KERANG DIS

TRIC

T HEALT

H

STRAT

EGIC P

LAN 2

012 -

2015

Vision: To improve the health and wellbeing of the community.

Mission: Kerang District Health will provide appropriate, coordinated and effective patient focused services and care, by skilled staff with and for the community.

Values: Respect — We will treat people as we would expect to be treated.

Caring — We will provide person centered care with empathy and compassion.

Collaboration — We will work as a team to share knowledge for continuous improvement, learning and innovation.

Commitment & Accountability — We will work hard, be loyal and responsible for our actions.

Professionalism — Our people will model the Public Sector Values of Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights.

Equity — We will provide all members of the community with equal access to our services.

Capital Planning Objectives:Complete the $36.3m capital redevelopment of Kerang District Health which includes the construction of new buildings for Community & Allied Health, Glenarm Nursing Home, Hotel Services, a new Ambulance Centre and the complete refurbishment of the main hospital building.

Complete the refurbishment of the property at 98 Nolan Street to be known as Hargrave House and used for staff and student accommodation. Consider extensions to the WD Thomas Day Centre to create a community rehabilitation area.

Community & Allied Health Service Objectives:Develop, appoint and support a part-time aboriginal health liaison worker.

Seek additional funding to further develop allied health and healthy lifestyle programs.

Primary Health Service Objectives:Work with the Southern Mallee Primary Care Partnership in developing partnerships with other health service providers and promoting primary health services in the Gannawarra Shire. 

Acute Service Objectives:Continue to support the provision of a shared maternity service. Hold discussions with Bendigo Radiology to determine the possible installation of a CT Scanner at KDH.

Medical Practices Objectives:Consider the amalgamation of the Kerang Medical Clinic and the Kerang District Health Medical Practice.

Recruit and retain sufficient procedural General Practitioners so that Kerang District Health can ensure the ongoing provision of maternity, surgical and anaesthetic services.

Partnerships Objective:Continue to hold formal meetings with Cohuna District Hospital, Northern District Community Health Service, the Gannawarra Shire Council and Southern Mallee Primary Care Partnership to progress any identified health issues within the Gannawarra Shire Council area.

Information Technology Objectives:Introduce IPADS for use by Board Members, Executive Officers and Department Heads at KDH.  Develop a website for KDH for use by staff and the community.

Promote the use of video conferencing equipment in client care by nursing staff and medical officers.

Quality Improvement/Risk Management Objectives:Kerang District Health Quality Improvement Framework comprises of four key elements;

Partnering with Consumers - To create a health service that is responsive to patient, carer and consumer input by the development of a framework for active partnership with consumers.

Clinical Effectiveness and Appropriateness - To maintain the Quality Governance Framework - improve the safety and quality of care provided, and ensure that care and service delivery is in line with NSQHS, Aged Care Standards , Community Common Care Standards, OH&S legislation, Food Safety Legislation and Infection Control Legislation.

Risk Management - To ensure an integrated system of governance to actively manage clinical and non-clinical risks, by fostering an organisational culture that supports a focus on clinical safety and improvement in identifying and managing risks.

An Effective Workforce - To ensure that the clinical workforce have the right qualifications , skills and approach to provide safe, high quality health care. 

Financial Management Objective: Ensure Kerang District Health remains financially viable through sound financial management and monitoring.

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE  

The township of Kerang in the Shire of Gannawarra is at the junction of the Loddon and Murray Valley Highways, 130 kilometers north of Bendigo, 95 kilometers northwest of Echuca and 65 kilometers southeast of Swan Hill. The Shire covers an area of 3,470 square kilometers and has a population of 10,366. Other major towns within the Gannawarra Shire are Cohuna (population 2,313); Koondrook (population 1094); Leitchville (population 619); and Quambatook (population 361). The remaining population is dispersed across the rural areas of the Shire. The main industries within the Shire are agriculture, wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing and community services.Kerang is seen as the main service centre for the Shire with retail trade, public administration, finance and community services being 65.5% of industry. There are two public hospitals within the Shire, Kerang District Health and Cohuna District Hospital. Both these health services have Commonwealth funded nursing homes attached. The Cohuna Retirement Village and Northaven in Kerang both provide residential aged care accommodation.

Northern District Community Health Service located in Fitzroy Street, Kerang provides a wide range of primary health and community health services to the Shire of Gannawarra. Although there are public hospitals in Boort and Barham, neither of these hospital’s provide obstetric and surgicalservices to their local communities. Given this situation, the majority of patients from these two communities requiring obstetric and surgical services either travel to Kerang or Cohuna to access these services.