Nov

15

2021

What to expect at this week’s Clarence Valley Clinical Society

If you’re yet to register for this week’s Clarence Valley Clinical Society, get registering!

This free-to-attend, face-to-face event is your chance to embed yourself in your local community of health professionals. More than 30 GPs, nurses, allied health, practice managers and reception staff and service coordinators have already registered.

Don’t miss out!

Clarence Valley Clinical Society

Tuesday 16 November
6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Vines@139 Grafton

What’s included: canapes and a two-course dinner.

Speakers:

  • Leonie Staples, Project Manager, First 2000 Days, Tresillian Family Care Centres
  • Dr James Hodges, Paediatrician, Grafton Base Hospital
Download flyer

Rachel Gorman is a Primary Health Coordinator for Healthy North Coast.

Rachel is a local point of contact for partner organisations and professionals who want to improve health outcomes in the Clarence Valley region. She acknowledges the tremendous efforts and commitment of all primary health workers supporting our communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘We’re really excited to give back to our local primary healthcare providers with a face-to-face, end-of year event,’ Rachel said.

‘The Clarence Valley Clinical Society is a forum in which local clinicians can come together to network and connect over dinner while gaining some education. We look forward to a night of knowledge-sharing, socialising and end of year cheer, with time to hear from Leonie Staples and Dr James Hodges about the Child and Family Wellbeing Hub in Grafton.

‘If you’d like to learn more about the support available to Clarence Valley families expecting a child, or caring for a child aged 0–5 years, then register for this event and encourage your colleagues to come along too.’

What to expect

The event will kick off at 6 pm with networking and canapes, so we ask that you please arrive early to sign in.

All attendees must comply with the NSW Government order (effective 11 October 2021) stating that no unvaccinated person (over the age of 16) is allowed into hospitality premises. Please have confirmation of your vaccinated status handy on arrival.

Once signed in, we encourage you to mingle. This is a great way to get to know the faces of your referrals, introduce yourself and connect with your local clinical community. It’s been a while since we were all face-to-face!

Our first presentation will be delivered by Leonie Staples, Project Manager First 2000 Days, and Dr James Hodges, a local paediatrician. Together they’ll be talking about the services the Child and Family Wellbeing Hub in Grafton can offer.

After dinner, the Healthy North Coast Education Team will talk you through the local CPD needs assessment, which identifies perceived training needs. This will be an opportunity for you to share any additional ideas around CPD education.

Next, Healthy North Coast will share with you the draft 2022 Healthy North Coast CPD calendar, focusing on the role of clinical societies. We’ll be talking to you about what we’ve identified as the most frequently asked for integrated care learning opportunities and then you can help us to flesh out what next year’s first clinical society event might look like.

Throughout the evening there will be plenty of time for both group and open discussion.

Register now and encourage your colleagues to come along too by sharing the flyer. We rely on your word of mouth to get this invitation out.

Who should attend?

GPs, GP registrars, allied health, practice nurses and staff, service coordinators and any primary care professionals who are wanting advice when supporting families in the Clarence Valley.

COVID-19 safety

Healthy North Coast takes it obligations for your safety seriously. We advise that the venue where the event is to be held is COVID-safe and that a COVID safety plan has been developed and registered with the NSW Government.

Numbers will be restricted, so reserve your place early. If you are sick or experiencing the mildest of symptoms, please do not attend.

In the event the clinical society dinner is cancelled, we will hold a shorter online experience and all those in attendance will receive a free gift.

Perinatal Mental Health Week (7 to 13 November)

 
  • The 2021 The Australasian Marcé Tresillian VIRTUAL Conference may be over, but you can still register to watch the full two-day conference offerings up to end of November.
  • NSW Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Services (PIMHS) is a free, statewide mental health service that helps women and parents who have a severe, acute or complex mental illness, or are at risk of recurrence, are pregnant or have a child under the age of two.
  • PANDA’s National Perinatal Mental Health Helpline is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 7:30pm AEST/AEDT. Phone 1300 726 306.

flags We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we live and work, the Bundjalung, Arakwal, Yaegl, Gumbaynggirr, Githabul, Dunghutti and Birpai Nations, and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to elders past, present and future.

Our regional partners

  • Local Health District partners in our footprint: Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) & Northern New South Wales Local Health District (NNSWLHD)
  • Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS)
  • The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
  • Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)
  • Rural Doctors Network (RDN)
  • Rural Clinical Schools & Regional Training Hubs
  • General Practitioners
  • Registrars and International Medical Graduates
  • North Coast Allied Health Association (NCAHA)
  • Local Councils
    Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA)
  • Universities including: Charles Sturt University (CSU), University of New South Wales (UNSW), Southern Cross University (SCU)

Aged Care Disaster Management Planning

Strategic Priority Area: One team

North Coast is identified as the region most likely to be impacted by climate change in Australia and also forecasted greatest growth in those 65+.

Healthy North Coast takes a lead role in ensuring the older population and the sector that supports them are prepared for, can respond to and recover from disasters and other emergencies.

We have led eight regional disaster management capacity building workshops, bringing together SES, community organisations and the aged care sector.

We have also developed disaster preparedness tip sheets for both residential and community aged care providers.

Voluntary Assisted Dying

Strategic Priority Area: One team

In May 2022, the NSW Parliament passed the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2022. Effective from Tuesday, 28 November 2023, eligible people have the choice to access voluntary assisted dying. 

Healthy North Coast has developed a webpage for both health professionals and consumers, with links to available information and resources.

Living with Dementia resources

Strategic Priority Area: No one is left behind

Healthy North Coast has worked with people living with dementia, their families and local service providers to develop an information booklet that will help them connect with local and national supports along their journey.

Highly regarded by a range of professional supporting those on or starting the dementia journey, the booklet includes commonly asked questions for people to ask their GP and/or specialist.

“It’s a fantastic resource and I give it to everyone on their first diagnosis. Its easy to read, so well planned and thought through and has lots of really useful information, tailored to the region.
I also find it very helpful when educating clinical staff.”

−Geropsychiatric Nurse Practitioner, Mid North Coast.

The resource is available in digital and printed copies, with more than 5,000 distributed across the region. An e-version is available to clinicians via the Dementia and Cognitive Impairment HealthPathway.

Deteriorating Resident Triage Tool Pilot

Strategic Priority Area: One team

The Deteriorating Resident Response Tool (DRRT) has been developed to guide RN’s in Residential Aged Care homes (RACHs) to better understand, anticipate and make clinical decisions responding to the deteriorating health of residents.

The objective of the DRRT is to give RACH staff clear information to triage and provide appropriate care for a range of residents’ health conditions, and, in turn, prevent unnecessary presentations to ED.

The tool has been designed together with a specialist geriatrician, consulting with stakeholders such as Residential Aged Care Managers, NSW Ambulance, GPs, and experts from Mid and North Coast LHDs.

The pilot commences in March with four participating RACHs. Evaluation measures will include effectiveness in building RN confidence and reported reduction in unnecessary hospitalisations. Findings will inform a future planned, region-wide implementation.

North Coast Care Finders Program

Strategic Priority Area: No one is left behind

The Care Finders program is a free region-wide service to support vulnerable older people who have no-one else to help them, to learn about, apply for and set up support services.

Care finders can help people understand what aged care services are available, set up an assessment, and find and choose services. They also help people with access to other supports in the community, both accessing services for the first time and changing or finding new services and supports.

On the North Coast, Healthy North Coast has commissioned four organisations to provide this important service: EACH, Carexcell, Lifetime Connect and Footprints.

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Psychological services in residential aged care homes

Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now

Healthy North Coast commissions two service providers to deliver psychological therapies and supports for older people with, or at risk of developing, a mental illness and who are living in residential aged care homes (RACHs).

The aim of the program is to both provide direct support to residents and their families and carers, as well as upskill the RACH workforce to respond to the needs of residents presenting with mental health concerns.

Social prescribing (Healthy Me Healthy Community)

Strategic Priority Area: Securing a Healthier Future

Delivered by Feros Care, the Healthy Me, Healthy Community program aims to build individual and community connections to reduce loneliness and improve wellbeing in Port Macquarie.

The program helps people to connect with community, activities, supports and services that address their broader social determinants of health, as an alternative or supplement to a clinical approach.

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Telehealth in Residential Aged Care

Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now

The Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety identified several critical areas affecting aged care residents and our health system. Key challenges include:

  • Limited access to general practitioners (GPs) and allied health professionals in aged care facilities.
  • Difficulties accessing out-of-hours services

Telehealth offers valuable opportunities to enhance support for residents living in aged care homes. Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, this initiative provides telehealth equipment and staff training as part of the response to the Royal Commission’s findings.

By improving access to primary care clinicians, specialist services, and other service providers through telehealth, we can significantly enhance health outcomes for residents, reducing unnecessary hospital transfers and emergency department visits.

The selection of telehealth equipment was guided by our Healthy Ageing Strategy (HAS), a comprehensive digital discovery questionnaire, and consultation workshops with various stakeholders. These efforts included interviews with residents to understand their attitudes toward telehealth, ensuring the initiative meets their needs and preferences.

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Greater Choice at Home Palliative Care Program

Strategic Priority Area: Improving Lives Now

Aims to provide people who have life limiting conditions the opportunity to exercise choice and receive high quality care at home, harnessing improved and better coordinated supports and services that meet their individual needs.

Program objectives:

  • Improve access to palliative care at home and support end-of-life care systems and services (in primary health care and community care)
  • To enable the right care at the right time and in the right place (to reduce unnecessary hospitalisation)
  • Generate and use data to support continuous improvement of services across sectors
  • Use available technologies to support flexible and responsive palliative care at home, including in the after-hours.

These objectives will contribute to achieving the following intended overarching outcomes of:

  • Improved capacity and responsiveness of services to meet local needs and priorities
  • Improved patient access to quality palliative care services in the home
  • Improved coordination of care for patients across health care providers and integration of palliative care services in their region.

Education & training funding elibility

Funding is open to all primary care providers within disaster affected communities across the Healthy North Coast footprint.

Workforce Locum support and R&R funding criteria

  • Available to primary care services in disaster impacted communities within the Healthy North Coast footprint.
  • Available to support short-term workforce coverage, allowing clinicians to rest and recover.
  • Workforce-support funding in total is capped for each site, over a 12-month period:
    • $10k for GPs and/or
    • $5K for nursing and/or
    • $5k administration support and/or
    • $5K allied/pharmacy and other.
  • Funding is not to be used to fill gaps in staffing that have not been able to recruit to and not to replace existing staff.
  • Healthy North Coast will assess requirements and approve available funding directly with the service requesting support.
  • Priority will be given to sites that have immediate, short-term workforce support needs.
  • Requests will be reviewed and supported on a case-by-case basis.
  • Program funding administered via RCTI Agreement (Recipient Created Tax Invoice) to be paid monthly, or on completion of the placement (whichever comes first).
  • Practices will be required to complete a request for payment form monthly, or on completion of the placement (whichever occurs first).

Wellbeing Flexible Funding Criteria & Eligibility

  • Open to all primary care providers within disaster affected communities across the Healthy North Coast footprint.
  • Activity must be purposeful, with the aim of increasing the wellbeing of your team.
  • Requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, with funding allocated based on team size.*
  • Following approval by Healthy North Coast, funding will be administered via RCTI Agreement (Recipient Created Tax Invoice) upon providing proof of expenses.
  • Funding cannot be used for the purchase of alcohol, or any other goods or services where the vendor cannot quote their Australian Business Number.
  • Planned activities must occur prior to 30th June 2024.
  • Funding will not be available for retrospective activities.
*Team Size
(Total staff and contractors)
Funding Available
Small (1-5)$500-$1500
Medium (6-20)$1500-$4000
Large (>20)$4000-$5000