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GICS is a linking and change agent driving quality improvement, innovation and research in Grampians cancer care service delivery
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Welcome to the GICS Newsletter - June Edition
Welcome to the June edition of the GICS newsletter. While the GICS Program Office has been careful in our broader communication to you during COVID, we are keen to return to business as usual, and share some of the work that has been happening in our sector.
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David Deutscher - GICS Clinical Director
It is with great sadness that David has made the decision to step down from his GICS role, from the 31st July.
David commenced with GICS in 2016, and has had a tremendous impact on enhancing clinician engagement across the Grampians Region, and has been incredibly effective at bringing together clinicians from the public and private sector to undertake service improvement activities. There is no doubt that David’s positive and inclusive approach has been pivotal in raising the profile and reputation of GICs.
David’s leadership has led to achievements in:
- Improved clinical stewardship in relation to MDMs.
- Driving timeliness to care for lung cancer patients, leading to the establishment of the rapid access lung clinic at BHS.
- Increased awareness of optimal care pathways for cancer care across the region.
- High levels of clinician involvement in OCP service improvement activities in CRC, Prostate, Pancreatic and OG cancers.
- The regional perspective being incorporated into State wide Tumour Summit activities.
- Local service improvement responses (introduction of standardised reporting for rectal MRI, pancreatic cancer resectability, implementation of triage guidelines for colonoscopy).
David has also been a strong advocate for patient involvement, and has ensured the consumer has had a seat at the table at all of our events and in service improvement activities.
The GICs team has enjoyed working alongside David, and we will miss his energy, and his ability to bring people together to achieve the collective goal of improving the cancer patient experience.
Farewell drinks are being organised for David at the end of July (in line with COVID limits), with more details to follow.
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Vicki Hillis - GICS Administration Officer
Vicki is the newest member of the GICS team who commenced mid June. Vicki has 3 years’ experience in Specialist Outpatient Clinics with Ballarat Health Services, and has 14 years’ experience in administration roles in local government. Vicki is looking forward to providing administration support to the GICS team, and can be your first port of call on 5320 4782 or vicki.hillis@bhs.org.au
Vicki has lived in the Ballarat region for over 25 years and is kept busy with two young children. In her spare time she loves gardening, tending to her bees and getting away on holiday with her family, in the caravan, at every opportunity she can.
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GICS Priority Areas June 2020 to June 2021 - Innovate, Collaborate and Facilitate
The 12 month GICS workplan was approved by the GICS Governance Group last month, and follows the strategic objectives of Victoria’s Cancer Plan for 2016-2020. GICS priorities are:
Innovate - creating new and different ways to deliver cancer services and support change that benefits the entire cancer community
- Improve timeliness to care by redesigning referral processes for people with a suspicion of cancer
- Investigate the use of Patient Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMS) in symptom tracking & management of patients
- Explore models of supportive care outside of hospital walls.
- Expand opportunities for the role of exercise: pre-, during and post treatment and to help people live well
- Investigate the use of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) in symptom tracking and management of patients
- Investigate models of care supporting equitable access for ATSI, older people & people living in rural communities.
- Investigate models of care appropriate for use in surgical oncology settings
Collaborate - working in partnership with government, the cancer sector and people affected by cancer to understand unmet needs and to drive evidence-based improvements.
- Investigate and support care navigation opportunities across the region
- Co-design resources to improve access to supportive care
- Implement the WeCan supportive care resources across the region
- Embed the MDM quality framework across the region
- Bring together stakeholders to work together on locally identified issues
Facilitate - accelerating opportunities to expand the quality and reach of cancer services to improve access to and equity of care
- Build capacity of the cancer care workforce through workforce development opportunities
- Undertake data analysis to identify inappropriate variations in care, and work with health care professionals and health services to identify service improvements
- Support capacity building in cancer care services to embed optimal care pathways, including supportive care.
A key component of the workplan is delivering a grants program to support service improvement initiatives across the region . The focus of the grants program is to address gaps in optimal care pathways and supportive care. We are aiming to launch the program in September.
If you have any project ideas, please talk to us.
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Health Pathways - OCP Regional Consultation Survey & Receive $50 Coles Digital Gift Card
Calling all Oncologists, Haematologists, Specialist Cancer nurses and Surgeons who perform cancer surgery.
The Victorian - Tasmanian Primary Health Networks Alliance (VTPHNA) have developed HealthPathways to support the adoption of OCPs into primary health.
HealthPathways are consulting key regional stakeholders on the Optimal Care Pathway (OCP) guidelines. This remunerated survey explores the enablers and barriers to OCP implementation across the whole patient journey, with a particular focus on the referral of suspected cancers into specialist services and access to support care services at the end of acute treatment.
We would greatly appreciate the assistance of Oncologists, Haematologists, Specialist Cancer Nurses and surgeons who perform cancer surgery. We would like to offer a $50 Coles Digital gift card as a token of our appreciation for participating. This survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete.
To request an invitation to the survey or for further details, please contact: healthpathways@westvicphn.com.au
Thank you for your time and feedback!
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41% Increase in Wimmera Supportive Care MDM discussions
A consistent effort to maintain the fortnightly Wimmera Supportive Care MDM during the pandemic has seen the number of patients discussed in 2019-20 rise by 41% from 2018-19 to 162.
The meeting, as with all others, transitioned to virtual at the start of the pandemic. Funding from the Victorian Cancer Survivorship Program provided the catalyst for the meeting’s implementation.
Region-wide discussion results in care recommendations and referrals. Congratulations to the Wimmera team. Expansion in membership is planned over the coming months.
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New Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse for the Wimmera
Those affected by prostate cancer in the Wimmera will now have direct access to a local Prostate Cancer Specialist Nurse (PCSN).
Wimmera Health Care Group (WHCG) has received funding from Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia for the appointment. The specialist nurse will join the Wimmera Cancer Care team including the cancer nurse practitioner, breast care nurse, cancer resource nurse, day oncology nurses and the palliative care nurse practitioner and nurse specialists. Recruitment will be underway shortly.
The PCSN will work with Gay Corbett, who is the existing Ballarat-based PCSN, to deliver optimal prostate cancer care.
The application was a multidisciplinary Grampians-wide effort with the Wimmera Prostate Cancer Support Group providing critical input.
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Job Opportunity
Stawell Regional Health, Manager Oncology & Community Services
Stawell Regional Health is inviting applications for an exciting new position to join our dynamic leadership team as Manager of Oncology and Community Services.
In this role you will be driving the Stawell Regional Health’s oncology strategy, playing a key part in growing the sub-acute and community-based oncology services to best meet local community needs.
Please access the Position Description here.
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Awareness Activities
Did you know July is ‘Dry July’?
Aussies are asked to go Dry this July to raise funds for people affected by cancer.
Funds raised through Dry July go towards cancer support organisations across Australia, to help improve patient comfort, care and wellbeing.
Having a month off alcohol also has great health benefits, such as sleeping better, having more energy and of course no hangovers!
So you're not only helping others, your helping yourself. It's a win-win! Click here for more information.
If you have an initiative you would like GICS to promote please contact Vicki Hillis – GICS Administration Officer.
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GICS sharing your news
If you have any forthcoming events or information you would like to share please forward to Joanne Gell at GICS.
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