Community Health and Care News


Posted: Friday 8 January 2010


National Community Health Proposal for Adelaide 

A NATIONAL centre that will seek new ways to provide efficient health care at home is being proposed for Adelaide. The RDNS asked the Minister for Health and Aging, Nicola Roxon during her visit to the RDNS for a ministerial forum on Wednesday 6 January.


The proposal is part of the RDNS submission to the Federal Government’s health reform initiative. The health reform consultation forum is being held at the RDNS’s Glenside Operations Centre.


RDNS CEO Dale Cleaver said Adelaide is the ideal location for a pilot of this type.


"Moreover, the RDNS has the credentials to establish a National Centre for Innovation in Community Health with the support of the Federal Government and health industry partners," Mr Cleaver said.M


"The RDNS is at the forefront of health innovation with initiatives such as our virtual hospital, a tele-health home nursing service through high clarity video phone links into clients' homes. It enables face-to-face nursing care many times a day and is just one of a host of innovations that we are developing."


"The RDNS is ready and able to work with the Federal Government and industry partners to identify new and more cost-effective ways in which to provide better levels of health care to more people in their homes to avoid hospital admission."


The proposed new centre would focus on:

  • Managing and evaluating chronic disease outcomes in the community
  • Trials and pilots of new technologies and systems to achieve better community health outcomes
  • Streamlining and evaluating systems to ensure hospitals have easy and quick access to community-based health services
  • Evaluation of the economic and environmental impact of community health innovation on local and national health systems

FURTHER INFORMATION
Wendy Pfitzenmeier, Ball Public Relations, 8271 4377 or 0431 597 181