This strategic plan charts the next steps in the journey to establish FHTs as a highly-valuable and valued model for delivering primary health care to Ontarians, and to develop the capacity for its representative body, AFHTO, to be their strong and effective voice. A draft plan, built upon the consensus achieved among 150 FHT leaders in November 2009, was sent out to all FHT leaders for consultation at the end of January.
A web-based meeting attended by over 70 FHT leaders on February 9 indicated agreement with AFHTO’s general direction. We would like to hear more from you about where we place our priorities and how we resource the work needed to advance them.
The Minister of Health Promotion and Sport just announced a new program here. The Ministry of Health’s FHT Unit is sending out a “Question and Answer” package to help staff in FHTs respond to public inquiries about this program. In the next week or two, FHTs that want to participate will be invited to complete and submit an expression of interest document.
AFHTO works with FHTs and for FHTs as the advocate, champion, network and resource centre for this innovative model of care. Our membership is our strength. We need your help to determine AFHTO’s path for the next 2-3 years to ensure it captures and reflects the key priorities shared by FHTs across Ontario.
It is with great excitement and anticipation that the Listowel Memorial Hospital, the Listowel Memorial Hospital Foundation, the Listowel Medical Centre, John Wilkinson, MPP for Perth-Wellington and the North Perth Family Health Team announce the beginning of construction of the Fisher Family Primary Care Centre. The new centre is being named in honor of the Fisher family and their generous contribution toward the capital construction.
As we draw to the close of 2010, AFHTO salutes the continued progress of the Family Health Teams of Ontario. We are now 200 strong, thanks to your vision, commitment and innovation, proving the value of the FHT model.
Those with a chronic disease live with their condition every day – and even though they rely on the support of their healthcare team, they can feel isolated and alone. And when their condition pushes outside norms, they can feel confused and frightened. Their healthcare team can also be hampered by a lack of information – on the current medical condition of their chronic disease patient and on their overall medical status – because they see the patient infrequently and because the patient’s medical record is often not available for sharing amongst team members.
AFHTO has just launched a Members Only feature -- click on the Member Login tab to enter. Here you’ll find a wealth of resources to help members in governing, managing and delivering care in their FHTs. Resources on AFHTO’s Members Only website includes 27 presentations from the AFHTO 2010 conference, guides and toolkits prepared specifically for FHTs, convenient links to resources from QIIP and the Quality in Family Practice Project, and Members Only news.
Apply by December 10 to join QIIP’s Office Practice Redesign Action Group. QIIP (Quality Improvement and Innovation Partnership) is a non-profit organization funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, focused on advancing improvement in primary healthcare in Ontario.
The doctors of Wise Elephant FHT have adopted a group of small villages in Samthar Valley, West Bengal, India and partnered with a local NGO called Awake and Shine in India. Their current project is to convert a dirt footpath into a stone footpath to make it usable all year round for the schoolchildren. As the villages are in the foothills of the Himalayas, the dirt footpaths to this school become next to impassable due to the heavy monsoon rains. As part of their fundraising effort, Drs.