Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health is informing all health system partners of preparedness activities related to influenza A (H7N9):

The AFHTO board is pleased to announce the renewed vision, mission and strategic priorities to guide our work on behalf of our members over the next 2 – 3 years. Please click here for more information.

One year after releasing Ontario's Action Plan for Health Care, Health Minister Deb Matthews presented her progress report today.  She called it a plan for “fundamental transformation” that puts “family health care at the centre of the system.”

Congratulations to the Wise Elephant and West Carleton Family Health Teams, first and third-place winners in Canada Health Infoway’s ImagineNation Outcomes Challenge, competing in the Patient Access to Health Information category against teams across the country.

Peninsula Family Health Team’s innovative work to connect its rural population to specialist support is featured in this week’s Healthy Debate. Go to http://healthydebate.ca/opinions/telemedicine.

Innovation Award Winner – Sherbourne Health Centre, Infirmary Program The Sherbourne Health Centre, which encompasses the Sherbourne Family Health Team, was honoured for developing an innovative program to provide chemo and radiation therapies to individuals experiencing homelessness, or those with no real ‘home’. These patients face significant barriers to accessing mainstream treatment. Even those in shelters or rooming houses lack a sufficiently safe or hygienic environment, and cannot appropriately dispose of the toxic chemotherapeutic waste.

Dr. Arlene King, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, announced the release of Seasonal Influenza 2012/ 2013: Ontario’s Blueprint for Action. This document updates the 2011/ 2012 Blueprint for Action by outlining the actions that the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Public Health Ontario and the Ministry of Labour are taking to support the health system’s response to this year’s influenza season.

AFHTO is pleased to share the launch of Health Quality Ontario’s (HQO) Learning Community Wave 6 in Advanced Access, Efficiency and Chronic Disease Management in Primary Care as a valuable learning opportunity for family health teams.  Advanced Access, Efficiency and Chronic Disease Management in Primary Care has been designed to assist providers in reaching this goal by offering Independent and Coach-Supported Learning programs.

Today's edition of the Healthydebate Weekly Digest features the work done by Dorval Medical FHT to deliver high quality of care, high capacity and lower than average costs through measurement and reporting.  Click here to read the story.

Demonstrating and Celebrating the Value of Family Health Teams – this is the focal point of the AFHTO 2012 Conference, and the reason for launching the AFHTO Bright Lights Awards program.  These awards recognize the leadership, outstanding work and significant progress being made to improve the value delivered by family health teams.