MEMBERS UPDATE JULY 2023

Karratha Mental Health education and networking event

On Wednesday 14 June, the Pilbara Health Professionals Network held an educational event on mental health which was presented by Dr Temi Metseagharun, Consultant Psychiatrist at Pilbara Mental Health and Drug Service and Lauren, StandBy Pilbara Coordinator who discussed the following topics:

• The range of psychiatric diagnoses in a rural and remote area - what can the specialist do
• Psychiatry and the concepts of illness, disease and disorder
• Introduction of StandBy
• Postvention - what is it and the difference to aftercare
• Safe language
• Community consultations - suicide and the Pilbara region, identified gaps and what's being done to remedy this issue, what's been happening/actioned, purpose and anticipated outcomes of the community consultation forums
• Self-care

The PHPN is looking forward to bringing this educational event to other towns in the Pilbara soon!

Newman Women and Maternal Health education and networking event

Dr Susan Downes presented her education session Caring for Women of the East Pilbara in Newman on Thursday 22 June covering topics on:

• Importance for all health professionals to work together to know the patients so that care is tailored to them as individuals as not all patients are the same
• Pre-pregnancy counseling 
• Starting a pregnancy with a good baseline of timing and health
• Screening and tests - guidelines for first, second, and third trimesters
• Women-held records
• WA Country Health Service shared-care guidelines
• Post-birthing checks 1-2 weeks
• Postnatal checks 6-8 weeks

It was a great opportunity for Newman local health professionals to have the opportunity to network before and after the event to reconnect with colleagues and meet those that are new to the region.  We look forward to seeing you all at our next Newman event in August. See below for further details.

Applied Suicide Intervention Training (ASIST) | 2-3 August 2023 | Onslow

ASIST is a two-day interactive workshop in suicide first-aid. ASIST teaches participants to recognise when someone may be at risk of suicide and work with them to create a plan that will support their immediate safety. Although ASIST is widely used by healthcare providers, participants don’t need any formal training to attend the workshop—ASIST can be learned and used by anyone.

Date: Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 August 2023
Time: 8.30am-4.30pm
Location: Onslow Health Campus (Group Room) Second Avenue, Onslow
Morning tea and lunch provided
Registration is essential – limited Spaces Available

For more information or to request a registration form please call (08) 9144 7808 or email Charity.Chihi@health.wa.gov.au

Rural Emergency Advanced Clinical Training (REACT+) |
5-6 August 2023 | Karratha

The Rural Health West CPD REACT+ workshop is designed to assist Western Australian Visiting Medical Practitioners to maintain their emergency knowledge and skills, and gain formal assessment towards their emergency credentialing, as required by WA Country Health Service. Covering medical emergencies, major trauma and cardiac arrest in adults and children, and associated lifesaving procedural skills training, REACT+ is a highly interactive workshop. Participants are provided with audio-visual pre-learning materials and the course consists almost entirely of small group practical skills stations and simulated scenarios.

For further information and to register click here.

ARC Advanced Life Support | 16-17 August 2023 | Karratha

An Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) accredited course, this two day program aims to teach the theory and practical skills to effectively manage cardio/respiratory arrest, peri-arrest situations and special circumstances, and to prepare senior members of a multidisciplinary team to manage the patient until transfer to a critical care area if possible. The course focuses on achieving advanced resuscitation competencies and is also designed to develop leadership and team skills in managing such emergencies.

For further information please email Simulation.WACHS@health.wa.gov.au, telephone 0499 943 381 or visit www.wacountry.health.wa.gov.au.

Emergency Airway Skills Management | 15 September 2023 | Hedland

This Rural Health West CPD workshop is designed to assist health professionals to develop and practise skills essential in unexpected crises, particularly with problem airways. Delivered in WA Country Health Service facilities, this workshop has a heavy emphasis on teamwork and the organisation of medical emergency teams incorporating presentations, skill stations and scenario-based crises with simulation manikins (SimMan and baby).

Eligibility: GP anaesthetists and theatre staff. Priority is given to those working in the local region. Should places be available, emergency department doctors and nurses are invited to register.

Length: One day – 8.00am-4.30pm

Cost: $50

For further information and to register click HERE.

Call for abstracts now open!

Rural Health West is seeking abstracts for the 2023 Aboriginal Health Conference to be held at the Esplanade Hotel by Rydges in Walyalup, Fremantle on the 18 and 19 November 2023.

The theme for the Aboriginal Health Conference 2023 is: Dedication: the Story of our Elders. The conference will bring together health professionals from across rural WA, and provide the opportunity to learn from those who came before us. We will hear their stories and reflect on how we can move through the challenges faced by so many, and find a way forward together.

We are now calling for abstracts for oral presentations and e-posters under the following streams: 

• Social and emotional wellbeing
• Sexual health
• Culturally competent care
• Caring for Elders
• Health across the life course

Abstracts that align to a conference stream are preferred, but not essential. Please submit one or more abstracts as:

• Oral presentations – 20 minutes (individual or team)
• E-poster presentations. Electronic posters are presented at the Conference for delegates to view during the breaks.

Preference will be given to presentation and poster abstracts that are action-oriented, strengths-based and solution-focused. Rural Health West encourages submissions from the Aboriginal health workforce, students, academics, researchers and educators.

Abstract submission deadline is Monday 7 August 2023.

For more information visit the conference website or contact the Events Team on 08 6389 4500 or ahc@ruralhealthwest.com.au

The Practice Assist team can help enhance the efficiency, capacity and sustainability of your practice with a comprehensive suite of practice management resources and support services:

If you require assistance, please contact Practice Assist on 1800 227 7478 or email. For more information visit the Practice Assist website. 

Practice assist is a joint initiative of Rural Health West and WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA).

The Pilbara Health Professionals Network is brought to you by the following stakeholder partnership:

You have received this newsletter as a health professional working in the Pilbara. Email addresses used to disseminate this newsletter were obtained through Rural Health West's databases. Unsubscribing from this newsletter will remove you from the distribution list for all Rural Health West publications. To stop receiving this newsletter only, please email hello@phpn.com.au.