Ultimate Blogging Championship

Tag: Public health

  • Bits & Pieces: member stories, KTE materials and more

    Bits & Pieces: member stories, KTE materials and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Member stories
    • Reminder- nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award
    • ICYMI- January to June KTE webinar materials
    • Radon: Is it in your patients’ homes
    • The voices of skin and wound care clinicians during COVID-19, and more
    • Upcoming events including NPAO 2022 Annual Conference and more

     

    Member stories

    Georgina NPLC– Beth Cowper-Fung honoured for contributions during COVID

    West Carleton FHT– Dr. Barry Bruce and partners launch open-air market for local food in Carp

    Reminder- nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award

    Screenshot of opening of 2021 board award winner video. Logo at top with Board Award, Dr. Brian Klar 2021 below. Background is navy blue with gold stars.

    The AFHTO board invites all members to help them select the recipient of a Board award.

    The Board award recognizes an individual (or a group) who is not an AFHTO member but has significantly contributed to the development and growth of team-based primary care within their local community or at the provincial level.

    Submit a nomination online for the Board Award category by August 19, 2022.

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

    ICYMI- January to June KTE webinar materials

    We know you’re busy but if you have a little time, now might be a great time to catch up on the KTE webinars we’ve held so far this year.

    Radon. machealth Is it in your patients’ homes. People need to test their homes for radon with diagram of peson with respiratory system coloured pink, showing radon molecules being inhaled

     

    Radon: Is it in your patients’ homes

    Across Canada, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-
    smokers. In persons who do smoke, the risks of developing lung
    cancer when exposed to radon are further compounded.

    Learn how and why you should speak to your patients about radon in this free & certified online program designed by McMaster University, together with Health Canada.

     

    The voices of skin and wound care clinicians during COVID-19, and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    ECHO Care of the Elderly, Sep. 7-Dec. 21, 2022
    The latest cycle of the ECHO Care of the Elderly program focuses on Community care and providers. Find out more here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022

    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    Data To Action: Making Your Data Visible and Useful, Sep. 28, 2022
    Hosted by TechSoup Connect’s Ontario chapter. Register here.

    OMD Digital Health and Virtual Care Conference, Sep. 29-30, 2022
    Virtual conference hosted by OntarioMD. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Registration with your verification code here.

  • Bits & Pieces: where will children under 5 get vaccines and more

    Bits & Pieces: where will children under 5 get vaccines and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • COVID-19 vaccinations for kids under 5
    • Open letter to keep expanded access to care for uninsured people
    • Minto Mapleton FHT meets with MPP
    • Member stories
    • New toolkit to help health care providers deliver virtual care to Canadians
    • Paid COVID sick days back until March 31, 2023, and more
    • Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 29, 2022
    • Reminder- AFHTO 2022 Conference networking leads wanted
    • Reminder – apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council
    • Upcoming events including integrating hepatitis C care with safer supply practice and more

    COVID-19 vaccinations for kids under 5

    To help the ministry with their planning on where children under 5 are or will be receiving vaccines, please take a moment and complete this short survey that should take less than 2 minutes. We thank you very much in advance as your answers will be helpful in determining how widespread the vaccines will be given. Deadline Monday, August 1.

    Open letter to keep expanded access to care for uninsured people

    In March 2020, in response to community advocacy, the Ford government temporarily expanded access to care for uninsured people, by: (1) removing the three-month waiting period for OHIP which affects new immigrants, new permanent residents, and returning Canadian citizens; and, (2) creating a new funding stream for physicians and hospitals for providing medically necessary services to uninsured people (see details here).

    Healthcare for All Coalition has learned the government may be looking to imminently roll these changes back. They ask you to sign this open letter to urge the Ontario government to implement a permanent program to ensure universal access to healthcare services, independent of insurance status. Deadline Friday, July 29.

    If you have any questions, please contact healthcare4allcoalition@gmail.com.

    Minto Mapleton FHT meets with MPP

    Screenshot of virtual meeting- Minto Mapleton FHT with MPP

    On July 22, Minto Mapleton FHT met with their MPP Matthew Rae.

    “We all agreed that it felt really successful in educating him about how team based primary care is different from other sectors of the health care system. We gave many examples of how we are able to wrap around patients with members of the team to help them preventatively achieve good health and ultimately be most cost effective for the system.

    Mr. Rae shared that being born, raised, and currently residing in this riding makes him aware of care however, today’s presentation elevated his knowledge especially surrounding recruitment, retention and expansion of our team to support our community currently and in the near future.

    He also acknowledged that his riding is unique from other members of  caucus in that his entire riding is FHT for primary care. (Minto Mapleton, Mount Forest, Listowel/North Perth, and Stratford). This is very different than his colleagues in the GTA who are not in this model and therefore have different priorities. We asked what he needed from us to allow him to advocate accordingly and he felt that collaborating with AFHTO would be a great first step as our representing association.”

    If you are meeting with your MPPs and want AFHTO to connect, please let us know. Finding internal champions in government to help with advocacy efforts to expand team-based care is important as we ensure every Ontarian who needs it has access to team-based primary care.

    Member stories

    Couchiching FHT – Rec centre fees waived so students, patients can make waves

    Guelph FHT – 2021-2022 annual report

    Prince Edward FHT- County and Family Health Team welcome new physician recruiter

    Summerville FHT- 2021-2022 annual report

    Screenshot of Virtual Care Together Design Collaborative home page- healthcare excellence logo in top left, with a graphic of 2 women having a virtual meeting below

    New toolkit to help health care providers deliver virtual care to Canadians
    Canada Health Infoway and Healthcare Excellence Canada have released a new virtual care toolkit to give care providers the tools they need to provide safe, high-quality virtual care to their patients, regardless of experience. Topics include the appropriate use of virtual care, use and optimization of virtual care services and quality and safe virtual care interactions. Information in the toolkit was refined and tested by 25 teams in 10 provinces and territories through the Virtual Care Together Design Collaborative.

     

    Paid COVID sick days back until March 31, 2023, and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors 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.

    Reminder- AFHTO 2022 Conference networking leads wanted

    We have an hour in the schedule at the AFHTO 2022 conference for networking, and we’d like IHP session leads. Leads are responsible for programming while AFHTO staff will simply allocate the rooms. Smaller groups will be able to meet at a table in the ballroom. Limited space is available, so this is first come, first serve.

    If you are interested in leading an IHP session, please contact Beth MacKinnon by July 29, 2022.

    Reminder – 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.

    Integrating Hepatitis C Care with Safer Supply Practice, July 28, 2022

    Co-hosted by National Safer Supply Community of Practice and CATIE on World Hepatitis Day. Register here.

    Demystifying the Cloud for Nonprofits, July 28, 2022
    Hosted by TechSoup with presentation by Amazon Web Services. Register here.

    ECHO Care of the Elderly, Sep. 7-Dec. 21, 2022
    The latest cycle of the ECHO Care of the Elderly program focuses on Community care and providers. Find out more here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022

    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Registration with your verification code here.

  • Vaccines for Under 5, Second Boosters, Monkeypox

    Dear members,

    As many of you saw in a recent memo issued by the Chief Medical Officer of Health on July 21, there is increasing international community transmission of two sub-variants of the Omicron variant of concern of COVID-19, BA.4 and BA.5. In Ontario, recent data indicates that an increasing proportion of cases are due to these sub-variants, and the BA.5 variant is now the dominant sub-variant in the province. With these trends of increasing transmission, and with the recognition that flu season is quickly also approaching, just a reminder that you can still access PPE and RATs through the provincial stockpile. Oxygen saturation monitors are also available to order for those teams currently, or will be, participating in the COVID@Home program.

    Vaccinating Children Under Age 5
    As you know, Health Canada has approved the Moderna vaccine for children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years, stating there were no safety signals from the trial and that it will look to “more data from ongoing studies and real-world use to ensure the benefits of the vaccine continue to outweigh any risks.” NACI issued these recommendations to advise on its use.
     
    The Ontario government announced on July 21 that appointments for the paediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children aged six months to under five years will be available starting Thursday, July 28, 2022. EN FR. It is anticipated with this age group that the majority of these vaccines will be delivered in primary care or paediatrician offices. If you have not yet done so or have not heard about the distribution of the paediatric vaccines, please contact your public health unit or the COVID-19 delegated vaccine lead.
     
    You may also expect that parents and caregivers will come to you with their questions over the following weeks and months. To support providers in these conversations, please see:

     
    **To help the ministry with their planning on where children under 5 are or will be receiving vaccines, please take a moment and complete this short survey that should take no more than 2 minutes. We thank you very much in advance as your answers will be helpful in determining how widespread the vaccines will be given.

    Second Boosters (or 4th Shot)
    On July 20, the government announced that it would be expanding eligibility for the 4th shot (2nd booster) of the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone aged 18 to 59. Here are some resources you may find helpful:

    Teams are also being asked to continue to encourage eligible patients to get their third dose if they haven’t already done so. Evidence shows vaccine effectiveness remains high six months after the third dose in otherwise healthy patients.
     
    Monkeypox
    Finally, teams are also getting questions about monkeypox, especially now that the WHO has declared it a global health emergency. The Ministry of Health and Public Health Ontario are posting tools to assist providers with learning more about the disease, such as fact sheets, Q&As, and other resources. Dr. Allan Grill was also on CTV News to provide an overview of monkeypox, including what you need to know and how to protect yourself. If you have any questions about monkeypox in your community or how to access vaccination, please contact your PHU.

    You may have also heard that the Ontario Government announced the extension of the 3-day COVID sick days to March 31, 2023. Though this does not go far enough in ensuring permanent sick days, it is a start – please see here for an ebulletin on the COVID sick days and what you need to know from Maria McDonald of McDonald HR Law.

    We hope you are all getting some much-deserved rest this summer and spending time with your loved ones. If you need any assistance or have questions, please contact us any time.

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

  • Bits & Pieces: networking session leads wanted and more

    Bits & Pieces: networking session leads wanted and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • AFHTO 2022 Conference networking leads wanted
    • Nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award
    • Member stories
    • Funding opportunities – capital grant & supporting mental health and wellness
    • Government of Canada invests $10 million in research on outpatient medications for COVID-19 and more
    • Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 29, 2022
    • The war in Ukraine and refugee health care: considerations for health care providers in Canada
    • Reminder – apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council
    • Upcoming events including supporting patients amid an opioid epidemic and more

    AFHTO 2022 Conference networking leads wanted

    We have an hour in the schedule at the AFHTO 2022 conference for networking, and we’d like IHP session leads. Leads are responsible for programming while AFHTO staff will simply allocate the rooms. Smaller groups will be able to meet at a table in the ballroom. Limited space is available, so this is first come, first serve.

    If you are interested in leading an IHP session, please contact Beth MacKinnon by July 29, 2022.

     Nominate a partner or healthcare inspiration for an AFHTO Board award

    Screenshot of opening of 2021 board award winner video. Logo at top with Board Award, Dr. Brian Klar 2021 below. Background is navy blue with gold stars.

    The AFHTO board invites all members to help them select the recipient of a Board award.

    The Board award recognizes an individual (or a group) who is not an AFHTO member but has significantly contributed to the development and growth of team-based primary care within their local community or at the provincial level.

    Submit a nomination online for the Board Award category by August 19, 2022.

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

    Member stories

    Belleville NPLC– extension for unattached patients program

    Minto Mapleton FHT– showcasing team members on Facebook. Feel free to share and use as a starting point for your own team.

    Funding opportunities – capital grant & supporting mental health and wellness

    AFHTO members in collaboration with partners may be eligible for:

    Government of Canada invests $10 million in research on outpatient medications for COVID-19 and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors 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.

    The war in Ukraine and refugee health care: considerations for health care providers in Canada
    CMAJ article published Jul. 11, 2022. Read the full details here.

    Reminder – 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.

    Webinar Series: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility in Research, July 25- October 19, 2022

    Hosted by the Alliance and the Primary Care Ontario Practice-Based Learning and Research (POPLAR) Network

    Supporting patients amid an opioid epidemic, July 27, 2022
    Session by the Practising Well CoP, an intentional conversation for shared learning hosted by the OCFP and the DFCM Division of Mental Health and Addictions. Register here.

    Integrating Hepatitis C Care with Safer Supply Practice, July 28, 2022

    Co-hosted by National Safer Supply Community of Practice and CATIE on World Hepatitis Day. Register here.

    Demystifying the Cloud for Nonprofits, July 28, 2022
    Hosted by TechSoup with presentation by Amazon Web Services. Register here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022

    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    AFHTO 2022 Conference, Oct. 12, 2022

    Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. Registration with your verification code here.

  • Vaccine and Monkeypox updates

    Dear members,

    It has been a busy week and we’d like to share some information on the recent vaccine announcements and on Monkeypox.

    On Tuesday, the government announced that it would be expanding eligibility for the 4th shot (2nd booster) of the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone aged 18 to 59. These are being offered at an interval of five months after a person receives their first booster dose. In addition, a new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine is anticipated to be approved by Health Canada this fall, which may offer more targeted protection against the Omicron variants.
     
    We know you’ll get questions about this recent announcement. The CEP and OCFP will be updating their guidance on vaccinations as NACI publishes additional guidance, and we will share this with you as soon as we have it.
     
    Yesterday, the Moderna vaccine was approved for children between six months and five years of age. The dose will be one-quarter of what is administered to adults. NACI has issued these recommendations to advise on its use.

    Additional resources available are this ‘Timing of COVID-19 Vaccines for young children FAQ’ and ‘What are the reasons to vaccinate my young child against COVID-19?’ from Pharmacy5in5 and the School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo.

    We have also received a fact sheet and Q&A on Monkeypox from the Ministry of Health:

    • Monkeypox Fact Sheet (EN) (FR)
    • Monkeypox – Healthcare Provider Q&A
    • Testing and Management of Monkeypox: Information for Primary Care Providers (EN) (FR)

    We will keep you apprised as we learn more.

    Once again thank you for all you are doing to keep your patients and community safe. If you need any assistance or have questions, please contact us any time.

    Yours in good health,
    The AFHTO Team

  • Bits & Pieces: #AFHTO2022 registration open and more

    Bits & Pieces: #AFHTO2022 registration open and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • AFHTO 2022 Conference registration now live
    • Bright Lights education grants now available- deadline this Friday, July 15
    • Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative slides and video available
    • Ontarians aged 18+ eligible for second booster shot and more
    • Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors open until July 29, 2022
    • Call for content- OLTC 2022 Virtual Conference
    • 2SLGBTQI identity and dementia: an introduction for healthcare and social service professionals
    • Reminder – apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council
    • Upcoming events including Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility in Research and more

    AFHTO 2022 Conference logo- background is multicoloured streaks going towards an abstract event horizon

     

    AFHTO 2022 Conference registration now live

    Registration now open for the AFHTO 2022 Conference! Join your peers from across Ontario and beyond as we reconnect and reimagine, moving forward together.

    Members get more than 50% off registration. A code (sent by email to all members who have paid 2022-2023 membership fees in full) will be required to receive the membership rate. If you do not know your organization’s verification code, please contact your administrator.

     

    Bright Lights education grants now available- deadline this Friday, July 15

    All awards now receive an education grant, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, including the award for underrepresented teams! Find out more here.

    Don’t be left out- send in your nominations and supporting documents before the deadline, this Friday, July 15.

    Screenshot of Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative webinar title slide

     

    Ontario Fall Prevention Collaborative slides and video available

    On June 23 we heard 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. Slides and video are available here.

    Ontarians aged 18+ eligible for second booster shot and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Reminder- nominations to the AFHTO Board of Directors 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.

    Call for content- OLTC 2022 Virtual Conference
    The Ontario Long Term Care Association’s (OLTCA) This is Long Term Care 2022 virtual conference is taking place Oct. 24-26. To submit an abstract or to learn more click here. Abstract deadline Aug. 10.

    2SLGBTQI identity and dementia: an introduction for healthcare and social service professionals
    Egale Canada has a free e-module designed for healthcare providers, social work professionals, and other support personnel specializing in the care of people living with dementia. There’s also another for unpaid carers, and further resources on their site. Find out more here.

    Reminder – 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.

    Webinar Series: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility in Research, July 25- October 19, 2022

    Hosted by the Alliance and the Primary Care Ontario Practice-Based Learning and Research (POPLAR) Network

    Supporting patients amid an opioid epidemic, July 27, 2022
    Session by the Practising Well CoP, an intentional conversation for shared learning hosted by the OCFP and the DFCM Division of Mental Health and Addictions. Register here.

    Integrating Hepatitis C Care with Safer Supply Practice, July 28, 2022

    Co-hosted by National Safer Supply Community of Practice and CATIE on World Hepatitis Day. Register here.

    Demystifying the Cloud for Nonprofits, July 28, 2022
    Hosted by TechSoup with presentation by Amazon Web Services. Register here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022

    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

  • 2022 Conference Themes

    2022 Conference Themes

    Tectonic shifts: rebuilding primary care in a new world
    (more…)

  • Bits & Pieces: member stories, great odds to win and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Member stories
    • The odds of winning a Bright Lights Award are better than you think
    • Member benefit reminder- UpToDate® discounts
    • Reminder – apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council
    • COVID-19 updates
    • Upcoming events including COVID-19: Where we are and where we’re going and more

    Member stories

    Belleville NPLC– QHC honours nurse practitioner-led clinic, Gateway centre for helping patients who lack primary-care providers

    Health TAPESTRY – The implementation and validation of the NoMAD during a complex primary care intervention

    For more information related to Health Tapestry and primary care teams:

    The odds of winning a Bright Lights Award are better than you think

    Did you know the odds of winning a Bright Lights award can be better than presenting at the conference? It’s true!

    via GIPHY

    A theme may get just 3-4 nominations compared to 8-20 concurrent session abstracts per theme this year.

    So don’t wait- apply today! Deadline July 15, 2022.

    For more information regarding eligibility please visit our site.

    Member benefit reminder- UpToDate® discounts

    AFHTO members are able to save on an individual subscription to UpToDate® and optional add-on products. (*Savings on annual and longer subscriptions only and based on subscription type).

    EDs and Admin leads, if you need additional information to access these discounts, please email info@afhto.ca.

    Reminder – 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.

    COVID-19 updates

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

    COVID-19: Where we are and where we’re going, July 8, 2022
    47th in the series ‘Changing the way we work’ for OCFP & UofT’s COVID-19 CoP. Register here.

    Telementoring in occupational medicine for Ontario primary health-care providers, April- July 2022

    Project ECHO OEM sessions are held via videoconference each Friday from April 22 to July 15, 2022. Registration is free and ongoing throughout the cycle. Learn more here.

    New Horizons: Navigating towards the future of family medicine, May – September 2022
    Speaker series hosted by Dr. Danielle Martin, Chair of the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine. Find out more here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022

    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

  • Bits & Pieces: federal funding for LGBTQ2 health services at Sherbourne and more

    Bits & Pieces: federal funding for LGBTQ2 health services at Sherbourne and more

    Your Weekly News & Updates

    In This Issue  
    • Health Canada funding sexual and reproductive health services for LGBTQ2 Communities at Sherbourne
    • More on mental wellness supports for frontline workers
    • Buddy Up: men’s suicide prevention using friendship and peer support
    • Perkopolis- summer & insurance discounts
    • The impact of physical activity on mental health outcomes during COVID and more
    • Reminder about upcoming changes to Infectious Disease Emergency Leave provisions
    • Primary Care Quality Improvement Hub on Quorum
    • Upcoming events including telementoring in occupational medicine and more

    Health Canada funding sexual and reproductive health services for LGBTQ2 Communities at Sherbourne

    Today the federal government announced funding to improve the quality of and access to sexual and reproductive health services for LGBTQ2 communities at Sherbourne Health and other organizations. Read the news release here.

    As we come to the end of Pride Month, we can recognize for many in these communities, heteronormativity is institutionalized within health care. As such, it’s good to continue learning how to provide an inclusive environment for patients. There are many resources including Rainbow Health Ontario.

    Also available from our own archives and teams:

    More on mental wellness supports for frontline workers

    Per Dr. Sylvain Roy, OPA:

    “OPA began partnering with Ontario Health & MOH in January to deliver treatment to all frontline workers (defined relatively broadly to include physicians, paramedics, nurses, PSWs), etc. in Ontario. There are a number of service offerings and referral pathways.

    Persons identifying as frontline workers can self-refer to one of the five mental health hospitals (e.g. CAMH, the Royal…) where they will be matched to a social worker or psychotherapist for up to 6 sessions of 1-1 therapy. If the patient is deemed to require more sessions or may be best served by a psychologist/PA by the hospitals, the frontline worker patient may be referred to an OPA psychologist for 8 (up to 12 sessions) of therapy covered by MOH.  

    Frontline workers can self-refer on the hospital website e.g. https://www.theroyal.ca/covid-frontline-wellness or https://redcapsurveys.camh.ca/redcap/surveys/?s=JK4XK83AYC

    Primary Care Clinicians will be able to refer frontline worker patients directly to OPA psychologists using the same method as before or from within their EMRs. We are now wrapping up the digital integration work between OCEAN (the primary care e-referral platform) to Strata Health (psychologists e-referral platform) that will enable direct primary care clinician referrals to psychologists for the frontline workers programs and more.  Also, CMHA is offering free training to organizations, and Project Echo provides free mental health-focused peer-to-peer support for frontline workers.”

    Additionally, don’t forget OH has released the Mental Wellness Supports for Health Care Workers due to COVID-19 Digital Toolkit.

    Buddy Up: men’s suicide prevention using friendship and peer support

    Men have a suicide rate 3 times higher than women. Buddy Up is a communications campaign focused on male friendship to prevent suicide, run by the Centre for Suicide prevention, part of CMHA. Find out more here.

    Screenshot of discounts inlcuding Canada Wonderland

     

    Perkopolis- summer & insurance discounts

    AFHTO members are eligible to sign up for free access to over 5000 perks through Perkopolis, including discounts on summer activities, products, and home and auto insurance quotes.

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

     

     

     

     

    The impact of physical activity on mental health outcomes during COVID and more

    Recent updates include:

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

    Reminder about upcoming changes to Infectious Disease Emergency Leave provisions

    Courtesy of Maria McDonald, McDonald HR Law, here is an alert reminding you about upcoming changes to the Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (IDEL) Provisions of the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”), including the end to paid and deemed leave.

    Primary Care Quality Improvement Hub on Quorum

    The Ontario Health Primary Care Quality Team invites you to join the Primary Care Quality Improvement Hub on Quorum. The hub provides links to tools, resources, and webinars that can support quality improvement in your practice. Find out more here.

    Telementoring in occupational medicine for Ontario primary health-care providers, April- July 2022

    Project ECHO OEM sessions are held via videoconference each Friday from April 22 to July 15, 2022. Registration is free and ongoing throughout the cycle. Learn more here.

    New Horizons: Navigating towards the future of family medicine, May – September 2022
    Speaker series hosted by Dr. Danielle Martin, Chair of the University of Toronto Department of Family and Community Medicine. Find out more here.

    NPAO 2022 Annual Conference, Sep. 22-23, 2022

    This years’ Conference theme is The NP Experience: Pushing Boundaries Towards Common Goals. Find out more here.

    Data To Action: Making Your Data Visible and Useful, Sep. 28, 2022
    Hosted by TechSoup Connect’s Ontario chapter. Register here.

  • Spring Highlights 2022: AFHTO Leadership Council

    The AFHTO Leadership Council met on June 14, 2022. Below are highlights from the spring 2022 council meeting, projects that are underway, and links to useful resources, including last week’s webinar on the Working for Workers Act.

    Compensation Markey Review in Primary and Community Care

    • We know that compensation rates across teams is a huge concern. Primary and community care providers/staff are underfunded compared to other areas of the healthcare sector, and funding for these roles has not kept up with inflation and cost of living increases.
    • AFHTO has begun work with 10 other associations to provide recommendations to government on reasonable and fair compensation in the sector, outside of acute care.
    • Our RFP has been issued, and a vendor is expected to be confirmed in August. The market review work will be complete in November. A summary of the work will be shared with members shortly.

    Vaccine Update in Primary Care

    • AFHTO received an update from the ministry last week on vaccines in primary care, including those given to Indigenous communities.
    • The Primary Care COVID Vaccine Update can be read here. If you are experiencing any challenges with vaccines in your community, please let us know.

    FHT Contract Consultation

    • FHT 2018-2022 contracts have been extended to March 2023, and AFHTO will be providing recommendations on an updated contract to the ministry in the fall.
    • There are now three working groups discussing the top three areas for modernization in the contract and who will be finalizing recommendations: governance, performance and accountability, and FHT/physician affiliation.
    • AFHTO will keep members apprised of this work and may reach out for more input. Stay tuned for more details!

    AFHTO Conference and Bright Lights Submissions

    • The AFHTO conference is on October 12, and nominations are now open for the Bright Lights Awards. Awards will be presented at the conference – which will be hybrid this year! – and fall in the conference themes:
      • It takes a team: collaboration inside and out
      • Health equity at the centre
      • Sustainable solutions to primary care problems
      • Mental health and addictions
      • Special recognition for underrepresented teams
    • Please check out the Bright Lights Nomination guide here!
    • Any questions, members are welcome to contact Paula Myers.

    Provincial and Federal Advocacy

    • The 2022 election is done, and a majority progressive conservative government has been elected. AFHTO looks forward to continuing our work with them. We expect to learn who the next health minister is shortly and will begin outreach this summer.
    • Thank you to all members for your excellent local advocacy. We encourage you to congratulate your MPP on their (re)election and begin/continue relationship building.
    • Please share any stories and pictures from the election with Beth MacKinnon to support AFHTO’s central advocacy.
    • AFHTO will be starting federal advocacy to encourage prioritization of funding to team-based primary care in Ontario. This advocacy will begin this summer.

    Resource Library Refresh

    • AFHTO is updating our members’ resource library with samples of by-laws, policy manuals, strategic plans, agreements, and more. Many of the samples we post are contributed by members for members, so we need your help!
    • If you have any resources or tools you are willing to share with other teams, please send them to us or to the member on our leadership council who will be reaching out to you. Stay tuned!
    • Members with any questions are welcome to contact Bryn Hamilton.

    Increase in Nurse Practitioners’ Scope of Practice

    • As of July 1, 2022, nurse practitioners will see an increase in their scope allowing them to order computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.
    • NPs will now have the ability to:
      • Refer individuals to the Ontario Lung Screening Program (OLSP) and the High-Risk Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP)
      • Manage unattached OBSP participants with abnormal results
      • Authorize OBSP sites to arrange all assessment tests required for OBSP participants
    • NPs have been able to provide colonoscopy referrals for the ColonCancerCheck (CCC) program, but if they would like to be added to the OH list of providers who can support patients with an abnormal FIT result who does not have a primary care provider, they can put their names on the CCC attachment form.
    • Here are the slide deck and one-pager from Ontario Health for more information. Please share this with the NPs and other members on your team.  

    Managing Risk Post Pandemic

    • As the insurance industry experienced high claims during the pandemic, renewing in 2022 will be met with increased premiums and changes to policy packages. Sourcing for insurance that meets a primary care team’s need within its budget can be cumbersome. Working with an insurance broker can help a team compare its existing policy against what’s available on the market and to get an affordable renewal premium rate.
    • Starting the renewal process at least two months in advance of the coverage expiry gives enough time to evaluate the team’s insurance requirements and the quotes received.
    • To connect with an insurance broker or if you have any questions, please reach out to Sombo Saviye.

    Update on Temporary Retention Incentive for Nurses

    • Roll-out on this funding is slow but the ministry has told AFHTO it is a priority. They’re working on a funding package for approval by the minister, once appointed, as quickly as possible.
    • While timing is not confirmed, the ministry anticipates it may be late summer before nurses begin to see this first payment. The second payment would be in the fall.

    Mental Health Supports for Healthcare Providers

    • Ontario Health has started providing bilingual mental health and wellness supports for healthcare workers, a collection of services alongside the Ontario Psychological Association.
    • Frontline workers can self-refer to one of the five mental health hospitals where they will be matched with a social worker or psychotherapist for up to 6 sessions of 1-1 therapy. If they are deemed to require more sessions or may be best served by a psychologist/PA by the hospitals, the patient may be referred to an OPA psychologist for 8 (up to 12 sessions) of therapy covered by MOH. Check out their digital toolkit.
    • CMHA has also launched Your Health Space, a free mental health program designed to support healthcare organizations in addressing burnout and promoting psychological health and safety in the workplace.

    Working for Workers Act: Tools and Recording from Webinar

    • Maria McDonald from McDonald HR Law joined members of AFHTO, the Alliance, and the NPLCA on June 16 to review and answer questions on the “Working for Workers Act: What Employers Need to Know.”
    • The slide deck, recording, and draft policy can be seen here.

    Other Webcasts and Supports

    Apply to Join AFHTO’s Board of Directors!

    • Members are encouraged to apply to become a board member of AFHTO. There are four 3-year terms open and one 1-year term.
    • To apply, please complete this survey and send your CV to Beth MacKinnon. The deadline is July 29.
    • We encourage you share this invitation with all board members, physicians, and IHPs on your team. Three people on AFHTO’s board can also be non-AFHTO members.

    Apply to join AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council!

    • There are several openings on AFHTO’s IHP Advisory Council. A call has gone out in our weekly newsletter today, and members will also see an email on this soon.
    • EDs and admin leads are asked to encourage IHPs on their team to apply.
    • Any interested IHP is asked to complete this survey by July 29 and can contact Beth MacKinnon with any questions. More information is here.

    Thank you for the great work you all do, and please let us know if there are any other ways in which we can support you. We hope you all find a bit of down time this summer for some much-deserved rest.

    Sincerely,
    Your AFHTO Team