The Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) is running a project for people living on the Mid North Coast, based around integrating care for infants, children and young people with complex health needs.
The project, ‘Who are the people in your health neighbourhood?’, will involve the establishment of a ‘medical neighbourhood’. This will focus on the interface between health services including specialists, primary health, referral hospitals, and tertiary providers.
The expected primary outcome of this project is the establishment of an integrated model of care for children with complex health needs. The model will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery, reducing health system expenditure.
At a service provider level, expected outcomes include reduced system fragmentation and increased inter-sectoral collaboration between the health district, Healthy North Coast, Aboriginal community controlled health organisations (ACCHOs), education providers and non-government organisations.
Within the health system, staff should experience increased workplace satisfaction, improved knowledge and confidence in supporting families through system navigation, and increased multidisciplinary collaboration.
Children with complex health needs, their families and the communities in which they live and grow, are expected to develop improved health literacy and skills in health system navigation. It is hoped they will also develop strong, trusting relationships with general practitioners, reduced incidence of crisis episodes and subsequent use of acute care, and improved family wellbeing.
The model of care is being developed through co-design, with stakeholder and consumer input. It will form a two-pronged approach consisting of system-based changes and provision of direct care coordination.
To find out more about the project or to get involved, contact:
Zoe Chaffer
Project Lead – Clinical Nurse Consultant Paediatric Complex Care Coordinator
0437 656 620
[email protected]