News
St. Michael's Academic FHT’s income security project profiled in the Toronto Star
Dec. 15 - St. Michael’s Academic Hospital FHT was profiled for their work addressing patients’ income security in the Toronto Star. Dr. Andrew Pinto and Karen Tomlinson (both of whom presented on this project at AFHTO’s 2014 conference) along with Dr. Gary Bloch were all recognized for their innovative focus on one of the key social determinants of health. Click here for further details.
HQO Releases Report On End-of-Life Care in Ontario
Dec. 15 - Health Quality Ontario’s (HQO) End-of-Life Health Care in Ontario report was released today. Click here to download the full report and recommendations. The report addresses where the health system must improve to ensure the best end-of-life care for all Ontarians, and highlights the need for an increased number of professionals trained in palliative care.
OCFP recognises family health teams at Annual Scientific Assembly
On Thursday, November 27, 2014 the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP) held their 2014 President’s Installation and Awards Ceremony as part of their 52nd Annual Scientific Assembly. Family health teams and their affiliated physicians figured prominently in the proceedings, not the least of which was London Family Health Team’s Dr.
AFHTO members participating in Ontario Low Back Pain pilot program
Nov. 26 - The government of Ontario announced the launch of a pilot program as part of the province’s Low Back Pain Strategy. Six AFHTO member organizations will be participating in this pilot:
Comparing Health Quality Ontario’s new Measuring Up report to D2D 1.0 results
Health Quality Ontario has just released its yearly report on Ontario’s health system, Measuring Up. The section on primary care presents indicators related to access to primary care, patient experience and recommended screening tests, with some comparisons at the LHIN, provincial and international levels. Click here to view the full report.
Minister’s Medal awarded to family health team physician
Congratulations to Dr. Linda Lee of the Centre for Family Medicine FHT. Announced at Health Quality Transformation 2014, Dr. Lee has been awarded a Minister’s Medal Honouring Excellence in Health Quality & Safety. The award is for her work with CFFM’s Primary Care Memory Clinic (an initiative for which she also received a 2012 Bright Lights award.) Drs.
New Resources and Opportunities: QIP Navigator Training, Award Nominations and Support for Patient Care
FHTs and NPLCs are invited to take advantage of the following opportunities, some of which are time-sensitive. This post includes information on the following:
- QIP Education and Navigator Training to prepare for the launch of the QIP Navigator on Nov. 24
- Nominate an individual for The Change Foundation’s 20 Faces of Change Awards by Nov.
Paris doctor recognized for his work championing the family health team model
Dr. John McDonald, a 2014 Bright Lights Award recipient is interviewed for a profile on his work providing inter-professional health care to patients and promoting the system across Ontario and beyond in the Brantford Expositor. Click here to read the full article.
Toward the next Ministry contract: results from the leadership survey and session
The results of the first phase in our collective journey toward the next Ministry contract has been e-mailed to all AFHTO member Board Chairs, Lead MD/NPs and EDs of AFHTO member organizations. New contracts will come into force for FHTs on April 1, 2016; their content could influence Ministry-NPLC contracts as well.
Governance principles for primary care teams
Family Health Teams and Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics have matured over the 5 – 9 years that each organization has been in existence. Contracts between MOHLTC and FHTs expire on March 31, 2016, with this comes the opportunity to develop a much more mature and meaningful approach to governing these organizations, from the Ministry and through to the board of each FHT and NPLC, to deliver high-quality primary care and improve the health of people in the communities served.