CI Jan-Mar 13 Edition 1 WPwords
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From the From the From the President’s President’s President’s desk desk desk Connective Connective Connective Issues Issues Issues Volume 16 Issue 1 Volume 16 Issue 1 Volume 16 Issue 1 AWMA (VIC) Inc. Quarterly Publication Can you believe it --- February already - they say time goes fast as you get older—if this is the case I am well and truly getting old! I hope that you have all had a good Festive Season and perhaps some time to relax, and are ready for what is gearing up to be a most challenging year. Budget cuts are beginning to impact across the entire health sector. Stay strong in your convictions to deliver the best care to your patients that you can. Continue to learn and expand your knowledge in an endeavour to maximise the most efficient use of resources made available to you. In this sense perhaps you may learn some unusual ways in which resource poor communities manage wound care at our State Conference in Bendigo – March 22 nd and 23 rd . Our invited speakers have worked in Africa, India, some of the poorer countries in Eastern Europe and in our own resource poor communities within Australia. As I write this report we have 30 Corporate representa- tive companies eager to show you some exciting new products – advanced technology in many cases without additional costs. We also have 200 delegates already registered – many taking advantage of the Early Bird fees. With 6 weeks still to go we should reach our target goal and provide you with a comprehensive event. The international theme “Wounds in our World” - will highlight some of the unusual wound types seen in our neighbouring regions but will also include some of the wounds within our near neighbourhoods, just at our back door. Some well known local speakers will present their research and experiences. Whilst the Committee has been working very hard in preparing for this Conference, we want all of you to begin to plan your activities for our Wound Awareness Campaign. The campaign continues this year to focus on gov- ernment subsidy for compression therapy. With this in mind the Committee are planning to endeavour to provide a free leg check to members of local government or local politicians. We have prepared a checklist for everyone to use. What we now want you to do; is try to get permission to provide a free leg inspection for your local members or Council staff etc – obviously at this check it would be great if you could get a local newspaper photographer there also. Wound Awareness is about making the media aware of the problem. The power of the people to make change is essential. Our National President Bill McGuiness has been beavering away in Canberra – meetings after meetings and he will give us an update soon in the National Newsletter on the progress made so far. Media Packs are also available for your activity. For more information contact Di Carr or myself. Looking forward to seeing you all in Bendigo—oh yes the social/partner/family events organised are exciting—so bring the family along and make a weekend of it. Jan Rice AWMA (VIC) Inc.President. IN THIS EDITION • Wound Awareness Week • Web Site Report • State Conference Update • Regional Wounds Group Report • Regional Wounds Victoria
Transcript of CI Jan-Mar 13 Edition 1 WPwords
From theFrom theFrom the President’sPresident’sPresident’s deskdeskdesk
ConnectiveConnectiveConnective IssuesIssuesIssues
Volume 16 Issue 1Volume 16 Issue 1Volume 16 Issue 1
AWMA (VIC) Inc . Quar ter ly Publicat ion
Can you believe it --- February already - they say time goes fast as you get older—if this is the case I am well and truly getting old! I hope that you have all had a good Festive Season and perhaps some time to relax, and are ready for what is gearing up to be a most challenging year.
Budget cuts are beginning to impact across the entire health sector. Stay strong in your convictions to deliver the best care to your patients that you can. Continue to learn and expand your knowledge in an endeavour to maximise the most efficient use of resources made available to you.
In this sense perhaps you may learn some unusual ways in which resource poor communities manage wound care at our State Conference in Bendigo – March 22nd and 23rd. Our invited speakers have worked in Africa, India, some of the poorer countries in Eastern Europe and in our own resource poor communities within Australia.
As I write this report we have 30 Corporate representa-tive companies eager to show you some exciting new products – advanced technology in many cases without additional costs. We also have 200 delegates already registered – many taking advantage of the Early Bird fees. With 6 weeks still to go we should reach our target goal and provide you with a comprehensive event.
The international theme “Wounds in our World” - will highlight some of the unusual wound types seen in our neighbouring regions but will also include some of the wounds within our near neighbourhoods, just at our back door. Some well known local speakers will present their research and experiences.
Whilst the Committee has been working very hard in preparing for this Conference, we want all of you to begin to plan your activities for our Wound Awareness Campaign.
The campaign continues this year to focus on gov-ernment subsidy for compression therapy. With this in mind the Committee are planning to endeavour to provide a free leg check to members of local government or local politicians. We have prepared a checklist for everyone to use. What we now want you to do; is try to get permission to provide a free leg inspection for your local members or Council staff etc – obviously at this check it would be great if you could get a local newspaper photographer there also.
Wound Awareness is about making the media aware of the problem. The power of the people to make change is essential. Our National President Bill McGuiness has been beavering away in Canberra – meetings after meetings and he will give us an update soon in the National Newsletter on the progress made so far. Media Packs are also available for your activity. For more information contact Di Carr or myself.
Looking forward to seeing you all in Bendigo—oh yes the social/partner/family events organised are exciting—so bring the family along and make a weekend of it.
Jan Rice AWMA (VIC) Inc.President.
IN THIS EDITION
• Wound Awareness Week • Web Site Report • State Conference Update
• Regional Wounds Group Report • Regional Wounds Victoria
PAGE 2 CONNECTIVE ISSUES VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1
Welcome to the first edition of Connective Issues for 2013 ! I hope you’ve all had a great Festive Season, enjoyed some of this gorgeous weather and we wish you a productive ‘year of the snake’ ahead.
In this issue you will find our usual delights; a word from our President highlighting the current health economic state; our Website Managers’ update – keep an eye out for the new ways to keep in touch! Our Education Officers have teamed up with the State Conference sub-committee to provide a preview of the upcoming Conference. It promises to be a great event and we look forward to seeing you there.
We have a piece from our Regional Groups Coordinator and we hear from the Regional Wounds Victoria Group about their available resources.
There are a couple of pressing issues which I need to bring to your attention:
Firstly – Wound Awareness Week (WAW) is on our door step – March 18 – 22. This year’s campaign is ‘LOL’ or Love Our Legs – compression therapy and health legs. We want to encourage all of you to get out there and start campaigning by lobbying your local Member of Parliament or Council. The Committee will be running a competition for the Best WAW campaign. Here is how to participate:
• Plan your campaign (don’t forget the promotional material) • Send in your story of what you did – no more than 250 words, to: [email protected] • Send your images from the activity that you undertook • Send in any newspaper clippings or any media releases showcasing the impact of your activity
Winners will receive a $50 Coles Myer gift voucher.
Secondly, the format of our case studies will be changing slightly this year based on invaluable feedback from you and the Committee. Case studies will continue to be encouraged and accepted for publication in CI, in the hope to offer experience in writing for publication. So please continue to send these in.
In addition to these, from the next edition of CI – the Committee will provide a brief case study, accompanied by a few questions for you to ponder regarding the case.
The answers will be published on the website soon after the release of CI, so you can check your thinking through – hopefully this will provide some fruitful discussion between colleagues and get our thinking caps on.
As we do with everything, we will be seeking your feedback on any of our new initiatives – keep an eye out!
Looking forward to seeing many of you in Bendigo and hearing about your WAW campaigns.
Jana Gazarek AWMA (VIC) Editor
From the Editor
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Education Officer Report
Education planning for 2013 / 2014 commenced at our AWMA (VIC) planning day last November. There will be two Twilight seminars this year (August and December) in addition to the Conference in March. The Education Officers (Linda and I) are currently investigating some alternative venues for the Twilight seminars and we hope to rotate through a couple of sites to make this as equitable as possible. In addition, AWMA National is considering the development of a national education calendar with up to 10 Webinars per year to be hosted across Australia, so keep an eye on the website for more details on all of these activities as they come to hand. Amanda Taylor is now our Regional Representative and she will work with Linda and myself to ensure access to education is available to as many of our members as possible, so don’t forget to provide feedback via Survey Monkey after the Twilights. It helps us to shape the future educational activities and is very useful on planning day !
Carmen Pout & Linda Howell AWMA (VIC) Inc. Education Officers
PRIZES to be won !!!
Connective Issues Case Studies
Case studies are an interesting and effective way of sharing and educating others on your own interesting clinical cases. If you are successful in getting your case study published in Connective Issues you will be awarded a
$50 Hoyts Voucher $50 Hoyts Voucher $50 Hoyts Voucher $50 Hoyts Voucher
as congratulations for your efforts as well as having your name and piece of work published. You will also go in the draw to win a
Fully paid registration to the next AWMA (VIC) biennial
conference
As Connective Issues is not a peer reviewed journal, case studies do not need to be complex and include an extensive literature review. Instead, we invite you to share your interesting wound cases for the interest and benefit of other members. A guide to assist you through writing your case study can be found on the website or by emailing the Editor, Jana Gazarek, at [email protected]
Website Report: (www.awma.com.au/vic)
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With our Conference fast approaching, our website is being utilised for all Conference information, updates and enquires. The feedback link is a great place to send through any Conference related queries. Once you click on the feedback link, you are asked to complete some details so that we can respond to your feedback or query. The Website Manager responds to your query as soon as possible. Please specify in your comments if you would like a response in a certain timeframe or if you would like your feedback to be discussed by the AWMA (VIC) Committee. Feedback sent through this link can be related to anything 'AWMA VIC'. Matters for discussion by AWMA (VIC) Committee are best sent through the feedback link rather than to each Committee member. Please check the calendar of events for Victoria to see when your comment or feedback is to be discussed at the next Committee meeting. If you have a specific Committee member who you would like to respond, we now have @awma.com.au email addresses. You can find these on the 'About AWMA VIC' page.
You may also notice that my name is changing from Blenkiron to Morrow. This will not affect the current email addresses - all emails addressed to [email protected] will still reach me when I am Felicity Morrow. I look forward to seeing you all in Bendigo for the Conference.
Felicity Morrow AWMA (VIC) Inc.Website Manager
WOUND PRACTICE & RESEARCH Journal Online!
AWMA (VIC) members can access the AWMA Wound Practice and Research journal via the internet. The “journal” link is on the left hand menu on the AWMA website home page (www.awma.com.au). To view articles please use the username
and password following:
Username: Password:
Preparations for the AWMA (VIC) State Conference are in the final stages, with local, national and international speakers participating in a very exciting programme focused on our theme ‘Wounds in our World’. Registrations are filling fast but there is still time to register.
Join our International Speakers Professor Terrence Ryan, world leader in dermatology; Dr Zena Moore, Nurse Academic, Practising Clinician and Researcher and Pip Rutherford, Nurse Practitioner as they discuss wound care across the world and how this may relate to those we see in our local communities.
Presentations will also be provided by Mr Ian Carlisle, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon; Hana Menezes, Burns Liaison Nurse (Alfred Hospital); Jennifer Byrne, Nurse Practitioner, (Royal Darwin Hospital); Jaklina Michael, RDNS Diversity Manager; Charne Miller, Research Fellow (RDNS Institute) and Jan Rice, Coordinator: Wound Education, World of Wounds (LaTrobe/Alfred Health Clinical School). There will be ample opportunity to network and update your knowledge, mix with International Speakers, trade and delegates and what better place to enjoy this experience than Bendigo? Check out the AWMA (VIC) Website for more details about the programme and registration.
Bendigo is a vibrant contemporary regional centre located approximately 150km North West of Melbourne and being close to the geographical centre of the State, is easily accessible from all directions. World-class tourist attractions offer gold history, cultural heritage and many other captivating experiences. Go underground in a real gold mine, rattle along Bendigo's stunning streets in a historic tram, make a ceramic pot at Australia's oldest working pottery, or simply relax alfresco style at one of Bendigo's many quality restaurants or wineries.
Accommodation is now booked out at the All Seasons Venue for the 22nd of March, however alternative accommodation is available at the Bendigo Tourism Centre on 1800 813 153 and quote ‘AWMA 2013’. This booking service is completely free. Please make sure you book accommodation as soon as possible. Accommodation is at a premium in Bendigo at this time of the year as we celebrate the Awakening of the Dragon and the Annual Bendigo Easter fair.
If you have any questions in regard to the Conference, please don’t hesitate to contact the Planning Committee via the feedback link http://www.awma.com.au/vic/feedback.php at http://www.awma.com.au/vic/vic2013.php or contact Co-convenors: Jan Rice [email protected] Andrea Minnis [email protected]
Andrea Minnis Conference Convenor—Bendigo.
PAGE 5 CONNECTIVE ISSUES VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1
AWMA (VIC) State Conference Update
On the 5th of February, I had the pleasure of attending a Planning Meeting for the Hume Regional Wound Group. This group was formed in 2005 and has been meeting on a quarterly basis at North East Health Wangaratta to provide wound management education and a forum to network with local Health Care Professionals who have an interest in wound management. All are welcome to attend. Since 2008, the group’s meetings have been facilitated by Scilla Taylor. Scilla has relinquished this role to make room for her retirement. I would like to acknowledge Scilla for her hardwork and the enthusiasm she has brought to the group and wish her well in her retirement. A group of dedicated colleagues have indicated they are committed to maintaining the viability of the group. I, along with Tracy Loyst and Gina Worland have agreed to facilitate three education meetings. We will keep you informed of the upcoming dates and topics. If you live in the Hume Region and wish to come along or have a suggestion for a topic please contact myself. I hope all our Regional areas are gearing up for a busy and productive ‘Wound Awareness Week’. Please get in contact with me so I can share your news and efforts with the rest of our State colleagues. The Bendigo team and members of the AWMA (VIC) Committee have been working hard on the upcoming Conference. They will certainly be showcasing their region. I look forward to seeing you all there.
Amanda Taylor AWMA (VIC) Inc. Regional Groups Co-ordinator
Have you seen the Regional Wounds Victoria Website? If not – then do yourself a favour and check out the site!!
The Regional Wounds Victoria (RWV) website is hosted by the Grampians Regional Health Collaborative and is accessible via http://www.grhc.org.au/vic-wound-man-cnc-project or simply google “Regional Wounds Victoria”
This is a website which is a must for all regional Victorian clinicians that manage wounds. It is your one stop shop for resources, information on regional activities and much, much more.
Each Victorian Department of Health region has its’ own specific home page. This means practitioners from the Barwon, Grampians, Gippsland, Hume and Loddon Mallee regions can access their own regional specific information such as:
Newsletters, Resources, Protocols, Regional Wound Group Meeting Plans and/or their Regional Education plans.
Regional Wound Groups Report
PAGE 6 CONNECTIVE ISSUES VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1
Regional Wounds Victoria
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Just click in the Regional Wounds Victoria menu on the left hand side of the page.
WHAT ELSE DOES THE RWV WEBSITE HAVE TO OFFER?
1. Direct Links to Wound Webpages
There is access to over 40 Australian and international wound-related sites. There are over 40 links to Australian and international best practice documents and position statements And over 60 links to Australian and international companies.
So whether you are looking for information to write policies for your organisation or searching for best prac-tice information, treatment specific information, or wound dressing information, this site will save you time searching the web, as everything is at your fingertips.
2. Resources
These resources have been developed to provide generic wound management information relevant for health care providers in regional Victoria. It is anticipated these resources may be utilised in implementation or up-dating of wound practice policies and protocols.
3. Connected Wound Care Connected Wound Care, which was discussed in the previous edition of Connective Issues is also accessible via the webpage, so if you would like to find out more information about the suite of wound care pamphlets that everyone is talking about, or download copies for yourself or your facility, then be sure to follow this link. Over 5,000 downloads have occurred since the tools were uploaded to the website.
4. Referral information If you feel you have a client who fits the criteria for referral to your regional wound consultant – referral proc-esses and documentation can be found on your regions’ home page, as well as the contact details for your CNC.
The site is reviewed every six weeks, with new additions added, so make sure you revisit RWV and see what’s new!
Feel free to contact RWV’s Administration Officer if you believe there is a company or best practice document that you would like to see up on the site. Click on the link on the website or email at [email protected]
Regional Victorians - this site is your site – so all feedback is most welcome
Regional Wounds Victoria (continued)
AWMA (VIC) Committee Contact Details
Jan Rice
President
Ruth Angus
Vice President
Nikki Frescos
Ex-officio
Charne Miller
Treasurer
Dianne Carr
Secretary/Secretariat
Felicity Blenkiron
Website Manager
Jana Gazarek
CI Editor
Carmen Pout
Education Officer
Linda Howell
Education Officer
Stephanie De Vincentis
Professional Standards Offi-
cer
Amanda Taylor
Regional Group
Ai Wei Ng
Committee
Andrea Minnis
Conference Co-Convenor—
Bendigo
CONNECTIVE ISSUES
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