Department of Health Loddon Mallee...

Department of Health

Welcome to the Autumn issue of the Department of Health Loddon Mallee Region Newsletter

From the Director….From the Director….From the Director….From the Director….

Inside this issue:

Victorian Public Healthcare Awards

2

Prevention news

Regional Management Forum

2-4

Aboriginal health news

Koolin Balit plan

SHDH raise the Aboriginal flag

National Close the Gap Day

5-6

Mental Health Bill 2014

PSRACS Aged Care Readiness Project

NSQHS Standards

6

Workforce news 7

Emergency Management

Meet Nerissa Fry

8

LMR staff positions and contact details

9

Newsletter Autumn 2014 Issue 07

Department of Health Loddon Mallee Region

Dear All

I trust this first edition for 2014 finds you well and truly immersed in the year, as we are here in the Department

of Health. Some exciting things have happened since our Spring 2013 edition. I am pleased to report that a

number of Loddon Mallee organisations featured in the Victorian Public Healthcare Awards held in November

last year. Congratulations to all who entered and received awards, especially Rochester and Elmore District

Health Services which was awarded rural health service of the year.

I would like to acknowledge a significant event which took place last month. The regional Koolin Balit plan was

approved by the Minister for Health. This means that a number of exciting projects, which will make a real

difference to the health and wellbeing of our Aboriginal communities over the longer term, can now

commence. Also, Congratulations to the Swan Hill District Health Board of Management for raising the

Aboriginal flag at the hospital. This symbolic gesture can only strengthen the relationship between the health

service and the Aboriginal community.

My thanks to everyone for their patience during the summer season, as we bombarded you with heatwave and

fire information. The level of preparedness within our sector is commendable. Many of our communities

suffered livestock and asset destruction from fires. We worked closely with our Human Services colleagues to

assist those who were affected.

I wish you all a Safe and Happy Easter and we thank you again for all your good work.

Ann-Maree Conners


Victorian Public Healthcare Awards November 2013

Loddon Mallee region scooped the pools in the

2013 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards held in

November 2013. Dr Ken Armstrong of Bendigo

Community Health Services was the winner of the

Secretary’s Award for improving patient outcomes

and patient experience. In the excellence in quality

healthcare category, the Florey Institute of

Neuroscience and Mental Health and Bendigo

Health’s Victorian Stroke Telemedicine Bendigo

Project was a silver award winner.

Kyabram and District Health Service also received

a sliver award for the end of life care project in the

excellence in service provision category.

Congratulations to CEO Matt Sharp and staff at

Rochester and Elmore District Health Services for

winning the rural health service of the year, a

fantastic and well deserved achievement.

STOP PRESS…

The last few months have seen a number of

comings and goings in our public health services at

the executive level. We said farewell to Robert

Bulmer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cohuna

District Hospital, who retired after over 40 years in

the public sector and welcome to new CEO Bill Hall.

We said farewell to Jennifer Gale, CEO Kyneton

District Health Service and welcome to new CEO

Maree Cuddihy. On Friday 28 March 2014 we

farewelled Matt Sharp, CEO Rochester and District

Health Services, who leaves to take up a new role

as Executive Director - Continuing Care,

Ambulatory, Mental Health and Statewide Services

at Eastern Health. Congratulations to Matt on this

exciting new appointment. We have recently

learned of the resignation of Directors of Nursing

Fiona Brew of Maryborough District Health Service

and Tracey Hynes of Kyneton District Health

Service. We wish you all success in the future and

thank our outgoing executives for their commitment

and hard work.

Prevention news

Regional Management Forum

The department worked with Regional Development

Victoria for several months to plan a 90 minute

session titled "Planning for Health and Wellbeing"

as part of the Loddon Mallee Region Management

Forum (RMF). This meeting was held on 21 March

2014. The Regional Director of Health, Ann-Maree

Conners hosted the session, which explored the

importance of health and wellbeing in our

communities and the role of state government

departments and local governments in influencing

population health and wellbeing, and how to apply a

health lens to organisational strategy and planning.

Key presentations provided information on Healthy

Together Victoria's complex systems thinking

approach and how our health and wellbeing is

shaped by determinants often outside the core

function of the health system. The session also

included a workshop, in which all members were

invited to participate.

Jason Russell, CEO, Shire of Gannawarra, shared

their approach to creating a healthy workplace and

healthy communities. They have incorporated

health and wellbeing priorities into their current

Council plan and engaged the community in

developing a suite of resources to demonstrate their

commitment to promoting healthy communities. De

Gilby, Department of Health (DH) and Sharon

Ruyg, from Healthy Together Grampians Goldfields

provided information on the Healthy Together

Victoria’s (HTV) Achievement Program for

Workplaces.

The session has been deemed a great success and

members committed to reporting back at future

meetings of the RMF on actions taken in response

to the session.

So far we have heard that Department of Premier

and Cabinet (DPC) have requested DH to build

HTV into DPC's place-based government

Secretaries project (Secretary of DPC); the Premier

has written to the Minister for Health, signing DPC

up to the HTV Achievement Program and

Department of Justice have approached DH

wanting to join up their Communities that Care

initiative with HTV.


Increasing Awareness and Early Detection of Bowel Cancer Project & GP Engagement Project

The department has funded Bendigo Community

Health Service (BCHS) to lead the project, and

Networking Health Victoria (working in partnership

with the Loddon Mallee Murray Medicare Local

(LMMML)) to implement the GP Engagement

Project in the City of Greater Bendigo and Shire of

Loddon. The projects are working in partnership to

increase knowledge and awareness of bowel

cancer risk, and to encourage greater uptake of

FOBT screening. BCHS has established

relationships with a wide range of health services,

organisations and community groups.

A particular focus is with those who represent

under-screened population groups including men,

low SES, CALD and Aboriginal. Health education

sessions with health professionals and community

groups are delivered by the project. The project is

currently developing a comprehensive social

marketing campaign for greater population reach for

implementation by June 2014.

LMMML has engaged 15 general practice clinics to

participate in the GP Engagement Project to build

improved systems to routinely engage patients in a

discussion regarding bowel cancer risk and to

increase FOBT screening. Evaluations of both

projects will be conducted by La Trobe University.

The project is due to be complete in October 2014.

For further information please contact De Gilby,

Manager, Public Health, on phone 5434 5608 or

email [email protected]

Supporting Patients to be Smokefree Project

Bendigo Health and Kyabram District Health

Services have been appointed by the department

as pilot organisations for the Supporting Patients to

be Smokefree project. Seven health services from

across the state will be the first in Victoria to test an

ABCD approach to systematically supporting

smoking cessation through identifying smoking

status (asking), providing advice and support (brief

intervention) and recording the action taken at the

point of health service discharge (communication at

discharge).

Did you know?

Bowel cancer is second only to lung cancer as the

most common cancer affecting Victorian men and

women.

The risk of being diagnosed by the age of 85 is 1 in

10 for males and 1 in 15 for females. Bowel cancer

accounts for 10% of all deaths from invasive

cancers in Australia. There is strong evidence that

when bowel cancer is detected early over 90% of

cancers can be treated successfully.

Bowel cancer is a cancer that affects the colon and

rectum (large bowel). Bowel cancer occurs slowly

over time in stages. Bowel cancer can occur without

visible symptoms; however symptoms can include

bleeding from the rectum, a persistent change in

bowel habits, abdominal pain and unexplained

weight loss, tiredness and anaemia.

While bowel cancer can occur at any age, the risk is

greater aged 50 and over. Other risk factors include

a personal or strong family history of bowel cancer,

being overweight or obese, smoking, and eating a

diet high in red or processed meats.

Protective factors that can reduce bowel cancer risk

include eating a healthy diet; not smoking;

exercising regularly; limiting alcohol intake;

maintaining a healthy weight and participating in

bowel cancer screening.

The National Health and Medical Research Council

(NHMRC) clinical practice guidelines for the

prevention, early detection and management of

colorectal cancer recommends screening for the

Australian population aged 50 years and over with

a faecal occult blood test (FOBT) at least every two

years. A FOBT looks for tiny amounts of blood in

the bowel motion which may be sign of a polyp or

early bowel cancer. If the FOBT result is positive a

colonoscopy is required to determine cause.


Victorian Network of Smokefree Health Services (VNSHS)

The aim of the VNSHS is to increase the capacity of

Victorian healthcare services to adopt smokefree

policies and address the health impacts of smoking.

By providing opportunities for networking and

information sharing, the network enhances the

support available to healthcare services.

Membership is open to all Victorian healthcare

services including private and public services.

Bendigo Health and Heathcote Health are

registered members. More information on the

network can be found at:

http://smokefreevictoria.com.au/html/s01_home/ho

me.asp

A health and wellbeing initiative for workplaces and workforces

The Achievement Program, a Healthy Together

Victoria initiative, is available to all organisations in

Victoria to support the development of healthy

workplaces and workforces. Given that nearly three

million Victorians are in full or part time work and

spend almost one-third of their total daily hours at

work, workplaces are an important setting for health

and wellbeing initiatives. The Achievement Program

provides an evidence-based framework and

resources for creating a healthy work environment

and culture to help improve and sustain health and

wellbeing in the workplace. For more information on

the Achievement Program please visit website:

www.health.vic.gov.au/prevention/achievementprog

ram or contact Clare Thurman, Regional Health

Promotion Advisor on phone 5434 5611 or email

[email protected]

Workplace health promotion in action

The Population Health, Service and Workforce

Planning team in Bendigo have been busy

promoting exercise in the office. At our 'On Your

Feet day' in February, a fund-raiser for the Baker

Institute - 15 staff joined in a challenge to climb the

Eureka tower! We managed to collectively climb

237 flights of stairs - the equivalent of climbing the

Eureka Tower 2.7 times!!

Participants also ensured they moved more and sat

less whenever possible; walking to colleagues

desks instead of emailing; standing to take phone

calls; walking or standing meetings and of course

using the stairs instead of the lift.

What the research says…

For over ten years Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes

Institute's (Baker IDI) Physical Activity laboratory

has been researching the effect of sedentary

behaviour on health. Studies, both from Baker IDI

and around the world, have consistently shown the

following health effects are associated with

excessive sitting:

• greater risk of premature death;

• greater risk of early death due to a

cardiovascular event;

• association with known risk factors of chronic

disease:

Fast facts…

• The average adult sits for eight to ten hours per day.

• Sitting uninterrupted for prolonged periods of time is a risk factor for poor health.

• Good health requires more than just getting 30 minutes of exercise a day; regular moderate-intensity physical activity is not a solution to being sedentary for the rest of your waking hours.

http://www.onyourfeet.org.au/event/OnYourFeetAustralia2014/TheResearch


Aboriginal health news

Koolin Balit

The Koolin Balit Action Plan for the Loddon Mallee

Region (LMR) developed by the Loddon Mallee

Aboriginal Reference Group (LMARG) was

approved by the Minister for Health on 5 March

2014.

LMARG is the peak representative group for the

Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations in

LMR and consists of Mallee District Aboriginal

Service with sites in Mildura and Swan Hill, Njernda

Aboriginal Corporation in Echuca, Murray Valley

Aboriginal Corporation in Robinvale and the

Bendigo and District Aboriginal Corporation in

Bendigo.

The Koolin Balit plan outlines 7 priorities for

investment including early years, healthy

communities, mental health, oral health, chronic

disease, aged care and family healing.

Project plans detailing activities for the first two

years are being developed so that the work can

commence soon.

For further information please contact Kate Glenie,

Manager, Aboriginal Health on phone 5434 5909 04


Swan Hill District Health raise the Aboriginal Flag

The Aboriginal flag was raised for the first time at

the front of Swan Hill District Health on National

Close the Gap Day on Thursday 20th March 2014.

The national day highlights the commitment made

to closing the gap between the life expectancy of

Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Currently, Indigenous Australians live between 10

and 17 years less than non-Indigenous Australians.

The flag was raised by three generations of the

Stewart family, who were associated with the

hospital in its early days. Mathew Stewart was

quoted in the Guardian as saying “It is a historic

moment in the hospital's history and is symbolic of

their relationship with the community". "It will show

that the hospital has a connection to the

community."

In a speech at the ceremony, Swan Hill District

Health Board of Directors president Don Logan said

the hospital was involved in offering services to help

close the gap in life expectancy between

Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

Aunty Deb Chaplin with Ted Rayment, CEO Swan Hill District Health at the flag raising ceremony

Swan Hill District Health’s Aboriginal Hospital

Liaison Officer Debra Chaplin said it had been a

proud moment to see the flag raised at the hospital.

"The hospital will be a more inviting place [to Aboriginal people], because it represents welcoming," she said. "When people see the flag they will see we are a culturally sensitive hospital.

National Close the Gap Day

On the 20th March 2014, Bendigo and District

Aboriginal Cooperative (BDAC) hosted a morning

tea on National Closing the Gap Day. Sharing this

event were partner agencies Centre Against Sexual

Assault, Department of Health, Amicus, Office of

Aboriginal Affairs, Primary Care Partnerships and

BDAC’s Board of Directors, staff and community

members.

The April edition of Koori Grapevine reported the

event, noting, “BDAC need to see the government

engaging and consulting with Aboriginal


communities and organisations, and to recommit

additional funding and invest in real partnerships”.

BDAC’s Shane McLennan, Aunty Lyn Warren and Raylene Harradine

National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards

The NSQHS Standards are focused on the process

of care: what happens and how things are done

every day at point of care.

The Department of Health is the regulator in the

process. There are many tools and resources

available to assist health services:

• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in

Health Care http://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/

• Public Health Accreditation in Victoria

http://www.health.vic.gov.au/accreditation/

• ACSQ Advice Centre / Help Line:

• Email: [email protected]

• Phone: 1800 304 056

Networking between health services is also proving

to be a great way of supporting preparation. In the

Loddon Mallee Region the quality managers

participate in a support network, which provides an

avenue for support and sharing of resources.

A private blog has also been developed by the

quality network, to share ideas and as a repository

for information. For further information please

contact Lynda Treloar, Manager Acute Care on ph.

5434 5609 or email [email protected]

Mental Health Bill 2014

On 18 February 2014, the Victorian Government

introduced the Mental Health Bill 2014 (the Bill) into

Parliament.

A new Mental Health Act for Victoria is a key

element to the government’s mental health reform

agenda, and places people living with mental illness

and families at the centre of mental health

treatment and care.

The Bill has been drafted following extensive policy

consultations with the community. The Bill makes

significant changes to compulsory assessment and

treatment of people living with mental illness. It will

ensure that people living with mental illness are

supported to make or participate in decisions about

their treatment and care and will recognise the

important role of families and carers in supporting

their recovery.

While the Bill is in Parliament, the government will

continue to talk with the community about the

reforms. To help with this, The Mental Health Bill

2014 – An explanatory guide has been released

and can be accessed on the following web link:

http://www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealth/mhactref

orm

For further information please visit the above

website or contact the enquiry line on

1300 656 692 or [email protected]

or the Regional Manager, Mental Health, Melissa

Knight, on phone 54345508 or email

[email protected]

PSRACS Aged Care Readiness Project

The Aged Care readiness project has been

implemented to support public sector residential

aged care providers to prepare for the

Commonwealth's aged care regulatory changes.

The project has been contracted to Victorian

Healthcare Association (VHA) and commenced in

September 2013. Deliverables for the project

include:

• a financial management tool


• an organisational readiness tool

• delivery of e-bulletins

• professional development forums including a

health executive and board forum

Events to date

• Initial briefing forums have taken place

• A second round of forums focusing on the

financial management tool took place in the

Region in February, facilitated by VHA's Michael

Rhook

• A range of tools have been released

Upcoming events

• An executive forum will take place on 8 May

2014 at the Melbourne Convention Centre

• The third round of forums will take place in

Loddon Mallee Region on 17 June 2014

For further information please contact Manager,

Aged Care, Patricia Deering on phone 54345531 or


Workforce news

LMR ICT in Allied Health Service Delivery

The Loddon Mallee Region (LMR) Information

Communication Technologies (ICT) in Allied Health

Service Delivery project is an initiative of the

Loddon Mallee Allied Health Network (LMAHN)

Reference Group. The aim of the project is to

explore the extent of ICT use in the delivery of allied

health services within the Loddon Mallee region,

with a particular focus on clinician’s:

• experience of ICT in health service delivery;

• attitudes towards ICT and, more broadly, use of

technology for work and also personal use; and

• barriers and enablers to use of ICT to support

allied health clinicians in their clinical work and

professional learning

The project is being conducted by researchers at La

Trobe Rural Health School. A survey of allied

health clinicians across the region has been

undertaken to inform the research project, which is

investigating the barriers and enablers experienced

by allied health clinicians in using technology to

support work and professional learning.

Study findings will contribute information about rural

Victorian Allied Health practitioners utilising modern

technology to improve their quality of service

provision.

For further information please contact Nerissa Fry,

Senior Project Officer, Allied Health Workforce

Development and Planning on phone 5434 5698 or


Clinical Training Network

Loddon Mallee (LM) stakeholder representatives

have been duly elected for each sector onto the

2014 CTN Committee (see table). Elections were

held in December 2013 and were open for

stakeholders from each sector to vote their

representative onto the committee.

For further information please contact: Glen

Wallace, Coordinator Loddon Mallee Clinical

Training Network, on phone. 54548402 or email

[email protected]

2014 Loddon Mallee CTN Committee

ACCHO/Aboriginal Health/Indigenous Health

Shane McLennan

Aged Care Susan Fantig

Community Health Linda Henderson

Department of Health (regional office)

Ann-Maree Conners

Higher Education Lesley McKarney

Higher Education Geoff Solarsh

Mental Health Ivane St Claire

Public Health

(large regional)

Peter Faulkner

(Chair)

Public Health

(large regional)

Robyn Lindsay

(Deputy Chair)

Public Health

(local area)

Fiona Brew

Public Health

(local area)

John Carey

Public Health

(regional - Mildura)

Simone Heald

Vocational Educational Training (VET)

John Giudice


Emergency Management

VicEmergency

The VicEmergency website is the primary site for

fire and flood warnings and shows emergency

incidents in Victoria on a real-time Google Map

display. The site includes bushfire and grassfire

incidents, as well as other emergencies such as

storms, power outages and traffic incidents. Visitors

can also access planning and recovery information

on fire and flood. A single all-emergencies website

supports the Victorian Government's all hazards, all

agencies approach to emergency management.

The FireReady app provides access to official

warnings, information on planned burns and other

types of incidents across Victoria attended by

Country Fire Authority (CFA), the Department of

Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) and the

Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB)

• The VicEmergency website has a real-time

Google Map display with emergency events

including fires, floods, storms, power outages,

hazardous material incidents and traffic

incidents

• It also includes important planning and recovery

information on fire and flood

• More information about VicEmergency is

available on the ‘About this site’ tab on the

website www.emergency.vic.gov.au

Heat health alert system

Over the Summer Season Loddon Mallee Region

experienced heat health alerts on 14 days. All of

our weather districts experienced 5 or more heat

health alert warnings. Overall health and community

services were well prepared for extreme heat

events. Under the Department of Health Emergency

Preparedness Clients and Services Policy, many

agencies reported cessation of programs, such as

Planned Activity Groups on the days of extreme

heat. Impacts reported by health services ranged

from no increases in Emergency Department

presentations and admissions to a small increase in

numbers of presentations and admissions in

relation to the heat wave.

Meet Nerissa Fry- Senior Project Officer

My professional background

After VCE I studied Education for 2 years, before realising that ‘loving children’ and ‘loving to teach a group of children’ is not the same thing. I then studied Desktop Publishing/Office Administration before completing a Bachelor of Public Health.

My role at the Department of Health

I am responsible for the Regional Allied Health Workforce Development and Planning Program, which aims to enhance allied health recruitment and retention activities in non-metropolitan Victoria.

How long have you worked for the Department of Health?

I commenced my employment at the then Bendigo and Region Psychiatric Services (BARPS), just over 20 years ago and have worked in many other program areas

What do you like about your job?

I value the relationships I have developed within the Department and in the health sector. I appreciate the diversity within my role, from organising conferences to representing the region on statewide groups to policy development.

What do you find most challenging about your job?

The need to promote the benefits of living and working in a rural or regional area to practitioners in metropolitan centres - to me the benefits are obvious!

What do you enjoy about living and working in the Loddon Mallee Region?

Clearly we have the best people, weather and landscape – the only thing we are missing is a beach!

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

One of my favourite activities is going on family holidays to the beach. I also like to host dinner parties, play family board games, socialise with girlfriends, go to the movies and dance to 80’s music!


Loddon Mallee Region staff positions & contact details

Name Position Ph Number

Ann-Maree Conners Director, Health and Aged Care 5434 5583

Tammy Hancock Executive Assistant to the Director 5434 5576

Annette Toohey Manager, Social & Environmental Health 5434 5590

Max Murphy Regional Environmental Health Officer 5434 5538

Melissa Knight Manager, Mental Health 5434 5508

Jenny Collins Primary Health PASA 5434 5507

Kate Glenie Manager, Aboriginal Health 5434 5909

Jane Tydd Primary Health, Mental Health AoD PASA 5434 5619

Andrew Kallaur Manager, Health & Aged Care 5434 5690

Patricia Deering Manager, Aged Care 5434 5531

Faye Ennor-Severs HACC PASA 5434 5597

Pam Oakley Aged Care and Palliative Care PASA 5434 5588

Maggie Fernie HACC PASA 5434 5632

Liz Foster HACC – ASM Industry Consultant 5434 5591

Leanne Fary Aboriginal Services Advisor 5434 5539

Jason Stevens Manager – Finance, Performance &

Governance

5434 5595

Kevin Bowe SRS Authorised Officer / Finance, Performance

and Governance PASA

5434 5639

Liz Cleary Finance and Governance PASA 5434 5589

Lynda Treloar Manager, Acute Care 5434 5609

Liz Brooks Manager, Population Health, Service and

Workforce Planning

5434 5545

De Gilby Manager, Public Health 5434 5608

Clare Thurman Regional Health Promotion Advisor 5434 5611

Nerissa Fry Senior Project Officer, Allied Health. Workforce

Development & Planning

5434 5696

Authorised by the Victorian Government, Melbourne. To receive this publication in an accessible format phone

Department of Health, Loddon Mallee Region 5434 5576

Department of Health Loddon Mallee...

Documents

Transcript of Department of Health Loddon Mallee...