Your Weekly News & Updates
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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, Director of Policy and Communications at the Alliance for Healthier Communities and Kavita Mehta, CEO, AFHTO
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?
AFHTO will be working with the Alliance on spreading social prescribing in team-based primary care and is looking forward to working collaboratively together on this important work.
Our new location
We’re happy to announce we have officially moved into office space subleased from the Ontario College of Family Physicians.
We’re now sharing space with OCFP and Centre for Effective Practice staff in the heart of downtown Toronto. Phone extensions will be updated today but our main line is working. All email addresses remain the same.
“Co-locating provides AFHTO an opportunity to strengthen our partnerships and align opportunities for joint advocacy, policy and resource development. By moving downtown, we are also closer to our Ministry, Ontario Health and political contacts which helps with strengthening our relationships”, explains Kavita Mehta, CEO, AFHTO.
Novel coronavirus updates including Q & A on personal protective equipment supply
We continue to update the relevant page on the Novel Coronavirus, including with the latest situation reports and Q & A on personal protective equipment supply. “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.
Reminder- Improving cancer screening rates and reducing related disparities, Feb. 20
Primary care plays a central role in cancer screening, but screening efforts don’t reach everyone. St. Michael’s Hospital Academic FHT worked with patients living with low income to understand barriers to screening and co-design solutions. On Feb. 20 join Drs. Aisha Lofters and Tara Kiran as they share practical, evidence-based ways to improve cancer screening rates and reduce income-related disparities.
Lung cancer screening for people at high risk
Ontario’s Lung Cancer Screening for People at High Risk programming is now available at the University Health Network. Teams can support patients in pursuing low-dose CT screening either through providing a referral or inviting them to self-present by calling 416-340-4154.
The following is the entry criteria:
- Current or former smoker age 55 to 74
- Have smoked cigarettes daily for at least 20 years in their lifetime (not necessarily 20 years in a row).
For eligible self-presenters, screening staff will contact the primary care provider for a mandatory physician referral to authorize LDCT for screening. For more information, please visit their site.
The Promise of Virtual Care slides and video
Ontario Health (Quality) has posted Quality Rounds Ontario on the topic of The Promise of Virtual Care recorded session and the slide deck on their website. Questions and answers will be posted on Quorum in the coming weeks. One of the most common questions was where viewers could find a copy of the OTN Primary Care eVisit evaluation; click here to access that evaluation.
Regional Geriatric Program of Toronto online education modules
Co-developed with geriatric clinical experts from Ontario, 2 new educational modules in the sfCare Learning Series have been launched for clinicians, which build on the knowledge from the introductory modules on the topics of delirium and urinary incontinence:
Lung health needs assessment
The Centre for Effective Practice (CEP) and the Ontario Lung Association (OLA) are seeking feedback from family physicians, primary care nurse practitioners and other healthcare providers who treat patients with respiratory conditions about their clinical education needs relating to lung health. Respond to the survey here.
Primary Care Virtual Community, Feb 13, 2020
The Primary Care Virtual Community brings together leaders in primary care interested in enabling meaningful system change. The virtual community is a collaboration developed by the OCFP and AFHTO and convened by The Change Foundation. This session’s focus is organizing primary care – learn from 9 communities across Ontario who are strengthening primary care by bringing the sector together.
Improving cancer screening rates and reducing related disparities, Feb. 20
On Feb. 20 join Drs. Aisha Lofters and Tara Kiran as they share practical, evidence-based ways to improve cancer screening rates and reduce income-related disparities. Register here.
Advance Care Planning Lead Trainer Program, Feb. 11 & 13, 2020 (and more)
Are you a health service provider who has the support to build and sustain a team of volunteer facilitators? Hospice Palliative Care Ontario invites you to participate in this interactive training program that will guide you in training your volunteers to facilitate community Advance Care Planning presentations to the general public. Find out more here.
Is your work making you wheeze? Feb. 25, 2020
Attend this webinar suitable for healthcare providers and other employees, hosted by the Lung Association. View all Lung Associations’ upcoming events here.
Black Physician Association Ontario Annual Health Symposium, Feb. 29, 2020
Keynote speaker will be the inspiring Dr. Lisa Robinson, Associate Dean of Inclusion and Diversity at the University of Toronto. Learn more here.
Primary Care Electronic Medical Record Tools for Advance Care Planning and Palliative Care, March 12, 2020
In the third webinar in the HPCO Winter webinar series, our Board Director Dr. Kevin Samson, along with Justin Wolting from the eHealth Centre of Excellence, will be presenting to assist health care professionals and support staff.
Learn more here.
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