Connect Feb 2023 | An Adelaide PHN Publication

Feb 2023

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Feb 2023

Connect A Message from Michelle McKay

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Commissioning Update

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Adelaide PHN

Care Finder Program

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2022 Annual Primary Health Care Awards Dinner

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Level 1, 22 Henley Beach Road Mile End SA 5031 PO Box 313, Torrensville Plaza SA 5031

IPUY Evaluation Report

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08 8219 5900 enquiry@adelaidephn.com.au adelaidephn.com.au

Annual Report

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Cover Photo

Meet our Board

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Australia’s first Aboriginal Internship Program

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Telstra Awards 2023 State Finalist

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HealthPathways SA Update

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COVID-19 Update

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Digital Health

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Safe Haven Expands its Services

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IAR-DST Training for GPs

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The Embrace Framework Action Plan

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Practice Support

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GP Integration Units

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Drug and Alcohol Services for CALD

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Primary Health Care in Action

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Glenelg (Photo credit: Liam)

We acknowledge the Kaurna peoples who are the Traditional Custodians of the Adelaide region.

We pay tribute to their physical and spiritual connection to land, waters and community, enduring now as it has been throughout time. We pay respect to them, their culture and to Elders past and present. We would also like to acknowledge and pay our respects to those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from other Nations who live, work, travel and contribute on Kaurna Country.

Marni Naa Pudni “Welcome”

Connect Feb 2023

A Message from Michelle McKay It’s the Fringe season, and we are getting into 2023 with our first edition of Connect.

forward to working with them to develop strategies for delivering better primary health care outcomes.

There’s been a lot happening at Adelaide PHN and we are glad to continue the meaningful work that we do for our community.

In this edition, you will also find updates on our commissioning process and details on our recently commissioned Care Finder Program.

We have tried to unpack all of our achievements from the latter half of 2022 into this edition and hope it makes for some great reading.

Last October was a busy time for us.

We delivered our Annual Report and celebrated the achievements of our community service providers through our Annual Primary Health Care Awards Dinner.

First initiated in 2017, the awards ceremony is truly a night of networking, fun and reflection. I want to congratulate all the award winners for their contribution to improving our health care quality through their services.

I also encourage you to check our 2022 Annual Report. The report outlines our key achievements for the year and lists the steps we have taken to address the gaps in primary health care.

I am also delighted to introduce our current Board of Directors. I look

Digital health is another priority area for us, and we are commissioning several services, including telehealth.

I am very proud of our work in Aboriginal health, having just commissioned a $120,000 program with Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN). The program will allow first-year doctors to understand Aboriginal health strongly. We will continue our work in this space, designing services aligning with community requirements.

On a closing note, I urge everyone to support the ‘Uluru Statement from the Heart’ to build a better future for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Adelaide PHN supports the referendum that will give a voice to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Michelle McKay CEO

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Commissioning Update Adelaide PHN receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care to commission services which meet the health needs of the Adelaide metropolitan community. Below is a summary of our recent commissioning activity.

Primary Mental Health Services •

Commissioning soon: Contract negotiations to develop Primary Mental Health Hubs in southern and western metropolitan Adelaide are underway with the preferred providers. A transition plan with current and new providers is being developed, with services expected to commence 1 July.

Aged Care •

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Commissioned: Care Finder’s commenced in January and will become fully operational by 30 April.

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Commissioning soon: Early Interventions for Healthy Ageing Services. Preferred provider (support and education) negotiations have commenced.

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Tender closed: Telehealth in Residential Age Care Facilities (RACF) - Educational Component is now closed. The tender, released on 16 January, was closed on 14 February.

Grants provided: Grants are being provided to RACF to purchase equipment to support Telehealth in RACF Program.

The first round of grants were provided to:

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Aged Care and Housing Group Incorporated (ACH Group)

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Anglicare SA Ltd

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Bene Aged Care

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Resthaven Incorporated

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Uniting Communities Incorporated

finalised. Services expected to commence 1 July.

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Commissioning soon: Head to Health hub in northern metropolitan Adelaide. Tender was opened on 13 January and services are expected to commence 1 July.

Youth Enhanced Service (YES) •

Commissioning soon: Currently finalising tender process. Service to commence by 1 July.

Head to Health •

Commissioning soon: Head to Health phoneline contract negotiations with preferred provider (identified through open tender process) is being

Please visit the Adelaide PHN website to learn more about our commissioning services.

Adelaide PHN in Action

Care Finder Program Eleven organisations have been commissioned for the Care Finder Program in the Adelaide metropolitan region until 30 June 2025.

The Care Finder Program supports vulnerable older Australians who require intensive assistance to access aged care and other supports. The program was developed in response to recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety report.

The program supports a workforce of care finders to provide one-toone support to assist people in navigating and accessing aged care. It complements the My Aged Care channels, providing greater access and support to people who experience problems navigating the My Aged Care system.

The outcome of our recent Request for Proposal process resulted in four organisations being awarded contracts to deliver the Care Finder Program. Seven organisations have further been transitioned from the Assistance with Care and Housing (ACH) program into the Care Finder Program.

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Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS)

The organisations transitioning to the Care Finder Program are: •

The City of Onkaparinga

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Hutt Street Centre

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Resthaven

The new organisations providing the Care Finder Program are:

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Anglicare SA

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The City of Salisbury

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Council of the Ageing South Australia Inc (COTA SA)

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Offenders Aid and Rehabilitation Service (OARS)

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Seniors Information Service

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UnitingCare Wesley Bowden Incorporated (UCWB)

Adelaide Day Centre for Homeless Persons

To qualify for care finder support, a person must be eligible for government-funded aged care, have no carer or support person to assist them, and not have a carer or support person to support their needs.

Congratulations to the providers who have been commissioned to deliver this program.

Please check our fact sheet to learn more about the Care Finder Program.

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2022 Annual Primary Health Care Awards Dinner The Primary Health Care Awards are designed to recognise the hard work and dedication of our region’s primary health care organisations, who have been responsive to our community’s needs in an ever-changing environment.

On Saturday, 22 October, Adelaide PHN hosted its Annual Primary Health Care Awards Dinner.

Held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, the awards night celebrated our commissioned services’ achievements and recognised their impactful work to support our community across our seven National Priority Areas.

The event was hosted by Marija Zivic (Senior Political Reporter for ABC and SBS ) with performances from The White Tree band. Ashum Owen from Ngangki Warra delivered Welcome to Country on the night, and got everyone involved with her performance.

Adelaide PHN Chair of Board Tom Symonds welcomed the guests. The awards were open to Adelaide PHN commissioned service providers and those involved in any of our related partnership and general practice activity.

The dinner concluded with Adelaide PHN CEO Michelle McKay delivering a vote of thanks to all the guests.

Over 150 people were in attendance, including our staff, Board, service delivery partners, and council members.

Photo: Ashum Owen performing Welcome to Country (top), The White Tree band (middle) and seasonal vegetable centrepieces (bottom)

Highlights of the night On the night, Adelaide PHN celebrated the achievements from across the year through beautifully crafted videos featuring our CEO and the Board.

Our Chair of Board introduced the first two videos that provided an overview of the service highlights for the year while our CEO introduced the Board videos.

The Board videos featured our Directors, Dr Melanie Smith and Fiona Raschella talking about Adelaide PHN’s community impact.

We also donated fresh seasonal vegetable centrepieces to OzHarvest. This contributed around 2,800 nutritious meals to families in need within our community.

It was a wonderful night of networking and great to see all our staff, partners and council members connect and rejoice the outstanding work of our service providers.

Watch our 2022 service highlights by scanning the QR code below.

Adelaide PHN in Action

2022 Award Winners We’re pleased to announce our 2022 Annual Primary Health Care Awards recipients in the following categories:

Recognition Award

Workforce Support

The 715 Health Check Day Initiative: Northern Medical Centre

Outstanding Achievement Award

Primary Mental Health Care Outstanding Achievement Award Brief Intervention Clinic: Sonder Recognition Award The Way Back Suicide Prevention Support Service: ANGLICARE SA

Primary Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services

Aged Care Outstanding Achievement Award Helping Hand Ingle Farm: Zara Freeman

Recognition Award Partners Toward Wellbeing: Mission Australia

Aged Care Frailty Prevention Program: Mawson Lakes Healthcare

Digital Health and General Practice Outstanding Achievement Award Good Health Good Life Project - Care Connections : Simple Healthcare Solutions Recognition Award

Aboriginal Health Outstanding Achievement Award The Aboriginal Suicide Prevention Service: The ACT Centre

Recognition Award Fostering an incredible workplace culture : Arkaba Medical Centre

Recognition Award

Outstanding Achievement Award The Counselling Health and Substance Management Program: OARS

Maintaining better patient outcomes through successful work culture : Darlington Medical Centre

The Metabolic Support Program: Thrive Family Practice

Population Health/COVID-19 Response Outstanding Achievement Award Screening Saves Lives: Australian Refugee Association Recognition Award Adelaide Refugee and New Arrivals Program : Survivors of Torture and Trauma Assistance and Rehabilitation Service (STTARS) and Australian Refugee Association (ARA)

The 2022 Primary Health Care Award recipients were each awarded professional development sponsorships to support continued service enhancement.

Congratulations to our award recipients! Learn more about their work across the next few pages.

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Primary Mental Health Care Outstanding Achievement in Primary Mental Health Care: Sonder Adelaide PHN commissioned Sonder to bolster the stepped model of care through the establishment of a Brief Intervention Clinic (BIC) within the low-intensity portfolio.

introducing therapeutic skills, initiating appropriate referral options, and creating a landing place for those requiring clinical escalation to moderate-intensity services.

The intent was to alleviate the burden on moderate-intensity services (adult well-being) by offering an alternate service for eligible clients.

The program does not have a waitlist as it functions to provide shortterm support (generally up to three sessions) using evidence-based practices to meet client needs.

The Brief Intervention Clinic provides an opportunity for people with mild distress conditions to receive mental health support immediately after identifying a need for help.

Chris Chalubek accepting the award for Sonder

The clinic uses a personcentred approach to provide early intervention, including psychoeducation delivery,

Recognition in Primary Mental Health Care: Anglicare SA Anglicare SA launched the Way Back Support Service at the end of 2020 in the aftermath of a state-wide COVID-19 lockdown.

The team works with people who have attempted suicide for three months, offering support that is specialised and tailored for each individual and linking them to the appropriate chain of care.

Initially designed to assist patients after being discharged from either the Royal Adelaide Hospital or Queen

Elizabeth Hospital, Anglicare SA expanded the scope of the Way Back Support Service to include referrals from urgent mental health care centre and community mental health.

On average support is given to approximately 350 clients per year (this includes almost 3000 contacts with clients either through faceto-face services or phone calls).

Majority of clients in the past year were aged between 15-24.

Adelaide PHN Board Director Fiona Raschella with MangBawi Cin Zah

Adelaide PHN in Action

Primary Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services Outstanding Achievement in Primary Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services: OARS OARS Community Transitions delivered staged, evidencebased treatment interventions for people with multiple and complex needs involved in the criminal justice system through the Counselling Health and Substance Management program.

service providers.

Due to a particular quality improvement implemented in the past 12 months, the program could support and provide ongoing service to complex clients during a challenging and evolving time.

The program improved treatment matching and client outcomes and developed and maintained formalised pathways for referrals and transition between Adelaide PHN Chair of Board Tom Symonds with Tricia Oats from OARS

Recognition in Primary Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services: Mission Australia Mission Australia was commissioned to establish a team to deliver a co-existing treatment program.

This resulted in the establishment of The Partners Toward Wellbeing team. In partnership with Sonder, the team developed alcohol and other drug treatment services that was responsive to the client’s needs.

The program was designed to allow alcohol and other drug treatment practitioners to evolve their own framework of practice. This meant reviewing the document and administration framework for numerous other community service

programs at Mission Australia and Sonder and identifying ways to reduce administrative workloads.

In the program’s first year, all team members discussed every referral made to Partners Toward Wellbeing to identify treatment priorities, assess risk and recommend the next steps in the client’s treatment.

The program has numerous projects planned for the second year involving shared training with other like-minded community service agencies.

Mission Australia team

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Aboriginal Health Outstanding Achievement in Aboriginal Health Care: The ACT Centre Adelaide PHN commissioned the ACT Centre in 2021 to deliver the Aboriginal Suicide Prevention Service. Since this commissioning, The ACT Centre has successfully delivered a culturally appropriate and timely response to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at risk of suicide.

a response to these clients within 72 hours of receiving the referral to assess risk and coordinate a face-toface or telehealth appointment.

This short-term crisis response allows psychologists to work with these clients to reduce the level of risk, engage in ongoing therapeutic support, and feel supported at a time of crisis in a culturally appropriate way.

This service receives urgent referrals from GPs, Emergency Departments, other commissioned service providers, community mental health services, and distressed family members in case of an attempted suicide. The ACT Centre coordinates Adelaide PHN former Board Director Dr Lane Hinchcliffe with Dr. Emma Towers from the ACT Centre

Recognition in Aboriginal Health Care: Northern Medical Centre

Adelaide PHN facilitated Northern Medical Centre to work with Sonder’s 715 Practice Support Program and develop a 715 Health Check Day named “Mukarta to Tidna”.

who came for a 715 health check.

This allowed numerous community members to receive their health checks and get a health education all in one place.

The principal GP and his wife set aside their calendars for two days in June, held a barbecue, organised multiple health stalls within the car park and provided free gifts to all

Northern Medical Centre team

Adelaide PHN in Action

Aged Care Outstanding Achievement in Aged Care: Zara Freeman RN (Helping Hand Ingle Farm) each resident and helped staff to recognise the early signs of deterioration.

The lead nurses at the Helping Hand sites worked with the Adelaide PHN Quality Improvement Facilitators to implement the change process.

Adelaide PHN Chair of Board Tom Symonds with Zara Freeman

Helping Hand was involved in the Greater Choice for at Home Palliative Care Measure from 2019-2021.

This measure was facilitated by Adelaide PHN to support a quality improvement process in advance care planning in residential aged care, ensuring the residents’ wishes

are met through the provision of care during their residency and terminal phase of life.

Respect for the resident’s wishes, values, and beliefs is documented through conversations, assessment and regular review. A suite of evidence-based tools supported the assessment process for

Zara Freeman from Helping Hand excelled in the lead nurse role and ensured advance care planning conversations occurred with residents and families during admission, deterioration, and care review.

Zara set up meetings with all new clients and their families to ensure a goals-based care plan aligning with the residents’ values, wishes and preferences were developed.

Recognition in Aged Care: Mawson Lakes Healthcare The Aged Care Frailty Prevention Program identified patients living in the community above the age of 60 at risk for frailty.

The program offered a range of evidence-based interventions including those as per the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Red Book to prevent or delay frailty.

These included mobility and balance assessments, discussions around improving nutrition for the older person, and consideration of Advance Care Directives and review need for My Aged Care assessments.

Mawson Lakes Healthcare team

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Digital Health and General Practice Outstanding Achievement in Digital Health and General Practice: Simple Healthcare Solutions Simple Healthcare Solutions teamed up with Adelaide PHN and six local general practices to assist our ageing community (60 years and over) to stay well and out of the hospital through primary care improvement and integration activities.

initiatives for their cohort.

Each practice received access to business tools designed around evidence-based quality improvement frameworks to provide practice insight and tools to allow the teams to focus on what matters.

General practices participating in the 12 month project were supported to undertake several quality improvement activities, set up a local community of practice, and identify and pursue healthy ageing Adelaide PHN Board Director Dr. Melanie Smith with Mitch Fox from Simple Healthcare Solutions

Recognition in Digital Health and General Practice: Thrive Family Practice Dr Alecia Macrow provided a metabolic support program with tailored treatment for conditions such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, polycystic ovary syndrome and insulin resistance.

time to support facilitation of the Metabolic Support Program, providing education to ensure lasting positive lifestyle changes.

The Metabolic Support Program utilised Pen CAT data to identify patients diagnosed with metabolic conditions and were then recalled.

Dr Alecia Macrow used best practice to help track weight over Adelaide PHN Board Director Dr. Melanie Smith with Dr. Alecia Macrow from Thrive Family Practice

Adelaide PHN in Action

Workforce Support Outstanding Achievement in Workforce Support: Darlington Medical Centre The centre faced many administrative, nurse and doctor shortages during the pandemic. With careful preparation and planning, the centre developed and executed an efficient working-from-home procedure and policy that allowed the practice to remain open.

Darlington Medical Centre team

Darlington Medical Centre worked incredibly hard to maintain a safe and sustainable service to our community during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic brought about many struggles for general practices within

our community and has proved to be very disruptive and costly.

The nomination recognised the hard work, dedication, and achievements of all staff at Darlington Medical Centre, as they firmly believed that their clinic’s success is a reflection of teamwork and not individual success.

The medical centre staff were allowed to increase their knowledge and skills and lead in tasks and projects to ensure the centre was inclusive and continually invested in clinical development.

Outstanding Achievement in Workforce Support: Arkaba Medical Centre In 2022, the Arkaba Medical Centre made multiple digital upgrades for remote consultations as it was becoming very prevalent due to COVID-19.

The Arkaba Medical Centre also invested in Pen CAT - patient statistics software and Cubiko to improve health outcomes for patients.

The clinic automated its SMS reminder and patient recall system.

This allowed them to provide patients with timely follow-up reminders, ensuring less resourcing and less room for error.

A doctor at the clinic specifically led the investigation and audit for GFR testing within the clinic for patients with chronic kidney disease.

Adelaide PHN Former Casual Board Director Dr Stephanie Daly with Melissa Lomman

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Population Health/ COVID-19 Response Outstanding Achievement in Population Health/COVID Response: Australian Refugee Association (ARA) Australian Refugee Association (ARA) developed and disseminated targeted messaging and information for Arabic-speaking women and their support networks based on community consultations. The community consultations were undertaken to better understand the barriers to accessing culturally safe and appropriate cancer screening services.

Carolyn Cheah and Faith Khuplian from ARA with our CEO, Michelle McKay

This program was conducted in consultation with a community educator focus group, BreastScreen

SA, Wellbeing SA and Cancer Council SA. The outcome was to develop effective cancer screening messages for the Middle Eastern community and to launch the news through workshops with women and men, with health professionals in attendance. ARA also facilitated a session where women due for their cancer screening were brought to a breast screening appointment.

Recognition in Population Health/COVID Response: STTARS and ARA The Adelaide Refugee and New Arrivals Program (ARANAP) is a joint program between the Survivors of Torture and Trauma Assistance and Rehabilitation Service (STTARS) and the Australian Refugee Association (ARA). They are a small team of refugee health nurse advocates and bi-lingual workers working together to provide holistic support to new arrival communities and people from refugee backgrounds with unmet health needs.

The ARANAP team supports the patients’ ongoing engagement with the Australian health system.

It works with patients to build their confidence and empowers them to advocate for their health needs independently.

They also facilitate training and development for health professionals by offering support, collaboration and resources to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate care.

This starts with a joint triage and initial health assessment through to a joint discharge at the conclusion of the care.

Hind Suleiman (ARA) and Muslima Halkano (STTARS) with Adelaide PHN CEO Michelle McKay

Adelaide PHN in Action

IPUY Evaluation Report The Integrated Practice Unit-Youth (IPUY) Evaluation Report is now available on our website.

Adelaide PHN has commissioned the delivery of services for young people aged 16-25 who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing severe and/ or complex mental health conditions since July 2018, as part of a suite of primary mental health services.

This program is referred to as Integrated Practice Unit – Youth (IPUY).

The key priority of the IPUY program evaluation was to gain insights into the operationalisation of IPUY services, with a focus on service model successes and opportunities for improvement.

The project was initially implemented across the outer northern, outer southern and Port Adelaide west regions of metropolitan Adelaide.

The geographic coverage of the IPUY program expanded to include the Adelaide CBD region in July 2019 and the inner southern region of metropolitan Adelaide in July 2021.

Following a total of four years of operations across five different sites, the IPUY program was evaluated by Adelaide PHN during mid-2022.

To access the report and learn more about the findings, please visit the Adelaide PHN website.

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Annual Report

Visit our website to explore our achievement highlights for 2021/22

Adelaide PHN’s 2021/22 Annual Report celebrates our achievements and takes a quick look at our impact across our priority areas. This year, our Annual Report highlights the work across our seven National Priority Areas and explores how we’re supporting primary care and integrating health systems.

Across the 2021/22 year, Adelaide PHN commissioned a total of 136 contracts worth almost $49 million.

Our achievements from across our national priority areas are outlined below.

Aboriginal Health •

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Providing culturally appropriate mental health care for First Nations peoples Improving care for First Nations peoples with chronic conditions

Aged Care •

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Mental health services for people in residential aged care facilities Supporting residential aged care facilities through COVID-19

Alcohol and Other Drugs •

Delivering culturally appropriate

AOD services for First Nations peoples •

Support for people living with substance use and mental health concerns

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Reach and Refer to help older adults tackle risky drinking

General practice and Digital Health •

Helping patients and primary health care through the My Health Record

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Improving access to telehealth

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Supporting general practice with the uptake of secure messaging

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Ongoing support for digital health initiatives

Health Workforce •

Building workforce knowledge

about Infection Prevention Control •

GP and primary health care professional development

Mental Health •

Early intervention proves critical in reducing demand for psychological therapies

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Investing in the future of our primary mental health care sector

Population Health •

Supporting immunisation programs across our region

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Important cancer screening information for vulnerable population

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Supporting the health needs of refugees and new arrivals

Adelaide PHN in Action

(08) 8209 0700 info@closingthegapday.net

Closing the Gap Day 2023.

Thursday 16 March 11 am - 3 pm Kaurna Country Jubilee Pavilion, Adelaide Showground Goodwood Road, Wayville SA

Join Sonder, Nunkuwarrin Yunti, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network and Adelaide PHN at Closing the Gap Day, an event for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of all ages and mobs.

Over 100 stallholders Learn about the local services that can support your health, wellbeing and other areas of your lives Celebrating First Nations Performances by Katie Aspel, Nathan May, Nancy Bates and Eddie Peters, and market place Free community event Kids activities, raffle prizes, giveaways, hot lunch and more!

Register now!

Scan the QR code and select ‘General Admission’ or visit closingthegapday.net Exhibit at Closing the Gap Day Scan the QR code and select ‘Exhibitor.’

Are you an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander artist?

Scan the QR code and select ‘Market place.’

I N PA RTNERSH I P WI TH

PRESENTED WITH

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Meet our Board Adelaide PHN is pleased to introduce our current Board of Directors.

Tom Symonds Chair of Board Tom Symonds has been the Chair of the Board since August 2020 and a Board Director since 2016. Prior to this, he was an inaugural member of the Adelaide PHN’s Central Community Advisory Council.

Tom is keenly interested in community engagement, halth care quality, health workforce development and regulation. He serves as a community member on the South Australian Board of the Medical Board of Australia, the South Australian Board of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia and a council elected director of the Australian Medical Council Board.

Tom is the Business Growth Manager for the Lot Fourteen Innovation District within the SA Government, Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

Rick Albertini Finance and Audit Chair Rick Albertini is our Finance and Audit Chair and has held this position on the Board since inception of Adelaide PHN in 2015. He is a managing partner at Brentnalls SA Chartered Accountants & Advisors.

Rick has extensive experience in financial accounting, strategic and business management, with strong links and associations with the health sector.

Rick also has extensive Board experience and was previously a Northern Adelaide Medicare Local (NAML) Board member. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Member of the Institute of Company Directors.

Adelaide PHN in Action

Fiona Raschella Board Director (Member elected) Fiona Raschella has been on the Adelaide PHN Board since 2017 and is a qualified solicitor with more than a decade of experience in health, employment and insurance law.

Fiona is a member of the Law Society of Australia and a previous member of The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH) Consumer and Community Reference Group. She was also a previous Adelaide PHN Disability Health Priority Group (HPG) member, and an establishing member of the Central Adelaide Community Advisory Council (CACAC).

Fiona is currently a consumer representative on a number of Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) Priority Care Committees and on TQEH Redevelopment Leadership Committee.

Scott Williams Board Director Scott Williams, CEO of Police Health Group, is also in charge of the operations of the Police Health private health fund.

Scott has worked in community and hospital health in Australia and the United Kingdom for over 30 years and has held several senior executive roles. He has successfully led and delivered several large-scale capital and service redesign projects through cultural reform.

Scott has actively represented his organisation in industry forums, public events and interactions with critical strategic partners.

Dr Melanie Smith Board Director Dr Melanie Smith is an associate contractor GP at Chandlers Hill Surgery with interests in palliative care, paediatrics, mental health, diagnostic reasoning and evidence-based practice. She is also the Deputy Chair of the SA/NT Faculty for the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).

Melanie is a member of the RACGP SA Faculty Women in General Practice Committee, the Australian Institute of Digital Health SA Branch Committee and the CEIH Urgent Care Clinical Network.

She is also a GP Consultant with the SA Virtual Care Service.

As a former software engineer who transitioned into medicine, Melanie is passionate about incorporating the key elements of IT strategy/governance and change management into health care settings.

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Dr Peter Del Fante Board Director Dr Peter Del Fante is a part-time General Practitioner in private practice, a public health physician and a clinical informatician with extensive experience in clinical and data governance, general practice and health systems innovation, and population health analytics.

He is also a senior digital health advisor at the Australian Digital Health Agency, where he has been involved in all aspects of the design and delivery of the National Digital Health Strategy. Previous leadership roles include being the CEO of a successful division of general practice and the clinical lead for the National McKinsey Integrated Diabetes Care Project (2012-2015).

Peter is very passionate about equitable, integrated and digitally supported health care ecosystems that optimise people’s health and well-being.

Shane Mohor Board Director (Member elected, First Nations Representative) Shane Mohor is the CEO of the Aboriginal Health Council of SA Ltd (AHCSA).

He has previously worked in Aboriginal health as a registered nurse and as a senior executive in government, university, and non-government organisations for over 30 years.

Shane is strongly committed to improving the health and well-being of the Aboriginal community. He supports Aboriginal-led, owned and driven collaborative research projects that provide positive outcomes for the Aboriginal community.

He is firmly committed to advancing employment for all Aboriginal people, particularly for Aboriginal Health Workers and the Aboriginal Health Workforce in general. Shane is also the Chairperson for Nunkuwarrin Yunti of SA Inc. and AHCSA’s Member of the South Australian Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Network.

Tamara Cavenett Board Director (Member elected) Tamara Cavenett is an endorsed clinical psychologist with expertise in organisational leadership, clinical governance and policy in mental health.

She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD), past President and Board Chair of the Australian Psychological Society (20202022) and has held positions on several Federal Department of Health advisory committees.

Tamara has a proven track record of advancing health system reforms to ensure evidence-based, innovative and person-centred mental health care is available to Australians.

Adelaide PHN in Action

Dr Olga Polikina Board Director Dr Olga Polikina works as a General Practitioner consultant with SA Virtual Care Services. She previously worked as a GP Liaison Officer for SA Health and the Department of Health and Wellbeing.

Other positions undertaken include GP Deputy Clinical Lead for the GP Assessment Team (GPAT), and Duty Doctor at CRCT, managing multiple primary care-focused medical, nursing, and administrative teams. She has also worked as a GP in the outer northern suburbs of Adelaide and regional areas.

Due to her interest in mental health, Olga has a good understanding of the available support, capabilities, and areas for improvement. She has extensive patient and health policy advocacy experience overseas, including involvement in ratifying and implementing the Tobacco Free Framework in Russia.

Photo: Adelaide PHN Board of Directors (L to R): Shane Mohor, Dr Melanie Smith, Scott Williams, Dr Olga Polikina, Tom Symonds, Tamara Cavenett, Rick Albertini and Dr Peter Del Fante

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Australia’s First Aboriginal Internship Program For the first time in Australia, firstyear doctors will undergo dedicated accredited Aboriginal health intern placements, to gain a strong understanding of Aboriginal health and to encourage future careers in this specialised area.

The Aboriginal Primary Health Internship is a collaboration between Adelaide PHN and the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) who have jointly funded the $120,000 program.

Adelaide PHN CEO Michelle McKay is excited about this collaboration as Aboriginal Health is a key priority area.

“We are excited to work with our partners on an opportunity that strengthens the workforce and provides culturally safe and quality

NALHN Aboriginal health practitioner Walter Champion with interns Sarah Lawrence and Shan Zhao. (Picture: SA Health)

health care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” she said.

Guided by Aboriginal health practitioners, five interns will rotate through NALHN’s Watto Purrunna Aboriginal Health service, to gain in-depth knowledge on culturally appropriate health care, connection to country, and the barriers to health care for First Nations Australians.

The Watto Purrunna Aboriginal Health service provides comprehensive, primary health care including heath assessments, chronic disease education and management, men’s and women’s health, mental health care, occupational therapy, and cardiology.

It includes a residential service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who travel to Adelaide for

complex medical treatment. The service also works closely with NALHN’s Aboriginal Emergency Department Access Team, Kumangka Padninthi.

Watto Purrunna Aboriginal Health has four locations, including Maringga Turtpandi at Hillcrest, Muna Paiendi at Elizabeth Vale, Wonggangga Turtpandi at Port Adelaide and Kanggawodli at Dudley Park.

We are excited to share that the first cohort of interns have started their placements at Watto Purrunna Aboriginal Health from 16 January 2023. We look forward to providing more updates about the program and the experiences of the interns in the future.

Adelaide PHN in Action

Telstra Awards 2023 State Finalist Adelaide PHN supported Arkaba Medical Centre led a local COVID-19 response in South Australia.

Arkaba Medical Centre was one of the six the South Australian finalists at the 2023 Telstra Best of Business Awards, Championing Health category. The Centre was recognised for its outstanding work in chronic health management, allied health partnerships, training, and education, and more importantly, its COVID-19 response during the peak.

Many clinics were not seeing patients with respiratory symptoms when COVID-19 was at its peak.

This left patients unable to access medical services for their symptoms. Arkaba Medical Centre stepped up to establish SA’s first respiratory clinic, the Adelaide Central Respiratory Clinic (ACRC).

“By providing a specialised clinic, patients with respiratory symptoms safely had their health needs addressed. We helped not just patients, but healthcare providers in the community who may have otherwise been subject to exposure,” Lucy Shearer, manager at the centre said.

The centre’s innovative clinic design reduced the risk of person-toperson transmission while making it safe for people with respiratory symptoms to get the diagnosis and care they needed – when they needed it.

Adelaide PHN would like to congratulate Arkaba Medical Centre for being a finalist in a tightly

contested category, that was won FBW Gynaecology Plus.

Adelaide PHN onboarded over 200 general practices and four Commonwealth vaccination clinics, including ACRC, to deliver over 2.8 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

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An Update from HealthPathways SA Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Pathways An estimated 40,300 people were living with dementia in SA in 2022.

Without a medical breakthrough, the number of people living with dementia is expected to increase to an estimated 73,000 by 2058. In 2019-20 over half (54%) of permanent residential aged care residents in Australia were diagnosed with dementia.

The general practitioner is usually the first contact when concerns about thinking or memory arise. Pathways of care for aged care and dementia, built on best-practice guidelines, support general practitioners and other health practitioners with easy online access to comprehensive assessment, management and localised referral resources specific to the South Australian context.

Accessing support as early as possible can help improve symptoms and slow down the progression of dementia. For people experiencing symptoms of cognitive impairment or dementia and their carers, these pathways mean healthcare teams can better navigate diagnostic and post-diagnostic services, treatment options and connection to supports.

The pathways were guided by a Clinical Work Group of 15 expert

clinicians and service provider representatives across SA. Facilitated by Prof Stacey George, Adelaide PHN Professor in Healthy Ageing, Support and Care, the group explored issues that impact delivering optimum care for people with dementia. The discussion informed the content for pathway development and highlighted gaps in services across the state and the significant gains the sector achieved through better collaboration and communication.

Dr Anna Billington, GP Clinical Editor said,

“A major review of our Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Pathways has been undertaken.

This updated pathway focuses on timely diagnosis, includes a more detailed assessment section and emphasises the importance of screening for cognitive decline.

Adelaide PHN in Action

It also guides clinicians to focus on taking a personcentred approach to dementia management and to consider coordinating a team to maximise patients’ function and quality of life.

It includes updated links to the most helpful peak bodies’ resources for health professionals, patients, and carers”

•

Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

•

Delirium

•

Cognitive Impairment Specialised Assessment

•

Dementia Management and Support

HealthPathways SA also has an extensive suite of Aged Care Pathways at the links below.

•

Older Persons’ Health

•

Older Person’s Health Referrals

Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) Pathways

Get in touch

The VAD Pathway was launched on 30 January in collaboration with the SA VAD Implementation Taskforce.

HealthPathways is dynamic and your feedback is essential to maintain currency.

The pathway provides key authorised information, links and training resources to assist general practitioners.

The VAD Pathway complements other pathways related to end-of-life care.

New and updated pathways

The pathways

If you would like to provide feedback, please email enquiries@sahealthpathways. com.au

New

•

Voluntary Assisted Dying

•

Chronic Hepatitis B

•

HIV and Viral Hepatitis Support

Updated •

Chronic Non-cancer Pain in Adults

•

Chronic Pain Specialised Advice

•

Chronic Pain Specialised Assessment

•

Care of COVID-19 Positive Patients in the Community

•

COVID-19 Suite

•

Lifestyle and Weight Management in Adults

•

Medications for Depression in Adults

•

Medications for Moderate or Severe Anxiety in Adults

Wellbeing SA, Adelaide PHN and Country SA PHN are working in partnership with SA Health to implement HealthPathways across SA. Visit the HealthPathways website to learn more.

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COVID-19 Updates An update from our dedicated COVID-19 team, including our continued role in the local pandemic response, upcoming training and events, resources and news items, and relevant commissioned activity.

You can get in touch with our COVID-19 team by emailing covid19@adelaidephn.com.au.

Adelaide PHN in Action

Adelaide PHN continues to support the COVID-19 response, including but not limited to the following: •

Access to free COVID-19 vaccinations through general practices and Adelaide PHNfunded providers

•

Commissioned general practices to facilitate vaccination for nonMedicare eligible populations in our community

•

Access to information

•

SA Health and Adelaide PHN COVID-19 webinars for primary care providers

Pop-Up Medics continue to support in-home vaccinations for the vulnerable population who are unable to attend a vaccination clinic. This included providing flu vaccines over the winter period.

By June 2022, more than 257 in-home vaccinations were administered. They also supported community events by providing updated information and the COVID-19 vaccines.

Pop-Up Medics continue to support and coordinate in-reach clinics for residents of Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACFs) who need access to the COVID-19 vaccine, including the flu vaccine, during winter.

Wellbeing SA continues to support individuals and their families impacted by COVID-19, including those unable to access their regular care due to a COVID-19 infection.

Adelaide PHN has facilitated multiple community events. This includes working with the Salvation Army and Red Cross to support multicultural events and providing information and vaccine access.

Adelaide PHN will continue its support through the distribution of vital resources and services, as directed by the Commonwealth.

To access the latest COVID-19 information, please visit the SA Health website.

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Digital Health An update from our digital health team, including relevant resources and news relating to quality improvement activities, training, integrated care, and general support.

You can get in touch with our digital health team by emailing digitalhealthinfo@ adelaidephn.com.au.

Adelaide PHN in Action

Telehealth in RACF Program Adelaide PHN is commissioning telehealth services through the Telehealth in Residential Aged Care Facilities (RACF) Program to improve access to health care for the elderly in our region. Five aged care organisations comprising 26 facilities were awarded funds as part of the first phase of the grant rollout and are set to commence training for staff.

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, telehealth has been transformational and critical to the continuity of care of thousands of Australian patients living in rural and remote areas and cities. It is cost-effective, convenient, and safe and reduces the risks of infections among the immune-compromised population, including the elderly.

Adelaide PHN’s Telehealth in Residential Aged Care Facilities Program builds on the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety report.

“We are delivering a program that empowers stakeholders across the primary and aged care systems to effectively utilise telehealth to deliver the best quality care to the elderly,” Wendy Dolejs, Executive Manager Integration said.

“This needs-based response will help us further improve health outcomes of senior Australians while embedding telehealth across primary, tertiary, and aged care sectors,” she added.

The program will build the capability of RACFs, GPs, allied health, and specialists to provide telehealth services, that will help prevent, diagnose, and treat various health conditions. It will also help promote better health outcomes among the elderly, reduce pressure on hospitals by preventing hospitalisation and use of emergency care services.

The program will also help elderly residents of RACFs become more comfortable and confident

in accessing timely healthcare, reducing their sensitivity towards the technology.

The next funding round for the telehealth program will open in March 2023. Organisations can apply for funding up to $7,500 (GST exclusive) for each eligible facility.

Interested aged care organisations can contact us at ageingwell@ adelaidephn.com.au or 08 8219 5900 to discuss further.

Telehealth in RACF is an addition to the fleet of programs we have designed to improve health outcomes for the elderly. To learn more, please visit the Adelaide PHN website.

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Provider Connect Australia

Adelaide PHN, in collaboration with Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA), commenced the Provider Connect Australia (PCA) pilot program rollout in September 2022 as part of the national digital health initiative.

PCA connects healthcare provider organisations with their business partners to streamline updates and improve the quality of healthcare service information throughout the ecosystem.

When healthcare provider organisations register and update their contact details in the PCA program, it sends their new details to nominated hospitals, pathology and radiology services, public service directories, and more.

service delivery details change is cumbersome and can lead to human error. Common issues noted include: •

Staff notifying only the highpriority partners like the funders, leaving other partners with incomplete and out-of-date information.

•

Referrals and reports not reaching the right healthcare recipient.

•

Error in form completion and transcribing it into partners’ systems.

•

Poor usability of secure messaging.

Benefits to business partners

What does PCA overcome?

Business partner benefits include:

Manually notifying business partners whenever an organisation’s

•

Lower cost of processing client registrations and updates

•

Improved client satisfaction

•

Streamlined client registration and updates

•

Improved timeliness, completeness and accuracy of client data

Feedback Although the pilot phase of the program concluded in February, we are still offering support to eligible providers who are considering joining PCA. We have received very positive feedback from healthcare provider organisations and business partners.

All healthcare provider organisations will soon have the ability to connect with their business partners using PCA. To learn more about the PCA, including information on how it works, please visit ADHA’s PCA website.

Alternatively, please email digitalhealthinfo@adelaidephn.com.au.

Adelaide PHN in Action

2023 Health Expo - Nurturing Body and Mind Adelaide PHN funded the Australian Refugee Association’s (ARA) 2023 Health Expo.

Held on 23 February, this year’s theme was ‘Nurturing Your Body and Mind”, with information and advice, on

looking after your mental and physical health.

The free event was held at the Salisbury Community hub and attended by nearly 200 people.

Australian Red Cross also held health

and well-being workshops, focusing on weight loss and diet, managing stress, well-being and healthy relationships.

Please visit the ARA Facebook page to view the photos from the event.

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Safe Haven Expands its Services Safe Haven is expanding its service hours and operating from a new location to better serve the community.

Safe Haven, a unique drop-in mental health service opened its doors in Adelaide’s northern suburbs in late 2022 to provide peer-driven support to the community in a specially designed non-clinical setting.

The space, funded by the Northern Adelaide Local Health Network(NALHN) and Adelaide PHN, was collaboratively designed by Northern Mental Health Alliance with input from people with lived experience of mental health challenges.

Located in Salisbury, Safe Haven is operated by Sonder and offers a calm and inviting space for people in the local community in need of mental health support.

The new location provides familyfriendly access with the provision of a children’s space, to better support parents and carers who access the service. Members of the community seeking support at Safe Haven are connected with a peer practitioner who uses their unique skillsets to provide practical support to guests and walk beside them in their recovery journey.

People who need further support are connected to additional mental health services to ensure their needs are met and appropriate care pathways are provided, helping to avoid unnecessary emergency department presentations.

New location 9 John Street, Salisbury

New timings Tuesday to Friday, 5pm to 9pm

Learn more about the service in the following page.

Adelaide PHN in Action

WALK-IN SERVICE

No appointment or referral required

Safe Haven.

Feeling overwhelmed or distressed?

Drop into Safe Haven for a chat, tea or coffee, or to simply hang out!

Safe Haven is a friendly, compassionate and nonjudgmental place where everyone is welcome.

Staff members at Safe Haven have their own personal lived experience of mental health challenges and can offer an understanding ear about whatever is troubling you.

This service is

What is available?

• • • • •

Support from Peer Practitioners who understand what you are going through.

Relaxing environment.

Board and card games.

Refreshments.

Connections to other services for additional support.

FInd us 9 John Street, Salisbury SA Tuesday to Friday, 5 pm - 9 pm

Free & confidential

Anyone over the age of 16 is welcome at Safe Haven

Supported by Adelaide PHN, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network, Northern Adelaide Mental Health Alliance and Lived Experience Leadership & Advocacy Network

Learn more sonder.net.au/safe-haven

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IAR-DST Training for GPs training. There is no cost involved for attending the training.

Training takes around two hours, comprising a 30-minute introduction to the instrument and a 90-minute interactive practical application on a supplied case vignette.

IAR-DST tool

Adelaide PHN is providing training and support to assist GPs in using the Initial Assessment and Referral Decision Support Tool (IAR-DST) in clinical practice.

The 2021-2022 Federal Budget set aside $34 million for training in using the instrument throughout Australia.

Each of the Primary Health Networks have nationally established an IAR team to support the dissemination of IAR-DST information and provide training to the GPs. The IAR-DST training is available for clinicians from all disciplinary backgrounds and non-clinicians involved in mental health service delivery.

These trainings are offered online and in-person and will attract two ACRRM/RACGP recognised CPD hours. GPs will also receive $300 (excl GST) for their time upon completion of the two-hour

The IAR-DST tool is a state-ofthe-art adjunctive assessment instrument developed by an Expert Advisory Group (EAG) comprising peak bodies, people with lived experience, professional colleges, and universities under the aegis of the Department of Health.

The tool is TGA recognised and approved as a medical device. It acknowledges the clinician’s skill and judgment as a pre-emptive to the instrument’s use.

The tool brings together the best evidence and advice to provide the information clinicians need to recommend the optimum level of care for patients presenting with mental health issues.

The first training session was held in December and as of 28 February, 120 GPs have completed training.

Responses to training have been very positive and it was encouraging to hear many participants are willing to incorporate the IAR into daily clinical practice.

Benefits of using the tool •

Training and associated benefits

to GPs include: •

A one off $300 payment (excl.

GST)

•

Two hours for CPD purposes

•

Ongoing support from our IARDST team

•

Potential facilitation of cross service referral

•

Minimisation of risk to practitioners and patients by using a standardised instrument

•

Provision of service map (including phone advice from a psychiatrist)

•

A certificate of completion of training

Register for the training Our team are committed to working with you and have flexible training options.

We can facilitate online and faceto-face sessions at your practice location, including lunch time and out of hours. Other times are also available.

Please get in touch with our team via IAR-DST@adelaidephn.com.au or through the Practice Facilitator attached to your practice to find a time that works for you.

To learn more about the IAR-DST, including why the tool is being implemented, development process, training and ongoing use, please visit our website.

Adelaide PHN in Action

Embrace Multicultural Mental Health Framework Action Plan Adelaide PHN is working on an action plan to support the implementation of the Embrace Framework.

Adelaide PHN was one of the ten Primary Health Networks in Australia to receive free, targeted support from the Embrace Project (national) team for implementing the Embrace Framework.

The Embrace Project is led by Mental Health Australia and funded by the Department of Health and

Aged Care to provide a national focus on mental health and suicide prevention for people from Cultural and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

being developed as part of our commitment to enhance the cultural responsiveness of Adelaide PHN and enhance services for CALD communities across the region.

Adelaide PHN has developed an action plan to support the implementation of the framework within the organisation. This is

Learn more about the frameworks by visiting the Embrace Multicultural Mental Health website.

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Practice Support Our dedicated Practice Facilitators form part of our Practice Support Team. They work with primary health care providers to support ongoing programs and initiatives that promote quality patient care and improve health outcomes.

Adelaide PHN in Action

Updates from the Team Adelaide PHN Practice Support team provides support to the primary health care providers across the Adelaide metropolitan region.

APNA Conference

The team has provided targeted support for several programs including: •

Implementation support of the IAR-DST tool

•

Reach and Refer program

•

Medical abortion webinar

•

Assisted dying legislation

•

National Heart Health Check Recall Program

•

Quality improvement activities

•

Accreditation support

•

Access to COVID -19 vaccinations, support materials and training

If your practice needs support or information, email practicesupport@adelaidephn. com.au or phone 8219 5900.

Adelaide PHN Practice Facilitators and Digital Health Officers attended a two-day Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA) Conference on 28 and 29 September, last year.

Photo: Adelaide PHN Practice Facilitator Jodie Bell (top) and Digital Health Coordinator David Earl (below) presenting at the 2022 APNA Conference.

The conference provided an opportunity for the Adelaide PHN team to connect with nurses from across SA. The team spoke to a number of nurses and raised awareness about the work carried out by the PHN to improve heath outcomes.

APNA is the peak professional body for nurses working in primary health care. Visit the APNA website to learn more.

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Photo: NALHN GPIU team - Dr Jaiveer Krishnan and Dr Emily Gibson

GP Integration Units The GP Integration Units are a partnership between Adelaide PHN and each of the three Adelaide metropolitan Local Health Networks (LHN) – Central Adelaide LHN (CALHN), Northern Adelaide LHN (NALHN) and Southern Adelaide LHN (SALHN).

An integrated approach towards health care is seen as the best solution to the challenges of aging populations, a growing prevalence of chronic illnesses, higher expectations for quality care and rising costs within limited health budgets.

GP Integration Units (formerly GP Liaison Units - GPLU) were established in NALHN in 2018 and SALHN in 2019 to enhance partnerships between the LHNs and general practices.

The CALHN GP Liaison Unit has been established for many years with a team of highly regarded and respected liaison nurses. In 2019, the partnership supported

the employment of a GP to join the CALHN team. The success of the units has led to a further three-year agreement, signed by all partners until June 2025.

Since their inception, the GP Integration Units (GPIUs) have worked towards identifying and developing sustainable clinical collaborations, professional partnerships, service improvements and administrative efficiencies. These focus areas were determined via a series of workshops with representation from GPs and hospital clinicians.

Adelaide PHN has recently recruited two new GP Integration Officers (GPIOs), Dr Emily Gibson and Dr

Jaiveer Krishnan, for the NALHN region.

Dr Jackie Yeoh has recommenced her position as GPIO at CALHN while Dr Mai Duong continues as the GPIO in SALHN. The GPIOs share the responsibilities of the units activities, with nursing and administration support provided by the LHNs, and are usually located in one of the public hospitals.

Each unit has a dedicated website and contact details, which can be found over the next pages.

Adelaide PHN in Action

NALHN Dr Emily Gibson, GPIO Dr Emily Gibson trained in the UK initially in hospital medicine and then travelled to Hong Kong to work in primary and secondary health care.

She has been calling Adelaide home for the last 11 years and working as a GP in Gawler and Freeling. Emily is a busy mum who loves to travel and explore new places with her family in her spare time.

Dr Jaiveer Krishnan, GPIO Dr Jaiveer Krishnan is a GP and Executive Director of Europa Medical Centre in Northern Adelaide. He holds executive roles as the Deputy Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) SA & NT, board member of the Adelaide GP Council (AGPC), and VicePresident of the South Australian Indian Medical Association (SAIMA).

Jaiveer moved to the United Kingdom from India for his postgraduate studies and became a member of the Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) and the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP).

He holds a Master’s degree in

Photo: SALHN GPIU team (from L to R) Emily O’Callaghan, Dr Mai Duong and Emma Young

Diabetes from the University of Warwick.

Migrating to Australia in 2014, he became a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (FRACGP).

He loves doing Taekwondo with his daughter, cycling, watching movies/ series, and spending time with family and friends.

SALHN Dr Mai Duong, GPIO Dr Mai Duong has been the GP at SALHN’s GP Integration Unit since its beginning. Mai’s career highlights during this time include creating connections with GP teams in the south through practice visits, email, website or newsletter interactions.

She also played a part in rolling out initiatives to improve GPs’ day-today work, such as the electronic discharge summaries. Mai is passionate about making it easier for clinicians across the health system to work together for better patient health outcomes.

Emma Young, Nurse Consultant Emma Young has been working with the SALHN GPIU since March 2022.

Before this, she spent most of her nursing career as a respiratory nurse in acute care and community roles across SALHN and NALHN. She enjoys the diversity of her role in the GPIU and the chance to collaborate with many different stakeholders.

Emily O’Callaghan, GP Integration Support Officer Emily O’Callaghan is new to the SALHN GPIU team joining in January 2023. She has worked within SALHN for over 13 years and brings a wealth of corporate knowledge and key relationships internally and externally.

Emily has worked predominately in the Trainee Medical Officer space, supporting the medical workforce.

She is passionate about doing her part to alleviate some of the pressure on the medical staff.

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CALHN Dr Jackie Yeoh, GPIO Dr Jackie Yeoh has been a GP working in Adelaide for 30 years, the majority of those at the Arkaba Medical Centre at Parkside. Last year she took on the role of medical lead for the COVID Care Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and discovered a love for hospital avoidance.

This led her to continue working in the Hospital Avoidance Supported Discharge Service at Sefton Park.

The work gives her lots of practice in finding good contact points and pathways for GPs to get help from the hospital system.

She is a jigsaw fanatic who loves to read and sing in her spare time.

She has many years of experience as a registered nurse at the RAH having a particular focus on upper GI surgical nursing.

She thoroughly enjoys her dual role as GP Liaison nurse and Rural Liaison nurse, where effective communication is key.

Get in touch The GPIUs would love to hear from GPs about what they would like to see from the service and how the units can assist in making their lives easier.

Please call or email the GPIUs using the contact details on the website provided below.

Brianna Cornish, Clinical Nurse

NALHN website

Brianna Cornish (Bri) has been a nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH) for 15 years, including seven years as a GP Liaison Nurse.

Email: Health.NALHNGPLiaisonUnit@ sa.gov.au

She has worked within the RAH Vascular and Urology services in inpatient and outpatient settings, as well as three years in the Rural Liaison Clinical Nurse role. Bri fosters relationships between CALHN and the GP Community to optimise patient outcomes.

CALHN website

Outside work, Bri enjoys travelling and camping with her family and friends around Australia.

Christine Mogg, Clinical Nurse Christine Mogg (Chris) is an experienced, customer–oriented professional with strong multi-tasking skills and the ability to prioritise efficiently.

Email: health.calhngpintegrationunit@ sa.gov.au

SALHN website Email: Health.GPIntegrationUnit@ sa.gov.au

Adelaide PHN in Action

Drug and Alcohol Services for CALD Communities Contact CAaSSA Email: admin@caassa.org.au Phone: 8447 8821 Visit the Adelaide PHN website to find out more.

Consistent with its Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) Treatment and Quality Framework, Adelaide PHN aims to target treatment services to priority populations and at-risk groups. Limited data is available about AOD use in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations within the Adelaide PHN region which leaves them vulnerable to a lack of culturally appropriate treatment options.

Other factors that may make people from CALD communities susceptible to AOD use include psychosocial stressors, unemployment, language barriers, lack of awareness about available programs, and limited access to programs that are culturally appropriate.

Stakeholder consultations have identified that people from CALD communities within the Adelaide PHN region face barriers to

accessing treatment services, mostly due to a lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate treatment services.

To address this need, Adelaide PHN has recently funded Community Access and Services SA (CAaSSA) to provide free and culturally appropriate AOD treatment interventions for people from CALD communities who are experiencing harms associated with AOD use.

The service is also tasked with delivering a combination of outreach and site-based services, with a person-centred and culturally sensitive approach.

•

Brief interventions

•

Case management

•

Individual counselling

•

Information, education, support and referrals to consumers with identifiable alcohol/or other drug issues and their family members

•

Peer support

•

SMART recovery support groups

Referral options into the service include: •

Self-referral

•

Family/significant others and community’s members.

•

Referral from professionals, eg.

G.P

•

Organisations (e.g. community services, schools)

The range of AOD treatment interventions provided by CAaSSA include:

CAaSSA office locations •

CAaSSA- main office: 62 Athol St Athol Park SA 5012

•

•

Flinders Wellbeing Centreshared location: 28 Ann St Salisbury SA 5018

Screening and assessments (i.e. holistic assessment, AOD including comorbidity and risk assessments)

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Adelaide Primary Care in Action Highlights of programs and activities affecting the delivery and experience of primary health care across the Adelaide metropolitan region.

Primary Care in Action

Healthy in the Heat Everyone is at risk of heat-related illness during hot weather, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Speak with your patients about the signs of heat-related illness and ensure they know what to do if they are experiencing symptoms.

Some people are more at risk of heat-related illness than others, including babies and young children, pregnant people, older people, people with chronic illnesses, people with mobility issues, and people who take regular medication.

GPs are encouraged to advise their patients, particularly those who are more at risk, to follow these simple steps to stay healthy in the heat: •

Drink plenty of water

•

Stay cool with a fan or airconditioner

•

Avoid going out in the hottest part of the day

•

Keep curtains, blinds and windows closed during the day to keep the house cool

•

Cool off with a shower or bath

higher sunscreen when outside

•

Check the weather forecast for hot weather

•

Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved and light-coloured clothing, a hat, sunglasses and SPF30+ or

Medication can also change how the body responds to hot weather. Gps should speak to their patients, who are on regular medication about the ways to reduce health risks such as dehydration.

For more information, visit www. sahealth.a.gov.au/healthyintheheat.

Article sourced from SA Health

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Strength for Life

Strength for Life is a strength, balance and fitness program for people aged 50+ (40+ for Aboriginal people and people from refugee background).

Council on the Ageing SA (COTA SA) is the peak organisation for all older South Australians (aged 50+) and offers a diverse range of programs, activities and services.

Their key program, Strength for Life, offers older individuals tailored and affordable strength and fitness classes. These classes are led by qualified instructors in more than 100 locations across metropolitan Adelaide and regional areas.

COTA SA strives to ensure equity of access to Strength for Life and is working to increase participation

of people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

COTA SA’s translated resources on Strength for Life can be found on their website and is available in Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Persian, Spanish, Tagalong and Vietnamese.

Below are links to English versions of the enrolment and other forms for prospective participants. A medical referral by a general practitioner is required to join Strength for Life.

Enrolment Form Pre-Exercise Screening Form Tier 1 — Tier 1 Medical Referral Form Tier 2 — Tier 2 Medical Referral Form

For more information about Strength for Life and how to refer patients, please visit Strength for Life on the COTA SA website and see Information for Health Practitioners.

Article provided by COTA SA

Primary Care in Action

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Multicultural Health Connect Multicultural Health Connect is a national helpline for multicultural communities to access health information and advice.

The helpline is free and confidential, and run by workers from multicultural backgrounds.

This service is for anyone from a

multicultural background, regardless of their visa status. It is available every weekday from 11am to 7pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT).

Multicultural Health Connect is run by the Australian Government via healthdirect Australia and delivered

by the World Wellness Group, a specialist multicultural health service.

To learn more about this service, please visit the healthdirect Australia website.

Primary Care in Action

Our Mob and Cancer Yarn with family or friends or see your health professional if you notice any changes in your body

Our Mob and Cancer is a website created by us, for us – full of culturally safe tips and information we can trust. It includes information and resources about reducing the risk of cancer, types of cancer, diagnosis, treatment and living with cancer, how cancer spreads and where to get help and support.

Visit

ourmobandcancer.gov.au

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SAHMRI PoppiE Study

The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) is conducting a nationwide clinical trial to determine the ideal amount of iodine needed during pregnancy for baby’s development. The Prenatal Iodine Supplementation and Early Neurodevelopment Study - The PoppiE Study - is inviting 754 women in early pregnancy to take part.

The PoppiE Study is funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Medical Research Futures Fund and is designed to see if reducing the amount of iodine in prenatal supplements taken by women who get enough iodine in their diet, will improve the developmental scores of their children.

Iodine is important for baby’s brain and nervous system development.

Since 2009, iodine has been added to some of our food and pregnant women are also advised to take a supplement containing 150µg of iodine. However, recent studies suggest that women who get enough iodine from the food they eat may not need the amount that is contained in common prenatal supplements.

In fact, getting too much iodine during pregnancy may result in lower developmental scores in children.

•

Pregnant women less than 13 weeks’ gestation are invited to take part and can complete a self-screening questionnaire to determine their eligibility

•

All women will be advised of their

estimated daily iodine intake result from the food frequency questionnaire •

Women who enrol will receive free prenatal supplements for the duration of pregnancy and an in-depth developmental assessment of their child at two years of age

This is the first randomised controlled trial of prenatal iodine supplementation in Australia and will guide future Pregnancy Care Guidelines.

For more information, please scan the QR Code or The PoppiE Study team on 0428 642 471 or poppie@ sahmri.com.

Article provided by SAHMRI

Primary Care in Action

Supporting Asthma and Hay Fever Management Around one in nine Australians has asthma. As hay fever can worsen asthma symptoms for many people, it is important to support effective hay fever treatment to ensure overall good asthma control.

Patients with asthma should be supported to regularly update and follow their asthma action plan.

GPs should encourage their patients to always carry their reliever medication and take their preventer, even if well.

They should also discuss asthma and hay fever triggers with their patients and provide options to effectively treat hay fever.

New or worsening respiratory symptoms may be caused by a virus like COVID-19. Patients with COVID-19 symptoms should be tested and stay home until they feel well.

For more information, please visit www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/ asthmahayfever.

Article provided by SA Health

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National Cancer Screening Register Website

The new National Cancer Screening Register website is now live.

The website design has been improved based on insights and recommendations gathered from user experience interviews, resulting in better navigation for website users.

Secure online portals and integrated clinical software now allow participants and healthcare providers to access screening information and manage participation in the bowel and cervical screening programs.

Please visit the new site using the link: https://www.ncsr.gov.au/.

Primary Care in Action

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Connect with us

08 8219 5900 enquiry@adelaidephn.com.au adelaidephn.com.au

Further information

Find out more about Adelaide PHN’s programs and services via our online directory.

Providers can find a calendar of local professional development opportunities and a resource library to support delivery of primary health care across the metropolitan region.

Adelaide PHN’s career page includes listings of vacancies within general practice across the Adelaide region (a service offered for free to general practice teams).

Adelaide PHN distributes Connect to provide beneficial and relevant information. The content is sourced from credible organisations, but please note we do not undertake extensive quality reviews. While the Australian Government helped fund this document, it has not reviewed the content and is not responsible for any injury, loss or damage however arising from the use of or reliance on the information provided herein.