Throughout the AFHTO 2015 conference, we’ll explore the many ways in which team-based primary care is the foundation of a sustainable health system and the diverse approaches teams are taking to strengthen that foundation. All this work takes place within a larger system so to wrap it up we ask - what’s the government’s vision and direction for primary care in Ontario? And how exactly do we move forward from its current state?

Sep. 2 – Minister Dr. Eric Hoskins announced provincial funding for an expanded pilot to provide for patients’ care needs using an approach called bundled care. Taking place in six communities across Ontario, the aim is to help people transition more smoothly from the hospital into their homes. Also known as an "integrated funding model", with this approach a single payment is provided to a group of health care providers to cover care for an individual patient both in the hospital and at home.

The AFHTO annual conference offers unparalleled educational value. More than any other event, it is truly interprofessional, providing opportunities for everyone in primary care to learn and share innovations with their colleagues from across Ontario. This year’s sessions offer a range of topics for everyone within the primary care team, such as:

Thank you to all who submitted nominations to highlight significant achievements being made in primary care. The hard work and thoughtful innovations of our members are truly inspiring. Next steps for awards selection:

“When you can't pay for the drugs you need to treat or manage your health conditions, you get sicker and develop more serious complications. Families, employers and communities are hurt as well. Primary care teams see this every day. We wholeheartedly support this campaign to move toward a national system of pharmacare.”- Angie Heydon, Executive Director The call to create a national drug coverage plan is gaining ground, and with the possibility of a federal election in a few short months, it can now make even greater strides with your support.

AFHTO members are leading the way to advance manageable and meaningful measurement across primary care. This work is critical. Around the world, cost-effective, high-performing health systems are based on a strong foundation of comprehensive primary care; robust measurement is a mandatory ingredient for strengthening that foundation.

July 16 – St. Michael’s Hospital Academic FHT has opened the Sumac Creek Health Centre to help serve Toronto’s downtown east region, including Regent Park, Moss Park and St. James Town. A densely populated area, it’s been underserved with an estimated 10,000 unattached patients who don’t have a primary care provider. A community engagement specialist will help determine the area’s specific needs and ensure the clinic is connected with other community agencies to provide more holistic health care.

AFHTO profiles the efforts of four family health teams (FHTs) and affiliated physician groups (FHOs, RNPGAs) as they integrated components of their respective operations such as procurement, staffing and strategic planning. Building an effective, collaborative, interdisciplinary team is essential to your success in delivering primary care. Combining people – physicians, IHPs and admin staff – presents added challenges when they come from different entities with different policies and ways of doing things.

July 9 – The Peterborough Examiner described the Peterborough Networked FHT partnership with the YMCA “as the next step toward a healthy community. It should also be the next step toward a comprehensive "green prescription" program across Ontario.” The first of its kind in the province, The Prescription ... to Physical Activity ... to Better Health initiative aims to address the increase in sedentary lifestyles with more than 100 family doctors, nurse practitioners and dietitians prescribing exercise for patients who need it.

July 3 – Dr. Ruth Wilson, a Queen’s FHT physician and former AFHTO board member, was named a member of the Order of Canada on Canada Day. The recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Wilson, who’s also a professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Queen's University, was moved by the honour, saying “it's not specific to my profession, it's an award on behalf of the nation.” According to The Kingston Whig- Standard, Wilson said family medicine's biggest accomplishment is the establishment of new models of care.