Miss Kerri-Anne  Von Deest¹

¹Queensland Health , Biloela , Australia

Abstract:

Allied health in the rural Central Queensland health service of Banana had a history of extensive periods of vacant positions with inability to recruit and retain staff. The community had high expectations of the allied health workforce in the delivery of services.

We had to change the way we were doing business. Through the successful application for rural revitalisation funding we were able to recruit to three interprofessional allied health assistant positions. Utlising the Calderdale Framework and creating a range of generalist specific resources, a delegation model of care was developed.

The implementation of this generalist allied health assistant delegation model of care has facilitated the following deliverables: significant increases in occasions of service in outreach facilities, prioritisation demands met by all professions, sub acute episodes of care able to be delivered in outreach sites, reduced travel time for clinicians and patients and increased communications between rural facilities. At the forefront and of most importance, closer to home care for clients living rurally is now achievable, sustainable and efficient.

Delivering high quality health care requires the right person at the right time in the right place. However, first you need to have a “person.” Through innovative models of care and utlisation of all staff to full scope, staff satisfaction can be improved which leads to better client outcomes and overall improved community perception of services. This presentation will explore our journey of change in order to successfully implement and sustain a generalist allied health assistant workforce and model of care.

Biography:

Kerri-Anne Von Deest is a senior Occupational Therapist based at the Biloela Hospital in Central Queensland. Kerri-Anne has worked in Central Queensland for the past 5 years. She has a passion for rural and remote health and supporting implementation of new innovative models of care and service delivery.