Up to $250k funding per General Practice available for Care Coordination

Is your General Practice in the South Eastern Melbourne catchment thinking of implementing care coordination? Or, does your practice want to take care coordination to the next level?

SEMPHN is seeking eligible general practices to tender to provide a care coordination service for a period of 24 months while still working in the current Medicare funding structure.  

Either $125,000 or $250,000 funding packages, per general practice, are available through this open tender over a period of 24 months. 

Applying for this tender

• A recorded information session about this tender is available through SEMPHN's eProcure.
• All questions must be submitted via SEMPHN's eProcure. 
• All tenders must be submitted via SEMPHN's eProcure.
• Tender closes on 13 November at 3pm. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Read more on our website. 

To stay up to date on tender announcements, subscribe to our commissioning newsletter, SEMaphore. 

Introducing new community hospitals for south eastern Melbourne

Health professionals are invited to two webinars which will introduce the new community hospitals coming to Cranbourne and Pakenham. 

Join other health professionals and local providers on Zoom to get the inside scoop!

Cranbourne Community Hospital

The Cranbourne Community Hospital service plan is now complete and will provide a framework for how services will be delivered. Construction is expected to begin in late 2021. 

When: 19 November, 7.30 am - 8.30 am
Register here. 

Pakenham Community Hospital

The Pakenham Community Hospital service plan will soon be finalised. The plan will provide a framework for how services will be delivered. Constructed is expected to begin in 2022. 

When: 2 December, 7.30 am - 8.30 am
Register here.

Back by popular demand: Compassionate Communication for Practice Nurses

Practice nurses, following on from the very popular Compassionate Communication webinar, Kim Poyner is back to broaden your skills and enhance your confidence to apply compassionate communication skills.

This session is a totally interactive breakout room format with case studies to work through. Kim aims to take your skills to the next level so join us on 19 November, 7-8 pm.

Please note there will be limited numbers able to attend this interactive format so register early.

New webinar series coming November: Blood borne viruses and STIs

Join your peers in this lunch time webinar series on 24, 25 and 26 November to learn more about Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and blood-borne viruses (BBVs). Each webinar will take place from 1 pm - 2.30 pm.  

This series is accredited by ACCRM and RACGP and 1xs100 HBV points. Note: Participants must attend Webinars 1 + 2 or Webinars 1 + 3 to qualify for points. 

Do you have a de-identified case you would like to discuss?

SEMPHN and ADMA support the Victorian Integrated Care Model (VICM). One of the activities to come out of VICM is collaborative case discussions centered around chronic disease, by Zoom.

Would you like to join Dr Daniel Fineberg (General Medicine Alfred Health) and others in the Integrated Care Community of Practice?

Click the links below to register for the meetings.

The next case discussion will be on

Date: Tuesday 10 November 2020
Time: 1 pm - 1.45 pm
Register here.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

What skin preparation is required before vaccine administration?

Before administering a vaccine, immunisation providers should inspect the skin at the intended injection site to ensure that the skin is clean and dry.

If the skin at the injection site is visibly clean and dry, there is no need to wipe the injection site area with antiseptic, such as an alcohol wipe, before administering the vaccine. 

If the skin requires cleaning with alcohol or another antiseptic agent the skin must be allowed to dry thoroughly to prevent the inactivation of live vaccines and reduce the likelihood of irritation at the injection site.

The online Immunisation Handbook has a dedicated section to assist immunisation providers on vaccination procedures with specific guidance on preparing for vaccination, administration of vaccines and care after vaccination.

Have you recently reviewed your cyber security practices?

Cyber attacks are an ever-present threat and the healthcare sector has experienced an increase in attacks since COVID-19.

You should have a regular review of your security practices, including regular backups (and check that the backup restores as expected).

All staff should be aware of the dangers of phishing (malicious links in emails/messages).

To avoid the risk of being phished:

1. First hover on the link with your mouse pointer, and look at where the link is taking you.
2. Take a second to think. Any link or attachment that is not from within your practice or immediate network, or a recognised friend, should not be clicked. When in doubt, either call or email (in a separate email) your friend or the organisation asking them to confirm that the email is legitimate.
3. Only click if you’re sure it’s safe.
4. Know who your IT support person is in case of an emergency

More information about security is in our Health Vital IT article: Protecting your information from online threats.

The Australian Digital Health Agency has a short eLearning course: Digital Health Security Awareness (CPD points are available). 

Alternative products to address the shortage of oral contraceptives

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is advising consumers and health professionals of an update to the below information about the shortage of oral contraceptive pills containing the combination ethinylestradiol and norethisterone.

To ease the effects of the shortage of these products, the TGA has granted approval to Medsurge Healthcare Pty Ltd to import and supply two alternative products under section 19A of the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989. The two Section 19A approved products are:

• Necon 0.5/35 - norethisterone 0.5 mg and ethinylestradiol 35 micrograms
• Pirmella 1/35 - norethisterone 1 mg and ethinylestradiol 35 micrograms.

Health professionals can contact Medsurge Healthcare on 1300 788 261 for further information or to arrange supply.

Please report any adverse events involving these alternative products to Medsurge Healthcare or to the TGA.