3rd Annual Hospital Bed Management & Patient Flow Conference

IIR's 3rd Annual Hospital Bed Management & Patient Flow Conference brings together key government organisations, public and private hospitals and leading strategists to solve current problems being faced in hospitals, government funding and policies, current methodologies in place and best practice techniques in the industry.

Hospital Bed Management & Patient Flow Conference 2010 will address the following issues:

• Establishing the role of the bed manager Vs the role of the patient flow manager
• Recruitment and retention strategies
• Predicting demand and capacity planning
• Developing and implementing predictive tools
• Hospital admission risk avoidance
• Hospital avoidance strategies
• Bridging the gap between community and hospital
• Shortening length of stay
• Effective discharge processes
• Mental health in patient flow
• IT solutions
• Effective change management
• Using lean methodology in patient flow

AGENDA

The Balancing Act

• Exploration of the short history relating to the patient flow manager
• The relationship between patient flow managers and bed managers
• 'Ideal' operational matrix that ensures accountability at all levels of the organization
• Where should the access and patient flow division sit within a health service?
• Cross health service relationships

Julie Faoro, Director of Access and Patient Flow, Barwon Health

Developing a Patient Flow Toolkit - The Queensland Experience

• Identifying localised best practice models and applying them state-wide
• Integrating a range of strategies and models of care that improve patient flow, use resources more effectively and improve health outcomes
• Developing state-wide key performance indicators and reporting guidelines for evaluation and continuous improvement

Kym Tattam, Patient Flow Project, Clinical Policy Unit, Policy Branch, Queensland Health

Seeking Workforce Opportunities

The integration of Division 2 nurses into the workforce in the Emergency Department at Monash Medical Centre, Clayton is consistent with the Southern Health nursing workforce strategy to address the Division 1 nursing shortages. The development of a Division 2 Entry to Speciality Practice program (ESP) was proposed and accepted at a network level.

Diana Patton, Practice Development Leader, Monash Medical Centre

Capacity Management and Business Intelligence - SA perspectives

• The presentation will provide an overview of capacity management strategies across the SA Health system
• Discussion will include the alignment of the ‘here and now’ responses to demand with the often viewed competing requirements to deliver on access targets and, the longer term strategic intent of the organisation and system

Dr Christine Dennis, Director Operational Strategy, Operations Division, SA Department of Health

Patient Flow, Its Everyone's Business!

• Patient Flow Systems (PFS) and it's essential elements
• Supportive implementation of Patient Flow Systems
• Early results, integration of Patient Flow System elements into Business as usual (BAU)
• Decision support tools to aid transparency and track what's important to flow

Mr. Klaus Engelhardt, Principal Project Officer, Patient Flow Systems, NSW Health
Mr. Andrew Bridgeman, Principal Project Officer, Patient Flow Systems, NSW Health

The NSW DOH Patient Flow Predictive Tool: A Two-Pronged Implementation Encompassing A Corporate And Clinical Governance Framework

• Brief overview of the tool and patient flow systems and processes that support the tool
• Area Health Service corporate governance aspects of the tool implementation including audit results of implementation indicators
• Facility clinical governance aspects of the tool implementation including culture and operational imperatives

Brendan Docherty, Area Manager- Access & Redesign, South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Health
Dominique Grognard, Central Hospitals Network Patient Flow Manager (Acting), South Eastern Sydney Illawarra Health

Winter Bed Management Strategies and Patient Flow

• Developing a whole of hospital response to bed management in Pandemic
• Increasing surgical activity levels during Pandemic times in winter
• Intersectoral opportunities
• Lessons learnt and the planning forward

Julie Viecieli, Executive Director (Acute Operations), Royal Hobart Hospital

Avoiding Hospital Admission - Bridging the Gap Between Hospital and The Community

• What is the Hospital Admission Risk Program (HARP)?
• Addressing a client’s medical, physical, and psycho-social needs in an integrated and person centred approach
• Shared governance across the acute and community provider, provision of specialist care in partnership with primary care, service coordination and case management and integrated models of care
• Reflections on 10 years experience of HARP together with the implementation of new Victorian initiatives and current international models and trends will inform future opportunities for service improvement

Susan Race, Manager Ambulatory and Continuing Care, Department of Health Victoria

Making a Difference Through Integrated Community Care for Older People

• The aim of this model was to better co-ordinate and integrate services to meet the often complex needs of older people with chronic health conditions
• This model achieves integration by formalizing a partnership between the older person, General Practice, Geriatricians and Emergency Department physicians, and community nurses
• With the use of e-health records, this model has demonstrated efficicacy in keeping older people healthy at home and has reduced the need for ambulance transfers, unplanned emergency department presentations and hospital admissions

Debbie Kralik, General Manager - Strategy and Research, Royal District Nursing Service SA

Preventing Hospital Admissions in the Elderly: A Multidisciplinary Integrated Community Hospital Interface Program (CHIP) Team in the Department of Emergency Medicine

Medication-related hospital admissions have been shown to account for up to 22% of Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) admissions involving the elderly. However, few studies have investigated the role of a specialist aged care pharmacist (ACP) as part of a multidisciplinary integrated CHIP team assessing elderly high risk presentations to DEM. This presentation involves:

• Results of a recent project evaluating the efficiency, effectiveness and acceptability of a novel ACP role on the care of older patients presenting to the Bundaberg Hospital DEM
• Selected cases with a focus on the multidisciplinary nature of the ACP role, optimisation of referral networks and minimisation of hospital admissions

Cindy Mortimer, Senior Clinical Pharmacist, Home Based Acute Care & Renal Dept., Bundaberg Base Hospital
Fiona Sewell, Nurse Unit Manager, Community Hospital Interface Program, Bundaberg Base Hospital

The Four Hour Rule Program: Improving the patient journey

• The Program is improving the patient journey by focusing redesign efforts on whole-of-hospital change
• Clinical Service Redesign methodology uses principles from Six Sigma, LEAN, project and change management, allowing for redesign and improvement of care according to patient needs
• Stage 1 sites have completed the diagnostic stage of the Program (the first six months). Commencing the solutions phase where redesign initiatives are implemented.
• Stage 2 sites have just commenced the diagnostic stage
• Planning is currently underway for Stage Three to customise the Program so that it may be suitably delivered in country hospitals

Prof. Frank Daly, Clinical Executive, Four Hour Rule Program, Health System Improvement Unit, WA Department of Health

The Backdoor Challenges

• Using Lean methodology to reconstruct processes to improve flow
• Utilising visual management on a wide scale to improve communication
• Change management and the physician
• Lesson Learnt

Laurie O'Brien, Clinical Facilitator for Redesigning Care, Flinders Medical Centre

An Electronic Bed Tool: Lessons For Implementation

• The start point
• The benefits of the electronic solution
• What we would have done differently
• Future opportunities

Ruth Smith, Director Organisational Innovation, Southern Health

Implementation of a TeamSTEPPS Training Program in an Acute Mental Health Inpatient Unit, and its effect on Patient Flow and Efficiency

• An overview of the Implementation of the TeamSTEPPS Program in Cramond Clinic
• The effect of Bed Reduction combined with this program has contributed to improved care and overall efficiencies across the service

Sue Tiver, Clinical Services Coordinator, Cramond Clinic- Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Dr Rohan Dhillon, Medical Director, Cramond Clinic and Senior Clinical Lecturer, The University of Adelaide

This conference will be held on the 22-23 February 2010 at Novotel Melbourne on Collins -- (costs $ 2634.50 AUD + 250 WYEA admin fee). You are welcome to attend. The Information posted on this page is only meant to provide you an insight on knowledge and skills transfer opportunities available within the Australian Healthcare sector. In collaboration with IIR, we can design a specific program for you and your group, providing an opportunity for you to meet with Australian leading professionals in a friendly and highly rewarding environment.

Clinical Documentation, Coding & Analysis Conference

Activity based funding and the imminent implementation of a national e-health system has highlighted the importance of ensuring the quality and quantity of clinical documentation, coding and analysis. Attend IIR Conferences' Clinical Documentation, Coding & Analysis Conference to gain practical advice on how to maximise your funding and prepare for e-health.

AGENDA:

State Government Guidelines for Clinical Documentation, Coding & Analysis

Supportive Documentation > High Quality Clinical Coding > Valuable Analysis. Removing the Missing Links

• Queensland Health's findings regarding documentation
• How this impacts on the quality of our coded data (and the subsequent DRG allocation)
• How poor documentation leads to poor coding and how that impacts on analysis
• Methods for improvement

Corrie Martin, A/Manager, Data Quality, Statistical Standards Unit, Health Statistics Centre, Queensland Health

Victoria's Approach to Improving Data Quality

• Update from the Health Information Section
• The role of the Victorian ICD Coding Committee
• Audit of hospital admitted patient data in casemix-funded public hospitals 2005-2009

Mark Gill, Manager, Health Data Standards & Systems Unit, Department of Human Services
Kylie Holcombe, Coding Manager, Ballarat Health Services & Member of Victorian ICD Coding Committee

The WA Data Quality and Coding Education Cake: Our Recipe

• Ingredients required
• The method
• The taste test

Deborah Yagmich, Principal Coding Trainer, Coding Education, Information Management & Reporting, Department of Health, WA

The Cost of Clinical Documentation

• Causes and consequences of poor clinical documentation
• Controls in place - current/future
• Treatments and effectiveness of controls

Catherine Garvey, A/Chief Health Information Officer, Information Management, Medical Records Advisory Unit, SA Department of Health
Erin Holmes, Health Information Manager, Medical Record Advisory Unit, SA Department of Health

An NT Perspective - The Challenges of Documentation and Clinical Coding in a Remote/Indigenous Health Environment

• Geography
• Demographics
• Building on rocky foundations

Jill Burgoyne, Health Information Services Manager, Alice Springs Hospital, NT Department Health & Families

 

Clinical Analysis of Coded Data and the Effect on Quality of Care

• Why we need costed clinical data at patient level (not cost modelling) to maximise our ABF experience
• The skills we need to interpret the data and relate that data to the maintenance of quality outcomes
• The importance of quality coded data, standards, reference sets and defined practice knowledge
• The key data elements of ABF systems required
• The advantages that outcomes reporting has over outputs reporting and what we may need to do to reach this goal

Colin McCrow, Senior Applications Specialist, Decision Support & Analysis Team InfoOperations, Information Division, Queensland Health

Coding is a Work of Art. If you Look Hard Enough you will Find its True Value

• Coding, just like art, creates a picture which depicts a story, event or set of circumstances. Neither can be created without the right tools, skills and environment
• Whilst in some hospitals and states, coding is of significant importance within both the hospital structure and state health system; other coders are struggling to influence their environment, leading to a lack of understanding of their skills, un-validated data, and workforce contempt
• The creation of a strong partnership between coders, clinicians
  and hospital executives is fundamental for the future planned national activity based approach to hospital funding. It is essential that all hospitals begin to value the work of the coder and provide coders with tools for continued education, resources to implement audit plans, strategies to improve workforce moral and a greater investment and desire to improve clinical documentation

Emily Price, PIMS Supervisor, Mersey Community Hospital, Tasmania

The Effect of Clinical Documentation on Coding Quality and How this Influences AR-DRG Allocation

• Overview of the underpinning Australian Coding Standards (ACS) including: ACS 0001 Principal diagnosis and ACS 0002 Additional diagnosis
• Overview of the Good Clinical Documentation Guide and how this tool may assist with the education of clinicians regarding improvements to the quality of clinical documentation
• Overview of the Performance Indicators for Coding Quality (PICQ) and how this tool is being used to improve coding quality
• Ongoing work to improve the capture of data associated with patient safety (including the condition onset flag and healthcare associated staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia)

Vera Dimitropoulos, Assistant Director, Classification Development, National Centre for Classification in Health, The University of Sydney

The Latest News and Developments from NEHTA- National e-Health Transition Authority

• Development of the foundations for healthcare purposes
• Progression of the e-health solutions for initial delivery to healthcare sector
• Adoption of e-health through engagement and collaboration
• Advancement of e-health in Australia

Paul Frosdick, Clinical Terminology and Safety Manager, National e-Health Transition Authority (NEHTA)

Health Information Manager and Clinical Coder Workforce Issues

• Demand for health information management staff and impact of this on clinical coding workforce
• Department of Health HIM and clinical coder workforce surveys
• Health Information Manager graduation rates and workforce demand
• Training and education solutions

Jennie Shepheard, Senior Health Information Manager Advisor - Classification Expert, Department of Human Services, Victoria

Improving Data Management through Clinician Engagement

• High quality clinical information underpins casemix classification systems and related funding methodologies. This clinical information is heavily influenced by clinicians
• Clinical leaders play an important role in ensuring that the information that is collected is of the highest quality. As such clinical engagement is an essential component of any activity that examines clinical documentation, the coding of this information and the analysis of the resultant data
• This paper explores the opportunities and mechanisms that can be utilised to engage clinicians in this important activity

Professor Michael Cleary, School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology & Executive Director of Medical Services, Logan Hospital

Understanding a Nurses' Perspective: The Chaos of Nursing Documentation

• The complexity of nursing documentation using paper as the medium
• Why forms are so important to nurses and yet often are incomplete
• Where the quality rich information can be found
• Nursing's transition from paper to electronic documentation

Janette Gogler, Assistant Director of Nursing, Nursing Informatics, Austin Health

 Managing Coding, Coding Training and Coding Audit in a Complex Casemix Environment

• Coder recruitment and training
• Coding and casemix audit
• Coding audit database

Rhonda Carroll, Manager, Coding & Casemix Service, Health Information Services, Alfred Health

Write Right: The GSAHS Clinical Documentation Project

• The Greater Southern Area Health Service (GSAHS) implemented this clinical documentation project with the aim of improving the standard of clinical documentation by 50% between March and August 2005
• The main intervention was the use of a Self Directed Documentation Leaning Package (SDDLP)
• Clinical documentation improved by 75% within 6 months; and Clinicians’ knowledge level on documentation requirements improved by 46.5%
• To improve the safety and quality of patient care the Clinical Governance Unit launched an area wide project to assist sites in improving the standard of clinical documentation
• Further audits have been undertaken in November 2009 to assess sustainability

Ann Stewart, A/Director Clinical Governance, Greater Southern Area Health Service, NSW
Tony Robben, A/Professional Practice Manager, Greater Southern Area Health Service, NSW

Grass Roots Health Information Management - Quality, Processes and Financial Incentives

• Practical quality improvements and initiatives for the capture of data, clinical documentation, completion of discharge summaries and quality of the medical record format through the review, development and communication of appropriate policies and procedures
• A subset of clinical specialties will be reviewed with the resulting impact on the quality of clinical coding, assignment of Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) and more accurate capture of episode of care changes
• Quality initiatives for improved data collection and financial benefits under an Activity Based Funding Model - policies, processes, training and feedback
• The importance of a collaborative working relationship with a wide variety of clinical and support services

Lisa Gardiner, Manager Health Information Services, Cairns & Hinterland Health Service District, Queensland

Casemix Funding Optimisation at Eastern Health - Working Together to Make the Most of Every Episode

• Understanding the environment
• A project based approach to resourcing and restructure
• Learning and recommendations
• Where to from here?

Carly Uzkuraitis, Coding & Casemix Manager, Eastern Health
Karen Hastings, Coding Education Co-ordinator, Eastern Health

This conference will be held on the 18-19 March 2010 at Rendezvous Hotel, Melbourne -- (costs $ 1864.50 AUD + 250 WYEA admin fee). You are welcome to attend. The Information posted on this page is only meant to provide you an insight on knowledge and skills transfer opportunities available within the Australian Healthcare sector. In collaboration with IIR, we can design a specific program for you and your group, providing an opportunity for you to meet with Australian leading professionals in a friendly and highly rewarding environment.

Rural & Remote Health Congress

Attend IIR Conferences' Rural & Remote Health Congress for your opportunity to hear from federal and state government speakers on core policy and funding directions, get updated on the assessments and initiatives of key stakeholders in the industry and ask questions of key decision makers to help inform and set directions for your organisation.

Strategic Directions for Rural and Remote Health Policy and Funding

The recent National Health and Hospitals' Reform Commission report on reform directions for Australia’s health system has highlighted the inequities for Australians living in rural and remote areas.

Commonwealth, state and territory governments, and non-government organisations are working hard to close the gap between health services in rural areas and their metropolitan counterparts. To support this, policy and funding for rural health must be responsive to the needs of communities. Programs should strive to support rural health professionals in their provision of health services and better effort must be made to improve collaboration between the commonwealth, and state and territory governments.

With the high level of policy activity in the industry at present, never has there been a better time to assess current challenges, priorities and initiatives in each state, facilitate interstate and federal discussion and cooperation, and discuss strategic directions for rural and remote health policy and funding.

AGENDA

Improving Healthcare Quality in Regional Queensland

• How consumer complaints drive improvement
• Learning the lessons from investigations
• Standards as a catalyst for improvement
• Measuring and managing healthcare risks

Cheryl Herbert, CEO, Health Quality & Complaints Commission (QLD)

Policy and Funding Directions for Rural Health in Australia

• Current policy settings
• Future directions

Lou Andreatta, Principal Advisor, Office of Rural Health, Department of Health & Ageing

Delivering Comprehensive Healthcare Solutions to Indigenous Communities in Rural and Remote Australia

• Closing the gap
• A comprehensive approach to primary healthcare
• Supporting Aboriginal community controlled health organisations
• Investing in social determinants of health

Smaller Hospitals in Rural Victoria - Current Initiatives, Issues and Challenges
Paul Butler, Manager Rural Health, Department of Health Victoria

Prevention: Where are we now and where next?

• The case for prevention nationally and in rural and remote Australia
• The Preventive Health Taskforce and the National Prevention Strategy
• Action now under way or in planning
• What further action is needed – and by whom?

Professor Mike Daube, Deputy Chair, National Preventive Health Taskforce

Isolated Practice Paramedics

• Extended scope of practice for rural and remote areas
• Outlining the operational model for rural and remote areas

Sean Mutchmor, Manager Clinical Standards, Office of the Medical Director, QLD Ambulance Service

Telehealth Applications: New Developments to Improve the Equity of Access to Healthcare

• Information technologies can deliver improvements in healthcare
• Two telehealth applications will be presented
  - Care assessment platform for remote cardiac rehabilitation
  - Remote disease monitoring using eye monitoring
• Results from trials of these applications will be presented
• Some potential future developments will be discussed

Dr Phil Gurney, CEO, The Australian E-Health Research Centre

Not Another Strategy!

Mental health has a major impact on health systems, social services, productivity, policing and correctional services. There is significant and consistent evidence about the failure of Australia's mental health systems, particularly in regional and rural areas. There are significant and consistent calls for change and reform, well beyond the rearranging of words in our policy and strategy documents.

This paper will outline how and why mental health reform has largely failed, and present some options for real change.

David Crosbie, CEO, Mental Health Council of Australia

Reforming and Benchmarking Healthcare in Remote and Rural Areas

• Progress to date of recommendations from the Commission's report and the potential impacts on remote and rural healthcare in Australia
• Funding and accountability
• Driving quality performance
• Remote and rural Australia setting directions for reform

Sabina Knight, Associate Professor, Remote Health Practice, Centre for Remote Health, Alice Springs

In the Midst of Ocean, Rainforest and Sunburn Land - Rural and Remote Health in Queensland

• Supporting, delivering and sustaining healthcare in rural and remote Queensland

Pattie Hudson, Senior Director, Office of Rural & Remote Health, Policy, Planning & Resourcing Division, QLD Health

Assessment of State and National Directions for Primary Care and the Impact for Rural Health
Mark Smith, General Manager for Royal District Nursing Service, Chair RCNA’s Community & Primary Care Faculty, & Chair of the Victorian Primary & Community Health Network

A Community Development Framework to Engaging Rural Communities to Support a Primary Health Care Approach: A Tasmanian Perspective

• The Tasmanian rural health environment
• Primary healthcare - getting the message out to rural communities, the challenges and opportunities
• A community development approach, what does this mean and what relevance does this having in the ever changing landscape of rural health
• Critical success strategies in engaging rural communities in health. What have we learnt, the Tasmanian experience?

Stuart Auckland, Acting Co-Director Department of Rural Health, University of Tasmania

The National Health Workforce Taskforce

• What is it and what will it be?
• What will be achieved?
• Where does rural fit?

Peter Carver, Executive Director, National Health Workforce Taskforce (tentative)

Blockages, Leaks and Kinks - The Health Education Pipeline

• Outline the educational pipeline that creates a rural health practitioner
• Current capacity vs. future demand
• Student placements - quantity and quality
• Training placements - innovation needed e.g. Community, AMS, GP surgery
• Shortage of primary healthcare providers
• Educators and supervisors - where will they come from?

Louise Lawler, Program Director, Future Workforce, Rural Health Workforce Australia (RHWA)

The Reality of the Future Remote Workforce

• What does the remote health workforce look like now - who are they?
• Is living and working remote sustainable?
• If so, how do we support these people - retention - what does that mean?
• What models can and should be developed - enhanced?
• What are we doing wrong?
• Are we really serious about addressing the remote health workforce issues?
• How will it all be funded? By whom and how well?

Carole Taylor, CEO, CRANAplus

Technology and the Bush: What does the new digital telecommunications world mean for rural and remote health professionals?

This presentation will examine the different telecommunications factors impacting the work of rural and remote health professionals, including the introduction of digital television; new satellite television services; the timing and reach of the National Broadband Network; and the use of mobile phones and other handheld devices for data access and delivery. The presentation will focus particularly on the education and information requirements of rural health professionals, and draw on the work of the Rural Health Education Foundation, Australia’s most extensive deliverer of video-based education content for health professionals.

This conference will be held on the 24-25 March 2010 at Brisbane Marriot Hotel -- (costs AUD$1864.50 + 250 WYEA admin fee). You are welcome to attend. The Information posted on this page is only meant to provide you an insight on knowledge and skills transfer opportunities available within the Australian Healthcare sector. In collaboration with IIR, we can design a specific program for you and your group, providing an opportunity for you to meet with Australian leading professionals in a friendly and highly rewarding environment.

Operating Theatre Management Conference

Attend IIR Conferences' Operating Theatre Management Conference to hear presentations from key government and industry speakers, get updated on emerging successful practices and programs being implemented across New Zealand, and absorb key strategies and methods to improve your skills and knowledge as a theatre manager.

A variety of opinions, strategies and improvement initiatives exist in the industry, all geared toward improving safety and quality, patient flow and staff management in the operating theatre.

Don't miss this opportunity to share your experiences, discuss the lessons learnt from successes and failures, raise new ideas and collaborate with new contacts.
 

AGENDA

The Productive Operating Theatre Programme in NZ

• Overview of the productive operating theatre programme
• Success in the UK testing stage
• Achievements to date
• The programme commencement in NZ

Joseph McDonald, Senior Advisor for Quality, Improvement & Innovation, Sector Capability & Innovation Directorate, Ministry of Health

Clip-On Theatres – Catalyst for Change

They’re a lot bigger than an iPhone. They don’t have as many users as trademe. But in their way, Hutt Valley DHB’s new ‘clip-on’ operating theatres are as revolutionary as those other icons of ‘out of the box’ thinking.

A novel idea from the beginning, the Hutt Valley clip-ons started out as temporary facilities to fill a gap while new operating theatres were being built.

The plan was always to use the theatres to trial new processes prior to the new theatres. However, the results have exceeded Hutt Valley DHB’s most optimistic expectations. Clinicians, nursing and other front line staff have risen to the challenge, rethinking and improving theatre processes. Their team work has resulted in major advances in quality processes, pre-operative assessment, workflow and management of acutes.

Kay McDonald, Peri-Operative Nurse Manager, Hutt Valley District Health Board
Dr Philip Eames, Clinical Lead Day Surgery, Hutt Valley District Health Board
Patricia McNeill, Surgical Services Manager, Hutt Valley District Health Board

Not Leaving Instruments Behind – Counting and Beyond

• What happened to us in Hobart, Tasmania and what we are doing about it
• Thorough counting of items during surgery is regarded as the gold standard for the prevention of retained items – yet it still happens
• Risk management and inventory management – is there a difference?
• Looking at alternatives and additional processes – tray weighing

Liz Welstead, Peri-Operative Manager, Calvary Healthcare Tasmania

Resistance is Futile: MRO’s in the Operating Room
Historically, developments in theatre design, equipment and protective clothing have paralleled those made in the field of Microbiology and infection control.
This presentation will look at:

• How equipped we are in the operating room to deal with this century’s emerging Multi Resistant Micro Organisms (MRO’s) and infectious diseases
• How we can prevent infection, colonisation and transmission in the operating room

Elsie Truter, Tutor, Waiariki Institute of Technology & Theatre Nurse, Southern Cross Q.E Surgical

The Evolution of Nurse-Led Pre-Admission at Waikato District Health Board
With the shortage of house officers within the hospital system in NZ, most hospitals have had to develop new ways of carrying out pre-operative assessment. This presentation will discuss the journey, including learnings at Waikato Hospital of the nurse-led pre-admission model from pilot to winning the NZ Health Innovation Award for process improvement.
Debbie Whitham, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Waikato District Health Board

Managing a Major Hospital – The Ultimate Hospital Pass?

Public hospitals mitigate the risk of accidents and illness in their community. In addition, they are required to complete ambitious elective surgical schedules. The interaction between acute and elective work streams is an issue that has challenged Waikato Hospital. This presentation will explore our observations so far and conclusions we can draw.

Rob Ebert, Director Surgical Services, Waikato Hospital



CASE STUDY: The Elective Orthopaedic Patient Journey at Burwood Hospital

In 2004/5 a new elective orthopaedic facility was commissioned for the Burwood site. At the same time central government funding was increased so that more hip and knee joint replacements could be provided.

With these changes came the introduction of:

• Single referral gateway
• Pre-operative physiotherapy led assessment tool
• Nurse-led anaesthetic supported pre-admissions

This project in 2008 received the “Supreme Winner at the Canterbury District Health Board Quality Improvements and Innovation Awards.”

Penny Davies, Clinical Nurse Co-ordinator, Orthopaedic Outpatient Department, Burwood Hospital

AUSTRALIAN CASE STUDY: Maximising Theatre Throughput and Implementing a Smoke Evacuation System

Liat Dunlea, Acting Nurse Unit Manager – Theatres, Toowoomba Hospital

Clinical Governance in the Operating Theatre

• Clinical governance in the operating room
• Standardised measures of operating room performance – how to measure and report them
• Changing culture and attitudes

Dr. Vanessa Beavis, Director Anaesthesia & Operating Rooms, Auckland City Hospital

Patient Safety in the Operating Theatre: A Surgeon’s Perspective

Adverse events occurring in the operating theatre are common and make up 30-60% of surgical events. These failures are mainly the result of human error rather than lack of technical expertise. Non technical skills like leadership, decision making, assertiveness and team coordination are essential for maintaining patient safety.

• Operating theatre facility
• Processes (correct patient, correct site, correct procedure, surgical counts)
• Surgical performance (credentialing, trainee supervision, non technical skills)
• Equipment and supplies
• Electrical and fire safety
• Patient positioning
• Prevention of infection and venous thromboembolism

Jean-Claude Theis, Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Otago, Dunedin & Chairman New Zealand National Board, Royal Australasian College of Surgeons

Leadership and Clinical Governance in the Operating Theatre

Phyllis Davis, Nursing Director – Operating Suite, The Prince of Wales Hospital & The Sydney Children’s Hospital

Extended Presentation: Advanced Peri-Operative Nursing Roles – Now and in the Future

• Surgery on a global scale
• What does this mean for peri-operative nurses – locally and globally?
• Current and emerging advanced peri-operative roles – the ‘how, where and when’

Dr Lois Hamlin, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Health, University of Technology Sydney

 Share or Die!...

Technologies for sharing equipment, facilities and knowledge are changing the surgical world for professionals and patients. A range of technologies will have the potential to raise standards in tertiary centres but just as importantly enable the small centres, often under threat, to achieve similar levels to their ‘big centre’ colleagues.

• Share knowledge
• Share equipment and facilities (the use of share, mobile or re-locatable to make available the latest technologies)

Dr Stuart Gowland FRACS, Urologist & Director, Mobile Surgical Services Project

Noise and the Anaesthetic Team

• Noise
• Occupational health and safety and noise in areas with anaesthetic involvement – other effects of noise in areas with anaesthetic involvement
• Methods and techniques to reduce noise in these areas

Daneby Liddell, Anaesthetic Technician, Anaesthetic Department, MidCentral District Health Board, Palmerston North

This conference will be held on the 30-31 March 2010, Stamford Plaza, Aukland -- (costs AUD$1495 + 250 WYEA admin fee). You are welcome to attend. The Information posted on this page is only meant to provide you an insight on knowledge and skills transfer opportunities available within the Australian Healthcare sector. In collaboration with IIR, we can design a specific program for you and your group, providing an opportunity for you to meet with Australian leading professionals in a friendly and highly rewarding environment.