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Message from the CEO

So far the government’s response to bolstering health workforce capacity to meet the anticipated demand driven by the COVID-19 pandemic has been limited to the medical and nursing workforces.  This week SARRAH has been corresponding with Minister Hunt, Minister Coulton and our colleagues in the Department of Health to remind them of the as-yet untapped reserves represented in the allied health workforce.

There are around 250,000 tertiary qualified allied health professionals in Australia and our current circumstances mean we should consider drawing on this workforce and their capacity, especially where doing so alleviates pressures on emergency health service staff and does not substantially redirect capacity from other existing, high priority community health service need.

Allied health professionals are best placed to:
  1. Complement existing capacity and alleviate demand for non-essential health care while GPs and nurses are called to the front line. There is significant evidence to demonstrate allied health professional capabilities and effectiveness in taking on high-level triage, assessment and treatment options, enabling doctors to focus on the critically ill. For example:
    • Podiatrists have credentialed prescribing rights, have minor surgical skills, and able to administer local anaesthetics. They could be recruited to the front line
    • Physiotherapists are credentialed to provide cardiorespiratory assessment and treatment. They should be supported to undertake these services in primary health settings.
  2. Establish a health workforce “reserves corps” by co-opting staff from the private sector and/or diverting recent graduates to work in their local hospitals in areas requiring surge capacity to help meet the immediate need, help prepare a workforce for possible future events, enhance their clinical skills and capacity, and reduce pressure on other continuing health service capacity. This might be seen as a viable solution for those private practices that are facing a significant downturn in business under current contingencies to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. 
  3. Assist transitioning people out of hospital when hospitals become overwhelmed with COVID-19 clients by diverting post-acute care to private and non-government allied health services. This will alleviate pressure on acute care settings and enable more targeted use of health system assets/capacity while managing risks.
  4. Manage vulnerable clients in primary healthcare settings. They should have access to telehealth platforms to continue vital rehabilitation work with vulnerable clients during this crisis to avert downstream problems post COVID-19While COVID-19 presents an immediate and apparent medium-term priority for the health system, we must retain a measured focus and capacity to deal with other health needs, including prevention and rehabilitative services, to avoid exacerbating the overall demand on the health system and extend the period in which the system has to sustain its surge capacity. This is one measure to enable service continuity. It should be noted that DVA, Medicare, private health insurers and workers compensation insurers do not fund tele-rehabilitation.
  5. Manage the downstream impact of COVID-19. SARRAH’s economic evaluation paints a clear picture of the impact of NOT providing services to particular populations (e.g. osteoarthritis, diabetes, musculoskeletal pain). As the current situation unfolds we may see a backlog of these problems and more acute presentations of these issues once the crisis has resolved. 
    • Physiotherapists can deliver respiratory care advice via telehealth
    • Occupational Therapists and physiotherapists can provide mobility advice by telehealth for those in aged care or other vulnerable communities 
    • Podiatrists can deliver diabetes / high risk foot advice to high risk clients in the community
Allied health professionals are a critical part of the health workforce and the contingencies that have been put in place to bolster the medical and nursing workforces should also be applied to the allied health workforce. Further, the essential role allied health professionals already play in the management of vulnerable populations should be considered to ensure that potential downstream impacts are averted. This includes ensuring continuity of the allied health workforce supply chain (that is, ensuring that student allied health professionals are allowed to graduate in a timely manner) to enable post-acute, sub-acute, chronic and aged care services to continue to function during and after the pandemic response.

These measures draw on the existing capability of Australia’s highly skilled and qualified health workforce. They are innovative, but would in the main be an extension of existing practice and skills utilisation. As such they carry relevant minor risks to either the public or the health workforce involved in meeting the challenges we are facing.

Stay well, everyone.
Cath

Webinar recording of "Experiences and Outcomes of Rural Generalist Trainees in QLD, NSW and TAS" now available!

On Thursday 19 March a group of Allied Health Rural Generalist trainees presented summaries of their service development projects. You can catch the recording here

New COVID-19 Telehealth MBS items

On 11 March 2020, the Prime Minister, the Hon. Scott Morrison MP, announced a $2.4 Billion health plan to fight COVID-19 to protect all Australians, including vulnerable groups such as the elderly, those with chronic conditions and Indigenous communities, from the coronavirus (COVID-19).
You can find further information about the new MBS items for mental health workers on the MBS online webpage.

Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) Two Free Webinars

DVA is presenting two free webinars for service providers, which highlight DVA services available to older veterans. Both webinars will be held Wednesday 25 March 2020: 11:00am — Introduction to DVA Services and 2:00pm — Coordinated Veterans’ Care Program. Veterans and their families often turn to trusted health professionals and other service providers for information and support. DVA and the Older Persons Advocacy Network are hosting the first of eight free interactive educational webinars to inform health professionals, community workers, and veterans and their families about the services that are available to older veterans. More information can be found here.

Current Job Vacancies
Physiotherapist – Katherine Physio - Katherine
Rural Workforce Agency Northern Territory (RWA NT) are partnering with Katherine Physio to find a Physiotherapist to join their passionate Katherine based team. Katherine Physio is a community based practice who work hard to educate their patients on their condition and empower them with the tools to assist self-management. For more information visit our website.
Other News

The 2020 Close the Gap Campaign report, again written by the Lowitja Institute and released today, sets out a blueprint for change, presenting 14 recommendations for Australian governments that must be urgently implemented to avoid further preventable deaths and protect Indigenous health, wellbeing, culture and Country. The Close the Gap Campaign has warned that only systemic reform will make up for the harrowing failure of the last 12 years of government policy on closing the gaps in health equity, social and economic disadvantage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Neuroprotective Development Care Masterclasses


Possums Education

Due to the current uncertainty surrounding the Covid 19 outbreak, the Alice Springs Masterclass in Neuroprotective Developmental Care has been changed from F2F to online.
Masterclasses using Zoom will offer you the same educational value as F2F Masterclasses.

Learn about:

  • the latest understandings of infant suck swallow and breath coordination in breastfeeding, drawing on new work about the floor of mouth fascia and oral frenula;
  • the new gestalt approach to breastfeeding, derived from ultrasound studies;
  • effective strategies for decreasing cry-fuss behaviours, including at the breast;
  • simple but effective strategies for supporting parental mental health;
  • a sleep approach that takes the work out of sleep

 
Presenters:
Assoc Prof (Adj) Pamela Douglas, GP-Lactation Consultant, Researcher, Medical Director of Possums Education;
Ms Renee Keogh, RN-Lactation Consultant, NDC Accredited Practitioner
Ms Narelle Dickinson, Clinical Psychologist
 
Video presenters:
 
Dr Nikki Mills, ENT specialist and anatomist, Starship Childrens Hospital, New Zealand
Dr Sharon Perrella, Human Lactation Research Group, University of Western Australia

Cost: $500 doctors, $450 other health professionals
Pre-requisites: Certification Workshops 1 and 2 online. $50 each if you register for Masterclasses.  https://education.possumsonline.com/certification
 
CPD points
These interactive Masterclasses include demonstrations with volunteer families and rich
opportunities for practice. ACM 12 CPD points, IBCLE 12 L-CERPS, and the applications for the new
triennium CPD points for RACGP and ACRRM are pending (previously 2 x ALMs).
 
For more information and registration,
https://education.possumsonline.com/masterclasses

COVID-19 Information for Allied Health Professionals
The Department of Health has released a 30-minute online training
module covering the fundamentals of infection prevention and
control for COVID-19 and is intended for health care workers in
all settings. It also includes COVID-19 - What is it?, signs and symptoms, keeping safe - protecting yourself and others and mythbusting.

For up-to-date developments relating to COVID-19 visit:

https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert

and

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Healthdirect Australia is working with the Australian Government Department of Health to provide information about COVID-19 to the public. They are sharing messaging and resources to help you provide evidence-based trusted information about COVID-19 to your community. These resources will be updated continually throughout this pandemic.

Healthdirect Australia has worked with the Department of Health to establish the Coronavirus Health Information Line (1800 020 080) to provide non-clinical information about COVID-19. Our healthdirect helpline (1800 022 222) is triaging people calling with symptoms. Both lines are receiving unprecedented call volumes, resulting in extended wait times for some callers. As part of the Australian Government’s health plan announced yesterday, we are expanding these helplines to be able to provide timely advice and support to everyone who needs it.

As an alternative to the helplines, answers to many questions are available on the healthdirect website coronavirus hub. Please direct your community to this hub as their first point of reference for reliable information about COVID-19. The healthdirect Symptom Checker provides self-guided triage to find out what to do next. A series of social media assets and videos are also available to download and use in your campaigns.

Resources to use and share:

This fact sheet relates to a temporary six-month measure for  Bulk Billed MBS Telehealth Services for doctors, nurses and mental health professionals to deliver services via telehealth, provided those services are bulk billed. The new MBS items will allow people to access essential health services in their home while they undergo self-isolation or quarantine, and reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 for vulnerable people in the community.

The DOH has also released a fact sheet providing guidance on the distribution of PPE such as Tranche 1, Surgical masks and P2/N95 respirators in PHNs.

We are sharing this important information with all of our Information Partners - feel free to share both within your community and externally to help people easily find reliable information about COVID-19.

Additional resources

Australian Health Sector Emergency Response Plan for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Australian Government Department of Health
Coronavirus (COVID-19) daily health alerts  – Australian Government Department of Health  
COVID-19 National Health Plan – Primary Care – Bulk Billed MBS Telehealth Services – Australian Government Department of Health

SARRAH Webinars 2020
SARRAH is excited to announce a series of engaging webinars for March, April and May. All SARRAH members have access to free tickets to the webinar as a part of their membership perks (contact sarrah@sarrah.org.au for the promo codes).

The Fragile Forgotten - The Experience of Providing and Receiving Services Under the NDIS in Rural Australia
Dr Luke Wakely
Tuesday 7 April 12pm (AEST)

Dr Luke Wakely is a senior lecturer in physiotherapy at the University of Newcastle Department of Rural Health. As an APA titled paediatric physiotherapist with 20 years of clinical experience in rural Australia, he is passionate about addressing health inequity for rural communities in particular children and their families. His research focuses on the parenting of children with health issues or disability and the particular needs of rural families. Further information about the Webinar can be found on this flyer.
Tickets to access this Webinar can be found here.

The Social Determinants of Attracting, Building and Retaining a Rural/Remote Health Workforce – Findings from my 2019 Churchill Fellowship trip to Canada 
Dr Cath Cosgrave
Thursday 14 May 6:30pm (AEST)

Dr Cosgrave is a social scientist with internationally recognised expertise in rural health workforce (recruitment and retention). Her research specialisation is rural health workforce recruitment and retention of nursing and allied health professionals; sub-specialisations include early-career and health professionals from non-rural backgrounds.  In 2018, Dr Cosgrave was awarded a Churchill Fellowship, to visit rural and remote communities in Canada to investigate community-led and engaged health workforce development approaches for the psychosocial needs of newcomer health workers.  Since completing her PhD in 2016, she has been working as a research fellow at the University of Melbourne, Department of Rural Health and as an independent management consultant in rural health services and workforce planning. Dr Cosgrave has developed a ‘Whole-of-Person Retention Improvement Framework’ outlining supports for improving job and life satisfaction. Dr Cosgrave has recently completed a two-year partnership project with two rural Victorian public-health services working to support improved retention of their allied health workforce; she is currently writing up the study. Further information about the webinar can be found on this flyer.
Tickets to access this Webinar can be found here.
#SARRAH2020

SARRAH 2020 National Rural and Remote Allied Health Conference

The Organising Committee is delighted to present the SARRAH 2020 National Rural and Remote Allied Health Conference.

Hosted by SARRAH since 1995, this biennial conference is for all involved in regional, rural and remote allied health.

The Organising Committee invites you to Townsville

  • to hear a range of eminent speakers,
  • to join us as we share stories to shape the future success for remote, rural and regional allied health, and
  • to celebrate 25 years of SARRAH networking, advocacy and events.
We look forward to sharing our beautiful city with you in 2020.

Upcoming Events and conferences 
  

   
MARCH 2020  
Child & Adolescent Mental Health Conference
30 March - 1 April 2020
Mantra Legends, Gold Coast
2020 New Zealand Mental Health Conference
16th - 17th March 2020
Christchurch, New Zealand
WA Rural Health Conference 2020
21- 22 March 2020
Pan Pacific Perth
MAY 2020  
9th Annual Victorian State Conference 2020
14 – 15 May 2020
Foothills Conference Centre, 48 Edinburgh Road, Mooroolbark, Victoria
SPA 2020 National Conference
24 – 27 May 2020
Darwin Convention Centre, NT
7th Rural and Remote Health Scientific Symposium:
Shaping the future

25-26 May 2020
Alice Springs Convention Centre, NT
JUNE 2020  
Associations Forum National Conference
22-23 June 2020
Royal International Convention Centre, Brisbane
OT Exchange 2020
22-23 June 2020
Crown Promenade Melbourne
JULY 2020  
21st International Mental Health Conference
29-31 July 2020
RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, QLD
HIC 2020
27-29 July 2020
Brisbane, QLD
AUGUST 2020  
The 2020 Workplace Mental Health Symposium
31 August-1 September 2020
Hilton, Brisbane, QLD1
OCTOBER 2020  
38th CRANAplus Conference
14-16 October 2020
QT, Canberra, ACT
Links for Health Professionals Supporting Health Care in Bushfire Affected Communities

Volunteering Opportunities

The Federal Government has put in place emergency protocols to expedite the process of getting GPs and allied health professionals to bushfire-affected communities where they are needed most.

The Department of Health and Department of Human Services will prioritise all applications from health professionals who want to work in bushfire-affected communities. Allied health professionals can work at a new practice for up to two weeks using their existing Medicare provider number. 

Health professionals wishing to offer support to bushfire affected areas should contact their relevant Rural Workforce Agency (RWA):

People wishing to provide supplies and assistance are advised to direct their enquiries to the relevant state government.  Financial donations are preferred at this point, as services have been overwhelmed with donated clothing and household goods.  Donations can be directed to the relevant organisation in their state:

  • The Victorian Bushfire Appeal;
  • The NSW Fire Service; or 
  • The State Emergency Relief Fund (SA)
Emerging Minds: Community Trauma Toolkit
This toolkit contains resources to help and support adults and children before, during, and after a disaster or traumatic event. It will help you understand some of the impacts of disaster and how you can help lessen these impacts.
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Copyright © 2018 Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH). All rights reserved.

Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health
Unit 4, 17 Napier Close, Deakin, ACT, 2600

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