Register for the 2022 Primary Care Refresher
Registrations are now open for our annual Primary Care Refresher, which will be held over two days on 4-5 June.
This year the keynote event has the theme The Journey of Primary Care Through a Pandemic and will feature a range of insightful presentations across concurrent GP and Primary Care streams.
The hybrid format on 4 June offers participants the option to attend online or face-to-face by meeting at a venue in each of our sub regions – Geelong, Ballarat, Horsham and Warrnambool.
Guest speakers include Professor Michael Kidd, Deputy Chief Medical Officer and Principal Medical Advisor, Australian Government Department of Health and Adjunct Professor Ruth Stewart, National Rural Health Commissioner, Australian Department of Health.
View the detailed event program
2021 Needs Assessment
I am pleased to share that our 2021 Needs Assessment report is now published.
As part of our commitment to continually improve primary healthcare for all communities in our region, Western Victoria PHN (WVPHN) collates a Needs Assessment report to determine region-specific health and service needs and guide our programs and activities to address these needs.
The updated and revised 2021 Needs Assessment is focused on insights that have been gathered by integrating key quantitative data by local government areas (LGAs) with qualitative findings from a variety of stakeholders.
This document is a key piece of work that offers valuable insights into the trends, gaps and opportunities when planning and delivering health services and support. I encourage those interested to view the 2021 Needs Assessment report here.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
May is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time for all of us to speak up about domestic and family violence and the support available to those affected.
Primary health care professionals can play an integral part in supporting early identification and intervention to clients at risk or who are experiencing family and/or domestic violence.
I take this opportunity to encourage primary health practitioners in western Victoria to register for the following upcoming educational events to help build your knowledge in this space.
- Domestic and Family Violence Information Sharing Schemes Webinar – 9 May
- Project ECHO – Domestic and Family Violence Network – weekly sessions commencing 17 May
The Family Violence and Abuse HealthPathways is also an excellent resource for clinicians, offering locally agreed and up-to-date information.
International Nurses Day
Next Wednesday 12 May is International Nurses Day and I would like extend my gratitude to the many nurses working across the primary health care sector in western Victoria.
Our nurses have been at the forefront of the pandemic over the last two years and have more than ever gone beyond the call of duty to keep our communities safe and healthy.
To all the nurses out there, we hope you feel celebrated on this special day and know that we see you, we appreciate you and we thank you.
Rowena Clift
Chief Executive Officer