In 2012, the Northeast Community Care Access centre (CCAC) and the Northeast Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) teamed up with the City of Lakes Family Health Team to pilot a new initiative to improve patient care.
This collaboration brought a part-time case manager onsite at the FHT clinics.
The purpose of the pilot program was to improve the coordination of homecare services between the CCAC and FHTs. It was hoped that this level of collaboration would improve patient care and make a positive impact on emergency room visits and hospitalizations.
Early indications demonstrated that, in fact, the level of patient care and coordination did benefit from this pilot program.
As a result, the program has expanded to having two full-time CCAC Care Coordinators located at FHT clinics and serving CoLFHT patients.
The program also improves the coordination of hospital discharge planning for patients being discharged from hospital who require home-based care.