May 13 – Based on successful pilots at the East End FHT, Great Northern FHT and Superior FHT, a new telepsychiatry program aims to create a collaborative care model for both patients and providers and increase access to mental health care across the North. Family Health Teams in the North East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) will be linked by the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) to dedicated psychiatrists at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto who will provide consults with patients and support team members with their clinical questions. According to Dr. Alan McLean with the Superior FHT, the program “has cut down the wait list for very seriously ill patients by more than six months.” Five more FHTs will be linked to psychiatric care during the expansion phase. Read the full article for further details.
