Services

Nurses

Registered Nurses have a central role in the care of patients with chronic and complex conditions. They undertake a number of general practice processes, including systematic assessment, follow up and review of the patient. They may identify local allied health services and ensure referrals go through the appropriate pathways to allied health professionals.

Registered Nurses undertake a variety of other roles, including taking patients’ histories, patient education and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. They may also conduct chronic disease management clinics at the practice.

Registered Nurses consult closely with patients suffering from chronic disease, assessing the impact of the condition on the patient, and identifying patients with risk factors. They can provide monitoring and support of patients between general practitioner reviews and may develop practices and processes to ensure appropriate patient care, including team care arrangements, asthma management plans and diabetes cycle of care, in partnership with the healthcare team.

(information sourced through http://cdm.ahpa.com.au)

Allied Health

Aboriginal Health Worker

Aboriginal health workers are generally based in Aboriginal community-controlled health services and are usually the first healthcare worker an Indigenous patient would see.

Their common objective is to assist the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to take a strong role in controlling and managing their own health and lifestyles.

Services

Aboriginal health workers provide a wide range of primary healthcare services, including:

• Community health education
• Community support & engagement
• Mums & Bubs playgroup

Working closely with both the patient and the health care team, they may act as interpreters to ensure that the healthcare practitioner is clear about the patient’s symptoms, medical and personal history and that the patient has a good understanding of the diagnosis, treatment and health care advice.

They may work in specialty areas including drugs and alcohol services, mental health, diabetes and eye and ear health.

Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Services (AMIHS)

Pregnancy Help and Support

Your local Aboriginal Maternal Infant Health Service (AMIHS) is for all Aboriginal families, including dads, mums and babies and women giving birth to Aboriginal babies as well. Referrals can be made by the client, their family, GP’S, Obstetricians or Midwives or any other health care workers and can be made by phone or faxed to the AMIHS service you have chosen.

The Service is delivered through a continuity-of-care model, where midwives & Aboriginal Health Workers collaborate to provide a high quality maternity service that is culturally sensitive, women centred, based on primary health-care principles. AMIHS acknowledges & builds on the awareness, knowledge & understanding of Aboriginal families & communities about pregnancy & child health & its relationship to lifelong health. There are AMIHS workers throughout the Northern NSW Local Health District area.

AMIHS provide:

• Comprehensive & regular antenatal health checks;
• Booking in to maternity hospitals;
• Smoking cessation support;
• Referral & support to access other services;
• Health promotion & community development activities;
• Post natal checks & support;
• Information on infant feeding & nutrition

To contact your local AMIHS ring:

Children’s Audiology

Wednesdays (Monthly)

Audiology is a type of healthcare offered to both infants and young children who are experiencing hearing problems or sound recognition issues. Identifying hearing problems early in a child’s life is essential for normal speech and language development, as well as social development.

Connect To Wellbeing

Bronwyn Gibson
Mental Health Nurse
Mondays (Fortnightly)

Connect To Wellbeing is a free counselling service for people experiencing mild to moderate mental health concerns.

Diabetes Educator

Donna Gibson
Thursdays

What does a Diabetes Educator do?

They provide support for people with diabetes, including gestational diabetes, integrating clinical care, self-management education, skills training and disease specific information to motivate patients to:

• Understand diabetes and make informed lifestyle and treatment choices
• Incorporate physical activity into daily life
• Use their medicines effectively and safely
• Monitor and interpret their blood glucose patterns

(information sourced through http://cdm.ahpa.com.au)

Dietitian

Nicola Buster
Fridays (Fortnightly on the 1st and 3rd Friday of the month)

What does a Dietitian do?

Dietitians provide expert nutrition and diet advice for people of all ages. They can help if you have a food allergy, high cholesterol, diabetes, or gastrointestinal diseases, or if you are overweight. They can help with other health problems too.

What to expect from a dietitian

A dietitian will ask questions about your health, what you want to achieve, and what you eat and drink.

They will give you feedback and advice on your diet and health condition. They will also help you set food-related goals.

Exercise Physiologist

Marion Pentecost
Thurdays (Fortnigthly)

Exercise physiologists specialise in clinical exercise interventions for people with a broad range of health issues. Those people may be at risk of developing, or have existing, medical conditions and injuries. The aims of exercise physiology interventions are to prevent or manage acute, sub- acute or chronic disease or injury, and assist in restoring one’s optimal physical function, health or wellness.

These interventions are exercise-based and include health and physical activity education, advice and support and lifestyle modification with a strong focus on achieving behavioural change.

General Physician

Dr Richard Lucas
Tuesdays (Monthly)

General physicians are specialist physicians with expertise in the diagnosis and management of complex disorders. They are able to co-ordinate patient care and work within the multidisciplinary team to optimise health outcomes for individuals and groups.

Mental Health Nurse

Mental health nurses may:

• Identify patient goals and interventions required to achieve them
• Provide a comprehensive mental status assessment
• Contribute to the development of a General Practice Mental Health Care Plan
• Contribute to case conferences
• Assist patients’ families and carers to provide care and support
• Provide psychological education
• Provide counselling and psychological interventions

Patients may be referred to a mental health nurses for:

• Medication education, management and compliance monitoring
• Liaison point between GPs and psychiatrists
• Support and interventions post discharge from a mental health service
• Monitoring of mood, suicidality and self-harm tendencies
• Counselling to manage and contain psychological distress

(information sourced through http://cdm.ahpa.com.au)

Mental Health Social Worker

Mental health social workers provide a range of evidence-based interventions, which focus on achieving solutions, including:

• Cognitive behavioural therapy
• Relation strategies
• Skills training
• Interpersonal therapy
• Psychoeducation
• Family therapy
• Narrative therapy

Mental health social workers interventions include:

• Detailed psychosocial assessment identifying the connections between mental health problems and complex social contexts
• Assessment of the mental illness and its impact on the life of individuals and their families
• Working with individuals, families, groups and communities to find solutions to mental health problems
• Working cooperatively as part of multidisciplinary teams
• Working within the guidelines of a professional code of ethics, practice standards and legal framework for practice

(information sourced through http://cdm.ahpa.com.au)

Obstetrician & Gynaecologist

from Lismore Base Hospital
Wednesdays (Monthly)

Obstetricians provide medical care before, during, and after childbirth. Gynaecologists diagnose, treat, and aid in the prevention of disorders of the female reproductive system.

Paediatrician

Paediatric Clinics
Fridays (Fortnightly)

Paediatricians manage the health of people aged 0-19 years old, including physical, behaviour, and mental health issues. They’re trained to diagnose and treat childhood illnesses, from minor health problems to serious diseases.

Pharmacist

Louise Clarkson
Fridays (Fortnightly)

Pharmacists working in GP clinics do reviews of medications to ensure they are working well for the patient. Within the medication review, the patient will learn more about their medications, how multiple medications work together and discuss any concerns or difficulties they are having. This service can be provided at Rekindling the Spirit Health Service or in the patient’s home.

Physiotherapist

Troy Eady
Tuesdays (Fortnightly)

Physiotherapists are trained to provide rehabilitation services with the aim of improving movement, reducing pain and stiffness to improve your quality of life.

Podiatrist

Lara Ivanchenko
Mondays (Fortnigthly)

Podiatrists may treat patients with bone and joint disorders including:

• Arthritis
• Soft tissue and muscular pathologies
• Neurological
• Circulatory diseases

Podiatrists can diagnose and treat complications that affect skin and nails, corns, calluses and ingrown toenails, foot injuries and infections.

Triggers for referral to a podiatrist include:

• Patient with diabetes and peripheral vascular disease, or neuropathy
• Clinical diagnosis or history of foot or lower limb deformity
• Clinical diagnosis of falls
  For conditions such as recurring sprains and chronic pain, podiatrists may prescribe foot orthoses.

(information sourced through http://cdm.ahpa.com.au)

Psychiatrist

Dr Hugh Morgan
Mondays (Fortnightly)

Psychiatry is the branch of medicine focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental, emotional and behavioural disorders.