Hume Medicare Local

Albury Wodonga Regional GP Network, in partnership with North East Victorian Division of General Practice established the Hume Medicare Local.

Characteristics of the local area

The Medicare Local catchment covers areas in two states - Victoria and New South Wales. Over half of the population in the region (56.27 per cent) is aged under 45 years, and 16.2 per cent are aged over 65 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people represent 1.4 per cent of the catchment population.

New key activities as a Medicare Local

To meet the strategic objectives for a Medicare Local, the Hume Medicare Local will undertake a range of activities that will initially include the following:

• continuation of linkages between the Local Hospital Network, primary care and aged care services through the Aged Care Access Initiative;
• improvement of the integration and targeting of chronic disease management programs and services in line with the population health strategy;
• coordination of after-hours services including access to bulk billing services, and providing linkages between after hours service and the General Practice After Hours Hotline;
• delivering flexible care packages to people with chronic mental health and complex care needs;
• strengthening integration and coordination of care between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander controlled and mainstream primary care services; and
• supporting the establishment of integrated shared care pathways between new and existing primary care providers, including Wodonga Integrated Primary Care (GP Super Clinic) and other corporate practices.

Achievements to date

Albury Wodonga Regional GP Network has:

• developed a cross border shared care and screening protocol with Albury Wodonga Health, Obstetric GPs and specialist Obstetricians to improve linkages between Hospital, GPs and Specialists;
• through Upper Hume Primary Care Partnership, coordinated implementation of Service Coordination Tool Templates, a suite of standardised tools for referral, screening and multidisciplinary care across 50 organisations throughout eight Local Government Areas;
• established the Albury After Hours Clinic, with a roster of over 40 GPs, improving access to GPs and other clinical services; and
• in partnership with the Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service, established a Care Coordinator position to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ access to GPs and other primary health providers.

North East Victorian Division of General Practice has:

• conducted the Limited Adverse Occurrence Screening (LAOS) program for over eight years, working with rural hospitals and involving medical and other staff to improve service delivery, and the safety of patient care as well as demonstrating a commitment to quality improvement;
• established the After Hours Service using a collaborative model, currently operating with over 80 GPs; and
• implemented the Integrated Primary Mental Health Service (IPMHS) in partnership with Northeast Health Wangaratta, a joint Victoria State Government and Commonwealth funded service which incorporates Access to Allied Psychological Services, Mental Health for Drought, Rural and Remote Mental Health and Bushfire recovery funding.

Local partnerships

The Hume Medicare Local is a partnership between Albury Wodonga Regional GP Network and North East Victorian Division of General Practice.

The Divisions have been key partners in the development of Primary Care Partnerships and have been extensively involved with the Central Hume and the Upper Hume Primary Care Partnership.

Consultation mechanisms and structure

The Hume Medicare Local has a skills based Board, comprising nine Directors. The Board will be supported by three Planning Networks, providing a range of skills and experience in community health, allied health, consumer, general practice, aged care, local government, mental health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, business, legal, finance, and corporate governanceP.

Contact details

Hume Medicare Local
8/175 Lawrence Street
Wodonga VIC 3690

Phone: (02) 6049 1900
Fax: (02) 6049 1999
Email: admin@humeml.org.au
Website: www.humeml.org.au

Hume Medicare Local (PDF 250 KB)