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State-run vaccination centres to administer Pfizer at 6 week intervalsAs of Monday 2 August, state-run vaccination centres such as Sandown Racecourse and Cranbourne Turf Club will administer the second dose of Pfizer vaccine at least six weeks after the first dose. A six week minimum interval means more Victorians can receive their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, providing protection against hospitalisation and severe disease. This change is consistent with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation Clinical Guidelines. This change only applies to Victorian vaccination centres, including efforts by Local Public Health Unit high-volume centres and state commissioned community health services delivering COVID-19 vaccination. Commonwealth commissioned services including general practices (GPs) and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations services are not required to extend the minimum interval between doses and may continue to administer the second dose at the three week interval. Read more. Join SEMPHN's CEO discuss current challenges for mental health servicesWith high service demand and stretched capacity, mental health continues to be a challenging space to work in during the pandemic, whether you’re a general practitioner caring for your patients, or someone involved in mental health service delivery. SEMPHN's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Elizabeth Deveny, welcomes you to this online lunchtime forum where there will be the opportunity to hear about:
We look forward to seeing you there. You are welcome to send any questions ahead of this event to events@semphn.org.au or when registering and we will do our best to address these at the webinar. When: Wednesday, 11 August 2021 at 1 pm–2 pm Recognition#WeSayThanks is back!Do you work with a superstar? 2021 has proven to be another tough year for health professionals and we want to use this opportunity to say thanks to everyone who is helping to care and keep our community safe during COVID. Whether it's a GP, nurse, psychologist, counsellor, service provider, social worker, carer or volunteer...we want to say thanks for their hard work by sharing their picture on social media. If you’re keen to get involved, here’s what we need from you:
EducationSEMPHN's Practice Networks are back this month!Practice managers and practice nurses are invited to join one of SEMPHN's Practice Network events this month. From quality improvement to health health checks... there's something for everyone! Practice ManagersJoin us at the Practice Managers Network event to listen to part three of our quality improvement series. In this third and final session, led by Dr Paresh Dawda and Angelene True, we will be looking at how to set your QI initiatives up for success through effective change management.
Practice NursesPlease join us for our next Practice Nurse Network event focusing on Heart Health Checks. Kerry Hollier from the Heart Foundation, who is currently leading the Cardiovascular disease (CVD) Risk Reduction program for Victoria joins us to share her wealth of knowledge and experience in this area. When: Thurs, 19 August, 7 pm–8 pm Training in suicide alertness is coming to DandenongWhether directly or indirectly, most people with thoughts of suicide invite help to stay safe. LivingWorks safeTALK training prepares participants to recognise these invitations and connect a person with thoughts of suicide to intervention resources. When: 19 August, 5.30 pm—8.30 pm ImmunisationClosure of AIR authentication filesAuthentication file access to the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) is being closed to all provider types on 30 September 2021. More information can be found here. All providers need to transition to Provider Digital Access (PRODA) to maintain access. With a PRODA account, health professionals can access the AIR using Health Professional Online Services (HPOS). For health professionals who access the AIR as a member of an organisation, you can also find out how to register an organisation in PRODA and link HPOS to your organisation so members can access the AIR. Further information is available on the Services Australia website: Register for a PRODA account and set up access to HPOS Free online learning: Foundations of Chronic Disease programThe Benchmarque Group has recently launched its new free online-only Foundations of Chronic Disease program. The Chronic Disease Pathway extended learning options which will include nationally accredited face-to-face programs are due to be released in the next quarter. These programs are fully funded by the Australian Government Department of Health - meaning there is no cost to register and complete. Topics include Nutrition, Foot Health and Chronic Disease care planning. Completing the Foundations of Chronic Disease Program now will enable students to register directly
into these programs once they are available. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about COVID-19 vaccines for people affected by cancerCancer Australia has released Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) translated into 10 languages specifically for people affected by cancer. People with cancer are more vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 and are at an increased risk of more severe infection. The latest international evidence reassuringly shows that for many people affected by cancer, getting a COVID-19 vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect them, their family and their community against COVID-19. FAQs have been developed by Cancer Australia based on input and queries from the cancer community. The FAQs have now been translated into the 10 most commonly-spoken languages: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Greek, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. To view the translated FAQs, visit www.canceraustralia.gov.au/CALD Professional development and events
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