A correspondence based support program entitled ‘Family Connections’ is available to any family members caring for a relative with psychosis. More »

We wish all of our general practices a safe and happy holiday season, and look forward to seeing you in 2010! More »

The Children’s Hospital Westmead are offering a Diploma in Child Health, a one year part-time distance education program comprising of 111 hours of lectures and supporting material delivered via the internet and DVD. More »

This year’s Christmas event was certainly something to laugh about. We were educated and entertained by Merv Neal who showed us the benefits of laughter yoga. Over 80 staff from our general practices came together at Oscars to unwind and celebrate the end of another busy year in general practice. More »

Local immunisation rates continue to slide. Here’s what you can do about it. More »

I was surprised to learn recently that some GPs and practice staff thought that BDDGP paid Argus to support general practice in the uptake of Argus. This has never been the case, nor has there ever been a financial relationship between ArgusConnect and BDDGP. More »

If a junior doctor has a positive experience while under mentorship, they are more likely to be attracted to general practice and sign up for GP training. More »

Since the recent expansion of UFS Medical, even more local GPs are using ZedMed. Don’t compare these figures to the last lot, however. They were a load of rubbish. More »

Jill Lee offers cancer counselling in the Grampians region. The service offers help with adjustment to illness, grief & loss, severe disruption to normal life, new diagnosis and survivorship. More »

Navigating the maze of referral pathways for diabetes prevention can be a headache. Heather Campbell and I have put together an easy-to-use tool (similar to the Mental Health Support Tool) to help. More »

The latest VCCR statistical report for 2008 shows that the Grampians region Pap screening rate has fallen to 56.3%, down from 58.3% in 2006-7. What can we do? More »

Mair St, Sturt Medical and Carn Brae are using PDSA cycles to make small improvements to the way that their practice operates. Here’s an example. More »

A great night was had by those who attended our recent Annual General Meeting & Member’s Dinner at the Heritage on Lydiard. The guest speaker was Dr Sally Cockburn, known in the media as Dr Feelgood. Sally gave an entertaining and very humorous presentation on GP well-being. More »

1 in 2,500 Caucasian individuals has cystic fibrosis, and 1 in 25 individuals is a carrier of a cystic fibrosis gene fault. If both members of a couple are healthy carriers of cystic fibrosis gene faults, there is a 1 in 4 chance for each of their children to have the condition. More »

Despite all the hype last year that the EPC dental scheme would be cancelled in favour of alternate dental programs, it continues to exist. I have had at least two general practices ask me for information this month, so I thought it might be time for an update. More »

In a triumph of pragmatism over bureaucracy, Medicare have relaxed their rules on what constitutes a valid electronic referral. Referrals sent by Argus are now valid Medicare referrals.
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In 2007, the Victorian Home and Community Care program initiated the Living at Home Assessment Service framework. Designated HACC funded assessment service providers were identified (listed below). These designated agencies are the contact point for the Living at Home Services. More »

As part of our GP Well-being program, we held a movie night at the Regent Gold Class cinema on October 8th. More »

A review of the  Pharmacy Guild statistics of HMR claims in the Ballarat area indicates that GPs are missing out on payments for HMRs. More »

Two new services this month; cardiac & pulmonary rehab, and myotherapy. More »

As required by ACHS, and in response to reported issues, we have reviewed our Medication Chart over the previous year. As a result, a new BDNH Medication Chart, in line with the National Inpatient Chart now utilised across all Australian public hospitals, has been developed for use in the community setting. More »

No room for a practice nurse? Consider contracting a local nursing service. Dr Chris Millar’s recent experience was a positive one. More »

The phrase “cleaning up your data” might strike fear into you and your practice team, but do you really understand what it is, and why it is so important? More »

Talei Deacon, Practice Manager at UFS Medical Centre, won an Apple iPhone in the recent Argus special prize draw. More »

The poor health of Australia and Torres Strait Islander people has been compared to problems of the third world. Help close the gap. More »

Dr Malcolm Anderson has been appointed to the position of GP Liaison Consultant. Dr Anderson has had over 30 years experience as a GP practising within the West Vic region, and was also on the West Vic Division Board of Management. More »

People with low self esteem start a story about themselves that they repeat over in their minds. They then believe this to be the truth about themselves. At Ballarat Community Health we run a self-esteem program for adults called “Build It! Self Esteem”. More »

[Please note that this article is now obsolete] By now you should have received your package of materials for the upcoming BDDGP AGM. In it you will find a number of proposed changes to BDDGP’s Constitution. A 75% vote of present / proxy members will be needed to make any of these changes, so it is important that you be given the chance to understand the Board’s rationale for change. More »

BHS are in the process of implementing the BOSSnet Digital Medical Record. A component of the system will be electronic discharge summaries via Argus secure messaging. More »

The AMA have just advised that some GPs providing services to residents in aged care facilities are missing out on their visits being counted towards the Aged Care Access Initiative incentive payments, because (a) the GP must work from a practice participating in the PIP and (b) GPs are not claiming these visits using their PIP linked Medicare provider number of an accredited practice. More »

The DAFNE (dose adjustment for normal eating) program aims to enable individuals with Type 1 diabetes the ability to have a flexible lifestyle. By using equations, patients can adapt insulin doses appropriate to lifestyle choices to ensure more predictable blood glucose levels, giving the individual a greater sense of personal control. More »

The GP-based HPV vaccination program for women aged 18-26 is coming to an end. Practices need to identify patients who have only had 1 or 2 doses NOW! More »

We’ve been funded to trial a project to extend access to allied health services. Our model aims to improve timely access to allied health services by means of the MBS for EPC plans. To distinguish this service from our other services, we’ve given it a separate name – Ballarat Primary Care. More »

I wasn’t there, but I’m pretty sure we won. Check ‘em out. More »

BHS is pleased to announce a new extension to its physiotherapy services – a Medicare service for EPC patients. The physiotherapy service will provide intervention to patients referred under the program. More »

If you’re anything like me, you (or the kids – grrrr) exceed your monthly internet download limit on a regular basis. You then have to spend the rest of the month browsing the web at arm-chewingly slow speeds. Or maybe your connection is just plain slow. There’s a way around it. More »

Our 2009 Annual General Meeting and members’ dinner has been confirmed for Wednesday the 28th of October at the Heritage on Lydiard and will include a delicious meal and a presentation from our guest speaker Dr Sally Cockburn, who will entertain us with a talk on GP well-being. More »

Events, notices and other tidbits that you need to know about. Nice and compact for folks in a hurry. More »

When run at GPV in Melbourne, this HCA workshop received the following accolades from GPs and practice nurses: More »

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) has become the imaging standard of care for characterising, staging and followup of most malignancies. About one third of imaged patients will have their staging changed based on the PET assessment, and this ultimately allows the most appropriate first line treatment to occur; best early identification of treatment response and best long term survival for least cost to quality of life. More »

“Divisions Told To Evolve or Risk Extinction”
“Government Pulls Divisions’s Funding”
“Overhaul of Division Network Recommended”
“Division Mergers Will Spell Loss of GP Control”
Just some of the recent headlines in the medical press. So, what’s it all about? More »

There are some new local services you need to know about for Parkinson’s, MS and falls prevention. More »

It took Jill a while to adjust to Practice Nursing. Jill missed her acute skills at first, but gradually she began to appreciate the new skill set found in General Practice, and came to understand the role of the PN. More »

Events, notices and other tidbits that you need to know about. Nice and compact for folks in a hurry. More »

It is strongly recommended to discuss blood glucose meters with your diabetes educator prior to purchasing. Diabetes educators can advise you on the best meter/s to suit your needs and teach all aspects of blood glucose monitoring. More »

When a patient is recruited to the trial, confirmation of the diagnosis of primary hypertension will be sought by the pharmacist (with consent of the patient) from the patient’s nominated GP. More »

Children with significant developmental delays or disabilities who need two or more therapies are eligible for a new service at DEECD. More »

With Argus being used by more and more agencies, it’s important that all your GPs are listed with Argus, and GPs who have left are removed. More »

Did you know that GPs who are teaching medical students can now claim 40 category 1 points for six hours of medical student teaching in general practice placements? More »

At Ballarat Community Health Sebastopol our team run the evidence-based Better Health Self Management Course, which was designed, trialled and fine-tuned at Stanford University in the USA over the last 20 or so years. More »

As we now have 7 practices using the PCS Clinical Audit Tool (CAT), I thought it was time to commence regular updates on what’s happening with the tool. The biggest news this month was the release of the Zedmed-compatible CAT. I will start contacting practices who have shown an interest in this tool shortly. More »

We’re delighted to announce that the contract to provide paediatric and outpatient audiology has been finalised with BHS. The service is available on Wednesday afternoons, Thursday all day and Friday mornings at Level 2 West, Ballarat Base Hospital, Drummond St. More »

VPTAS offers financial assistance with travel and accommodation costs incurred by patients travelling long distances for specialist services. It’s part of the overall program to improve health outcomes for rural Victorians. More »

A new booklet for people with diabetes was launched at Ballarat’s recent Diabetes Expo. The booklet includes a directory of services and support information for diabetes sufferers in the Central Highlands Region. More »

We used to be a Medical Director division. Since a recent migration by a large practice, however, ZedMed has surged ahead. More »

Three teams from the Ballarat and District Division of GPs have already entered, and are well into their training program. Is there some healthy competition from the General Practices out there to go up against these athletes? More »

Events, notices and other tidbits that you need to know about. Nice and compact for folks in a hurry. More »

Thanks to The McGrath Foundation, there is now more information and emotional support for those in the Grampians region living with breast cancer. More »

Available diabetes guidelines rarely address specific care issues for the elderly, yet diabetes in older people is our most common chronic condition and one of our most challenging health problems. More »

The 2009 DoHA Budget announced Better Access measures targeting improved mental health services, effective as of 1 July 2009. More »

About one in six people in Australia has a hearing loss, but with the ageing of the Australian population, hearing loss is projected to increase to one in every four Australians by 2050. More »

The MEND Program is a FREE community placed, evidence-based program for overweight and obese children aged between 7-13 and their families.  The multi-disciplinary program places equal emphasis on Mind, Exercise and Nutrition and combines this with the ability to motivate parents and children to Do It! More »

Apparently, GPs only have use of the same 168 hours per week as everyone else. How unfair! More »

GPs are being given clear guidelines for prescribing particular antibiotics in different diagnostic  scenarios  in the latest NPS education program, Management of specific respiratory tract infections. More »

GPs in the Ballarat district are being urged to remind their female patients to have regular two-yearly Pap tests, as only 56.8% of women in the Division have had a Pap test in the last two years. More »

Help train the next generation of rural doctors – 2 weeks per year over 4 years – with the John Flynn Placement Program (JFPP). More »

What is your practice willing to do to improve your chronic disease systems and patient access issues? Have you considered the Australian Primary Care Collaborative Program? Think about it now! More »

Have you had time access the Doctors Control Panel (DCP) website since we introduced it in the February Newsletter? More »

You spend hours every day working with one, but still you don’t know how to use it properly.  Look at you, pecking away like a demented emu.  Enough is enough.  It’s time you learned how to touch type. More »

One of the most difficult tasks facing any GP is assisting a distraught parent who is seeking help following the death of a child. More »

We are all aware of the dangers that face GPs when they visit patients in their homes. More »

What does May’s federal budget have in store for your practice? More »

Last month I warned about dropping immunisation rates in the region.  Here’s what you can do about it. More »

Our “Smoke Free” Clinic is a one-on-one (1:1) program for anyone wanting to quit for the first time, or has tried before and relapsed. More »

Hobart GP Nick Cooling reports often finding up to three previously untreated conditions when doing an assessment on people with intellectual disability.  These include reflux, tooth decay, skin cancers, side effects from medication interactions, excess ear wax and various visual problems.  More »

Type 1 diabetes is the most common endocrine disease in childhood and adolescence. Unfortunately, diagnosis can be delayed resulting in children being admitted to hospital in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). More »

Events, notices and other tidbits that you need to know about. Nice and compact for folks in a hurry. More »

167 rural women flocked to the inaugural ‘Diamonds in the Dust’ event, held at the magnificent Ercildoune Homestead. More »

In line with the latest NPS therapeutic program, health professionals are advised to step-down proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy and cease when appropriate. More »

The 2009 Victorian Rural Doctors’ Awards acknowledged Ballarat doctors Royce Baxter and Ross Wilkie for their commitment to the region at a ceremony last Friday night in Melbourne. More »

You may recognise this quote (some say misquote) from the Apollo 13 space mission. In fact, for Ballarat and District Division it’s more like Ballarat, we have a problem! More »

BDDGP held another successful weekend conference on 2nd & 3rd May 2009. The topic was “Emergencies in General Practice” and it was held at an exciting new venue, Crowne Plaza Torquay. More »

SRSs (Supported Residential Services) house people who can no longer live independently, but they are not aged care facilities.  So what services can SRS residents claim? More »

Events, notices and other tidbits that you need to know about. Nice and compact for folks in a hurry. More »

The recently developed SCUFF program aims to deliver education and support promoting proactive foot care outside the community health service. More »

Tired of answering phone calls from the public trying to find a GP? There is a solution.  From May, you can give them the Need-a-GP hotline number 5304 5666. More »

Many of you know Carn-Brae, the practice has been in operation for about 40 years and, no, I haven’t been there that long, even though some patients think I have.

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I have been doing opiate pharmacotherapy in General Practice for many years in Victoria, and I find it to be some of the most rewarding clinical work that is available.  More »

Events, notices and other tidbits that you need to know about. Nice and compact for folks in a hurry. More »

In the last twelve months a number of cardiovascular outcome studies have been completed, all primarily designed to assess the cardiovascular benefits of intensive glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes. Rather than answer this definitively, these studies have raised further questions about the benefits of tight glycaemic control. More »

This year BCHC and BHS have began running the Life! program in Ballarat, which is a lifestyle modification program aimed at preventing diabetes in people 50 and over. The Life! program is funded by Diabetes Victoria to target the estimated 500,000 Victorians who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

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The Rural Workforce Agency of Victoria (RWAV) is offering business coaching with an approved coaching service provider to GPs/Practice Managers, to the value of $1500 + GST per practice. Coaching sessions with an experienced business coach will develop business and life plans.

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Did you know there’s an online list of everybody who has Argus? If you don’t know they’re on it, and they don’t know about you, you might be receiving paper unnecessarily. Time for a quick refresher.

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Quite often a GP practice will not have electronic or paper copies of patient’s investigations where the patient is under the care of a specialist. A typical example is a GP not getting the HBA1C pathology results for a patient under the care of an Endocrinologist.

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We are all aware of the dangers that face GPs when they visit patients in their homes. More »

A few important points for practice nurses.  First, there’s a deadline coming up.

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David Dahm, from a leading national accounting and practice management consultancy firm, presented an enlightening seminar on practice sustainability at The Forest Resort in Creswick on Saturday 28^th March. The audience, GPs and Practice Managers from West Vic, Central Highlands and Ballarat and District Divisions heard a wealth of knowledge about practice sustainability, succession planning, optimal legal and tax structures, best practice financial performance indicators and reporting, and the GP/PM relationship. More »

Script management for patients who use a medication unit dose container is a complex and time consuming activity, creating frustration for both general practices and community pharmacies. There’s a better way. More »

At Sebas BCHC the team are running an evidence based course, the Better Health Self Management Course, which was designed, trialled and fine-tuned at Stanford University in the USA over the last 20 or so years. More »