Spring 2014

The newsletter of

Cleanest in Australia “To achieve the highest possible Portland District Health is the score of 100 per cent with no cleanest hospital in Australia with a new external audit unable to fault recommendations is a credit to our dedicated and hardworking its cleanliness. Environmental Services Team,” Ms The review by an external qualified Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Jones said. Victorian cleaning standards auditor The mandatory annual audit resulted in a remarkable per cent In ut orci.100 Integer vitae dui. Maecenas tincidunt male-isPDH conducted every 12 months. score. turpis. Integer at nulla. Duis monthly nonummy condimenconducts internal audits of And the successsuada doesn’t end there. its environmental performance and tum mauris. pellentesque augue vitae diam. Etiam PDH’s catering service, handFusce hygiene consistently records excellent results and infections records have also well above industry expectations. tristique. Donec id lectus. Phasellus auctor nulla non recorded excellent outcomes in recent Environmental Services Team Leader reviews, including an ongoing zero vel tortor. quam. Suspendisse Nam feugiat velit egetwas a Barb James said the result infection rate. credit to the “fantastic team” neque. In utrated libero.in Aliquam non lacus. Nulla cursus of about While PDH has consistently 20 dedicated workers. the high 90s for mattis cleanliness, is the quam. Phasellus vel libero. lorem.thisPhasellus Along with the excellent cleaning first time it has achieved a 100 per performance, the team members are cent rating. The Integer previousaccumsan, top score arcu nec egestas egestas, ante felis also noted for their friendly presence was an impressive 99.4 per cent. the hospital. egestas dui, ac hendreritaround enim lectus vitae libero. Sed It is understood to be the first time a “We always get comments about how health service has recorded amattis 100 per scelerisque magna.clean Crasthesollicitudin hospital issodales and also about cent score. how nice the girls are to everyone,” Ms nulla. Director of Corporate Services James said. Ros Jones described the result as Catering Services received excellent awesome.

results from their Environmental Microbial Monitoring Audit. The Environmental Health Officer has congratulated the team on this excellent result and confirmed full compliance to Clause 20 of Standard 3.2.2 of the Food Standards Code. PDH is also maintaining its top safety • Sed consequat nulla record with anotherplacerat infection-free period. • Praesent ultricies suscipit The latest Infections in Hospital report featured on the www.myhospitals.gov. • Vivamus viverra orci sed au website confirmed that PDH had no Staphylococcus aureus infections • In id dolor ac neque ultricies during 2012-13. • Quisque metus et lorem dictum The last case sed of healthcare-related Golden Staph infection reported at PDH was in 2007. The results confirmed that safe practices were being followed at PDH. For the most recent hygiene Lorem ipsum dolorhand sit amet, consectetuer audit, PDH recorded a score of 87.6 adipiscing In utthe orci.national Integer vitae dui. per cent, well elit. above benchmark of 79.9 per cent.

International Events

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Drug and Alcohol Reform

the sector. It is the first time the agencies Quisque consectetuer auctor Vestibulum ante inand have nisl. pooled their resources As part of the new arrangement, the experience to provide services newly formed Great South Coast psum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices vestaz in the region. Services will be delivered in Drug and Alcohol Treatment Services Warrnambool, posuerecounselling, cubilia... Continued Page 4 Portland and Hamilton consortium will provide and surrounding regions. care and recovery, and non-residential withdrawal services. A new intake and assessment service will also be established as part of The Western Region Alcohol and Drug the changes. It will be delivered by Centre (WRAD) is the lead agency in the Australian Community Support the consortium which also includes Organisation (ACSO) which will refer Portland District Health (Glenelg people to relevant local treatment Southern Grampians Drug Treatment

Twinning Project

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The Great South Coast Medicare Local will undertake a planning function for Aliquam non lacus.toNulla cursusservice mattis the new consortium identify gaps and communicate needs to the lorem. Phasellus quam. Phasellus vel libero. Department of Health. Integer accumsan, nec said egestas WRAD Director Geoffarcu Soma clients in the region would continue to egestas, ante felis egestas dui, ac hendrerit receive quality care. enim lectusoffered vitae libero. Sed scelerisque The services will not necessarily have the same names as

mattis magna. Cras sollicitudin sodales nulla. continued pg 3

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Chemo close to Home Chemotherapy and medical oncology care are now available at PDH.

improved access to oncology and chemotherapy services for district residents.

Plans for the day chemotherapy unit started in 2010 and the new service fits with the Victorian Cancer Action Plan which aims to deliver care to patients as close to home as possible.

The unit has been facilitated by the Barwon South Western Regional Integrated Cancer Service, in collaboration with South West Oncology, South West Healthcare, Barwon Health Cancer Services and Portland District Health.

The chemotherapy unit is operating one day per week and is providing

It will be supervised by oncologists

from Warrnambool-based South West Oncology and supported by on-site PDH physicians and specially trained PDH nursing staff. The service will initially be available to patients who have previously received chemotherapy treatment. Highly complex patients will be reviewed initially in Warrnambool, but if suitable, their chemotherapy and follow-up care may be delivered at PDH.

Fit and Healthy Sea Change PDH is supporting a major new community campaign to tackle Portland’s escalating obesity problem. `Portland SEA Change’ (Sustainable Eating and Activity Change) aims to bring together the community to find the best way to change the eating and exercise habits of local people. With statistics showing 59 per cent of Glenelg Shire residents are overweight or obese – more than 10 points above the state average - the campaign targeting children aged up to 11 years is considered critically important to the future health of the region. The Glenelg Shire Community Health Profile, based on figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, shows the female overweight and obesity rate is 49 per cent but a staggering 71 per cent of men are overweight or obese. The campaign stated with community workshops in July to develop an action plan to address the problem. World Health Organisation (WHO) obesity expert Dr Steven Allender led the town’s community leaders in the first workshop to introduce them to the project concepts. The Co-Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention at Deakin University joined five other visiting experts in presenting to 45 Portland leaders. Dr Allender is focused on long-term change for Portland, with the new process about understanding the complexity of the obesity problem and empowering community champions to

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make long term changes in the way they support the community. With a focus on children, local leaders have now developed a model that describes the factors that lead to obesity, in the Portland context, and how some factors relate to others in influencing healthy eating and physical activity. PDH health promotion officer Phoebe Nagorcka-Smith said the process not only explored the complexity of the issue, but also guided the group in acknowledging that there is no one solution. From this model, action ideas have been developed and prioritised. “A whole of community response is needed to tackle the problem and there needs to be a constant and rapid feedback loop,” she said. PDH is working with local partners Southern Grampians Glenelg Primary Care Partnership, Glenelg Shire Council and DhauwurdWurrung Elderly and Community Health Services to engage the community to improve eating habits and increase exercise. All partner organisations, including PDH, are leading from the front by adopting the Healthy Achievement – Workplace Program promoting healthy eating and lifestyles. PDH Health Promotion Officer Phoebe Nagorcka-Smith said evidence from around the world showed that antiobesity campaigns targeted towards children had the best impact. “Our goals are to reduce obesity rates

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and improve other health indicators,” she said. “We would like see more people eating fruit and vegies and being more active, but it’s also about linking the community to work towards a common goal.” People wishing to take part in the campaign can contact Phoebe Nagorcka-Smith 5522 1215 or Lindy Stuchbery 5522 1197 in the health promotion department. Above: Lindy Stuchbery and Phoebe Nagorcka-Smith set a good example for making a SEA Change

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Take a Stand The Portland community is being urged to work together to take a stand against drug and alcohol abuse. Glenelg Southern Grampians Drug Treatment Service (GSGDTS), in conjunction with a network of local services, has launched a new campaign to inspire a whole-ofcommunity response to ongoing problems with alcohol and other drugs, in particular the escalation of ice as a serious local issue. The campaign will kick off with a public forum on September 11, featuring nationally recognised child and adolescent psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg and other speakers. Service clubs and other local sponsors have been quick to support this community forum and a strategic plan to work with health promotion, schools, sporting clubs and industry. GSGDTS manager Bev McIlroy said the forum would be an opportunity for parents, grandparents, schools, sporting clubs and other interested community people to increase their awareness about local drug and alcohol use and some tips for prevention. Ms McIlroy said it was time that the community found out more about the harms and effects of ice use in our community and look at ways to tackle it.

continued from pg 1 before but it is designed to be less complicated and easier for clients to navigate. Services are being streamlined into a smaller number of service types but the plan is that clients will still receive access to what they need. The agencies will work together and with the Victorian Government Department of Health to make sure

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“Like many rural areas we are seeing immediate visual harms from ice, not only in the physical and mental health of users but in the disruption it causes to families, workplace, education, finances and crime rates,” she said. GSGDTS has dealt with clients with ice addictions but understands much of the problem remains unreported. The forum will explain about the drug ice, look at the warning signs of use, discuss how to access professional help and look at practical strategies to reduce harms. It will also explain how alcohol underpins many of the region’s substance abuse problems. “This is our community; we own what is good about it and we also have to deal with what is challenging about it. The challenge is to acknowledge that we have a problem and that we need to do something to address the serious harms it is causing.” “If ever Portland needed to develop an all-of-community response to an issue, this is it.” Ms McIlroy said the campaign would fit with Portland District Health’s health promotion messages and current work in the school communities, and with the local schools initiatives. The forum and campaign are being supported by a network that also includes Portland police, Glenelg Shire, local youth services, Portland District Health and the local schools network.

ensure clients’ needs are being met. The new referral process will screen clients who want services and direct them to where their needs will be best met for drug and alcohol, mental health and other disability related services. The changes apply from September 1 this year. All current clients will be transitioned into the new system without disruption to their treatment and care,” he said.

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A Message to our Community Portland District Health continues to hear about local people being sent out of town for surgery or to see specialists when those same services can be accessed here. We are aware of several instances where people could have had local consultations but were instead referred out of town. This is inconvenient and time consuming for our local residents and doesn’t help the community to maintain a broad range of services within the hospital. Of course a small rural hospital like PDH cannot deal with all specialties, but if services are available locally it is logical from a personal and community perspective that they be the first choice. PDH has an excellent surgical record, high levels of patient satisfaction and one of the cleanest hospitals in Australia. We host an expanding number of visiting specialists who regularly bring their expertise to Portland, and we have recently expanded our local gynaecology team and next month children’s services with a senior registrar in paediatrics starting work. Whilst it is entirely appropriate for a doctor to refer to, or a patient to see, any specialist doctor anywhere, your readers may not be aware of the breadth of services available locally through PDH. If you are unsure what specialist services are available at Portland District Health, call or email us on 5522 1410 or PSpecialistCentre@ swarh.vic.gov.au. PDH is part of the Portland district community and supporting our

hospital will benefit everyone.

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Birthing Services Expand Portland’s birthing services have expanded with the arrival of obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr David Morris. Dr Morris started at PDH on July 2, easing pressure on the existing service and creating more opportunities for local births. Dr Morris is a Fellow of the Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. He completed his specialised training in England where he also did a doctorate in the immunology of ovarian cancer. He was the consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Horsham for eight years until 2007 before leaving to care for his ailing mother. Since returning to the workforce in 2008 he has worked for clinics doing day gynaecology, day surgery at the Bendigo hospital and locum work. His last locum work took him to Karratha in Western Australia. “There you’re dealing with 12 or 13 year old Indigenous girls who are having babies and miner’s wives saying they’d like the baby tomorrow,” he said. He also did the flying gynaecology service based in Roma. “They flew me around to these small hospitals with far fewer facilities than you have

in Portland. We just had to cope,” he said. Dr Morris has enjoyed serving rural communities. “The big cities are quite competitive,” he said. “There are a lot of women who want complicated surgery and there is a big consumer demand for instant surgery because of the busy lifestyle. They want to come in, get fixed and get out the same day. “That’s much more stressful than in the country where you can take your time to explain things properly.” He also appreciated the lower infection rates of smaller hospitals. “If you don’t want a secondary infection, go to a regional hospital, not a big city

hospital.” The recruitment of Dr Morris will lead to fewer gaps in the Portland-based birthing service and allow more women including first-time mothers to have their babies in town. “I am looking forward to helping more women to have their babies in their local community,” he said. Dr Morris said he was also looking forward to establishing a colposcopy and mirena clinic. Women with high risk conditions will still be referred to larger hospitals. Dr Morris joins Drs Ghazala Irshad and Fariha Irshad and experienced midwives in the expanded PDH maternity team.

A Little Ray of Sunshine A rose planting and morning tea at on August 21 celebrated children and connections between health professionals and mothers in the community. The Little Ray of Sunshine rose was planted as part of the Australian Breastfeeding Association’s 50th anniversary celebrations. The bright yellow hybrid tea rose was bred specifically for the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) to help promote its mum-to-mum support services, and celebrate

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the little bundles of joy in our lives. Like many children, it is capable of surviving all sorts of conditions, and has a pleasant scent. The launch of the rose is also a fundraiser for the volunteerbased organisation, which was formerly known as the Nursing Mothers Association of Australia. Portland ABA Group Leader Angela McFeeters said the rose planting was a way to thank some of the health professionals that had walked alongside mothers and families in the community during a part of their parenting

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Lyn’s Tough Challenge and her phone was upstairs on the charger so she couldn’t contact her daughter Lora. “I yelled for help while lying in the backyard but I probably couldn’t make much sound,” she said. Now in her 60s, Ms Newby admits to being a “tough old boiler” and after her calls for help went unheard she realised she had to crawl to get assistance.

Portland’s Lyn Newby describes a fall in her backyard on May 20 as a life-changing incident. The fall resulted in a triple fracture of her right leg and left Ms Newby stranded and forced to drag herself backwards upstairs on her elbows to get help. Ms Newby fell while preparing to wash upstairs windows on her twostorey home. “I wasn’t even on the ladder; I was just setting up,” she said. She stepped down on her terraced yard and felt her left ankle buckle. She over-compensated and her right leg took her weight. She suffered a spiral fracture of her fibula, complete fracture of her tibia and broke the front and back of her ankle. It happened about 10am and Ms Newby wasn’t due to work until 4pm

She propped herself up on her elbows and dragged herself backwards along the back of the house and then up 12 stairs to where her phone was charging. “I knew it was bad but I hoped it might have just been a dislocation,” Ms Newby said. But she knew she had no choice but to get to her phone. “I wasn’t thinking, I just kept trying to move. I knew I had to get help,” she said. Ms Newby encountered more difficulty as she tried to enter the house but eventually managed to get through the door and dragged down the phone charger chord to call 000 and her daughter. She even let her work know that she wouldn’t be in at 4pm. She was rushed to Portland District Health (PDH) where she was assessed and had X-rays taken. Three weeks later she underwent surgery in Warrnambool before returning to PDH for her rehabilitation and recovery.

has started to put some weight on her damaged leg. “It’s a long, slow haul but I’m progressively recovering,” she said. Ms Newby is undergoing rehabilitation at PDH and has nothing but praise for the care and attention she receives. “We don’t realise how lucky we are in Australia to have such a good health system. Everyone is very caring and attentive,” she said. “The first few weeks I was too sick to think about it but it’s always busy in the hospital so time goes by quickly.” Time in hospital has given Ms Newby time to think. “It’s a life-changing incident,” she said. “It made me stop and get off the treadmill and have an enforced reassessment of my future.” Ms Newby works two part-time jobs and hopes to get back to work but admits at the moment she can’t even contemplate driving a car, let alone spending too much time walking and standing. “I hope to be able to pick up the threads and enjoy life.” Looking out her hospital window for more than two months has also given Ms Newby plenty of opportunity to appreciate the magnificent views and also the importance of the emergency helicopter service. “Until something like this happens I don’t think people realise how important it could be.”

Ms Newby is still on two crutches but

journey.

on the day.

PDH bought the rose and worked with the group to have it planted permanently at the health service, a testament to the support the hospital’s staff have provided to the association over many years.

People can also buy roses to support the association and enjoy their blooms.

Midwifery Team Leader Colleen Hanmer, midwives and the recently expanded obstetrics team of Drs David Morris, Ghazala Irshad and Fariha Irshad were involved in planning the event, and the midwives bought the rose that planted

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For more information about the association phone Angela on 0416 765 492 or email [email protected] Free, confidential 24-hour breastfeeding information and support is also available on the association’s Breastfeeding Helpline, 1800 mum-2-mum (1800 686 268).

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Medication Management Medication management is a vital part of Portland District Health’s service to the community. The service not only includes the delivery of medication to patients during their stay in hospital, it ensures they are discharged with the right medications and supported in their transition to home. PDH uses the electronic TrakCare Medication Management system which ensures the prescribing by doctors and administration of medicine by nurses was legible and accurate. The system is functioning well. New pharmacist Morkous Elkomos

has joined chief pharmacist John Okaroh and the other members of the PDH pharmacy team. Mr Elkomos has moved to Portland from a community pharmacy in Manildra New South Wales. It is his first appointment in a hospital pharmacy. “I am looking forward to having a more patient-oriented role,” he said. “Part of the role is to go out on the ward and meet patients.” Mr Elkomos understands the vital

importance of the role performed by the pharmacy team. “It is important that we research the history of a patient’s medication and then counselling is a very important part of the role. “We are here to help people with issues and problem solving, and then we make sure they are discharged with the right medication and know what they need to do.”

Helipad in Action Portland’s new helipad is edging closer to reality and the community will now have a chance to support this lifesaving initiative. The helipad is planned between Sea View House and the hospital emergency department and will require a new road and parking layout. The site plans have been through a successful public consultation period where they received widespread support. PDH has been working on the helipad plan for several years in partnership with the Blue Ribbon Foundation and the Committee for Portland. The Blue Ribbon foundation has already made a strong financial commitment to the project and will be doing more fund-raising in the next few months. 6

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PDH will also be giving local residents an opportunity to buy engraved pavers to support the helipad project. PDH CEO Chris Giles said the helipad would provide a safe and efficient way to evacuate patients in need of urgent life-saving care outside of Portland. The chosen site is perfectly positioned next to the emergency department. Road ambulances don’t have to be used to move patients because the helipad is on the hospital site. The helicopter will arrive over the Ploughed Field site and hover across to the hospital at about 100m above Bentinck Street. Traffic lights will be installed at either end of the street and will be activated only when the helicopter is arriving and departing.

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New Services for Children Seeing a smiling child’s face is enough to give Dr Rachna Verma job satisfaction. Dr Verma is delivering new clinical services for children at Portland District Health from the start of September. Dr Verma is a senior registrar in paediatrics and will be available to see children referred by their general practitioner or other doctors. It is the first time for many years that PDH has had a resident doctor working in paediatrics. The new service also follows the expansion of Portland’s obstetric arrangements with the recruitment of obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr David Morris who has joined Drs Ghazala Irshad and Fariha Irshad and experienced midwives in the expanded PDH maternity team. Dr Verma said she is looking forward to helping put a smile back on the faces of local children. “It makes it all worthwhile when you see a sick child and then a few days later you see them with lovely smiles

on their faces,” she said. Acting Director of Medical Services Peter Morton said the additional service would be of great benefit to local families. “It’s an important service for children that saves them and their families from having to travel to Warrnambool or further to see a doctor,” Dr Morton said.

she said.

Dr Verma will be working out of the specialist centre from September 1 and will work in conjunction with other agencies involved in the care of children, including schools and Aboriginal health groups. She will see children only by referral.

PDH will now be able to help children with a variety of problems, reducing the need to go out of town for support.

Her role at PDH also includes work in the hospital emergency department. Dr Verma arrived in Portland in May with her husband Dr Anil Xavier who is a consultant physician and nephrologist with PDH. She graduated in her native India and has spent the past 11 years working in paediatrics in the United Kingdom. “Even when I was a medical student I knew I wanted to work in paediatrics,”

Dr Verma will become a fellowed paediatric consultant after a further 10 months of local training in Australia.

“We will be offering a broad range of services for children and to support GPs,” Dr Verma said. Some more complex cases will continue to be referred to Warrnambool or other hospitals. Dr Verma is excited about the opportunities in Portland and the feeling is mutual. “The community seems excited to have me here,” she said. “Everyone is very friendly and stop and talk to me when I walk down the street.”

Life-Saving Service Neville Spencer realises his life depends on his regular dialysis service at Portland District Health, and he’s making the most of his regular visits to the service. Instead of complaining about the commitment, he looks at it as not only life-saving but a social day out. When diagnosed earlier this year as having chronic kidney failure, Mr Spencer was initially taken to Geelong hospital but more recently has undergone dialysis three times per week in PDH’s refurbished dialysis

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room. The dialysis treatment Neville and the other patients receive helps to maintain their body’s balance by removing waste and extra fluid from the blood. The former district farmer and wool stores worker, now aged 76, realises it’s not a great situation but he is philosophical about it.

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“There’s no alternative unless you get a transplant,” he said. “It’s either that or die.

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Neville is indeed positive about the service he gets while undergoing the four-hour treatments every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

“It’s like a home away from home,” he said. “I look at it as a social day out. We get to know each other and the staff and they get to know us. We talk and carry on a bit.” The regulars even have their own footy tipping competition going.

He’s most impressed by the caring nature of the staff. “The four girls here are brilliant. I couldn’t think of another word for them.” The newly refurbished room in the south wing of the hospital features four dialysis chairs. The room is also used for the recently introduced chemotherapy services.

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Quisque consectetuer auctor nisl. VestibuThe only way to look at it is positively and so we make the best of it.”

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Hospital Medical Officers Arrive Quisque consectetuer auctor nisl. Vestibulum ante in psum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices vestaz posuere cubilia... Continued Page 4

Hospital Medical Officers (HMOs) fulfil an important role in caring for patients at Portland District Health while at the same time developing their own skills while under supervision.

they have all completed a rural emergency services training program.

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PDH’s HMOs come from a diverse range of personal and clinical backgrounds and provide sound and reliable care.

The HMO program has dual benefits. Not only does PDH benefit from having the HMOs provide an aroundthe-clock service, working under the supervision of a surgeon or physician, but the hospital and community may benefit from the HMOs choosing to remain in the community, bringing families with them.

PDH is committed to ongoing professional development and all HMOs are regularly trained in adult, paediatric and neonatal resuscitation;

There have been several changes in personnel among the HMOs in recent months but PDH now has its full complement of seven medical

officers. This ensures coverage 24-7 in the emergency department as their starting times are staggered across the day and night.

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As part of their training, the HMOs take part in ward rounds when they accompany surgeons and physicians to see patients and discuss plans. They do follow-up work with these patients to check on their progress and join with physicians to “do the rounds” to meet each individual patient and review their treatment.

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The HMOs are also involved in organising transfers, blood tests, X-rays, CT scans and other procedures for patients. They also liaise closely with nursing staff about patient care as part of an important communication process. There is a thorough orientation program to familiarise all new HMOs with the operations of PDH. HMOs are initially offered two year contracts and are then encouraged and helped by PDH to find a pathway of interest, such as becoming a GP, with the hope that they will remain in Portland district.

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Left: HMOs Ayomikon Asonibave, Sangeeta Bal and Esha Kathpal have joined PDH.

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Portland District Health Ph: (03) 5521 0333 Email: [email protected] www.pdh.net.au Compassion

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