The Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health (CRRMH) facilitated the first work of IFIC Australia with the delivery of two key workshops on the Central Coast in February.
Dr Nick Goodwin (CEO and founder of IFIC) and Prof Anne Hendry (Clinical Lead for Integrated Care, Scotland and IFIC Associate) brought their international integrated care expertise to the workshops.
- Workshop to inform the formative evaluation of the Central Coast Integrated Care Program
- Workshop bringing together the University of Newcastle with the Central Coast Local Health District on strategic planning for the Central Coast Health and Medical Research Institute, which will focus on integrated care.
The Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) have since become IFIC Australia’s first Silver Partner.
IFIC Australia and IFIC Scotland shared lessons in integrated care:
Prof David Perkins presented at The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh about IFIC Australia, promoting patient-centred rather than provider-focused care that integrates mental and physical health concerns.
IFIC Australia and our North Coast Primary Health Network (PHN) knowledge partners facilitated a workshop series (Whole Person Mental Health Care Model) in June via the Centre for Healthcare, Knowledge & Innovation, with the aims to improve the capacity and scope of work of mental health in general practice, and develop a mental health/psychiatry model of care relevant to the Australian context and culture.
A secondary aim was to strengthen cross-agency relationships to better deliver mental health care and social services.
The workshops were attended by practitioners and professionals working in general practice with an interest in improving access to psychiatry, across three partner PHNs, who worked on developing local pilot models of care.
In August this year the first IFIC Australia Council Meeting, chaired by Peter McGeorge was held At UON Sydney, with 19 attendees. Nick Goodwin outlined the work of IFIC and a vision for the work of IFIC Australia in advancing integrated care in Australia. The group discussed the breadth of integrated care in Australia, how to grow geographically and into social care more effectively. The group agreed to share IFIC Australia information with their colleagues and were left with questions pertaining to how to strategically advance integrated care in Australia and what the different partners would look like in the future: knowledge partners, corporate partners and community members.
1st Asia-Pacific Conference on Integrated Care, Brisbane, 6-8 November 2017 with Children’s Health Queensland and supported by Queensland Health. There were great discussions over the two days on moving forward together to find the best solutions for delivery of care that works for families and communities in Australia. The second meeting of IFIC Australia partners was held at the conference with growing interest in the movement locally. IFIC Australia’s second silver partner – the NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation in collaboration with IFIC Scotland held a workshop on PREMS and PROMS at the conference, which raised much discussion.
IFIC Australia, CCLHD and Flinders Filters worked together to create a validated integrated care search filter to be launched in March 2018.
In 2018 we look forward to
- Formative Evaluation of the Central Coast LHD’s Integrated Care Programme
- Transformers Special Event Series 2 with North Coast PHN and the Centre for Healthcare Knowledge and Innovation
- Winter Strategy 2017 Project advisory to North Coast PHN
- Integrated Care Search Filter with Central Coast LHD and Flinders Filters
- Summer School in Byron Bay, 11-16 March 2018 with North Coast PHN and the Centre for Healthcare Knowledge and Innovation
- 20 March – Partner’s meeting and ‘Frameworks for Assessing Integrated Care’ workshop in Sydney
- 4th International Health Care Reform Conference, Intercontinental Double Bay, Sydney, 21-23 March 2018 supporting Mater Research Institute – University of Queensland Centre for Health System Reform and Integration
IFIC Australia is keen to partner – contact us: ificaustralia@integratedcarefoundation.org