Over 170 submissions were received for concurrent session and poster presentations at the AFHTO 2015 Conference. Thank you to all those who applied!

A confirmation e-mail has been sent to the contact person for each abstract submission. If you are part of a group that has prepared an abstract, please ensure your group contact has received the e-mail with the subject: “AFHTO 2015 Conference: thank you for submitting your abstract”.

May 13 – According to Police Service Chief Robert Keetch, the Neighbourhood Resource Centre has been instrumental in decreasing crime in downtown Sault Ste. Marie. The centre, launched by Sault Ste. Marie police last May, serves as an access point for area residents to medical assistance provided by Superior FHT team members and community agencies, such as Ontario Works, Children's Aid Society and Canadian Mental Health Association. Superior FHT’s lead physician, Dr.

May 13 – Based on successful pilots at the East End FHT, Great Northern FHT and Superior FHT, a new telepsychiatry program aims to create a collaborative care model for both patients and providers and increase access to mental health care across the North.

May 4 – Sometimes wait list times for psychiatric services last up to a year but family doctors are often the first to hear about children and teens’ mental health concerns. With this in mind Central Lambton FHT has partnered with Western University's Schulich School of Medicine in what is believed to be a first-in-Ontario research project. The goal is to better equip them to assist rural youth who have mental health issues.

April 15- AFHTO welcomes the release of “Experiencing Integrated Care: Ontarians’ views of health care coordination and communication”, Health Quality Ontario’s (HQO) report on patients’ experiences of their transitions between health care providers and the associated care coordination and communication. The report focuses mainly on patients’ experiences of transitions and communication between doctors, specialists and hospitals.

April 20- The Ottawa Citizen profiled Akausivik Inuit FHT for their whole person approach to patient care. The team treats members of Ottawa’s Inuit community, the biggest Inuit population of Canadian cities outside of the Arctic. With patients that tend to have other issues that can complicate their treatment and their health, such as their living conditions, team members take care to address these issues along with their overall health. Care is also provided in both Inuktitut and English.

April 16 - Two Rivers FHT honoured at Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO)'s Annual General Meeting           Left to R

April 8 - The Thamesview Family Health Team is hosting the RENEW program in the Chatham-Kent area. RENEW (Resources, Education, Nutrition, Exercise, Wellness) is a free four-week program for cancer survivors featuring experts, including a genetic counsellor, registered dietitian and physiotherapist, who provide insight into the next steps in the cancer journey. When patients are discharged from cancer treatment they and their caregivers are often left with a lot of questions and need for support.

Mar 31- On Friday Mar 27, funding for the Erie-St. Clair LHIN was announced including a new two-year pilot project to treat lower back pain and for physiotherapy in primary care. Physiotherapy, chiropractic and massage therapy will be available at the Essex County Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic, the VON — Nurse Practioner-Led Clinic and City Centre Health Care.

Recent media coverage about family health teams and team-based primary care as a whole have pointed to its value to patients in Ontario and the government’s intent to review primary health care models and balance healthcare spending.