AMITY HEALTH LTD Annual Report Report Final 2014-2015.pdf · AMITY HEALTH LTD Annual Report ......

AMITY HEALTH LTD

Annual Report

2014-2015

Our Mission Providing country people with the best possible access to health services

Our Purpose To work in partnership with others to provide services, support, advocacy, leadership and

coordination in the development and promotion of primary health care

in southern regional, rural and remote WA

Our Values Fairness

Integrity

Responsibility

Enjoyment

__________________________________________________________________________________ Amity Health - Providing Health & Wellbeing Solutions – Annual Report June 2015

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Table of Contents

Chairman’s report 3

Membership and Board 4

Amity Health Overview 5

Amity Health Activities 6-14

Amity Health Program Delivery 15-18


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Chairman's Report

Dear Members

This year has been both exciting and challenging. We celebrated

our 21st year of operation, moved to new premises and prepared to

work with the new Primary Health Network organisations which

replaced the Medicare Local scheme on July 1st 2015.

On the 18th of January the organisation celebrated 21 years of

operation. During this time major shifts in health policy have seen

Amity Health evolve from a primarily grant funded GP Network to a

respected rural and regional health care and allied services

provider, working in a competitive health care system. We have

acquired preferred provider status for a number of our funded

services, which is a welcome endorsement of the organisation’s

capabilities and good standing in the community.

During the 2015 financial year we continued with structural changes to ensure that we could

cope with building greater sustainability into our operations and have worked on both our

strategic and operational plans to ensure we have solid guidance for the future.

The move to our new premises, which was fitted out to specifically accommodate our needs,

has provided the organisation with a more effective working space for both staff and clients. The

new premises have also allowed us the opportunity to seek diversified income by providing

purpose-built accommodation and reception services to health professionals on both a

permanent and sessional basis. The availability of specialist services in Albany results in a

considerable reduction in the number of patients who need to travel to Perth for treatment.

Financially, we continue to manage on a sound footing, giving us confidence as we commit to

plans for the years ahead. The organisation is now a strong progressive community health and

social services provider which has considerable impact within the communities in which we

work.

My thanks go to our team of managers, clinicians and support staff that makes this organisation

such a favoured place to work; also to my fellow directors for their support and guidance.

Trish Ryans-Taylor


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Membership and Board

Membership

Amity Health has two categories of membership

1. Primary members

2. Special members

A Primary Member is a Registered Primary Health Provider and a Special Member is a

Community Member.

Board

Directors

Ms Trish Ryans-Taylor

Mr Richard Keeler

Dr Ligia Galvez

Dr Mark Victor

Ready to host ACCI Business After Hours

Ex-Officio

Ms Robyn Marchesi – Company Secretary

Ms Robin Surridge – Chief Executive Officer


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Amity Health Overview

Amity Health is a not for profit organisation this year celebrating 21 years of service in country

WA.

Amity Health employs a team of allied health professionals to provide health and wellbeing

solutions using a partnership approach and provides early intervention and prevention

strategies for mental health and physical health, and chronic disease management.

We work hand-in-hand with doctors, nurses and other health professionals to ensure a holistic

approach to meet complete health care needs. Our allied health team offers a wide variety of

scheduled services in the community.

Amity Health continues to work collaboratively and in partnership with other organizations to

secure service provision for improved health outcomes in our communities across the Great

Southern and beyond. Partnership relationships extend from federal, state and local

government agencies to GP practices, other not-for-profit organizations, other allied health

service providers, schools and community groups.

The allied health team includes dietitians, occupational therapists, allied health child mental

health provider, social workers, speech pathologists, child health nurses and nurses. Members

of staff are located and work across the Great Southern as well as in Narrogin, Merredin,

Esperance and Kalgoorlie.

Amity Health also provides a range of programs to help:

adults

families and children

their communities

These programs are managed and delivered by a team which helps to achieve our vision of

providing country people with the best possible access to health services.

Amity Health is able to respond flexibly and adaptably to the needs of its rural and remote

communities, and as such the scope and

number of programs change and develop as

needs arise.

Amity Health this year relocated its main office

in Albany to new purpose-built premises at 136

Lockyer Avenue, a site providing improved

accessibility and parking as well as consult and

clinic rooms and a child therapy wing.

Carmen and Lola – Indigenous Outreach Workers


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Amity Health Activities

Partnerships

Amity Health’s partnership approach continued to gather momentum this year with integrated

partnerships a key feature of allied health work, particularly in the Great Southern, Goldfields,

Wheatbelt and Kimberley. Our Social Work via Telehealth project in the Kimberley

demonstrated just how effective, mobile and flexible this model of care can be, whilst testing our

goal of delivering quality health care services without geographical borders.

Allied Health Services

Allied health services continued to grow during 2014-15. Louise Cato, a senior speech

pathologist, commenced as Clinical Lead on June 30th 2014, enhancing allied health service

provision with in-house over-arching supervision for all clinical staff as well as supporting clinical

and other service development.

Key Activities and Achievements:

Amity Health entered its second full year of providing a fee for service model of care for both

children and adults in the community.

A total of 1,029 occasions of service were provided to clients, more than double the

number recorded the previous year (403) and in line with our strategy to build and

expand services further in the coming year.

Those occasions of service were in clinical fields as follows:

Speech therapy 248

Dietetics 318

Occupational therapy 150

Diabetes Education 43

Mental health OT

via Better Access to Mental Health Care 270

Services for:

Children and their parents

Amity Health provided services for children through our team of Occupational and

Speech therapists.

School screenings for speech pathology and occupational therapy commenced and will

be significantly expanded during the next financial year. Eight schools have expressed

interest in engaging Amity Health’s services and further promotion for screenings will be

a priority.


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Aged care

Our speech pathology team delivered services to clients in residential aged care

facilities.

A contract with Bethel Baptist Care to provide speech pathology and dietetics services

was established in August 2014. Bethel was satisfied with the services provided and has

signed up for another year.

Amity Health is now the exclusive provider of dietetics and speech pathology services to

home based recipients of the federally funded Transition Care Package. A 2 year

contract was established with package managers, Silver Chain.

Chronic Conditions

Our team of dietitians provided individual assessments and reviews for clients at Albany

based clinics and residential aged care facilities. Home visits were also offered as part of

a range of services.

Diabetes education is offered one day per week and is a developing service area which

also includes provision of the DESMOND one day workshop for newly diagnosed Type 2

diabetics.

Addressing mental heath

Amity Health’s mental health occupational therapist continues to provide an essential

service to children and parents through Better Access to Mental Health Care.

A clinical psychologist joined the Amity Health team in April offering services to older

adults.

Filling gaps and meeting need

Short-term funding via Rural Health West to provide allied health services to the Walpole

community allowed Amity Health to demonstrate our ability to galvanise a well-

developed program quite rapidly. Dietetics, diabetes education, occupational therapy

and speech pathology services were implemented one day per month over a 3 month

period. Ninety one occasions of service were provided, including contracted podiatry and

physiotherapy services.

Michelle – Speech Pathologist with school children


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Health Promotion, Training and Community Professional Development

Amity Health continues to promote its allied health services via social media, newspaper,

regular community radio spots and participation in community events. Professional development

in the community is increasing with regular training provided to staff of aged care facilities by our

speech pathologist. Our dietitians are always proactive in providing community presentations

promoting healthy lifestyle and food choices. Our occupational therapist has been engaged to

provide teacher training, including a full day of professional development at Albany Primary

School in managing children with sensory-motor issues.

Future Plans 2015-16

Amity Health is launching a weekly stroke/communication group for people living with the

long-term effects of acquired brain injury and degenerative neurological illness. This will

be run by our senior speech pathologist and therapy assistant and will provide a

welcome service that is not currently available in Albany.

Plans for some short-term focused children’s groups are also being considered. These

aim to provide language and sensory-motor skill development to pre-school and school

aged children.

Further development of the school screening program will see recruitment of more

schools for speech pathology and occupational therapy screenings.

An application is in place to register with DSS to provide services to children with autism

spectrum disorder.

Further development of community training opportunities.

Michelle (left) Cleo (centre) Kelly (right)

part of the Amity Health allied health team Healthy Weight Week at Bremer Bay


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Amity Health Visiting Specialists

Over 4000 patients accessed a range of specialist clinics hosted by Amity Health. These

included:

Audiology

Cardiology

Dermatology

Endocrinology

Geriatrician

Neurology

Occupational Physician

Optometrist

Orthopaedic Surgeon

Pacemaker/Cardiology Clinic

Paediatrician

Pain Management Peter Kendall – Respiratory Physician

PMH Endocrinology

Respiratory Physician & Lung function testing

Spinal Surgeon

Urology

Vascular Surgeon

WA GP Education and Training

WA GP Education and Training (WAGPET) is an independent contract authority and the sole

provider of the Australian General Practice Training Program for GP Registrars in Western

Australia. Amity Health continues to work closely with WAGPET by providing administrative and

organisational support for the development, implementation and evaluation of their regional

education program.

Key Achievement:

With the highest number of basic and advanced registrars in training in the Great

Southern since the commencement of our ongoing partnership with WAGPET, 16

Registrar Training Sessions were successfully held for our 13 GP Registrars.

Diabetes Capacity Building Project – Central Great Southern Integrated partnership, WA Country Health Service (WA State Government’s Royalties for

Regions Program, through the Southern Inland Health Initiative).

This project supports an eligible clinician with a Graduate Diploma in Diabetes Education to

undertake supervised Diabetes Education practice to attain Credentialed Diabetes educator

status for delivery of diabetes education services in the Central Great Southern.


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Key Achievements:

Two Diabetes educators have achieved credentialing

Commenced telehealth services to Narrogin

Formed partnerships with local community groups and health care providers

Streamlined referral pathways.

Kids Health Link – Merredin

Integrated partnership, WA Country Health Service (WA State Government’s Royalties for


This Southern Inland Health Initiative (SIHI)

project commenced in June 2013, aiming to

deliver a family support program for children aged

0-12 years and their families who are at risk and

disconnected from family or children services in

Merredin.

A social worker and two Aboriginal family support

workers are based at the Merredin Community

College to address social issues impacting

adversely on children and their families and on

children’s school attendance.

Aboriginal children and their families are

represented within the project’s target group and

this project makes special provision for facilitating

culturally secure access to social, emotional, and

Emma & Sonya - Merredin economic supports.

Key Achievements:

Increased numbers of children participating in the 0-4 early years playgroup program at

the Merredin College.

Increased family involvement in community events.

Social worker’s support provided in the classroom has resulted in children’s improved

emotional maturity and resilience to handle social issues.

Social worker has provided support to over 30 families.


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Social worker –Lower Great Southern

Integrated partnership, West Australian Country Health Service

A Social worker integrated on site with the West Australian Country Health Services Child

Development Team. The Social worker provides client services on-site at the Albany Regional

Health Campus, working collaboratively with the team to achieve best outcomes for clients from

the Lower Great Southern.

Key achievements:

Approximately 40 occasions of service per month.

Social worker provides triage for the Child

Development Team for families with complex needs.

Social worker coordinates multi-disciplinary

assessments.

Social Work– Narrogin Kerri (right) – Diabetes educator

Integrated partnership, WA Country Health Service (WA State Government’s Royalties for


This program provides a social worker to address identified needs, enhancing the accessibility

of health and associated support for patients at risk of poorer health outcomes in Narrogin and

surrounding areas. The social worker provides intervention services at a primary care level and

at hospital crisis level to reduce avoidable and unplanned presentations to emergency and

secondary health services.

Key Achievements:

Narrogin Hospital emergency presentations have decreased.

Referral pathways from inpatients and outpatients established.

A bereavement group commenced.

Connections established with local health organisations and shires to address issues.

Over 400 clients assisted.

Community Child Health Services

The integrated Community Child Health Service in Esperance is funded by the WA Country

Health Services (WACHS Goldfields). This program enables an occupational therapist to be

based within the Esperance WACHS Population Health Service team to provide paediatric

services for clients presenting with developmental concerns.


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Key Achievements:

Reduced waitlist for child development referrals.

Group programs for parents/carers commenced.

Child Health Nurses – Albany

Amity Health was pleased to develop a partnership with State government to provide additional

child health services with the goal being to improve rates for universal birth to school entry

(BTSE) checks for 18 month and 3-3.5 year old children in the Great Southern Health Region.

The child health nurses employed by Amity Health commenced screening children in

September 2014 and the number of children seen at each check shows significant increases as

the program develops.

Key Achievements:

53 Birth to School Entry screenings at 18 months

177 Birth to School Entry screenings at 3 yrs

54 referrals to allied health and specialist services

22 daycare centres participating actively in the program

Immunisation

The ‘Immunisation Champions’ Program

In June 2014, funding was made available to Amity Health by the South West WA Medicare

Local (SWWAML) to promote immunisation education in the South West, Wheatbelt and Great

Southern (SW, WB and GS).

Amity Health developed the ‘Immunisation Champions’ program to assist nurses with the WA

Department of Health endorsed immunisation certification course. The program had the

capacity to sponsor 60 nurses.

Key Achievements:

The sponsorship was made available across the SW WB and GS.

Nurses from all health sectors in the three regions participated.

88 nurses enrolled.

35 nurses completed the education and were reimbursed full course cost.

Many of those who did not complete the course before the program closed planned to

continue their studies and complete at a later date.

Feedback was very positive, those who participated reporting the course extremely

worthwhile.


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This project, a rare opportunity for nursing staff to be supported through a very valuable

education program, was completed in May 2015. The inter-agency engagement during the

project resulted in a joint WACHS/Amity Health submission for the WA Health Awards.

General Practice and Primary Health Care Support

Amity Health continues to provide clinical updates for health professionals electronically

and to promote regional professional development.

We remain the central contact point for four Great Southern (GS) networks and convene regular

meetings for these groups; the GS Practice Nurse Network, the GS Practice Managers’

Network, the GS Mental Health Professionals’ Network (MHPN) and the GS Nurse Practitioner

Networking Group.

These meetings provide a forum for exchange of information, collaborative interagency program

updates and clinical education and updates.

Key Achievements:

Regular health information disseminated through Amity Health Bulletin.

Monthly Amity Health newsletter with information on Amity Health supports and services,

community events and information.

Bi-monthly practice managers and GS Nurse Practitioner’ network meetings.

Monthly Practice Nurse Meetings with professional development sessions and updates

including wound management and population health updates.

MHPN Meetings and professional development events.

Amity Health Convened Education Events 2014 – 2015

9th and 10th July 2014 Microbiologist and infection control educator Margaret Jennings

presented an ‘Infection Control Update for General Practice’. Clinical and non- clinical sessions

were held in both Albany and Narrogin over 2 days.

23rd July 2014 Great Southern Mental Health Professionals Network evening event. Psychiatrist

Dr Mat Coleman presented on ‘First Episode Psychosis’. This was an inter-agency inter-

disciplinary event - 46 health professionals attended.

11th September 2014 An Evening with Michael Moore CEO of the Public Health Association of

Australia (PHAA), and (then) president elect of the World Federation of Public Health

Associations on ‘Public Health Advocacy and PHAA Activities’. An Amity Health initiated

interagency and inter-professional event provided in collaboration with the South West WA

Medicare Local and the Reginal Clinical School. Attendance 30.


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24th September 2014 Diabetes Care education for PNs.

29th November 2014 Asthma and Respiratory Seminar for Practice Nurses presented by the

National Asthma Council of Australia. This all day event organised through Amity Health was

offered to nurses from a range of agencies. 25 nurses attended from across the Great Southern

as well as from Narrogin and Esperance. Support for accommodation was available for those

travelling any distance to attend.

6th May 2015 Mental Health Professionals Network event Speakers Chris Thomas and Tina

Lopes “Dialectical Behavioural Therapy for Young People” and the development of the

headspace DBT programme.

Kellie, Arti and Maryanne – members of the Amity Health Goldfields team


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Amity Health Program Delivery

Footprints to Better Health

The aim of this program is to improve the health of Aboriginal people by ensuring increased

access to chronic disease screening services through collaboration between health

professionals. This is facilitated through bulk billed drop in style health clinics, provided in a

culturally appropriate manner and in partnership with general practices around the Great

Southern. Clinics are held in Albany, Mt Barker, Gnowangerup, Tambellup and Katanning.

Key Achievements:

More than 1493 patients listed as regular clients at the six GP practices participating in

the program.

287 clients received chronic disease care plans.

378 clients received health checks.

Community events held in Albany and Katanning.

Care Coordination and Supplementary Services

The Care Coordination program aims to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people with

chronic health conditions through:

better access to coordinated and multidisciplinary care

increased support through their General Practitioner

provision of more proactive management.

The Care Coordinator works closely with the Closing The Gap Outreach team, visiting GP

practices and clients as needed.

Care Coordination Services are offered in Albany, Mt Barker, Gnowangerup, Tambellup and

Katanning, although the majority of service provision occurs in Albany.

This has been a strong year of performance. Strong relationships have been formed with other

key stakeholders including Great Southern Aboriginal Health, general practices (including

regular coordination meetings with larger GP practices), community groups, non-government

organizations, allied health and specialists, and Albany Health Campus.

Key achievements:

The program is running at capacity, with a total of 2857 instances of care coordination.

51 GPs have referred in to the program.

Regular case conferencing for GP practices with significant aboriginal case loads.

49 patients have received Care Coordination services.

Instances of service coordination include:

o 102 with GPs

o 105 with Specialists

o 111 with Allied Health

o 49 with Great Southern Aboriginal Health


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o 11 with palliative care

o 192 with pharmacy

o 86 with transport liaison

o 502 with medical aids and equipment.

Improving Indigenous Access to Mainstream Primary Health Care

This program aims to close the gap in life expectancy for Indigenous people by improving

access to culturally sensitive health care services. Amity Health’s Indigenous Outreach Worker

and an Indigenous Health Project Officer have a proud record of engagement with this program.

The priorities identified for the program include:

Improved access to mainstream health care

Improving the capacity of medical doctors to provide culturally sensitive services.

Increasing the use of Indigenous specific Medical Benefits Schedule items.

Encouraging Indigenous people to self-identify.

Promoting the measures available through the Closing the Gap strategy in relation to

mainstream health services for Indigenous people

Enhancing the relationship between mainstream health care and the Indigenous health

sectors.

Key Achievements:

Ongoing delivery of service in the Great Southern included:

o 1770 regular clients

o 94 health checks completed

o 235 clients assisted with transport and assistance with obtaining medication

o 92 clients assisted with specialist appointments

o Ongoing community education to empower Aboriginal people to take

responsibility for their own health and wellbeing.


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Communities for Children

Communities for Children has operated in the Great Southern since 2006. The programme is

funded through the Department of Social Services and currently in its first year of a new five

year funding agreement. The programme continues to assist children 0-12 years and their

families across the Great Southern through various collaborative services and community based

partnerships.

The strategies of the program are:

Healthy young families

Supporting families and parents to provide an

environment for children that is stable, positive,

stimulating, safe and secure

Early learning - assist parents with ways they

can stimulate and promote child development

and learning

School transition and engagement

Create strong child-friendly communities. Madhar Mothers’ Group- Mount Barker -

To achieve this, four priority areas have been formed for the Communities for Children Great

Southern site: Early Years in the Great Southern, Out of School Activities, Parent Support and

Community Capacity Building. This year we have supported 19 Community Partners to deliver

various child and parent engagement activities across the Great Southern.

Communities for Children – A new way of working

A large component of the five year funding agreement is for Facilitating Partners to work with

their committee and support Community Partners in the delivery Evidence Based Programs. A

guidebook was released by the Department of Social Services Expert Panel on programmes to

be incorporated into the program delivery. The Expert Panel also provided the opportunity for

Facilitating Partners to submit their own programs to be assessed as matching the criteria as

Evidence Based under this program. Our team recognised the value of our locally derived

activities and have currently supported two Community Partners programs to be submitted. A

Communities for Children team member designed and wrote the applications with assistance

from the Community Partners. One program has received authorisation as Evidence Based by

the Department of Social Services Expert Panel, another Community Partner’s program is

provisionally approved by the Expert Panel.

Key Achievements:

Play in the Park – recognised nationally as an Evidence Based Program

Family Fun Learning- Migrant Group – Provisionally Approved as a program meeting the

for Evidence Based criteria

Overall program attendance and engagement.

July to December January to June

Adults 826 621

0-4 year olds 727 565

5-12 year olds 635 472

13-19 year olds 218 108


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Child and Parent Support in Narrogin

The Families and Children Activity (FaC) is delivered under the Families and Communities

Programme funded by the Department of Social Services and provides support to families to

improve the wellbeing of children and young people to enhance family and community

functioning, as well as increasing the participation of vulnerable people in community life.

Amity Health was successful in securing a five year funding agreement to provide prevention

and early intervention activities under the Child and Parent Support Program in Narrogin.

Key Achievements:

Successful recruitment of staff

Development of Kids hub model, two playgroups providing early intervention and referral

support for disadvantaged families in Narrogin.

Four families engaged with program

Collaboration with East Narrogin and Narrogin Primary School

Partnership developed with Narrogin Primary School

Membership of Narrogin Early Years’ Network.

Rural Primary Health Service

The Rural Primary Health Service (RPHS) enables allied health service delivery in rural and

remote towns in the region. Services included dietetics, podiatry, physiotherapy, occupational

therapy, speech pathology and diabetes education. Allied health clinicians worked

collaboratively with other health professionals in the region for a multi-disciplinary approach

towards achieving better health outcomes for patients with chronic disease.

Key Achievements:

Seven communities have benefited from services

Over 1,045 clients received services

13 DESMOND group (Type 2 Diabetes) education

programs with 78 attendees.

Kelly, Dietitian

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