No 0829: August 21, 2008
eNews is a weekly electronic newsletter
sent to all GP practices (with email addresses) within the
Aged Care Winter Demand Strategies: Residential aged care, Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Drug Trials
Professional Development CPD events
HMR Free Dose Administration Aids for DVA patients following an HMR
Immunisation Hiberix, Measles Outbreak in
Information
Management includes General Computer Tip, Medical
Director Tips and New on the Web
Items of interest Diabetes
Educator in Diamond Creek Area, GP Network News, BECC waiting times
Mental Health An
update on depression, Seeking referrals, “At Ease”
News for Practice
Staff Retiring Practice
Manager, Subsidised Nurse Training, An Educational
Event for Asthma Educators and Nurses
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DHS has recently funded a number of hospitals in Melbourne to pilot services
that will help prevent avoidable emergency department presentations by residents
of aged care facilities over the peak winter period of July to October
2008. The
Northern Hospital
From 1 July to 31 October
2008, Northern Health is participating in a DHS Winter Initiative, which aims
to provide support to patients in RACFs. The
initiative will build on current NH programs, namely RECIPE, Hospital InThe Home (HITH) and Care Coordination. The service aims
to provide medical assessment and treatment in RACFs
via utilisation of the HITH team. Download the flyer
and information from the Northern Division's website (click here)
which outlines the referral process and services available. The service will
operate 24 hours a day 7 days a week, whereby RACFs
and GPs can refer directly to the designated referral line: 0409 195 220. The Aged
Care Liaison Nurse or Senior Doctor will manage the phone at all times.
The St Vincents Residential Care Inreach Service is focusing on:
·
24 hour nurse triage phone advice prior to
sending the resident to emergency: 1800 891 300
·
effective discharge planning should the patient
attend St Vincents Hospital
·
Aged Care Facility Inreach
service where required
·
Service offered predominantly to facilities in
the Yarra and Boroondara , but expanding as required.
The Austin Winter Demand Strategy Residential Care Inreach
Service offers
·
Same day assessment by a Hospitals In The Home
Nurse and an Emergency Department Physician at the aged care home
·
Hospitals in the Home support for patient
management at the aged care home, where appropriate
The Austin Inreach
service will be offered at the following aged care homes:
Melbourne
City Mission Eltham (Judge Book, Willandra), Lower Plenty Garden Views, St
Francis of Assisi, Strathalan, Darley House, Twin
Parks, Rosanna Views, Grace Villa, Hilltop Nursing Home, Latrobe Village and
Hostel, Greensborough Nursing Home, Fronditha Care
Templestowe, Regis MacLeod, Eden Terrace, Ashley Terrace, Deloraine, Southern
Cross MacLeod, Aberdeen, Sir William Hall.
The Inreach nurse is
available to take referral Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm on 0422 006 655
For more information please contact the Inreach nurse on 0422 006 655
Mon- Fri 8am – 4pm, or Dr Alison Sands or Clare Chiminello at the Division on 9496 4333.
The Medical and Cognitive Research Unit (Austin and
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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
August 26 - Foot Conditions - Dr Geoffrey Tymms
For full term Tuesday lecture program click here
Austin Health - Division
of Medicine Grand Round
Clinical
Governance Unit - “When doctors say no and families want the lot”
Speakers:
Richard Polkinghorn, Office of the Public Advocate
(OPA), Brendan Hoysted, Victorian Civil &
Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), Assoc Professor Bill Silvester,
Respecting Patient Choices (RPC). Wednesday
27 August, 12:10pm at John Lindell Lecture
Theatre, Level 4,
Led by the MS Australia physiotherapists and health promotion officer, this program will provide evidence for the benefits of physical activity for people with multiple sclerosis. Includes: A brief overview of what MS is; The benefits of exercise ; Symptom Management; Exercise guidelines.
Case studies will be used to highlight the wide variety of symptoms
experiences by people with MS. Tuesday September 16th, 2-5pm
at
The workshop on 'Engaging Men In General Practice' is now available to view FREE as a webstream via the Andrology Australia homepage www.andrologyaustralia.org
CPD points are available once an evaluation is completed at the conclusion of the webstream. The workshop is facilitated by Dr Alan Wright and features Alan Hopgood
in the role-plays. Learn skills to effectively
engage men in your practice, particularly around sensitive health issues. For
further information please contact Andrology
· Tuesday August 26 - Skin Cancer and Plastic Surgery; Early Recognition and Biopsy - Mr Mark Baldwin;
· Wednesday October 29 - Scrotal Disorders in Children - Dr Alex Auldist;
· Tuesday November 25 - Mindfulness Therapies in the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety - Dr Surya Tipirneni.
Each event will be held at Rydges on
To RSVP (or for further information), please contact Jo Robertson on 0409 939 332 or by email on jo.robertson@healthscope.com.au
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Many GPs are asking how they can generate an Authority script in Medical Director for the DVA DAA service. Unfortunately MD's latest update does not load any DVA DAA information into the GP's computer. DVA have asked them to do so and are told It will occur some time in the future. However, adding the DVA DAA service to a GP's data base on MD can be done at a local level, and attached is a (scrappy looking) set of instructions from DVA on how to do this.
The bottom line is that when a GP wishes to instigate a DVA-subsidised DAA service the simplest way to do this is by issuing a hand-written script just like the old days! All the GP needs to write is something like "DAA 6mths" and then ring for an Authority number at Veterans’ Affairs Pharmaceutical Advisory Centre (VAPAC) 1800 552 580. Flow chart.
For more information contact Dr Jenny Gowan, HMR facilitator, on 9416 7689
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Just a reminder to get your Hiberix orders in now
to ensure that you have stocks available by 1 September 2008. Please fax your
vaccine order to 1300 768 088 or email to immunisation@dhs.vic.gov.au
When do you use Hiberix vaccine?
Check firstly that the child has received Infanrix hexa as part of the six month schedule and is up to date
with all vaccines:
YES à
Give Hiberix
vaccine at 12 months of age
NO à
Give Comvax vaccine at 12 months
of age
UNSURE à Please call the Immunisation
Program on 1300 882 008 for further advice
Click here
for information about the current outbreak of measles in the
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Travelling overseas? No need to set up a Hotmail address. Want to access your work email from home? No need to do anything special, just get onto the web and go to www.mail2web.com, type in your Username and Password and it finds your email for you. You can read, download attachments and reply to all your emails.
If you are sure that all patients have been correctly notified of their results, i.e. you have had a manual checking system in place, you may wish to have all the patient records marked as “notified” in one hit rather than one by one. Once done, you can then start an electronic system with a clean sheet.
If the list is huge, quite a lot of paper can be wasted in printing the list before you get to the “Do you wish to mark these patients as notified?” dialogue box.
You can save paper and “trick” the program into thinking that the list has been printed. Once the print run has commenced, pull out the paper tray. Often the computer keeps processing and sending the information to the printer and eventually (like over ½ hour in some cases) you get the “Do you wish to mark these patients as notified?” dialogue box. You can then click on the Yes button.
Question: How do I change a medication to be coded as OTC?
Answer: Under the $ column in the medication screen, double click on the code (such as “P”) and change it to “Private/OTC” from the pick list.
The Script Codes are as follows:
P - PBS/RPBS
V - RPBS
R - PBS Restricted Benefit
D - RPBS Restricted Benefit
A - Authority
X - RPBS Authority
$ - Non PBS (including over-the-counter)
S - Section 100
1. Diabetes “Risk Test”- a Medical Director template found under IM Resources – MD templates (Chronic Disease Management).
2. AGPN Nurses News, August 2008 –
added to Practice Nurses Network
– AGPN News
3. Subsidised Nurse Training – found under Practice Nurses Network
4. ATAPS Administrative Documents – found under Mental Health – ATAPS Admin Documents
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Anna (Linda) Zingg is a qualified provider of diabetes self management education and a credentialed Diabetes Educator. She works from the Diamond Creek Medical Centre, providing individual consultation. She is also a recognised DVA and Medicare provider.Bulk bill only. She will provided people with the knowledge, skills and motivation to effectively manage their condition and works with other members of the health team and provide feedback to achieve mutually agreed clinical targets. More information or referral contact Anna on 9438 1911.
This edition contains AMA: Widen National Immunisation Register, Information Packs on Chronic Disease Management (CDM) Medicare Items, Australian General Practice Network Criticised from Within. Full version.
Waiting times for new referrals to Bundoora Extended Care Centre Inpatient Admissions are currently approximately Gem 3-5 days, Rehab 0-2 days as of 19/8/08. Any queries regarding our waiting times please contact Access BECC on 9495 3109
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Dr Melissa White (senior psychologist, North East Area Mental Health
Service) will provide an update on the latest research and practice in the
assessment and treatment of depression. Cost: $2. At Thomas Rossell Room, Banyule Community
Health Service,
for group program for teens of parents with mental
health issues. Age group: 12-18years Time: 6-7.30pm for 8 weeks (Term 3) Day of
week: to be worked out by participants. Venue; NEAMI
This is
the new mental health literacy package produced by the Department of Veterans
Affairs (DVA) which aims to encourage veterans to recognise
possible signs, take appropriate action and assume more responsibility for
their own health and well being, using the tag line ‘At Ease’ – ‘ Recognise, Act, Maintain’ . ‘At Ease’ consists of fact
sheets, posters, leaflets, brochures and a web site www.at-ease.dva.gov.au
which
provide information on common mental health problems and services available to
veterans and their families. DVA also produce the Mental Health Advice Book to
assist practitioners in managing common mental health problems in the veteran
community. For more information or to request material contact Ms Lou Howlett on (03) 9284 65 43
or email louise.howlett@dva.gov.au
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GPV has decided to operate a limited training calendar offering training in chronic disease management. The training will at this stage be limited to courses offered through The Lung Health Promotion Centre at the Alfred. The subsidy will be 50% of the full course fee. Courses on offer include Respiratory Nurse, Introductory course in Asthma Education, Managing COPD, Smoking Cessation Facilitators course, Spirometry, Paediatric Respiratory Update, Presenting and Educating with confidence.
Subsidy information Training calendar Application Form for subsidised practice nurse training
Saturday 13th September 12md-6pm at
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Please
note: only new ads, paid ads or resubmitted ads will be posted here. All other
ads can be found on the website
Doctors
Ivanhoe Medical Clinic - sessions for PT or FT 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.
Practice
Staff
Hawthorn East - Experienced receptionist required to work in a skin cancer clinic. Pracsoft/MD3 experience preferred but not essential. Permanent P/T position available with a good hourly rate. Email your application to: Loretta@molescreen.net.au or telephone Loretta McManus on 1300 730 781.
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Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have. Ralph and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool. Ralph suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there. Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled him out.
When the Director of Nursing became aware of Edna's heroic act she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally stable. When she went to tell Edna the news she said,
“Edna, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you're being discharged, since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and saving the life of the person you love. I have concluded that your act displays sound mindedness. The bad news is, Ralph hung himself in the bathroom with his bathrobe belt right after you saved him. I am so sorry, but he’s dead.”
Edna replied, “He didn't hang himself, I put him there to dry. How soon can I go home?”
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