Partnership Activities

Inner East Partnership Plan Summary | Brief program descriptions | Opportunities to participate | Participation by Non Members

Inner East Partnership Plan Summary

Member agencies of the IEPCP have been engaged in a thorough process throughout 2006 to identify the focus of PCP partnership work for 2006-09. Two forums were held and many working groups have been engaged in that have helped shape the future direction of partnership activity. This partnership plan has been reviewed by members and the Strategic Directions Committee of the Inner East PCP and now becomes the key guide to focus the work of member agencies for 2007 to July 2009.

Mission:
The mission of the IEPCP is to create effective partnerships between primary care providers, carers and consumers and the acute sector in order to achieve sustainable development of the primary care system to realize optimal outcomes for consumers.

Program Areas:
The IEPCP has four distinct program areas that will require ongoing leadership, agency commitment and resourcing. These are:

The general partnership program
Integrated Health Promotion
Service Coordination and
Integrated Chronic Disease Management

All of these program areas are interlinked and require some degree of incorporation, one into the other.

Brief program descriptions

1. General Partnership Program

The partnership maintenance and development program of the IEPCP will address the issue of future service fragmentation through policy development based on informed local debate. This policy work will be completed in the context of the PCP identifying local need and priorities that will inform current activity and opportunistic activity. The partnership will monitor its own development through the 6 monthly forums as well as be evaluated externally with a focus on the achievement of synergy.

2. Integrated Health Promotion Program

The Integrated Health Promotion program is committed to capacity building to increase the quality and alignment of Integrated Health promotion, within the catchment. In line with PCP and DHS directions and in response to identified gaps, the program aims to build on current structures, systems, knowledge and skills including focus on the agreed health priorities, to increase population health outcomes. The agreed priority areas are:

Healthy Weight - Physical activity & Healthy eating
Mental Health-Social Connectedness
Save and Inclusive Communities, including falls prevention

3. Service Coordination Program

The goal of Service Coordination is to improve health outcomes and service provision through more streamlined access to a better-integrated primary, sub acute and acute service system. Over the next three years this will be achieved by:

refining the philosophy and practice of service coordination,
extending both the number of agencies and sectors in which service coordination is implemented, and
ensuring the appropriate use of technology to achieve service coordination aims.

4. Integrated Chronic Disease Management Program

The Integrated Chronic Disease Management program will draw upon service coordination work and focus on addressing the important work of chronic disease prevention and treatment. The Diabetes prevention program will be spread across the whole catchment ensuring maximum coverage for consumers at risk of type 2 diabetes. In addition to this over the next three years the PCP is focusing on the improvement of the service system for people with Type 2 diabetes. This will be achieved through a consensus process involving all key stakeholders. This program will improve treatment options through service integration.

Opportunities to participate

The new partnership plan for 2006/09 provides a range of opportunities for member agencies to direct and implement the work of the partnership. A number of interest and working groups exist that are focused on achieving the agreed outcomes in our plan.

Listed below are the ongoing opportunities for involvement and a contact number to find out more.

General Partnership program
The Inner East PCP Strategic Directions Committee meets bi monthly and for all of its meetings has a long term strategic focus. These meetings have a core membership (see MOU) but are also open to senior managers from Health and Community services that exist in the catchment. Contact the Manager of the PCP if you would like to attend on 9285 4891.

The Inner East PCP has 6 monthly member forums that are either topic based or report on progress to the membership. They usually occur in May and November. Make sure you get the monthly electronic bulletin to be updated on the next forum.

Integrated Health Promotion
Numerous opportunities exist to be engaged in Integrated Health Promotion. Firstly you can be linked into the Inner East Health Promotion network or you can find out about the Healthy Weight initiatives that are being implemented in all four municipalities. Social Connectedness is an important priority for the Inner East and is gaining momentum. Participation is also invited in Capacity Building strategies, in the areas of organisational development, workforce development, partnerships and leadership, as per the IHP plan. Contact the Health Promotion Coordinator to find our more detail on 9285 4893. Safe and inclusive communities is the third priority area and currently focuses on a whole community approach to the prevention of falls contact the “Whole of communities” Falls prevention officer if you would like to be involved on 9285 4894.

Service Coordination
The release in February 2007 of the Statewide Service Coordination Practice Manual has ensured that continuous improvement to streamline access and coordination continues to be a priority. The Inner East makes this happen through Practitioner groups, Manager meetings and the use of the Electronic Service Coordination System. An important focus for 2007 is care planning. If you would like to be involved in service coordination work contact the Service Coordination Manager on 9285 4892.

Integrated Chronic Disease Management
This is the newest program area for the PCP. It covers support to the Early Intervention Chronic Disease programs that are being established in Community Health. The Diabetes prevention program is being trialled in Whitehorse and will be extended to the rest of the catchment beyond 2008. The Diabetes service system improvement project will have a steering committee and advisory groups. If you would like to know more about any of these programs and/or be involved then contact the Integrated Chronic Disease Manager on 9285 4894.

Participation by Non Members

Organisations and Agencies that are not members of the PCP are welcome to participate in a number of PCP activities, including training opportunities, consultation forums and special events. The best way to stay up-to-date with what is going on is to subscribe to our e-bulletin.

To subscribe to the E-Bulletin enter your email address in the 'Subscribe Here' box below the menu on the left hand side of the screen.