8 February 2024
WA Primary Health Alliance acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Owners and Elders of this country and recognises the significant importance of their cultural heritage, values and beliefs and how these contribute to the positive health and wellbeing of the whole community. Throughout this newsletter, the term 'Aboriginal' is used to refer to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, unless stated otherwise.
-
Health Workshop with Councilor Anbumoly at Willetton Family Practice Over three months from October to December 2023, Willetton Family Practice and Pramana Medical Centre in Gosnells collaborated with WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) to support and educate vulnerable and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients regarding vaccinations and a variety of other health concerns. Thurka Sitparan, Practice Manager at Willetton Family Practice, explained that the two clinics worked together to provide vulnerable and CALD patients with home visits from a nurse and multilingual counsellor, plus the clinics also weekly in-house education sessions that were conducted in various languages with culturally appropriate catering. “The patients were more comfortable and accepting to receive a vaccination in their own home after some conversation with the counsellor. The conversation also included other general health and wellbeing concerns, such as cervical screens, mammograms and bowel screening. Four patients who had never done a cervical screen were willing to visit their GP or receive a self-test kit. Two patients who had never done a mammogram have decided to do an ultrasound in the first instance and eventually do a mammogram,” Ms Sitparan said. Kate Fulford, Associate Director at Pramana Medical Centre, said that 77 of their patients received home visits and in addition to being vaccinated for COVID-19 and other diseases, they also received concurrent health checks that resulted in referrals to allied health or specialists on the spot through telehealth consultations with the patient’s primary GP. “Feedback from the patients was extremely positive. We have also had an increase in family and community members coming to the clinic or contacting the clinic for information about getting vaccinated for communicable diseases, after their family member who we saw at home spoke to them about their vaccine history. The GPs thought the service was very valuable in developing bonds with patients who were reluctant to attend the clinic. The GPs also found having a counsellor a useful dynamic to support health navigation and education in a culturally appropriate way, which we are hopeful to continue into 2024,” Ms Fulford said. For further information about how WAPHA can assist your practice with supporting and educating vulnerable and CALD patients with COVID-19, email Practice Assist via practiceassist@wapha.org.au or call 1800 2 ASSIST (1800 2 277 478).
To celebrate Medicare turning 40, Services Australia is issuing commemorative Medicare cards. If your patients get a new or replacement card in 2024, it will be a 40-year anniversary card. Updates to the card will show on their:
Beyond the C Program are increasing the incentive payment to practices from $750 at each timepoint to $2,000 at each timepoint. That is a total of $4,000 (plus GST) for participation in Beyond the C. Beyond the C Program want to ensure that participating practices are compensated adequately for their time, and are recognised for the great work they are doing by being a part of Beyond the C.