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Redcliffe consumers to benefit from new approach to complex care coordination
Jan 24, 2024
Following a successful pilot in the Caboolture region and the subsequent securing of additional funding through the Queensland Health Reform Office and the Commonwealth Primary Care Pilots Program, the Health Alliance Care Collective program has now expanded to the Redcliffe region.
The Health Alliance represents the unique, cornerstone partnership between Brisbane North PHN and Metro North Health, working strategically to break down barriers in healthcare for communities across the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay region.
A key initiative of the Alliance is the Care Collective, which supports people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure (CHF) and conditions leading to emergency department (ED) presentations for debility (e.g. dementia, frailty, and falls) to access more holistic and patient-centred care.
By integrating and enhancing existing Health and Hospital Service (HHS) and Primary Health Network (PHN) pathways with new proactive, nurse-led care coordination roles in general practice, the program can help to lower unnecessary health service usage and support better health outcomes for clients with these conditions.
Nine general practices in the Redcliffe region have registered to participate in the program – seven commenced service in December 2023, with the remaining two practices scheduled to commence in February.
Capestone Village Family Practice at Mango Hill joined the Collective in December after seeing an opportunity to expand their practice nurse capacity and improve the care coordination of their patients with chronic health conditions.
Key stakeholders, including Brisbane North PHN CEO Libby Dunstan and Metro North Health Executive Director Vivienne Hassed, visited the multidisciplinary general practice last week to officially launch the program in the region and meet the GPs and nurses who will be involved in its execution.
“Metro North Health is proud to be working alongside Brisbane North PHN through the Health Alliance to support practices like Capestone Village Family Practice. Visiting the practice and hearing how the Care Collective program is benefiting patients like Lorraine, reinforced Metro North Health’s commitment to continue to support capacity building of general practices in the region”
Capestone Village Family Practice’s general practitioner owners Dr Jayne Ingham, Dr Rebecca Tattersall and Dr Megan Appleton are committed to delivering on the practice’s motto of Better Health Care is Our Promise. The practice’s eight GPs, four nurses and six reception staff look after the primary healthcare needs of over 8,000 people in their local area.
The Care Collective specifically enables capacity building in general practice by funding the upskilling of practice nurses to Complex Care Coordinators (CCCs), able to support clients with chronic health conditions at no additional cost to the consumer.
Tracey Johnson, Capestone’s dedicated Complex Care Coordinator, said she was looking forward to spending more time with their patients.
“General practice is not currently adequately funded to coordinate complex care conditions for patients. The Care Collective program provides an opportunity for Tracey to spend time ringing services and coordinating care options for the patients of our practice who need it most,” said Dr Ingham.
“The Health Alliance recognises the critical role general practice can play in reducing the impact of unnecessary presentations at local emergency departments. The Care Collective is building the capacity of general practices to increase the coordination of care for patients of their practice with chronic health conditions. We are delighted to have Capestone participating in the Care Collective program."
