevant page on the Novel Coronavirus. “Health care providers facing immediate challenges with their personal protective equipment supply levels can email the ministry at EOCLogistics.MOH@ontario.ca.”

    If you have any questions, you can also email EOCOperations.moh@ontario.ca.

    Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance Queen’s Park Day

    OCDPA partners, including AFHTO's Beth MacKinnon, with Speaker Ted Arnott

    On Feb. 24, the Ontario Chronic Disease Prevention Alliance held an Advocacy Day at Queen’s Park to call on the province to prevent hospitalizations and reduce health care costs through initiatives to prevent chronic conditions. Priorities include:

    1. Setting measurable goals for prevention to increase Ontario’s access to data on this health care issue
    2. Introducing prevention into primary care such as access to professional services, screening and tools for healthy lifestyles
    3. Incorporate prevention into Mental Health Strategy
    4. Take measure to restrict youth access to vaping products.

    Minister announces changes to home and community care
    Today the Minister announced changes to the delivery of home and community care. AFHTO will be working with our partners to better understand how this affects our members.

    Members’ stories
    North Simcoe FHT – North Simcoe FHT to anchor new medical centre in Midland – “We are expanding the family health team programming, which is why we needed more space,” said executive director Andrew Shantz. “There are quite a few health-care partners coming along with us. We are creating a medical centre that will provide a variety of different services.”

    Improving cancer screening rates SDOH

    Improving cancer screening rates slides and video

    On Feb. 20 Drs. Aisha Lofters and Tara Kiran shared practical, evidence-based ways to improve cancer screening rates and reduce income-related disparities. Slides, video and a link to the toolkit referenced are now available.

    For another way to learn, you can also view Dr. Kiran’s tweet thread here.

     

    Dr. Judith Davidson, Bright Lights 2014

    Psychology Month

    It’s Psychology Month. Thank you to all the psychologists who work with primary care teams to offer innovative programs like:

     

    Public Health Infection Prevention and Control resources
    Public Health Ontario has provided links to several Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) resources to help build capacity in primary care:

    Hypertension focus groups invitation
    Participate in a virtual focus group about system-level challenges and enablers to adopting the care outlined the Hypertension Quality Standard being developed by the Quality business unit at Ontario Health, formerly Health Quality Ontario. Your feedback will inform the recommendations for adoption to support the uptake of this quality standard.

    The Hypertension Quality Standard focus groups will be held on the following dates:

    1. Tuesday March 3, 2020 (4:00 – 5:00PM EST)- Follow this link to register via Eventbrite.
    2. Thursday March 5, 2020 (12:00 – 1:00PM EST) – Follow this link to register via Eventbrite.

    If you have any questions, please contact Tanveer Singh at tanveer.singh@hqontario.ca.

    Optimizing Your EMR For Safer Opioid Prescribing and Pain Management (Part 1), March 5, 2020
    This webinar is targeted towards family physicians and nurse practitioners in northern Ontario. Hosted by Ontario Health Quality and Ontario Pain Management Resource Partners. Learn more here.

    The Art of Doing More with Less, March 18, 2020
    This is the final webinar in AFHTO and Grant Thorton’s Financial webinar series! Join Danzel Pinto as we explore how non-profits can improve performance with financial sensibility.
    Register today!

    Rainbow Health Ontario Conference, April 21-23, 2020
    Register for Canada’s forum for LGBT2SQ health, being held in Niagara Falls this year. For more information, click here.

    ECHO Liver, March 12, 2020
    For 2020, ECHO Liver will be offering a quarterly evening series. The first is Liver Disease in Primary Care: Approach to Liver Enzymes. Find out more here.

  • QI in Action eBulletin #95: Made-In Ontario High Impact Actions in Primary Care

    In this issue

    • Primary Care Virtual Community
    • High Impact Action Items
    • Local Change Ideas
    • Upcoming Webinars

    Primary Care Virtual Community:

    The primary care virtual community is Ontario’s novel collaborative designed to unleash the power of primary care in health system change. As a community, they have co-defined a list of High Impact Actions that are felt to spark meaningful improvements in primary care, building on lessons learned from the UK’s own transformation efforts. The community has also shared insight on the actions they feel are within their control, in addition to where support is needed. As a community they continue to work collaboratively to refine the list of High Impact Action Items for Ontario. Here is the latest list of 10:

    High Impact Action Items:

    1. Navigate & Coordinate

    • Promote patient navigator role that can enable easier patient/caregiver access to resources including those that go beyond health care resources. This could include linking home care coordination to primary care.

    2. Integrate EMRs

    • Either single or intra-operable EMR/EHR systems that can both push and pull required information. Integration of EMRs can enhance quality of care provided and practice efficiency by promoting easier and better communication.

    3. Access to Mental Health and Addictions

    • Provide mental health and addictions supports in the community, embedding these supports in primary care.

    4. Organizing Primary Care

    • Come together at the local level to organize primary care and move towards more team-based care for more Ontarians, opening up the FHO model for primary care delivery.

    5. Practice Facilitation & Change Management

    • Provide dedicated resources to enable peer -to -peer coaching and uptake by providers. A QI-enabled, evidence-driven health care system, in turn, enables best practices.

    6. Build the Extended Team

    • Identify and provide support to the extended team that wraps around the patient/ family/caregivers and provide supports to enable the team to be high performing.

    7. Streamline & Reduce Administrative Burden

    • Reduce bureaucracy and administrative burden.

    8. Recognize and Support Primary Care Continuity

    • Promote the patient/caregiver and provider relationship, ensuring that the care is provided according to the principles of comprehensiveness and continuity.

    9. Build Connections to Address the Social Determinants of Health

    • Recognize the social determinants of health as factors that influence health and well being outside of access to healthcare services, adopting practices like social prescribing.

    10. Patients as Partners

    • Empower patients to take greater control and ownership over their health.

    Local Change Ideas:

    The Primary Care Virtual Community has given communities the opportunity to identify what’s meaningful to them. What are their pain points, headaches or areas that can be improved? And more importantly what changes can be made at the local level to support providers, their clinical practices and the delivery of patient care. Building on the change ideas identified in the primary care high impact actions for Ontario, this document highlights local challenges and solutions to improve clinical practices and care delivery in your own communities. This document is only the beginning of creating a repository of change ideas. Please complete this survey to provide local change ideas within your community!

    The February 13th and the November 21st Virtual Community focused on Organizing Primary Care – the community learned from a number of primary care leaders about how they are mobilizing the primary care community to self-organize and identify what their needs are. We’re pleased to share their lessons and advice with the release of Primary Care Physicians: Working Together for Change primer which highlights strategies that can be employed for organizing primary care at the local level.

    Resources:

    Upcoming Webinars:

    • Improving cancer screening rates in your practice and reducing related disparities – Feb 20, 2020 – Sign up here

    In Case You Missed It: Check out eBulletin #94 or other back issues here!
    Questions? Comments? Contact us at improve@afhto.ca.

  • Prescriptions are for more than just drugs

    Prescriptions are for more than just drugs. Ontario Health Teams should use ‘social prescribing’ to improve our health and wellbeing.

    Healthy Debate opinion piece by Kate Mulligan and Kavita Mehta

    Most of the conversation about ending hallway health care in Ontario has focused on the back door of the hospital – moving people out of hospital and back into communities. But what if we could focus on the front door and prevent hospitalization in the first place? And what if we could do this by strengthening partnerships between health and social services, which are known to impact determinants of health? This is a top ten recommendation of both the Premier’s Council on Improving Healthcare and Ending Hallway Medicine and the primary care virtual community’s list of high impact action items for healthcare transformation.

    With the new rollout of the Ontario Health Teams (OHTs), there is an opportunity to do this by weaving social prescribing into the tapestry of our healthcare system. Social prescribing is model of care coordination at the crossroads between health care and social services. Social prescribing helps people get connected to social and community services for their “non-health issues,” from social isolation and loneliness to physical activity, food security and housing. In the process, it frees up valuable clinician time and resources by addressing social needs and moving people’s care a step upstream.

    Read the full article here.