Position Description - Grampians Medicare Local

Position Description
Title: Program Coordinator (immunisation) – Practice Development – Ballarat
Introduction
Sixty-one Medicare Locals have been established nationally by the Australian Government as part of the
Council of Australian Governments (COAG) National Health Reform agenda. Medicare Locals are
improving the coordination and integration of health, community and welfare services, addressing service
gaps and making it simpler for those that need care in their communities, to access this care.
The Grampians Medicare Local region stretches from Ballan through to the South Australian border, with
a population of approximately 206,000. There are four offices located in Ballarat, Ararat, Horsham and
Nhill. The Grampians Medicare Local has been formed from a merger of the Ballarat and District and
West Vic Divisions of General Practice. Both Divisions have a strong track record in providing a suite of
professional support services to General Practices in their respective regions.
Medicare Locals build on the achievements of Divisions of General Practice and will expand this work to
operate more broadly across the primary health care system. Medicare Locals are expected to be
involved with other health reform initiatives to help drive and strengthen the primary health care system
including:
co-ordinating primary health care services beyond general practice, encompassing a range of
primary health care practitioners in the community;
undertaking local health planning, identifying gaps in services at the local level and examining
opportunities for better targeting of services;
supporting the implementation of initiatives that improve the prevention and management of
disease in general practice and primary health care settings;
driving more efficient use of health resources, including the potential for administering flexible
funding pools to target gaps in primary health care service provision;
improving patients access to services by improving the co-ordination and integration of care both
within the primary health care sector and across other sectors of the health care system
(including the co-ordination of telehealth and afterhours primary health care services in the local
region), out-of-hospital physician care, linkages with Local Hospital Networks and the National
Lead Clinicians Group;
identifying local health care needs and having the responsibility and flexibility to address these
needs through co-ordinating and funding services; and
providing patients with increased access to information about services available in the local area.
Source – Medicare Locals Operational Guidelines. Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. August 2012.
62 High Street Ararat VIC 3377
PO Box 127 Ararat VIC 3377
t 03 5352 4804 f 03 5352 5495
e ararat@grampiansml.com.au
105 Webster Street Ballarat VIC 3350
PO Box 36W Ballarat VIC 3350
t 03 5331 6303 f 03 5331 5754
e ballarat@grampiansml.com.au
www.grampiansML.com.au
148 Baillie Street Horsham VIC 3400
PO Box 1158 Horsham VIC 3402
t 03 5381 1756 f 03 5381 0313
e horsham@grampiansml.com.au
Medicare Locals gratefully acknowledge the financial and other support from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Grampians Medicare Local Ltd ABN 80 156 634 749

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Position summary
The Program Coordinator – Practice Development will be a member of the Grampians Medicare Local
Practice Development Team, under the leadership of the Senior Program Coordinator - Practice
Development.
The current Practice Development Team service model allocates a Program Coordinator - Practice
Development to a geographical region. Within the new Medicare Local framework, Practice Development
will further develop relationships and support to general practice, whilst also looking for opportunities to
engage and support a range of primary health care providers, such as medical specialists, dental,
pharmacy and allied health services. The Program Coordinator - Practice Development’s responsibilities
in this designated region is to:
Provide tailored support to practices for information and e-health systems, data quality,
prevention and chronic disease management, immunisation, Pap screening, implementation and /
or management of nurse-led clinics.
Provide tailored advice, education and information to their selected practices related to the
relevant Medicare Benefit Schedule (MBS) items; referral pathways and health service
partnerships; accreditation; Pen CAT and other software knowledge; and business modelling.
Build relationships across the range of primary health care providers and health services to
facilitate strong referral/feedback systems resulting in positive patient outcomes.
Provide an initial contact point for queries to then link the practice with appropriate GML staff or
other providers.
Each member of the Practice Development Team has responsibility for providing a specific body of
knowledge and expertise relevant to these initiatives to support other team members. It is anticipated the
number of staff in Practice Development Team and range of services will evolve with demand, funding
priorities and opportunity. Professional development will be provided to ensure the team members’
individual and collective knowledge will develop with the suite of services provided.
This work builds upon the Divisions of General Practice programs and ensures ongoing general practice
engagement in the GML and future engagement of allied health and specialist practices. Inherent in this
engagement strategy is the responsibility to ensure that GML service delivery is efficient, effective and
within a solid quality improvement framework
The GML has offices in Ararat, Ballarat, Nhill and Horsham. Based in Ballarat, the Program Coordinator
– Practice Development will be required to have the capacity and willingness to travel to provide service
to designated practices in the Ballarat region and also to attend meetings as requested by the Senior
Program Coordinator - Practice Development.
General
1. Hours: Full time (38 hours per week)
2. Location: Ballarat
3. Salary: $70,990.70 (pro rata not including superannuation)
Key Responsibilities
The Program Coordinator – Practice Development will perform these tasks within the Grampians
Medicare Local’s policies and procedures.
1. Provide support to General Practice and other relevant primary health care providers by:
Providing input into the immunisation program across the Grampians Medicare Local region
and to work with General Practice, private immunisation providers, the community and other
key stakeholders to work towards our goal of a minimum of ninety percent immunisation
coverage.
Providing leadership, education and advice to the Practice Development Team to ensure
consistent support at a local level for immunisation providers and the community.
Working with all stakeholders to improve the accuracy of immunisation data and appropriate
referrals and communications across providers for continuity of care.
Providing advice in line with the current edition of the RACGP Standards for General Practice
to promote best practice models and support practices in the eastern sector of the GML to
obtain and maintain accreditation. This support involves providing up to date resources,

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regular practice visits and the maintenance of supportive and productive working relationships
with all practice staff.
Acting as a contact point for practices seeking information on MBS item numbers and provide
tailored support and information to practices that suits individual practice environments.
Supporting GPs and practice managers in providing advice on the role and benefits of
employing a practice nurse.
2. Initiate engagement and provide input to other primary health care providers in designated region
to develop productive working relationships and initiatives for collaborative care
3. Work closely and collaboratively within the Practice Development Team. This involves
participating fully in regular meetings and contributing information.
4. Undertaking any other duties within the broad scope of the position, as required or requested by
the Senior Program Coordinator - Practice Development
Expectations
All staff are expected to consistently demonstrate a commitment to the objectives and values of the
Grampians Medicare Local and adherence to the Company's Code of Conduct Ethics and all other
policies of the Company.
Key selection criteria
Essential
1. Registered Nurse, Division 1
2. Accredited Nurse Immuniser or willingness to undertake training to become a key resource for
immunisation strategies
3. Recent and comprehensive experience working in a general practice, community health or rural
health setting.
4. A demonstrable understanding of the accreditation process as this applies to general practice and
/ or the state hospital system.
5. An understanding of the context of rural general practice and the implications this has for meeting
best practice and quality improvement standards.
6. Highly developed interpersonal and negotiation skills and written and verbal communication skills.
7. A proven ability to work independently and with minimal supervision while also being part of a
larger Practice Development Team.
8. Computer literacy and/or experience with Microsoft Office Professional package.
9. A current driver’s licence and police check (completed within the last 12 months).
10. An ability to travel for practice development and meetings.
Desirable
1. Experience in imparting knowledge in a professional development environment.
2. Certificate IV in Workplace Training and Assessment with experience delivering education or
facilitating groups in the health sector.
Accountability
The Program Coordinator – Practice Development is accountable to and will report to the Senior
Program Coordinator - Practice Development based in Ballarat.
Salary and conditions of employment
Employment will be on the basis of a performance based contract linked to the Nurses Award 2010. The
contract will be subject to annual review consistent with the Medicare Local’s funding and program
priorities.
Conditions of employment 4 weeks paid annual leave per year pro-rata; cumulative paid personal leave
of 10 days per year pro-rata. A generous salary packaging option is also available.
The Grampians Medicare Local is an equal opportunity employer and understands the importance of
providing a flexible, professional environment where team members are valued.

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Applications
Applications close at 5.00pm on Friday, 7 December 2012. Please address your applications to:
HR Officer
Grampians Medicare Local
PO Box 127
Ararat VIC 3377
To be considered for an interview, applicants must include a covering letter that outlines their interest in
the role, address the selection criteria and provide the names and current contact details for three
referees.
Applications should be unbound and limited to five pages with a summary curriculum vitae attached.
Electronic applications will also be accepted by the close date and time and should be emailed to
annag@grampiansML.com.au