General Health Services

Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast PHN

Country to Coast Queensland

Mayfield House, 29 The Esplanade, Maroochydore QLD 4558

(07) 5456 8100

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About Us

Chronic Disease

Chronic Diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in Australia. A chronic disease is an illness that is prolonged in duration, does not often resolve spontaneously, and is rarely cured completely. Chronic diseases are complex and varied in terms of their nature, how they are caused and the extent of their impact on the community. While some chronic diseases make large contributions to premature death, others contribute more to disability.

Chronic diseases include cancer, diabetes, asthma, mental illness, arthritis and circulatory disease.

Chronic disease has been identified as a priority for the SCML region. Due to the region’s ageing population and other factors, chronic diseases are prevalent in the Sunshine Coast and Gympie, particularly asthma and respiratory disease, and mental illness.

Chronic disease puts a significant burden on our health budget. Patients usually require frequent visits to their GP and allied health care team, and if their condition is not managed well, it can lead to lengthy, expensive hospital stays.

The best way to manage chronic disease is to encourage patients to control their condition effectively. This might be through patient education, supporting them to monitor and administer their own medication, or by putting them in touch with a support group. When patients take control of their own health, their outcomes are usually much better.

SCML supports better self-management of chronic disease in the following ways:

  • Encouraging GPs to provide Chronic Disease Care Plans
  • Supporting practices to manage their data and identify patients with chronic disease or associated risk factors early
  • Providing training and education around chronic disease
  • Running a pilot program to address chronic respiratory disease in the region

Source: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/Home

eHealth

A personally controlled eHealth record is a secure online summary of your health information. You control what goes into it, and who is allowed to access it. Your eHealth record allows you and your doctors, hospitals and other healthcare providers to view and share your health information to provide you with the best possible care.

An eHealth record gives you more control over your health information than ever before, placing you at the centre of Australia’s health system.

Sunshine Coast Medicare Local has welcomed recommendations from the Federal Government review into the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR). There may be some improvements to the system and we will keep you informed as new information arises.

Frequently Asked Questions

Register for an eHealth record

Download the my child's health record app

For more information about registering for your eHealth Record please call 1800 723 471

Regional Outreach

In 2013 CheckUP, in partnership with the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) was confirmed as the jurisdictional fund holder to lead the planning and delivery of Commonwealth funded services under the newly established Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF) and the Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program (MOICDP). Subsequent to this process, funding under the new Healthy Ears – Better Listening, Better Hearing Program has also been confirmed and CheckUP will be the fund holder for this program in Queensland also.

CheckUP and QAIHC have developed a Regional Structure to enable the appropriate, effective and efficient implementation of the Outreach Service program. To drive the establishment of the regional structure, 12 Regional Coordinators (Rural Health Outreach and Indigenous Chronic Disease Program) positions have been funded across Medicare Locals (MLs) and Regional Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations (RAICCHOs).

The Role of the Regional Coordinator

The primary purpose of the Regional Coordinator position is to manage and support the integrated and coordinated planning, delivery and monitoring of regional outreach services using a cross sectoral approach to include Primary Health Care providers, Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Services (AICCHS), Hospital and Health Services (HHS), General Practice, Outreach Service Providers and other key organisations providing services.

The role has three components:

  1. Work with all relevant stakeholders to drive and support the use of a population health and needs based regional planning approach to plan, deliver and monitor services delivered under Commonwealth funded outreach programs.
  2. Lead the development of regional service delivery plans that align with identified population health needs.
  3. Monitor the implementation of regional Outreach Services to ensure service delivery is culturally appropriate, efficient and effective.

Two Regional Coordinators work across each region, with one based in the Medicare Local and one based in the Regional Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Organisation (RAICCHO), or the Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Services (AICCHS) where the RAICCHO is not yet established.

Specific tasks the Regional Coordinator is responsible for include:

  • Support the establishment and operation of six Regional Planning and Coordination Committees;
  • Convene twice yearly Regional Planning Forums;
  • Provide an analysis of their region’s health needs and the effectiveness of the services being delivered;
  • Feed regional data back to the Planning, Data and Delivery Sub-Committee;
  • Complete the Reporting template to collect and collate field data on a quarterly basis;
  • Contribute to the planning and convening of the Annual Statewide Regional Coordinator Network Meeting;
  • Participate and contribute to the Annual CheckUP/QAIHC Outreach Stakeholder Forum

For any queries, please contact Nicole Cool on ncool@scml.org.au

 

Quick Facts About The Region

Central Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast PHN is located in the suburb of Maroochydore, the council of Sunshine Coast, the state electorate of Maroochydore and the federal electorate of Fairfax.