Registrations for Alliance's comprehensive primary health care conference are NOW OPEN. Sign-up before April 28th, 2023 to make the most of our early bird pricing!
DATE: June 7-8, 2023
VENUE: Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel & Suites, 600 Hwy 7, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1B2
As Ontario continues to transform its health system, health equity and community health and wellbeing must be front of mind. With health systems in crisis in Canada and around the world, governments and policymakers are urgently searching for solutions and sustainable models that can meet the needs of their populations while promoting equitable health and wellbeing. Continuing to constantly work in crisis and emergency mode simply isn’t an option. The question is: How do we build an integrated care system that can help prevent illness and avoid crises, reduce strain on the health system, while building up programs, organizations and networks that support people to be well, stay well, and live well in their communities?
This conference will be an opportunity to imagine and learn about what an integrated health system built around health equity and community can look like, and the steps needed to get there in the context of Ontario Health Teams. We cordially invite you to join us in person for Connected Communities: Building Equitable Integrated Healthcare. This Primary Health Care Conference will focus on ways to centre community voices and needs, and how to build foundations on comprehensive primary health care, health promotion, chronic disease prevention and management, and actively addressing the determinants of health (housing, income, food security, etc.). Health disparities in resources and access to care disproportionately affect marginalized people and communities, especially Black and racialized populations; Indigenous people; Francophone communities; people who identify as 2SLGBTQ+; people living on low incomes; and people living in rural, remote and Northern communities, among others. By designing an integrated health system that is centered in community and the needs of marginalized populations, we will create a health system that better serves everyone living in Ontario.
At the Connected Communities conference, we will focus on community-led innovation and solutions tapping into new research results and evidence-informed practices that are demonstrating how integrated care systems that focus on health equity and community are improving population health outcomes.
Join us, and let’s seize this opportunity together to connect with a diverse array of stakeholders to share learnings on how to build Ontario Health Teams that are equitable and centered around community.
- Conference Priority Topics
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The two-day conference will explore various topics including (but not limited to):
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Ontario Health Teams
- Community-centred governance,
- The Role of Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams in OHTs
- The role of health promotion and community development (mental health, harm reduction, community programming, etc.) in OHTs
- Healthcare policy and governance
- Digital equity
- Data sharing and security in an integrated health system
- Innovative solutions to the HHR crisis
- Innovative programs or initiatives being offered by OHTs addressing health inequities
- Indigenous health in Indigenous hands in integrated health systems
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- Sessions Format
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Program and Practice Spotlights (10 min): 10-minute story presentation about an effective approach, applied research initiative or an innovative practice or program.
Panel Presentations (60 min): A coordinated presentation by up to three panelists, and possibly a discussant, providing an in-depth, theme-based exploration of a current issue facing community-centred primary health care.
Skill Building Workshops (60 min): The presenter teaches or demonstrates a specific skill or practice required in a primary health care setting. These sessions will include an engaging interactive component that enables participants to explore how they might apply such skill or practices in their setting.
Practice and Research Posters: Present the work your team is doing, research or other innovation in a poster format.
Learning session
- June, 07 - Morning Sessions
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1A. Name of session: Addressing Health Inequities Through Strategic Partnerships
Short description: Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre, Greater Hamilton Health Network, Black Health Community Leaders Forum, City of Hamilton (GO-VAXX Mobile Vaccine Clinic and Vaccine Ambassadors) and Hamilton Health Sciences (Screen for Life – mobile cancer screening) along with other community partners collaborated to host a series of events that culminated to the final event - Africa Day Health Promotion Fair on May 26 at Hamilton Urban Core CHC. This was aimed at bringing awareness to health issues that are prevalent to the Black community in Hamilton and providing information and direct access to services.
Presenter information: Nhlaloenhle 'Nala' Ndawana, Executive Director, Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre; Melissa McCallum, Executive Director, Greater Hamilton Health Network; Comfort Afari , Lead Person –In- Charge, Hamilton Black Health Community Leaders Forum
Session format: Panel Presentations (60 min)
Audience: Front line/clinical and/or program staff, Senior management, Policy makers
Conference priority topics: Ontario Health Teams, The role of health promotion and community development (mental health, harm reduction, community programming, etc.) in OHTs, Innovative programs or initiatives being offered by OHTs addressing health inequities
2A. Name of session: Governance: Ontario Health Teams Governance Models
Short description: TBC
Presenter information: TBC
Session format: TBC
Audience: Senior management
Conference priority topics: TBC
3A. Name of session: Improving Indigenous Health Outcomes through a Model of Culture as Healing
Short description: TBC
Presenter information: Nicole Blackman, Director of Integrated Care and Clinical Services, IPHCC; Alexandra Barlow, Policy & Program Analyst, IPHCC
Session format: Skill building workshop (60 mins)
Audience: All audiences
Conference priority topics: Indigenous health in Indigenous hands in integrated health systems
4A. Name of session: Rural partnerships to build infrastructure
Short description: Overview of process to create effective rural partnerships to create a health clinic attached to the rural Waterloo Township of Wellesley recreation complex.
Presenter information: Rosslyn Bentley, Executive Director, Woolwich Community Health Centre
Session format: Skill Building Workshops (60 min)
Audience: Senior management, Policy makers, Board members
Conference priority topics: Ontario Health Teams, Community-centred governance, The role of health promotion and community development (mental health, harm reduction, community programming, etc.) in OHTs
5A. Name of session: Serving Invisible Needs: Primary Care and Community Support for Black Francophone Newcomers
Short description: There is a great need for Black Francophone services in the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario.
At TAIBU, 17 % of our clients are Black Francophones, and over 70% of that population are newcomers. The existing infrastructure and support services in Toronto and Ontario are not sufficient to meet the needs of this growing population group. We propose to build on TAIBUs model for delivering services to this population and develop a specialized Black Francophone social support hub in the GTA that will provide direct support for newcomer families and young people, as well as capacity building training for service providers. These changes need to be prioritized by OHTs that are responsible for facilitating and delivering a full and coordinated continuum of care to a defined population. At present, the francophone population of Ontario is considered secondary to the anglophone population. Francophones that are Black and in addition newcomers are invisible when it comes to service delivery and social policies. Only those organizations who choose to recognize this population and choose to prioritize them are currently addressing their needs. OHTs need to actively acknowledge this population and begin to strategically serve them at a higher level in order to ensure the success of these communities in this province.
Presenter information: Francine Charpentier, Nurse Practitioner, TAIBU CHC ; Liben Gebremikael, CEO, TAIBUCHC
Session format: Skill Building Workshops (60 min)
Audience: All audiences
Conference priority topics: The Role of Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams in OHTs, The role of health promotion and community development (mental health, harm reduction, community programming, etc.) in OHTs
6A. Name of session: Spotlights on Health Equity in Primary Care in Action (Team-Based Care Utilization across Community Health Centres in Ontario; Health equity frameworks as a tool for integrated, equity-driven care systems across Canada; The Social Prescribing Journey; Health Economics - The evidence is in!, TBC)
Team-Based Care Utilization across Community Health Centres in Ontario
Short description: Community health centres (CHCs) provide team-based care in addition to clinician and nurse practitioner care (e.g., nurses, social / outreach workers, dietitians / nutritionists, physical therapists, chiropodists); however, there is some evidence that team-based supports may be underutilized at CHCs. More efficient use of team-based care may lead to better, more targeted client care and free up clinicians’ and nurse practitioners’ time to see clients who need them most. However, there is a paucity of evidence on this. The purpose of this study is to determine if the utilization of team-based care is associated with better outcomes among vulnerable clients receiving care at a CHC, including clients with diabetes and those with mental health or addiction issues. Objectives 1). To identify unique patterns for team-based care among two priority client groups receiving care within the CHCs (diabetes and mental health / addiction).
Presenter information: Danielle Nash, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Western University
Health equity frameworks as a tool for integrated, equity-driven care systems across Canada
Short description: The National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health conducted a literature review of health equity frameworks that can be used to advance health equity action in primary health care, public health and integrated care contexts, including Ontario Health Teams. During the session, presenters will share results of the review and walk attendees through a brief interactive exercise to simulate application of a health equity framework. Attendees will learn about health equity frameworks as a strategic approach to action equity that can contribute to integrated, equity-driven and community-focused care systems across Canada.
Presenter information: Nandini Saxena, Knowledge Translation Specialist, National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health; Kristia (Tia) Maatta, Knowledge Translation Specialist , National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health
The Social Prescribing Journey
Short description: An overview of some of the successes of social prescribing for Alliance members
Presenter information: Natasha Beaudin, Lead, Social Prescribing, Aliance for Healthier Communities; TBC; TBC
Health Economics - The evidence is in!
Short description: TBC
Presenter information: TBC
TBC
Short description: TBC
Presenter information: TBC
Session format: Practice spotlights (10 min) X 5
Audience: All audiences
- June, 07 - Afternoon Sessions
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1B. Name of session: A Comprehensive Overdose Response Plan to Address the Overdose Mortality Rate in Shelters and Respites
Short description: In the shifting healthcare landscape, many changes have transpired over the past three years and more change is on the horizon. However, while all improvement requires change, not all change leads to improvement. In a resource-constrained system, we must therefore ensure that the change we make is strategic and set up to lead to improvement. In 2019, with the view of enhancing the community health sector’s delivery model and associated outcomes, the Alliance for Healthier Communities commenced work to shift the sector to a Learning Health System (LHS). As part of its LHS, the Alliance offers topic-specific learning collaborative opportunities to all member organizations. By June 2023, the Alliance will have delivered two learning collaboratives. The aim of this session will be to discuss our progress to date, including: team results that demonstrate improvement in outcome measures and increased capability to undertake future improvement work; evaluation results based on survey and interview data; key learnings on the enablers and challenges to establishing a LHS; and new learning models under development that pull from both QI and implementation science, to meet the varying needs and capacity of member organizations as they become learning organizations. Finally, through this session, we will demonstrate the critical relevance of LHS principles to not only other primary care delivery models, but also to OHTs and other entities with system-level improvement mandates and limited resources with which to produce this improvement.
Presenter information: Kate Hayman, Emergency Physician and Profressor, University Health Network and University of Toronto School of Medicine; Greg Rosebrugh, Supervisor - MOVID Program, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre; Matt Johnson, Nils Blondon, Health Promoter, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre
Session format: Panel Presentations (60 min)
Audience: Front line/clinical and/or program staff, Senior management
Conference priority topics: The role of health promotion and community development (mental health, harm reduction, community programming, etc.) in OHTs, Innovative solutions to the HHR crisis, Innovative programs or initiatives being offered by OHTs addressing health inequities
2B. Name of session: Black Social Prescribing for Black Health (Rexdale, TAIBU, Black Creek, Somerset West)
Short description: A panel presentation featuring clients, implementers and evaluators.
Presenter information: Rexdale, TAIBU, Black Creek, Somerset West
Session format: Panel Presentations (60 min)
Audience: Front line/clinical and/or program staff, Senior management
Conference priority topics: TBC
3B. Name of session: Digital Equity is a fundamental component of connected communities
Short description: Members of the Guelph Wellington Digital Equity Coalition include a diverse group of stakeholders with a shared goal of bridging the digital divide. Using a collective impact approach members formulated a strategic framework and began working together to address digital equity. This workshop will highlight the experiences and challenges of the relatively urban Guelph to the more rural Wellington County. GWDEC has an excellent cross section of agencies with representation from urban and rural organizations, non-profit, health, social services, education, and community members. It is one of the first digital equity coalitions in the province and offers a scalable model that can be replicated in other areas. GWDEC is a template for other communities and can share examples of foundational documents (ToR, coalition backbone structure) processes (member orientation, priority setting) and tools.
Presenter information: Brian Sankarsingh, IMS Communications, Alliance for Healthier Communities; Jen Lisso, Digital Services Librarian, Guelph Public Library; Karrie Cumming, Health Promoter, Guelph Community Health Centre
Session format: Skill Building Workshops (60 min)
Audience: Policy makers, Program management, Board members
Conference priority topics: The role of health promotion and community development (mental health, harm reduction, community programming, etc.) in OHTs, Digital equity
4B. Name of session: Governance: Succession Planning for Senior Leadership and Board Executive Positions
Short description: TBC
Presenter information: TBC
Session format: TBC
Audience: Senior management
Conference priority topics: TBC
5B. Name of session: Northern Feathers: love, culture, harm reduction
Short description: Led by South Riverdale CHC's Indigenous Health Promoter, this presentation will describe an innovative regalia-making group for Indigenous women who use SRCHC’s harm reduction services. The presentation will include a short documentary that was made about the project, as well as the perspectives of project participants who will join project staff to discuss its impact and how a truly collaborative and community-led space was created.
Presenter information: Les Harper, Indigenous Health Promoter, South Riverdale CHC; Amanda Leo, Women's Harm Reduction Health Promoter, South Riverdale CHC; Nichole Levack, 2-Spirited People of the 1st Nations
Session format: Panel Presentations (60 min)
Audience: All audiences
Conference priority topics: The role of health promotion and community development (mental health, harm reduction, community programming, etc.) in OHTs, Indigenous health in Indigenous hands in integrated health systems
- June, 08 - Morning Sessions
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1C. Name of session: "Come see us right outside on the bus" - Addressing health disparities through mobile health intervention in Toronto
Short description: The central goal of the mobile health team is to deliver primary health care and harm reduction services to vulnerable populations where they live. In 2018-2019, 234 patients made up to 15281 ED visits and of this group 88 patients experienced over 7700 visits. In 2022, a postal code remains a better predictor of health outcomes than a genetic code. The mobile health team helps to address this inequality through a partnership between PQWCHC – a community-based healthcare organization, UHN Social Medicine – a hospital-based program and Telus Health – a private corporation. The team collaborates with community-based organizations such as shelters, supportive housing, and apartment buildings. The P3 collaboration (private/public/partnership) is integral to addressing the determinants of health to improve the lives of the hard-to-reach populations that we service.
Presenter information: Raymond Macaraeg, Nurse Practitioner, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre; Maeve Freeman-McIntyre, Nurse Practitioner, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre; Gemma Georgina Bisessar, Nurse Practitioner, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre
Session format: Panel Presentations (60 min)
Audience: All audiences
Conference priority topics: Ontario Health Teams, The role of health promotion and community development (mental health, harm reduction, community programming, etc.) in OHTs, Innovative programs or initiatives being offered by OHTs addressing health inequities
2C. Name of session: A Quality Standard for Eating Disorders: Caring for Underserved Populations
Short description: TBC
Presenter information: Ms. Sarah McTavish, Lead, Clinical and Quality Standards, Ontario Health ; Clinician with expertise in eating disorders and equity (to be confirmed); Lived experience advisor (to be determined)
Session format: Panel Presentations (60 min)
Audience: All audiences
Conference priority topics: Ontario Health Teams, The Role of Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams in OHTs, The role of health promotion and community development (mental health, harm reduction, community programming, etc.) in OHTs
3C. Name of session: Governance: Board’s Role in Improving Data Collection and Use
Short description: TBC
Presenter information: TBC
Session format: TBC
Audience: Senior management
Conference priority topics: TBC
4C. Name of session: Inuit in Ontario: Unique Health Care for Unique Needs
Short description: Aukasivik Inuit Family Health Team in Ottawa provides health care to both permanent and transitional Inuit in Ottawa. Inuit are incredibly resilient and experience very high levels of trauma and mental illness due to the impact of colonialism. In order to work with highly complex people, one must deliver highly excellent care, and deliver it with kindness and ensure it is culturally safe. Connie Siedule, the executive director of Akausivik Inuit FHT will present the work of Aukasavik as well as findings from a recent evaluation. Connie will be joined by 2 other people from Inuit run/Inuit serving organizations who will have a panel discussion about health issues impacting Inuit in Ontario.
Presenter information: Natasha Beaudin, Lead, Social Prescribing, Aliance for Healthier Communities; Connie Siedule, Executive Director, Akausivik Inuit Family Health Team; Stephanie Mikki Adams, Executive Director, Inuuqatigiit Centre for Inuit Children, Youth and Families; potentially - someone from Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), Inuit Tungasuvingat or Pauktuutit Iniut Womens Association
Session format: Panel Presentations (60 min)
Audience: Front line/clinical and/or program staff
Conference priority topics: Indigenous health in Indigenous hands in integrated health systems
5C. Name of session: Peers use Lifeguard Connect in Response to Managing the Opioid Crisis
Short description: Northwestern Ontario has one of the highest rates of opioid related deaths in a region that is geographical vast and diverse. In response to this opioid crisis, NorWest Community Health Centres engaged with Lifeguard Connect and over twenty five community partners and peer networks across northwestern Ontario to implement the LifeGuard Connect pilot project.
The app provides safety for individuals using substances alone, and will immediately activate Emergency Medical Services if the individuals becomes unresponsive allowing for immediate and timely support to reduce overdose related deaths.
Peers, as valued members of this project were engaged to share the App with individuals using substances, demonstrating how to use the app the features to address literacy or digital equity concerns. To date over 3000 users have engaged with the App, engaging with the features 10,000 times. This presentation will share some of the successes and challenges of implementing a tool that can be a harm reduction strategy that saves lives.
Presenter information: Juanita Lawson, CEO, NorWest Community Health Centres
Session format: Panel Presentations (60 min)
Audience: Front line/clinical and/or program staff, Senior management
Conference priority topics: The role of health promotion and community development (mental health, harm reduction, community programming, etc.) in OHTs, Innovative programs or initiatives being offered by OHTs addressing health inequities
6C. Name of session: Spotlights Block Two (Equity in Action: Strategies on how to successfully implement integrated, equity-driven care systems across Canada; Improving Women's Heart Health One Step at a Time; The Biindigen Well-Being Centre: Innovative, Indigenous Healthcare; Preliminary findings from the REAC! project - a community-based, participatory study in Ontario and Québec; TAKE'N5: A Collegial Peer Support Model to Mitigate Psychological Stress Injury in the Workplace)
Equity in Action: Strategies on how to successfully implement integrated, equity-driven care systems across Canada
Short description: While advancing equity represents an urgent priority for health and public health, there remains a gap between knowledge and practice. The “Equity in Action” project aims to bridge this gap by profiling equity-driven initiatives – I.e., by sharing equity success stories. In this session, you will hear more about storytelling as a knowledge translation method and reflect on facilitators and barriers to advancing equity in practice. You will learn about how health and public health professionals joined together to address inequitable pandemic response outcomes in the Toronto and Peel regions and reflect on implications for primary health care in Ontario.
Presenter information: Kristia Maatta, Knowledge Translation Specialist, National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health; Sabina Vohra-Miller, Co-Founder, South Asian Health Network; Caralyn Vossen, Knowledge Translation Specialist, National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health
Improving Women's Heart Health One Step at a Time
Short description: Heart disease is the #1 killer of women worldwide, and it kills 5 times as many women as breast cancer. Sadly, Only 13% of only 13% of Canadian women identify heart disease as their greatest health threat. One in 3 females die of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) worldwide but 80% of CVDs are preventable. Women face unique range of risk factors compared to men. Symptoms and outcomes of heart disease are different in women, which can make their evaluation and management challenging. Despite the knowledge of the importance of staff education on women’s heart health, there is still a deficit of educational material regarding cardiovascular disease prevention, diagnosis, and management as well as institutional training programs for nurses and allied health professionals. This lack of education is the largest among nurses and allied health professionals in our Canadian health care system and this undoubtably may be a factor in the causing disparities in clinical care in Canada.
Presenter information: Nazli Parast, Registered Nurse, Ottawa Heart Institute/Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance; Bonnie Quinlan, Director, Ottawa Heart Institute/Canadian Women's Heart Health Alliance; Lisa Comber, Knowledge Translation Manager, Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre
The Biindigen Well-Being Centre: Innovative, Indigenous Healthcare
Short description: While it is critically important to talk about the discrimination and challenges the Indigenous community faces, there are exciting projects underway that are incorporating innovative solutions to successfully provide accessible, culturally relevant, wrap-around health, social and housing services. During this session, audience members will hear the journey of the Biindigen Well-Being Centre, a client-centred project which will blend traditional and western ideals for a wholistic and culturally safe model of care.
Presenter information: Jamie Cook, Principal, Healthcare, Colliers Project Leaders; Jo Ann Mattina, Chief Operating Officer, De dwa da dehs nye>s Aboriginal Health Centre Monique Lavalee; Niwasa Kendaaswin Teg, Cathy Connor (Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services), Tracey Carr (McMaster University), Aaron Genereux (Colliers Project Leaders)
Preliminary findings from the REAC! project - a community-based, participatory study in Ontario and Québec
Short description: In Canada, the COVID-19 crisis spurred the development of collaborative efforts between community and public organizations, to ensure a continuous access to services for vulnerable newcomers. Our REAC! project uses a unique partner-led and migrant-led participatory approach to analyse these intersectoral initiatives in Ontario and Québec. REAC! aims to understand how these collaborations emerged; how they were governed, and to what extent they were community-centered and responsive to the needs and expectations of refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants. The Alliance for Healthier Communities is a key partner of the study. The present communication will focus on preliminary findings from Ontario. Based on interviews with 24 service providers and focus group discussions with 25 migrant service users. As part of our participatory approach, we will use this conference to seek inputs and suggestions from diverse audiences, which will be integrated into our final analysis.
Presenter information: Lara Gautier, Assistant Professor, Université de Montréal's School of Public Health; Shinjini Mondal, Postdoctoral researcher, University of Toronto & Ecole nationale d'administration publique; Erica Di Ruggiero, Associate Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
TAKE'N5: A Collegial Peer Support Model to Mitigate Psychological Stress Injury in the Workplace
Short description: NorWest Community Health Centres (NWCHCs) is one of over 100 community health centres across Ontario that aim to provide health and health promotion services for those who face the greatest barriers to accessing health care, engaging those most at risk of developing health problems. Aside from the everyday chronic stressors, the current COVID-19 pandemic has exposed frontline personnel to unprecedented critical incident stress. Traumatic and unexpected death, client emergencies, diminished allied support and supplies, staffing shortage, illness among colleagues, and concerns about one's safety while providing service to others have significantly strained the organization's health and human resources. The "TAKE'N5: A Collegial Peer Support Model to Mitigate Psychological Stress Injury in the Workplace" involved a research partnership between Lakehead University and NWCHC to address employee wellness. The TAKE'N5 is a peer support model that combines technology (PeerConnect App), sector-specific education and self-help strategies, including a peer support guide to assist employees in supporting another who may be struggling with the effects of work-related critical incident exposure. NWCHC TAKE'N5 peer support program aims to address psychological stress injury in the workplace while positively influencing employee morale, wellness and retention. Outcomes: Findings from this Participatory Action Research (PAR) method will be presented to highlight NWCHC's establishment of a peer support program as a sustainable tool for addressing psychological stress injury in the workplace. Based on findings from the survey and focus group results, recommendations for an accessible and effective collegial peer support model will be presented as an option to address the HHR crisis. Further, the partnership developed in this study will provide a valuable framework and strong collaboration for future initiatives across frontline sectors at the provincial levels.
Presenter information: Jo-Ann Vis, Associate Professor, Lakehead University; Juanita Lawson, CEO, NorWest Community Health Centres; Georgia Kellos, Research Assistant, Lakehead University
Session format: Practice spotlights (10 min) X 5
Audience: All audiences
7C. Name of session: We are not hesitant; we need to Trust: An examination of COVID-19 vaccination engagement and uptake among Black and Racialized populations in the GTA
Short description: TAIBUCHC has put together a report on COVID Vaccine Mistrust as part of a grant we received through the Alliance for Healthier Communities and PHAC. Throughout the pandemic/vaccine roll-out we made a concentrated effort to collect race-based data and engage with community stakeholders through surveys, interviews and focus groups and have compiled our findings, along with a brief literature review and policy recommendations.
Presenter information: Amna Iqbal, Research and Policy Analyst, TAIBU CHC; Liben Gebremikael, CEO, TAIBU CHC
Session format: Panel Presentations (60 min)
Audience: All audiences
Conference priority topics: Community-centred governance, The Role of Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams in OHTs, Healthcare policy and governance
- June, 08 - Afternoon Sessions
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1D. Name of session: A collaborative approach to improving health and well-being for people with sickle cell disease and the Black community
Short description: This presentation will highlight a collaboration between the Black Creek Community Health Centre (BCCHC) and Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario (SCAGO). The purpose of this session is to explore current barriers and gaps in practice to sickle cell disease care in the community setting, discuss how the recently published Ontario Health Sickle Cell Disease Quality Standard supports this collaboration, and draw attention to a new model of psychosocial care at the BCCHC to support priority populations, such as people with sickle cell disease, as part of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response and recovery strategy. The session will include a summary of the psychosocial services provided and outcomes to improve the mental health and wellbeing of people with sickle cell disease and their caregivers and the larger Black community engaged with the BCCHC catchment area. Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions and consider how they can address the current gaps in practice for people with sickle cell disease in their community and the high-quality care described in the quality standard and demonstrated through new models of psychosocial care offered through the collaboration between BCCHC and SCAGO.
Presenter information: Ms. Fitz-Ann Howell, person with lived experience of sickle cell disease from BCCHC and Vice-chair of SCAGO’s Patient Advisory and Advocacy Council; Ms. Cheryl Prescod, Executive Director at Black Creek Community Health Centre (BCCHC) ; Ms. Lanre Tunji-Ajayi, President and CEO, Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario (SCAGO)
Session format: Panel Presentations (60 min)
Audience: All audiences
Conference priority topics: The Role of Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams in OHTs, Innovative programs or initiatives being offered by OHTs addressing health inequities, Innovative programs or initiatives being offered by OHTs addressing health inequities
2D. Name of session: A Learning Health System in Action: Learnings and Next Steps
Short description: In the shifting healthcare landscape, many changes have transpired over the past three years and more change is on the horizon. However, while all improvement requires change, not all change leads to improvement. In a resource-constrained system, we must therefore ensure that the change we make is strategic and set up to lead to improvement. In 2019, with the view of enhancing the community health sector’s delivery model and associated outcomes, the Alliance for Healthier Communities commenced work to shift the sector to a Learning Health System (LHS). As part of its LHS, the Alliance offers topic-specific learning collaborative opportunities to all member organizations. By June 2023, the Alliance will have delivered two learning collaboratives. The aim of this session will be to discuss our progress to date, including: team results that demonstrate improvement in outcome measures and increased capability to undertake future improvement work; evaluation results based on survey and interview data; key learnings on the enablers and challenges to establishing a LHS; and new learning models under development that pull from both QI and implementation science, to meet the varying needs and capacity of member organizations as they become learning organizations. Finally, through this session, we will demonstrate the critical relevance of LHS principles to not only other primary care delivery models, but also to OHTs and other entities with system-level improvement mandates and limited resources with which to produce this improvement.
Presenter information: Lauren Tessier, Quality Improvement and Performance Lead, South Riverdale Community Health Centre; Jen Rayner OR Lorri Zagar, Director, Research and Evaluation (Jen); Quality Improvement Advisor(Lorri), Alliance for Healthier Communities (Jen); Independent Consultant, Learning Collaborative representative (TBD)
Session format: Panel Presentations (60 min)
Audience: Senior management, Policy makers
Conference priority topics: Ontario Health Teams, Healthcare policy and governance
3D. Name of session: Francophone health, French language services, and Active Offer
Short description: TBC
Presenter information: TBC
Session format: TBC
Audience: Senior management
Conference priority topics: TBC
4D. Name of session: Governance: Governing for Health Equity: Building Anti-Oppressive Organizations and Boards
Short description: TBC
Presenter information: TBC
Session format: TBC
Audience: Senior management
Conference priority topics: TBC
5D. Name of session: Health Coaching narrows the gaps of equity and access in healthcare, improves the health outcome of marginalized communities and reduced the financial burden of healthcare
Short description: Health Coaching supports the client during the health service journey by setting some physical and/or mental health goals and by addressing all the barriers to achieving those goals. Health coaching also trains the client on adopting helpful thinking styles to build strength and resilience that last. Tailored health coaching according to clients needs and barriers ensures an equitable healthcare access and services. This will eventually result in improving the health outcome in and equitable way and reducing the burden of the healthcare cost.
Presenter information: Hossam Bakir, Health Coach, Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services
Session format: Skill building workshop (60 mins)
Audience: Senior management, Policy makers
Conference priority topics: The Role of Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams in OHTs, The role of health promotion and community development (mental health, harm reduction, community programming, etc.) in OHTs, Healthcare policy and governance
6D. Name of session: The Ontario Model of Prescribed Safer Supply
Short description: This session brings together a roundtable of people involved in prescribed safer supply programs to discuss the unique attributes of Prescribed Safer Supply programs in Ontario. The Discussants will include a health care provider, a social care provider, and a person with lived/living experiencing with safer supply. The discussion will demonstrate how Ontario Prescribed Safer Supply programs provide integrated, comprehensive care within community health settings to a segment of the population with complex health and social care needs who have been repeatedly failed by addiction medicine (e.g., RAAM clinics), primary health care, and social services. The capacity of programs does not meet the demand. Programs must be scaled up to address the substance use, health, and social care needs within the community that are not met by traditional models. Failure to do so will result in continued harms – including deaths – and inequities amongst people who use drugs.
Presenter information: Rebecca Penn, Project Manager, National Safer Supply CoP (LIHC, CAPUD, Alliance for Healthier Communities)
Session format: Panel Presentations (60 min)
Audience: All audiences
Conference priority topics: The Role of Interprofessional Primary Health Care Teams in OHTs, The role of health promotion and community development (mental health, harm reduction, community programming, etc.) in OHTs
Questions?
For questions related to the terms, conditions and logistics, please email conference@allianceON.org.
Sponsors (update ongoing)
Learn more about the Transformative Change Awards here!
Learn more about last year's Conference here!