Events

Dear Halton Physicians,

We are writing to provide an update and reminder about the Ontario AI Scribe Program. This initiative, led by OntarioMD and Supply Ontario, has completed its vendor of record (VOR) list for AI scribes.

Key Benefits of the Ontario AI Scribe Program

• Preferential pricing contracts
• Additional protection from liability (privacy & security)
• Support in selecting the right AI scribe for your needs
• Pre- and post-onboarding support

While EMR integration was not a requirement for inclusion on the list (to ensure physician needs—not EMR vendor priorities—drove the selection process), many vendors do offer integration.

You can submit an expression of interest here:
👉 OntarioMD AI Scribe Program

Canada Health Infoway Program

Separately, Canada Health Infoway offered 10,000 free one-year licenses for nine AI scribes (all but one of which also appear on Ontario’s list). While these licenses have already been distributed, physicians with an active license can still switch vendors within 3 months of their initial selection.

For comparisons:

• Features Comparison Matrix and EMR Integration Matrix are available here (select “view all” when asked to choose your region): Infoway AI Scribe Program

About Heidi

Many have asked why Heidi was excluded from Ontario’s VOR list. While the reason remains unclear, we have been told it is not related to being a non-Canadian vendor. Heidi remains a popular option, though in our evaluations some AI scribes have outperformed it in certain areas.

It is important to note that the VOR list will be refreshed within the next 12 months, so excluded vendors such as Heidi may be added in the future.

Our Local Evaluation

We are currently evaluating several AI scribes in clinical practice, focusing on:

• Speed of note generation
• Customization options
• Note quality & sophistication
• Extra features (e.g., billing codes, referral letters, adaptive learning)

Because each tool requires repeated patient visits to evaluate, a full review of all vendors will take time. In the meantime, we encourage you to trial an AI scribe directly—most vendors provide free trials.

Practical Tips

• Microphone quality matters. Built-in mics often underperform when voices move around the room. For best results, consider an external condenser microphone on a stand.
• Check transcripts. If they are clean and free of errors or nonsensical speech, your setup is likely adequate.

Bottom Line

An effective AI scribe should be intuitive, reliable, accurate, and efficient—reducing administrative burden while keeping costs manageable. The Ontario AI Scribe Program can help you identify the right solution, with the added reassurance of security and privacy protections.

We will share further updates in the coming months as our local evaluations progress.

Sincerely,

Dr. Kris Martiniuk
CCHOHT Clinical Lead, PCN Development

Dr. Yasar Razvi
CCHOHT Clinical Lead, Digital Projects

Support House’s Community Health Centre’s Mobile Health Team was developed in collaboration with Connected Care Halton Ontario Health Team (CCH OHT), Halton Physicians Association, Oak Park/Churchill Neighbourhood Centre, the Mental Health + Addictions Alliance, and people with lived experience, including family and caregivers.

Funding has been provided through the province’s Interprofessional Primary Care Team (IPCT) to expand and enhance vulnerable populations’ access to primary care across Halton. That funding was recently extended through April 2027.

The CHC breaks down barriers to healthcare through a comprehensive team that includes 0.5 FTE Physician, 3 Nurse Practitioners, 2 Registered Nurses, 1 Social Worker, 1 Peer Support Worker, 1 Clinic Coordinator, and 1 Manager. Services include primary care, preventative care, harm reduction, chronic disease management, peer support, mental health care, addictions medicine, and addressing social determinants of health needs.

The mobile health van allows the Support House team to reach clients at encampments, local shelters, the Churchill Neighbourhood Centre, the Acton Youth Hub and other community partner sites across north and south Halton Region.

“This van allows us to continue to expand and enhance access to primary care,” says Christina Jabalee, Senior Director of Community Health at Support House. “This includes offering primary care in non-traditional forms to create alternate care pathways for people who face multiple barriers in accessing care including those that are unhoused, lack a current health card, and have multiple health concerns including mental illness and substance use. We know this mobile team can improve people’s health outcomes and our overall community wellness.”

Community Health: Meeting People Where They’re At

Improving primary care services to vulnerable populations was identified as a community need and is community-driven. Halton Public Health reports that one in 10 Halton adults (18-64) have been diagnosed with a mood and/or anxiety disorder, and from 2006 to 2015, the rate of ER visits for mental illness increased by 24%, with the rate of hospitalizations increased by 36%.

The CHC provides mobile care for life transitions and urgent needs, same-day service for primary care and mental health, and clinician connection within 2-3 days. Since launching in September, the program has served over 500 clients.

“The CHC is a great example of people coming together as one team to ensure the quality of care and quality of life for those often most at risk,” says Paul Gregory, Executive Director of Support House. “For those who are vulnerable and underserved, whose issues are often not given the attention needed, the CHC is helping to remove the barriers to accessing care by meeting people where they are in the community.”

The CHC is working closely with Support House’s Response Team, which has successfully addressed many social determinants of health and successfully housed people living in encampments and shelters who also face concerns with their mental health and substance use. The Response Team obtains referrals through the Region of Halton’s By-Name database, which prioritizes services for the unhoused/homeless population based on the highest acuity/need.

A local strategy for more connected health

The CHC aligns with the Ontario Government’s Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care strategy, which includes a commitment to connect more people to primary care by creating interprofessional primary care teams to make access to care more convenient for those with the greatest need. These interprofessional primary care teams will provide direct care to vulnerable and marginalized people who struggle to access or lack a family doctor. This will help connect people to care without having to visit emergency rooms and experience long wait times.

This approach includes identifying barriers to people accessing their primary care provider, attending appointments with the client and primary care provider, and facilitating virtual appointments, among other strategies.

The Primary Care EOI submission was embraced by the CCH OHT and worked on through a highly collaborative and multidisciplinary group, including the Halton Physicians Association, The Mental Health + Addictions Alliance, Oak Park/Churchill Neighbourhood Centre, Halton Region and people with lived and living experience including family and caregivers. The proposal was supported by many physicians, specialists and Family Health Teams across the Region of Halton.

“The CHC program is a true expression of a community coming together to identify a need and working collaboratively to address it,” Gregory added. “This interprofessional project brings together health professionals who have not traditionally worked together, enhances care for an underserved population, and builds strong relationships.”

Referrals are accepted from community partners, primary care providers, specialists, ERs, and other acute care services. The referral process emphasizes a “no wrong door” approach and does not require a physician’s referral.

About Support House

Support House (supporthouse.ca) has provided support services and housing for people with mental health, substance use and addiction concerns in Halton since 1984. Support House provides low-barrier, harm-reduction approaches to providing accommodation and support to people with multiple needs to address housing stability issues.

Everyone deserves and has a right to housing.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Paul Gregory, Executive Director, Support House
1-833-845-9355 ext 134
paulg@supporthouse.ca

Funding provided by the Government of Ontario

The Georgetown Hospital is receiving a service upgrade, as Halton Healthcare is expanding its Outpatient Palliative Care Clinics.

This decision will bring compassionate, end-of-life care closer to home and ensuring patients and their families can access vital support and comfort in their own community.

“Palliative care offers relief, reassurance and guidance for both patients and their families, helping them navigate complex health journeys with greater confidence and peace of mind,” says Dr. Tarek Kazem, Palliative Medicine Division Lead, Halton Healthcare. “Building on the success of our clinics in Oakville and Milton, this new location will ensure that individuals living with serious health conditions or complex symptoms can access expert support, symptom management, and comfort in a setting that’s familiar and convenient.”

The Georgetown clinic will be led by Dr. Sumeet Khanna, a respected and experienced palliative care physician. With his leadership, patients will benefit from timely, coordinated outpatient care that reduces the need for travel during already difficult times. Until now, patients in the Georgetown area accessed this specialized care in Oakville or Milton.

“Expanding outpatient palliative care to Georgetown Hospital is an important step in strengthening how we deliver care across the region,” adds Dr. Khanna. “We’re not only improving access but also easing the burden on patients during some of the most challenging times in their lives. Our goal is to provide care that is timely, equitable, and deeply compassionate – designed to meet the unique needs of each patient.”

This expansion means that outpatient palliative care services are now available at all three Halton Healthcare sites – improving access, convenience and choice for patients and families across the region.

To Our Community Physicians,

We would like to inform our community providers that Milton District Hospital Laboratory provides outpatient bloodwork services only for patients referred by physicians with hospital privileges at Halton Healthcare. This policy aligns with standard practices across hospitals in Ontario.

Requests that fall outside of this policy will be declined and redirected to community laboratories. If the request or situation is considered urgent, the patients should be directed to the nearest Emergency Department.

Most lab tests ordered by community physicians are covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) and can be completed at community laboratory service providers at no cost to patients. Additionally, community labs typically offer free parking.

Please visit the Halton Healthcare website at www.haltonhealthcare.on.ca for information on our outpatient laboratory service hours and locations. For some community laboratory service locations, please visit www.lifelabs.com, www.dynacare.ca or www.cmlhealthcare.com.

We kindly ask that this notice be shared within your clinic(s). On behalf of the Laboratory Management Team, thank you for your cooperation and support in aligning with our hospital policy. We appreciate your attention to this matter.

Regards,

Dr. Nadeen Edmondson, Medical Director and Chief Pathologist, Laboratory

Shairoz Kherani, Director Diagnostic Imaging & Laboratory Services

Shubhra Mohan, Laboratory Manager for Milton District Hospital and Georgetown Hospital

Dear Patients and Families,

Thank you for trusting Halton Healthcare with your health care journey. We are committed to ensuring you have an exemplary experience no matter what door you walk through with us across our three hospital sites.

At Georgetown Hospital, we have been proudly caring for the community since 1961. Over the past couple years, like other small communities, we have experienced challenges related to providing 24/7 obstetrical care.

To focus on our recruitment efforts and provide stability and predictability for both our patients and staff, we will be temporarily relocating birthing services to Milton District Hospital as of June 1, 2025. Our goal is to resume services in early winter 2025.

Halton Healthcare is fortunate to operate as an integrated system with three hospitals across the region, all within a 30-minute drive. This enables us to make decisions like this one while protecting access to care for our region.

Georgetown obstetrician/gynecologists will continue to provide outpatient prenatal, postnatal, and gynecological services in their community offices and elective gynecologic surgical services at Georgetown Hospital. The only change will be the location of births. Georgetown residents who deliver at Milton will be able to access newborn follow up care in Georgetown through our pediatric program.

Integrating birthing services with Milton District Hospital will have many advantages for patient care, including 24/7 obstetrician coverage, the ability to support higher risk patients and complex deliveries and onsite access to a Special Care Nursery (SCN) for newborns requiring extra assistance.

Learn more information regarding your care and stay in preparation for your birthing experience at Milton District Hospital by taking a virtual tour of our Maternal Newborn unit, here.

In the event of an emergency, please proceed to the nearest emergency department or call 911. Georgetown Emergency Department physicians remain equipped and ready to support in emergencies. Our emergency departments are as follows:

• Milton District Hospital: 725 Bronte Street S, Milton 
• Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital: 3001 Hospital Gate, Oakville
• Georgetown Hospital: 1 Princess Anne Drive, Georgetown

If you require non-urgent care, the following are available to you:

• You family physician or obstetrician
• Health811 (telehealth services by dialing 811)
• Regional virtual care at www.regional-virtual-urgent-care.ca

 A full list of community services is available on our website at www.haltonhealthcare.on.ca.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to speak with your care provider or contact our Patient Relations team at patientrelations@haltonhealthcare.com.

Thank you for trusting your care with us,

The Halton Healthcare Team

TORONTO — Today, the Ontario government launched the first call for proposals to create and expand up to 80 primary care teams that will connect 300,000 more people to a family doctor and primary care team this year, bringing the province one step closer to connecting everyone in Ontario to primary care by 2029.

“Through our government’s record investments in primary care, Ontario has achieved the highest rate of access to a regular health care provider in the country,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “To continue to build on this progress, we are taking the next step to connect 300,000 more people to primary care this year– bringing us one step closer to our goal of connecting every person in the province to primary care.”

The province is investing $213 million to support the first call for proposals that will create or expand up to 80 primary care teams. This funding is part of the more than $1.8 billion the Ontario government is investing to add 305 new primary care teams across the province, connecting two million more people to publicly funded primary care within four years.

This first call is targeted to communities, by postal code, that have the highest number of people not connected to primary care, averaging 8,000 people unattached per postal code. This is an important step in the government’s action plan to build a primary care system that automatically offers every person in Ontario the opportunity to have a family doctor or primary care team based on postal code no matter where they live.

This approach will attach everyone currently on the Health Care Connect waitlist (as of January 1, 2025) to a primary care team over the next year. As part of their application, prospective teams will have to demonstrate how they will connect the maximum number of people living within their identified postal codes to primary care. The government expects to select and announce successful teams in summer 2025, as well as launch a second call for proposals in September 2025.

To support targeted strategies to recruit and retain the workforce needed to deliver high-quality care, Ontario is also investing an additional $22 million to support all existing primary care teams to help them meet increased operational costs for their facilities and supplies. The province will continue to look at additional ways teams can successfully support, and retain, their workforce.

“Together we are building a primary care system that is comprehensive, convenient, and connected for every single person in Ontario,” said Dr. Jane Philpott. “In communities across Ontario, your primary care team will be your entry to care, where you will have a team of health professionals led by a family doctor or nurse practitioner to provide the care and services you need, when you need it, in a timely way.”

Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team, led by Dr. Jane Philpott, will implement its action plan by building on the government’s historic investment of more than $1.8 billion to expand access to primary care and draw on best-in-class models of care from across the province to close the gap for the remaining 10 per cent of people in the province in need of primary care by 2029. Interprofessional primary care teams are made up of a family physician or nurse practitioner and other health care professionals such as nurses, physician assistants, social workers, dieticians and more.

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care, the Ontario government continues to take bold and decisive action to grow the province’s highly skilled health care workforce and ensure people and their families have access to high-quality care closer to home for generations to come.

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Quick Facts

• The government’s plan will close the gap for the remaining 10 percent of people not connected to a primary care provider by attaching approximately two million people to primary care by 2029.
• The first call for proposals will open today, April 10, 2025, and close on May 2, 2025. Prospective primary care teams will be notified of funding decisions in summer 2025.
• Primary care practices and clinicians should work with their Ontario Health Team and their Primary Care Network to submit a proposal.
• Applications are focused on creating or expanding one of the existing team based models: family health teams, community health centres, nurse practitioner-led clinics, and Indigenous primary health care organizations.
• To ensure Ontario Health Teams and their Primary Care Networks can support primary care teams and clinicians, like family doctors and nurse practitioners, to attach everyone within their identified postal codes over time, the government is investing an additional $37 million in Ontario Health Teams.
• Through the Your Health plan, Ontario invested $110 million in primary care teams across the province, helping to connect 328,000 more people to primary care close to home.
• Ontario has also opened two new medical schools and increased the number of medical school seats at existing medical schools to add 340 undergraduate seats and 551 postgraduate seats.
• Since 2018, the province has added nearly 100,000 new nurses and over 15,000 new physicians to the healthcare system.

A key operational deliverable for the CCHOHT, (and all OHT’s) is advancement in the development of a Primary Care Network (PCN). Locally, the Halton Physician Association (HPA) in collaboration with the CCHOHT has established a time limited PCN working group to set the foundation for the PCN to build upon with local priority population needs, emerging best practices from i12 OHT’s and Provincial Guidance on PCN development.

Physician Leadership to support growth and impact of the PCN is a key lever to future success. As such, the CCHOHT is pleased to be posting for three-time limited Physician Leads (ASAP-March 31st 2025) each at 0.2 FTE (7.5 hours a week) to identify and lead key deliverables that will demonstrate progress for our PCN.

These 3 roles are:

• CCHOHT Clinical Lead – PCN Advancement
• CCHOHT Clinical Lead – PCN Advancement Social Prescribing
• CCHOHT Clinical Lead – PCN Advancement Digital Projects

Reporting to the Executive Director CCHOHT, these roles will support the CCHOHT to accelerate the development of our PCN, in alignment with related Ontario Health guidance on objectives, core functions and clinical priorities. The positions will be posted over the week of December 16th on the following platforms: CCHOHT Website, Halton Region Physician Distribution lists, CCHOHT Physician lists, and the HPA what’s app group.

A selection interview panel will review the applications and include representation from the CCHOHT Collaborative Committee and workstream leads. Applications close at 5:00pm on January 8th 2025 and are to be sent to Zoë Dawe zdawe@haltonhealthcare.com with the title of the lead position of interest along with a resume and cover letter. Only selected applicants will be contacted for an interview.

Any questions please direct to Zoë Dawe, Executive Director CCHOHT at zdawe@haltonhealthcare.com

Hello and Happy Fall! I am excited to have joined CCHOHT in August as the first Executive Director and to be immediately engaged into the impactful work that our OHT has been leading. 

My priority in the first 60 days was to connect, to listen to what is important, what has been achieved and what still needs to be done. We achieved our deliverable of the FY 2024-25 operating plan to Ontario Health on September 20, 2024. Prior to which we successfully hosted an in-person engagement event to capture multiple points of input that was attended by close to 30 community partners, patients, family members, caregivers and physicians. 

I have, and continue to be warmed by the numerous invitations to your Annual General Meetings, and open houses over September and into October to see where the work happens and have had the opportunity to speak firsthand to the staff at the point of care and those receiving services. 

Communication is vital and must occur through multiple channels to have impact. I have experienced myself and heard in my connections that so much of the wonderful achievements supported through the CCHOHT go unknown. Over the next few months, we will be developing a robust communications strategy which will be achieved by the recruitment of a new communication and engagement coordinator. This role will be essential for the CCHOHT to be visible and reachable. We hope to have a successful candidate on board by late fall and we will begin reaching out to illuminate your stories, programs and needs. 

Our website is being updated to capture essential updates across our partners and will include some exciting new features to enable engagement and spotlights on specific areas of focus of our OHT to make it simpler to understand what matters to you most. 

If we have not yet had the chance to connect or you would like to know more about the CCHOHT please contact us through info@connectedcarehalton.ca or to me directly at zdawe@haltonhealthcare.com

Warmly,

Zoe Dawe

Thanks to a two year grant from Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund, Acclaim Health is able to offer this brand new program to Halton region!

The Technology Accessibility Program (TAP) is available to older adults who want to learn how to use technology to access services, information and social opportunities. Clients are provided with free, in-home, step-by-step training and a tablet loan, including data (if needed), for a 3-month period. They are guided through up to nine units by a friendly, trained volunteer, using age friendly best practices to learn tablet use and social information communication technology (email, internet, Zoom, games, YouTube, social media, messaging, etc.). This program is designed for older adults with limited or no experience and prioritizes those who would have trouble accessing other types of technology support. 

TAP Flyer

Acclaim Health is accepting referrals and recruiting for volunteers.  If you have any questions, please contact Nicole Truman by email: ntruman@acclaimhealth.ca or phone: 905-827-8800 ext. 2315.