News
Optimizing value of and access to team-based primary care
Evidence tells us that, with a team-based approach to primary care, patients experience more timely access to care, better care coordination and improved management of their chronic diseases. At present, about 25-30% of Ontarians can access team-based primary care. The logical question is – how do we expand access to primary care teams and get the best value from this investment?
What is a Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist (QIDSS)?
Over 30 Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialists (QIDSS) are dispersed across the province to help members access and use data better to improve care, supported by our Quality Improvement Decision Support (QIDS) program.
St. Michael's Academic FHT expanding poverty treatment program
May 25 - St. Michael’s Academic Hospital Family Health Team’s focus on treating poverty as a root cause of poor health continues to grow as profiled in the Toronto Star.
AFHTO 2015 Conference: Thank you to everyone who submitted an abstract!
Over 170 submissions were received for concurrent session and poster presentations at the AFHTO 2015 Conference. Thank you to all those who applied!
A confirmation e-mail has been sent to the contact person for each abstract submission. If you are part of a group that has prepared an abstract, please ensure your group contact has received the e-mail with the subject: “AFHTO 2015 Conference: thank you for submitting your abstract”.
Superior FHT and Partners’ Neighbourhood Resource Centre has Great Impact in Sault Ste. Marie
May 13 – According to Police Service Chief Robert Keetch, the Neighbourhood Resource Centre has been instrumental in decreasing crime in downtown Sault Ste. Marie. The centre, launched by Sault Ste. Marie police last May, serves as an access point for area residents to medical assistance provided by Superior FHT team members and community agencies, such as Ontario Works, Children's Aid Society and Canadian Mental Health Association. Superior FHT’s lead physician, Dr.
Northern FHTs partner with CAMH in new Telepsychiatry Program
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.
Central Lambton FHT and partners address young patients’ mental health needs
May 4 – Sometimes wait list times for psychiatric services last up to a year but family doctors are often the first to hear about children and teens’ mental health concerns. With this in mind Central Lambton FHT has partnered with Western University's Schulich School of Medicine in what is believed to be a first-in-Ontario research project. The goal is to better equip them to assist rural youth who have mental health issues.
HQO Report: Patient experiences of care coordination and communication
April 15- AFHTO welcomes the release of “Experiencing Integrated Care: Ontarians’ views of health care coordination and communication”, Health Quality Ontario’s (HQO) report on patients’ experiences of their transitions between health care providers and the associated care coordination and communication. The report focuses mainly on patients’ experiences of transitions and communication between doctors, specialists and hospitals.
Akausivik Inuit FHT: “Ottawa's 'best-kept secret'”
April 20- The Ottawa Citizen profiled Akausivik Inuit FHT for their whole person approach to patient care. The team treats members of Ottawa’s Inuit community, the biggest Inuit population of Canadian cities outside of the Arctic. With patients that tend to have other issues that can complicate their treatment and their health, such as their living conditions, team members take care to address these issues along with their overall health. Care is also provided in both Inuktitut and English.