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For Physicians & Health Professionals

Primary Health Care

Primary Care Initiative

Primary Care and Community Health Initiative

Trillium Health Centre is committed to the development of innovative strategies and approaches to strengthen and integrate primary care and practices, and community-based health services to meet the health care needs of our diverse and growing community.

Trillium Health Centre is devoted to the development of tangible approaches to supporting and promoting improvements in primary care within our organization, as well as the care of our community.   The advancement of this strong primary care infrastructure is carried out through two main enablers, which are key to the success of this initiative:

Approaches to Care

These reflect how care is organized and provided and include shared care models, supporting specialty interests of family physicians, supporting the family physician's role in the continuum of care, collaborating with other health care providers and community partners, increasing the participation of family physicians in primary care clinics and support services in target areas, such as mental health, senior’s health and palliative care.

Supporting Mechanisms

These are policies, protocols, best practices and systems/programs that assist healthcare professionals in delivering superior quality of care.  Mechanisms focus on the following areas: information and communication systems, learning and innovation, physical barriers to access, and implementation of evidenced-based best practices, policies and protocols. 
Trillium Health Centre is proud of its many Primary Care and Community Health accomplishments, some of which include:

  • With the support of Trillium Health Centre, the Summerville Family Health Team was launched in 2007, with the aim to better support the primary care needs of individuals and families in our community. 
  • Etobicoke Medical Centre, a long established association of family physicians affiliated with Trillium Health Centre was also designated as a Family Health Team in 2006.
  • In collaboration with Summerville Family Health Team and the University of Toronto, Trillium Health Centre is pleased to announce the launch of the Trillium-Summerville Family Medicine Teaching Unit.  Trillium Health Centre and its affiliated physicians are taking an active role in teaching our next generation of family physicians.
  • In partnership with the Department of Medicine, the Palliative Care Program was developed in 2006.  Trillium family physicians provide palliative care services in the community for patients discharged from Trillium Health Centre.
  • The Department of Family Practice affiliates closely with Peel Public Health, particularly in health promotion and disease prevention initiatives and in communicable disease surveillance and control.
  • Family physician representation in the Mississauga-Halton LHIN
  • Supporting physician education through weekly OCFP Mainpro-M1 accredited Department of Family Practice Educational Rounds.

If you are interested in learning more about this exciting initiative, please contact Cristina Taranto, Primary Care Coordinator, ctaranto@thc.on.ca

Trillium’s Definition of Primary Health Care

Trillium Health Centre has developed and adopted the following definition of primary health care, which includes determinants of health and a broad range of providers including, but not limited to, health care professionals.

" Primary health care is the first level of care and usually the first point of contact that people have with the health care system. Primary health care is made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation.

Primary health care is concerned with all factors that promote health for populations. It addresses factors which determine health such as income, social status, education, employment, working conditions, social and physical environments, biology and genetic endowments, personal health practices and coping skills, healthy child development, health services, gender and culture. These factors are recognized and addressed through appropriate linkages within health services systems, but also with sectors related to social and community development, such as community groups and agencies, family caregivers, volunteer organizations, government departments and others.

Primary health care services are coordinated, accessible to all consumers, and are accessed through a variety of providers who have the right skills to meet the needs of individuals and the communities being served. These providers work in partnership with consumers and each other, and facilitate consumer use of health-related services and their access to various levels of care when required.

Primary health care empowers individuals and families to make the best decisions for their health and requires a strong foundation of community-based services that enable people to maintain and strengthen their health. It includes health assessments; clinical evidence-based illness prevention and health promotion; appropriate interventions for episodic illness and injury; primary reproductive care; early detection, and initial and on-going treatment of chronic illnesses; care for the majority of illnesses (in conjunction with specialists as needed); education and support for self-care; support for hospital care and care provided at home and in long-term care facilities; arrangements for 24 hour/7 day a week response; service coordination and referral; primary mental health care including psycho-social counseling; coordination and access to rehabilitation; and support for people with terminal illness.

Primary health care is based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology. These are routinely evaluated through research and practice, the results of which are used to make ongoing improvements in care.”

Primary Health Care Vision

The following statement outlines a vision for primary health care developed in collaboration with community groups and agencies, family physicians and best practices in primary health care renewal:

Through the combined efforts of individuals, organizations and government bodies, the health of individuals and families in our communities will continue to be improved. This will be achieved through greater integration of hospital care, primary health care, home and community care, by including more emphasis on health protection and promotion, and through more effective information sharing within and across jurisdictions. Our communities will be supported to maintain and improve health status through a primary health care system that is:

Community-Based, Family-Focused, and Person-Centred

This means:

  • There is full community collaboration, engagement and participation in primary health care planning, delivery and evaluation.
  • Individual and community health needs are recognized and responded to accordingly.
  • The focus is on providing the most appropriate service, at the most appropriate time in the most appropriate location.
Comprehensive

This means:

  • The many factors that influence health are considered in primary health care planning and delivery, including but not limited to income, social status, education, employment, healthy child development, genetic endowment, gender, culture, spirituality and race.
  • The primary health care system provides a balance between activities that promote health and provide health care services.
  • A wide range of services is offered by the primary health care system, including but not limited to primary care, continuing care (long term and home care), rehabilitative care, public health, emergency care, community mental health, addictions, nutrition services, palliative care and pharmaceutical services.
  • Activities that promote health are supported by the primary health care system and include but are not limited to community capacity building, individual health education, disease and injury prevention and advocacy for healthy public policy.
Accessible

This means:

  • Every individual has an ongoing relationship with a primary health care provider/coordinator through whom they can access health services.
  • There is equity of access for groups who have traditionally faced barriers including but not limited to race, culture, language, poverty, disability, gender, geography or illness.
  • Every individual will have access to a defined range of primary health care services, including access to urgent care, 24 hours a day.
  • Individuals will have access to the primary health care services within their immediate community.
  • Access to health services is coordinated and linkages made with services outside of the health care system.
Accountable, Sustainable and Innovative

This means:

  • Services/programs are monitored to assure a high standard of quality is maintained.
  • Measuring, tracking and reporting on performance are key areas of focus.
  • Ongoing resources and education are available to encourage leadership and support innovation and service delivery in primary health care.
  • Those who receive and provide care are clearly defined and specific areas of accountability.
  • Health information and data are available to individuals, families and communities to inform decision-making.
  • Those who govern the health system and work on behalf of communities ensure the delivery of services that are efficient, effective, affordable and acceptable to the community.
  • Communication, respect and integration between primary and secondary care are key areas of focus. 

Primary Care News Bulletins