Respect Connect Lead. Annual Report 2017

Transcription

1 Respect Connect Lead Annual Report

2 Annual Report 2017 Contents About this report About this report 3 Who we are 4 Health profile of our communities Report from the Chair 8 Report from the Chief Executive officer 10 Our Performance 12 RESPECT Listen Value Respond 13 CONNECT Engage Collaborate Empower 17 LEAD Question Innovate Pioneer 21 Our Board 29 Board Committees 32 Our Executive 34 Organisation Chart 36 Community Engagement 37 Our Staff 39 Financial Statements 42 The Western Victoria Primary Health Network (PHN) Annual Report 2017 provides an overview of its activities and performance from July 1, 2016 to June 30, The information in this document reports against the published values of the organisation. These values are: Respect Connect Lead More information on the development of these values can be read on page 40. This report provides details on our services, how we have performed and information on the people who have worked with us and for us. A full financial statement report has also been included at the end of the document. This report was presented at the Western Victoria PHN Annual General Meeting on October 26, We welcome your feedback Feedback is important to us and contributes to improving future reports for our readers. We welcome your comments about this annual report and ask you to forward them to: communications@westvicphn.com.au More copies of the 2017 Western Victoria PHN Annual Report Hard copies are available from: 131 Myers Street, Geelong 101 Drummond St Nth, Ballarat 81 Hamilton Street, Horsham Bayside City Plaza, Fairy Street, Warrnambool communications@westvicphn.com.au COVER PHOTO: Pharmacist and Opioid Management Clinical Advisor for Western Victoria PHN Pene Wood meeting with GP, Dr Jane Opie. Dr Opie is also Medical Advisor for Western Victoria PHN. Phone: (03) Or available for download online at: 3

3 Who we are Western Victoria Primary Health Network is one of 31 Primary Health Networks (PHNs) across Australia and one of six in Victoria. We are a not-for-profit organisation, membership based, company limited by guarantee, and were established on 1 July We serve a population of approximately 600,000 people with a land area of 79,843sq kms. Each part of the region has established Clinical and Community Councils to provide the organisation with insights into key regional healthcare needs. Horsham Ballarat Geelong Warrnambool 4

4 Annual Report 2017 Our Board is skills-based and made up of four elected and five appointed Directors. The organisation comprises of 95 staff (78 EFT) and consists of four regional centres in Horsham, Ballarat, Geelong and Warrnambool. Each regional centre has a Senior Manager, staff, Community Council and GP led Clinical Council. Our position statement Together with our partners and communities, Western Victoria PHN identifies priority health care needs, improves access through government funding, and co-designs localised solutions to improve health care systems across western Victoria. Our role We are responsible for delivering on the following two objectives set by the Australian Government: Increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of health services for patients, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes; and Improving coordination of care to ensure patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. Additionally, the Australian Government set six key national health priorities for targeted work by all PHNs. These are: 1. Mental health 2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health 3. Population health 4. Health workforce 5. Digital health 6. Aged care Our organisation structure Western Victoria Primary Health Network Limited (the Company) is a company limited by guarantee. The Corporations Act 2001 sets out our key legal obligations as a company. A variety of other legislation and regulations bind the company in relation to workplace relations, occupational health and safety, information management and financial governance. Western Victoria PHN is a member of the Victorian Hospitals Industrial Association (VHIA) which provides ongoing advice about workplace relations and has current accreditation with the Quality Improvement Council s Health and Community Standards which incorporates quality standards relating to governance and management. The Company is governed by a Board of Directors operating under a Constitution (June 2015), which can only be changed through agreement of Members at a general meeting. To access the Constitution go to: westvicphn.com.au/about-us Registered Name: Western Victoria Primary Health Network Limited Registered Address: 131 Myers Street Geelong 3220 ABN: ACN: Charitable Status Western Victoria PHN is registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission. Membership Western Victoria PHN membership is available to individuals who are GPs, practice nurses, other primary health care practitioners working in private practice, and representatives of Local Hospital Networks. For further information contact Director Finance and Corporate Services, Tony Ficca on (03)

5 Health profile of our communities 2016 Western Victoria PHN is focussed on working with health service providers, users and communities to develop and improve access to the right primary health services, in the right place, at the right time. As part of this process, Western Victoria PHN conducted an overall health needs assessment for the region, a needs assessment to address alcohol and other drug associated health issues and a mental health needs assessment. Demographics Access to Services 576,798 People living in our region GP attendances 2,885,767 GP attendances 171,676 (after-hours) , ,928 99, years years 65 years+ 1% 17% 65 years+ Victoria & Australia 14% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population 5913 people Identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia 2.6% General Practitioners 25 Public Hospitals Pharmacies 147 General Practices 503 Pharmacists 2 Bush Nursing Hospitals 3 Community Health 5 Private Hospitals 6 Bush Nursing Centres 8 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) Cancer Screening Cancer screening participation rates in our region are higher than the national rates 42% Bowel 37% Western Vic 59% Breast Australia 54% 60% 57% Cervical Immunisations 93% 1yr olds are fully immunised Australia 91% 91% 2yr olds are fully immunised Australia 89% 94% 5yr olds are fully immunised Australia 92% 6

6 Annual Report 2017 Health Risk Factors 15yrs + 18yrs + 4yrs + 18yrs + 2yrs + 19% 3.2 per100 8% 37% 56% People are daily smokers Consume alcohol at high risk levels Met recommended fruit & veggie intake Met physical activity guidelines Are overweight or obese Australia 16% Victoria 3 per 100 Australia 9% Australia 44% Australia 55% Australia 4.7 per 100 Mental Health 18yrs + High or very high psychological distress Per 100 people 11.9 Western Victoria 11.4 Victoria 10.8 Australia Deaths from suicide and self-inflicted injuries Per 100,000 people 12.2 Western Victoria 10.8 Australia 9.4 Victoria Chronic Disease 4.9% Diabetes Circulatory 19.9% system disease Australia 4.6% Australia 17.4% Hospitalisations per 100,000 people 2,346 1,100 26,940 35,060 Potentially preventable hospitalisations Potentially preventable hospitalisations for chronic conditions Emergency department presentations Hospital admissions Australia 2,436 Age standardised Australia 1,122 Australia 28,880 Australia 35,606 Age standardised Source information for page 6 and 7: westvicphn.com.au/commissioning/needs-assessment 7

7 Report from the Chair Overview for the year The year has been one of large scale change and development for our PHN as we work towards our overall purpose of improving health outcomes in the western region. Our stakeholders are now broader than the previous Divisions of GPs and Medicare Local organisations across western Victoria. Today we regularly communicate with general practitioners, allied health professionals, pharmacists, practice managers and nurses as well as our primary health care partners who are delivering important health care to the community. We recognise that, as with all Boards, we look to diversity, expertise and professional excellence to be represented on our Board. We also recognise that primary health care is best delivered with and by a range of providers who are not GPs. Currently our Board consists of GPs, allied health professionals and corporate professionals, all bringing a range of expertise and strengths to the table. We could not work effectively without these professional and dedicated people. Today our relationship with GPs remains strong as they advise, consult and co design with us on many health care projects across western Victoria. This ongoing relationship is reflected in the change that we made to the constitution in May 2017; that a minimum of two of the four elected Directors must be general medical practitioners. This change to our Constitution reflects the central importance that GPs continue to play in the delivery of primary health care services. We continue to rely on their understanding of local issues and needs, and to work with us to drive better health outcomes for our communities across western Victoria. Financial summary The 2016/17 financial year was the first full year in the commissioning of services as required under the funding agreements of the federal government, and the second year of full operations as a PHN (commenced 1 July 2015), with total operating revenue for 2016/17 of $28.7m. The total operating revenue is predominantly federal government funding, however there is a growing proportion of state government funding associated with a number of programs. Of the total amount of funding received and held for program and commissioning services for 2016/17, 85.7 percent was delivered and spent on programs. Additionally, a positive balanced result for the year was achieved as a result of maintaining costs at a level in line with budgets and revenue. Western Victoria PHN remains in a financially robust position with solid cash reserves and a current working capital ratio of 1.32 (current assets/current liabilities) for the financial year (2015/16 was 1.46), with $16.9m of total assets During the financial year Western Victoria PHN was successful in tendering for additional government funding for the following programs: Doctors in Secondary Schools Real Time Prescription Monitoring Suicide Prevention Innovation Additional Drugs and Alcohol Services. These programs will be fully operational in the 2017/18 financial year providing an additional $3.3m in revenue. Full financial statements from page 42. 8

8 Annual Report 2017 Commissioning A key role of Western Victoria PHN is commissioning and this financial year has seen significant success in the area. This has been a fundamental shift in the way we work and how we support those who deliver primary health services to the community. We work with local communities, health consumers, general practice, health care providers, and our system stakeholders in order to ensure the decisions we make are represented by our approach to engagement in a transparent and collaborative way. Leading the organisation During the year the Board accepted the resignation of Chief Executive Officer Jason Trethowan. Jason has moved on to take up the role of CEO headspace national office and we wish him every success in this new role. On behalf of the Board I thank all Clinical and Community Council members for their work, insights and advice during this year. Their local perspectives are invaluable to the work we do. Thanks As Chair of the Western Victoria PHN Board I thank all current Board Directors for their commitment to the organisation. Thanks also to the Executive, management and staff for their work during the year. As we have moved through the transition phase of the organisation, there have been significant demands on teams to adopt new ways of working. This has often resulted in increased workloads. Directors appreciate the hard work and accomplishments that have been achieved by all teams across the organisation. In May the Board was delighted to welcome new Chief Executive Officer Dr Leanne Beagley. Leanne was, until 2016, the Director, Mental Health and Drugs in the Victorian Department of Health and previously held other senior executive roles in a range of health services including Austin Health and Eastern Health. The Board also wishes to express appreciation to Kate Barlow, who capably stepped in as acting CEO prior to Leanne s appointment. Clinical and Community Councils This year Western Victoria PHN reviewed the current structure and expectations of our eight Clinical and Community Councils. This was done with the view to improve the level of engagement of the Councils and more closely align their input and advice to the Board, especially on local considerations and issues. As a result it has been recommended that the eight Councils will now be restructured into four Councils (one for each regional centre) and each Council will be a combination of clinical and health care representatives along with community representatives. Regular meetings and briefings by the Chief Executive Officer will also be scheduled for Councils. This will be implemented in the next financial year. Ms Lynne McLennan Chair 9

9 Report from the Chief Executive officer We continue to rely on the understanding of local issues and needs by general practitioners, and for them to work with us to drive better health outcomes for our communities across western Victoria. Leanne Beagley Newsletter Blog June 2017 Strategic Planning for our future This year the development of an organisational Strategic Plan was seen as critical for Western Victoria PHN, as the organisation moved from transition to a consolidation phase in its third year of operation. The Board and the Executive recognised significant opportunities for Western Victoria PHN to actively integrate its operations and future planning to best service our communities across western Victoria. As part of the engagement and discovery process, the views of stakeholders were sought through team and group discussions, an online survey was launched and workshops were held at the four regional centres of the Western Victoria PHN catchment, as well as a special workshop with our eight advisory Clinical and Community Councils. Apart from identifying strengths and opportunities for Western Victoria PHN for our future planning, the consultation process also identified general heath sector issues and opportunities that all primary health care providers and PHNs need to address. The entire process was well received and by the end of the financial year we are well placed to launch the completed Strategic Plan at our Annual General Meeting in October. The Board, Executive and leadership team are looking forward to working through the introduction and implementation of this plan during Strengthening our partnerships Building our value as an active leader in health service planning and system development relies on strong collaboration. It has been a privilege to meet with primary care providers, hospital leaders, funded agencies and health consumers to hear more about the strengths, work and challenges of the PHN. Strengthening our team A comprehensive Staff Survey completed during the year identified a range of issues for the Executive and management to work through. Staff identified a desire for stronger organisational direction, more clarity in role and expectations, transparency in processes and decision making and more reliable leadership. This feedback was closely considered by the Executive and as a result an Action Plan was developed. A key action initiated was the development of an internal structure review. It was recognised that an efficient and more streamlined organisational structure would provide us with the best chance of delivering what we do with efficiency, effectiveness, quality and safety as well as strengthen leadership across the organisation. The new organisation structure is included in this Annual Report see page

10 Annual Report 2017 Inaugural recognition awards This year I announced the initiation of a Staff Recognition Awards process for Western Victoria PHN. I have been keen for all staff to embrace the values work undertaken as an organisation, and take it to the next level. It is also an opportunity to recognise examples of real leadership in these areas of Respect, Connect and Lead. Staff and management were encouraged to consider identifying and nominating colleagues for any of three awards aligned with these values: Thank you Thank you to the Western Victoria PHN Board and my Executive team for your warm welcome and support since May this year. I feel very fortunate to be part of such a skilled and dynamic team and I look forward to working alongside my colleagues, including all PHN staff, to facilitate excellence in health care across all our communities Staff Recognition Award Respect 2017 Staff Recognition Award Connect 2017 Staff Recognition Award Lead. The winners of these awards will be announced at the Annual General Meeting on 26 October Acknowledgements I acknowledge the ongoing collaboration of all primary health networks, but in particular the six PHNs in the Victorian PHN Alliance. The commitment to share information and resources across regions continues to be very welcome. The Victorian PHN Alliance continues to provide statewide coordination on numerous programs and projects, and their collaboration plays a significant role in strengthening health outcomes for Victorians. I also acknowledge and thank the Commonwealth Government on their support of our organisation, and for their leadership, commitment and collaboration to effect change and improvements to the health and wellbeing of the west Victorian population. Dr Leanne Beagley Chief Executive Officer 11

11 Our Performance Through our values of Respect, Connect and Lead we will showcase the work we have undertaken during the year and the steps we have taken, through innovation, collaboration and partnerships, to improve health outcomes for communities across western Victoria. These stories and examples of our work reflect the work done by the Executive, management and staff across the entire organisation. Cultural Safety Training Ballarat 12

12 Annual Report 2017 RESPECT LISTEN VALUE RESPOND Ensuring Western Victoria PHN is culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples The Australian Government established Primary Health Networks to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of health services for patients, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes. In March, while marking National Close the Gap Day, we were confronted with two crucial facts. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can expect to live up to years less than non-aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians What is crucial about living our organisational value of respect in this work, is finding ways to learn from each other and challenge our thinking to get the very best outcome for our PHN and ultimately those who receive our commissioned services. Leanne Beagley - CEO Blog, June 2017 Only 27% of Aboriginal people live to the age of 65. Western Victoria PHN receives funding to improve these outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the commissioning of health services. As a first step in the development of a region wide Reconciliation Action Plan, the Executive provided staff with an opportunity to undergo the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation s (VACCHO) Cultural Safety Training. This Cultural Safety Training enabled staff to examine their worldview to: Modify existing beliefs about Aboriginal people that they and some health professionals or organisations may hold Actively prevent possible stereotyping and prejudices both within and outside the organisation Incorporate new ways of seeing, valuing and understanding traditional and contemporary Aboriginal health care practices. VACCHO provided this training at three of our regional offices. Training was not site specific so staff could attend any session at any office. Staff undergoing Cultural Safety Training in Geelong (both photos) 13

13 RESPECT LISTEN VALUE RESPOND Improving accessibility to health services for transgender people Late last year, Dr Nic Brayshaw from Kardinia Health informed Western Victoria PHN of the increasing need for more GPs in the Geelong Otway region to assist transgender people in the prescription of hormone therapies. Up until now, Dr Brayshaw was the only GP in the Geelong Otway area taking on new patients and providing this health service for transgender people. Following a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) event in March on prescribing hormones, organised by Western Victoria PHN in collaboration with Dr Brayshaw and Geelong Adolescent Sexuality Project (GASP), another seven GPs in the Geelong Otway region expressed interest in prescribing hormone therapies to transgender people. To support this group Western Victoria PHN established a learning group led by Dr Brayshaw to support GP s in providing Transgender Healthcare. Western Victoria PHN also held a Trans & Gender Diverse Clinical and Social Models of Care - Assisting Your Patient workshop in Ballarat that attracted 30 health professionals. Dr Brayshaw, Dr Madeline Fernbach (Clinical Psychologist) and StarLady - Zoe Bell (Gender Collective Youth Project Officer) spoke at the event. This was a collaborative event with Ballarat Community Health and twelve months in the making. Feedback was extremely positive. Celebrating two years as a PHN This year staff gathered to mark and celebrate the second year anniversary of the formation of Western Victoria PHN. Western Victoria PHN s CEO, Leanne Beagley, welcomed all staff and said a few words of thanks on the huge amount of work that was required to take three organisations and restructure into a single entity. This afternoon is about stopping for a moment and acknowledging each other s hard work. Today, we are in a good place to build on past achievements and to empower one another to be innovative and responsive to our stakeholders, both internal and external, now and into the future, said Leanne. Staff in Warrnambool, Geelong and Ballarat celebrating our two year anniversary as a PHN (both photos) 14

14 Annual Report 2017 RESPECT LISTEN VALUE RESPOND Building bridges between health professionals and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples While Western Victoria PHN had been undertaking Cultural Safety Training internally, Western Victoria PHN s Indigenous Health Consultants and Primary Care Consultants were busy rolling-out Cultural Awareness Training for health professionals across the region this past year. Western Victoria PHN organised this training to provide health professionals a greater understanding of their local Aboriginal culture to ensure service provision met the health needs of local Aboriginal communities. Below is some feedback we have received from training. Cultural Awareness Training should be compulsory for all GPs and Practice staff. Very helpful to understand local Aboriginal history to understand impact on health and wellbeing. Very informative day, thank you. Today was Fantastic!! Thank you. Such an informative day. Thank you. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to attend. An encouraging 32 people from a range of health services attended training organised in collaboration with Dhauwurd- Wurrung Elderly Community Service (DWECH) on the Great South Coast. Local Aboriginal guides took participants on a tour of areas of significance in the local region including Budj Bim National Heritage Landscape, which extends from Mt Eccles-Budj Bim National Park down to the Tyrendarra area. A mix of GPs attended training in Geelong Otway with training covering: Practice Incentive Program requirements for cultural awareness training and accreditation needs Medicare Benefit Item information Close The Gap Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme Co-payment Asking the Question : Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identification Local cultural history, health priorities and cultural site tours. Traditional Wadawurrung woman, Corrina Eccles and Candice Mckenzie (Coordinator of Indigenous Medical Education and Lecturer in Public Health Medicine) from Deakin University spoke at the Geelong Otway training day. Health professionals undergoing Cultural Awareness Training in Geelong (both photos) 15

15 RESPECT LISTEN VALUE RESPOND Participants in weaving group in Stawell Aboriginal women s craft group creates health promotion pathway Western Victoria PHN s Indigenous Health Consultant, Gail Harradine and Grampians Community Health Indigenous Development worker, Ms Suzie Hamilton, organised a weaving workshop for the Indigenous Women s Craft Group, at Grampians Community Health, in Stawell this year. The event promoted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health information and facilitated a way for women to socialise and support each other with health and wellbeing issues in the Wimmera Grampians region. Elders, families and young mothers attended the event, mainly funded through the Grampians Indigenous Family Violence Regional Action Group (GIFVRAG) to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women meet, share stories and develop cultural skills. With facilitator Glenda Nicholl s assistance, participants weaved pine needle necklaces and thoroughly enjoyed their time with Glenda, a Wadi Wadi, Yorta Yorta and Ngarrindjeri woman. Pine needle weaving 16

16 Annual Report 2017 CONNECT ENGAGE COLLABORATE EMPOWER GP Refresher a resounding success! In March, Western Victoria PHN held its ninth GP Refresher Weekend (second as a PHN) at Deakin University, Waurn Ponds. The event was an enormous success with over 200 delegates attending over the two days. The GP Refresher Weekend is our annual flagship educational activity and is the largest event of its kind in western Victoria. It provides general practitioners with a valuable opportunity to broaden their expertise and share their experience, wisdom and network with their colleagues. I will be open and transparent, inclusive and considerate and positive and professional when working with others. Our Values Connect Western Victoria PHN Delegates had access to an outstanding list of invited speakers. Highlights from the program included presentations from Cardiologist, Dr Adam Hutchison, who spoke on the management of heart failure and Infection Disease Specialist, Dr Amanda Wade, who took the audience through Hep C Direct Acting Antiviral Therapy Prescribing DAA in general practice. Running this event is part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring health professionals across the region have access to a well-structured, high quality localised CPD program. A sample of presentations from Western Victoria Primary Health Network s February GP Refresher Weekend are available online on our website. We acknowledge that not everyone can attend face-to-face education, particularly some of our more rurally based GPs. To ensure that Western Victoria PHN responds to the needs of primary health care professionals in our region, we will shortly launch an online platform to extend the reach and accessibility of our CPD program. Wound Care CPD event attracts record number for the Wimmera During the year Western Victoria PHN held a Wound Care Management Workshop in Horsham presented by Jan Rice, Wound Nurse Consultant at Wound Care Services. There were 53 nurses and allied health professionals in attendance on the day - a record for the Wimmera Grampians region in recent years. Dr Amit Kumar and Dr Jeff Urquhart at the GP Refresher Attendees learned about the physiology of wound healing, antiseptics past and present, dressing selection, the management of leg ulcers and the management and prevention of pressure injuries. They also had the opportunity to discuss several case scenarios relating to wound care with Jan. Western Victoria PHN received extremely positive feedback on the day and hope to make this workshop an annual event. 17

17 CONNECT ENGAGE COLLABORATE EMPOWER Connecting with our health professionals through Continuing Professional Development This past year, Western Victoria PHN held 351 Continuous Professional Development (CPD) events across the region, which were attended by 5266 health professionals. The success of our CPD events demonstrates that our CPD consultants and Primary Care Consultants are developing and organising information that is sought after and timely. CPD attendances by location: Location Geelong Ballarat Warrnambool Horsham CPD attendees by type: Number Advanced training nurses as local health services increasingly pressured During the year Western Victoria PHN administered the funding of the rural and isolated practice endorsed registered nurse (RIPERN) scholarship program. Scholarships worth $10,000 each, were allocated to upskill 18 state registered nurses who will be undertaking online study and training over the next one to two years. Once training is completed, these skilled nurses will be able to provide a wider range of primary care and emergency services from rural health services. In western Victoria, many small rural health services rely heavily on GPs to provide services to people who present at their practice for urgent care. If the GP is unavailable a RIPERN nurse is equipped to make a call on whether patients can be treated by nursing staff or transferred to a bigger health service. Advancing nursing practice is an important strategy for positioning health services to respond to the growing demands of an ageing population and diminishing health workforce. Advancing nursing practice, such as the RIPERN training, ensures that nurses are enabled to achieve and extend their clinical potential, that doctors have a better work-life balance, and that rural communities receive a consistent level of safe and quality emergency care as close to where they live as possible. The award recipients currently work at the following health services. Ballarat region four nurses received these scholarships and they are currently working at Hepburn Health Services and Beaufort and Skipton Health. Health professional group General practitioners Practice nurses Allied health practitioners Practice managers Practice staff % of attendees 61% 20% 11% 5% 3% Colac region one nurse has received this scholarship and is currently working at Colac Area Health. Horsham-Wimmera region four nurses have received these scholarships and are currently working at Edenhope and Memorial District Hospital and Rural Northwest Health. In Warrnambool region nine nurses received scholarships. They work at South West Healthcare- Camperdown, Timboon and District Health Service, Moyne Health Services, Cobden District Health Service and Heywood Rural Health. 18

18 Annual Report 2017 CONNECT ENGAGE COLLABORATE EMPOWER Connecting with our internal and external stakeholders Westvic News Each week, Western Victoria PHN produces and distributes an e-newsletter to over 2,300 of its stakeholders regionwide, including allied health, GPs, practice nurses and practice managers. Our analytics show that Chief Health Officer advice and alerts, information on vaccinations, opioid management and training, epip, HAAC, the Medicare Benefits Scheme, nursing events and our CEO s blog to be the most popularly read content. Throughout March and early April this year, Western Victoria PHN asked Westvic News readers to provide feedback on its content, format and frequency. Of the responses received, the majority said they: Read Westvic News weekly Liked the number of articles that appeared in the newsletter Didn t mind what part of the week they received Westvic News Would like to continue to receive Westvic News weekly Found education events in their region of most interest Were interested mostly in information pertaining to their region. In response to feedback received through this survey and via other channels, we have re-structured the e-newsletter to include anchors to regional news and events - eliminating the need to scroll to information. The content and timing of the weekly publication remained the same. Western Victoria PHN s first intranet launched On 1 July 2016, Western Victoria PHN launched its first intranet for staff. The intranet provides a regular spot for CEO and Executive updates, a platform for staff to advertise and promote their own events or goods under the Staff Forum section as well as receiving and sharing information on updated policies and events around the region. The intranet has been widely embraced by staff and we look forward to improving their user experience by introducing single sign-on functionality in the near future. Learning Management System and website During the year the organisation approved the building of a new Learning Management System (LMS). Online access to education and training is critical for health professionals of all disciplines working in regional and rural areas and the organisation is committed to staying at the forefront of technological advances in this field. It is anticipated that the new system will be launched later this year An LMS will support the organisation to manage the administration, delivery, tracking and reporting of online modules/training, webinars and elearning programs. It will assist the CPD team to organise content, data and learner audiences. Western Victoria PHN is also planning for the development of a new website which will be progressed during 2018 and launched later that year. Westvic News Intranet 19

19 CONNECT ENGAGE COLLABORATE EMPOWER Celebrating and supporting NAIDOC Week NAIDOC week falls during the first week of July each year. Last year, our Indigenous Health Consultant for Geelong Otway, Mick Ryan was awarded the Community Service Award at the flag raising ceremony at Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative Health Service in Geelong. Ballarat staff also attended the NAIDOC flag raising ceremony at BADAC with staff continuing on for the King Billy Memorial Walk and smoking ceremony. This year, in Horsham, we co-sponsored a series a locally designed Aboriginal flags along Firebrace Street to increase the awareness of Aboriginal culture to the broader community. Our Indigenous Health Consultant, Gail Harradine, along with local visual artist and teacher, Mary French, arranged an art project with a group of Aboriginal children from Dimboola Primary and Dimboola Secondary School to produce the series of artwork on the flags around the premise of expressing culture through art. In Ballarat, we partnered with St John of God Hospital, Ballarat Base Hospital and Central Highlands PCP to host an event to celebrate NAIDOC week in the new foyer of Ballarat Base Hospital. Our CEO, Leanne Beagley along with other CEOs were asked to speak about each organisation s commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Western Victoria PHN s commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is strong, said Leanne. The recently released Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (2017) highlighted that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to experience a significantly higher burden of disease (2.3% times the rate of non-indigenous Australians) and a reduced life expectancy in comparison to other Australians. Western Victoria PHN is working closely with the local communities to better understand the factors that contribute to poor health outcomes experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our region, said Leanne. In Warrnambool, our office co-sponsored their local DWECH NAIDOC Ball with some of our staff attending the event. Let s Work Together event The first Let s Work Together event for the organisation was held in July 2017 in Geelong and was well attended with approximately 65 allied health professionals, practice nurses and practice managers attending the event. The event was an opportunity to showcase how Western Victoria PHN can support allied health professionals, practice nurses and practice managers to improve coordination of care and increase efficiency and effectiveness of health services for patients in the Geelong Otway region. Attendees also heard from the major health services including Barwon Health, St John of God Hospital, Geelong Private Hospital/Geelong Clinic, Epworth Geelong, Colac Area Health and Bellarine Community Health about the services they offer. Both before and after the event, attendees had opportunity to visit the Health Services and PHN display tables which were set up in an expo format to allow conversations, networking and information to be disseminated. The feedback was very positive with health services receiving great engagement with attendees during this networking time. Western Victoria PHN is now looking to replicate the event across the western Victoria region. Our Geelong Otway Indigenous Health Consultant, Mick Ryan, receiving a Community Service Award from Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative in Geelong during NAIDOC Week 20

20 Annual Report 2017 LEAD QUESTION INNOVATE PIONEER Western Victoria PHN farewells inaugural CEO and welcomes new CEO Lynne McLennan, Chair of Western Victoria PHN, announced the resignation of Chief Executive Officer, Jason Trethowan early As the inaugural Western Victoria PHN CEO, Jason made a significant contribution to the establishment of a new approach to primary care service development in this region. Prior to this appointment with the organisation, Jason was CEO of the General Practitioners Association of Geelong and then CEO of Barwon Medicare Local. I would encourage each of you to notice the leadership provided by your colleagues and what opportunities you yourself have to reassure, empower and inspire others. Leanne Beagley CEO Blog June 2017 Following his resignation Deputy CEO, Kate Barlow acted as interim CEO during the Board s Executive search process to replace Jason. The Board was pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Leanne Beagley to the position of Chief Executive Officer in April. Delivering mental health services for young people across the Great South Coast Following a needs assessment conducted by Western Victoria PHN, our partners and communities, Member for Wannon Dan Tehan MP, announced the establishment of a new headspace satellite service in central Portland in June. The establishment of a headspace satellite service in central Portland, administered by headspace Warrnambool, will provide those direct and much needed services for local young people. Dedicated core funding for this service will extend vital mental health, alcohol and other drugs, education, vocational support and primary health services to young people aged between 12 to 25 years, in what is recognised as one of Victoria s most disadvantaged regions. Brophy Family & Youth Services will deliver this service in Portland following operation of headspace Warrnambool since At headspace Portland announcement from left to right: Dan Tehan (Member for Wannon), Leanne Beagley (CEO - Western Victoria PHN), Anne Waters (Regional Manager - headspace Warrnambool), Mick Murphy (Independent Chair - headspace Warrnambool Consortium), and Anita Rank (Mayor - Glenelg Shire). 21

21 LEAD QUESTION INNOVATE PIONEER HealthPathways expands across Western Victoria Over the past year, the HealthPathways program has expanded from the Geelong area to Ballarat, Warrnambool and Horsham regions. A team of five GP editors across our region have been employed to localise clinical information and support and promote the program. A total of 470 pages have been localised on the HealthPathways Western Victoria website, including 310 clinical pages and 160 referral or resource pages. HealthPathways has worked with 15 different clinical work streams, including haematology, neurology, vascular and ophthalmology. discussed issues and opportunities to improve patient care across the primary and secondary interface and prioritised HealthPathway development. GP and specialist input was essential in the development of evidence-based, locally agreed condition guidelines. Recently, the south west region conducted their first steering group meeting with representation from Western Victoria PHN and executive members from health services across the south west region. The steering group prioritised Older Persons Health as their first focus area for pathway development. In March 2017, the Ballarat Grampians region commenced their first clinical stream in Neurology and Vascular. This involved establishing a workgroup of neurologists, vascular surgeons and four general practitioners. The workgroup The HealthPathways team celebrate achieving 400 localised HealthPathways pages. The Neurology Working Groups coming together to discuss HealthPathway development priorities 22

22 Annual Report 2017 LEAD QUESTION INNOVATE PIONEER Western Victoria PHN leads consortium to develop the Real Time Prescription Monitoring training and information system During the year it was announced that Western Victoria PHN will lead a consortium, comprising all Victorian Primary Health Networks and NPS MedicineWise, to develop and deliver comprehensive training and education on the Real Time Prescription Monitoring system for doctors and pharmacists across Victoria. The increasing harms and deaths from the misuse of prescription medicines is a growing major public health concern in Victoria. In 2016, there were 372 Victorian drug overdose deaths involving pharmaceutical medicines, higher than the number of overdose deaths involving illicit drugs (257), and higher than the road toll (291). Chronic conditions care funding would go toward improving patients lives by helping keep them out of hospital. The organisation has spent over 12 months consulting local health professionals, GPs, health services and communities about how best to deliver primary health care services at the local level. With the growth in many chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart diseases, lung diseases, cancer, dementia, mental health and musculoskeletal problems, a more focussed approach to managing these patients and their treatment was needed. Western Victoria PHN allocated $5.375 million across the region for these services and an undertaking was made and honoured to maintain existing funding levels across the region. Real Time Prescription Monitoring is a clinical decision support system that will allow doctors and pharmacists to access an up-to-the-minute medication supply history of certain high risk medicines for their patient at the point of consultation, including support for those individuals who may be misusing prescription medicines or receiving supplies of high-risk medicines beyond therapeutic need. The training and information system, which is currently being developed under the guidance of the consortium, will provide health practitioners with the skills to safely manage patients who may be misusing prescription medicines or receiving supplies of high-risk medicines beyond therapeutic need. The new system will be mandatory and will be implemented in This initiative will involve the roll out of a software system to over 1,900 medical clinics, 1,300 pharmacies and 200 hospitals throughout Victoria, as well as training and support packages for doctors and pharmacists. Addressing chronic conditions across the region In March, Western Victoria PHN announced new services to help people with chronic conditions in rural communities access care with services operational from 1 July The funding was subject to a rigorous review of the services local communities needed and a subsequent tender process to select local health service providers. Psychologist Jacqui White with client 23

23 LEAD QUESTION INNOVATE PIONEER Tackling alcohol and drug use early Western Victoria PHN has invested $1.6 million into Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) support services across the region from 1 May This follows a thorough needs assessment involving community stakeholders including general practice and treatment providers. The needs assessment process highlighted there was a significant gap in coordination and communication between treatment services and non-treatment services including general practice. Funding is being used to: Deliver early intervention services for those people requiring assistance for substance use including families affected by use Build the capacity of the non-treatment sector to screen, identify use early and make timely referrals to treatment intervention services Integrate and coordinate early intervention services with primary, community and emergency services. Western Victoria PHN Vaccination rates above national target Childhood immunisation rates continue to increase in the Western Victoria PHN region. The national target of 95% has been exceeded with 96% of five-year-olds and more than 95% of one-year-olds fully immunised. According to the Australian Immunisation Register immunisation coverage report (June 2017), Western Victoria PHN has the highest number of fully immunised one-year-old & five- year-old children in Victoria. With 93% of two-year-olds fully immunised, we are working with all immunisation providers to increase the coverage rate for this cohort through education and development of quarterly recall systems. Immunisation has undertaken a vast range of changes in the past 12 months with the expansion of the Australian Immunisation Register to convert to a whole of life register, introduction of the shingles vaccine for year-olds and the inclusion of the Meningococcal W vaccine for year olds to the National Immunisation Program. Following a rigorous tender process, Western Victoria PHN awarded funding to these service providers. Comparative vaccination rates Great South Coast Western Region Alcohol and Drug Centre Inc. Western Victoria PHN 1 YEAR OF AGE 2 YEARS OF AGE 5 YEARS OF AGE 91% 93% 94% Ballarat Goldfields Geelong Otway Uniting Care Ballarat Barwon Child, Youth and Family Victoria 1 YEAR OF AGE 2 YEARS OF AGE 5 YEARS OF AGE 90.8% 94.1% 94.5% Wimmera Grampians Grampians Community Health Australia 1 YEAR OF AGE 2 YEARS OF AGE 91% 89% 5 YEARS OF AGE 92% 24

24 Annual Report 2017 LEAD QUESTION INNOVATE PIONEER HPV vaccination rates above national average According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report published this year, vaccination rates in the Western Victoria PHN region for the Human Papillomavirus were above the national averages for both boys and girls in In western Victoria, girls were above the national average of 78.6% at 84.4% and the highest in the State of Victoria. For adolescent boys, the western Victorian region is above the national average of 67.3%, and the second highest in the State at 74.7%, just behind Gippsland at 77.8%. In comparing the Geelong and Ballarat areas, Geelong residents are being immunised at a higher rate for girls (83.7% vs 79.2% respectively) and for boys (74.7% vs 67.9% respectively) as captured by the Statistical Areas Level 4 data. Data provided by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows an increase nationally from 72% ( ) to 74% ( ) and 79% in the latest data ( ) for girls 15 years and above. The National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Program has been in place for adolescent girls since 2007 and extended to boys in Supporting Immunisation Providers Western Victoria PHN s Immunisation Program aims to educate, support and assist immunisation providers on all aspects of immunisation to enhance local immunisation rates and provide quality services. We held our annual Immunisation Forum in Geelong on 29 July and attracted close to one hundred providers from across western Victoria immunisation services including general practice and local government. Attendees heard updates about national and Victorian immunisation programs and initiatives, and heard the personal story of Peter Plumber Walsh s battle with invasive pneumococcal disease, which led to the amputation of his limbs. Peter is Australia s first hand transplant recipient and the Walsh family shared a patient perspective highlighting the importance of vaccination. The success of this forum has led to another being organised in Ballarat on 28 October Staff organisers, speaker and information table at Immunisation Forum in Geelong (above photos) 25

25 LEAD QUESTION INNOVATE PIONEER Quality, risk and finance systems improvements Western Victoria PHN s Finance and Corporate Services team is leading the Quality and Risk function during a period of major service and business transformation. This includes the development, implementation, monitoring and review of the Quality Management System, the Risk Management Framework and legislative and regulatory Compliance Program. Western Victoria PHN has developed and implemented an integrated Quality Management System, aligned but not certified with the ISO (International standard) to ensure that decision makers at all levels of the organisation, including the Board, take a risk based approach to solving problems or managing programs, projects or other business transactions. Procurement and probity documentation and processes to support Western Victoria PHN have been developed as we moved from a provider to a commissioner of health services. Risk reporting has been strengthened, again across all levels of the organisation, with Project Leads now taking responsibility for identifying and managing local risks, while Senior Management and the Executive manage strategic, enterprise risk. Contracts, which is a module that supports all commissioning and commercial based contracts and used as a primary source for the organisation. This is linked directly to accounts payable and general ledger for automated processing Enterprise Budget, which assists the finance team prepare budgets and is linked to the finance general ledger for comparison and variance reporting X/L One reporting, which is a reporting tool that provides a mechanism to produce organisation specific reports. Implementing the new Technology One system will ultimately provide us with improved processing and efficiencies, with more superior reporting and compliance capabilities. In 2017/18, additional modules will be implemented to further support the organisation. These include: A Human Resources module to support performance and professional development information Purchase Order module to automate and improve the process of purchasing for the organisation. The review of the Policy and Procedure framework is almost complete. A staff requested Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) committee is active and strong, with a commitment to Health and Safety made via our policy and action plan. On the 1July 2016, we commenced using a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system Technology One. The first phase of this system included: A Finance system which includes general ledger, accounts receivable and payable, assets, BAS reporting and bank account reconciliation Payroll and electronic timesheet process which is linked directly to payroll 26

26 Annual Report 2017 LEAD QUESTION INNOVATE PIONEER Leading the way in digital health Western Victoria PHN has experienced an increase of over 150 per cent in the number of secure messages sent across the western Victoria region since July This translates into: Confidential information being transmitted without risk to privacy or care standards The establishment of a more efficient and effective patient pathway through the health system A streamlined referral process for practices An increase in legibility of information resulting in reduced clinical risk Delivery of better patient outcomes and reduced risk of patients getting lost in the system the affected area and then presented locally with breathing complaints from inhaling the smoke or any other health concerns. In future, following an emergency, the organisation may be required to find general practice services to assist with roles such as taking on additional patients or assisting with staffing of field medical centres. We may also need to issue health alerts for situations such as infectious illness outbreaks and heat health awareness. Western Victoria PHN keeps a record of contacts for emergencies for general practices and encourages all practices to sign up for Health Alerts with DHHS. Western Victoria PHN can also direct resources and training to practices if they need assistance with emergency preparation. Reduced paper based referral systems Improvement in efficiencies and cost savings. In May 2018, MyHealth Record opt out will commence. We are pleased to say that 70% of general practices in western Victoria are now registered for MyHealth Record - allowing GPs to place important patient healthcare information in one place online. We have achieved these good results by working with health professionals to demonstrate the benefits, and developing a whole of region approach using face to face engagement, assisting with technological issues and being responsive to health professional s needs. Western Victoria PHN primary conduit for emergencies The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has appointed Western Victoria PHN to provide health alerts to our region and assist the department during and after emergencies. Earlier this year, we received the first emergency response directive from DHHS following a long burning fire in a Melbourne factory. DHHS asked Western Victoria PHN to notify general practices to be aware of patients who may have visited 27

27 LEAD QUESTION INNOVATE PIONEER Standing with a portrait of the late Dr George Golding, from left to right: Dr Leanne Beagley (CEO, Western Victoria PHN), Mrs Val Golding, Johanna Mousley and Dr John Howell. Facilitating and supporting future leaders Dr John Howell, Chairman of the George Golding Memorial Fund and Dr Leanne Beagley CEO Western Victoria PHN presented Deakin University medical student, Johanna Mousley the George Golding Memorial Trust Scholarship 2017 in June. The scholarship is in memory of Dr George Golding, founder and CEO of the General Practitioners Association of Geelong, now Western Victoria PHN, who during his life devoted his time and expertise to the education and mentoring of medical students, registrars and GPs. The scholarship recognises academic excellence and supports the development of stronger connections between students, general practitioners, specialists and the Deakin University Medical School. Johanna Mousley believes community service is essential to becoming a good medical practitioner. She says it assists in developing empathy, understanding, teamwork and communication skills and has learned much about her local community through social justice work. Johanna grew up in Geelong and has widely been involved in various aspects of the community where she grew to love meeting different personalities and building ongoing relationships. She also grew to love having a sense of belonging to a community and believes that becoming a general practitioner would enable both of these loves to be fulfilled. Introducing new mental health services to better service a growing need Psychological Therapy Services (PTS) for western Victoria commenced on 1 November 2016 replacing the four regional Access to Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS). The aim of PTS is to provide equitable access to psychological therapies across the region for those who have difficulty accessing more mainstream services. The four regions developed waiting lists and clients were entered onto the CMS in readiness for the new service. In addition, all clients who were in active treatment during the transition were placed on the CMS to ensure that no one was disadvantaged by the process. From 1 November, both wait list clients and new referrals were processed through the system. As of 31 July 2017, a total of 3,818 referrals have been received and processed through the Referralpoint system. Over 11,600 sessions of focussed psychological therapies have been delivered. Wait times are lower than those of the previous systems. Western Victoria PHN has been instrumental in identifying areas of low provision and working with alliance leads to place clinicians in these areas, thus improving access for some vulnerable groups in remote parts of the region. We are aware, however, that workforce availability issues impact on efficiency of service delivery. We are currently evaluating the effectiveness of the PTS program in providing good outcomes for clients, and of Western Victoria PHN s Referralpoint system in ensuring ease of service delivery. 28

28 Annual Report 2017 Our Board Western Victoria PHN is governed by a nine member Board with a mix of five appointed and four elected Directors. The Board operates within the Board Charter. This Charter sets ethical standards for the Directors and governs the way in which the Board works. Furthermore, the Charter reflects the Board s commitment to the principles of good corporate governance. A Director becomes bound by the provisions contained in this Charter upon their appointment or election to the Board. The Charter applies to Directors individually and/or to the Board collectively. Ms Lynne McLennan Chair Lynne is an experienced Chair and brings strong governance and leadership experience to the Board, as well as a thorough understanding of the challenges associated with the primary health sector, having worked for more than 20 years in primary care redevelopment roles in rural and regional areas, across all levels of government. Since 2001 Lynne has been the CEO of UFS Dispensaries Ltd, is currently the Deputy Chair of the Committee for Ballarat and has more than six years as President of Ballarat Health Services. Mr Jim Elvey Deputy Chair Retired and living in Meredith, Jim had a high level career in local government, conducted a consulting practice over several years, performed as CEO to a national Board and has held the positions of Director and Deputy President of Ballarat Health Services. Jim was formerly the Chair of Grampians Medicare Local. Jim brings extensive organisational management experience to the Board. 29

29 Ms Marie Aitken Director An experienced psychologist and health board director, Marie worked as a psychologist in rural private practice in Horsham and Warracknabeal for over 20 years. She brings a wealth of knowledge concerning the mental health issues faced by rural people. She is a life governor and past president of Rural Northwest Health and is currently the Chair of Wimmera Health Care Group. Marie is a Graduate of the AICD and committed to maintaining and improving organisational wellbeing. Ms Susan Brumby Director Clinical Associate Professor Susan Brumby is the founding Director of the National Centre for Farmer Health and an executive staff member of Western District Health Service, Hamilton. She has an extensive working record in the health, agricultural, research and education sectors. She has published and presented internationally on rural and farmer health and is a current member of the Victorian Agricultural Advisory Council and a board member of SW TAFE. Dr Tim Denton Director Tim has been a GP in the Geelong region for 35 years. He is currently Clinical Director & GP at Kardinia Health, having been a remote GP in Central Australia & Arnhem Land for three and a half years as well as a suburban GP in North Geelong, Lorne and Anglesea. He has worked for five years at headspace Geelong. Tim believes passionately in the role of general practice as leading the way for Australians having an accessible, affordable and highly-skilled community-based primary health system. As past chair of both Western Victoria PHN and Kardinia Health he brings a wealth of experience in governance to his Western Victoria PHN board position. Ms Karen Foster Director Karen is a communications professional who brings to the Board many years experience in journalism, public relations and stakeholder engagement. A Port Fairy resident, Karen operates a design and communications agency in the Great South Coast region. She has broad regional networks and is an active Director on a number of regional Boards. 30

30 Annual Report 2017 Mr Mark Harris Director Mark has been part of this organisation in its various forms for over a decade, bringing to Western Victoria PHN a corporate history valuable to prudent decision making. He also provides the perspective of an experienced allied health professional providing clinical services to the Geelong community. Having worked in health management at both government and local levels, he understands the complexities of regional health care and the need for the right services to be delivered at the right place at the right time. Mr Michael Malouf Director Michael is an experienced CEO and Board Director, having previously been CEO of the Melbourne City Council, Greater Geelong City Council, Barwon Water and the Carlton Football Club. His areas of expertise include: senior management, strategic planning, policy, change management and strategic financial management. Michael is the Chair of the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust and also a Director on the Southern Rural Water Board. Dr Ric Milner Director Ric is excited about the opportunities to connect to tertiary services and coordinate all the allied primary health care. He believes there are many rewards in expanding the ability of general practice to initiate and promote high quality health services. 31

31 Board Committees Role of Board Committees The Board may from time to time establish appropriate Committees to assist it in the discharge of its responsibilities and may delegate the exercise of its powers to those Committees. The Board remains accountable for the decisions of the Board committees and each formally constituted Committee will have a written terms of reference, approved by the Board. Membership of Board Committees will be based on the needs of the Company and the skill and experience of the individual directors and/or officers. The Board has sole responsibility for the appointment of Directors and officers to Committees. The Board expects that, over time, the Directors will rotate between various Committees taking into account the needs of the committees and the experience of the individual Directors. The role, function, performance and membership of each committee will be reviewed on an annual basis as part of the Board s assessment process. Permanent Board Committees are: Finance, Audit and Risk Committee Commissioning and Tenders Committee Governance and Remuneration Committee Quality and Safety Committee. Advisory Committees are: Independent Nominations Committee Community Advisory Committees and Clinical Councils in each of the four sub regions. 32

32 Annual Report 2017 Risk Management Framework Internal Control Framework The Board acknowledges that it is responsible for the overall internal control framework, but recognises that no cost effective internal control system will preclude all errors and irregularities. To assist in discharging this responsibility, the Board has assigned the Finance, Audit and Risk (FAR) Committee the role of monitoring and reporting to the Board on the internal control framework that can be described under three headings: Finance, Audit and Risk Committee Mr Jim Elvey (Chair) Mr Michael Malouf Mr Mark Harris Ms Susan Brumby Ms Danielle Walker (Independent member) Effectiveness and efficiency of operations Reliability of reporting Compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Internal Audit Function The internal audit function assists the Board in ensuring compliance with these internal controls. The FAR Committee is responsible for approving the program of internal audit to be conducted each financial year and for the scope of the work to be performed. The internal audit function reports to the FAR Committee. Business Risk Management The FAR Committee provides advice to the Board and reports on the status of business risks to the Company through an integrated risk management plan aimed at ensuring risks are identified, assessed and appropriately managed. The risk management process involves ensuring: Strategic, operational and financial risks are identified The systems are in place to monitor and manage the risks Reporting systems are in place The risk management systems are operating effectively Compliance with relevant legislation Compliance with the code of ethical conduct. A comprehensive insurance program provides protection against major risk exposures that cannot be eliminated by appropriate risk management practices. Commissioning and Tenders Committee Mr Michael Malouf (Chair) Dr Tim Denton Mr Mark Harris Ms Karen Foster Quality and Safety Committee Ms Susan Brumby (Chair) Ms Marie Aitken Dr Ric Milner Governance and Remuneration Committee Ms Lynne McLennan (Chair) Dr Ric Milner Ms Karen Foster Independent Nominations Committee Ms Joanne Booth (Independent Chair) Ms Lynne McLennan Dr Tim Denton 33

33 Our Executive Dr Leanne Beagley Chief Executive Officer Leanne commenced as Chief Executive Officer at Western Victoria Primary Health Network in May She was until 2016 the Director, Mental Health and Drugs in the Victorian Department of Health, and previously held other senior executive roles in a range of health services in Melbourne including Austin Health, Eastern Health and Monash Health. Prior to this she worked as a clinician and family therapist in child and adolescent mental health services. Leanne has clinical qualifications in Occupational Therapy and Family Therapy, a Masters in Business Leadership and a PhD (Psychology) in organisational culture and performance. She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She has current appointments as a Director on the Boards of the Melbourne Anglican Diocesan Corporation Pty Ltd, Eating Disorders Victoria and Tweddle Child and Family Health Centre. Kate Barlow Deputy CEO and Director Strategy and Planning Kate Barlow currently holds the roles of Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Director, Strategy and Planning. Kate has extensive experience across the not for profit sector and a keen interest in cross-sector integration and coordination to address complex social issues, underpinned by a strong social justice philosophy. Throughout her career, Kate has demonstrated leadership expertise and capability, utilising strategic planning, relationships and thinking to identify and drive organisational performance, particularly during times of transformation, organisational development and reform. Kate holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) and has over 20 years experience working across the health and community sectors in the areas of primary health, mental health, family violence, sexual assault, problem gambling and homelessness. 34

34 Annual Report 2017 Rowena Clift Director Service and System Integration Rowena Clift is the Executive Director of Service and System Integration at Western Victoria PHN, with qualifications in Nursing and Health Systems Management. She has held previous leadership roles across various organisations in the acute sector in both clinical, service redesign and system transformation. With over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, Rowena is leading the organisation to collaborate and integrate with health service providers and consumers to improve the health system. A key priority area is engagement with primary care providers utilising platforms such as digital health and HealthPathways. Tony Ficca Director Finance and Corporate Services Tony is the Director of Finance and Corporate Services and has previously held a number of executive positions in the health care industry, including Director of Finance at St John of God Geelong Hospital and consulting on strategic development at Defence Health Insurance. He was also the Executive Director Finance and Company Secretary at GMHBA. Tony holds a Bachelor of Commerce, is a fellow of the Australian Society of CPA s and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 35