SGFP Email, Strategic Plan, Compensation Update, Patients First, Regional Governance & Leadership Workshops and Membership Survey

The email below was sent to AFHTO member EDs, Lead MDs & NPs and Board Chairs.

Email from the SGFP

We realize that the email correspondence sent out on Sunday, April 9^th by the OMA Section on General and Family Practice (SGFP) is raising a number of questions and concerns and we are trying to clarify the data sharing issues with the SGFP. We are not aware of any requirements for FHTs to report to LHINs, nor has any data reporting requirements to the Ministry changed. We are, however, working collaboratively with the OMA on a data sharing agreement template which we hope to share with the members soon.

AFHTO Strategic Plan

Thank you to everyone that participated in the webinars last week – Setting the course for our new direction: Draft AFHTO Strategic Plan 2017 to 2020. This is an interesting time in health care and as we move from transition to transformation, we want to make sure that AFHTO is well set up with its priorities to support its membership. If you did not participate in the webinars and would like to hear more about what is being proposed, click here to see the video or the slides. We want to also make sure you have a chance to provide feedback so if you have any thoughts as you read through the vision, mission and strategic priorities, please send them to info@afhto.ca by April 21^st.

Compensation Update

And a huge thank you to everyone that has participated in the Compensation Campaign Phase 2: Getting to the 2012 Rates. As a reminder, AFHTO, along with AOHC and NPAO, continues to call on the Ontario government to support primary health care interprofessional teams by investing an additional $130 million annually to bring our team members to the 2012 recommended wage rates. Our members took up the call to action and as at the end of March 2017, over 900 e-letters, 1800 petition signatures, 45 letters from Boards of Directors, 450 tweets and 14 mentions of the petition in Hansard have been reported. Meetings have also occurred with the Premier’s Office, Minister’s Office, Minister of Finance’s Office, Treasury Board Secretariat, the opposition health critics…not to mention the number of meetings our members have had with their own MPPs! We are eagerly waiting for the Ontario budget announcement (hopefully later this month) to see what impact our campaign has had and to set the path towards Phase 3.  Keep the conversations going with your elected officials to ensure this issue stays top of mind.

Patients First Update

Four weeks to the First Planned CCAC to LHIN Transfer – to stay up to date with the Patients First Act and to learn more about when the transfers will be completed in your LHIN, click here.

There continues to be questions pertaining to the Patients First legislation and FHTs/NPLCs; AFHTO is working with the Ministry and the LHINs to ensure consistent messaging:

• Base funding for FHTs & NPLCs will continue to flow through the Primary Health Care Branch, Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MoHLTC).
• FHT-MoHLTC contracts and NPLC-MoHLTC contracts will also remain with the Ministry.
• FHTs & NPLCs are now health service providers (HSPs). The Local Health System Integration Act, 2006 now lists FHTs & NPLCs as HSPs. See section 2(2)11. That section is “in force”.

• However, LHSIA only applies to the agencies who are actually receiving funding from LHINs (there is nothing that a FHT/NPLC has to do under LHSIA if it is not receiving funding from the LHIN).
• The legislation enables LHINs to fund FHTs & NPLCs directly for certain projects, programs, and/or initiatives – the legislation applies IF AND WHEN the LHIN starts funding FHTs & NPLCs for projects, programs and/or initiatives.
• IF funding is received directly from the LHIN for projects, programs and/or initiatives, the LHIN and the FHT/NPLC shall enter into a service accountability agreement (section 2.0).
• If you have not connected with your LHIN, you are highly encouraged to do so to learn more about your LHIN’s process of entering into HSP contracts. Let us know if you have any questions at info@afhto.ca.

Regional Governance & Leadership Workshops

AFHTO has conducted Governance & Leadership workshops in 13 of the 14 LHIN regions to support FHT & NPLC leadership in asking the question: “what can we be doing now to prepare for the future state?” Implementing strengthened governance practices, understanding the current primary care landscape and encouraging generative conversations at the board level can help us collectively prepare for the known – and unknown – changes occurring in our primary care system. For a summary of what we heard across the province, click here.

Membership Survey

As part of the membership renewal this year, we have asked our members to fill in a membership survey to give AFHTO a better picture of its members. We apologize for the lengthiness of the survey but as we go through health system reform, we are seeing an increase of interest in FHTs & NPLCs and the great work that is being done in primary care.

To better represent the interests of our members and to advocate on your behalf, it always helps to have data. For example, with those who have filled out the survey already – 100% indicate that they provide home visits, 87% indicate that they are a skills based Board and 85% indicate that AFHTO needs to continue its leadership in measurement through participation in D2D. But we need everyone’s participation so please make it a priority to fill this in over the next few months. If you would rather just share your AOPs (we do not have access to them), please send to info@afhto.ca.