AFHTO is pleased to support Health Quality Ontario’s (HQO) Learning Community Wave 4 in Advanced Access and Efficiency for Primary Care.  I'm writing to let FHTs know about an upcoming opportunity to participate in this valuable learning experience. An important goal for a clinic implementing advanced access is that patients calling to schedule a visit are offered an appointment with their provider on their day of choice, which may be the same day or a prebooked appointment for a future day .

From www.ohatoday.com -- As part of their Safe at Work Ontario strategy, the Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) is conducting an Infection Prevention and Control heightened enforcement campaign at healthcare organizations throughout the month of November.

Changes to Nurse Practitioners’ (NPs) practice resulting from legislative amendments will take effect on Oct. 1, 2011; therefore, the College of Nurses of Ontario has released a new Nurse Practitioner practice standard, which includes new expectations for NP practice. Visit www.cno.org/np to download a copy of the new practice standard and to read other information related to the changes to NP practice, including frequently asked questions and NP practice resources.

Click here to access an update bulletin from MOHLTC's Primary Health Care Branch on the NPAR pilot project.

By January 1st, 2012 Family Health Teams must comply with the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service. The information below is provided for your reference, from MOHLTC's FHT to Print newsletter, Winter 2011 edition.

Family Health Team membership in AFHTO surpassed the 90% mark as of in the last week of September.  171 of Ontario's 186 FHTs have now joined. AFHTO is the voice for Family Health Teams (FHTs) in this province.

The purpose of this AFHTO-OMA collaboration is to inform both associations on the experience of physicians working in this model, and gain insight into their needs, ideas, issues and concerns.  The results will be released as part of a joint OMA/AFHTO presentation and discussion at the AFHTO 2011 Conference on Oct. 26. FHT physicians will receive the link to the on-line survey from the Lead Physician or ED of your FHT. If you have not received this link, please send an e-mail to info@afhto.ca .

Aging at home the right way: Toronto Family Health Team’s Virtual Ward is the story that appears in the October 2011 issue of Hospital News. Click here to read the  Hospital News story. Click here for more background on SETFHT's Virtual Ward.

Transdisciplinary Understanding and Training on Research– Primary Health Care -- “TUTOR‐PHC” Program information and application forms for TUTOR-PHC are now available on TUTOR-PHC’s website at http://www.uwo.ca/fammed/csfm/tutor-phc/applications/applicationforms.html For more information about TUTOR-PHC, go to http://www.uwo.ca/fammed/csfm/tutor-

Wellington hospitals, Family Health Teams, Community Care Access Centres and Mental Health Services signed a collective agreement last Wednesday aimed at optimizing health and patient care in our rural communities. The local rural health partners include Groves Memorial Community Hospital, North Wellington Heath Care, Minto-Mapleton, Mount Forest and Upper Grand Family Health Teams, Waterloo Wellington Community Care Access Centre and Trellis Mental Health and Developmental Services.