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Monday 5
December
In this edition
Cutaneous Mycobacterium ulcerans infection (Buruli ulcer)
Read this Chief Health Officer advisory read more
Mental health lead site: low intensity services - tenders open
Apply for tenders to provide these services in the SEMPHN region read more
Alcohol and other drug services - tenders open
Apply for tenders to address priority areas in the SEMPHN catchment read more
Childhood immunisation grant funding - information session
Come to this session on 15 December read more
Health Care Homes - webinar on payment management
Tune into this webinar today read more
SEMPHN staff dig deep for women in crisis accommodation
Staff have donated 120 New Day Boxes read more
General Practice staff love our free online training
Practice Coaching is growing and can help with accreditation read more
St Kilda Practice Networks
Are you a Practice Owner, Practice Nurse or Practice Manager? Join a Practice Network Group read more
Tent cards for MyHR
Help build awareness with these handy cards to display read more
Best Practice - My Health Record indicator
Learn how to do Healthcare Identifiers in bulk read more
Worksafe and TAC - new item codes for GPs
There are new reimbursements and changes to item codes read more
New Oral Health Clinical Pathway live
Get help navigating dental services in the Frankston-Mornington Peninsula region read more
Apply to become a member of the Victorian Clinical Council
GPs, nurses, allied health practitioners and more, can apply read more
Professional development opportunities and events read more
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Chief Health Officer Advisory
Cutaneous Mycobacterium ulcerans infection (Buruli ulcer)
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The Chief Health Officer of DHHS issued the following Advisory on 30 November to Health Professionals:
Key messages:
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Cutaneous Mycobacterium ulcerans (also known as M.ulcerans) and the cause of Buruli ulcer, continues to be a concern in Victoria with most cases linked to exposure to known endemic areas in the Mornington Peninsula and Bellarine Peninsula.
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There has been a steady increase in notifications of M. ulcerans. The infection affects people of all ages.
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Consider the possibility of M.ulcerans in patients who present with a painless ulcer or compatible lesion after exposure to an endemic area. Early diagnosis and treatment is essential to minimise skin loss.
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Mosquito bite from an infected mosquito is considered a probable mode of infection so encourage all patients to take steps to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
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M.ulcerans is a Group B disease and must be notified to the Department within five days of diagnosis.
Read the full advisory about Cutaneous Mycobacterium ulcerans infection.
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Commissioning - tenders open
Mental health lead site funding: low intensity services
Tenders are invited for low intensity mental health services, with a total funding pool of $500,000 available.
The services to be delivered are a pilot of the following peer-based community support initiatives in the South Eastern Melbourne PHN catchment:
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A telephone and email based helpline
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Peer training, education and support
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Peer online forum
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Website portal and digital resources
Tenders open 2 December and close 22 December 2016.
If you’re interested in applying or want to know more, please register your interest on SEMPHN's Tenderlink page.
Once you register, you’ll receive information about the tender as it’s released. All submissions and enquiries must be made via SEMPHN's Tenderlink page.
If you need technical support for Tenderlink, email support@tenderlink.com.au or phone 1800 233 533.
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Alcohol and other drug services
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Tenders are invited from organisations keen to address one or more of the following priority areas in the South Eastern Melbourne PHN catchment:
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Reduce adolescent use of alcohol within the LGAs of Bayside, Cardinia and Mornington Peninsula
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Improve service access to AOD treatment options and drug use in the cities of Port Phillip and Greater Dandenong
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Improve the system response for at risk populations involved in illicit drug use and addressing Hepatitis C rates in the cities of Port Phillip, Greater Dandenong and Frankston
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Provide early intervention and diversion services for young people relating to onging substance abuse across the SEMPHN catchment.
Tenders close 3pm, 12 December 2016.
If you’re interested in applying or want to know more, please register your interest on SEMPHN's Tenderlink page.
Once you register, you’ll receive information about the tender as it’s released. All submissions and enquiries must be made via SEMPHN's Tenderlink page.
To receive general information about other funding opportunities, sign-up to SEMPHN's commissioning newsletter - SEMaphore.
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Childhood immunisation grant funding - information session
SEMPHN is holding an information session about childhood immunisation grant funding on 15 December at SEMPHN’s Heatherton office.
The session will cover:
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Information about the imminent Request for Proposals (RFP) for childhood immunisation grant.
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Details about the evaluation criteria and assessment expectations
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Details about the application process and expectations of submitted applications.
The following stakeholders are encouraged to attend:
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Stakeholders interested in childhood immunisation
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General Practice staff working in childhood immunisation
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Childhood immunisation staff from municipal councils
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Contracted environmental/health services working in the immunisation field
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Nurse immunisers working privately/contract/project work in the SEMPHN catchment area.
More information and registration.
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Health Care Homes – webinar on payment management
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The Australian Association of Practice Management is hosting a webinar Health Care Homes Program – payment management.
This webinar will provide an overview of the Health Care Homes model and information about the payment reform for Health Care Homes.
The webinar is 1pm – 3pm today.
Applications close on 15 December 2016. General Practices are urged to apply now and use the next three months to ensure readiness. SEMPHN will support successful applicants with business planning and transition, including training.
The Department of Health has issued an amendment about practice eligibility regarding PIP eHealth incentive.
The Department has significantly updated their Q&A Booklet here. It includes details about payment tiers, evaluation and withdrawing from the trial. A recording of the Department of Health webinar on 17 Nov, Becoming a Health Care Home, can be found here.
SEMPHN also has a Health Care Home webpage. This includes a guidance document to help you complete your tender application, as well as a practice readiness checklist.
There is one remaining SEMPHN information session about Health Care Homes: Tues 6 Dec, 6.15pm – 7.30pm, Dandenong
For more information please contact SEMPHN via hch@semphn.org.au.
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SEMPHN staff dig deep for women in crisis accommodation
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Over Christmas, hundreds of women and children live in crisis accommodation and refuges in Victoria due to family violence. Survival becomes a priority, and while they focus on making Christmas special for their children, the mothers themselves are often forgotten.
This year, SEMPHN staff have donated 120 New Day Boxes to women living in crisis accommodation and refuges in Victoria.
New Day Boxes were filled with skincare, cosmetics and non-meltable treats.
SEMPHN CEO Elizabeth Deveny said, "It can be hard to know how to help with such a big problem as family violence. People often feel powerless to help at all. But making a New Day Box is a simple and meaningful way to help women directly."
Next year, SEMPHN will be inviting General Practices and other primary health organisations to join in this amazing initiative.
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General Practice staff love our free online training
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Practice Coaching gives free targeted e-learning for Administrators, Receptionists, Practice Nurses, Practice Managers and GPs.
Use Practice Coaching to build your knowledge, streamline chronic disease processes within your practice, improve quality of care, reduce your practice workload or just as a quick and easy refresher.
The videos are short (2-6 minutes each), can be accessed anytime and be completed in stages.
Certificates for completed modules can be used as evidence for Practice Accreditation.
Find out more about:
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Chronic disease care
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Quality improvement
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Triage in General Practice
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Immunisations
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Cycles of care
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Accreditation processes
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Cold chain management, and more.
As well as the training videos, there are:
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Self-audit tools to identify any training or practice system gaps
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Free templates and practice resources.
It’s easy to register here. For more information, email practicecoaching@semphn.org.au or phone 8514 6603.
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St Kilda Practice Networks
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Are you a Practice Owner, Practice Nurse or Practice Manager? We’ve listened to you!
SEMPHN is excited to support the development of new Practice Network Groups so you can get together with, and learn from your peers, presenters and invited guests.
Three separate networks will be offered for:
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Practice Owners
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Practice Managers
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Practice Nurses
Because these meetings are for you, we want you to be involved in how they run. At the first meeting, each group will identify topics of interest and ideas for guest speakers and develop a plan for future meetings. There will also be half an hour dedicated to networking, with all groups combined.
When: 7.00pm-8.30pm, 7 December
Where: St Kilda Town Hall 99A Carlisle St, St Kilda (Enter venue via Brighton Rd)
Please register by 6 December.
Practice Owners Register here
Practice Managers Register here
Practice Nurses Register here
All attendees will be invited to attend the Basecamp online networking group. This is a dedicated forum where you can ask questions of each other, stay connected, and share information and resources.
For more information visit here
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ehealth
Tent cards for MyHR
Little ‘tent cards’ for announcing that your practice is using My Health Record are now available. The picture (at right) shows a tent card, with some brochures nearby to convey size.
Practices who are registering patients may find the tent cards useful for building awareness. Contact the ehealth team on 03 8514 4460 or ehealth@semphn.org.au if you would like a tent card or two. Stickers are also available.
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Best Practice – My Health Record indicator
The My Health Record button in Best Practice will have a green border if the current patient has one.
In order for it to do this for as many patients as possible, the healthcare identifiers need to be routinely updated. The easiest way to do this is in bulk. These are the steps:
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Appointment Book
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Utilities
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Bulk Health Identifier Lookup
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Select all, choose date
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OK
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Check batch
Note that if the healthcare identifier does not match on lookup you might find it useful to add a brief note (e.g. "HI failed, check details") in the patient/appointment notes section to remind staff to check details when the patient presents.
This tip and others are in the ePIP Notebook.
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Worksafe and TAC - new item codes for GPs
In May 2016, WorkSafe Victoria (WorkSafe) and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) introduced new activities that GPs can do to support injured workers and TAC clients to return to work.
GPs can now claim reimbursement for phone calls to employers, worksite visits and experience more flexibility in conducting and billing return to work case conferences.
From 1 January 2017, invoices using the original item code RTWCC will not be paid. To ensure prompt payment for case conferences, please use the new item codes.
See the links below for fee schedules detailing services available, payment rates and item codes:
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New Oral Health Clinical Pathway live
The Oral Health clinical pathway is now available for primary health care practitioners using Map of Medicine.
The pathway gives General Practitioners a clinical decision-making guide and helps navigate the dental services available in the Frankston-Mornington Peninsula region.
SEMPHN worked with the Oral Health Partnership at Peninsula Health to develop the pathway.
For more information about Map of Medicine visit the SEMPHN website.
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Apply now to become a member of the Victorian Clinical Council
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Expressions of interest for membership of the newly established Victorian Clinical Council are now open.
The Department of Health and Human Services has established the Victorian Clinical Council to provide a mechanism for collective leadership from clinicians and consumers to drive improvements in health care quality and health outcomes for all Victorians.
At least 30 members will be appointed across the following member categories:
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General practitioners
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Nurses
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Allied health practitioners
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Medical staff
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Paramedics
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Public health service / hospital CEO (as defined in the Health Services Act 1988)
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Private hospital CEO
You are eligible to apply if you currently work in Victoria in one of these disciplines or areas in either the public or private sector.
You can apply to become a member through the ‘Vacancies’ section of the Victorian Government's Get on Board website.
The closing date for expressions of interest is 16 December.
For more information, including the proposed Terms of Reference, please refer to the Victorian Clinical Council website.
For all enquiries regarding the appointment process, please contact the Victorian Clinical Council Secretariat via VCC@dhhs.vic.gov.au or phone 9096 2159.
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