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RICH Forum
Rural Innovations
Changing Healthcare
Theme: Collaborative teams
A one day ‘virtual’ forum linking 18
satellite hubs via videoconference
across rural NSW
Wednesday 18 March
2015
9am – 4.00pm
Aim
To showcase and share rural models of care which:
 show a resourceful and innovative approach to an existing issue
 have potential to be taken up by other rural health settings
 demonstrate sustainability in embedding the change
Audience
The forum is aimed at the rural multidisciplinary workforce including those who work in non-government organisations (Local
Health Districts, General Practice and Practice Nurses, Aboriginal Medical Services, Medicare Locals, Residential Aged Care
Providers, NSW Ambulance, Royal Flying Doctor, University Departments of Rural Health and Royal Far West Kids). Come for
sessions of interest or stay for the day! This is a conference without the travel.
Cost
The forum is free – but please advise if you register and are then unable to attend. Registrations are invited on-line by Monday
th
16 March 2015 at http://www.aci.health.nsw.gov.au/networks/rural-health/events/rural-innovations-changing-healthcare2015/registration
Satellite Hubs
LHD
Site
Venue
Local Contact
HNE
Muswellbrook
Moree
Tweed
Lismore
Hospital Library
Hospital Function Room
Hospital Rainbow Room
Crawford House Ground Floor
Meeting Room
Community Health Casement
Room
Community Health, Morton St
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
NNSW
MNC
WNSW
Murrumbidgee
SNSW
FW
IS LHD
ACI
Webstream
Kempsey
Port
Macquarie
Macksville
Orange
Dubbo
Young
Temora
Goulburn
Bega
Broken Hill
Kath Bowman’s Executive Office
VC Lecture Theatre
Oncology Unit
Community Health Education
Room
Hosp Top Floor Meeting Room
Staff Education Centre
The Blue Meeting Room
Kincumber Board Room
Balranald
Meeting Room 3
Milton
Cancer Care Meeting Room
Ulladulla
Chatswood
Yandhai Room, Level 7
Log In Link TBC
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
About the ACI
The Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) is the lead Agency in NSW for promoting innovation, engaging clinicians and designing
and implementing models of care. Our clinical networks, Taskforces and Institutes provide a forum for doctors, nurses, allied
health professionals, managers and consumers to collaborate across the NSW health system.
The NSW ACI Rural Health Network works collaboratively with rural Local Health Districts, health service providers and
consumers to identify and showcase innovative models of care and to provide critique for models of care being developed to
ensure compatibility for implementation in rural communities. To join an ACI Clinical Network, go to
www.aci.health.nsw.gov.au/join-a-network
Further Information
Contact Jenny Preece, ACI Rural Health Manager
Dorrigo MPS
Ph 02 66927716
Mob 0427568249
Email [email protected]
RICH Program
Wednesday 18th March 2015
8.30am
9.00am
2.00pm
2.30pm
2.45pm
3.15pm
Arrival / Registration
Introduction, Acknowledgement to Country and Housekeeping – Jenny Preece, ACI Rural
Health Manager
Official Opening – TBC
Rural eHealth and Clinical Information Technology: Helping clinicians deliver better patient
care; Keynote Speaker: Dr John Lambert, CCIO eHealth
Clinical application of Information Technology HNE LHD; Ashley Young HNE LHD
Shared Care Community Midwifery; Pauline Hatherly Murrumbidgee LHD
Morning Tea
Aboriginal Wellbeing - A Cancer Journey of Healing; Narelle Cochrane MNC LHD
Who Yu Gonna Call?; Richard Widders MNC LHD
Lunch – ePoster Display
How access has changed emergency mental health care in the bush; Emily Saurman
FWNSW LHD
Sugar Gum-Diabetes and Gum Disease – Lyn Mayne, Oral Health, Royal Flying Doctor
Service
Supporting Delirium and Dementia Care with Volunteers; Cath Bateman SNSW LHD
Afternoon tea
Authorised Palliative Care Plans – Michelle Shiel, NSW Ambulance
VESPA – Video Examples of Speech Pathology Activities; Craig Suosaari MNC LHD
3.45pm
Evaluations and Close
9.05am
9.10am
10.00am
10.30am
11.00am
11.15am
11.45am
12.15pm
1.00pm
1.30pm
Site
ACI
ACI
Moree
Temora
Macksville
Macksville
Broken Hill
Broken Hill
Bega
ACI
Port
Macquarie
ACI
Dr John Lambert commenced as the current Chief Clinical Information Officer for eHealth NSW in August 18,
2014. Prior to his current role, Dr Lambert was working as the Medical Director of Intensive Care at Orange
Health Service. Designing technology and related systems to help clinicians deliver better patient care is one of
Dr Lambert’s passions. His experience ranges from his work in hands-on Information and Communication
Technology development, through to a long history of contribution to major health projects including hospital
redevelopments and clinical Information Technology (IT), technology and communication systems, including
the Critical Care Advisory Service in Western NSW Local Health District.
Dr Lambert will outline clinical application of IT as a growing area; supporting health service providers, empowering patients,
building workforce capacity and strengthening relationships between metropolitan and rural colleagues. He will also provide a
rural clinicians’ perspective of clinical IT capacity from his work in WNSW LHD and extend that to include the rural e-health
strategy and the IT enhancements are planned into the near future.
Mr Ashley Young is a Telehealth Clinical Business Analyst with HNE LHD and will consolidate Dr Lambert’s strategic approach to
the use of clinical IT, particularly with HNE LHDs utilization of telehealth for patient consultations at home, GP Practices,
Aboriginal Medical Services, Residential Aged Care Services (RACFs) and at far site facilities. This will showcase some of the
successful uses for “Clinical Applications of IT in HNE LHD”; some outcomes, anecdotes and case studies from across the District.
Oral Presentations
Local Solutions Category
How access has changed emergency mental health care in the bush
Emily Saurman, Research Officer, BHUDRH, FWNSW LHD
Many rural towns have no resident access to mental health specialist services and local providers bear the responsibility for
mental health care. The Mental Health Emergency Care – Rural Access Program (MHEC-RAP) is a telepsychiatry program
established in western NSW to provide specialist emergency mental health care via a freecall number and available 24/7. This
presentation will share how MHEC-RAP has impacted on local ED providers; changed their practice and perspective as they are
no longer ‘flying blind’.
VESPA – Video Examples of Speech Pathology Activities
Craig Suosaari, Speech Pathologist, MNC LHD
This project augments face to face group therapy sessions used in small rural community preschools and increases the
maintenance of therapeutic intervention without additional travel. Videos demonstrating 10 aspects of communication are
available on line for ready access by parents and preschool staff. Each activity is accompanied by a short explanation, and
additional resources for the tasks are also available from the same web site. Suggestions for generalisation, simplification or
extension are discussed to allow modification of the activities to suit individual needs. This simple methodology has provided
ready access to practical speech pathology resources for small rural communities.
Shared Care Community Midwifery – A Maternity Model of Care
Pauline Hatherly, Deputy Nurse Manager, Narrandera Health Service, Murrumbidgee LHD
When birthing services at Narrandera ceased in 2011 because of inability to recruit Registered Nurse Midwives, women who
birthed elsewhere and returned home had no accessible follow up or access to a Midwife in the first 2 weeks post birth. Shared
Care Community Midwifery engaged the support of GP VMO / Obstetricians in providing antenatal clinics and support for
midwives to conduct clinical review and post natal home visits. There has been an improvement in breastfeeding rates and
benefits to the organisation through early discharge / shorter length of stays from the birthing hospitals.
Building Partnerships Category
Who Yu Gonna Call?
Richard Widders, Aboriginal Health Co-Ordinator, Coffs Clinical Network, MNC LHD
Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS), cannot meet all the health needs of Aboriginal people and Aboriginal
Communities always seek information regarding what services are available. Each year for 14 years, a one day event is run
during NAIDOC to bring community and health service providers together in a non-threatening way to promote and improve
access to health services within the Coffs Harbour LGA. Organisations set up booths and meet and greet the community and in
2014, 1400 community people and 70 service providers participated.
Authorised Palliative Care Plans
Michelle Shiel, Manager, Low Acuity Care, NSW Ambulance
Authorised Palliative Care Plans were introduced by NSW Ambulance in 2013, to support paramedic decision making in meeting
the needs of individual patients and supporting their palliative wishes when an ambulance responds. This includes respecting
choices regarding of location of care, treatment decisions, medication administration and post death management
arrangements. The treating clinician discusses the treatment and transport options with the patient which is documented into
the Authorised Care Plan and endorsed by NSW Ambulance authorising the paramedic to follow prescribed orders eg Pain
medication, initiate therapy to maintain comfort in the home, or withhold resuscitation.
Integrated Healthcare Category
Supporting Delirium and Dementia Care with Volunteers
Cath Bateman, CNC Delirium and Dementia, SNSW LHD
Patients with dementia or delirium can experience fear, anxiety and confusion when admitted to hospital placing them at a
greater risk of adverse events and outcomes. In partnership with Alzheimers NSW, an intervention using trained volunteers to
provide emotional support and practical assistance to patients with cognitive impairment was implemented at Bega with
substantial benefits. Five years post implementation, the program has been introduced at other rural hospitals and in 2013, the
ACI funded the development of an implementation resource; a toolkit to support further replication across NSW.
Patients as Partners
Aboriginal Well-Being: A Cancer Journey of Healing
Narelle Cochrane, Acting Director Aboriginal Health and Primary Partnerships, MNC LHD
In 2009 MNC LHD identified that there was need for improvement of the Aboriginal patient journey through cancer services. “A
Cancer Journey” booklet was developed in partnership with local Aboriginal people, MNC LHD, Aboriginal Medical Services
(AMS), North Coast Cancer Institute, Cancer Council NSW AND BreastScreen NSW. The booklets aim to demystify the cancer
journey, navigating from reception through the treatment modalities of pathology, chemotherapy and radiation, using both text
and photographs of the actual units. Patient feedback: “A great information resource for our people, and for other races of
people in seeking treatment early”
Healthy Living
Sugar Gum – Diabetes and Gum Disease
Lyn Mayne, Senior Dentist, RFDS and FWLHD Oral Health Team
FW Local health Network Oral Health Team and Menindee Health Service recognised that Gum disease is a chronic inflammatory
disease which has a direct impact on blood sugar levels yet Diabetic patients are not routinely referred for oral health checks.
Using existing personnel, the interdisciplinary approach includes an oral health therapist, Aboriginal Health Worker, Diabetes
Educator, Dietitian, and Transport Officer in the Multidisciplinary team and has increased access for people with chronic disease
eg Diabetes, to home care kits, acquisition of oral hygiene skills and preventative education, reducing the demand for
emergency appointments and significantly improving blood sugar stability. This project utilises minimal resources, targets a
high risk/ high priority population group and demonstrates that collaboration has been embedded between RFDS, Maari Ma and
FWLHN.
ePoster Presentations
A rolling slideshow over the lunch break

Building Partnerships in Dementia Education State-wide
Kathryn deSouza, CNC Dementia Care and Competency Training Network, NNSW LHD

Elder Abuse
Therese Findlay, Co-Ordinator NSW Elder Abuse Helpline and Resource Unit

A Star is Born - Child and Family Redesign
Barbara Cridland, After Hours CNC Critical Care, WNSW LHD

Pharmacist, Where art Thou?
Mr Jin Wen Chan, Deputy Director of Pharmacy Dubbo Health Service, WNSW LHD

The Carer Consultant Program
Mr Ken Lee, Coordinator Strategic Programs Disability and Carers, NNSW LHD.

Whole of Community Aged Care Placement Model
Narelle Mills, Manager Aged Care, Murrumbidgee Medicare Local

Connecting Care Intersectorial Communication Model
Kathleen Ryan, Connecting Care Chronic Disease Co-Ordinator, WNSW Medicare Local

Evaluation of the Consultant Surgeon Led Model of Care
Annie Williams, Manager Innovation and Design, Murrumbidgee LHD