More than a quarter of a million dollars is set to flow into regional healthcare in South Australia thanks to funding from The Hospital Research Foundation Group (THRFG).
Eight projects will share in $268,000 of funding, providing a major boost to regional communities across the state.
Delivering X-ray and ultrasound training to staff on the Yorke Peninsula; improving the safe storage of medications in Mount Barker; and supporting the development of a Nephrology Nurse Practitioner candidate to be based in the Upper North are just some of the projects that have received funding.
SA Health’s Rural Support Service (RSS) provides support for the state’s six regional Local Health Networks (LHNs) and assisted in the coordination of these grants.
THRFG CEO Paul Flynn said everyone had the right to quality healthcare, regardless of what postcode they live in.
“Regional communities are the backbone of our state, but we know they face significant barriers when it comes to accessing quality healthcare,” he said.
“This funding will help upskill our health workforce and purchase vital equipment, allowing regional South Australians to get the treatment they need closer to home.”
The funded projects include:
- Barossa Hills Fleurieu LHN | Improving medication safety in Mt Barker’s ED
As Mount Barker’s population grows, the number and complexity of hospital presentations has increased, putting strain on the medicine storage system in Mount Barker Hospital’s emergency department (ED).
This funding will be used to purchase an automated dispensing cabinet, which will increase storage capacity and improve efficiency in the ED.
- Yorke and Northern LHN | Portable X-ray training for clinical staff
Hospitals across the Yorke and Northern LHN offer emergency and after-hours care, but a lack of trained staff means patients often travel out of town or wait for operating hours for an X-ray.
This funding will help more staff be trained to use portable X-ray machines, so patients can get proper treatment quicker and closer to home.
- Yorke and Northern LHN | Training staff to use portable ultrasounds
Patients in the Yorke and Northern region have access to emergency and inpatient care, but limited access to radiology can pose a significant challenge for medical staff.
Portable ultrasounds, though, offer a low-cost and easily accessible alternative. This funding will help junior doctors, registrars and nursing staff to receive training to use these machines.
- Yorke and Northern LHN | Eye assessments for newborns
Newborn babies undergo a series of tests before they can be discharged from hospital, including eye assessments. However, the wait times for these are often significant.
Five otoscopes will be purchased using the funding, which will be used by midwives at each birthing site in the region, allowing new mums and bubs to get home quicker.
Yorke and Northern LHN | Implementing continence care services at home
Consumers who need continence support must be referred to local or metropolitan hospitals for things like catheter reinsertions, catheter changes or bladder function tests.
While an at-home service is being developed, this funding will be used to purchase a portable bladder scanner which will help deliver better patient outcomes and reduce hospital admissions.
- Yorke and Northern LHN | Promoting Sepsis Awareness Week
Time is critical when it comes to treating sepsis, but a lack of awareness in regional areas can mean early intervention is missed.
Creating a ‘Sepsis Champion’ program during Sepsis Awareness Week will provide the community with education and awareness about the condition and help embed early recognition into clinical practice.
- Flinders and Upper North LHN | Improving renal care in the Upper North
Chronic kidney disease disproportionately impacts Aboriginal people compared to non-Aboriginal people. And at Port Augusta, 75% of patients in the town’s dialysis unit are Aboriginal.
These funds will be used to support the development of a Nephrology Nurse Practitioner role in the Flinders and Upper North region, as having a Nephrology Nurse Practitioner in FUNLHN will ensure clients can receive expert care locally.
- SA Pharmacy | Improved medicine access for renal patients
The prevalence of chronic kidney disease is rising, along with patients at high risk of medicine-related problems. However, for regionally based patients, specialist renal pharmacy services are not easily accessible.
This project will develop a model of care which improves access to renal pharmacy expertise for both staff and patients and support improved medicine-related patient outcomes for patients who are receiving specialised treatment closer to home.
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