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National Primary Care Collaboratives |
 Update
Wave 1
Practices in Wave 1 acknowledge that quality improvement is an ongoing process and continue to make systems changes as required even though their formal commitment to be involved in the National Primary Care Collaboratives has been met.
As the first to embrace this hugely successful practice improvement program, they will always be recognised as the change leaders and innovators (risk takers) in our division. They showed us that change is possible and beneficial.
Wave 2
Practices involved in wave 2 of the NPCC program met at the home of Lennox Head GP Ann Staughton on November 16 to share good food, fabulous views and their stories about practice improvements. There is no doubt that the camaraderie and friendships that have developed amongst members of the team have contributed to the considerable improvements in practice systems that each practice is able to demonstrate.
As a result of the shared learning experiences, having fun together in Melbourne, and at our local networking meetings, the members of the team are interested in each other’s achievements and in sharing their solutions to common issues.
As we celebrated their 12 month milestone, the Waveriders reflected on what the program has meant to them, beyond the obvious improvements to management of diabetes, CHD and patient access to services.
Wave 3
October’s Learning workshop 2 for Wave 3 in Melbourne was the largest yet with more than 450 attendees, including 24 divisional CEOs and representatives from the Department of Health and Ageing.
Office manager Janine Slater from Brunswick Heads Medical Centre (Wave 2) presented in both the Access and CHD sessions and shared some of the innovations they have undertaken (see article page 15). GP Dave Cannon and Paula Bale from The Lismore Clinic, and Hugh MacLeod from Byron’s Shirley Street Medical Centre, (Wave 3), shared innovations related to Access and CHD respectively. All were highly evaluated.
The progress of Wave 3 practices through the change principles has been as impressive as the previous two waves.
Local Collaboratives
The five practices involved in the divisions’ local collaborative program have been working hard since their first learning workshop, building practice teams and creating valid registers of their diabetic and coronary heart disease patients. These are the first systematic changes which lead to reviewing and setting up proactive management systems with multidisciplinary and patient self managed care.
They are looking forward to their second learning workshop and networking dinner at Ballina Manor on December 9, and the inspiration they will receive from presenters who have been involved in the core NPCC program.
We look forward to welcoming Professor Liz Farmer, GP education director of the NPCC, to the workshop. Liz is a fantastic resource and we are fortunate that she is able to attend the workshop.
Sadly, Jennifer Boomer recently relocated to Sydney and until we recruit another person to her position, I will be caring for both the core program practices and the local practices – 27 practices in all.
Sandi Hill is the division’s national collaboratives program manager.
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