Are you interested in serving on the AFHTO board of directors? The Governance Committee of AFHTO’s board invites anyone who works within an AFHTO member organization to apply. Please share this call for nominations with all who work in your team.

June 26 - Essex County NPLC is promoting cervical cancer screening for women in Ford City, a Windsor neighbourhood with a low rate of regular checkups. Residents experience multiple barriers to health care such as transportation issues, poverty and not having a family doctor, which is why an outreach office was opened there three years ago.

Thank you to everyone who submitted an abstract for concurrent session and poster presentations at the AFHTO 2015 Conference. The working groups have now reviewed all submissions and a notification e-mail has been sent to each contact person. If you are part of a group that has prepared an abstract, please ensure your group contact has received an e-mail including the words “AFHTO 2015 Conference” in the subject this week.

Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care aims to introduce amendments to the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) in the fall. If passed, these amendments would include making it mandatory to report breaches to the commissioner’s office; lifting the requirement that offences be prosecuted within six months of an alleged breach, and doubling fines for individuals and organizations.

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?

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.

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”.

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.

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.