Quality of Care Report - Ballarat Health Services

What’s New atBallarat HealthServices?Dental Clinic ManagementTransfers to BHSIn May 2008 the management of thepublic dental clinic located within thegrounds of Ballarat Health Services(BHS) transferred from Dental HealthServices Victoria (DHSV) to BHS. DHSVhad managed the clinic for the past tenyears in this location and were keen forthe management to transfer to BHS toenable a local focus on dental services.When BHS assumed the managementof the clinic it had a significantly longwaiting time for general care, with thecurrent waiting times of 56 months (asreported on Department of HumanServices website) well outside theminimum standards adapted from theNational Oral Health Plan for access tocare for adults.Ballarat Health Services intends toimplement a number of strategies andinitiatives to improve access for thecommunity and to reduce the currentwaiting time for general dental anddenture care. Since assuming themanagement of the clinic a number ofthese initiatives have beenimplemented including:• Extending the operating hours toincrease the access for thecommunity to dental care.• Increasing links with teaching andclinical placements to encouragedental graduates to chooseBallarat when seekingemployment.• Improved links with privatesector to enhance recruitmentopportunities and to provideaccess for some clients throughthe private sector.• Traineeships for dentalassistants to provideemployment opportunitiesfor young people in Ballarat.Ballarat Health Services acknowledgesthat there is a significant amount ofeffort required to reduce the currentwaiting times for care and we arecommitted to improving access todental care for our community. Thesupport of DHS will be essential ifimprovements are to be achieved.Medi HotelThe Medi Hotel opened on the 11 May2008. It has 17 rooms, three beingsingle rooms and the others attachedto lounge rooms containing double pullout sofas. These have a sharedbathroom in between.The purpose of the Medi Hotel is toprovide overnight accommodation toguests who may not have transport ora carer post procedure, or may need totravel a distance and/or are required tobe admitted early for their procedure.The aim of this is to provideaccommodation for clients that mayotherwise take an inpatient bed butnot require the acute care.There is also the capacity forcarers/family members of currentinpatients to stay in the Medi Hotel ifthey live a distance from BHS. This is ata cost per night to each carer whostays.The Medi Hotel is staffed by PersonalCare Workers whose shift commenceat 4:30 pm and finish at 8:00am.Guests and Carers are asked to vacateat 10:00am and check in at 2:00pm.The Staff of the Transit Lounge manageany calls and registrations duringbusiness hours. Out of business hoursthe Patient flow Coordinator takesreferrals and supervises the PersonalCare Workers.Hours of operation are 5pm Sunday to10am Friday.Ballarat Health Services Quality of Care Report 2007-08 38