North East Valley DGP eNews

No 0820: June 19, 2008
eNews is a weekly electronic newsletter sent to all GP practices (with email addresses) within the NEV catchment. The aim is to provide up to date information relevant to GPs and to disseminate the latest activities and resources from the division. All feedback and enquiries welcome and should be addressed to Patty Marshall. You can also visit our website at: http://www.nevdgp.org.au/.
To subscribe to eNews click on subscribe. To be removed from the eNews distribution list click on Unsubscribe

 

In this issue:

Editorial                                           Keeping up!!         

Aged Care                                       Aged Care GP Panels Initiative Discontinued           

Professional Development               CPD events          

HMR                                                 Skin conditions in older persons     

Information Management                includes Medical Director tips and New on the Web

Items of interest                               GP Network News, BECC waiting times      

News for Practice Staff                    Practice Managers’ Network Meeting, Recognising and rewarding nurses, ADGP Nursing News June 2008, RCNA General Practice Nurse Conference

Positions vacant/wanted                     

Fun stuff                                              

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A Word from the Editor

Keeping up!!

It’s all happening!! Changes are coming thick and fast and you need to keep up and know what is on offer.

1.   Secure messaging - sending and receiving encrypted email between health providers. The division has brokered a cheap deal with Argus Connect to do this. This deal will be revealed at the CPD event on June 25.

2.   Using SMS for recalls and reminders – secure and non-secure SMS – you will be able to get a FREE subscription for one month to try it out. This offer will be available for those who attend the CPD event on June 25.

3.   Working with “at risk” diabetes patients – both state and federal governments are encouraging preventative care strategies, particularly with diabetes (including a new MBS item number in July this year). The necessary resource materials will be explained and handed out at the CPD event on June 25.

The June 25 session is a practice managers’ network meeting but considering the importance of the information to be disseminated GPs and nurses are welcome to attend. [Application Form]

 

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Aged Care

Aged Care GP Panels Initiative Discontinued ~ but we keep going!

As part of the Federal Budget for 2008-09, the Commonwealth Government Department of Health and Ageing has advised that the Aged Care GP Panels Initiative will not be funded beyond 30 June 2008. It will be replaced by the Aged Care Access Initiative to be implemented from 1 July 2008, but will have reduced funding compared to the GP Panels Initiative.

We are concerned at the lesser amount of money being allocated to the new program, the suddenness of this decision, the lack of transition arrangements and the paucity of detail about the new program. Broadly, it will comprise incentive payments to GPs for service provision to be administered by Medicare Australia, and funding for allied health services where these are not already funded through Medicare or other programs. We will provide more information on this once we receive it.

The NEVDGP’s Aged Care team has been particularly successful in terms of engagement, relationship building, resource development, advocacy and in special projects such as the Transfer-to-Hospital Envelope and Austin Fast Track X-ray service.  We will continue to:

·         recognise that older people, including those in residential aged care, are an important part of the community

·         look for ways to consolidate and make sustainable key relationships, such as those with the Directors of Nursing within the Division

·         work with our key hospitals (Austin Health, St Vincent’s and Northern Health) 

·         represent GPs on two key national forums, the Aged Care Task Force and the National Aged Care Alliance

·         look for new funding opportunities for aged care.

For further information ring Ms Clare Chiminello at the Division on 9496 4333

 

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CPD

The Essentials Involved in the Asthma Cycle of Care (only 10 places left)

An invitation to GPs and Practice Nurses. The National Asthma Council Australia together with North East Valley invites you to participate in this workshop, to be held on Thursday 26th June, 6:30 pm to 9:00pm  at John Scott Meeting House, Latrobe University. Presenters: Dr Tom Foo, General Practitioner and Ms Del Lovett, Asthma Educator. This workshop will provide education and training specifically around evidence–based best practice asthma management. Each participant will receive resources covering the following topics: Adult Asthma, including the elderly, Device use, Asthma and COAPD, Paediatric asthma.  Further information and registration click here, or contact Janina on (03) 9496 4333

 

Term 2 GP Lecture Program

Meetings are held each Tuesday starting at 12.30 in the Lecture Theatre, Ground Floor, Pathology Building, Repatriation Hospital, Austin Health, West Heidelberg. Lunch is provided. Course Leader: Dr Vin Nursey Phone: 9457 1736

June 24 - Common Hand Problems - Dr Natasha van Zyl

For full term Tuesday lecture program click here

This is the final lecture for this term.

 

Austin Health - Division of Medicine Grand Round

Department of General Medicine – Medical Unit 5: “Diabetes and Heart Disease: Do Some Diabetic Medications Kill People?” Speakers: Dr Mary Pan, Med 5 Registrar, & Assoc. Prof Richard C. O’Brien, Clinical Dean, Department of Endocrinology

Wednesday 25 June, 2008 12:10pm at John Lindell Lecture Theatre, Level 4, Lance Townsend Building, Opposite Medical Library - followed by lunch in Zeltner Hall at 1:00pm

 

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HMR

Skin conditions in older persons - dermatology update  

Dermatitis, skin growths, BCC, SCC, and older people. Speaker: Dr Boon Tan,  Fairfield Dermatology Clinic.  

For medical practitioners, practice nurses and pharmacists. 4 category 2 CPD points, 2 CPE points (pharmacists).

Wednesday 2 July: 7:00pm - 9:00pm Light meal & registration from 6.30pm at NDGP Training Room  232 Plenty Road Preston. Flyer

Further information about Medication Reviews contact Dr Jenny Gowan on 9426 7689 or Mob 0417 506 944

 

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Information Management

Medical Director Tip - Cleaning up old recalls

Sometimes recalls are left in the system which have never been acted on, are years old and no longer valid. You can get rid of these by choosing a date range of between 8 and 4 years ago, have the GPs check the printed list and then remove the recalls once you are happy that it is safe to do so.

No patient record open:

·         MD2 - Search >Recalls

·         MD3 – Search >Recall…

1. Under “Select Interval” choose “Other”. Type in the date range, for example: 01/01/2000 to 01/01/2004.

2. Print the list and get GPs to check.

3. If you don’t need to save any of the recalls go back to list and press the Save button. You will be prompted to Update, Remove or Cancel.

4. Click on Remove to remove all the old recalls.

The next search could be for recalls from 4 to 2 years ago. For more recent “old” recalls you may wish to delete the invalid recalls one by one on the screen – highlight recall and press Delete on the keyboard.

 

This weeks IM problem - Adding “infected hand” as reason for contact

Question: How do I record “infected hand” in the progress notes?

Answer: There is no “infected hand” or “hand – infection” in the coded list. One way round this is to type “Wound” in the coded list and select “Wound infection”, uncheck “Save in PMH” and click OK. Once this has been added as “reason for contact” you can add “- right hand”.

 

New on the Web

1. Two new MD templates

·         The Royal Women's Hospital - request for pregnancy care

·         The Royal Women's Hospital - Women’s Health/Gynaecology Care

Found under IM Resources – MD templates – Hospital referrals

2. AGPN Nurses News – June 2008 - found under Nurses Resources - AGPN

3. Instructions for filling out PEN template – revised to includec changes to PEN First template - gathering diabetes “at risk” patients and patients on 5+ medications – found under Information Management – PEN.

4. NEVDGP Hard Copy Newsletter June 2008 – found on Home Page – Latest News.

 

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Items of Interest

GP Network News

This edition contains AMA Calls For Transparency in Primary Health Care Reform, General Practice Week: 15-21 June, Reminder – Residential Aged Care Facilities Survey Ends 20 June, Queen’s Birthday Honours, The Balint Society – Helping Doctors. Full version.

 

BECC waiting times

Waiting times for new referrals to Bundoora Extended Care Centre Inpatient Admissions are currently Gem > 7 days, Rehab > 5 days. For further information or assistance please contact Access BECC on 9495 3109.

 

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News for Practice Staff

Practice Managers’ Network Meeting

Wednesday 25th June 7-9pm (registration and dinner from 6.30) at John Scott Meeting House, La Trobe University. (Map) Topics include Argus Secure Electronic Clinical Messaging, Working with Diabetes ‘at risk’ patients and Using SMS for Recalls/Reminders. Presenters: Gary Tucek, Angie Deegan, Noel Stewart and NEVDGP Practice Managers. Contact Noel on 9496 4333 or see flyer.

 

Recognising and rewarding nurses (Nominations excepted by Practice Nurse, GPs and Managers)

Nominations are now open for the 2008 Australian Practice Nurses Association (APNA) Best Practice Awards. The Awards aim to recognise and reward extraordinary nurses working in the general practice setting. Six awards are on offer in 2008. The prize money, ranging between $1000.00 and $5000.00, is to be put to use furthering the winning nurse’s professional development. Previous recipients of the awards have chosen to undertake work experience and education both locally and in international locations.

The categories open for nomination are in the area of: Immunisation, Chronic Disease Management, Innovation and Commitment to Nursing in General Practice, Quality Improvement, Women’s Health and Wound Management.  For details on how nurses can nominate themselves or how a GP and practice manager can nominate their own practice nurse, go to the APNA website at www.apna.asn.au or call 9614 777. Nominations close 5:00pm Thursday 16th October, 2008

 

ADGP Nursing News June 2008

This includes National Nurse Refresher, Program and National skills, Based Orientation Program for nurses new to general practice, Development and delivery of an e-learning training package to support Medicare Item 10997, 2008 NiGP Needs Assessment, Stories from the Frontline RCNA, General Practice Nurse Conference, Graduate Certificate in Nursing, (General Practice) First Graduation, Domestic Violence Referral, Points Project Update, National Resource Library Other News: Graduate Certificate in Nursing (General Practice) – University of Queensland, Lifescripts, ADEA – Insulin Initiation in People with Type 2 Diabetes. Full version

 

RCNA General Practice Nurse Conference

Stories from the Frontline The 2008 RCNA General Practice Nurse Conference will be held from the 25-27th November at the Novotel Pacific Bay Resort in Coffs Harbour. The call for abstracts will be available shortly. AGPN are once again assisting RCNA in sourcing practice nurses who would be interested in presenting in the “Stories from the Frontline” Session. This session provides an opportunity for first time presenters to give a short presentation of around 10 minutes sharing their experience of practice nursing. This session has been rated very highly by delegates at previous conferences. To register you interest or seek further information please contact Beta Chakraverty at bchakraverty@agpn.com.au or (02) 6228 0858. Please note that presenters in the Stories from the Frontline session will receive financial support to cover travel expenses and registration costs, through the Divisions Network NiGP Program.  

 

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Positions vacant/wanted

Please note: only new ads, paid ads or resubmitted ads will be posted here. All other ads can be found on the website

 

Positions vacant

Doctors

Cheltenham - We are looking for a VR GP to join our midsized accredited practice. Comfortable new rooms, fully computerised, flexible sessions, pathology, podiatry, physiotherapy and psychology all on site. Excellent remuneration, you will not be disappointed. Will suit subsequent trainees. For further information please phone Peter Enten on (03) 9584 9504 or peterenten@bigpond.com  

 

Kensington Doutta Galla Community Health Centre Medical Clinic is seeking VR GPs, part-time and flexible sessions available. Particularly focussing on Youth and Young Adults. Fully accredited and computerised practice with Nurse Support: Practice, Community Health, Refugee Health and Mental Health Nurses on staff. Attractive salary including salary packaging or percentage of billings (excluding PIP). Research and special interests supported. Please contact: Janina on (03) 8378 1621 or email: janina.desilva@dgchs.org.au 

Ivanhoe Medical Clinic - sessions for PT VR GP. Modern, large group with supportive colleagues and full time nurses, computerised, CDMs, mixed billing, flexible, friendly, no A/H, good remuneration. Contact Dr.Stephen Smith or Dr.David Doig on 03 9499 1245.

 

University Hill Medical Centre - Doctors to work in Outer Metro Area (grant available). Contemporary surrounds, fully computerised, Nurse support, Tel: 0433 155 451

Practice Staff

Doutta Galla Community Health Service (DGCHS) - Coordinator - Client Services / Reception Full-time (with some flexibility). DGCHS is a leading community health service committed to servicing a diverse group of clients including newly arrived migrants and people with complex needs. DGCHS provides busy medical, dental and allied health practices. As the Client Services Coordinator you will provide leadership and direction to client services staff in the day-to-day operations of the four main DGCHS sites and be responsible for rostering of staff including managing absences. For further information and to obtain a detailed position description please email Anne Lennard, General Manager, Dental & Client Services anne.lennard@dgchs.org.au

 

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Humour

Tomato patch

An old Italian lived alone in New Jersey. He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard.  His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:

Dear Vincent,

I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won't be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.

Love, Papa

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Pop,

Don't dig up that garden. That's where the bodies are buried.

Love, Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. Later, that same day the old man received a telegram from his son.

Dear Pop,

Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances.

Love you, Vinnie

 

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