Peter Hamer is very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead in his role as the new Executive Director of the Ottawa Valley Family Health Team (OVFHT).
“I’m really looking forward to working with the community, becoming part of it and looking for ways to enhance local health care,” said Mr. Hamer, who joined the OVFHT on October 21, 2013.
Established in 2010, the OVFHT includes 13 family physicians and interdisciplinary health providers (IHPs), including two registered nurses, a nurse practitioner, a pharmacist, a mental health worker and a registered dietitian.
The OVFHT provides primary care to patients, as well as chronic disease management and health promotion programs in such areas as diabetes, geriatrics, respiratory diseases/smoking cessation, mental health and women’s health/maternal and postpartum care.
“I love the Family Health Team practice model,” said Mr. Hamer. “It allows family physicians to work together to enhance care.”
The OVFHT’s relationship with Almonte General Hospital is another plus, Mr. Hamer said.
“Our physicians work as part of the FHT and at the Hospital,” he explained. “Patients can be seen in the emergency department and then the same doctor can follow up with them at the Family Health Team office. It provides excellent continuity of care.”
A resident of Stittsville, Mr. Hamer is a former consultant with OntarioMD, where he provided advice and assistance to community-based physicians adopting electronic medical records. He also has extensive experience advising physicians and allied health professionals on ways to improve the overall efficiencies in their medical practices. Prior to that, he worked at the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society – Ottawa Unit, and managed a number of medical centres.
Mr. Hamer is replacing Antoinette Strazza, the OVFHT’s founding Executive Director.
“Antoinette did a great job laying the groundwork and bringing all the physicians and IHPs into one building,” he said, adding that his priorities as Executive Director include exploring opportunities to bring in new programs and additional health care professionals.
“On behalf of AGH, I would like to thank Antoinette Strazza for her outstanding work with the OVFHT over the past three years,” said AGH President and CEO Mary Wilson Trider. “We are also very much looking forward to working with Peter in his new role as Executive Director.”
