Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Family Health Teams in Ontario

Ten years ago the concept of “Family Health Teams” was first announced. This anniversary follows a week in which two important studies have published evidence of the value of interprofessional collaboration in Ontario’s Family Health Teams, and in interprofessional primary care models across Canada. To mark this event, the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario received recognition in Ontario’s Legislature and issued the news release below.

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Ontario’s Family Care Teams are Providing Better Care and Better Value to Patients March 17^th – Toronto – On the 10^th anniversary of the creation of Family Health Teams in Ontario, the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO), proclaimed the success of team-based primary care models to enhance patient outcomes, save the province money, and improve patient and provider satisfaction. “Evidence from around the world and right here in Ontario show that when patients have access to high quality, team-based primary care that patients, providers and the health care system all benefit from improved health outcomes at a better cost,” said Angie Heydon, Executive Director of AFHTO. “As a result, we believe all patients should have access to this high standard of care in the province.” A recent Ontario study concluded that interprofessional care is resulting in:

Enhanced access to primary care and other health care services.
Improved coordination, collaboration and patient-centredness.
Better clinical outcomes.
Enhanced patient and provider satisfaction.
More system efficiency.
Decreased wait times for primary care, diagnostic testing and mental health assessments.

AFHTO is embarking on a province-wide campaign to enlist support from MPPs of all parties in the hopes of securing broad support for the expansion and enhancement of family care teams in the province as soon as possible. “Family care teams are providing care to almost a million people who didn’t previously have a doctor. They’re keeping patients out of the emergency rooms. And they’re helping enhance disease prevention and health promotion initiatives in the province.” Remarked Keri Selkirk, AFHTO President and Executive Director of the Thames Valley Family Health Team, “We’re providing better care, and saving the province money. It just makes sense to redouble efforts to ensure that more patients are benefitting from this care.” AFHTO is a not-for-profit association representing Ontario’s family care teams, which includes Family Health Teams, Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics, and others who provide interprofessional comprehensive primary care.