‘Connection’ Counts in Diabetes Care: West Moreton-Oxley Medicare Local
Patients with diabetes at Inala Indigenous Health are receiving better care after local doctors and allied health workers participated in an innovative program—Co-Creating Care—to help health professionals better connect with their patients and understand their needs.
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Previous MinistersJoint release
The Hon Nicola Roxon MP
Minister for Health and Ageing
Bernie Ripoll MP
Member for Oxley
1 September 2011Patients with diabetes at Inala Indigenous Health are receiving better care after local doctors and allied health workers participated in an innovative program—Co-Creating Care—to help health professionals better connect with their patients and understand their needs.
Minister for Health and Ageing Nicola Roxon and local Member for Oxley Bernie Ripoll today visited a local GP clinic in the new West Moreton-Oxley Medicare Local to hear first-hand how the program is helping doctors, allied health professionals and, most importantly, patients.
“Finding solutions for massive society-wide health issues can be daunting. But, it’s often at the local level that innovative solutions can be rolled-out with great success,” Minister Roxon said.
“It’s with this in mind that the Gillard Government has established Medicare Locals—new locally-run organisations that will look at the health needs of their community and target services to meet these needs.
“The West Moreton-Oxley community is one of Australia’s first Medicare Locals, and is tackling diabetes hands-on with its Co-Creating Care program, helping health professionals get better ‘connected’ with their patients.”
Inala Indigenous Health GP Dr Clare Maher met with Minister Roxon and Mr Ripoll and explained how she participated in the Co-Creating Care program, which involved her patients completing confidential surveys about their experiences as patients.
“After being a GP for 20 years, I realised there were additional skills I needed that would assist me in supporting my patients to manage their diabetes,” Dr Maher said.
“This program has opened up new possibilities for my practice. By better connecting with my patients and other health professionals, I’m seeing improvements in how my patients are responding to care options.”
Mr Ripoll explained the West Moreton-Oxley Medicare Local has its sights firmly set on the emerging health needs of the local community.
“With the local population set to grow by 81 per cent in the next 20 years, it’s important we have the right number of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals on the ground and working well together,” Mr Ripoll said.
“The West Moreton-Oxley Medicare Local already has some great programs like the Co-Creating Care program up and running. Over time, we’ll see Co-Creating Care expand further, and more home-grown programs developed to suit our local area, helping to keep locals well and out of hospital.”
Local members Shayne Neumann MP and Graham Perrett MP, whose electorates are included in the West Moreton-Oxley Medicare Local, also welcomed the early work of the West Moreton-Oxley Medicare Local.
“I’m very excited about the potential of the West Moreton-Oxley Medicare Local. Already, the Springfield office is open and looking for new ways they can improve health services for locals,” Member for Blair Shayne Neumann MP said.
“The people of Moreton need effective, flexible and responsive health care, and the early runs on the board by this Medicare Local show that we’re heading in the right direction,” Member for Moreton Graham Perrett MP said.
The West Moreton-Oxley Medicare Local is one of Australia’s first 19 Medicare Locals and was formed on 1 July 2011. The West Moreton-Oxley Medicare Local was established by Brisbane South Division of General Practice in partnership with Ipswich and West Moreton Division of General Practice. Other key stakeholders include the Ipswich City Council, Regional Development Australia – Ipswich, Inala Indigenous Health Service, RSL Care, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia (Qld) and the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation.
For more information, contact the Minister's Office on (02) 6277 7220
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