Community FHTs

MAY 20, 2004 - REXDALE CHC (TORONTO)
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty is joined by 2004 AOHC President,  Denise Brooks (right), and Rexdale CHC Executive Director, Ekua Asabea Blair (left), to announce Ontario’s Family Health Team (FHT) plan. 

In May 2004, the Ontario government announced its intention to expand access to primary health care services in the province through creation of 150 Family Health Teams. A significant number of these teams have been funded as Community Family Health Teams (C-FHTs), borrowing from the CHC model several of its strong features.
 
C-FHTs are non-profit, community-governed organizations that provide comprehensive, patient-centred primary health care, health promotion and community development services, using multi-disciplinary teams of health providers. These teams will include physicians, nurse practitioners, dieticians, health promoters, counsellors and others who are paid by salary, rather than through a fee-for-service system. C-FHTs are sponsored and incorporated by non-profit community boards made up of members of the community and others who provide health and social services.

C-FHTs are designed to meet the needs of a defined community and to provide accessible primary health care services to all people within their catchment area. In addition, C-FHTs provide a variety of health promotion and illness prevention services and co-ordinate the provision of chronic disease management and other self-care programs.

Some Teams provide diagnostic and other out-patient services such as X-ray, ultrasound and minor surgery.

C-FHTs' provision of system navigation and care co-ordination, supported by information technology, links patients to other parts of the health care system ensuring integrated care across a variety of care settings.

• Health assessment
• Clinical evidenced-based illness prevention and health promotion
• Interventions for acute and episodic illness or injury
• Primary reproductive care, including breast feeding support and childbirth preparation
• Primary mental health care including psycho-social counselling
• Primary palliative care
• Early detection of initial and ongoing treatment of chronic illness
• Chronic disease management and prevention programs
• Patient education and support for self-care
• Co-ordination and access to rehabilitation
• Care for the majority of illnesses (in conjunction with specialists as needed)
• Support for care in hospital, home and long-term care facilities
• Arrangements for 24-hour / seven day a week response
• Service co-ordination and referral
• Maintenance of a comprehensive medical record for each patient
• Smoking cessation
• Asthma health promotion
• Nutrition workshops
• Diabetes education