General Practice Spotlight – Vecare Health: Holbrook
Joining Winter Strategy for a second consecutive year, Vecare are once again pulling out all stops to deliver the program aiming to make a difference for their patients and the wider community.
Vecare Health has truly made its mark in the vibrant communities of Holbrook and Walla Walla, earning a reputation for outstanding primary care over the years. Joining Winter Strategy for a second consecutive year, Vecare are once again pulling out all stops to deliver the program aiming to make a difference for their patients and the wider community.
Their innovative “Winter Wellness Program” has become a local favourite, particularly for patients managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic heart failure. The buzz around their Winter Wellness Program is palpable.
"We had patients from both Holbrook and Walla Walla asking when the Winter Wellness Program was going to start months before winter even began!” shares practice manager, Mr Harneet Gill.
What is the secret behind their success? A dedicated and cohesive practice team putting their patient’s wellbeing and needs at the centre of care. Practice nurses, Lauren and Miranda, are at the heart of this initiative, providing exceptional patient-centred care through personalised care planning and goal setting. Their commitment to keeping patients well and out of the hospital shines through.
“Our patients, especially those most vulnerable during winter, have really benefited from these regular connections with their general practitioner and nurses,” Lauren explains. “The program has been a fantastic success; patients love the additional check-ins and the extra time we spend together. They genuinely feel cared for.”
Harneet, Lauren, Miranda and their team of general practitioners are highly committed to supporting their rural communities during the winter months. They cherish being part of the Winter Strategy each year, seeing it as a chance to make a meaningful difference in their patients' lives. The Winter Wellness Program (Winter Strategy) has now become an integral and eagerly anticipated part of their annual care routine.
Image left to right: Samantha - Medical Receptionist, Lauren Hand – Registered Practice Nurse, Suhda Jayaraman - General Practitioner and Harneet Gill - Practice Manager
Winter Strategy 2024 Update
Winter Strategy 2024 is progressing well this winter with general practices engaging with new and existing patients to providing proactive care and interventions to help reduce hospitalisations over the colder months.
Winter Strategy 2024 is progressing well this winter with general practices engaging with new and existing patients to providing proactive care and interventions to help reduce hospitalisations over the colder months.
Patients
We are expecting to have about 750 patients participating in the program for 2024. Practices are focusing on providing timely immunisations, monitoring patient symptoms with check ins and using CareMonitor, conducting spirometry and ECGs, updating Sick Day Action Plans (SDAP) and GP Management Plans (GPMP), plus much more.
Heart Plan in a Box has been successfully introduced into this year’s Winter Strategy with 18 practices undertaking quality improvement activity for heart failure management and care within their practices. Heart Plan in a Box provides a hands-on toolkit with exceptional evidence-based resources designed to improve heart failure patient management from experts across the nation.
Education
Spirometry training was delivered across five locations during May with 51 clinicians attending. We are currently completing the assessment of all attendees. We will be considering more spirometry training prior to the next Winter Strategy in 2025. Training is open to all practices and clinical staff. If you are interested please email info@livingwellyourway.org.au.
A huge thank you to Robyn Paton, MLHD Respiratory Clinical Nurse Consultant for her dedication to deliver education to practice nurses and GPs throughout the Murrumbidgee over the past few years. We welcome Sistine Anne Ramajo-Aredidon who is currently acting in the role.
As part of the Winter Strategy education plan, 13 education sessions have been delivered with 113 general practice staff attending.
Keep an eye out for upcoming sessions including:
Transforming Tomorrow: How to Launch and Lead Sustainable Nurse-Led Clinics
Coaching for Change: Essential Conversations for GPs on Changing Behaviours and Advanced Care Planning (Face2Face event hosted in Wagga Wagga).
Breaking the Stigma of Advance Care Planning (Face2Face event hosted in Young)
All delivered sessions have been recorded and can be accessed at here. A specific password to access the education section is required – please email info@livingwellyourway.org.au for a password.
Recorded sessions available are:
COPD 101 Best practice for diagnosing, assessing, and managing your patients with COPD)
Leading QI
Triage for non-clinical staff
Optimising MBS Billing – Maximising revenue with MBS Item Numbers
Heart Plan in a Box + CHF 101
Sick Day Action Plans: Educating your Patient
Discover the 715: Enhancing Cultural Health Assessments
In-service
New on offer is education with Elise Penton our Practice Nurse Project Officer, and our Clinical Nurse Consultants in respiratory and heart failure from the MLHD who are now available to come to your practice to facilitate hands-on learning. If you are interested in hosting an in-service for your staff, please reach out to Elise to arrange a time at elise.penton@mphn.org.au.
Images: Spirometry at Griffith June 2024 led by Robyn Paton MLHD