D1 - Go Big or Go Home! Launching a novel, large-scale, community program beyond the roster.

1. Access to care: improving access to team-based care

  • Date: Friday, September 20, 2019
  • Concurrent Session D
  • Time: 9:45am 10:30am

  • Room: Harbour C
  • Style: Presentation (information provided to audience, with opportunity for audience to ask question)
  • Focus: Practical (e.g. Presentation on how to implement programs and/or practices in the team environment)
  • Target Audience: Leadership (ED, clinical lead, board chair, board member, etc.), Clinical providers, Administrative staff, Representatives of stakeholder/partner organizations

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session delegates will be able to:  

  • establish processes to build and accelerate collaborative, innovative cross-sector relationships  
  • outline a strategic, cross-sector approach to leverage system capacity to improve equitable access to care for all Ontarians  
  • describe a successful, scaled, innovative, integrative, values-based model of team-based primary care that is expanded sub-regionally beyond the roster  
  • identify strategies to drive success and limit challenges during program management

Summary/Abstract

Through an unpiloted, sub-regional, multi-program implementation process, the Burlington Family Health Team (BFHT) will share lessons learned in establishing equitable community access to group-based physiotherapy. Following proposal submission in 2017, BFHT received funding in May 2018, the program expanded in September to provide community mental and physical health services to support anyone with a Burlington primary care provider. Through population health framework and a generalist approach, physical therapy services focus on education, self-management, exercise, and transition to community physical activity programming – to culture physical literacy; continual system navigation support is incorporated.    

Program content and eligibility was based on locally identified gaps and the mandate to not duplicate services and deliver in a group format. For example, we offer services to those who could not otherwise access rehabilitative services; to those > 65 years who are ineligible for community-based physiotherapy (e.g. stable chronic conditions- arthritis, multiple sclerosis, post-stroke) and to those 19-64 years who need acute (e.g. post fracture, sprain, strain or day surgery) or chronic care. Furthermore, we deliver group programming for those living with persistent pain and for those who need individualized, progressive, functional exercises for mobility and balance challenges.    

The project highlights strategies to drive success, overcome challenges, leverage cross-sector relationships, align with local needs and provincial health reform and to progress community health leadership. This novel initiative exemplifies a successful model that improves access to all Ontarians that is a scaled, community wide expansion beyond the roster. Importantly, this evidence-informed, innovative, integrative, values-based model of team-based primary care provides the framework and incentive to advocate for further Ministry funding and expansion for group-based physical therapy across the province.
 

Presenter

  • Anne Svetik-Jones, Physiotherapist, Team Lead, The Burlington Family Health Team
  • Emily Watson Physiotherapist, Community Development Lead, The Burlington Family Health Team

Authors/Contributors

  • Emily Watson Physiotherapist, Community Development Lead, The Burlington Family Health Team
  • Anne Svetik-Jones, Physiotherapist, Team Lead, The Burlington Family Health Team