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From the Primary Care Alliance
It’s time to roll up our sleeves and prepare for action. The provincial election is now behind us with health care, specifically primary care, receiving more attention during this campaign than any other in recent memory. Both major parties (UCP and NDP) focused extensively on health care in their respective campaigns with promises to address issues in family medicine. Some of the key questions the new government will need to work with us to answer are summed up in this infographic in the May 11 AMA President’s Letter.
With that in mind, expect to see a lot of action undertaken in the next 100 days or so as the province spins up the work that was paused during the election period and the new government begins making changes to tackle quick wins and election priorities.
We currently have the political will and momentum. It is during this period that as physicians we should, and will be, looking for opportunities to bring forward ideas and offer meaningful consultation towards building a better primary care future for Albertans.
It’s time to move the needle on the overall goals of continuing to advocate for and advance comprehensive family medicine, while at the same time finding opportunities to partner with others in the primary health care space and achieve lasting collective impact.
I encourage and look forward to those conversations.
Dr. Brad Bahler
Chair
Primary Care Alliance
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CII/CPAR Acceleration Grant FAQ available
Increasing the adoption of CII/CPAR (Community Information Integration & Central Patient Attachment Registry) is a primary focus of the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) and Alberta Health (AH). To support this work, a $12 million grant was included in the 2022 AMA AH physician agreement. The CII/CPAR Acceleration initiative provides compensation to physicians for their time and the administrative requirements to enrol and participate in CII/CPAR. The grant is entirely funded by AH and is available on a first-come, first-served basis until the funding limit is reached. Physicians do not need to apply or request payment.
Check out the new Frequently Asked Questions resource, updated information sheet and learn more about the Acceleration Grant at the link.
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Up Next at the ACFP
Alberta College of Family Physicians (ACFP) have three sessions in June starting with a keynote presentation with Dr. Christy Sutherland’s, The History of War on Drugs and the Opioid Crisis.
Following that a collaborative forum on the Alberta Wildfires and the lessons learned for the next emergency response.
Visit the ACFP website at the link below to register.
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Act now on reduced PIA rates for CII/CPAR
To participate in CII/CPAR, a community-based clinic must have an up-to-date Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) that reflects the clinic’s current EMR and privacy policies.
The AMA has compiled a list of privacy consultants who can assist your clinic to create or update your PIA.
The CII/CPAR reduced rates for PIAs expires on September 30, 2023. Now is an ideal time to submit your CII/CPAR Confirmation of Participation form to eHealth and take advantage of this opportunity to update your clinic PIA, if required, at a discounted rate.
Note: These consultants and companies are not endorsed or vetted by the AMA.
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Gear up your governance this fall!
New sessions have been added for PCN Governance Training – Essentials taking place September 11 in Red Deer and September 12 in Lethbridge. More session dates will be added in the coming months. Stay tuned for more information.
There is an online only option available for those interested in learning more about PCN Governance, but do not fall into the intended audience. Those interested in finding out more about PCN Governance Training – Essentials or enrolling can visit the AMA-Accelerating Change Transformation Team website. Enrol today!
If you have any questions or need help enrolling, please contact learn@albertadoctors.org. |
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Join us tomorrow June 1! ABCs of Blended Capitation
Are you tired of battling the constraints of the fee-for-service model of patient care delivery?
Join the AMA’s Accelerating Change Transformation Team and physician panelists, Dr. Brad Bahler and Dr. Melanie Currie to learn more about the Blended Capitation Model and how it allows for more financial flexibility to be creative in how service is delivered to patients.
The goal of this funding model advances the Patient’s Medical Home and delivers a quality care experience to patients with improved access, continuity and comprehensive team-based care through:
- A predictable income stream for easier budgeting and stability
- Continuity where relationships matter
- Good access to care and a patient-centered approach
- Care coordination and delivery by an interdisciplinary team
- The ability to deliver care in innovative ways
- Professional autonomy and improved satisfaction
- Happier, healthier patients
As the third webinar in the Battling Burnout series, the Edmonton Southside and Edmonton West Primary Care Networks invite you to learn more about the ABCs of Blended Capitation. Register now!
Training on the science of brain development
The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative is offering training sessions on brain development and its effects on mental and physical health. The sessions are free and self-paced, and they use the Resilience Scale Metaphor to explore content. For more information and registration:
English course
French course
Reminder: Delivery of lab results – please use provider and submitter IDs on all requisitions
Providers in the community who order lab tests or submit specimens for testing need to take action to ensure they receive these results. If requisitions are incomplete, patients could receive results before their providers. Every requisition given to a patient or sent with a specimen (including microbiology and anatomic pathology) needs to contain the authorizing provider’s full name, the clinic name, address, and submitter ID, plus the provider ID for the authorizing provider. Get more information.
Looking to reduce faxed/mailed reports from AHS?
If your private practice or community medical clinic receives patient lab and DI results directly into your EMR via AHS’s eDelivery service, and you also receive these results via mail or fax, you can submit a paper suppression form to stop getting duplicate paper reports. Note that you may continue to get some patient care paper reports, like courtesy copies and ECG reports. More information. Questions: PHC@AHS.ca.
Do you want to share your thoughts and co-design tools for cancer diagnosis?
The Physician Learning Program and the Cancer Strategic Clinical Network are still looking for primary care providers practicing in or around High Level, Boyle, Mayerthorpe, Taber, or Pincher Creek; or those who serve newcomers anywhere in Alberta to participate in a study. This study aims to understand the approach of primary care providers and to co-design tools and resources to support the cancer diagnostic process in primary care. For more information, contact Heidi Cheung.
Let’s celebrate Alberta Rural Health week!
From May 29-June 2, the Rural Health Professions Action Plan (RhPAP) is celebrating Alberta Rural Health Week (ARHW)!
During ARHW, communities are invited to show appreciation for the contributions of the rural health providers whose abilities enhance the quality of life in rural Alberta. ARHW is also an opportunity to say “thank you” to the local volunteers who go above and beyond to support health care and health professionals in their rural Alberta communities.
You can make those salutes to your fellow health professionals stand out easily on social media by posting and using the hashtags #RuralHealthMatters and/or #ABruralHealthWeek!
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