The Home Care Advisory Committee (HCAC) and the Hospital Advisory Committee (HAC) met on November 17, 2018 in Toronto for their annual in-person meeting. The morning started off with a very informative presentation on bundled funding (integrated funding models) delivered by Chris Sulway, Vice President, Quality Performance and Accountability, and Luciano Veta, Manager, Contracts and Performance from the Toronto Central LHIN. The speakers provided some background information, a theoretical framework and ideas about some of the opportunities and risks for PTs as the model evolves. The speakers fielded many questions, and were so gamely willing to be part of, at times, a heated conversation. OPA staff did a great job in filling gaps and adding to the conversation from a systems perspective.
The Chairs of the HCAC and HAC presented on their respective year of meetings. Each held six meetings, and some discussions were common to the two committees, such as:
- staffing (recruitment and retention)
- new initiatives
- Special Needs Strategy
- enhanced stroke care
- increased use of PTAs in the community. Many LHINs have created pathways where the client is shared between PT and PTA.
The Student Research Project working group, which consists of two members from each committee, also provided an update on their work. This working group is creating a project proposal investigating patient experience related to transitions after total joint replacement. The next step for this working group is to decide on the university to which they will submit their proposal.
In the afternoon, Courtney Bean, Shelley Huffman and Jacquie Levy, OPA Board Members, engaged the group in a reflective conversation around the OPA Strategic Plan. By learning about different aspects of the plan in an interactive way, committee members were reminded that advocacy is key, and that many of us have qualities of an advocate. By working together with each other and involving our far-reaching networks, we can have a greater influence and be even stronger! Check out the e 2018-2023 Strategic Plan.
If you are interested in learning more about the HCAC and/or the HAC, check out the OPA website or contact Leigh Anne Butler, Project Coordinator, Practice and Member Services.
By Betty Rivington-Law, HCAC Chair and Jennifer Harris, HAC Chair
