Professional development opportunities and events read more

Hepatitis A outbreak associated with frozen berries
A health alert was issued on 2 June read more

Tenders to open this week for mental health services
Support consumers with severe mental illness read more

Funding boost for SE Melbourne GPs to help keep patients out of hospital 
$3 million in grants has been awarded to 34 practices read more

beyondblue targets mental health in Greater Dandenong
Referrals are open for a new mental health support pilot read more

Contemporary Chronic Disease Management course
Book now for the Melbourne session next week read more

Help for families who are affected by addiction or substance abuse
This free program for families is taking referrals read more

Frankston Mornington Peninsula Practitioner Forum
Get together with colleagues who work in MH and AOD read more

PSA testing guidelines for primary care
Get the key messages here read more

Urology in general practice symposium
Hear about common and complex issues read more

Hepatitis B update for GPs and primary care practitioners
Dinner in Dandenong on 20 June read more

Learn about tinnitus and hearing loss
These two new videos are now available read more

The Deputy Chief Health Officer issued a health alert on 2 June.

Key messages:

• An outbreak of hepatitis A virus infection has been identified to be potentially linked to the consumption of Creative Gourmet frozen mixed berries in 300g packs. The product has been recalled as a precaution.
• Please advise patients not to consume any recalled product and advise patients to discard or return the product to point of sale for a refund.
• Do not vaccinate for hepatitis A because of frozen berry consumption.
• Check if your patient has a routine indication for hepatitis A vaccine before immunising.
• Do not test well patients for hepatitis A virus infection, as tests are not useful until symptoms have developed.
• Take blood for hepatitis A total antibody and Hepatitis A IgM antibody and liver function tests in patients who have symptoms compatible with hepatitis A virus infection in the 15 to 50 days after consumption of frozen berries from this product line. Compatible symptoms are two or more of fever, malaise, abdominal discomfort, loss of appetite, nausea or clinical signs of jaundice, including dark urine.
• Only order blood PCR testing for hepatitis A if there is hepatitis A serology consistent with acute infection OR there is clinical evidence of hepatitis, such as jaundice. The cost of PCR will be borne by the patient unless these criteria are met.
• Notify any suspected case of hepatitis A infection to the department immediately by calling 1300 651 160 so that timely prophylaxis of contacts can be provided.

More information.

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SEMPHN will very soon be looking for organisations to deliver a Mental Health Integrated Complex Care (MHICC) service in one or more Local Government Areas (LGAs) within our catchment.

MHICC services are designed to support consumers with a severe mental illness who have complex needs and will benefit from improved coordination of their care over long periods.

The main parts of the service are clinical case management, family support and liaison, support facilitation and coordination, and psychiatrist and psychological care.

MHICC will replace the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program (MHNIP) later this year.

MHICC services are part of our Mental Health Stepped Care Model and are in line with Australia-wide changes in mental health services.

Register your interest for these tenders on SEMPHN's Tenderlink page.

Tenders for Accessible Psychological Interventions (API) Services close 3pm 9 June (this Friday).

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Patients with chronic and complex conditions will benefit from one of South Eastern Melbourne PHN’s largest funding initiatives.

A total of $3 million in grants were awarded to 34 general practices across all 10 local government areas in the catchment, via an open tender process.

The successful practices are listed here [link to webpage with full list]

The grants will build each practice’s capacity to manage patients with chronic and complex conditions and help reduce potentially preventable hospitalisations – one of the key PHN national priorities. In South Eastern Melbourne, potentially preventable hospitalisations account for around 10% of hospital stays and 14% of hospital bed days.

For more information visit here.

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beyondblue has launched beyondblueConnect, a new mental health peer support pilot program for residents in Greater Dandenong.

The SEMPHN-funded program is:

• available free to adults with early and emerging signs and symptoms of anxiety and depression.
• developed with local community service groups
• available to people of all cultural backgrounds
• accessible in person, by phone or online.

beyondblueConnect is led by trained mentors from diverse backgrounds who have personal experience of mental health conditions.

Participants can attend up to eight private or group sessions where they will gain skills in protecting and managing their mental health, build new friendships and pick up practical knowledge such as navigating the public health system, finding childcare and more.

To register for beyondblue Connect call 1300 036 418.

Did you know?

• The City of Greater Dandenong has the highest rate of psychological and socio-economic distress in our region, along with high unemployment rates, housing distress and financial insecurity.
• About 60 per cent of Greater Dandenong residents were born overseas – mostly in non-English speaking countries – and the area is home to almost 30 per cent of Victoria’s asylum seekers.
• SEMPHN has identified past traumatic experiences, language barriers, visa uncertainty and disconnection from family as particular mental health risks for refugees and asylum seekers.

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Book now for the Melbourne session next week!

This two-day Australian Practice Nurses Association (APNA) course is being fully funded for nurses who work in the SEMPHN catchment.

Developed specifically for nurses working in general practice, aged care and community health, the course covers:

• care coordination
• dealing with healing
• spirometry
• mental health.

There are two sessions to choose from:

• Melbourne: 16 & 17 June
• Frankston: 21 & 28 July

More information and registration.

Places for both sessions are limited so get in quick!

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Do you have patients with family members who are stuck in a cycle of addiction or substance abuse? Substances might include ice, methamphetamine, opiates, GHB, benzodiazepines, alcohol, cannabis and over-the-counter medications.

The Strong Families Program based at Genesis Medical Centre in North Brighton is accepting clients from across the SEMPHN region.

The program, funded by a SEMPHN grant, is offered free for families and focuses on:

• effective and safe management of crisis
• education to understand substance dependency
• harm minimisation
• understanding the services and treatment available (accomodation, income support, private and public units for detox and rehabilitation)
• ways to strengthen families through support, improving communication, establishing boundaries and managing conflict.

No referral is needed. Call 9596 6422 or Fax 9596 1077.

Sessions are with an experienced clinician who has qualifications in mental health, drug and alcohol counselling, relationship and family therapy.

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Do you work in the mental health and/or alcohol and other drug sector in the Frankston Mornington Peninsula region? The Mental Health Alliance, Peninsula Health AOD and the Alcohol and Other Drug Alliance invite you to attend a one day practitioner forum.

What: Refresh, Recharge, Reconnect
When: 27 June
Where: Frankston Arts Centre, Davey St, Frankston
Time: 9:30am-4:30pm (registrations open 9am)
Morning tea/lunch and afternoon tea provided.

There are door prizes, goodie bags and expert speakers who will talk about working with complexity and looking after yourself.

Register here by 20 June.

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The RACGP-endorsed and NHMRC-approved Australian prostate cancer screening guidelines, advise general practitioners to inform their patients about the risks and benefits of PSA testing prior to testing using an acceptable decision aid tool.

Key messages from the NHMRC PSA testing guidelines

• Offer men the opportunity to discuss the benefits and harms of PSA testing before making a decision
• The harms of PSA testing may outweigh the benefits particularly in men over 70 years of age
• Men at average risk who decide to have regular testing should be offered PSA testing every 2 years from age 50-69
• Men with a family history of prostate cancer who decide to be tested should be offered PSA testing every 2 years from 40/45 to 69 depending on their risk of prostate cancer
• Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) is not recommended in primary care for asymptomatic men as part of PSA testing  

GPs can use an annual health checkup as an opportunity to discuss CVS risk, lifestyle and cancer screening.  

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The 8th annual Urology in General Practice Symposium - UroGP 2017 will be held on 22 July in Melbourne.

Hosted by the University of Melbourne and Austin Hospital, the symposium is Australia’s leading forum on urological health specifically for GPs and Nurses.

Attendance is free for the first 100 GPs and Nurses, and will attract 40 Category 1 points as part of an Active Learning Module approved by the RACGP.

The full day forum looks at:

• common and complex urology health issues relevant to GPs including PSA testing, incontinence, prostate cancer screening, paediatrics, and urologic dermatology.
• latest solutions available to patients and innovative new developments in the urology field
• latest cost effective treatments available for urological issues via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

There will also be practical workshops for nurses in the afternoon.

For more information contact UroGP Symposium Managers on 9320 869 or info@urogp.com.au.

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Did you know…

• Liver cancer, a large proportion of which is attributable to hepatitis B, is the fastest increasing cause of cancer death in Australia
• South East Melbourne has one of the highest prevalence rates of hepatitis B in Victoria
• The chronic hepatitis B burden is highly concentrated in the Greater Dandenong area.

Join the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine (ASHM) and Hepatitis Victoria for an education dinner event in Dandenong on 20 June where you will learn:

• who to test and how to interpret test results
• to improve the outcome of patients through early diagnosis, follow up and appropriate management (including vaccination of contacts)
• intervention points throughout the natural history of hepatitis B
• identify the different treatment options available, and the need for lifelong monitoring, for people living with chronic hepatitis B.

More information and registration

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The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital has another two new video-recordings available:

• Tinnitus by Dr Claire Iseli
• Hearing Loss by Dr Claire Iseli

To avoid having to fill in the online form each time you want to access it, it's a good idea to bookmark the vimeo page and save the password if you want to watch it again or watch it in stages.
Viewers are asked to fill in the brief feedback survey for each video.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

7 June		Advance Care Planning in Primary Care Webinair GPs, Nurses, Allied Health Professionals Webinair Details and registration
8 June		St Kilda Practice Networks Practice Nurse, Practice Manager St Kilda Details and registration
8 June		Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Day 1 Allied Health, Case worker, Mental Health Nurse Fitzroy Details and registration
8 June		Cabrini GP Lecture Series Term 2 Lecture 3- Dealing with patients with Rectal bleeding, who needs a scope? GPs Malvern Details and registration
14 June		Diabetes Foundations - June Allied Health Professional, General Practitioner, Practice Nurse, Pharmacist Carlton Details and registration
15 June		Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Day 2 Allied Health Professional, Case worker, Mental Health Nurse Fitzroy Details and registration
15 June		Cabrini GP Lecture Series Term 2 Lecture 4-Update on Glaucoma GPs Malvern Details and registration
15 June		Frankston Practice Networks Practice Nurse, Practice Manager Frankston Details and registration
16-17 June		Contemporary Chronic Disease Management-Melbourne Nurses Melbourne Details and registration
20 June		Outpatient procedural gynaecology event GPs Parkville Details and registration
20 June		Mental Health Integrated Complex Care (MHICC) - tender information session All Keysborough Details and registration
20 June		Update in Hepatitis B GPs and Primary Care Practitioners Dandenong Details and registration
21 June		Multi-disciplinary meetings (MDM) 2017 GPs Moorabbin Details and registration

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

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