NQPHN hosted an educational dinner about 715 Health Assessments (HAs) in Cairns (37 participants) on Tuesday 6 December, in Townsville (88 participants) on Wednesday 7 December, and Mackay (41 participants) on Thursday 8 December.

Gurriny Yealamucka Health Services Aboriginal Corporation’s Director of Clinical Services and Senior Medical Officer Dr Jason King, of Yarrabah, gave the presentation which was designed to encourage primary healthcare professions to do more 715 HAs and to do them better.

Dr King, who is a member of NQPHN’s Clinical Council, told diners that the aim of a 715 HA was to help ensure that First Nations people receive primary health care matched to their needs, by encouraging early detection, diagnosis, and intervention for common and treatable conditions that cause morbidity and early mortality.

The HA includes an assessment of the patient’s health, including their physical, psychological, and social wellbeing. It also assesses what preventive health care, education, and other assistance should be offered to the patient to improve their health and wellbeing.

Dr King explained to the participants that to provide a better 715 HA included consideration of cultural safety, community engagement, and clinical yarning.

He emphasised that an HA was bulk billed, there was no time limit, and a practice nurse, allied health, and/or a First Nations Health Practitioner could be involved as well.

Experienced senior health executive Terry Mehan is the new Chair of the Board of Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN).

Mr Mehan has more than 40 years of experience working in the health sector across the Torres and Cape, Cairns, and Brisbane regions, in addition to three Australian states and overseas locations including Papua New Guinea and Tonga. 

Mr Mehan was acting Chief Executive Officer of NQPHN for several months in 2020-21, and has also served as interim Chief Executive Officer of Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) and the North West Hospital and Health Service (NWHHS), and as an administrator of the Cairns and Hinterland Health Service (CHHHS).

Mr Mehan was appointed by the new Board after the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 28 November 2022.

NQPHN also welcomes new Board Director Dr Chris Stelmaschuk, who is a GP based in Townsville and also serves on NQPHN’s Clinical Council.

Former NQPHN Board Co Chair Tara Diversi was appointed as the new Deputy Chair while fellow former Co Chair Ben Tooth remains a Board Director and Chair of NQPHN’s Finance, Audit, and Risk Management committee.

Nick Loukas and Dr Nadeem Siddiqui are retiring Directors.

NQPHN Chief Executive Officer Robin Whyte said she was pleased with the appointment of Mr Mehan who was well versed with the operations and strategies of the organisation, and thanked all Directors for their service over the past year.

“We are fortunate to have someone as Chair who has many decades of experience and knowledge of the health sector across NQPHN’s network in Terry,” said Ms Whyte.

“With the outstanding credentials of our Board Directors and the strong leadership of Terry, NQPHN is well positioned to achieve our vision of helping northern Queenslanders live happier, healthier, longer lives.

“I would also like to express our sincere thanks to outgoing Co-Chairs Tara Diversi and Ben Tooth for their leadership this year, and to all of the Directors for their dedication to providing North Queensland communities with better access to improved primary healthcare services.”

Mr Mehan said he was delighted to return to NQPHN in a different but important role, and thanked his predecessors for their leadership.

“I am looking forward to the year ahead and working with the Board as well as CEO Robin Whyte and her team to developing – with our partners – an integrated and coordinated primary healthcare system that delivers the best care possible to achieve measurable health improvements for the people of North Queensland,” he said.

“I’d also like to recognise the valuable contributions of Nick during his time as Board Chair, and previous Co Chairs Tara and Ben.”

JCU designs special GP placement program in Townsville

JCU social work lecturers Simoane McLennan and Dr Ines Zuchowski are leading a Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN)-funded pilot project for social work students to undertake their three months’ placement in general practices.

They have developed a specialised curriculum for student placements in general practices. Five social work students have been on placement in various general practices across Townsville during the first half of 2022.

“For students, these health-based experiences can offer rich learning experience, equipping students with specialised skills and knowledge in the field of primary health care provision,” Dr Zuchowski said.

“This will value-add to their existing social work knowledge and skills repertoire.”

JCU social work student Milissa Pyper visited Karumba as part of her general practice placement at Fairfield Central and Magnetic Island practices.  

“I have received support from three general practices that immersed and engaged me in a wide range of valuable learning experiences,” Ms Pyper said.

“It exposed me to communities that I would not have otherwise visited, and to see there is so much work available in a small, isolated community for social work.

“I am learning more about social work practice, networking, and general practices. You see the whole picture and how differently social workers think.

“It is frustrating to see how remote communities have to function with limited support.”

Martin Hazelwood, a final-year social work student, said working in a general practice had been a wonderful experience.

“I feel it is fundamentally important that social workers have an understanding of the medical side. It gives us insight into how the medical aspects impact the people we are working with,” Mr Hazelwood said.

“I am on a steep learning curve ... I am contributing, assisting the GPs and patients with My Aged Care, Veterans Affairs, NDIS, and general matters like being able to connect people to services within the Townsville region.

“GPs are stretched and time conscious. Having that extra time with patients is a wonderful experience that has enabled me to build rapport, trust, and relationships.

“We have seen some really positive outcomes, checking that forms are filled well and meeting the criteria, making referrals, providing information, and advocating for clients’ needs in a holistic, person-centred manner.”

Dr Zuchowski said while students were learning about health, it was an opportunity for general practices to consider how social work could be integrated in the daily task and service delivery within each participating primary health service provider.

“There are increasing demands on GPs that could be met through increased collaboration between GPs and allied health professions such as social work,” she said.

“Placing social work students in general practices is about building and strengthening links between social work and primary health care.”

Dr Zuchowski said social workers needed to better understand how general practices operated and to articulate what they could offer in this space.

The social work student placement in general practices’ curriculum was developed and trialled, and five placements and five reference group meetings were completed.

More than 200 times the students engaged with patients through a variety of communication methods including email, phone, phone telehealth and video meetings, and face-to-face at their homes or at clinics.

At one general practice a student received 25 referrals from 13 GPs, dealt with 37 patients, and 70 interactions as well as was involved with three staff training sessions.

The students helped develop resources for practices, including My Aged Care, dementia and continence assessments, gerontology, older persons mental health, and community services as well as a directory of resources covering aged care and advanced care planning for specific general practices.  

Students researched how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patient numbers could be increased.

The forum facilitated conversations, connections, and a shared purpose between the people and organisations that make up the headspace network. 

Staff from headspace services and Primary Health Networks were part of the 1,300 participants from across Australia. 

Jennifer said it was a privilege to be able to hear the lived experience stories in the room and that their strength and resilience know no bounds.

Those who attended shared experiences, knowledge, ideas, and solutions, as all parties committed to the ongoing work.  

The goal is to strengthen relationships across the network to improve headspace services for young people. 

We’d like to thank the Royal Flying Doctor Service and headspace Cairns, Stride Mental Health and headspace Townsville, North and West Remote Health and headspace Mackay for their ongoing commitment to supporting the young people in our communities.

NQPHN funds various mental health programs for headspace Cairns, Mackay, and Townsville.