The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is funding a number of Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist (QIDSS) positions in Family Health Teams across Ontario.
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This new position is meant to assist Family Health Teams (FHTs) in meeting their quality improvement objectives through data standardization and extraction, information production and on-going analysis. In addition, the new roles are seen as an important enabler supporting the introduction of quality improvement plans in the FHTs beginning April 2013.
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The City of Lakes Family Health Team was approved to hire a Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist in August. This position will serve a partnership consisting of nine Family Health Teams located in northeastern Ontario. Members include Espanola, Parry Sound, Powassan, West Nipissing, Northeast Manitoulin, Assiginack, Manitoulin Central, Huron Shores and Sudbury. All nine FHTs collectively represent 66,000 patients served by 62 family physicians and 53 Interdisciplinary Healthcare Providers.
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The partnership utilizes the same electronic medical record system - Telus Health Practice Solutions. The QIDSS will support the collective efforts of the northeastern partnership to develop and implement annual quality improvement plans and manage EMR data.
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Meghan Peters has been hired as the new Quality Improvement Decision Support Specialist effective October 1, 2013.
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