Quality of Care Report - Ballarat Health Services
Quality of Care Report - Ballarat Health Services
Quality of Care Report - Ballarat Health Services
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Our Staff andVolunteersHow can you be sure that our staffare suitably qualified andexperienced to care for you?<strong>Ballarat</strong> <strong>Health</strong> <strong>Services</strong> complies withguidelines established by theDepartment <strong>of</strong> Human <strong>Services</strong>. Weensure that all our staff areappropriately qualified, have up-todateskills and the necessary experienceto provide the best quality care. Wehave reviewed and updated ourchecking systems over the last twoyears including police checks for allstaff.All new applicants had theirregistration, qualifications, referencesand skills checked and documentedprior to employment. Clinical staffmust provide evidence each year thatthey are registered to practice by theirrelevant, recognised, registrationboards. In addition, each member <strong>of</strong>staff is involved in a performanceappraisal. This involves a yearly review,<strong>of</strong> individual performance against predeterminedperformance indicatorswith the relevant manager.How do we ensure our medicalstaff deliver safe, quality care?A subcommittee <strong>of</strong> the Board <strong>of</strong>Management has the responsibility tooversee the credentialing, privilegingand appointment <strong>of</strong> the medical staffwithin <strong>Ballarat</strong> <strong>Health</strong> <strong>Services</strong>.Credentialing procedures are used toverify the qualifications <strong>of</strong> all medicalstaff practicing at <strong>Ballarat</strong> <strong>Health</strong><strong>Services</strong>. This means the health serviceemploys a formal process, based onnational standards, to verify thequalifications, experience, pr<strong>of</strong>essionalstanding and other relevant attributes<strong>of</strong> our medical practitioners to ensurethey are competent and suitable toprovide safe quality health care. Formedical staff once their qualificationsand registration has been verified, thescope <strong>of</strong> the clinical practice that theyare to be granted to perform iscarefully defined based on theircredentials, competence, performanceand pr<strong>of</strong>essional suitability and isknown as privileging.Volunteers Supporting <strong>Ballarat</strong><strong>Health</strong> <strong>Services</strong>BHS auxiliaries, support groups andvolunteers have again givenunprecedented service to ourorganisation. BHS has approximately350 volunteers they range from 18 to80 years and come from all walks <strong>of</strong>life. Our volunteers work in variedareas throughout the organisation andhelp to maintain a high standard <strong>of</strong>service to our patients, clients and thecommunity. Volunteers do notparticipate in the clinical care <strong>of</strong> apatient. Rather, they assist insupervision by sitting with patients andreducing anxiety through distractionand diversion, opening food packages,encouraging self feeding and providingsocial interaction.BHS is looking forward to leading theway in training for volunteers withinthe health sector, by <strong>of</strong>fering acertificated course which will enhancethe skills volunteers already have andgive them an opportunity to gain newskills to enable them to claim priorlearning if they choose to seekemployment or move into another areawithin the <strong>Health</strong> Service.Dr Johan Le RouxDr Johan Le Roux and his familymoved from Cape Town in SouthAfrica to <strong>Ballarat</strong> to work as anorthopedic surgeon. Before Johancame to <strong>Ballarat</strong> he worked at theTygerberg Academic Hospital from2002 in a public capacity andsince 2007 in a part time privatecapacity; Johan pictured with hispatient Wade Duffy, also did histraining there. Johan’s wife isMartjie and she is a qualifiedphysiotherapist who had beenrunning her own practice for thelast 8 years in Cape Town.Another volunteer initiative is to involvevolunteers in some <strong>of</strong> the committeeswithin the health service. In 2009 wewill have our first volunteerOccupational <strong>Health</strong> and Safetyrepresentative who will attend ourservices committee to report on anysafety issues that relate to volunteers.We also plan to have a volunteerrepresentative on our Cultural DiversityCommittee with a view to implement amentoring program for our culturallyand linguistically diverse volunteersBHS Foundation committed tosupporting roleThe <strong>Ballarat</strong> <strong>Health</strong> <strong>Services</strong> Foundationis proud to support vital medicalequipment acquisition and facilitydevelopment. It is able to do this onlywith the generous support that hasbeen given by its members and by thecommunity.The recent purchase <strong>of</strong> patienttreatment chairs for the Oncology Unithas been a great benefit for patientsafety and comfort and we thank youthe community for your generoussupport. August 2008 also marks thecompletion <strong>of</strong> the BHS Foundation’s$100,000 commitment to the sixthoperating theatre appeal which wasgenerated from interest received fromthe Foundation’s investments.39<strong>Ballarat</strong> <strong>Health</strong> <strong>Services</strong> <strong>Quality</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Care</strong> <strong>Report</strong> 2007-08