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Timely News for Australian
 Medical Practice Managers


December 2014
    MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MEDICAL DIRECTIONS!

Medical Directions would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and safe holiday season! 

A big thank you to all those practices who have asked us to assist them with their Accreditation, policies and procedures, training, mentoring and setting up their new practices over the past year. 

It's been fantastic meeting and working with Practice Managers, GPs and their staff all over the country.

We look forward to working with you all again in the future and if you have been happy with our service, please feel free to tell others!
LATEST NEWS!

Super Storm Hits Brisbane
A super cell storm that hit south-east Queensland last week brought with it cyclonic winds and softball-sized hail and is a timely reminder that practices need to review their preparedness for such occurrences.

The RACGP has produced some helpful resources for practices to help them prepare:
WorkCover - Schedule of Fees
A reminder to our Queensland practices that the new Schedule of Fees for WorkCover Qld applies from 1 December 2014. Click here for the current Medical Table of Costs.

Current Schedule of Fees for:
General Practice Rural Incentives Program (GPRIP)
The government has appointed an expert panel to consult with rural doctors and key health organisations on how the GPRIP can encourage doctors to move to rural, regional and remote areas. This appointment is the next phase in the government's implementation of significant rural health workforce reforms in an attempt to improve access to health services for rural, regional and remote Australian communities ... read more

Handbook of Non-Drug Interventions (HANDI)
The RACGP's HANDI project is an online reference book of non-drug interventions which has evidence of their effectiveness and each entry includes indications, contraindications and dosing. HANDI gives medical practitioners a wider choice of interventions for their patients ... read more

Ebola Update
Updated information for Health Professionals can be found on the Department of Health website. Here are some helpful resources for general practices:
Wait Time Guarantee - Queensland Health
The Queensland Government recently announced that from 1 February 2015 patients will receive their elective surgery within the medically recommended time or be offered the next available appointment in a public or private hospital at no cost. In Australia there are three national categories with recommended timeframes for treatment:
  1. Urgent (Category 1) - within 30 days of being added to the wait list
  2. Semi-urgent (Category 2) - within 90 days of being added to the wait list
  3. Non-urgent (Category 3) - within 365 days of being added to the wait list

Further reading:


Medicare Benefits Schedule Fee Summary
The Medicare Benefits Schedule Fee Summary has been produced by the RACGP as a quick and easy reference to item numbers and billing costs relevant to general practice  ... read more

 

Medical Benefits Schedule (MBS) Online

The 1 November 2014 MBS data files (ASCII and XML) are now available to download and a description of the changes can be found on the MBS Online website ... read more.

Did you know..... 
that the Irukandji jellyfish is believed to be the most venomous creature in the world! Its venom is 100 times more potent than a cobra and 1000 times more potent than a tarantula.

The Irukandji jellyfish is so small that a person doesn't usually see it sting them and at the time the sting is minor - it is not until half an hour later that symptoms develop.

Symptoms include generalised pain, headache, vomiting, sweating and sometimes high blood pressure and chest pain.

TOP TIP FOR ACCREDITATION
We've mentioned this tip in other editions of our newsletter but feel it's an opportune and important time to remind you as the storm season is upon us again!

Practices must have a back-up plan and alternative storage for vaccines in the case of a power failure - alternative vaccine storage may include:
  • a back-up power supply e.g. generator or battery/solar back-up
  • a monitored fridge off-site (only suitable if the off-site facility has not lost power also)
  • a cooler e.g. an Esky large enough to accommodate:
    • all your vaccines
    • ice packs or gel packs
    • insulating material e.g. polystyrene chips or bubble wrap
    • minimum/maximum thermometer 

Your practice should practise implementing its back-up plan to ensure the plan will work in a real power failure situation. Your back-up plan should be documented in your Vaccine Management Policy.
 
ACCREDITATION - ARE YOU READY?

Accreditation is one of the best ways to identify areas of your practice that may need improving. 
Medical Directions can help by guiding you through the Accreditation process and assisting in implementing any changes. 
We offer a full Accreditation Package which includes onsite visits and ongoing consultation via phone and email. 

Other ways we can help ...
  • Create a new Policy and Procedure Manual to comply with the 4th Standards
  • Set up your new practice and assist with purchasing equipment
  • Orientation of new GPs to your practice 
  • Staff training in Best Practice and Medical Director
  • Practice Manager mentoring
  • Treatment Room policies and procedures
Medical Directions can help in lots of ways! Let us customise a package to suit your practice. Click here to find out more about our Consulting Services or visit our website.


NEW RESOURCES ON KNOWNOW!

Medicare Benefits Schedule Fee Summary
The Medicare Benefits Schedule Fee Summary has been produced by the RACGP as a quick and easy reference to item numbers and billing costs relevant to general practice. We have added a link to the summary on knowNOW! under Clinical/Doctors/Doctors Resources.

Please email support@knownow.com.au at any time for assistance or if you have any queries.
 

Sign up today to receive a month's free trial of knowNOW! and once you realise how much it will help your practice it's just $38.95 per month which includes unlimited users! 

WHAT'S ON IN DECEMBER?

RECIPE OF THE MONTH  
 
Spicy Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Something different for your Christmas dinner table - not everyone likes cauliflower but this looks amazing and tastes delicious! 
 
 
Ingredients  

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 head of cauliflower

1½ cups plain Greek yoghurt

1 lime - zest and juice

2 tbsp chilli powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp curry powder

1 glove garlic - crushed

salt and pepper


Method 

Preheat oven to 200ºC

Line a tray with baking paper

Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves

Combine the yoghurt, lemon zest and juice, garlic and all the spices and seasoning 

Dunk the cauliflower into the bowl and brush the marinade evenly over the cauliflower

Place the cauliflower on the the baking tray and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned 

The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower

Let the cauliflower cool for 10 minutes before cutting into wedges


ENJOY! 

If you have a favourite recipe that you would like to share, please send it to chris@medicaldirections.com.au and we'll include it in our newsletter.
Kathryn Davis
Is there someone else in your practice that would like to receive our newsletter? Just click 'Subscribe Now' at the bottom of this newsletter and sign them up too! Or if you currently get our newsletter at work and would also like to receive it at home, we can add your home email address to the distribution list.

I would love to hear your feedback on my newsletters or if you have a story to share or a question to ask please email me.
 
Until next time ... take care!
Kath Signature PNG  

P: 1300 978 897 | E: kathryn@medicaldirections.com.au | W: www.medicaldirections.com.au


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