People & Governance
Building the systems and connections behind the care

In a year of growth, transformation, and increased regional responsibility, Thames Valley Family Health Team (TVFHT)’s progress depended on the people, systems, and decisions that make great care possible every day. 

Strengthening Structure to Support Growth

TVFHT’s growth required a stronger internal structure to manage the new demands on staff, leaders, systems, and operations. In response, the organization:

• Shifted the Interprofessional Clinical Leadership model from discipline-based support to a site and team-based model, to better support interdisciplinary care.
• Added the Nurse Practitioner Transformation Lead and Academic Lead roles to support TVFHT’s growing accountabilities
• Added dedicated Quality and Transformation, and Privacy leadership
• Expanded Operations leadership to support workflows, onboarding, health and safety, and collaboration across sites

Tools to Support Transformation

A growing, changing organization succeeds when the staff team feels supported, heard, and equipped for what is next. Throughout 2025-2026, TVFHT invested in tools that ease the day-to-day:

• Implemented an AI Scribe (Tali AI) to free up providers’ time for direct patient care
• Launched a virtual suggestion box to give staff a direct channel to share feedback and ideas
• Offered in-person Crucial Conversations training in March 2026 to strengthen how teams navigate difficult conversations.

Together, these investments reflected TVFHT’s commitment to support the people who support patients.

Keeping Staff Connected During a Year of Change

TVFHT also invested in culture-building activities that brought staff together and celebrated their values. This included shifting all quarterly networking meetings to an in-person format, and establishing two in-person, all-day staff meetings.

The organization’s peer-nominated Living Our Values and Team Impact Awards were presented at the November 2025 staff meeting. The 2025 Living Our Values Award went to Heather Kelly, nurse practitioner with the Health & Homelessness Interprofessional Primary Care Team (IPCT). Heather was recognized for her compassion, integrity, and leadership in care and advocacy for people experiencing homelessness and marginalization. The complete Health & Homelessness IPCT received the 2025 Team Impact Award for their creativity, courage, and leadership in developing an outreach-based model of care.

Community spirit was also strong throughout the year:

• Staff raised $3,110 for Mission Services of London through the Coldest Night of the Year walk.
• A winter food & sock drive resulted in 190 pairs of socks and six boxes of food being donated to local partners.
• Over 80 staff gathered for a Winter Staff Social where 105 Valentine’s Day cards were created for residents of Manor Village Retirement Home.

These moments helped sustain connection in a year of change. They also showed that organizational excellence is reflected in how people care for patients, support colleagues, and show up for the community.

Governance That Moved Care Forward with Purpose

The TVFHT Board of Directors provided steady governance to support the organization’s growth – balancing thoughtful oversight with future-focused leadership.

The Board advanced governance excellence through:

• Approval of the 2026–2027 Quality Improvement Plan
• Modernization of the Corporate Bylaw to align with the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act
• Updating position descriptions to support succession planning and recruitment

Directors maintained ongoing oversight of organizational risk, including digital transformation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and workforce sustainability.

The Board guided the organization’s next chapter: overseeing development of the 2026–2029 Strategic Plan, providing governance oversight for the new public brand, supporting a successful physician leadership transition with the appointment of new Medical Director Dr. Devon Shewfelt, and continuing Board renewal through recruitment, orientation, and governance education.

The Board also supported TVFHT reaching a significant milestone in clarifying and strengthening the partnership with the Middlesex London Ontario Health Team (MLOHT). TVFHT has served as the Transfer Payment Recipient and host organization for the MLOHT since 2019. TVHFT holds the funding agreement with Ontario Health on the MLOHT’s behalf, and provides administrative, financial, and operational resources to support the MLOHT’s work to better connect healthcare and supports across London and Middlesex County. Following a joint governance review, the TVFHT Board approved a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in June 2026, developed through close collaboration with MLOHT leadership. The updated MOU sharpens accountability, clarifies employer responsibilities, and better positions the partnered organizations to advance integrated care across the region.

Every day, the people of Thames Valley Family Health Team are strengthening care and expanding possibility. As TVFHT continues to grow, this foundation will create the stability that allows innovation to flourish, ensuring every step forward remains true to the organization’s purpose.