Grampians Health checks in,
six months later
4 June 2022
Grampians Health today shared its progress towards better healthcare, wellbeing and economic outcomes since coming together in November 2021.
The Six Months On report reflects on improvements made in the quality, accessibility and sustainability of healthcare services for the Grampians region, after the creation of Grampians Health.
The updates staff and the community about how Grampians Health is achieving the five benefits proposed by the amalgamation:
- Increasing local community access to services
- Building the strength and capacity of each health service
- Creating opportunities for the workforce
- Delivering a more effective health system
- Building community trust and engagement in local services
Each benefit has clear measures and outcomes for providing complete care as close as possible to people’s homes, which is aligned with the business case and benefits realisation plan that were established for the amalgamation.
Some achievements in the first six months of Grampians Health have included:
- More outpatient appointments in Horsham with 7476 patients (1476 above our target).
- Whole-of-region support to coordinate COVID-19 response, which included mobilising staff from around the region to fill workforce gaps and cross-campus support to address outbreaks in public and private healthcare.
- Recommencing specialist rehabilitation services in Horsham to better provide for local community needs.
- Increasing local paediatrics services available to Horsham, Stawell, Ararat and Maryborough and expanded telehealth options.
- Appointment of a regional obstetrician to increase collaboration across local services.
- Reopening the Day Oncology program in Stawell with improved system technology for prescribing and monitoring treatment.
- Hiring an occupational therapist to work in clinical settings and the aged care facility at Edenhope.
- Expanded the Ballarat service to Horsham for paediatric physiotherapy.
- The commitment to build 32 staff accommodation units in Horsham ($8m investment).
- Establishing the Grampians Health Community Reference Groups (CRGs) and Community Advisory Committee (CAC) to provide ongoing, formal channels of communication between the health service and the community.
- Strong connections with local auxiliaries and fundraising groups to ensure local funding stays local.
- Grampians Health CEO Dale Fraser praised its collaborative, highly skilled workforce and the organisation’s ability to harness the very best technology to achieve tangible outcomes for the region.
“We are pleased to share this report and reflect on the important steps we are already taking to provide the best possible care for the Grampians region and help our communities thrive,” Mr Fraser said.
“These are above and beyond the continual improvements being made each day, to meet the health needs of individuals and families in the region. Since coming together, our multi-campus organisation has worked hard to deliver rural and regional healthcare to the communities we serve.”
“As one of the region’s largest employers, we will continue to invest in jobs, technology and infrastructure to provide better healthcare, enhance services and advance careers – closer to home.”
Mr Fraser explained that a number of clinical improvement measures are directly tied to Grampians Health’s new Clinical Services Plan, which will be released in July alongside the organisation’s new Strategic Plan.
“Grampians Health is committed to delivering high-quality healthcare – the bedrock of the community – while maintaining transparency and holding the service to account. In the past six months we have taken significant steps to establish frameworks that will hold ourselves accountable and communicate our progress to the community both now and into the future,” Mr Fraser said.
To read the Six Months On report and upcoming priorities for Grampians Health click here.