Annual Report - Northern Health

Statement of PrioritiesThe Statement of Priorities is an annual agreement between Victorian public health services and the Minister for Health. Theagreements facilitate delivery of substantial progress towards the shared objectives identified in the Victorian Health PrioritiesFramework 2012-2022. The table below lists the status of the specific strategies Northern Health committed to undertake.Victorian Health Priority Northern Health Strategy Deliverables StatusDeveloping a systemthat is responsive topeople’s needs• Commence a pilot project forthe development of culturallyappropriate pathways for Kooriwomen birthing at NorthernHealth.• Implement relevantrecommendations from the‘Improving Care for Aboriginaland Torres Strait IslandersPatients’ (ICAP) reviewincluding the introduction ofa Northern HealthReconciliation Action Plan.• Report on key activities anddecisions undertaken byNorthern Health AboriginalAdvisory CommitteeThe Aboriginal AdvisoryCommittee approved thefollowing underway projects:• Implement a new birthingmodel for Koori women.• Improve staff knowledge andunderstanding of ATSI patients(a joint initiative with StVincent’s Health and WesternHealth).• Improve access to basicmaterial aid to supportimproved inpatient outcomesand simplify the transition toand from acute care.• Improve access tomedications for patientsdischarged from theEmergency Department.• Publish Northern HealthReconciliation Action Plan• Development of theReconciliation Action Planhas commenced.• Complete the Health LiteracyResearch project with a focuson discharge medications anddischarge planning brochureswith community services.• Improve care planning andcoordination of care forpatients with chronic andcomplex conditions.• The Health Literacy projectidentified evidence basedmethods for improving healthliteracy which will be utilised infuture projects.• The Stroke Clinical Pathwayhas been finalised andimplemented at The NorthernHospital. The thrombolytic carecomponent of the pathway willcommence in 2013.• The Code STEMI pathway isnow operational and supportsthe rapid movement ofpatients with a STEMI to theCardiac Catheter Laboratories.• Implement a stroke clinicalpathway (including a protocolfor thrombolysis) at TheNorthern Hospital.• Implement evidence basedcardiac clinical pathways forthe management of patientswith cardiac conditions,including acute coronarysyndrome and heart failure.Report on key outcomesimplemented from the:• Longer Stay Older PersonprojectImproving everyVictorian’s health statusand experiences• As a part of the Longer StayOlder Persons program,implement a framework andprocesses to minimise thefunctional decline of olderpeople across Northern Health.• Streamline access pathwaysfor ambulatory and communityservices to reduce duplicationand to enable care tobe provided in the mostappropriate setting.• A new outpatient waitlistmanagement process hasbeen implemented and hassignificantly reduced theoutpatient waitlist.• The new eRITH processhas simplified the dischargeof emergency departmentpatients requiring significantrehabilitation.11/12 Northern Health annual report 37