Primary Health and Continuing Care in the Community: 2007 NSW Health Awards
Primary health services include general practice, community health centres and nursing services, youth health services, pharmacies, allied health services, Aboriginal health and multicultural services. They are provided in both public and private settings. For most people they are the first point of contact with the health system. They are also the services people tend to use most.
What we are striving for in 2010 is a health system that helps people to access most of the healthcare they need through an integrated network of primary and community health services across the public and private health systems. These community-based services will be linked to and backed up by hospital services as needed, enabling people to access Commonwealth and State health programs. Early intervention principles will be embedded into NSW Health‘s service delivery. Early intervention will lead to improved health outcomes and reduced avoidable hospital admissions.
Winner
- Juvenile Justice Centre Release Treatment Scheme - This project demonstrates that supported follow-up for young people leaving custody in NSW leads to improvements in access to health care, increased health care engagement with family/carers and improved treatment compliance.
Finalists
- Promoting Health and Nutrition with the Bowraville Preschool - This project aimed to: improve the health of children and their families through early detection, intervention, education and support; and to take services to families who do not access the traditional health services.
- Vulnerable Families Care Coordinator - Development and coordination of a collaborative and integrated care model that provides appropriate services and support for pregnant women following identification of psychosocial risk factors during pregnancy.
Entries
- 90% Universal Health Home Visiting "How are we doing it!" - The Child and Family Health Service made signifcant changes to their service to achieve a 90% UHHV rate.
- Can't Hear, Hard to Learn. - This partnership program informs and educates Aboriginal communities about Otitis Media, screens children for the condition, makes referrals where necessary and supports with treatment, while working with mainstream health professionals.
- Court Mandated Outpatient Treatment (MOT) Options - Results of this project show that the use of Mandated Outpatient Treatment (MOT) has improved outcomes and reduced recidivism for people facing the criminal justice system.
- Developing a high risk foot service in a rural setting - Working within a community health setting, the rural podiatrist has established a telehealth service to facilitate a team approach and provide early diagnosis and treatment to those at risk of amputation from high risk foot complications.
- Frozen Meal Service - Nutritional Care from Hospital to Home - This proactive and cost-effective initiative represented a rung in the “continuum of care” ladder, allowing patients to continue to have nutritious, safe, tasty and economical meals at home after discharge.
- Happy Feet - The establishment of a foot clinic to improve pain and discomfort, mobility and self-care for community members.
- HARK - Health Assessment for Refugee Kids - The HARK service provides comprehensive health assessment, treatment and support for newly resettled refugee children in NSW.
- Improving access to primary healthcare among injecting drug users in Redfern - This project illustrates how a community-based needle and syringe program (NSP) improved access to primary healthcare and addressed the unmet health needs of injecting drug users.
- Koori Kids Koori Smiles Oral Health Program - Designed to provide Aboriginal children and adolescents between the ages of 0 – 17 years with culturally appropriate oral health information and clinical dentistry in a culturally appropriate environment.
- KYHT – Keeping Your Head Together - A project which aims to reduce the mental health problems associated with substance use by young people.
- Management of patients with cellulitis using intravenous antibiotic therapy - The project aimed to implement this model of care locally for patients presenting to John Hunter and Belmont Hospital Emergency Departments (ED).
- Outcomes of a class for clients with chronic low back pain - A treatment program to improve and maintain functional outcomes following lumbar spine surgery or chronic LBP.
- Physio’s Think Kids - A professional development day for physiotherapists working with children aimed to provide the most current information and practical strategies, as well as encouraging networking for paediatric physiotherapists.
- Single Access Service to the Community Health Network - The Referral and Information Centre (RIC) has been developed to enhance existing services by improving and integrating access to community health services.
- Warfarin management in Acute Stroke Patients Project - This project aims to improve the Warfarin management, education, safety and compliance in acute stroke patients utilising the “Safer Systems Saving Lives” (SSSL) concept.
