North Simcoe Muskoka AFHTO Bright Lights Nominees!

Each year, the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario hosts its annual convention. It is here that a select number of lucky winners, are chosen from a group of AFHTO membership nominees, for recognition with a Bright Lights Award. Award submissions are focused on leadership, outstanding work and significant progress that has been made to improve the value of primary care teams across Ontario.

Congratulations to the Algonquin and Cottage Country Family Health Teams for being selected as a Bright Lights Awards nominee! Their submission, development of the Muskoka Geriatric Team, was chosen in the category - Optimizing teams’ capacity and creating efficiencies. In addition to the two family health teams, the Muskoka Geriatric Team is supported by physicians as well as North Simcoe Muskoka Specialized Geriatric Services.

The Muskoka Geriatric Team was developed to optimize the health, independence and quality of life for at-risk older adults, as well as increase the capacity for geriatric care in the two Muskoka family health teams. The geriatric team is based on an idea generated from both family health teams' boards of directors. The purpose is to promote equity to care and address the growing need for access to specialized geriatric services in an area where few specialist physicians exist.

In addition, NSM SGS would like to acknowledge the other North Simcoe Muskoka submissions also chosen as Bright Lights Awards' nominees:

• ‍Barrie and Community Family Health Team– Obesity management strategy, providing evidenced-based practice and addressing wait times
• ‍Couchiching Family Health Team –Navigating health care for the Couchiching community
• ‍Algonquin Family Health Team – Eating disorders –Comprehensive mental health, nutrition and primary care
• ‍South Georgian Bay Family Health Team - myDAWN(Depression, Anxiety, Wellness, Navigation) integrated into a service pathway to enable coordinated access to most appropriate, least intensive service.

Congratulations to everyone! Hopefully we’ll see a winner or winners for North Simcoe Muskoka!