MAJOR  ACHIEVEMENTS

• Townsville was the only pilot site in Queensland for Queensland Health's GP Register Project. Admission information is electronically disseminated to GPs and discharge summaries will follow by the end of 2000, with all three hospitals in Townsville participating.
• GP Liaison Focus Group has been the change agent for a number of significant system changes within Townsville District Hospital.
• The first Memorandum of Understanding between a Division and District Health Service to be signed in Queensland.
• A BEACH survey was conducted prior to the commencement of  the Outcomes Based Funding contract to provide the Division with statistical GP encounter data, which has been compared with the national average. This has assisted in the review of the organisation's future direction and will be repeated at the end of the three-year program.
• Coordination of post-graduate medical students from the North Queensland Clinical School undertaking their terms in community medicine. Their work has included the completion of a Youth Health Survey , Practice Audits for Risk of Falls in the Elderly, and a Methadone Prescribers Information Package for GPs.
• Compilation, printing  and dissemination of a comprehensive Health Resources Directory (ongoing) to 1500 service providers in North Queensland, which is now available on the Division's Website.
• Funding was approved to develop the Design of a Coordinated Care Trial.

CHALLENGES FOR THE FUTURE

The Division's priority focus areas for the three year period from 1999 - 2000 to 2000 - 2002 will be in the areas of GP Liaison, the Integration of Services, Youth Health, Information Management and Information Technology (IM/IT) , Continuing Medical Education (CME), Workforce Support Issues, and there will be a continuation of initiatives in the areas of Alcohol and Drugs,  Ante Natal Shared Care, Immunisation, GP Management of Female Incontinence and Aged Care.

Funding has been approved for the Design of  a Coordinated Care Model, Development of  Best Practice Model for GP Follow-up of Patients with Prostate Cancer,  Palliative Care Case Conferencing and Population Health Initiatives within Divisions.

Issues surrounding Indigenous Health will be investigated. Townsville has a significantly higher Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population (4.9%) than the Queensland average (1.8%).Blue Mountains Division of General Practice According to local research it appears that few Return to AGPNindigenous patients sfHover = function() { var sfEls = document.getElementById("nav").getElementsByTagName("LI"); for (var i=0; i GP services.Blue Mountains Division of General Practice With thePrograms and Projects Indigenous   Health focus of   the newAGPN acknowledges the financial support of the Australian Government.Faculty of Medicine at this New South Waleswill also Year Establishedtake 1994into consideration Number of Member Practicesthe 25needs of our indigenous population. Recent investigation has shown that there Postcodes Coveredseems 2773, 2774, 2776, 2777, 2778, 2779, 2780, 2782, 2783, 2784, 2785, 2786.to be Populationa 77,015 (2001 Census)high rate Area Coveredof 1405 square kilometres including the towns: Katoomba, Springwood, and Blaxland.stillborn and CEOpremature Ms Sheila Holcombebirths in Chairthe Dr Michael de VriesATSI population here in Townsville.

Partnerships have been developed which mean far Physical Address:more 192 Great Western HighwayGP HAZELBROOK NSW 2779participation Australiain Postal Address:the PO Box 74planning HAZELBROOK NSW 2779of AustraliaTownsville health service Email:provision.admin@bmdgp.com.au  ThePhone: 02 4758 9711development Fax:of02 4758 9722 the newWebsite: http://www.bmdgp.com.auMedical Faculty at James Cook is in  |  part Document Libraryof  the Executive Leadership and Management Programnew  |   ProgramsFaculty  |   Mediaof  |   EventsMedicine.  |   Contact AGPNThe  |   LinksCoordinator  |   My AGPNTDGP will collaborate with this Unit in the development of education strategies and evaluation of program activities. The Division will continue to work with the Postgraduate stream of Medical Students undertaking their Community Placements. Their investigations to date have yielded academically sound recommendations whilst engaging a variety of services in the process. GP participation and feedback remains essential. There needs to be more GPs involved in the planning process otherwise the Division's usefulness and relevance is diminished greatly.