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GICS drives cancer care system improvement for the benefit of patients, while organisations such as Ballarat Regional Integrated Cancer Centre (BRICC) deliver cancer care services directly to patients
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Welcome to the May Newsletter
Welcome to our May newsletter – It is hard to believe we are nearly half way through the year! May is a very busy month with the VICS Conference, the Play Eat Love Palliative Care Conference and our Grampians Region Cancer Planning Workshop. I look forward to reporting back on these events over the next few months.
A highlight from the past few weeks has been the promotion of our podcasts on the Cancer Council website which we hope will result in a greater reach of this resource developed by consumers for consumers. To listen to an interview with a cancer council nurse click here
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Partnering with consumers
Safer Care Victoria recently released a Partnering in healthcare framework, which aims to help hospitals include input from consumers in delivering safe, person and family centred, equitable and effective care. The framework is a good resource for health services and can be found here
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Victorian Population Health Survey 2016
Sharon Daly of GICS has sourced information on various tumour streams from the Victorian Population Health Survey 2016 and Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset (VAED), 2019. Over the coming months we will provide a snapshot of common cancers in our region. Please remember if you need any cancer related information don't hesitate to contact us as we have access to a wide range of cancer data.
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Grampians Region Planning Workshop
GICS is coordinating a Grampians Region Planning workshop, on Friday May 17th, 10am – 3pm at Pyrenees House, Ararat. This year we are taking the step of partnering with cancer consumers in the planning process.
Purpose of the Day:
1. To understand the current state of cancer services across the Grampians Region – from the perspective of health services, health care professionals and consumers.
2. To develop and agree on a future state for Cancer Services in the Grampians Region
3. To understand the broader context in which cancer services are delivered
4. To identify gaps in cancer service provision and develop a transition plan to enable us to move forward
Health Services, healthcare professionals and consumers have been invited to come together to participate in this planning process, which will be facilitated by Claire Edwards. If you would like to participate, or want to know more, please get in touch with us.
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Producing quality health information: Hot off the Press!
A guide to help Victorian health services produce or source quality health information for people who use their services has been developed by Latrobe University’s Centre for Health Communication and Participation. The guide can be found here
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Evaluation of the Optimal Care Pathways Implementation Program in Vic
You are invited to complete a survey for the Evaluation of the Optimal Care Pathways Implementation Program in Victoria.
Context
Cancer Council Victoria, on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services Victoria (DHHS) has engaged Zest Health Strategies to evaluate Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 implementation of the Optimal Care Pathways across Victoria.
The aim is to assess the Optimal Care Pathways Implementation Program and identify key learnings for the future.
Background
Optimal Care Pathways describe optimal cancer care. They are based predominantly on current best practice including clinical guidelines, consensus statements, standards and research that exist to support optimal care at the critical points. The primary purpose of the Optimal Care Pathways is to improve patient outcomes by facilitating consistent cancer care based on a standardised pathway of care.
Implementation of the Optimal Care Pathways is underway in all Australian states and territories. This evaluation is looking specifically at the Victorian Implementation Program.
This survey
This short survey is designed to capture a wide range of views and experiences of people involved in any part of the Optimal Care Pathways Implementation in Victoria. This includes clinicians, program managers, and others who have worked on the Optimal Care Pathways.
The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. You will not be able to access your saved responses so please ensure you have sufficient time to complete the survey in one sitting.
The survey is open until 20 May 2019 and can be accessed on computer or mobile devices.
Your responses will be confidential and anonymous. By participating in this survey, you consent to your anonymous responses being used for the evaluation.
For more information about this survey, please contact Suzanne Morony at Zest Health Strategies on 02 9409 7638 or suzanne.morony@zest.com.au.
Please click here to complete the survey:
Thank you for your willingness to provide feedback on the implementation of the Optimal Care Pathways in Victoria.
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Introducing Libby Fifis
Libby was appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer of Stawell Regional Health in July 2018. Libby is a seasoned Health Service Executive who has held a wide variety of senior management roles across metropolitan and regional Victoria in public, private and not for profit sectors. A theatre nurse by background, Libby’s path has followed a traditional nursing leadership route. Libby holds a Grad Dip Perioperative Nursing (UoM), Grad Cert Management (Monash University) and this year will complete her Masters in Clinical Leadership (Deakin). Libby is passionate about the provision of quality healthcare for rural communities. Her pursuit for clinical excellence recognizes the critical role of workplace culture and as such, she places a high priority of the ongoing development of an engaged workforce. Libby is also Deputy Chair of the GICS Governance Group.
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Optimal Care Pathways
Optimal Care Pathways (OCPs) are national guides developed by clinical experts that describe the best possible cancer care for patients with specific types of cancer. In 2016 the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) set the implementation of the OCPs as a core priority for the eight adult Victorian Integrated Cancer Services (ICS).
The attached infographic outlines the collective impact that Victorian Integrated Cancer Services have achieved for Tranche 2 (from November 2017 to March 2019). This Tranche focussed on improving services for an estimated incidence population of 5000 prostate cancer patients and 650 OG cancer patients diagnosed in Victoria each year (Victorian Cancer Registry 2019). Through the OCP implementation program the ICS have demonstrated their core strengths including strong links with a broad range of clinical and health service stakeholders and with each other, to deliver significant improvements in care for patients. Click here to view infographic
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Cancer Survivor Guide Podcasts
Hosted by ABC broadcaster, Penny Johnston, the GICS Consumer Advisory Group have created a series of 5 podcasts to help newly diagnosed patients. The podcasts have interviews with local medical specialists and take you gently through what might be involved in the common treatment paths. We hope the podcasts will be a helpful addition to the information patients receive from their treatment team. The 4th podcast in the series discusses radiotherapy and you will meet Dr Simone Reeves, of Ballarat and Austin Radiotherapy Centre
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MDM's and QOOL
New MDM software will be rolled out this month. QOOL-VIC is a secure platform using up to date technology which will allow clinicians to quickly refer for multidisciplinary discussion, support communication of meeting outcomes to treating clinicians including GPs and allow consistent reporting across the state. User training will commence next week and we anticipate using QOOL-VIC for meetings in June. Our staff will be contacting relevant health clinicians and health service staff to organise training.
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May is National Palliative Care Week
National Palliative Care Week is an annual awareness raising week organised by Palliative Care Australia.
The theme for National Palliative Care Week 2019 is ‘What matters most?’ and it will be held from the 19-25 May 2019.
National Palliative Care Week is a national week supported by the Department of Health to raise awareness and understanding about palliative care in the Australian community.
The theme addresses the need for Australians to plan ahead for their end-of-life care and discuss it with their loved ones and health professionals.
PCA will highlight how palliative care can help people with a life-limiting illness to have a high quality of life, right to the end of life.
 To learn more please click here
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VICS Conference 2019
The VICS Conference is this week (9th and 10th May) but it's not too late to grab a day registration to hear some great international keynote speakers! Click here to view the program and register
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Australia's Biggest Morning Tea
Get your friends, colleagues or community together over tea and treats, and help raise funds to support those impacted by cancer.
The official date is 23rd May 2019, but you can host your tea anytime in May or June.
Register now to host your tea and we'll send you a free host kit with everything you need to make your tea a success.
Register here
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GICS sharing your news
If you have any forthcoming events or information you would like to share please forward to Jen Quilliam at GICS.
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