Eastern Melbourne PHN (EMPHN) are running a Quality Improvement Program to help general practices better manage diabetes.
The Diabetes Management Quality Improvement Program aims to build on participants’ knowledge of diabetes management and encourages them to implement improvements in their practices through Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycles.
“Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic condition in Australia and GPs are a vital part in changing this,” said EMPHN CEO Robin Whyte.
“We recognise that GPs, often the centre of care for patients, are best positioned to help manage diabetes,” she said.
The program started in January and will run for six months with 15 practices from the EMPHN catchment participating in the program.
This program will enable general practices to benefit from collaboration with their peers, and provide an opportunity for EMPHN to recognise and develop local champions.
The collaboration of participants through attendance at the program workshops provides an environment to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences.
EOIs Sought To Participate In General Practice Business Benchmarking Project
Eastern Melbourne PHN (EMPHN), in collaboration with Medical Business Network, is offering an opportunity for practices to participate in a business benchmarking project.
Excellence in care and improved patient outcomes is dependent on a practices’ capacity to remain viable whilst responding to the changing landscape of practice management.
Changes in the health sector have seen practices under increasing pressure to “do more with less”.
Having an understanding of their financial situation will assist business owners and managers to make informed decisions vital to managing change, growth and sustainability in their practice.
Participating practices will have the opportunity to work with expert business consultants on a range of activities aimed at increasing your understanding of the factors affecting their business.
EMPHN is also offering a two-hour workshop, How is my practice performing?, an introduction to business benchmarking which will assist managers in identifying key information vital to understanding and monitoring practice performance.
Due to issues with the technical build, the national register will be unavailable in time to support the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program and the renewed National Cervical Screening Program.
While the extent of the delay is unknown, it is anticipated that the national register will be ready by the fourth quarter of 2017.
A series of workshops with jurisdictions and the pathology sector will be held very shortly to discuss the national register, jurisdictions' contingency plans and to assess the impact of the delay.
Cancer Council Victoria will work with health services to ensure that we continue to deliver a quality, safe screening program for Victorian women.
Victorian women will continue to have access to Pap tests until HPV testing is introduced.
Women aged 18-69 should continue to have a Pap test every two years, when they fall due.
Immunisation Resources To Support Children Living In Out Of Home Care
Children in care may have missed routine vaccines, or missed additional recommended vaccines because of their health status. Resources have been developed to provide immunisation-related information for carers, providers and child care practitioners of children living in out-of-home care.
Important points referred to within these documents include:
Children living in out-of-home care are often behind with their immunisations.
Carers can give a general practitioner (GP) permission to give vaccines to a child in their care, if an authorisation instrument has been provided by Child Protection.
To enrol in childcare, a child must have an immunisation status certificate showing which immunisations they have received.
Centrelink family payments may stop if a child is not up to date with vaccinations.
Talk about immunisation at the child’s health check with a GP.
For further information or feedback regarding these resources, please contact the Immunisation Section at immunisation@dhhs.vic.gov.au
Health Alert: Mycobacterium Chimaera
In the coming month, hospitals throughout Victoria will be writing to patients regarding a potential exposure to a bacterium called Mycobacterium chimaera (M. chimaera) from heater-cooler units used during cardiac bypass procedures. The risk of acquiring M. chimaera is very low. Approximately 100 patients have been diagnosed with this infection worldwide and only three in Australia. No cases have been reported from Victoria. St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne is providing patients with a number to call for further information but they may possibly want to discuss this issue with you as their general practitioner.
For further information please visit the St Vincent’s Hospital website and click on the “news” tab or call the advice line if you require patient-specific advice on
The Area 4 Pharmacotherapy Network is now offering Scholarships for Nurse Practitioner Candidates working in the AOD sector and in the southern and eastern Melbourne metropolitan region.
Stonington, Port Phillip, Glen Eira, Bayside, Kingston, Greater Dandenong, Cardinia, Casey, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula.
For more information, please see the scholarship flyer.
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