LONDON FREE PRESS - MIDDLESEX ONTARIO HEALTH TEAM INTERVIEW - PRIMARY CARE RECRUITMENT

In a recent interview with the London Free Press, the Middlesex London Ontario Health Team members Amber Alpaugh-Bishop and Melissa Linseman shed light on the pressing issue of insufficient family doctors in London and Middlesex County. The growing population and impending retirements are aggravating the shortage, leaving over 65,000 residents without access to primary care.

Discover how and why the MLOHT is advocating for a comprehensive primary care recruitment and retention program to address this critical healthcare challenge.

Read the full article here.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: THE MODELS OF CARE INNOVATION FUND / APPEL À PROPOSITIONS

The Minister of Health has recently shared a message announcing a Models of Care Innovation Fund to support innovative projects that optimize health human resources in Ontario.

The Models of Care Innovation Fund will support:

• projects that will allow for the right care in the right places; 
• projects that will allow faster access to care; and
• projects that will maximize the capacity and expertise of health care workers. 

Organizations interested in submitting a proposal should carefully review the instructions and resources on the Models of Care Innovation Fund Website, including:

• The Models of Care Innovation Fund Project Guideline
• The Models of Care Innovation Fund Proposal Template

To be considered for this funding opportunity, eligible organizations must submit a completed proposal by 11:59 p.m. ET on August 31, 2023.

For questions, or to submit the proposal, email: fundingsubmission-west@ontariohealth.ca.

LET'S CELEBRATE / GET INVOLVED

The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Collaborative was launched on June 15th​ - 66 people attended from 38 agencies. If you are interested in joining the collaborative, please contact Trudy Devries.

The Middlesex London Ontario Health Team (MLOHT) is seeking an individual with quality improvement, evaluation, and analytics experience to be the Co-Lead for our Quality and Analytics Advisory Group. We are seeking an in-kind resource from a partner organization for this role.

The MLOHT Quality & Analytics Advisory Group is responsible for developing and implementing our evaluation strategy to ensure that we are appropriately measuring the advancement of our purpose.

Please contact Matthew Meyer if you are interested and want more information.

MIDDLESEX LONDON OHT: PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Access to Primary Care: Empowering Health Care Workers to Work to their Full Scope

Three separate working groups met in June to generate valuable ideas to overcome barriers and maximize their potential for working to their full scope of practice:

1. Medical Office Assistants;
2. Registered Practical Nurses & Registered Nurses, and
3. Nurse Practitioners.

The next step in our project is to engage with a group of Family Physicians to gather feedback on the proposed ideas and deliverables.

We welcome any Family Physician who is interested in joining this focus group! The meeting will be 1 hour and will take place on July 27. For further information and a meeting invitation, please contact Lindsey Moore.

As a reminder, lack of compensation should not be a barrier for participation in the work of the MLOHT. Individuals who are not otherwise supported to attend working groups (e.g., by their employer), will be offered compensation for their time. Details about compensation will be shared with participants during the focus group session.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH BY OUR PATIENT/CLIENT, CARE PARTNER COUNCIL (PCCPC)

Our Patient/Client, Care Partner Council (PCCPC) wants to connect with other patient groups. We want to hear from patients/clients, people with lived experiences, and caregiver tables across Middlesex London to ensure patient/client and caregiver's voices influence health care improvement work.  

If you know of any patient/client/caregiver groups that our PCCPC could connect with, please email us at info@mloht.ca.

ONTARIO HEALTH WEST HEALTH SYSTEM PARTNER MEETING FOLLOW-UP AND MATERIALS

Ontario Health West (OH West) Chief Regional Officer, Susan deRyk, was joined by Ontario Health Chief Executive Officer, Matt Anderson, at the June 15th OH West Health System Partner Meeting. As per the slide deck, the meeting highlighted OH West successes for fiscal year 22/23 and the strategic priorities for fiscal year 23/24.

Additional information was provided in follow-up to the meeting as well as contact information for the OH West Executive Leadership Team.

2022-2023 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MINISTER'S PATIENT AND FAMILY ADVISORY COUNCIL

The Minister of Health’s Patient and Family Advisory Council has released its 2022-23 annual report: Embracing Change, Shifting Mindsets, Changing Culture: The Collective Impact of Patient, Family & Caregiver Partnership & Engagement.

The Council’s Annual Report highlights the perspectives of patients, families, and caregivers and their valuable role that will help as the government works toward more connected and convenient care for Ontarians.

The theme of the report is culture change within the healthcare system and the collective impact of patient, family and caregiver partnership and engagement. 

The report showcases the work of the Council’s 12 members and Chair and demonstrates the impact engagement and partnership have on building a health system rooted in patient-centred care.

In 2022-23, the Council focused on several priority areas to support tangible efforts in health system improvement, including:

• informing guidance and supports provided to Ontario Health Teams
• working with the Ministry of Health to support equity, remove barriers, and improve Ontarians’ access to health information 
• providing advice on key health care topics such as home and community care and mental health and addictions.

For more information on the Minister’s Patient and Family Advisory Council, visit: Help shape Ontario’s health care system | ontario.ca.

SHARING THE LOAD: A KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE EVENT FOR FRONTLINE WORKERS

The  London Middlesex Mental Health and Addiction Strategic Direction Office is hosting a free event, "Sharing the Load: A Knowledge Exchange Event for Frontline Workers," on Friday, August 18th, from 8:00am-4:00pm at Goodwill Industries (Community Ballroom). Please see the attached flyer for more information.

The sessions will be a mix of presentations and group discussions where you can share your knowledge and experience:

• MORNING SESSION (AM) - 8:00am-11:40am
• 8:00AM-10:00AM: Restorative justice approach to crisis work and creating low-barrier spaces. 
• 10:10AM-11:40AM: Learning the difference between uncomfortable vs. unsafe and the challenges of daily living for people experiencing homelessness.

• NETWORKING LUNCH - 11:40am-12:40pm

• AFTERNOON SESSION (PM) - 12:40pm-4:00pm
• 12:40PM-2:10PM: Harm reduction in clinical and non-clinical spaces and initiating challenging conversations.
• 2:20PM-4:00PM: Proactive ways to support yourself, colleagues, and families.

The target audience for this event includes students (in nursing, social work, developmental service work, child and youth work, and medicine), frontline social services staff and leaders, and frontline healthcare staff and leaders. You can choose which session you would like to register for (AM or PM) based on your availability and interests. 

For questions, please email officestrategicdirection@gmail.com. 

MIDDLESEX COUNTY CHILD CARE & EARLY YEARS SERVICE SYSTEM PLAN SURVEY

The County of Middlesex is currently in the process of renewing their Childcare and Early Years Service System Plan. This plan will guide priorities and actions around child care and early years supports and programming in our local communities for the next five years. 

As part of this renewal, Middlesex County would like to hear from parents and caregivers with children under 13 years of age, planning to adopt in the next 12 months a child (or children) under 13 years of age, or are expecting a child.

This survey is open to residents of Middlesex County who are legal guardians, grandparents, or other family members.  

ONTARIO NEWSROOM - ONTARIO EXPANDING PERSONAL SUPPORT WORKER TRAINING PROGRAM IN LONG-TERM CARE

The Ontario government is investing $16.5 million to train up to 600 new personal support workers across the province as part of its commitment to ensure long-term care residents receive an average of four hours of hands-on direct care each day by 2025.

The Learn and Earn Accelerated Program for Personal Support Workers in Long-Term Care (LEAP LTC) is an online program in partnership with Humber College that accelerates the training of existing long-term care staff, such as resident attendants and dietary aides, to become personal support workers.

MIDDLESEX COUNTY CONNECT

Middlesex County Connect offers an affordable and accessible travel option to get you to where you want to go for just $5 one way! Children 5 and under, veterans, and support persons can ride FREE. 

Take advantage of the many perks of public transit with Middlesex County Connect!

• Beat the gas prices 
• Relax on your ride 
• Don’t have to worry about parking 
• Explore new places and meet new people 
• Reduce air pollution 

Visit middlesex.ca/ct for more information.