Program

OntarioMD’s first virtual conference will open up with two special keynote addresses featuring Dr. Jane Philpott, Special Advisor to the Ontario Government on the new Ontario Health Data Platform who will speak to the Ontario Health Data Platform and the value it will brings dealing with Covid-19 and beyond.  The second keynote will feature, Mr. Matt Anderson, the President and CEO of Ontario Health who will speak to the new work of Ontario Health during Covid-19 and beyond.  

Speakers

Dr. Jane Philpott is delighted to be the new Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at Queen’s University and the CEO of SEAMO. She is a medical doctor and former Member of Parliament. Prior to politics, Jane was a family doctor for 30 years and spent the first decade of her career in Niger, West Africa. She was Chief of Family Medicine at Markham Stouffville Hospital and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. From 2015 to 2019 she served as federal Minister of Health, Minister of Indigenous Services, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Digital Government. She has recently been appointed as the Ministers’ Special Advisor for the Ontario Health Data Platform.   

Matthew Anderson is an experienced health care leader, team-builder and advocate for positive change. He is widely respected across Ontario’s health care system for his intense focus on the needs and experiences of patients and caregivers. Before joining Ontario Health, Matthew was President and CEO of Lakeridge Health, one of the largest community hospital systems in the province. He lead the operation of five hospitals with four emergency departments and more than 5,000 physicians and staff, working with community partners to build a regional system of care for families in the Durham Region.

At Ontario Health, Matthew is leading one of the largest mergers in healthcare history bringing together 20 agencies and over 12,000 staff. 

Matthew began his career in data analytics and IT and has risen quickly through the ranks. He became Chief Information Officer of University Health Network (UHN) in 1998, and a Vice President at UHN in 2000. In 2008, he was named CEO of the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network and in 2010, became CEO of William Osler Health System.

Matthew Anderson is married with three children and numerous pets.

Learning Objectives

1. Why secure messaging is a key modality for the provision of virtual care

2. What is the economic benefit of secure messaging?

3. Security considerations of sending personal health information via email

4. Why the correct payment model, integration of data, and equity of access will be key considerations for the successful adoption of secure messaging

At the end of this session participants will be able to assess the benefits from a privacy and economical viewpoint of secure messaging

Presented by Dr. Duncan Rozario, Chief of Surgery, Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital/Medical Director, Oakville Virtual Care Program

Dr. Rozario is a general surgeon who has been in practice since 1992.
VISION: I believe that we all have the right to greater quality healthcare, where we need it, when we need it, and how we need it so that we may live life to our greatest potential.

Sigma Healthtech is unified around a common goal of creating disruptive change and innovation in the way healthcare engages with patients. Our first product, SigMail, provides end-to-end encrypted messaging to allow private and secure communication in the circle of healthcare

Member, Innovation Sub-Committee, Premier’s Council on Improving Healthcare and Ending Hallway Medicine, Province of Ontario

Assistant Clinical Professor (Adjunct) Department of Surgery, McMaster University
Physician Advisor, The Medical Post since 2015

MD 1992 Queen’s University
General Surgery University of Ottawa FRCSC 1997

On staff in the Division of General Surgery since 1997, Dr. Rozario specializes in the management of breast and colorectal cancer, hernia repair, laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, colonoscopy and gastroscopy, on-call emergency room coverage.

Learning Objectives

1. Which apps to recommend to patients and how to use apps carefully

2. Which apps are useful in practice

3. Share apps that other doctors will find useful

At the end of this session participants will have a better understanding of medical apps that can be successful to use with patients.

Presented by Dr. Chandi Chandrasena, OntarioMD Physician Peer Leader

Dr. Chandi Chandrasena has been a family doctor in Ottawa since 2004.  She graduated from the University of Ottawa Medicine and completed her Residency in 2002 from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine Sudbury Family Medicine Program. She is currently  the co-owner of her medical clinic and is the Family Health Organization (FHO) IT Lead.Dr. Chandrasena has been a Peer Leader for over two years and is dedicated to encouraging her colleagues to use an EMR and other  advanced  technologies to improve physician workflows, efficiency  and patient outcomes. Chandi is also an OMA District 8/Section on General Family Practice Delegate as well as an Academy of Medicine (AMO) Executive.  She is also a CPSO Peer Assessor within the Quality Assurance Department. Chandi is also active with CME planning through the University Ottawa and the AMO.

Learning Objectives

1. How to improve your practice management using your EMR and virtual care tools.

2. How to use the features that may be available to you with virtual care tools and your EMR

3. Explore some of the add on products on the market today

At the end of this session participants will learn how to better manage their practice through their EMR and virtually.

Presented by Mr. Stephen Beckwith, OntarioMD Clinic Manager Peer Leader

Stephen Beckwith has over 16 years of experience in health care administration and is a Clinic Manager Peer Leader with OntarioMD. Stephen has worked in several areas: emergency, specialty and primary care. He has also worked on the implementation of a variety of ministry initiatives and has a strong passion for efficiency in health care. Stephen is currently the IT and Operations Lead for the South East Toronto Family Health Team – a large, multi-site academic FHT that focuses on quality improvement.

Learning Objectives

1. Demonstration and Discussion of virtual care tools

2. How to engage patients and adapt workflows

3. Best use these tools, both during the pandemic and beyond

At the end of this session participants will understand and optimize the use of virtual care as it best suits their practice.

Presented by Dr. Kevin Samson, OntarioMD Physician Peer Leader

 Dr. Samson is a family physician and IT lead at the East Wellington Family Health Team in Rockwood, Ontario. He is also an Electrical Engineering specializing in computer programming and biomedical engineering and has been actively involved in the development and application of healthcare IT applications throughout his career. Dr. Samson is Chair of the OntarioMD TELUS PSS Community of Practice, Chair of the AFHTO Quality Steering Committee, and co-Chair of the Diabetes Action Canada Research Governing Committee. He is also a member of the OntarioMD EMR Quality Dashboard Clinical Advisory Group, the OntarioMD Health Report Manager User Group, the OntarioMD Insights4Care Dashboard Clinical Advisory Group, the eConsult Clinical Advisory Group, and he is a clinical advisor at the eHealth Centre of Excellence. At a more local level, he is a member of the Guelph OHT Digital Health Advisory Group and the Waterloo Wellington Primary Care eHealth Committee. Dr. Samson received the 2019 inaugural Canada Health Informatics Clinical Innovator award which recognizes a clinical innovator who has shown outstanding leadership in Canada in advancing the use of Digital Health or Virtual Health in clinical practice resulting in improved provider and patient experiences and outcomes.

Learning Objectives

1. Virtual care 1 on 1 is simple. Why is it so challenging to create clinic flow in the virtual environment?

2. Tips for adopting virtual care in a 1 on 1 physician:patient environment

3. Tips for adopting virtual care in more complex clinic settings (interdisciplinary clinics, clinics with trainees)

At the end of this session participants will learn how to incorporate virtual care into their clinical workflow.

Presented by Dr. Sharon Domb, OntarioMD Physician Peer Leader

Dr. Sharon Domb is a family physician, the Physician IT Lead at Sunnybrook Family Practice, and an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. As a Peer Leader with OntarioMD since 2009, she has provided guidance to numerous other academic and community groups on their EMR implementations and enhanced functionality. She has served as the Co-Chair of the EMR Users Group at the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto, and has been a member of numerous digital health committees, both nationally and provincially. With over 20 years of clinical experience in the academic environment, Dr. Domb is well-versed with the numerous factors that contribute to complex EMR implementations, including educational requirements, custom interfaces with hospital IT systems, and integrating with hospital IT policies.

Learning Objectives

1. Understand key concepts and definitions around Privacy and Security

2. How to handle privacy breaches

3. Your obligations under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)

At the end of the session participants will be able to review and evaluate key concepts and definitions.

Presented by Ariane Siegel, General Counsel & Chief Privacy Officer

Ariane joined OntarioMD as General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer at the beginning of January, 2016. Ariane is recognized internationally as one of Canada’s leaders in the field of data protection and technology law. In 2015 and 2016 Ariane she was listed among Who’s Who’s leaders in Technology Law. She has an in-depth background on issues pertaining to privacy and technology law, particularly as they relate to the health care system and electronic medical records. Prior to joining OntarioMD, Ariane established her own law firm, Signal Hill Digital Law, she also spent 11 years as a lawyer and Partner at Canada’s largest law firm. She acted as General Counsel for the launch of Richard Branson’s Virgin Mobile in Canada. Ariane has also served as Law Clerk to the Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice and worked as constitutional counsel to the Attorney General of Ontario. A leader in the area of data protection and privacy, Ariane has provided counsel to private sector organizations, including pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers and doctors on compliance with Canada’s privacy legislation. Ariane has worked as a senior investigator with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Ariane works closely with the American Bar Association Cyberspace Law Committee and currently co-chairs their sub-committee on data analytics. She has provided counsel to global and Canadian companies in a variety of sectors, including telecommunications, financial services, transportation and hospitality. Ariane obtained both her LLB and LLM from Osgoode Hall Law School and has written and spoken extensively on the field of privacy and technology law in Canada and abroad.

Learning Objectives

1. Review of burnout – definition, scope, causes

2. Technology as a factor leading to burnout

3. Impact of virtual care on burnout

4. Managing virtual care to stay healthy

Presented by Mamta Gautam, MD, MBA, FRCPC, CPDC, CCPE, CPE

Dr. Mamta Gautam is an internationally renowned psychiatrist, consultant, certified coach, author and speaker.  She is a pioneer in the area of Physician Health and Well-being, and is known as the “The Doctor’s Doctor”.  Her two main areas of focus are Physician Health and Physician Leadership, allowing her to address both individual and system-level factors in physician wellness.  She is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards for her innovative work in physician health, and has been awarded Distinguished Fellowships in both the Canadian and American Psychiatric Associations

Learning Objectives

1. Identify which diabetes care processes must be in person and which can be virtual

2. Understand the role of mobile apps and wearable technology to support self-management

3. Consider ways your EMR can facilitate high quality virtual care

4. Explore how virtual care many enable specialists and primary care to actively collaborate 

At the end of this session participants will be able to assess how to better treat and manage diabetic patients through virtual care vs in person.

Presented by Dr. Noah Ivers, Family Physician, OntarioMD Peer Leader and Dr. Ilana Halperin, Endocrinology, OntarioMD Physician Peer Leader

Dr. Noah Ivers is a family physician who conducts research that addresses this health gap by focusing on finding innovative approaches to ensure that patients reliably get the right treatment in the right way at the right time.

Dr. Ivers is acknowledged as a world leader in providing performance measurement and feedback to clinicians to support quality improvement. He works with stakeholders across the province and around the world to find ways to measure and report quality of care in ways that enable providers to respond more effectively to care gaps.

Dr. Ivers is currently leading a new program funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to support the evaluation of feedback given to thousands of Ontario physicians. In this project, Dr. Ivers and his team will evaluate different strategies to address the current opioid crisis by giving doctors more support to safely manage high-risk prescriptions while also testing different approaches to improve patient outcomes. The project also involves working with partners to design new initiatives aimed at improving antibiotic prescribing to prevent another emerging public health crisis of antimicrobial resistance. The project will give doctors a clear sense of how their prescribing habits compare to the ideal and provide tools and resources to improve them

Dr. Halperin is an endocrinology specialist, a full-time staff physician and an Assistant Professor at the Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, where she teaches residents and medical students about quality and innovation. Dr. Halperin strives to improve the coordination of care for high users of the health care system and continues to work on improving the care of young women with diabetes prior to, during, and after pregnancy. Dr. Halperin obtained her medical degree from the University of Western Ontario and completed her internal medicine and endocrinology training from the University of Toronto. In addition to her medical education, Dr. Halperin has also obtained her MSc. in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety at the University of Toronto. Dr. Halperin was the Clinical Lead of the EMR implementation at her Endocrine Division, where under her continued leadership, the EMR of two additional divisions were implemented as well. Through her close collaboration with EMR vendors, a ‘form-to-letter’ for diabetes management was developed, where captured elements generate reports on various diabetes quality indicators

Learning Objectives

1. Learn about the OntarioMD Insights4Care Program, providing clinicians with the tools and services for actionable population health management

2. Hear about clinicians’ experience utilizing the i4C Dashboard to gain greater population insights and to make practice improvements

3. Learn the important role of hands-on clinician support by OntarioMD’s advisors in realizing the i4C Dashboard’s full value to patient care

At the end of the session participants will be able to assess the value of the OntarioMD Insights4Care Program.

Presented by Dr. Loredana Di Santo, OntarioMD Physician Peer Leader

Dr. Loredana Di Santo received her medical degree from Western University in 2003. She earned Certification in Family Medicine in 2005 and was awarded Fellowship in the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) in 2016. She is currently the Medical Director at Gates of Maple Family Practice in Vaughan and is the acting Deputy Chief of Family Practice at Mackenzie Health. A strong advocate for comprehensive, evidence-based family medicine, Dr. Di Santo enjoys teaching medical students and residents, as well as authoring modules for the Problem-Based Small Group Learning Program. Since 2010, she has been a member of the CFPC Committee on Examination in Family Medicine. As an early adopter of EMRs, Dr. Di Santo has supported numerous physicians in establishing their family practices and in adopting and utilizing EMRs. As a member of the Health Records Committee at Mackenzie Health, and now as an OntarioMD Peer Leader, she continues to participate in projects geared towards improving the quality of patient care.

2020 may turn out to be a watershed year for Virtual Care in Canada, as physicians across the country pivoted to the use of Virtual Care services, out of necessity. Physician organizations, Provincial/Territorial and Federal governments pulled together to help flatten the curve and keep Canadians safe during the COVID19 pandemic. Despite some successes, the journey towards providing truly virtual care has proven challenging for many physicians and other health care providers. While the outlook for sustainable virtual care is promising, the trajectory is not entirely certain.

In this presentation, attendees will learn about, and engage in a discussion on:

1. Virtual care adoption data and trending across Canada during COVID19.

2. Infoway’s role in supporting provincial and territorial virtual care initiatives during the pandemic

3. Key enablers of the clinical pivot to virtual care, including EMR-integrated digital tools such as electronic prescribing

4. Challenges encountered by physicians in implementing virtual care

5. Ideas for the sustainability and enhancement of virtual care exiting the COVID19 pandemic, and in preparation for similar future events.

Presented by Dr. Rashaad Bhyat, Clinician Leader, Canada Health Infoway

The shift to virtual care has brought with it new opportunities – and challenges – for patients and providers alike. Without in-person visits, something as simple as filling in a form or completing a screening tool can become a significant challenge. In this hands-on demo-style session, you’ll hear how clinics are supplementing virtual visit tools with EMR-integrated patient engagement tools to successfully make the transition to an increasingly virtual care-based world. From automated symptom screening, virtual check-ins, and secure attachment sharing to booking virtual appointments online, this session will share multiple was that technology is helping providers to safely and securely connect with patients both in and out of the clinic.

Presented by Dr. Doug Kavanagh, Ocean by CognisantMD

Doug Kavanagh is a Toronto-based family physician who specializes in electronic medical records development and knowledge translation. He is the author and former chief architect of TELUS PS Suite, Canada’s leading electronic medical records system. Doug has also created many clinical decision support systems deployed across the country, including Ontario’s first ePrescribing network for the Georgian Bay Family Health Team.

Doug has over fifteen years’ experience working with physicians and allied health professionals to improve their healthcare IT in a variety of clinical settings. He graduated at the top of his software engineering class at the University of Waterloo in 2006, received his medical doctorate from the University of Toronto in 2011 and now works as a community family physician and clinical instructor within the North York Family Health Team.

Ready or not, the COVID-19 pandemic forced physicians in Canada and around the world to suddenly begin seeking virtual care solutions as a crucial means of healthcare delivery. The urgency of the situation pressured many to quickly purchase software without enough time to thoroughly evaluate the effectiveness and now, seven months into the pandemic, too many physicians have been led to believe that telemedicine is the end all and be all of virtual medicine and that they shouldn’t expect more–when they should.

Virtual care, when designed and implemented properly, should be part and parcel of a collaborative, integrated solution that enables physicians to manage, assess, communicate, and engage their patients through a single point of access while also connecting with all members of the patient’s care team–with minimal clicks. Video and instant messaging are important elements of a toolbox that should include asynchronous communication–where real efficiency is generated–and which should empower physicians with the ability to easily assign patients tasks, share files from their health records, request additional information, issue prescriptions, provide counseling all from anywhere, anytime.

During this session, two practicing physicians–co-founders of InputHealth’s award-winning Collaborative Health Record (CHR)–will discuss lessons learned during the first months of the pandemic (when the CHR was widely adopted to assist Ontario’s efforts to counter the pandemic) and suggested steps that should be taken nationwide to make high-quality, integrated, collaborative care widely deliverable and accessible across Canada.

Presented by co-founders, Dr. Puneet Seth, President/CMO, and Marc Faktor, VP of Sales, InputHealth

In 2015, chronic diseases caused about three-quarters of deaths in Ontario. The majority of these deaths were due to four major chronic diseases: cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic lower respiratory diseases and diabetes, which are the focus of this report. These chronic diseases not only reduce the quality and length of people’s lives, they are also expensive to treat. Their direct healthcare costs are estimated to be $10.5 billion a year in Ontario (2010 estimate in 2018 dollars). 

The COVID-19 health care pandemic has created new risks for those with chronic disease. According to health authorities people with chronic diseases are at higher risk of death if they become ill from COVID-19. This includes: people with medical conditions such as heart disease; hypertension (high blood pressure); lung disease; diabetes; and cancer, people with weakened immune systems from a medical condition or treatment, such as chemotherapy and older adults, seniors and Elders. This places even greater pressure on a healthcare system that is already overloaded and stretched to capacity.

Virtual care technology including remote patient monitoring can improve care coordination, increase patient access to convenient care 24/7. It also greatly improves the patient experience and adherence to care plans, resulting in better disease management, improved outcomes and reduced costs.

Presented by Dr. Sonny Kohli, Chief Medical Officer Cloud DX and practicing physician, Halton Health

Join us to learn how TELUS Health can support you in bringing virtual care to your practice – and help you meet the challenge of a potential second wave of COVID-19.

Alison Foster, Senior Healthcare Business Consultant, will demonstrate how TELUS PS Suite EMR can help you maintain safe, patient-centred care by integrating communication tools directly into your EMR. 

You’ll discover how TELUS PS Suite EMR and its add-ons enable you to:  

• Initiate and conduct a virtual visit from TELUS PS Suite EMR 

• Manage patient communications, share documents, and have patients complete self-assessments and forms online 

• Send electronic prescriptions directly to the patient’s pharmacy and manage incoming renewal requests right in your EMR

Presented by Alison Foster, Senior Healthcare Business Consultant, TELUS Health

A senior consultant with TELUS Health, Alison has overseen the implementation of EMRs into countless clinics across the country, ensuring they are optimized for success. She continues to apply her experience and in-depth knowledge of digital tools to ensuring practitioners are positioned to excel in their critical role in the future of Canadian healthcare.

Join us and discover why Accuro is Canada’s #1 single-platform EMR. Its configurable clinic management modules are built for the demands of Ontario physicians, and its new integrated virtual care component – Accuro Engage – lets you connect with patients easily and securely, right from the EMR. It’s care delivery on your terms, for the kind of care we need today.

Presented by Parth Bhatt, QHR Technologies with an introduction from Mike Checkley, President, QHR Technologies

Meet with different EMR, digital health and virtual care vendors who have innovative solutions that can benefit your practice!

Get advice and tips from OntarioMD Peer Leaders in these training workshops. At the end of the session participants will recognize how to optimize the EMR through identifying better workflows, examining, and reviewing toolbars and how to benefit more from other EMR pluses such as Prescribing, Billing, Integrated Care and more.

Are you currently practicing in a Primary Care Model and would like to learn more about virtual care billing? The OMA seminar will discuss Virtual Care Billing for family physicians, focusing on the FHO model. The session will cover primary care codes and give you a better understanding of topics such as premiums, Q codes and bonuses available.

Attendees will be able to assess different virtual care billing codes and how to use them when billing.

Presented by Dr. Rick Tytus

Dr. Tytus is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at McMaster University.

He is also the current Board Director of the Ontario Medical Association.

Dr. Tytus is the Past Chair of OntarioMD, and Past President of the Hamilton Academy of Medicine. He was the Co-Chair of the Virtual Care Working Group and was a member of the Ontario Physician eHealth Council.

He is currently on the National Virtual Medicine Task Force Guidelines.

Dr. Tytus has received numerous awards including the 2012 Family Physician of the Year presented by the Ontario College of Family Physicians.

Dr. Tytus is a strong believer that technology improves patient outcomes and enhances healthcare access.