Grampians Integrated Cancer Services Newsletter
May 2008
About Us
Cancer is the most common cause of death in Victoria and represents a significant proportion of all health care delivered in the state. The need for improved service delivery along with improved outcomes for patients and their families has been identified as a priority for both State and Federal Governments.
The Grampians Integrated Cancer Services (GICS) is one of nine Integrated Cancer Services established as a cancer reform initiative out of the State Governments 'Fighting Cancer Policy' of 2003.
GICS has been established to support improvements in the integration and coordination of services within the Grampians region. The principles are that services will be:
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Population focused
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Individuals will have access to a full range of services from prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, supportive care and palliative care
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Referral pathways will be clearly defined
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Care is Multidisciplinary
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Service planning supports a critical mass of expertise and leadership to promote high quality care
For further information please see the Victorian Government Cancer Initiatives Website: www.health.vic.gov.au/cancer
GICS has four key priority areas which aims to address. These are:
Multidisciplinary Care is a collaborative approach to treatment planning and ongoing care throughout the treatment pathway. Multidisciplinary care aims to ensure that members of the treatment and care team can discuss all relevant aspects of a cancer patent's physical and psychosocial needs along with other factors impacting upon the patients care.
GICS currently has 6 Multidisciplinary meetings which are held monthly. They are tumour stream specific; Breast, GI/colorectal, Brain Tumours, Head & Neck and Thoracic (Lung).
Members of the Multidisciplinary team include Surgeons, Medical Oncologists, Radiation Oncologists, Physicians, Pathologists, Radiologists, Social Workers and other tumour specific Allied Health Staff such as Breast Care Nurses.
These meetings are aimed at providing the optimum outcome for patients through discussions concerning all aspects of their care.
Information regarding meeting dates, venue and times are able to be found on our website: www.gics.com.au
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Care Coordination is a comprehensive approach to achieving continuity of care for patients. This approach seeks to ensure that care is delivered in a logical, connected and timely manner so that the medical and personal needs of the patient are met.
Two Cancer Nurse Navigator Projects commenced in the last quarter of 2007 to specifically facilitate this aspect of care.
'Enhancing Quality Care - Introducing the Cancer / Palliative Nurse Navigator'
The above project was approved by GICS as part of the introduction of Nurse Navigators across the cancer continuum in the Grampians Region. This project will look specifically at referral systems transition from acute to palliative care. It incorporates a project for improving referral pathways and developing tools that may be useful for staff to prompt appropriate referral. The role will also look at data collection and analysis. The Cancer Nurse Navigators will work collaboratively to improve cancer services and continuity of care for cancer sufferers in this region.
Cancer Nurse Navigators
The Cancer Nurse Navigator Project was initiated in response to a gap highlighted by consumers and carers who are undertaking treatment for cancer; they felt that throughout the cancer journey there was a lack of continuity of care. This project commenced in October 2007 and will be completed in October 2008.
The successful applicants were Jan Milliken from the Grampians Regional Palliative Care Team and Andrea Simpson for the St John God of Health Care.
"I am working with patients admitted to St John of God Health Care for their cancer care and helping them to navigate access to the full range of services available to people undergoing cancer treatment. Patients are accessed for their needs and supportive care is planned by the Multidisciplinary Team at the Hospital and in the community. Throughout this process, gaps in the system are highlighted and recommendations made to address them."
Andrea Simpson
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Supportive Care is an 'umbrella' term for all services, both generalist and specialist, that may be required to support people with cancer and their carers. Research shows that people with cancer receiving education and psychosocial intervention have lower rates of anxiety, mood disorders, nausea, vomiting and pain and significantly greater knowledge about their disease and treatment.
New Supportive Programs Commenced at East Grampians Health Service Ararat
"Qigong Life Energy Program"
The Qigong Program commenced in October 2007 and is a form of self healing exercise and meditation, which aims to improve social connectivity, general physical and mental well being.
For further information please contact Ann Francis on5352 9327
"Look Good... Feel Better Program"
The Look Good Feel Better Program also commenced in October 2007 and is a program dedicated to helping young women undergoing treatment for cancer. The purpose of the program is to help manage appearance related side effects of cancer treatment thereby helping ones appearance and self image.
For further information please contact Lorine Paterson on 5352 9434
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Quality Monitoring and Support a Blueprint for Victorian Integrated Cancer Services to drive an integrated approach to safety and quality in cancer care has been developed. GICS will incorporate the key principles and practices necessary for the effective monitoring, management and improvement of cancer services as set by the Victorian Government Cancer Initiative.
GICS Website
The GICS Website was launched on 1st June 2007: www.gics.com.au
The website contains:
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Information about GICS
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Upcoming Events
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Cancer Service Improvement Initiatives
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Cancer Statistics
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Reference Groups
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Cancer news
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Links to the Grampians Cancer Support Service Directory
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Links to other cancer specific groups
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GICS contact information
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Cancer Service Directory
A service gap identified from the extensive service mapping undertaking in 2006 was the lack of a comprehensive cancer support service directory. This has been developed by GICS for stakeholders in the Grampians region. The directory is aimed at identifying what is currently available in the Grampians region for people experiencing cancer and has been developed as an A-Z guide with contact information regarding services, referrals and other relevant information for health care professionals. The Grampians Cancer Service Directory has been distributed with excellent feedback from health service providers. It is also available on the GICS website (www.gics.com.au).
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Cancer Service Improvement Coordinators:
Ms Robyn McIntyre & Ms Maree White
The Cancer Service Improvement Coordinators held strategic planning days with their Wimmera and Ballarat Clinical Reference Groups to identify topics of priority in their regions for 2008. The reference groups identified service gaps related to their area of expertise.
These meetings provide a forum for members to:
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Identify strengths and gaps in service provision
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Outline initiatives currently underway to improve services
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Identify future initiatives to improve service delivery
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Provide opportunities for health care professional to network and learn from each other Top
Horsham Multidisciplinary Meetings
As part of the ongoing roll out of cancer reform agenda in the Grampians region, multidisciplinary meetings for cancer patients have commenced at Wimmera Health Care Group.
The first multidisciplinary meeting was held in March and ongoing monthly meetings are planned for 2008.
Please contact Cancer Service Improvement Coordinator Robyn McIntyre on (03) 5320 4767 for further information.
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Latest Approved
Cancer Service Improvement Projects (CSIP)
"Best Practice in Delivery and Administration of Chemotherapy"
Applicants - Denielle Beardmore, Director Centre of Education and Professional Development and Louise Taylor, Nurse Unit Manager Inpatient Medical Unit - Ballarat Health Services
The aim of the project is to explore the knowledge, principles, skills and attitudes that surround the practice and administration of chemotherapy. It is proposed that this will be achieved through the development of a distance education learning package and attending a three week competency based placement at a day oncology facility.
"Development of a Specialist Outpatient Oncology Rehabilitation Program"
Applicant - Dr. Bruce Shirazi, Rehabilitation Consultant - St John of God Health Care
The project aims to develop, trial and evaluate a comprehensive interdisciplinary outpatient oncology rehabilitation program based on current world best practice.
"Psychosocial Support for Men with Cancer"
Applicants - Lee Duffin, Community Development Worker and Christine Gilfillan, Social Worker - MDHS RITCH Program (Rural Involvement Towards Communities' Health)
The aim of the project is to assist community members (male cancer sufferers) to form, publicise, organise, and successfully run a sustainable psychosocial support program for men who have had or currently suffer from Cancer in the MDHS catchment and it's neighboring shires.
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New Staff for GICS
GICS welcomed three new staff members to the GICS team
GICS recently welcomed Sharon Daly and Nicole Pelchen two new positions in the team on February 11th. Eleanor Whitehead the new GICS Manager replacing Colleen O'Hara joined the team on April 21st.
Introducing Ms Sharon Daly - GICS Quality Coordinator
Sharon will be assisting in the implementation of mechanisms for the effective monitoring, management and improvement of cancer services as set by the Victorian Government Cancer Initiative.
Sharon can be contacted on 5320 6773 or email sharond@bhs.org.au
Introducing Ms Nicole Pelchen - GICS Health Information Coordinator
Nicole will be assisting in the management of clinical information within the Grampians region for specific data related projects by providing a high level of data administration to the GICS Multidisciplinary Care Initiative.
Nicole can be contacted on 5320 6772 or email nicolepe@bhs.org.au
 Introducing Ms. Eleanor Whitehead - GICS Manager
Eleanor has spent much of her working life in various oncology related fields. She qualified as a Radiation Therapist and Nuclear Medicine Technologist in the UK and worked in the UK, Holland and Australia.
Eleanor spent fifteen years in Clinical Trials Management in the Pharmaceutical Industry, the last seven of these in Oncology for AstraZeneca. She was responsible for the set up, implementation and reporting of all AstraZeneca oncology trials across Australia. Many of the trials involved the testing of novel targeted therapy drugs at an early stage of the development.
Eleanor looks forward to working with the GICS Team and all of the oncology stakeholders in the Grampians Region to achieve improvements in the integration and coordination of cancer services.
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