Ontario Health’s Eating Disorders Webinar

Register to attend Ontario Health’s Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence’s first webinar on the development of the Eating Disorders Provincial Program. Ontario Health is working with people with lived experience, service providers, and administrators to develop an accessible, standardized, evidence-based, and high-quality eating disorders system in Ontario.

The objectives of this webinar are to:

  • Provide an overview of Ontario Health’s and the Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence
  • Discuss the vision for the Eating Disorders Provincial Program, and provide an overview of work planned over the coming months.

The recording and presentation slides will be available after the end of the presentation. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at: MHACoE@OntarioHealth.ca

Details
Tuesday, May 30, 2023 - 10:00
10-11 am
Cost: 
FREE
Internal/External: 
Community Event
Event Type: 
Learning Events
Register Here
Location

Are we giving falls the respect they deserve? Role of the nervous system and the Care Pathway

 

June is brain injury awareness month. Join Judy Gargaro, Matheus Wiest and Janelle Unger to discuss the intersectionality between falls and neurotrauma, evidence-based care pathways and targeted treatment approaches to prevent falls.

In the first part of this webinar, the presenters will discuss the Neurotrauma Care Pathways project based in Ontario. Ontario, like other jurisdictions in Canada and internationally, lacks an equitable system of care for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI), where quality of care and health outcomes depend on where you live, available funding and severity/type of injury. Evidence-based standardized neurotrauma care pathways for all persons living with TBI or tSCI of any severity were developed by engaging 170 key partners from across the Ontario representing different care and funding sectors common to all jurisdictions. Partners include people with lived experience, clinicians, researchers, funders, and community providers from different sectors. In addition, a companion set of quality indicators has been developed that map onto the Pathways and preliminary data has been collected. While these pathways and quality indicators have been developed in Ontario, they are applicable and relevant to any province or territory. Falls represent a significant cause of TBI and tSCI and data will be presented on the cohort of persons with TBI or tSCI who have sustained a fall.

To understand why falls happen, we need to understand how the nervous system reacts after balance is lost, and how the ability to recover can be impacted by neurological impairments or aging. By understanding the neural mechanisms of falls, we can better create rehabilitation programs to prevent them. At the newly established Gray Centre for Mobility and Activity at Parkwood Institute in London, Ontario we are creating several new initiatives to promote lifelong mobility for populations that are impacted by falls. These programs are designed to prevent falls and their secondary complications, and to facilitate safe participation in activities of daily living and physical activity.

Details
Wednesday, June 21, 2023 - 12:00
12-1 pm
Cost: 
FREE
Internal/External: 
Community Event
Event Type: 
Learning Events
Register Here
Location

Childhood Disability (Without) Poverty: A National Discussion

This family-led event will explore the intersection of familial poverty, childhood disability, and health outcomes. It will create an opportunity for families, health care professionals, and policy researchers to come together and share both their knowledge and lived experiences on equal footing to identify where we can partner to effect systemic change. Childhood disability is known to have a huge financial impact on families and children.

There is simply not enough data or awareness about the intersection of childhood disability with familial and personal lifelong financial challenges.

We want to change that.

Disability Without Poverty is a movement, led by people with disabilities supported by our families, friends, service providers, allies and organizations. Right now, our priority is to build consensus toward a federal Canada Disability Benefit that would ensure income support above the poverty line for people who live with disabilities.

Details
Friday, May 12, 2023 - 00:00
May 12-13, 12-4 pm EDT
Cost: 
Free
Internal/External: 
Community Event
External Link: 
Program and Description
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Location

Lunch 'n' Learn Webinar: FNIM Data and Indigenous Data Sovereignty, Part 2

#Empowering Indigenous Communities through Data Governance, sovereignty and Protection.

This webinar will highlight the importance of protecting Indigenous data sovereignty and empowering Indigenous communities through the governance and protection of Data.

This is part of a series on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility in Research hosted by the Primary Care of Ontario Learning and Research (POPLAR) Network. 

#Presenter

Caroline Lidstone-Jones Chief Executive Officer·Indigenous Primary Health Care Council

Caroline Lidstone-Jones is Ojibway and a proud member of Batchewana First Nation located in the province of Ontario, Canada. She holds a Master’s of Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts, Sociology from York University and completed a Fellowship in Health System Transformation at the University of Alberta. She is an accomplished executive with 17 plus years’ experience in hospital management and administration. Currently she is serving a network of 20 integrated primary health care centres across Ontario as IPHCC’s Chief Executive Officer. She also served as the Provincial lead and Director of the Aboriginal Cancer Care Unit at Cancer Care Ontario (CCO), where she oversaw the development and implementation of the Aboriginal Cancer Care Strategy.
Details
Wednesday, May 10, 2023 - 12:00
12:00-1:00 pm
Cost: 
Free
Internal/External: 
Community Event
External Link: 
Empowering Indigenous Communities through Data Governance, sovereignty and Protection
Event Type: 
Learning Events
Webinar Registration Zoom Link:
Location

Lunch 'n' Learn Webinar: FNIM Data and Indigenous Data Sovereignty, Part 1

#Recognizing the Harmful Effects of Historical Research and Building Trust with Indigenous Communities.

In part one of this webinar series, Dr. Nicole Blackman and Dakota Recollet from the Indigenous Primary Health care Council will address the need to acknowledge the impact of past research practices on Indigenous populations and the importance of building trust with Indigenous communities through meaningful engagement and collaboration.

This is part of a series on Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility in Research hosted by the Primary Care of Ontario Learning and Research (POPLAR) Network. 

#Presenters

A colour headshot of Dr. Nicole Blackman, smiling.

Dr. Nicole Blackman, DNP, MN, RN, Indigenous Primary Health Care Council

Dr. Nicole Blackman, DNP, MN, RN, identifies as an urban Indigenous Kwe (woman) with both Anishinaabe and German Ancestry. Nicole is a Registered Nurse holding a Doctor of Nursing Practice attained through Walden University and focused her academic and professional career dedicated to Indigenous health and the incorporation of the model of the wholistic health and wellbeing.
custom photo of speaker

Dakota Recollet Indigenous Primary Health Care Council

Dakota Recollet is the Cultural Safety Manager at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council where she supports training for individuals working in the healthcare system to learn the importance of adopting culturally safe and appropriate practices to ensure the best quality of care for Indigenous people. Dakota worked in First Nation communities as well as Urban Indigenous-led organizations, focusing on Health Promotion and Prevention for Indigenous peoples as well as advocacy efforts to support the enhancement of healthcare access for Indigenous peoples and communities.
Details
Tuesday, May 2, 2023 - 12:00
12:00-1:00 pm
Cost: 
Free
Internal/External: 
Community Event
Event Type: 
Learning Events
Register here
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Demande de précisions transmise au Comité permanent de la politique sociale

Logos of organization who have come together to write this letter.
Date: 
Thursday, March 30, 2023

Document soumis en partenariat avec l’Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO), l’Alliance pour des communautés en santé, le Conseil autochtone des soins de santé primaires (Indigenous Primary Health Care Council – IPHCC) et la Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association (NPLCA)

Objet : Projet de loi 60, Loi de 2023 concernant votre santé – 27 mars 2023

Pour nombre d’Ontariennes et d’Ontariens, les soins de santé primaires représentent la porte d’entrée du système de soins de santé. Il faut une équipe de professionnels de la santé qui peuvent offrir des services de soins de santé et des services sociaux commodes et de qualité pour fournir des soins optimaux aux patients.

En tant que partenaires, nous sommes d’accord avec l’objectif du gouvernement d’élargir l’accès aux services pour les Ontariennes et Ontariens. Le projet de loi 60, Loi de 2023 concernant votre santé 2023, fait partie de cette initiative. Nous nous engageons à travailler avec le gouvernement sur des politiques en matière de santé qui défendent les principes nécessaires pour fournir aux personnes de l’Ontario les soins dont elles ont besoin. Ce document présente les questions requérant des précisions nécessaires et des recommandations relativement au projet de loi 60 afin d’assurer une approche équitable et durable pour la prestation des soins en vertu de cette loi.

Réponse au projet de loi 60, Loi de 2023 concernant votre santé

Nous sommes d’accord avec l’intention de votre projet de loi qui vise à rendre les soins plus accessibles, plus commodes et plus « connectés » pour les Ontariennes et Ontariens. Cependant, dans le but de continuer à bâtir un système de soins de santé équitable et accessible, nous souhaitons obtenir des précisions sur certains éléments des annexes 1 et 2 du projet de loi 60, Loi de 2023 concernant votre santé.

#Clarification 1 : Définition de « centre de services de santé communautaire intégré »

Nous souhaitons obtenir des précisions quant à la définition de centre de services de santé communautaire intégré : « S’entend, sous réserve des exemptions que prévoient les règlements : b) d’un établissement de santé prescrit, y compris un centre communautaire de chirurgie et de diagnostic, ou d’une catégorie d’établissements de santé prescrite. (« integrated community health services centre ») ».

Plus précisément, nous souhaitons des explications quant à la signification « d’une catégorie d’établissements de santé prescrite. »

Qui plus est, nous aimerions recevoir une confirmation que les centres de services de santé communautaire intégrés seront principalement des centres d’interventions chirurgicales et d’examens diagnostiques pour réduire les retards dans les interventions désignées qui s’alignent avec les engagements et les plans du gouvernement, et qu’ils n’élargiront pas leur champ d’exercices pour inclure d’autres soins de santé comme les soins primaires. 

Il serait important d’établir une réglementation et de fournir des informations additionnelles pour énoncer des limitations précises quant aux activités des centres de services de santé communautaire intégrés afin d’éviter des risques aux systèmes publics actuels et futurs.   

#Clarification 2 : Modifications des lois concernant les professions et préoccupations quant à la responsabilité

Nous souhaitons obtenir des précisions quant à la réglementation qui permettrait aux travailleurs de soins de santé autorisés à exercer dans d’autres provinces de travailler en Ontario sans s’inscrire aux ordres professionnels de l’Ontario.            Notre préoccupation porte sur la responsabilité professionnelle de ces travailleurs de soins de santé qui sont en attente de leur inscription à un ordre de réglementation ontarien, mais qui font la prestation de soins à des patients en vertu de cette loi.

Nous appuyons tous les efforts visant à remédier à la pénurie de main-d’œuvre dans le domaine de la santé en Ontario. Nous souhaitons obtenir des précisions quant aux personnes responsables de reconnaître la formation professionnelle de ces travailleurs de l’extérieur de la province dans l’éventualité d’un incident indésirable ou d’un problème.  

#Clarification 3 : Protection du personnel de la santé publique

Nous sommes heureux que le gouvernement ait comme exigence « (e) un modèle de dotation en personnel détaillé pour le centre de services de santé communautaire intégré proposé et des preuves de la viabilité de ce modèle » et un engagement public envers la protection du personnel de la santé dans le système public.

Nous souhaitons obtenir des précisions quant à la façon par laquelle le gouvernement prévoit de faire respecter cette exigence. Il est important d’avoir de plus amples renseignements sur l’application de cette exigence pour favoriser la rétention du personnel de la santé publique qui travaille dans le domaine des soins primaires.

#Clarification 4 : Intégration au système de santé public

L’accès à des soins de suivi et postopératoires peut avoir une incidence majeure sur les résultats des patients. Nous reconnaissons l’inclusion de : « g) les incidences éventuelles sur la coordination des services de santé, sur la base des consultations menées auprès des partenaires du système de santé. »

Nous souhaitons obtenir des précisions quant aux intentions du gouvernement d’exiger à ces cliniques, qui font la prestation de services de soins de santé, de s’intégrer à des partenaires du système de santé. Le gouvernement devrait tenir compte des incidences sur le système public et énoncer des exigences quant à l’intégration et aux procédures de rapport dans le but d’une approche véritablement coordonnée pour la prestation des soins.   

#Clarification 5 : Accès équitable aux soins pour les Ontariennes et Ontariens

Nous sommes heureux de constater que les principes de l’équité sont inclus dans les modifications à la loi : « h) une description de la manière dont le centre de services de santé communautaire intégré proposé répondra aux besoins en matière d’équité en santé des populations diverses, vulnérables, prioritaires et insuffisamment desservies, en tenant compte des besoins linguistiques, dans la région précisée dans l’appel de demandes. »

Bien que nous soyons encouragés par notre travail avec le gouvernement, nous devons faire en sorte qu’il soit clair que personne ne peut être laissé pour compte à cause d’obstacles inéquitables entravant l’accès à des soins de santé. Le gouvernement doit veiller à ce que l’accès élargi à des soins de santé publics soit axés sur les patients et à ce que cet accès tienne compte des besoins de populations diversifiées et vulnérables qui reçoivent des services insuffisants.  

Nous demandons à ce que des mesures particulières soient prises pour que les communautés autochtones aient accès à des soins adaptés à leur réalité culturelle, que les francophones aient accès à des services en français, et que les populations marginalisées aient accès à des soins coordonnés, « interconnectés et commodes », et ce, gratuitement.

Alors que nous poursuivons notre travail avec le gouvernement dans le but de mettre en œuvre les modifications énoncées dans le projet de loi 60 (Loi de 2023 concernant votre santé), nous devons collaborer pour veiller à ce que le gouvernement de l’Ontario, en partenariat avec les responsables des soins de santé primaires, continue d’appuyer les personnes qui travaillent au sein d’équipes de soins primaires pour améliorer les résultats en santé des Ontariennes et Ontariens.

Merci de l’attention que vous porterez à ces questions.

Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez contacter :

Bryn Hamilton, PDG par intérim, AFHTO

L’Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) est une association sans but lucratif qui assure un leadership dans la promotion des soins de santé primaires interprofessionnels, qui sont bien intégrés et de qualité, pour toutes les personnes en Ontario. L’association est à la fois un défenseur et une ressource pour les équipes de santé familiale, les cliniques dirigées par du personnel infirmier praticien, et d’autres modèles interprofessionnels.

L’Alliance pour des communautés en santé est la porte-parole d’un réseau dynamique de plus de 100 organisations de soins de santé primaires complets gérées par des communautés des quatre coins de l’Ontario, dont des centres de santé communautaire, des organisations de soins de santé primaires autochtones, des cliniques dirigées par du personnel infirmier praticien et des équipes de santé familiale communautaire. Les membres de l’Alliance ont en commun leur engagement envers l’amélioration de l’équité en santé par des soins de santé primaires interprofessionnels complets.

La Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association (NPLCA) est la porte-parole des cliniques dirigées par du personnel infirmier praticien en Ontario. Le personnel infirmier praticien est le principal prestataire de soins primaires de ces équipes interprofessionnelles qui améliorent la qualité de vie par une meilleure promotion de la santé, la prévention des maladies, les soins primaires de santé mentale, et la gestion des maladies chroniques, tout en facilitant la coordination des soins et le cheminement dans le système de soins de santé.

Le Conseil autochtone des soins de santé primaires (Indigenous Primary Health Care Council  – IPHCC) est un organisme gouverné et renseigné par les Autochtones et reposant sur la culture autochtone. Il a pour mandat de faire avancer la planification et la prestation des services de soins de santé primaires à l’intention des Autochtones en Ontario. Ses membres sont des organisations de soins de santé primaires autochtones de la province.

Submission to the Standing Committee on Social Policy

Logos of organization who have come together to write this letter.
Date: 
Thursday, March 30, 2023

Submitted in partnership with the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO), Alliance for Healthier Communities, Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) and Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association (NPLCA)
Re: Bill 60, Your Health Act, 2023 March 27, 2023

For many Ontarians, primary health care is the entryway into the healthcare system. It takes a team of health professionals who can provide convenient and high-quality health and social services to deliver the best care possible for patients.

As partners, we are aligned with the government’s goal to increase access to services for Ontarians. Bill 60, Your Health Act, 2023 is part of this initiative. We are committed to working with the government on health policy that will uphold the principles necessary to provide Ontarians with the care they need. This submission highlights further clarification and recommendations regarding Bill 60 to ensure an equitable and sustainable approach to the delivery of care provided under this act.

Response to Your Health Act, 2023

We are aligned with the intention of the proposed Your Health Act, 2023 to make care more accessible, connected and convenient for Ontarians. However, to ensure we are continuing to build a healthcare system that is equitable and accessible, we are asking for further clarification on the following areas in Schedules 1 and 2 of the Your Health Act, 2023.

#Clarification 1: Definition of “integrated community health services centre”

We are seeking further clarification to the definition of “integrated community health services centre” means, subject to any exemptions set out in the regulations, (b) a health facility, including a community surgical and diagnostic centre, or a class of health facilities, that is prescribed; (“centre de services de santé communautaire intégré”)”

Specifically, we are seeking further explanation about what “a class of health facilities, that is prescribed” means.

Furthermore, we would like confirmation that integrated community health service centres will focus on surgical and diagnostic centres to relieve the backlog of designated procedures aligned to the government’s commitments and plans and not extend into other areas of health care provision such as primary care.

Further regulations and information should be considered to provide specific restrictions to what integrated community health service centres looks like to avoid potential risk to the existing and future public systems.

#Clarification 2: Regulated Professions Amendments and liability concerns

We are seeking further clarification on the “as of right” rule which would allow healthcare workers licensed in other provinces work in Ontario without registering with the Ontario colleges. We are concerned regarding the liability of practice of these healthcare workers who are awaiting registration with an Ontario regulatory college but are providing care to patients under this act.

We support all efforts to improve the current health human resources shortages in Ontario. We are seeking further clarifications of who would be responsible and liable for the credentialing of these out-of-province workers should an adverse event or issue arise.

#Clarification 3: Protecting public health human resources

We appreciate the government including the requirement of “(e) a detailed staffing model for the proposed integrated community health services centre and evidence of the sustainability of this model and the public commitment to protect the HHR in the public system”.

We are seeking clarification on how the government plans to enforce this requirement. Further information on the implementation of this requirement will be significant to support the retention of public health human resources in the healthcare workforce who work in primary care.

#Clarification 4: Ensuring integration and connectivity with the public health care system

Access to proper follow up and post-op care can have a major impact on the outcomes for patients. We recognize the inclusion of “(g) the potential impact on the co-ordination of health services, based on consultations with health system partners;”.

We would appreciate further clarity on the government’s intentions to require these clinics delivering health services to integrate with health system partners. The government will need to consider the impacts on the public system and provide requirements for integration and reporting procedures for a truly co-ordinated approach to care.

#Clarification 5: Equitable access to care for Ontarians

We are pleased to see that the principles of equity are built into amendments of the act; “h) a description of how the proposed integrated community health services centre will address the health equity needs of diverse, vulnerable, priority and underserviced populations, taking into account linguistic needs, in the region specified in the call for applications;”

As encouraged through our continued work with the government, we will need to make it clear that no one is left behind due to inequitable barriers to accessing health care. The government must ensure that the expanded access to publicly funded health care is patient-centred and that access to care will consider the needs of diverse, vulnerable and underserviced populations.

We request a specific focus on ensuring Indigenous communities have access to culturally safe care, Francophones can access services in French, and all marginalized populations are also provided with convenient, connected and coordinated health care services at no cost to patients.

As we continue to work with the government towards implementing the amendments outlined in the Your Health Act, 2023, we must work together to ensure that the Government of Ontario, in partnership with leaders in primary health care, continues to support those who work in primary care teams to improve health outcomes for Ontarians.

Thank you for your consideration. For Information, please contact:

Bryn Hamilton, Interim CEO, AFHTO

The Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario (AFHTO) is a not-for-profit association that provides leadership to promote high-quality, comprehensive, well-integrated interprofessional primary care for the benefit of all Ontarians. We are an advocate and resource for family health teams, nurse practitioner-led clinics, and other interprofessional models.

The Alliance for Healthier Communities (Alliance) is the voice of a vibrant network of over 100 community-governed comprehensive primary health care organizations across Ontario, including Community Health Centres, Indigenous Primary Healthcare Organizations - Community Family Health Teams, and Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics. Alliance members share commitments to advancing health equity through interprofessional comprehensive primary health care.

The Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinic Association (NPLCA) is the voice of nurse practitioner-led clinics (NPLCs) across Ontario. Nurse practitioners are the lead primary care providers of these interprofessional teams that improve the quality of care through enhanced health promotion, disease prevention, primary mental health care, and chronic disease management, while supporting care coordination and navigation of the healthcare system.

The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) is an Indigenous- governed, culture- based, and Indigenous-informed organization. Its key mandate is to support the advancement and evolution of Indigenous primary health care services provision and planning throughout Ontario. Membership includes Indigenous Primary Health Care Organizations across the province.