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Monday 21  November

In this edition

More tenders coming soon
Tenders in several areas will be released soon read more

After-Hours - grants awarded
Five organisations have been awarded funding in the second round of grants read more

Health Care Homes - applications open
Eligible General Practices and ACCHS are encouraged to apply now read more

Health Care Homes - information sessions
Attend a session at the PHN read more

Using HPOS? Switch to PRODA and set up for PIP now!  
Practices who use HPOS will need to use Provider Digital Access (PRODA) from now on read more

POLAR GP - 10 second data challenge for Pap tests  
Identify patients eligible for Pap tests quickly with POLAR read more

Free suicide prevention workshops for mental health workers
The interactive program is free for SEMPHN catchment health professionals read more

How do you see the future of digital health?
Consultations are open for the National Digital Health Strategy read more

GPs - your chance to help shape local Cancer Services Strategic Plan 2017-2021
Help determine priorities and ongoing work read more

APNA's Transition to Practice Pilot Program
Are you new to primary health care or want to support nurses who are? read more

Update - Wound Infection in Clinical Practice Guidelines 
Get up to speed with best practice wound care read more

Networking for Bayside nurses
All practice nurses are welcome to attend read more

Professional development opportunities and events read more

commissioning

More tenders coming soon

Alcohol and Other Drugs tenders will be released today. SEMPHN is inviting tenders from organisations to increase service capacity and improve the effectiveness of drug and alcohol treatment and diversionary programs in the SEMPHN region.

Several other tenders will be released in the coming weeks in the following areas:

  • Mental Health Lead Site activities
  • Chronic disease
  • Post acute care management
  • Childhood Immunisation

The Mental Health Stepped Care model will also be released very shortly, with commissioning to take place early 2017.

If you are interested in applying for tenders in any of these areas, register your interest via the Tenders, Grants, Quotes and EOIs button on the homepage of SEMPHN's website, and you will receive notifications when Tenders are released.

General information about the tenders, including key dates, will be communicated via SEMPHN's commissioning newsletter - SEMaphore. Sign-up here.

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After-Hours - grants awarded

SEMPHN is pleased to announce that five organisations have been awarded funding through the second round of After-Hours grants.

The grants, which are between $30,000 and $100,000 (total funding $450,000), are to develop and implement initiatives to improve After-Hours primary care services and/or reduce avoidable After-Hours demand on both GPs and hospital emergency departments.

An independent panel chose the successful applicants from around 20 organisations.

The successful organisations are:

  • Peninsula Health
  • Genesis Medical Centre
  • First Health Medical Centre
  • Hero HQ
  • South East Palliative Care

Learn more about the projects here

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health care homes

Health Care Homes - applications open

Applications are open for the Australian Government's Health Care Homes (HCH) initiative. Applications close on 15 December 2016.

Eligible General Practices and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) in the SEMPHN region may apply.

Department of Health factsheets, an information booklet and other documents can be found here. You need to register to access the application form and grant guidelines. Registering ensures you directly receive updates and information.

Participation in Health Care Homes will provide your practice with:

  • The opportunity to shape the future models of chronic disease management in general practice
  • Bundled and flexible payment arrangements for managing your patients with chronic disease
  • Training and support to improve quality and data systems in your practice
  • Access to professional development activities for your practice team
  • A $10,000 (GST-excl) one-off grant to assist the establishment of systems to support this initiative.

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Health Care Homes - information sessions

Do you work in general practice? If so, you are warmly invited to register to attend an information session about Health Care Homes on one of the following remaining dates:

There's one more information session tomorrow via webinar / phone conference

For more details please contact SEMPHN via events@semphn.org.au.

The Department of Health held a live webinar Becoming a Health Care Home last week. If you missed it, the webinar will be available this week at health.gov.au/healthcarehomes

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ehealth

Using HPOS? Switch to PRODA and set up for PIP now!

Practices who use Health Professionals Online Services (HPOS) were recently sent a letter from Medicare to advise of a switch to the way HPOS is accessed, from the clunky PKI dongle to a simple sign on webpage.

The new service is called PRODA (Provider Digital Access). The switch is needed because all the web browsers (e.g. Chrome, Internet Explorer) will soon no longer work with the dongles. Medicare already had PRODA in place, but the web browser change means there is no choice but to move everyone on to PRODA as soon as possible.

Getting set up with PRODA is fairly straightforward. The starting point is the PRODA registration page. Note that you will need to prove your identity using documents such as Medicare card, driver’s licence and passport.

One important thing to bear in mind regarding PIP: when you sign up with PRODA you will get a new RA number. The new RA number must be used for managing PIP in HPOS (paper forms will no longer be accepted by the PIP team). Unfortunately, the only way you attach the new number is to call Medicare.

To find your RA number (once you’ve registered for PRODA):

  1. Log on to HPOS and click on Manage logon account
  2. From the menu icon at the top left, click on My Login Details
  3. The RA number displayed is your unique PRODA RA number.
  4. Contact the PIP team on 1800 222 032 and tell them your new RA number.

If you need help registering for PRODA or using HPOS contact SEMPHN’s ehealth team on 03 8514 4460.

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POLAR GP - 10 second data challenge for Pap tests

In around 10 seconds you can identify patients 20-69 years old eligible for pap tests using POLAR GP.

Once you have your list, you can export it into Excel to use in your recall process.

POLAR GP stands for Population Level Analysis & Reporting for General Practice. POLAR GP is useful for insight and planning across clinical and business and accreditation for general practices of all sizes.

More than 90 general practices within the SEMPHN catchment, using Best Practice and Medical Director, have signed on to use POLAR GP. Compatibility with Zedmed is coming soon.

We use de-identified and aggregated POLAR GP data to improve population health planning across the SEMPHN catchment.

SEMPHN offers POLAR GP free to general practices - installed on any of your practice’s computers - with ongoing licencing and support.

For more information and a demonstration of POLAR GP, call our ehealth team on 03 8514 4460 or email ehealth@semphn.org.au or visit www.semphn.org.au/polargp.

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Free suicide prevention workshops for mental health workers

SANE Australia is delivering free suicide prevention workshops for mental health professionals in the SEMPHN catchment on dates in November 2016 through to March 2017. 

Built on SANE’s Suicide Prevention and Recovery Guide, the six-hour workshop encourages health professionals to reflect on their role in suicide prevention.

The interactive program explores recovery principles and unpacks obstacles many health professions experience.

Areas covered include supporting people who are suicidal, responding to those bereaved by suicide, working with families, and putting the consumer at the centre of care.

Who can attend: Mental health workers: case-workers, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, counsellors, peer-workers, social workers, youth workers and students.

Register here.

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National Digital Health Strategy

How do you see the future of digital health?

Consultations are now open for the National Digital Health Strategy: Your health. Your say.

The whole community is invited to co-design the digital priorities in healthcare over the next five years - patients and community members, carers, healthcare providers, scientists and researchers, entrepreneurs and technology innovators.

The consultation is open until 5pm 31 January, 2017. You can provide formal submissions through the website, respond to an informal survey or simply email your views.

SEMPHN is happy to arrange a meeting or host a group of interested practices to help with a formal submission. Please register your interest in a meeting at events@semphn.org.au.

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GPs - your chance to help shape local Cancer Services Strategic Plan 2017-2021

Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Services (SMICS) and the Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium (MPCCC) are developing their Strategic Plan 2017-2021.

They recognise the importance and value of GPs in determining priorities and ongoing work, and are inviting GPs to participate in a focus group to help shape the Strategic Plan.

If you would be interested in attending the focus group in December please register your interest with Linda Maddaford on 9928 8541 or linda.maddaford@monashhealth.org by Friday, 25 November.

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APNA's Transition to Practice Pilot Program

Are you new to primary health care or want to support nurses who are?

APNA’s Transition to Practice Pilot Program is a 12 month transition support program which aims to increase the knowledge, skills and confidence of nurses who are starting work in primary health care.

If you are a new or experienced nurse who works in aged care, community health, general practice or another area of primary health care, you are invited to apply for Tranche 2 of APNA’s Transition to Practice Pilot Program. Applications are open until 23 December. Read more here.

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Update - Wound Infection in Clinical Practice Guidelines

Clients with a wound will often present initially to General Practice. So, it’s vital for GPs and Practice Nurses to have the skills and education to manage these wounds.

The International Wound Infection Institute has just released the updated Wound Infection in Clinical Practice Guidelines. To access the document, register (free) with Wounds International. Look under ‘consensus documents’. Another good reference is Simplifying Venous Leg Ulcer Management.

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Networking for Bayside nurses

All Practice Nurses are welcome to attend the free Bayside Practice Network Nurses (education) meetings at Hampton Bowls Club. For dates, times and more information, contact Liz Green at lizluke@optusnet.com.au.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

22 Nov Health Care Homes - Information session
GPs, Practice Managers
Webinar
Details and registration
 
22 Nov Approaches to Drug Seekers Workshop
GPs
Parkville
Details and registration
 
23 Nov Asthma & Respiratory Management seminar  Practice Nurses
St Kilda
Details and registration
 
23 Nov Managing Alcohol and Drug Presentations in General Practice
Practice Managers
Clayton
Details and registration
 
29 Nov Health Care Homes - information session
GP, Practice Manager
Mt Eliza
Details and registration
 
30 Nov Benzos, ICE and the growing need for real time monitoring
GPs, Pharmacists
Frankston
Details and registration
 
7 Dec Practice Owner Network
Practice Owners
St Kilda
Details and registration
 
7 Dec Practice Manager Network
Practice Managers
St Kilda
Details and registration
 
7 Dec Practice Nurse Network
Practice Nurses
St Kilda
Details and registration
 

For more information about events contact Stewart Morgan ph: (03) 8514 4422 or events@semphn.org.au

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