August 2015| Edition 14
Healthy North Coast practitioner newsletter
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GP Focus
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AMS Focus
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AgedCare Focus
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Pharmacy Focus
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AlliedHealth Focus
inside 3. GP Focus 9. AMS Focus 10. Aged Care Focus 11. Pharmacy Focus 12. Allied Health Focus 13. News 15. Events 16. Classifieds
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Would you like a hard copy of this newsletter? If so, please email your name and postal address to healthynorthcoast@gmail.com and write “Copy of Healthy North Coast Practitioner Newsletter” in the subject line.
GPFocus PAL UPDATE Online registration tool for eHealth services
Certificate III in Business Administration Medical
The National E-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA) has launched an automated application tool for healthcare providers looking to register for eHealth services such as the PCEHR.
UNE Partnerships currently has Smart & Skilled funding available for the Richmond-Tweed region for the Certificate III in Business Administration Medical (BSB31115). This course is designed to meet the training needs of a medical practice receptionist and administrators working in general practice and a variety of primary health care settings.
The eHealth Online Forms application tool allows healthcare organisations to submit an application for any or all of the following eHealth services required to access the eHealth record system: • • •
Healthcare Provider Identifier for Organisations (HPI-O) eHealth Record System NASH PKI Certificate for Organisations
The Department of Human Services (DHS) remains the first port of call for non-eHealth related matters such as Medicare PKI certificates and Health Professionals Online Services (HPOS), and the NEHTA tool is an addition to - rather than a replacement for DHS eHealth services. Visit http://ow.ly/Q9ZIS to learn more.
Health Professionals Online Service (HPOS) enhancements Health professionals can now submit bulk bill claims through Medicare Bulk Bill Webclaim. Additionally, DVA Webclaim has expanded to include Medical claims as well as Allied Health. Submitting claims through HPOS means you get real time processing and payments usually within two working days. Visit http://ow.ly/Q9ZOO to learn more about HPOS.
There are two categories of funding for the Certificate III Business Administration Medical qualification: •
New Entrant Traineeship, available to a new worker employed less than three months full-time or up to 12 months part-time. Once a traineeship training contract is signed, employment must be for a minimum of 15 hours. The new worker must not hold other qualifications that rule them out of Commonwealth incentives and hold Australian Citizenship or other appropriate residency statuses.
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Entitlement Full Qualification (EFQ), available to workers who may not be eligible for new entrant traineeships, and that have no more than one previous qualification below Certificate IV level.
Visit http://ow.ly/Qa0U8 to check your eligibility to enrol in a course/traineeship. Information for Employers This training is subsidised by the NSW Government. The required contribution for enrolment in this program is $1,310 if this is your employee’s first post-school qualification, or the fee is $1,570 if it’s their second post-school qualification. This is the only fee you will be required to pay. Further information about eligibility or enrolment is available from UNE Partnerships. Call 1800 066 128 or email ask@unep. edu.au.
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GPFocus PAL UPDATE A Change for Good
is available on the site.
In July 2015, the Improvement Foundation (IF) introduced the Canning Data Extraction tool to enable the continued safe and secure submission of primary health care data to IF’s web portal, qiConnect. The Canning Tool is owned by Arche Health Ltd and licenced by Improvement Foundation.
In the first instance, the Canning Tool will work with Medical Director 3 and Best Practice, followed by Communicare, Zedmed, Practix and MedTech 32.
Many will be aware that the Canning Tool is a user-friendly, easy-to-install application and is a well-established product with a proven track record of almost ten years of collecting primary health data. New features in the tool are currently being developed to meet current and future needs of primary health services and Primary Health Networks (PHNs). Use of the Canning Tool in conjunction with qiConnect provides a number of benefits that extend beyond data collection. qiConnect provides users with the ability to support quality improvement initiatives, benchmark nationally and/or locally against peers, access resources that have been developed through a decade of quality improvement initiatives, including the Australian Primary Care Collaboratives (APCC) Program, and network with colleagues through qiCommunity. Some practices may still have a Canning Tool icon on their desktop but, please note that, this is a shortcut to an older version of the tool and should be deleted and the program uninstalled. The Improvement Foundation has begun contacting practices who are currently submitting monthly data to IF. Transition to the Canning Tool is commencing now, but if you would like IF to support you to install the new tool before the end of July, please contact your local Practice and Assistance Liaison Officer (PAL). IF staff will be happy to guide your health service through this transition to make it as seamless as possible. If you decide to go it alone, you can download from http://ow.ly/Qa0kp using your existing username and password. If your practice has several users, each person will need to download and install the Canning Tool. Support documentation 4
The Canning Tool will be able to submit all measures relevant to IF programs (including OCHREStreams reporting). Currently the tool can extract and submit measures for Diabetes, Asthma, CHD, COPD, CKD and Chronic Disease prevention. New features, measures and reports are being developed and updates will be released regularly to provide a flexible data extraction and submission process. PAL Team Contacts: Kelli Babovic, Tweed Valley 07 5523 5500 kbabovic@ncphn.org.au Anne-Maree Parry, Lismore 02 6622 4453 aparry@ncphn.org.au Siobhan Breedon, Hastings Macleay 026562 1055 sbreedon@ncphn.org.au Jenny Morgan, Mid North Coast 026659 1800 jmorgan@ncphn.org.au
Help for patients with Haemochromatosis Haemochromatosis Awareness Week takes place 10-16 August 2015. Newlydiagnosed patients and their families often have many unasked questions about this condition. Two well-received short information videos are available at http:// ow.ly/Qaa37. Patient resources, including the free booklet “Haemochromatosis – your Questions Answered”, can be obtained by calling the Haemochromatosis Australia Info Line on 1300 019 028 or emailing publications@ha.org.au. Many people with hereditary haemochromatosis who require regular venesections prefer to do this with the
Australian Red Cross Blood Service. The ARCBS High Ferritin App replaces the previous paper-based referral process to the therapeutic venesection program and contains information on both hyperferritinaemia and haemochromatosis. Complete details about the High Ferritin App are available at http://ow.ly/Qaaix. Additional GP resources are available at http://ow.ly/Qaan4. Included on this page is a family letter that has proved valuable for patients when faced with the task of explaining the relevance of a genetic condition to other family members. For more information, visit the Haemochromatosis Australia website at www.ha.org.au. HealthPathway available, Haemochromatosis: http://ow.ly/QjnV9 Username: manchealth Password: conn3ct3d
PNHV Report The Evaluation report ‘Practice nurse home visiting: A demonstration trial in North Coast NSW Medicare Local Final report June 2015’ has been finalised. This project explores the potential role for nurses working in general practice to provide home visit services and support general practices to deliver the PatientCentred Medical Home model of care. The study found that home visits by practice nurses enhanced the provision of care by providing patients with more accessible and appropriate services at home, which largely did not require GP input. Patients and staff were highly satisfied with the service model and there was evidence of more comprehensive delivery of primary care in the community which addressed existing service gaps. A fact sheet has been prepared and can be accessed at http://ow.ly/Qg1Mn. Visit http://ow.ly/QgcJg to view the full report.
GPFocus PAL UPDATE
2015 Innovations in Cancer Treatment and Care Conference The Cancer Institute NSW is pleased to announce that Professor Thomas Feeley will be the keynote speaker at the 2015 Innovations in Cancer Treatment and Care Conference. Professor Feeley is Head of the Institute for Cancer Care Innovation at The University of Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Centre where he leads work studying new and existing models of cancer care delivery and reimbursement. The Institute’s programs are based around the principle of value-based health care delivery, focusing on the significance of outcomes and costs of care. Professor Feeley also holds an appointment at The University of Texas as the Helen Shafer Fly Distinguished Professor of Anaesthesiology, as well as Senior Fellow at the Harvard Business School where he is researching the role information technology can play when reforming health care from a value-based perspective. Presenting at the 2015 Innovations Conference, Professor Feeley will speak on innovative approaches to measuring and improving on the value of cancer care delivery in his keynote address titled “Transforming medicine through value-based health care”. The Innovations in Cancer Treatment and Care Conference is a free, annual event hosted by the Cancer Institute NSW. The conference provides health professionals with an opportunity to hear, collaborate and share the latest innovations in quality cancer treatment and care. This year’s event will be held on Thursday 15 October in Sydney. Visit http://ow.ly/Qa732 for more information.
Mid North Coast Musculoskeletal Primary Health Care Initiative Symposium No. 2, Coffs Harbour The Mid North Coast Musculoskeletal Primary Health Care Initiative (MNC MSKPHCI) is an initiative to trial the implementation of a sustainable collaborative and integrated primary health care approach to the management of musculoskeletal conditions (specifically osteoarthritis, osteoporosis re-fracture prevention and acute low back pain). To support this initiative, the second Musculoskeletal Symposium will be held in Coffs Harbour on 10th September at UNSW Rural Clinical School from 6-9pm. This symposium will build on the first event held in Port Macquarie in February which raised the awareness of the burden of MSK disease and discussed the adaptation of the successful evidence-based Osteoarthritis conservative care program (OACCP) delivered in hospitals to patients on the surgical waitlist to a model with a more upstream focus suitable for patients in the primary care environment.
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Guest speakers at this second symposium will introduce the models of care for osteoporosis re-fracture prevention and
acute low back pain and outline the collaborative methodology for the implementation of these models in the primary care environment. Many healthcare services face challenges with routinely applying evidence-based practice into their everyday practice. Australian Primary Care Collaboratives (APCC) are designed to help primary healthcare services close this gap and improve the quality of care they provide to patients by improving the systems of care. To support this initiative, the NCPHN, MNCLHD and the NSW ACI have secured an agreement to partner with the Improvement Foundation to bring a MSK collaborative to the Mid North Coast. This will be an Australian first. This methodology will provide a robust framework to support participants to implement change in small manageable cycles that can be measured to lead to improvement. GPs with an interest in musculoskeletal health are encouraged to come along to this event, to learn about the models of care to be introduced, how they are to be implemented and to hear from GPs already participating in the project who will be invited to share their experiences of participating in the Primary Care Osteoarthritis Program (PCOAP) as part of a panel discussion. CPD points will be awarded for attending this event and canapés will be provided. Visit http://ow.ly/Qa8Qe for more details. For further information contact: Fiona O’Meara, Project Officer - MNC Musculoskeletal Primary Health Care Initiative North Coast NSW Primary Health Network - Mid North Coast Branch, Suite 6, 1 Duke Street, (PO Box 920), Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450 Phone (02) 6659 1800 Fax (02) 6659 1899 Email: fomeara@ncphn.org.au Martin X Cushing, Project Officer - MNC Musculoskeletal Primary Health Care Initiative North Coast NSW Primary Health Network - Mid North Coast Branch 53 Lord Street, Port Macquarie, NSW, 2444 Phone (02) 6583 3600 Mobile 0418 316 648 Email: mcushing@ncphn.org.au
CareSearch GP Hub The newly revised CareSearch GP Hub is an updated set of online resources for GPs who care for patients nearing the end of their life. It consolidates the best available evidence while facilitating access to practical resources and Australian guidance. Topics include patient assessment, planning care, symptoms, clinical decisions, the dying patient, bereavement, practice management, professional and links. Find it at http://ow.ly/Qa6mA.
GPFocus IMMUNE RESPONSE Updates to the Immunisation Handbook The Australian Immunisation Handbook 10th Edition was recently updated. 24 chapters have been amended, including changes to clinical recommendations, as well as clarifications and the inclusion of new factual information. Visit http://ow.ly/Qa2Vt to find the updates online.
Not too late to vaccinate Australia is dealing with another particularly severe flu season. At the end of June and in early July, influenza notifications were higher compared with the same time in previous years. Additionally, presentations to NSW emergency departments for influenza-like illness increased and were above the flu season threshold. Bronchiolitis presentations also remained high. A recent Influenza Specialist Group survey shows that many Australians remain unprotected because of the late availability of vaccine this year and difficulty in arranging vaccination. According to the survey, 1 in 5 people who had intended to get a flu shot this year are still unprotected. 33% of them stated they could either not get a suitable GP appointment or the vaccine was not available at their GP. The peak of the influenza season runs until September, so there is still a short window for most people wanting protection to be vaccinated. However, because immunity from vaccination takes 1-2 weeks to be effective, this should be done as soon as possible.
Although the World Health Organization announced last year that measles elimination has been achieved in Australia, it is critical to continue our high levels of vaccination with two doses of measles vaccine in order to maintain our elimination status. NSW Health reminds general practices to: • •
routinely vaccinate infants at 12 and 18 months with a measles containing vaccine ensure all young adults have had two doses of a measlescontaining vaccine, particularly if travelling overseas
NSW Health provides free MMR vaccine for all people born since 1965 who have not had two documented doses. Call your local Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055 for more information.
Whooping cough vaccination during pregnancy NSW Health has introduced an antenatal pertussis vaccination program to offer free Boostrix vaccine to all pregnant women in the third trimester (preferably at 28 weeks). The free whooping cough vaccine during pregnancy is the best way to protect newborns from day one, with studies showing that it is more than 90% effective in preventing whooping cough in infants. Pertussis is now recommended for infants at 18 months of age.
HealthPathway available, Influenza Immunisation:
For more updates and information on Whooping Cough, follow these links:
http://ow.ly/Qjo6D Username: manchealth Password: conn3ct3d
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The Australian Immunisation Handbook: Pertussis Chapter (http://ow.ly/Qa39y)
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Evidence Review: Maternal immunisation in third trimester of pregnancy (http://ow.ly/Qa3dq)
HealthPathway available, Measles:
Reporting Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFIs)
http://ow.ly/QjoaL Username: manchealth Password: conn3ct3d
Surveillance of Adverse Events Following Immunisation aims to monitor vaccine and immunisation program safety, as well as to detect population-specific, rare, late-onset or unexpected adverse events that may not be detected in pre-licensure vaccine trials.
HealthPathway available, Pertussis (Whooping Cough): http://ow.ly/QjonH Username: manchealth Password: conn3ct3d 6
General practices reminded to promote measles vaccination
To report a suspected AEFI, please use the reporting form available from the Department of Health at http://ow.ly/Qa3nS and contact your local Public Health Unit on 1300 066 055.
GPFocus MENTAL HEALTH Allied mental health professionals, who are they? Allied mental health professionals are a diverse group that come from different professional backgrounds. All professionals are registered and overseen through their relevant national professional board. Most are also registered through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, or APHRA, the overarching regulatory authority. The professional boards and APHRA ensure standards and quality among allied mental health professionals. For example, in order to maintain registration, each year mental health professionals must complete a minimum amount of continuing professional development and receive sufficient professional supervision. When a GP refers a patient to an allied mental health professional, using a mental health treatment plan, the referral will go to a clinical psychologist, registered psychologist, mental health social worker or mental health occupational therapist. These are the allied mental health professionals that are able to charge Medicare for mental health services under Better Access. All of these professionals will use evidence-based psychological strategies to work with people referred to them via a mental health treatment plan. In addition to Better Access, there is Healthy Minds, a free mental health service for vulnerable people. To be eligible for Healthy Minds, the patient must hold a Health Care Card or be in severe financial distress. Referrals should still be supported by a Mental Health Treatment Plan. Compared to Better Access, a more diverse range of allied mental health professionals can support people under Healthy Minds. The additions include credentialled mental health nurses and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health workers. Under both Healthy Minds and Better Access, allied mental health professionals provide short-term psychological strategies. Common types of treatments include cognitive behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy and relaxation strategies. These techniques have been shown to be helpful in managing a range of conditions including anxiety and depression. The availability of different professionals varies depending on location. A Healthy Minds practitioner list for your area, and a GP referral form, can be found at http://ow.ly/Qa3Hb or by calling 1300 137 237.
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GPFocus HealthPathways makes life easier for busy North Coast GPs Have you logged in to Mid and North Coast HealthPathways recently? If not, you might be surprised by what you find. There are now over 116 Pathways with content that has been localised for our region and content is growing every week. Our team has identified a further 80 topics for completion in the coming months. HealthPathways can assist busy GPs to find the information they need about best practice care for a range of conditions and, importantly, an up-to-date directory of local services for referral. Visit the Mid and North Coast HealthPathways website: http://manc.healthpathways.org.au Username: manchealth Password: conn3ct3d Visiting the site can be made easier if you install an icon on your desktop or, better yet, into your medical software. Instructions on how to do this are located in a boxed table on the HealthPathways home page.
HEALTHPATHWAY OF THE MONTH Child with a Limp The Child with a Limp Pathway was recently added to the Mid and North Coast HealthPathways website. In the Pathway you will find the latest diagnostic, management and local referral information for these children. Incidence Limp in a child can be due to a diverse range of conditions. The clinical challenge is to differentiate serious pathology from minor self-limiting conditions. A clear diagnosis is important, and exclusion of trauma, infection, non-accidental injury and tumour is essential. Management The Pathway highlights the common causes presenting in various age groups and emphasises the need for early referral to an Emergency Department as delayed presentation of bone or joint infection can be catastrophic for the child.
NEW TO HEALTHPATHWAYS – JULY 2015
New to our Team Our clinical team has grown with the welcome additions of Dr Tim Peacock and Dr Brenda Rattray. Dr Brenda Rattray has lived and worked in the Hastings region for the past 13 years and is currently a solo general practitioner as well as the Director of the Acute Care Clinic at Port Macquarie Base Hospital. Brenda previously worked in a busy practice in North Haven, being involved in both the acute care setting and the primary setting, and is based in the Port Macquarie office one day a week. Dr Tim Peacock is a well-established GP in Tintenbar and a VMO at Ballina Hospital. He previously worked in Lismore ED and continues to assist in plastic surgery. He has a passion for evidence based clinical care and swimming. Tim is a great addition to the HealthPathways team, working one day per fortnight, based in the Ballina office.
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Child with a Limp Nicotine Replacement Therapy Immunisation Adults Preoperative Care (Coffs Harbour only) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Assessment
For further information or to suggest a future Pathway topic, please contact: Fiona Ryan (02) 6583 3600 fryan@ncphn.org.au (Mid North Coast) Kerrie Keyte (07) 5523 5507 kkeyte@ncphn.org.au (Northern NSW)
AMSFocus
Background Artwork by Alison Williams
PAL UPDATE OCHREStreams and The Improvement Foundation Practices participating in OCHREStreams are advised that transition for data submission from Pen CAT to the Canning Tool will commence in August. This will be provided free to all services with compatible software for the continued safe and secure submission of data to OCHREStreams, and to run service level reports for quality improvement. Health services will be contacted directly by the OCHREStreams Help Desk regarding the installation, and staff will guide your health service through this transition to make it as seamless as possible. The following clinical software will be compatible with the Canning Tool from August: • • •
Medical Director 3 Best Practice Communicare
Prior to November 2015, the Canning Tool will be updated to work with: • •
Zedmed practiX
As with current reporting through OCHREStreams, those users with incompatible software will continue to use the Manual Submission form to populate report data. MMEX will continue to submit data directly to OCHREStreams. For more information and technical support using the OCHREStreams site, contact the OCHREStreams help desk by phone: 1800 627 820 or email helpdesk@ ochrestreams.org.au.
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New online guides for Indigenous health education The Department of Human Services has released the following new online guides: • • • • •
Telehealth - supporting Indigenous health Chronic Disease Management services to support Indigenous health Closing the Gap - PBS Co-payment Measure Mental health services - supporting Indigenous health Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessments and follow up services
Visit http://ow.ly/Qa4oT to access the guides and the Indigenous health services eLearning program.
AgedCareFocus PAL UPDATE Education Opportunities in Aged Care Understanding Dementia: University of Tasmania Understanding Dementia is a nine-week online course that builds upon the latest in international research on dementia. It’s free and anyone can enrol. The next offering will start 17 August, 2015. Visit http://ow.ly/Qa5fZ for more information. Dementia Training: The Dementia Centre (Hammond Care) The Dementia Centre, linked with HammondCare’s Registered Training Organisation, offers a variety of evidence-based training, custom designed for your needs. Visit http://ow.ly/Qa5xv for more information. Dementia Care Competency and Training: NSW Health
CareSearch GP Hub
The Dementia Care Competency and Training Network is an initiative of the NSW Dementia Action Plan. The interactive website delivers online dementia training as well as providing ongoing resources, research updates and support to clinicians working in rural and remote locations. Visit http://ow.ly/Qa5Ib for more information.
The newly revised CareSearch GP Hub is an updated set of online resources for GPs who care for patients nearing the end of their life. It consolidates the best available evidence while facilitating access to practical resources and Australian guidance. Topics include patient assessment, planning care, symptoms, clinical decisions, the dying patient, bereavement, practice management, professional and links. Find it at http://ow.ly/Qa6mA.
Palliative Care Online Training: Department of Health, AHHA and Silver Chain Training This free online training is designed for the Australian health context, and is available to participants by simply registering and completing the User Enrolment Survey after logging in. Visit http://ow.ly/Qa5Vt for more information. Wound Management Training: provided by Wounds West (WA Department of Health) WoundsWest provides an online interactive program designed by wound management experts. The program will help you provide better patient care by improving your ability to prevent and manage wounds. This evidence-based program is free and can be accessed anytime. Visit http://ow.ly/Qa645 for more information.
Volunteer Education: beyondblue beyondblue has developed free training materials for volunteers that support older people in residential or community aged care settings. The materials are delivered by volunteer managers or coordinators as part of volunteer’s orientation or ongoing training. Visit http://ow.ly/Qa6dY for more information.
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PharmacyFocus PAL UPDATE Stroke Riskometer app
Quit for New Life
The Stroke Riskometer app is a unique and easy to use tool for assessing an individual’s risk of a stroke in the next 5-10 years, and tips to reduce the risk. The app can also give an indication of risk of heart attack, dementia, and diabetes. The app originated from work by Auckland University of Technology Professor of Epidemiology and Neurology, Valery Feigin, and was launched October 2013. It has recently been upgraded to include a research function to collect data for an international research study into stroke. Join a global community concerned with stroke and stroke prevention in over 160 countries and help save lives by taking part.
The Quit for New Life program provides best practice smoking cessation support to women having an Aboriginal baby and those within their household who are nicotine dependent. Women attending participating services for antenatal and postnatal care will be offered comprehensive smoking cessation support. This includes brief advice, referral to Quitline, free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and extended follow-up support.
Visit http://ow.ly/Qa6sM for more information.
NSW takes the lead on real-time prescription drug monitoring The NSW Government is set to complete the first phase of the implementation of the Electronic Recording and Reporting of Controlled Drugs (ERRCD) system in August 2015, with testing to follow before a wider roll-out to pharmacists and doctors. NSW will be the first mainland state to implement the national system, which was designed by the Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services. According to a statement issued by the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA), NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner had confirmed the state’s progress in meetings with the society, which has long advocated for the introduction of the system. PSA president Stephen Carter said Ms Skinner had indicated that the roll out phase was on “the near horizon”. Visit http://ow.ly/Qa6D8 for more information. 11
A voucher scheme for the provision of up to 12 weeks free NRT to women and household members is available and administered by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia NSW Branch on behalf of the Ministry of Health. For more information on how the scheme works in NSW, the role of the community-based pharmacist, a sample voucher and to download a useful Ready Reckoner for supplying a two-week NRT voucher, please go to http://ow.ly/ Qa6z7. Quit for New Life’s Cessation Support Leader, Christine Sullivan, will present the program to pharmacists at a breakfast at headspace Tweed Heads, 12 August 7-8am. Please contact the Tweed Valley Branch of North Coast Primary Health Network on 07 5523 5500 for more information.
HealthPathway available, Quit for New Life - Smoking Cessation Advice: http://ow.ly/Qjosp Username: manchealth Password: conn3ct3d
AlliedHealthFocus PAL UPDATE 2015 Innovations in Cancer Treatment and Care Conference The Cancer Institute NSW is pleased to announce that Professor Thomas Feeley will be the keynote speaker at the 2015 Innovations in Cancer Treatment and Care Conference.
The University of South Australia’s International Centre for Allied Health Evidence (iCAHE) is a global initiative improving the quality and safety of Allied Health care. Its mission is to contribute to better health and wellbeing through evidence-based Allied Health care.
Professor Feeley is Head of the Institute for Cancer Care Innovation at The University of Texas’ MD Anderson Cancer Centre where he leads work studying new and existing models of cancer care delivery and reimbursement. The Institute’s programs are based around the principle of value-based health care delivery, focusing on the significance of outcomes and costs of care.
iCAHE works locally, nationally and globally to create new knowledge and translate evidence into safe, quality health care. It works in partnership with researchers, clinicians, educators, policy makers, government, industry, professional and consumer groups and the broader community.
Professor Feeley also holds an appointment at The University of Texas as the Helen Shafer Fly Distinguished Professor of Anaesthesiology, as well as Senior Fellow at the Harvard Business School where he is researching the role information technology can play when reforming health care from a value-based perspective. Presenting at the 2015 Innovations Conference, Professor Feeley will speak on innovative approaches to measuring and improving on the value of cancer care delivery in his keynote address titled “Transforming medicine through value-based health care”. The Innovations in Cancer Treatment and Care Conference is a free, annual event hosted by the Cancer Institute NSW. The conference provides health professionals with an opportunity to hear, collaborate and share the latest innovations in quality cancer treatment and care. This year’s event will be held on Thursday 15 October in Sydney. Visit http://ow.ly/Qa732 for more information. 12
Centre for Allied Health Evidence
iCAHE provides a wide range of tools, services and resources to support health practitioners, service managers, policy makers, consumer representatives and researchers translate evidence into policy and practice. The website offers resources drawn from research projects and links to ongoing resources to promote the continual improvement of quality and safety in allied health care. These resources are designed to meet the needs of clinicians, researchers, students and consumers of health care. Visit www.unisa.edu.au/cahe to access the iCAHE website.
HNCNews Networking Platform for Health Professionals
H
ealthy North Coast’s new online network allows you to communicate, network and collaborate in a private and professional environment, with colleagues from across the North Coast without leaving your office. The Healthy North Coast Network is based on the functionality of other familiar social networking platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. With over 130 regional and professionbased networks available, the Healthy North Coast Network is ready for you to join right now. Health professionals can register for the Healthy North Coast Network by visiting http://bit.ly/VsrO2s. Full instructions for the platform are available at http://bit.ly/1sJgRI7.
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New Primary Health Network for the North Coast The North Coast Primary Health Network (NCPHN) began operations on 1 July 2015. The network is one of 32 similar networks established across Australia by the federal government, replacing Medicare Locals. North Coast Primary Health Network will improve the health of our community by improving access, quality and teamwork in health care. Chair of the NCPHN Board, Dr Tony Lembke, said that the new organisation would build on the valuable work and partnerships of North Coast Medicare Local. “The focus of NCPHN will be people in our community at risk of poor health outcomes. We will improve coordination of care to ensure patients receive the right care at the right place by the right team,” Dr Lembke said. NCPHN will work directly with GPs, specialists, Allied Health practitioners and hospitals to ensure improved health outcomes for patients. Dr Lembke said the Network would engage more with clinicians, working with those on the ground treating patients. Read the full story at: http://healthynorthcoast.org.au/top-stories-337/
HNCNews Good News for Osteoarthritis Patients General practices in the Port Macquarie region have teamed up with allied health services to take part in a project to evaluate the effectiveness of a care coordination program for osteoarthritis. North Coast Primary Health Network, Mid North Coast Local Health District and the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) are jointly running the project, the Primary Care Osteoarthritis Program (PCOAP). Significantly, the Port Macquarie GP Super Clinic in conjunction with Keystone Health (Physiotherapy and Allied Health Services) and Campbell St Surgery in conjunction with Wauchope Physiotherapy have volunteered to partner in the project. All GPs can refer their patients to the specific PCOAP assessment and intervention services offered by Keystone Health and Wauchope Physiotherapy. The program is also open to people on the joint replacement waiting list. Read the full story at: http://healthynorthcoast.org.au/top-stories-346/
New Good Sports partnership ready to kick goals Good Sports has announced a partnership with the Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) Hastings-Macleay Drug and Alcohol Service to assist community sporting clubs become healthier and more family-friendly. The Port Macquarie Hastings and Macleay Valley Drug and Alcohol Service will assist in delivering the Good Sports program to locally-based sporting clubs throughout the region. The partnership includes the appointment of Drug & Alcohol Services Natalie Wilson, who will act as the local Good Sports Project Officer.
Around 40% of Australian women drink alcohol while pregnant, despite medical guidelines recommending they don’t. A study published in BMJ Open compared data of nearly 18,000 women across Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the United Kingdom. While the research found most women who reported drinking alcohol during pregnancy were likely to only have one or two glasses per week, 10% of women in Australia reported binge drinking while carrying a child.
Good Sports Northern NSW Regional Manager Marc Glanville said Good Sports is a nationwide program that helps community sports clubs to break the link between alcohol and sport.
However, the majority of women in all four countries had stopped drinking by the second trimester – most likely when they found out they were pregnant.
“We do this by providing advice about managing alcohol responsibly, and making your club family-friendly, creating clubs that have a healthier and safer future, regardless of whether a club sells alcohol or not,” said Mr Glanville.
Heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy is associated with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), a range of developmental defects in a fetus that can result in lifelong neurological damage, growth problems and learning disabilities.
“Good Sports is thrilled to partner with MNCLHD Drug and Alcohol Services and welcomes Ms Wilson to the Good Sports team. It is fantastic that a locally based representative can facilitate our national program within the Hastings Port Macquarie and Macleay Valley regions and we are confident that Ms Wilson will be able to work with the local sporting clubs and the community to bring about change to sport’s drinking culture.”
Researchers used data gathered from three different studies. One of these – the Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints study (SCOPE) – tracked alcohol consumption as “units consumed per week” in participants from the four countries. It found 40% of women drank during their pregnancy in Australia, 56% in New Zealand and 82% in Ireland.
Read the full story at: http://healthynorthcoast.org.au/top-stories-343/
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Women aren’t following advice to stop drinking when pregnant
Read the full story at: http://healthynorthcoast.org.au/top-stories-342/
HNCEvents Hastings-Macleay
Northern Rivers
5 August - Practical Diabesity: Strategies in General Practice, Port Macquarie
6 August - Northern Rivers Housing Conference, Lennox Head
6 August - GP Education – Glaucoma and Medical Ophthalmology, Port Macquarie
11 August - Trauma Sensitive Practice for Managers, Goonellabah
12 August - What’s New in the Management of Liver Disease, Port Macquarie
11 August - Asthma Device Techniques, Lismore
19 August - Palliative Care Breakfast Meeting for General Practitioners, Port Macquarie 20 August - SUDI (known as SIDS) and Neonatal Resucitation Workshop, Port Macquarie 20 August - Spirometry Education Update for Practice Nurses and Health Practitioners, Port Macquarie
Mid North Coast 20 August - A Clinician’s Guide: Caring for people with gastrostomy tubes and devices, Coffs Harbour 28 August - Sleep Disordered Breathing, Coffs Harbour 8-9 September - Working Therapeutically with Aberrant & Offending Sexual Behaviours, Coffs Harbour 10 September - Musculoskeletal Symposium, Coffs Harbour
Tweed 12 August - Smoking Cessation/Quit for New Life Workshop, Tweed Heads 12 August - 16th International Mental Health Conference, Gold Coast 13 August - Experiencing Dementia, Tweed Heads 13 August - Communicating with a Person Living with Dementia, Tweed Heads 26 August - Tweed Valley Clinical Society – Diabetes and Eye Disease 26-28 August - Smart Technologies Bootcamp, Tweed Heads 8 September - Ageing, Homelessness and Dementia Seminar, Tweed Heads
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August-October 2015 You can view the full North Coast Practitioner events calander at: www.healthynorthcoast.org.au/practitioner-events
11-12 September - Pedorthic Plantar Pressure Redistribution workshop, Gold Coast
13 August - Ballina Byron Clinical Society for GPs and Specialists, Ballina 27 August - Richmond Valley Clinical Society, Lismore 3 September - Quit smoking group facillitator training, Ballina 14 September - Working with Young People – Self Harm/ Self Injury Behaviours, Lismore 15 September - Botox and the Bladder: Beyond Medication, Bangalow
Other Events 5 August - Webinar: Simplifying Venous Leg Ulcer Management 19 August - Webinar: Conquering fragmented rural mental health and other specialist medical services 22 August - Perinatal in Practice for GPs, psychologists, midwives and early childhood nurses, Brisbane 25-28 August - 2015 TheMHS Conference, Canberra 28 August - Nurse Education Day, Newcastle 1-4 September - Australian Palliative Care Conference, Melbourne 3-5 September - Australian Wound Management Association 2015 Conference, Brisbane 10-11 September - ADMA 2015 Annual Conference, Brisbane 16-18 September - Australasian HIV & AIDS Conference, Brisbane 17-19 September - Pharmacy Business Network 2015, Melbourne 15 October - 2015 Innovations in Cancer Treatment and Care Conference, Sydney
HNCclassifieds RN SEEKING EMPLOYMENT, TWEED HEADS RN with 39 years experience new to the Tweed area is seeking part-time or casual employment, preferably in a general practice setting. Over 20 years experience in GP Clinics doing care plans, wound care management, ECGs, immunisations and assisting with excisions of skin lesions. Proficient in the use of Pracsoft and MD. Immediate start available.
RECEPTIONIST REQUIRED, MURWILLUMBAH • • • • •
Email Resume: recruitment@mainstmed.com.au
Call directly on (07) 5599 8575 or 0411821703 or email lee@7squares.com.
HEALTH SECTOR QUESTIONNAIRE Are you an: • •
Early career social worker (with less than 3 years experience)? Manager or supervisor of an early career social worker?
I am a PhD student from Curtin University’s School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work. Since graduating in 2010, I have worked in both government and non-government positions in the health sector. I am interested to hear about the experiences of other early career social workers and the views of managers and supervisors supporting them in the workplace. The first phase of the research is the online questionnaire. It will take about 15 minutes to complete. Following this you can choose whether to take part in phase two, the interview. Visit http://ow.ly/Qg5sr for further information and to complete the questionnaire relevant to your social work role.
Busy GP Practice in Murwillumbah Experience preferred Ability to multi-task essential Casual position with some regular hours. Immediate start
ROOMS FOR RENT, BANGALOW Dr Jane Reffell’s Women’s Health & Wellbeing practice in Bangalow, opposite the primary school, has rooms to rent. Half or whole days are available. • • • • •
Work alongside women’s health and allied health professionals – continence physio, psychologists, health coach, naturopath Female and male clients Pleasant rooms with electric bed, air con, suit either body work and/or consulting Reception service available Great opportunity to start/extend a business in Bangalow
Please call 6687 2337 Tuesday to Thursday.
COSMETIC DOCTOR WANTED, BYRON/KINGSCLIFF Cosmetic Surgeon/Cosmetic Doctor wanted for busy growing North Coast Cosmetic Laser Clinic located north of Byron Bay. Phone Jacqui on 0403 353 036.
If you have any trouble accessing the website and questionnaires, please contact Catherine Stewart at catherine.stewart@postgrad.curtin.edu.au. Would you like to post a local classified ad in this newsletter? Email the details to healthynorthcoast@gmail.com before the 25th of each month. There is no cost associated with these ads. 16
HNCclassifieds NEW PSYCHOLOGIST, BYRON SHIRE Melissa Allen is a Psychologist with over 12 years experience working with individuals, couples and families. She now brings her unique approach to the Shire, where she is supporting patients at offices in Bangalow, Mullumbimby and Byron Bay.
GP REQUIRED, GRAFTON General Practitioner - Grafton, NSW, with commutable options from Sydney. •
Fully established patient base due to retiring doctor Excellent onsite CDM nursing model, allied health and pharmacy Commutable options from Sydney- Call us to discuss
Melissa’s passion lies in strengthening relationships. Melissa brings a substantial toolkit and is aware that profound change and healing occurs through deep, authentic human connection within the therapeutic environment. Creating this potent and emotionally safe space is the keystone of her work.
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Melissa enjoys a collaborative approach to working with health care providers and understands that the best patient outcomes occur when there is an integrated and collaborative team approach to patient management.
With 30 Medical Centres across 6 states, Ochre Health is the medical centre service provider of choice for over 100 doctors, serving a diverse range metropolitan, regional, rural and remote communities within Australia.
Melissa is available to take new referrals and looks forward to working with you in supporting your patients. Melissa sees full fee-paying patients, though she is also a registered provider of the Healthy Minds Program and therefore also sees patients who are in financial hardship.
About the Practice
Melissa is available by phone on 0423 705 117 or email at melissa@melissaallen.com.au. Visit www.melissaallen.com.au for more details.
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About the Company
Ochre Health Medical Centre Grafton is home to five full time GPs, three CDM trained nurses, as well as on site pathology, pharmacy and a wide variety of allied health professionals. The practice is an accredited teaching practice and regularly takes registrars of all levels and medical students from Wollongong University. Due to the recent retirement of one of the practice’s leading GPs, we are looking for an experienced VR GP to join the team. You will benefit from:
NEW CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGIST, PORT MACQUARIE Clinical Immunologist Dr Alan Baker is now practicing out of the Macquarie Specialist Centre, suite 1-10B Highfields Circuit Port Macquarie. • • • • • •
Allergy and anaphylaxis for adults and children over 12 months Allergen-specific immunotherapy/ desensitisation Immunosuppressive therapy Autoimmune disease, including connective tissue diseases such as vasculitis Immunodeficiency Other immune system disorders including urticarial and autoinflammatory
Contact Dr Baker’s rooms on (02) 6581 4608, (02) 6581 1060 (fax) or email admin@pmqp.com.au.
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• • • • • •
An opportunity to teach and mentor medical registrars and students (optional) A fully established patient base An open termed contract arrangement On and offsite operational and clinical management support’ Full clinical autonomy Commutable options from Sydney can be negotiated
Essentials for the role: • •
A minimum of general registration with AHPRA Previous GP experience within Australia
To register your interest, please contact: Steve Schimke (Recruitment Consultant) 0407 897 416 sschimke@ochrehealth.com.au
Contact NCPHN Head Office Suite 6, 85 Tamar Street Ballina NSW 2478 Phone: 02 6618 5400 Fax: 02 6618 5499 Email: enquiries@ncphn.org.au Northern Rivers Tarmons House St Vincent’s Campus 20 Dalley Street East Lismore NSW 2480 Phone: 02 6622 4453 Fax: 02 6622 3185 Email: nr@ncphn.org.au Tweed Heads 8 Corporation Circuit Tweed Heads South NSW 2486 Phone: 07 5523 5501 Email: tv@ncphn.org.au
Hastings Macleay 53 Lord Street Port Macquarie NSW 2444 Phone: 02 6583 3600 Fax: 02 6583 8600 Email: hm@ncphn.org.au Mid North Coast Suite 6, 1 Duke Street Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450 Phone: 02 6659 1800 Fax: 02 6659 1899 Email: mnc@ncphn.org.au