Programs & Initiatives
A list of all Health programs and initiatives.
| Program/Initiative | Health topics | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Aged Care Access Initiative Information on the Aged Care Access Initiative that commenced on 1 July 2008, replaces the Aged Care GP Panels Initiative. | |
| 2. | Australian Health Care Agreements The Australian Health Care Agreements are bilateral five-year agreements between the Australian Government and each state and territory. They are vehicles for the Government to provide significant funding to assist the states and territories to provide free public hospital services to the Australian community. | |
| 3. | Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Program (APCCP) The aims of the Australian Primary Care Collaboratives Program are to improve clinical health outcomes, reduce lifestyle risk factors, maintain health for chronic and complex conditions and improve access to Australian general practice. | |
| 4. | Food Regulation System The system is based upon a strengthening of the partnership between government, consumers and industry, increased Ministerial direction on policy and a continued close relationship between Australia and New Zealand in the development of joint food standards. | |
| 5. | General Information on Extra Service and Application results Extra Service offers increased choice and diversity in the aged care sector by giving residents the option of making additional payments to receive additional services. | |
| 6. | Hepatitis C in Australia Information about hepatitis C; populations most at risk of hepatitis C in Australia; and Australia's response to the hepatitis C epidemic. | |
| 7. | Illicit Drugs The Department provides funding for a range of programs addressing the use of illicit drugs. | |
| 8. | Immunisation An Australian, State and Territory Government initiative, the Immunise Australia Program aims to increase national immunisation rates. | |
| 9. | Implementing JETACAR The Commonwealth Government Response to the Report of the Joint Expert Technical Advisory Committee on Antibiotic Resistance (JETACAR) highlights the need for a coordinated and balanced approach to better manage the use of antibiotics in humans and food producing animals. | |
| 10. | Injury Prevention Injury Prevention and Control was endorsed as a National Priority Area by the Australian Health Ministers in 1986 in recognition of the national burden of injury. | |
| 11. | Lifetime Health Cover Lifetime Health Cover is a Government initiative that started on 1 July 2000. It was designed to encourage people to take out hospital insurance earlier in life, and to maintain their cover. | |
| 12. | Medical Indemnity This section of the site contains information relating to medical indemnity programs. | |
| 13. | Medication Management Reviews Information on Domiciliary Medication Management Reviews (DMMR), a collaborative medication review for people in the community, and the Residential Medication Review (RMMR) for residents of aged care facilities. | |
| 14. | More Allied Health Services (MAHS) Program The aim of the More Allied Health Services (MAHS) Program is to improve the health of people living in rural areas through allied health care, with linkages between allied health care and general practice. | |
| 15. | National Comorbidity Initiative The Initiative aims to improve service co-ordination and treatment outcomes for people with coexisting mental health and substance use disorders and focuses on the following priority areas. | |
| 16. | National Men's and Women's Health The Government has committed to developing National Men's and Women's Health Policies, to ensure that specific health needs of both men and women are addressed. | |
| 17. | National Psychostimulants Initiative (NPI) The NPI aims to reduce harms and prevent harms associated with psychostimulant use in the Australian community. | |
| 18. | Overview A brief overview of the National Continence Management Strategy. | |
| 19. | Overview of the Commonwealth Qualified Privilege Scheme The Commonwealth Qualified Privilege Scheme encourages health professionals to undertake quality assurance activities in connection with the provision of certain health services. | |
| 20. | Overview of the Divisions of General Practice Program The purpose of the Divisions of General Practice Program (the Divisions Program) is to provide services and support to general practice at the local level, through Divisions of General Practice, to achieve health outcomes for the community that would not otherwise be achieved on an individual GP basis. | |
| 21. | Overview of the PHERP PHERP is an Australian Government initiative that aims to strengthen national capacity to educate and train Australia's public health workforce, so that it is well-prepared and responsive in the protection, improvement and promotion of Australia's health. | |
| 22. | Pacific Senior Health Officials Network This section of the website contains information on the Pacific Senior Health Officials Network. | |
| 23. | Plasma Fractionation Review Australia’s plasma fractionation arrangements were reviewed in 2006, in line with commitments under the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA). The purpose of the review was to provide governments with a solid basis to make an informed decision on future arrangements. Further information about the review can be accessed from this page. | |
| 24. | Pregnancy Counselling There have been improvements to the availability of counselling and support for women and their partners who are concerned about a pregnancy through the provision of Non-Directive Pregnancy Support Counselling MBS Items and the National Pregnancy Support Helpline. | |
| 25. | Quarantine and Travel Health information The objective of human quarantine activities is to prevent the introduction into Australia of potentially fatal communicable human diseases. Those diseases which are currently subject to quarantine controls are cholera, plague, rabies, yellow fever and viral haemorrhagic fevers. | |
| 26. | Round the Clock Medicare: Investing in After Hours GP Services Program This section of the website contains information on Australian Government funding for after hours GP services from 2008-09 | |
| 27. | Rural Women's GP Service Information about the Rural Women's GP Service. | |
| 28. | Sport Information on the development of a stronger and internationally competitive Australian sports sector and encouragement of greater participation in sport by all Australians. | |
| 29. | The Aged Care GP Panels Initiative The purpose of the Aged Care GP Panels Initiative is to ensure better access to primary medical care for residents of aged care homes and to enable general practitioners (GPs) and allied health service providers to work with residential aged care facilities (RACFs) on quality improvement strategies for the care of all residents. | |
| 30. | Tobacco The National Tobacco Strategy aims to improve the health of all Australians by eliminating or reducing their exposure to tobacco in all its forms. | |
| 31. | GP Super Clinics Welcome to the Australian Government’s GP Super Clinics Program. | |
| 32. | Dental services under Medicare Medicare dental items (Medicare items 85011-87777) are available for people with chronic conditions and complex care needs, on referral from a GP. Eligible patients can access up to $4,250 in Medicare benefits for dental services over two consecutive calendar years. | |
| 33. | Elective Surgery Waiting List Reduction Plan Welcome to the Department of Health and Ageing's Elective Surgery Waiting List Reduction Plan information site. | |
| 34. | Sharing Health Care Initiative (SHCI) Over the next four years the Sharing Health Care Initiative will expand the range and reach of quality evidence-based chronic disease interventions to support self-management in Australia. | |
| 35. | Advanced Specialist Training Posts in Rural Areas Funding for accredited advanced specialist training posts in rural and regional areas. | |
| 36. | Aged Care GP Panels Initiative - Information for GPs and Allied Health Providers on how to get involved Describes the role of GPs and allied Health Providers under the Panels Initiative and how they can get involved | |
| 37. | Aged Care GP Panels Initiative - Information for Residential Aged care Facilities on how to get involved Describes the role of residential aged care facilities under the Panels Initiative and how they can get involved | |
| 38. | Alcohol Misuse of alcohol is a major preventable risk factor for a wide range of diseases and injuries. This page provides links to information about the government's campaigns and initiatives to reduce alcohol related harm in Australia. | |
| 39. | Alcohol Misuse of alcohol is a major preventable risk factor for a wide range of diseases and injuries. This page provides links to information about the government's campaigns and initiatives to reduce alcohol related harm in Australia. | |
| 40. | Asthma In August 1999, Australian Health Ministers announced asthma as a National Health Priority Area in recognition of the significant burden that asthma places on the Australian community in terms of health, social, economic and emotional costs. | |
| 41. | Australian Rural and Remote Health Professional Scholarship Scheme Provides scholarships to practising rural and remote allied health professionals to access continuing professional development opportunities. | |
| 42. | Better access to psychiatrists, psychologists and general practitioners through the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Provides Medicare rebates and training to increase community access to mental health professionals and team-based mental health care. | |
| 43. | Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care Improves community access to quality primary mental health services by providing better education and training for general practitioners and more support for them from allied health professionals and psychiatrists. | |
| 44. | beyondblue - the National Depression Initiative Provides national leadership to increase community awareness, prevention and early intervention of depression and related illnesses. | |
| 45. | Biographical information about members of the National Primary Health Care Strategy External Reference Group This section of the site provides information about members of the National Primary Health Care Strategy External Reference Group. | |
| 46. | Bringing Nurses Back into the Workforce Provides cash bonuses to eligible nurses 6 months and 18 months after returning to work in a public or private hospital or residential aged care facility. | |
| 47. | Cancer In 1996, Australian Health Ministers announced cancer as a National Health Priority Area in recognition of the major burden that cancer places on the Australian community. | |
| 48. | Cardiovascular Health Cardiovascular disease is the largest cause of premature death and death overall in Australia, accounting for 36.9% of all deaths in 2003, and its health and economic burden exceeds that of any other disease. | |
| 49. | Children of Parents with a Mental Illness Promotes better mental health outcomes for children of parents with a mental illness. | |
| 50. | Consultation process The Australian Government is strongly committed to improving maternity services and it understands the importance to women of having a range of birthing options available. | |
| 51. | Contact details regarding the National Primary Health Care Strategy. This section of the site provides contact details for further information regarding the National Primary Health Care Strategy. | |
| 52. | Contact Us Contact information for the Maternity Services Review team. | |
| 53. | Diabetes Diabetes mellitus is a condition where the body cannot maintain normal blood glucose levels. It is a significant cause of death and disability in Australia and is increasing in prevalence worldwide. | |
| 54. | Dose Administration Aids Program The Dose Administration Aids (DAA) Program is a component of the Better Community Health Initiative established under Part 5 of the Fourth Community Pharmacy Agreement. The aim of the DAA Program is to provide an opportunity for prolonging the ability of patients to remain living effectively and confidently within their own homes, through the provision of a DAA service from their community pharmacy. | |
| 55. | Environmental Health Environmental health involves those aspects of public health concerned with the factors, circumstances, and conditions in the environment or surroundings of humans that can exert an influence on health and well-being. | |
| 56. | Exchange Visitor Sponsorship Program Information for Australian doctors wanting to study in the USA on an Exchange Visitor Sponsorship. | |
| 57. | Expanded Specialist Training Program Supports medical specialist training opportunities in a broad range of settings to augment the training received in traditional teaching hospitals. | |
| 58. | Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Relevant questions and answers for more information about the Review. | |
| 59. | General Practice After Hours Program This section of the website contains information on Australian Government funding for after hours GP services from 2008-2009. | |
| 60. | GP Super Clinics National Program Guide | |
| 61. | headspace (National Youth Mental Health Foundation) Delivers improvements in the mental health, social wellbeing and economic participation of young Australians aged 12-25. | |
| 62. | HECS Reimbursement Scheme Promotes careers in rural medicine by reimbursing HECS medical fees for doctors who undertake training or provide medical services in designated rural and remote areas. | |
| 63. | Helping Children with Autism This package has created new items in the Medicare Benefits Schedule, and will fund training for teachers and support playgroups, and provide early intervention and individual assistance packages for children with autism and their families. | |
| 64. | Helping Children with Autism From 1 July 2008, six Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items are available to eligible allied health professionals for the diagnosis and treatment of children with pervasive developmental disorders. These items are part of the Australian Government’s $190 million Helping Children with Autism package. | |
| 65. | HIV AIDS The national response to HIV/AIDS is coordinated through a number of national initiatives. Find information about the current initiatives, research, committees and support activities in the following pages. | |
| 66. | International Medical Recruitment Strategy An international recruitment process to enhance and better coordinate arrangements for overseas trained doctors. | |
| 67. | John Flynn Placement Program Covers costs, for medical students, of short-term placements in rural areas. | |
| 68. | KidsMatter A mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention initiative for primary school students. | |
| 69. | Lifestyle Prescriptions Lifestyle Prescriptions are a tool for GPs to use when providing healthy lifestyle advice to patients. | |
| 70. | Maternity Services Review - Overview The Australian Government is strongly committed to improving maternity services and it understands the importance to women of having a range of birthing options available. | |
| 71. | Media Release regarding the National Primary Health Care Strategy This section of the site provides links to media releases regarding the National Primary Health Care Strategy. | |
| 72. | Medical Rural Bonded Scholarships Scholarships for students who agree to practise in rural or remote areas of Australia upon completion of basic medical and postgraduate training. | |
| 73. | Medical Treatment Overseas Program The Medical Treatment Overseas (MTO) Program provides financial assistance for Australians with a life-threatening medical condition to receive proven life saving medical treatment overseas where effective treatment is not available in Australia. | |
| 74. | Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program Provides a non-MBS incentive payment to organisations which engage mental health nurses to assist in the provision of coordinated clinical care for people with severe mental disorders. | |
| 75. | Mental Health Services in Rural and Remote Areas Provides allied and nursing mental health services in rural and remote communities throughout Australia. | |
| 76. | Mental Health Support for Drought Affected Communities Builds the capacity of rural and remote drought affected communities to respond to the psychological impact of drought through community outreach and crisis counselling, and awareness and education. | |
| 77. | Mindframe National Media Initiative Provides information about suicide and mental illness and the portrayal of these issues in the news media and on stage and screen in Australia. | |
| 78. | Mindmatters A resource and professional development program to support Australian secondary schools in promoting and protecting the social and emotional wellbeing of members of school communities. | |
| 79. | More Allied Health Services Program Review 2007 Executive Summary In June 2007, The Department of Health and Ageing commissioned a review of the More Allied Health Services (MAHS) | |
| 80. | Multicultural Mental Health Australia Provides national leadership in building awareness of mental health and suicide prevention amongst Australians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. | |
| 81. | Multidisciplinary Case Conferencing Information on EPC case conferencing, including item descriptors, explanatory notes, questions and answers (for providers and consumers), a case study and a checklist. | |
| 82. | National External Breast Prostheses Reimbursement Program Information on the Program and how to claim a reimbursement. | |
| 83. | National Primary Health Care Strategy - External Reference Group - Terms of Reference This section of the site provides more detailed information about the National Primary Health Care Strategy External Reference Group. | |
| 84. | National Primary Health Care Strategy - Questions and Answers This section of the site provides answers to frequently asked questions regarding the development of the National Primary Health Care Strategy. | |
| 85. | National Rural and Remote Health Infrastructure Program The National Rural and Remote Health Infrastructure Program (NRRHIP) aims to improve access to health services by providing funding to rural and remote communities where the lack of infrastructure is a barrier to the establishment of new, or the enhancement of existing health services. | |
| 86. | National Youth Mental Health Foundation (headspace) Known as headspace, the foundation delivers improvements in the mental health, social wellbeing and economic participation of young Australians aged 12-25. | |
| 87. | Nursing in General Practice Encourages general practice to employ more practice nurses. | |
| 88. | Outer Metropolitan Specialist Trainee Program Gives specialist trainees the opportunity to complement their public teaching hospital training with experience in a private specialist setting. | |
| 89. | Pituitary Hormone Initiatives This page contains information on the relation between human pituitary hormone treatment and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) as well as Government's initiatives for the control and prevention of CJD. | |
| 90. | Prevocational General Practice Placements Program Encourages junior doctors to take up general practice as a career by funding placements in outer metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas, and other areas of medical service need. | |
| 91. | Primary Health Strategy The Hon. Nicola Roxon MP, Minister for Health and Ageing, announced on 11 June 2008 that the Rudd Government will develop a National Primary Health Care Strategy to better tackle the health challenges of the 21st century, and make sure that families can get the health care they need. | |
| 92. | Program of Assistance for the Survivors of Torture and Trauma Promotes the health and wellbeing of people who have experienced torture and trauma prior to their arrival in Australia. | |
| 93. | Publications and Resources Relevant resources for more information about the Review. | |
| 94. | Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme Provides financial assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to undertake undergraduate health professional training. | |
| 95. | Remote Vocational Training Scheme Provides distance education and supervision for medical practitioners without postgraduate qualifications in remote communities. | |
| 96. | ResponseAbility Education Provides information to support use of the Response Ability multi-media packages in Australian universities and tertiary colleges, in the fields of education and journalism. | |
| 97. | Rural Advanced Specialist Training Support Funding to specialist colleges for specialist training initiatives such as mentoring, workshops and distance education in rural Australia. | |
| 98. | Rural Allied Health Undergraduate Scholarship Scheme Scholarships to assist students from rural and remote areas with the costs of allied health or oral health undergraduate or graduate tertiary studies. | |
| 99. | Rural and Remote General Practice Program Funding for activities to recruit and retain general practitioners to/in rural and remote areas e.g. community assistance, finding placements, costs of relocation, family support, infrastructure and training. | |
| 100. | Rural Australia Medical Undergraduate Scholarship Scholarships to assist students from rural and remote areas with accommodation, living and travel costs incurred while studying medicine. | |
| 101. | Rural Clinical Schools Funds a network of rural clinical schools to enable students to undertake extended clinical training placements in rural locations. | |
| 102. | Rural Health Support, Education and Training Funds initiatives to recruit and retain rural health workers by providing them with appropriate support, education and training. | |
| 103. | Rural Pharmacy Scholarship Scheme Scholarships to assist students from rural and remote areas to undertake undergraduate or graduate studies in pharmacy at university. | |
| 104. | Rural Retention Program Recognises long-serving general practitioners in rural and remote communities by providing them with financial assistance. | |
| 105. | Rural Undergraduate Support and Coordination Funds Australian medical schools to promote the selection of rural applicants, develop support systems for students with an interest in rural medicine, and provide short-term rural placements for medical students. | |
| 106. | Specialist Obstetrician Locum Scheme Provides the rural specialist obstetrician workforce with locum support. | |
| 107. | Specialist Re-Entry Program Assistance for specialists to re-enter the workforce through financial support to individuals and host practices. | |
| 108. | Support for Day to Day Living in the Community Provides additional places in programs that promote healthy social interaction and community participation for people with a severe mental illness. | |
| 109. | Support Scheme for Rural Specialists Funding for innovative approaches to support the continuing professional development and peer support needs of specialists practising in rural and remote areas. | |
| 110. | Training for Rural and Remote Procedural General Pracitioners Program Financial assistance for procedural general practitioners in rural and remote areas to attend relevant training, upskilling and skills maintenance activities. | |
| 111. | University Departments of Rural Health Funding for universities to provide opportunities for students to practise their clinical skills in a rural environment. | |
| 112. | Visiting Optometrists Scheme The Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS) aims to improve the access of people living and working in rural and remote communities to optometric services. | |
| 113. | Workforce Support for Rural General Pracitioners Support for general practitioners in rural areas, including training, professional development and locum coverage. |