Regional Allied Health Works Gippsland Newsletter

Transcription

1 Regional Allied Health Works Gippsland Newsletter Issue 02 Winter 2010 Issue 09 WELCOME to 2014 and issue 9 of the Regional Allied Health Works (RAHWorks) Gippsland Newsletter. In this issue of the RAHWorks Gippsland newsletter, we have lots of news and pictures from the Gippsland Allied Health Symposium as well as great news stories and articles from our health service providers and practitioners. Thank you to all of you who have contributed to this newsletter it is greatly appreciated. As always, we are keen to hear from you if you have something you would like included in the next edition of the RAHWorks Gippsland Newsletter, so please do not hesitate to contact Deanna. Contact details can be found on the back page of this newsletter. This Issue AH Symposium AH Research Conference 5 Cancer Malnutrition...6 RETAINR...7 SACS GLCH Happenings Positive Pregnancy Program Deanna Korab Regional Allied Health Works Newsletter Editor, Gippsland Region Scholarships AH Job Vacancies....13

2 Gippsland Allied Health Allied Practitioner Health Symposium Profile Meredith Philpotts ALLIED HEALTH SYMPOSIUM Gippsland 2013 Innovative Practice: Sustainable Allied Health Workforce On Friday 28th September 2013, 80 Allied Health participants met at Monash University s Churchill Campus for the 2nd Gippsland Allied Health Symposium. The majority of participants were from Gippsland and represented a variety of public and private health services, a range of professions, and included academic and clinical staff. The day was opened by Greg Blakeley, Director, Gippsland who talked about allied health and recent innovations in care in the Gippsland Region. He also reinforced the idea of working collaboratively with new players in the regional health space including the Medicare Local and the Clinical Placement Network (CPN). He was followed by Lorraine Walker, Manager of the CPN talking about the Impact of the CPN on student placements in Gippsland. Ian Watts then discussed the future possibilities of collaboration between allied health clinicians and the Gippsland Medicare Local. Joannah Tozer, Statewide manager of the Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (VPRS) then gave an overview of the VPRS and how it can assist with the management of children with complex and chronic rehabilitation needs. This provided a focus to the Paediatric stream of papers. A wide variety of presentations from local allied health clinicians were presented. These had been selected on the basis of abstracts submitted some months earlier. Feed back from those present: The speakers across the board were interesting and engaging. I liked hearing about what other services are doing and how we could implement some strategies in our service. The award for the Best First Time Presenter went to Nicole Robertson, Dietitian of West Gippsland Healthcare Group (WGHG) for her presentation titled MOM s the Word. This described a research project Nicole had conducted into Maternal Obesity Management. The Best First Time Poster award went to Annette Mikecz, Speech Pathologist at WGHG for her poster describing the changes in Speech Pathology management of children that have occurred at WGHG in the past year. The day was rounded out by a presentation from the newly appointed Chief Allied Health Advisor for Victoria, Ms Kathleen Philips who presented a vision for the future of allied health in Victoria. Feedback from participants: it gave a feeling of confidence that allied Health have a strong voice at a State level. The variety of high quality presentations from a breadth of professional areas was fantastic. Suggestions for the next conference included: supporting younger clinicians in rural areas, new evidence for practice, adult neurological theme, interdisciplinary team work in areas such as chronic disease management. Please let us know if you have additional ideas you would like considered. Friendly relaxed and supportive atmosphere, great for networking, good variety of speakers and interesting topics. Our thanks to the sponsors, exhibitors and the other conference committee members: Richard Adams, Louise Cristofaro, Bruce Campbell, Angela Jacob, Alethea Leandertz and Deanna Korab for their work in making the day such a success. Helen McBurney and Sue Fletcher 2

3 Gippsland Allied Health Allied Practitioner Health Symposium Profile 2013 Out Meredith and About Philpotts The has appointed Monash Health to lead a project and consultation process to develop a statewide Governance Framework for Professional Practice in Allied Health. It is anticipated that the framework will focus on Allied Health: Therapy disciplines, including assistants, and will consist of three key components:- Credentialing and Scope of Practice; Competencies; and Capabilities. The document will be a practical and interactive guide including examples, toolkits and templates to assist services in applying the framework in their context and setting While robust governance practices are currently in place for Allied Health, there is significant advantage in developing a consistent approach and broad understanding of the practices and processes underpinning safe and high quality Allied Health practice. This will provide a platform for transferability of new roles and advancing practice. This six month project will commence in July 2013 and conclude in December The Monash Health project leader will conduct interviews, workshop forums and focus groups with key stakeholders across Victoria. A date for the Gippsland consultation is yet to be confirmed - stayed tuned!! 3

4 Gippsland Allied Health Allied Practitioner Health Symposium Profile Meredith Philpotts ALLIED HEALTH SYMPOSIUM Gippsland 2013 Innovative Practice: Sustainable Allied Health Workforce A Clinicians view on the 2013 Gippsland Allied Health Symposium I am an Occupational Therapist working in the Bass Coast area with a keen interest in paediatrics I attended the Allied health Symposium in September and found the paediatric stream to be of interest. It was particularly beneficial to hear about available services and the work that is being done to improve paediatric services within the region. When I hear how other services and teams are working a to meet the demands of the younger people in their communities, it encourages me to reflect on how our community service could be improved and to implement programs suited to our community needs. I have had the opportunity to observe other services within our region that are implementing paediatric programs and have some input into the enhancement of the South Coast Paediatric Service Project recently. Sitting in on the presentations brought it all together and highlighted to others who may not work in the paediatric area how important these services are in early intervention. Furthermore, it highlights why funding and retainment of staff working in this field is just as important. It was great to have updates within the allied health area as a whole and hearing about research that is currently being conducted to improve service delivery. Stacey Coleman Congratulations Nicole Robertson on winning Best First Time Presenter 2013 Gippsland Allied Health Symposium Award sponsored by GMobility Congratulations Annette Mikecz on winning Best First Time Poster 2013 Gippsland Allied Health Symposium Award sponsored by Gippsland Medicare Local 4

5 Allied Victorian Health Allied Job Health Vacancies Gippsland Research Conference Region Time: 8:00am 5:00pm Date: Friday 28 March 2014 Location: Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 2 Clarendon Street, Southbank VIC 3006 Registration: Early - $143 (GST incl) before 9 March 2014 Late - $220 (GST incl) March 2014 Bookings: Enquiries: events@thelaunchbox.com.au Keynote speakers: Community Residential Care Units Professor Stephen Duckett Health Program Director, Grattan Institute. Professor of Health Policy La Trobe University. Former President and CEO of Alberta Health Services (Canada). Ms Brenda Wraight Executive Director Information, Analysis and Planning, Health Workforce Australia. Former CEO of Health Workforce New Zealand (HWNZ). Dr Geoff Garrett AO - Queensland Chief Scientist, Queensland Government. Former CEO and member of the Board of Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). Conference sessions include: Allied health service models to improve patient flow Consumer empowerment and allied health services From efficacy to effectiveness Industry collaboration with public allied health services Innovation in allied health education Inter-professional models of care Is e-health the way forward? Leadership, mentoring and supervision Managing chronic disease in the community Prioritisation of service in allied health Pushing Boundaries: extended scope of allied health practice Translating evidence to practice Workforce innovation for meeting future demands Workforce planning for allied health 5

6 Investigating Allied Health Practices Practitioner Related Profile to Malnutrition Meredith Philpotts in Victorian Cancer Patients Phase 1 In 2012, Latrobe Regional Hospital participated in Phase I of the funded statewide project Investigating Practices Related to Malnutrition in Victorian Cancer Services Project which involved a malnutrition prevalence study and survey of organisational practices and three month follow up of morbidity and mortality. The key findings of Phase I included: The prevalence of malnutrition in cancer patients receiving active treatment is consistent with the international literature (31% overall). Malnutrition is more prevalent amongst inpatients, older patients and those with more Image: advanced Sue disease. Fletcher Whilst malnutrition is more prevalent in cancers such as head and neck, lung, gastrointestinal and colorectal, which impact the digestive system, significant rates were observed across all tumour streams. This study showed that almost half (45%) of all the cancer patients with malnutrition were not receiving nutrition care from a dietitian. This deficit particularly related to ambulatory care patients undergoing chemotherapy. This study confirmed the negative impact (at 30 days) of malnutrition on cancer patients. For inpatients, those that were malnourished stayed in hospital on average an additional 5 days and one in four required re-hospitalisation (often unplanned). Overall the 30-day mortality for malnourished patients was almost 10 times higher than the rate amongst the well-nourished group. Health services with strong governance practices (policy, nutrition committee and regular clinical auditing) provided more effective dietetic services (screening and interventions) for their malnourished patients. Training and education for clinicians and consumers were identified as issues to support malnutrition care and the project developed a consumer resource which the Cancer Council Victoria has agreed to incorporate into their publications list. In 2014, Latrobe Regional Hospital is participating in Phase II of the Investigating Practices Related to Malnutrition in Victorian Cancer Services Project with 14 other hospitals across Victoria to address some of the key recommendations from Phase I. Image: Helen McBurney Latrobe Regional Hospital is to establishing 2 local initiatives which involve service redesign in Chemotherapy Day Unit and service redesign in William Buckland Radiotherapy Gippsland. Similar initiatives will be organised in other metropolitan and regional sites with aligned outcome measures. As well as this, we are involved with the state-wide initiatives; development of an e-learning package for staff working in the area of cancer, development of a Nutrition Governance Toolkit for which Latrobe Regional Hospital will be a pilot site, and a repeat prevalence survey. If you would like more information regarding Phase I and II of the project please refer to: under Cancer Projects or Kathryn.Marshall@petermac.org Nicole.Kiss@petermac.org Amber.Kelaart@petermac.org Kathryn.Whitfield@health.vic.gov.au 6 Article submitted by LRH dietetics department and GRICS

7 The Allied RETAINR Health Project Practitioner Profile Meredith Philpotts Some final outcomes Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences The RETAINR Research Project some final outcomes Supporting best practice in the retention of mature age allied health professionals in Bass Coast and South Gippsland what would best practice look like? The Retention of Allied Health Practitioners at Retirement Age in Rural Victoria (RETAINR) research project team has been working with key stakeholders in Bass Coast and South Gippsland to develop strategies to support best practice in recruitment and retention of allied health practitioners who are approaching retirement. The project was conducted by researchers from Monash University Department of Rural and Indigenous Health with funding from the Victorian Government Health Workforce. The key messages resulting from the research interviews, online survey and working group discussions are outlined below. What is changing in the Australian Rural Health Workforce? The population of Australia is ageing and the bulk of the baby boomer generation is approaching retirement. Mature age Australians make valuable contributions in the workforce and community. A body of research suggests that continuing to work into the retirement years in a satisfying work role supports the health and wellbeing of older Australians. Recruitment strategies often implicitly favour younger workers and skills investment often tapers off as workers age. Age discrimination has flow on effects. Valuing diversity and respect for differences creates an environment that maximises the potential of all. Image: Maria Clemens Government and public attitudes towards work and retirement are changing in Australia. Governments across Australia support more flexible views of retirement and the continued participation of older people in the workforce. Encouraging the mature age labour force participation will be important for both the sustainability of the rural health workforce and for the future economic growth prospects of Australia as a whole. Existing recruitment and retention strategies may not be effective in meeting the needs and challenges of a sustainable rural health workforce in decades to come. Within the health workforce roles are changing as the scope of practice expands. (Australian Government the Treasury. (2011). Realising the economic potential of senior Australians - turning grey into gold. Parkes ACT: Commonwealth of Australia). What are the essential challenges to be addressed in rural Victoria? The essential challenge to the rural health workforce in Victoria is the loss of knowledge and skills in an area where workforce recruitment is already challenging. In addition, there is the potential loss of a large number of skilled health professionals over a short period of time leading to a difficulty in transfer of knowledge to younger workers. Lessons learned from the results of the RETAINR Beliefs and Attitudes about Work and Retirement Survey. In making the decision to continue to work beyond retirement age Allied Health Practitioners value work roles that offer the opportunity to: retain independence and self-esteem, maintain satisfaction at work and enjoyment of life, stay intellectually stimulated Allied health professional study participants sought beliefs and attitudes about work and retirement. continue to engage with and contribute skills and expertise in the local community. 7..continued on next page

8 Allied The RETAINR Health Practitioner Project Profile Meredith Philpotts..continued from over page The opinion of partners, clients and colleagues are also important. Key enablers to retention are flexibility in the type, location and hours of work and availability of suitable positions were key enablers. Issues like work/life balance, family responsibilities, and support to maintain the requirements of professional accreditation were mentioned but are of lower priority. Key impediments to retention are a lack of available work referrals, strict working hours, declining health and wellbeing and a lack of support from management. Lessons Learned from the South Gippsland Reference Group and Working Group activities. Allied Health Professionals who are approaching retirement are a valuable resource for a flexible sustainable rural health workforce. Retaining the skilled workplace you already have is the best investment. For employers, offering flexibility and autonomy in work roles will be essential to success in filling vacancies for the mature age health professional group. Flexibility and autonomy are also important for early career allied health professionals, so addressing these needs will enhance recruitment for this group as well. With regard to recruitment of health professionals retiring to the rural areas, we cannot begin to attract experienced mature age allied health professionals to the area until workplaces are ready to accept them. Subregions need a central communication portal to coordinate and support recruitment and retention activities for allied health professionals. Best practice for employers of allied health professionals will include: a receptive and welcoming workplace systems that support flexible hours and part time work Image: Parivesh Kumar leaders who actively support the process recognition of the need for additional professional development (eg. information technology) formal and informal mentoring processes Key strategies and activities to support best practice in recruitment and retention of allied health professionals identified for Bass Coast and South Gippsland: Establish a dedicated and central communication portal to coordinate and support recruitment and retention activities for allied health professionals. Design a best practice checklist to establish the readiness of workplaces to employ allied health professionals (for employers to identify what they are already doing well, and to highlight the areas that need attention). Arrange a local forum of key decision makers to bring local government, employers, allied health professionals and allied health professional organisations together to develop strategies that will facilitate recruitment and retention of mature age allied health professionals in the area. Collate and make available a readily updatable portal that includes Go To resources that provide information on a range of ways to go about introducing the necessary changes. Establish both local and broader based channels for inclusive processes of communication. Engage with both local and broader based leaders in the communication processes. For more information about the outcomes of this research project contact Marillyn Harkness, Monash University Dept. of Rural and Indigenous Health, , marillyn.harkness@monash.edu 8

9 Sub-acute Allied Health Ambulatory Practitioner Care Profile (SACS) Specialty Meredith Philpotts Clinic Latrobe Regional Hospital SACS Specialty Clinic During 2012/13 Latrobe Regional Hospital (LRH) were lucky enough to receive departmental funding to develop a range of Sub-acute Ambulatory Care Service (SACS) specialty clinics. This has led to LRH developing a suite of specialty clinics including Falls and Balance Clinic, Continence Clinic, Pain Clinic, Cognitive Dementia and Memory Service (CDAMS) and Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Service (VPRS). Each of these new services are conducted by an intradisciplinary team. Falls and Balance clinic is a diagnostic service where clients are reviewed by a geriatrician and occupational therapist to Image: Sue Fletcher investigate the aetiology of their falls this may lead to medication changes, home modifications or referral for therapy. Continence clinic is a diagnostic and treatment service for clients of all ages with urinary or faecal issues including continence. The service is staffed by a Continence Nurse Consultant, Physiotherapist and Physician. It is planned that the current service will progress to level IV in 2014 and begin offering urodynamic procedures. Pain clinic is a diagnostic, educational and therapeutic service that aims to teach clients to self-manage their chronic pain. The service provides intra-disciplinary assessment from an Occupational therapist, physiotherapist, Pain Specialist and Psychologist. The program also consists of a variety of pain groups that clients can move through to learn techniques to assist them in managing their pain. CDAMS is a purely diagnostic service aimed at diagnosing the underlying condition leading to memory loss in clients. The CDAMs team consists of a Registered Nurse, Geriatrician and Neuropsychologist and shortly an Occupational Therapist will be appointed. The team undertake thorough neurological and functional assessments of the client in their home and clinic environment and then conduct a family meeting in which a diagnosis/feedback is provided to the client and their significant others. CDAMS can then make recommendations for treatment to the client and their GP and refer the client to appropriate services in the community. The Victorian Paediatric Rehabilitation Team is a multidisciplinary team that can provide community based rehabilitation to children in the Gippsland region. This may be following an inpatient rehabilitation admission at Monash Medical Centre or the Royal Children s Hospital or following referral to the service. The program conducts a monthly clinic with a Rehabilitation Specialist from Monash Medical Centre and the full intra-disciplinary team including occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech therapist, neuropsychologist and paediatrician. Therapy is provided to children between clinics either in the home or school environment or at LRH. In 2014 LRH are hoping to introduce quarterly Botox clinics into the VPRS service. In 2014 the SACS group room will be set up with full videoconferencing facilities, this will allow for clients from smaller services to videoconference into some of our group programs including balance group, pulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac rehabilitation, Parkinson s, stroke rehabilitation, heart failure and pain groups. Further information will be sent out in the near future regarding this initiative. To book clients into any of these services please contact LRH single point entry on For further information Image: Sue Fletcher Image: Helen McBurney please contact Selina Northover, Health Independence Program Manager on

10 Gippsland Allied Health Lakes Practitioner Community Profile Health Meredith Philpotts Excellence in Service Provision GLCH s Active Lorikeets program won the 2013 Victorian Public Healthcare Award for Healthcare Innovation - Excellence in Service Provision for its work around early intervention paediatric allied health services. Active Lorikeets has been designed and developed at GLCH with funding assistance from Communities For Children and provides allied healthcare for pre-schoolers with speech and fine motor difficulties. The program has been shown to increase service accessibility to paediatric clients while reducing waiting lists. Allison Ferreira (Allied Health Assistant), Lyn Nicol (Speech Pathologist), Angela Ellis (Community Health Services, Executive Manager), Danielle Clifford (Allied Health Assistant Active Lorikeets CD launch Healthcare professionals and service providers across Victoria now have access to the Active Lorikeets program on CD. The award-winning program developed by GLCH increases service accessibility for paediatric clients and reduces waiting lists, through the provision of allied healthcare for pre-schoolers with speech and fine motor difficulties. A professional development day focusing on effective implementation of this program has also been held for external practitioners. Easy Meals On a Budget Easy Meals on a Budget is a new Active Service Model group program for HACC clients. The program is being delivered by Gippsland Lakes Community Health in their Planned Activity kitchen in Lakes Entrance on a Friday afternoon and is facilitated by an Occupational Therapy and Allied Health Assistant. The group was piloted in Term 4, 2013 and was aimed at clients who were receiving Meals on Wheels in the Community and had capacity to reduce dependence on this service by attending this group. The Program runs for 8 weeks and aims to improve a clients' independence, confidence, motivation and participation in preparing meals. Active Lorikeets team, left to right: Angela Ellis (Community Health Services, Executive Manager), Megan Bourne (Allied Health Assistant), Ainsleigh Whelan (Occupational Therapist), Stephanie Burns (Speech Pathologist), Lyn Nicol (Speech Pathologist), Alicia Sutton (Speech Pathologist), Allison Ferreira (Allied Health Assistant), Julianne Webb (Allied Health Assistant), Danielle Thomson (Occupational Therapist) 10 The session involves goal setting, education, capacity building in the areas of meal planning and preparation, and of course they get to enjoy a lovely cooked lunch. The group will again be running in 2014 and expressions of interest are being sort for Term 1. Please contact Allied Health Reception for more information

11 Allied Positive Health Pregnancy Practitioner Program Profile Meredith West Gippsland Philpotts Healthcare Group Angela Jacob, Manager Physiotherapy, West Gippsland Healthcare Group interviews Nicole Robertson to shed some light on the Positive Pregnancy Program (PPP) running at West Gippsland Healthcare Group Image: Nicole Robertson at the DAA National Conference, Canberra, May What is the background to the PPP? How does it work? Maternal obesity is rising, and approximately one third of women of childbearing age are overweight or obese. In order to optimise the obstetric management of obese pregnant women, the dietitians, midwives and obstetricians at WGHG collaborated to develop the PPP. The program aims to reduce birth complications for obese pregnant women (BMI >35kg/m2), by optimising gestational weight gain (GWG) through nutrition counselling and lifestyle changes. Women are referred by their doctor or midwife and receive an hour long initial assessment with monthly reviews, or as needed. The focus of the program is ensuring adequate nutrition during pregnancy, and thereby encouraging appropriate GWG. Data is collected throughout the pregnancy with regards to weight, as well as any complications experienced, especially during the birthing process. Have the results been favourable? So far, our results have been very positive. The average GWG of the women involved is within the recommendations based on their BMI; on average women have gained half the weight they did in any previous pregnancy; and the women who gain less than 5kg experience half the birth complications of women gaining more than 5kg. We have also used a control population from a Western Australian Hospital, and the PPP group exhibited lower rates of gestational diabetes and caesarean section. 11 At this stage we haven t put into place any process for measuring improved nutritional status although it seems likely that apart from improved GWG and reduced complications, the PPP women would also be eating a more nutritionally adequate diet at the end of their pregnancy What has been done to disseminate the results? I have been available to update staff at a number of local education events for midwives, as well as being invited to speak at the Gippsland Regional Obstetricians Meeting in October I also submitted an abstract which was accepted and hence presented a poster at the Dietitians Association of Australia National Conference, held in Canberra in May I was also selected to give an oral presentation at the Gippsland Allied Health Symposium which was a great success (winning the Best First Time Presenter award). What has been challenging? I m certainly not a professional statistician so getting the results together was a little bit daunting! Fortunately, we have had a collaboration with Deakin University and students completing placement projects to assist. A group of three students worked for 7 weeks to collate, analyse and interpret the results. We are looking forward to working with another group next year to re-evaluate now that our patient group has expanded. I had never written an abstract, made a poster or presented at a conference before either so I worked together with Helen McBurney from Monash University particularly for the abstract and poster to make sure I had met all the requirements. It is helpful that conferences tend to give specific instructions to follow so I worked to make sure I met the prescribed criteria. What are the next steps? Hopefully the next statistical analysis is just as favourable as our current data! We would then have approximately 200 participants and enough information for a journal article. That will be a whole new territory, although with the support of academic staff at both Monash and Deakin Universities I will be in good hands! Of course our program continues to support pregnant women in and around WGHG and we are always looking at ways to improve and enhance what we offer. ***CONGRATULATIONS NICOLE*** on winning Best First Time Presenter at the 2013 Gippsland Allied Health Symposium

12 Scholarship Allied Health Opportunities Job Vacancies For Gippsland Allied Health Region Practitioners Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship and Support Scheme Continuing Scholarship Professional Development This Scholarship is part of the Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship Support Scheme(NAHSSS) and is open to eligible Allied Health Professionals who deliver clinical services in Australia. It supports attendance at short courses, conferences, non award postgraduate modules and, clinical placements. There are two rounds per calendar year. The first round is for activities that take place between 1 January - 30 June and the second is for activities that take place between 1 July - 31 December. The online application is not available until the opening date. All applicants are advised to read the Guidelines and FAQs before they complete the application. It is the applicants responsibility to submit an eligible application. Applications for the 1st round of NAHSSS CPD Scholarships for 2014 closed now. The applications for the next round of scholarships will open on 2 April 2014 for the CPD activities from 1 July to 31 December Continuing Professional Development 2014 The continuing Professional Development (CPD) Program for Rural Allied Health Practitioners is aimed at improving access to training and education, and increasing rural workforce retention. Rural Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship 2014 The Rural Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Program 2014 provides financial assistance to encourage rural practitioners to undertake postgraduate studies. Scholarships are available to practitioners entering their first year of postgraduate studies. Oncology Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship 2014 The Oncology Allied Health Postgraduate Scholarship Program 2014 supports allied health practitioners who have a demonstrated involvement in, and commitment to, oncology allied health practice to improve their skills and practice through postgraduate studies. To view guidelines or download application forms, please visit: Mentoring for Allied Health in Regional Victoria The myally website is the go to place to find out about how to get involved, what the program offers you, key dates, resources and learning tools, and support for this terrific initiative funded by the Victorian Department of Health. Over the life of the program, the website will be continually updated with new resources, so keep an eye on it and tell your colleagues about it too!! For myally support please contact any of the FBG Group myally team on (03) or via myally@fbggroup.com.au 12

13 Allied Health Job Vacancies Gippsland Region Senior Prosthetist/Orthotist (Grade 3) Latrobe Regional Hospital Senior Full time Prosthetist / Orthotist. LRH are seeking a suitable qualified and experienced individual to join their team. The successful applicant will be responsible for providing evidence based, best practice service provision to orthotic and prosthetic clients within LRH and the greater Gippsland area. The primary clinical areas are amputee rehabilitation as well as orthotics management for acute and rehabilitation inpatients within Latrobe Regional Hospital. For further information please contact Bruce Poole -Manager Prosthetics and Orthotics on Physiotherapy Bairnsdale Regional Health Service Team Leader Full time The Physiotherapy Team Leader will provide leadership in the management of Physiotherapy services that support improved health outcomes for clients as part of a multidisciplinary and integrated approach to the delivery of contemporary health services. Physiotherapy services are provided for the Health Independence Program which includes Sub Acute Care, Post- Acute Care and Hospital Admission Risk Program, acute/ward setting, home and community care programs rehabilitation (Sub- Acute) and Aged Care. The Physiotherapy Team Leader will also be actively involved in introducing and embedding innovative models of care that are person centred and aim to improve the client journey and outcomes. For further information please contact Glenn Becher (03) or or visit Central Gippsland Health Service Physiotherapist Grade 3 and Grade 2 An excellent opportunity exists for experienced Physiotherapists to join our team on a full-time or part-time permanent basis at CGHS. This position requires strong clinical leadership to other physiotherapists, allied health assistants and across the organisation. For further information please contact Alethea Leendertz, Manager Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology on Occupational Therapist Central Gippsland Health Service Permanent Full-time Position We are seeking an experienced Grade 1 Occupational Therapist to join our team at CGHS. For further information please contact Alethea Leendertz, Manager Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology on Occupational Therapist Yarram and District Health Service Permanent full-time This position is ideal for current Grade 2 therapists or suitably experienced Grade 1 therapists looking for an opportunity in a leadership role. This position will provide diverse experience in hospital, residential and community settings, including acute care, rehabilitation, health promotion and paediatric programs. Opportunities exist to further develop specific clinical areas. For further information please contact Libbi Bland, Allied Health Coordinator on Bass Coast Regional Health Service Grade 2 Permanent Full Time (negotiable) Grade 1 Fixed Term 12 months, with the possibility of extension 0.84 EFT / 32 hours per week (negotiable) We are seeking enthusiastic occupational therapists to work within our interdisciplinary team at Bass Coast Regional Health. The team provides a range of services to acute, sub-acute, aged care, community rehabilitation, outpatient and home-based clients. For information please contact Sally Phillips or Jackie Goodman, Chief Occupational Therapists on or visit Allied Health Assistant Latrobe Community Health Service Allied Health Assistant (Gap Year Position), Fixed term full time The aim of this position is to provide employment for local students who have been accepted in to an Allied Health course and are undertaking a gap year. The long term aim of the position is to encourage students form the local area to return to their community to provide the health services of the future. To be eligible to apply you will need to provide the relevant documentation that you have been accepted in to an Allied Health course. Eligible courses include Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Podiatry and Dietetics. Allied Health Assistant, Full time The Primary Intervention team has a vacancy for an enthusiastic person wanting to work as an Allied health Assistant. You will initially work in the Occupational Therapy team but will also have an opportunity to work in other areas of Primary Intervention. The successful incumbent will be supported to undertake training to gain a Certificate 4 in AHA. For further information, please contact Petra Bovery-Spencer on

14 Regional Allied Health Works Gippsland Newsletter Issue 02 Winter 2010 Published courtesy of the, Gippsland Region Editor: Deanna Korab, Gippsland 64 Church Street, Traralgon For enquiries or to submit content, please contact the Regional Allied Health Works Newsletter Editor for the Gippsland Region: Mrs Deanna Korab p f e.rahworksnewsletter.gippsland@health.vic.gov.au