Professional development opportunities and events read more

Update - primary mental health changes
Tenders are coming soon and referral processes remain the same for now read more

Grants open for General Practice
Multiple grants of up to $100,000 are available read more

GP training: Medication Assisted Treatment for opioid dependence
Free two-part training available for GPs and Nurse Practitioners read more

Hepatitis C - networking dinner 
Come to a special interest meeting with peers who work in the field read more

Practice using My Health Record
Here's a way to get used to My Health Record read more

E-cigarette update
NHMRC has released a statement read more

Help map sexual and reproductive health services in the south east
Do you provide women's health services? read more

Planning ahead for people with dementia 
New resources are available read more

New online learning for health professionals and care workers
Three new learning modules are available read more

$25,000 of grant funding available for diabetes education
Would you like to improve health outcomes for Victorians living with or at risk of diabetes? read more

Information sessions for current contracted ATAPS and MHNIP providers were held on 23 March, 29 March and 6 April 2017 in different parts of the SEMPHN catchment.

The information sessions covered changes to the ATAPS and MHNIP programs, and a broad picture of the way primary mental health services will be delivered in our catchment, in line with SEMPHN’s Stepped Care Model.

For more information about these sessions please visit our website.

Referral processes for ATAPS and MHNIP programs remain the same.

Funding opportunities for mental health services will be announced via our SEMaphore newsletter (sign-up here), with an information session to be held shortly after (and recorded).

For information about the tender as it's released, register your interest via SEMPHN's Tenderlink page (select the registration tab to register). Any questions relating to the tender can be submitted via Tenderlink once the tender goes live.

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Tenders are open for multiple grants up to the value of $100,000 (GST exclusive) to general practices in the SEMPHN region.

The aim is to help build General Practice capacity to manage patients with chronic and complex conditions to achieve one of the key PHN national priorities - reducing Potentially Preventable Hospitalisations (PPH).

The grants will support systemic change that will:

• improve the health system, service and the health literacy of patients and their families
• enhance patients' ability to manage their own health needs through self-care strategies
• improve health outcomes for those patients with poorly managed chronic conditions.
• reduce the rate of PPH for chronic conditions in the SEMPHN region
• increase the efficacy of care coordination strategies to better manage chronic and complex conditions and to improve the patient’s quality of life, and
• improve the sustainability of the practice by improving systems and quality to accommodate more clients and offer additional billable services.

A recording of information session held on 12 April will be available by tomorrow on the SEMPHN website.

Register your interest and apply for these grants on SEMPHN's Tenderlink page.

Tenders close 3pm 27 April.

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Opioid dependence is a growing public health concern affecting a wide variety of patients including users of illicit, prescription and over-the-counter opioids.

Pharmacotherapy such as buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone®), buprenorphine (Subutex®) and methadone are effective evidence-based treatments for opioid dependence.

To prescribe buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone®) for more than five patients or methadone for any patient, the following two-part free training is a requirement. The course is also available for nurse practitioners.

• Module 1 – A two hour online workshop Safer Opioid Prescribing. This needs to be completed before attending Module 2. (Please retain your certificate after completion).
• Module 2 – A one day face-to-face interactive skills-based workshop provided by RACGP.  The next dates for Module 2 are 23 April and 5 May. More info about these events is here. Please click here to register.

Any GP can prescribe buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone®) for up to five patients without completing the above training.

Contact Jacqueline Apostolopoulos on 0429 808 317 or email jacqueline.apostolopoulos@semphn.org.au for enquiries and to find out more about available supports, including peer-based mentoring.

New hepatitis C curative treatments available on PBS are effective and have few side effects.

Health care providers have an important role in driving the uptake of the new Direct Acting Antiviral (DAA) agents.

GPs can now prescribe DAAs without the need to consult specialists if they are experienced in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.

Issues and solutions in relation to the successful treatment of hepatitis C will be discussed in a one-off special interest meeting on 25 May in Glen Waverley. All staff working in the field including GPs, pharmacists, specialists and nurses are welcome to attend.

The session will focus on challenges such as identifying, testing and preparing patients for treatment. It will also provide strategies for

• how to successfully involve the practice manager, practice nurses and staff in support activities
• how to work with pharmacies regarding prescribing and referring to liver clinics and specialists.

An online basecamp will be set-up so that healthcare providers can share ideas and knowledge about prescribing DAAs. 

Presenters:

• Diana Lewis, Gastroenterologist/Hepatologist, MBBS, FRACP, Eastern Health
• Louise Gabrousek, Pharmacist, PharmaSave, Clayton
• Anastasia Dimitriou, Practice Manager/Director, Mediclinic, Clayton

Register here by 22 May or for more information call Kate Shirley on 9046 0300 or email events@emphn.org.au.

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Before even thinking about using My Health Record in your own system, you can practice using it in the On Demand Training system.

This can be simply accessed from any web browser, and it lets you use a virtual computer with the same software as the one you use in your clinic. We highly recommend it as a way to familiarise yourself. On the Online Training page, look for the section headed 'Get Started with On Demand Training'.

Tips:

1. Once you’re in the virtual computer, you will sign in to the software as normal. The password is: P@ssw0rd (that’s a zero, not an O!)
2. We sometimes can't connect to the On Demand computers. If this happens to you, either try using it on another computer or try using a different  browser (e.g. if you're using Chrome, switch to Firefox).

The National Health and Medical Research Council has released a statement updating Australians on the latest evidence for the safety, quality and efficacy of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes).

The statement concludes that ‘there is currently insufficient evidence to support claims that e-cigarettes are safe, and further research is required to enable the long-term safety, quality and efficacy of e‑cigarettes to be assessed.’

E-cigarettes continue to be promoted as a safe alternative to conventional cigarettes, or as a quit smoking aid.  There is a lack of evidence to support these claims. While e-cigarettes may expose users to fewer toxic chemicals than conventional tobacco cigarettes, the extent to which this reduces harm to the user has not been determined. There is also some evidence to suggest that e-cigarettes could act as a gateway to tobacco cigarettes for non-smokers.

NHMRC research outcomes into e-cigarettes should be progressively available from June 2018.

The full statement is available on the NHMRC website.

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Women's Health in the South East (WHISE) invites you to do a five minute survey to help them gather information about programs and services across the south eastern region.

WHISE aims to improve women’s health and wellbeing by providing help to women - particularly those who are disadvantaged and struggle to access the services they need.

If you have any questions about the project, please contact Florence Chan on (03) 9794 8677 or fchan@whise.org.au.

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New online resources are available to help community, aged and health care staff to highlight the importance of planning ahead for people in their care, particularly those in the early stages of dementia.

The resources, funded through the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre (CDPC) can be found on the Alzheimer’s Australia website and CDPC website.

The resources include:

• short videos from carers and a GP discussing their experience of planning ahead and why it's important. 
• brochures, which can be used with people living with dementia, and their carers and families, who may be called on to make decisions when someone can’t do this themselves. 
• guides for implementing quality improvement initiatives or conducting information training sessions.

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Advance Care Planning Australia (ACPA) and Decision Assist have a new integrated online learning space where you can find up-to-date resources and training tools to support best practice in advance care planning.

Three new learning modules are now live on the site, covering:

• the key components of advance care planning and its benefits
• communication strategies to start conversations about advance care planning
• legal aspects for different states and territories.

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Would you like to improve health outcomes for Victorians living with or at risk of diabetes? You can help make a difference by furthering your education in the field of diabetes.

The Gwen Scott Grant Program is an opportunity to apply for $25,000 worth of funding. Applications for 2017 are open until June 30.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

For more information about events contact Stephenie Cook ph: (03) 8514 6609 or events@semphn.org.au

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