As part of our commitment to continually strengthen consumer and community participation, Bendigo Health has in place a range of mechanisms to assist our organisation to be responsive to the needs of our community.

Consumers and community members are represented in and operate through the following main groups:

• Community Advisory Committee
• Consumer reference groups and other committees with community representation
• Volunteers and auxiliaries

Community Advisory Committee

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is a sub-committee of the Bendigo Health Board of Directors and ensures that the views of the consumers and communities are taken into account at all levels of health service operations, planning and policy development. The CAC supports Bendigo Health in developing links with consumers and the community, and it does this through a range of approaches, including input to strategic planning, the Community Participation Plan, the Quality of Care Report and providing advice and recommendations to the Board of Directors. The CAC is committed to advocate to the Board of Directors on behalf of the community, consumers and carers.

CAC's Key Activities in 2014 - 2015

CAC Membership 2014 - 2015

^{Click image to enlarge}

Bendigo Health continues to enhance our service to provide a culturally safe, welcoming and supportive environment for all members of our community. We all benefit from operating in a diverse community and as a regional health provider we have an open door for anyone who needs our service.

We improve our response to the diverse needs of community across the Loddon Mallee region by implementing policies and plans which are overseen by advisory committees.

Bendigo Health is proud to have released an Integrated Aboriginal Health Plan which ensures that all matters relating to Aboriginal health, wellbeing and support are captured and promoted in one place. The Integrated Aboriginal Health Plan makes Aboriginal health everyone’s business and attempts to ‘close the health gap’ and to improve the patient journey, inclusive of workforce planning, creating safety, education and resources for staff and patients, events promotion, and celebration of our achievements.

We also have in place a Cultural Responsiveness Plan which reports our progress towards six standards. Bendigo Health provided 1133 occasions of interpreting services to in over 36 languages in 2014-15.

The scope of the Communication, Language and Interpreting Protocol was also broadened to be inclusive of all communication access considerations, i.e. language other than English, speech issues more generally, visual impairment or hearing impairments and health literacy. A language services clinic time for the Karen speaking population was established for Dental Services with successful outcomes. We participated in a social media “It Stops With Me” campaign against racism.

The Equality Tree

The construction of the new hospital is in full swing and is due for completion by the end of 2016. To date, a team of more than 200 Bendigo Health staff have worked with the architects, health planners, interior designers and the builder to ensure the fit out is fit for purpose, practical and will deliver a tranquil environment.

Each space underwent rigorous scrutiny right down to the positioning of power outlets and the direction doors swing.

The construction of prototype rooms gave staff and consumers a physical view of these environments and a chance to provide ideas, comments and best practice knowledge into the makeup of these rooms. Each room had its own unique features, but all conformed to several key components – functionality and safety. Each prototype room had items such as medical panels, hand sanitiser dispensers and light switches that were made with cardboard, paper or Velcro so they could be easily moved to achieve the best possible outcome.

It was a significant achievement to complete the design after such a thorough process and we now have the privilege of watching it come to life.

Two Years in Two Minutes

In October 2014, the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) of Bendigo Health hosted a morning tea to recognise the tremendous efforts and hard work that our consumer representatives make across Bendigo Health.

Bendigo Health Board Chair, Michael Langdon, Board Member, Margaret O’Rourke and CEO, John Mulder, thanked representatives for the hard work they have dedicated to improving our health service and to ensuring that our consumers voices are heard.

There are currently more than 65 consumer representatives who participate across 18 consumer groups and committees on a voluntary basis. The consumer representatives’ role will continue to be an integral part of Bendigo Health over the coming years, as we move closer to the new Bendigo hospital.

In the past years, Bendigo Health has increased its presence in social media. News and events about Bendigo Health can be followed through the social media links below. All of the services can be accessed through the website interface, SMS, or mobile device apps.

Facebook

facebook.com/bendigohealth – A free social networking website that allows registered users to follow the news and activities of Bendigo Health, share messages and files, and keep in touch with others.

Instagram

instagram.com/bendigo_health – A photo and video-sharing and social networking service that enables users to take pictures and videos, and share them on a variety of other platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter.

LinkedIn

linkedin.com/company/bendigo-health – A business-oriented social networking service, mainly used for professional networking. It allows users to create profiles and "connections" to each other which may represent real-world professional relationships.

YouTube

youtube.com/bendigohealthPR – A video-sharing website that allows users to upload, view, and share videos.

At Bendigo Health we have a Consumer Register which is a pool of past and present patients, carers, relatives and consumers of hospital services. It gives people the opportunity to share their experiences, views and ideas for improvement of our services.

We strive for providing safe, high quality care for all our patients, and hearing the voice of everyone is essential in designing our health service and in meeting the needs of the community.

Being a member on the Register is voluntary, and individuals can participate in many ways: contributing to working groups, committees, focus groups, assisting with surveys, providing feedback on information for consumers, etc.

Interested?

For further information, please contact the Consumer Participation Support Officer (Quality @ BH): Consumer Participation Support Officer, tel. (03) 5454 9078 or email nhakamies@bendigohealth.org.au.

Consumer Story

Little Blake stayed with us only for a short time, but what he left behind is a giant’s legacy to all children with heart disease who come after him. His story opens our eyes to the world of our youngest patients who battle a life-threatening condition and is an inspiration to provide the best care for them.

Baby Blake was born at Bendigo Health in February 2012. He was diagnosed with Down syndrome shortly after his birth, but he seemed otherwise a healthy little boy who grew bigger and stronger every day. A small murmur was detected in his chest initially, but it cleared and routine medical appointments indicated a normal and healthy development. Blake was settling well into life with parents Di and Paull and turned out to have a delightful personality and a radiant smile that charmed everyone around him.

At the age of 13 months, Blake got very sick with a chesty cough. His parents brought him to the Emergency Department of Bendigo Health where he received extra oxygen to ease off his difficult breathing. The boy was diagnosed with bronchiolitis, a common viral chest infection in babies, and was admitted to the children’s ward.

After three weeks, Blake hadn’t recovered as expected and was sent to the Royal Children’s Hospital for further care. To everyone’s surprise, the echocardiogram detected two holes in his heart. He was also diagnosed with secondary pulmonary hypertension and a rare lung disease, which still today remains a mystery to health professionals. Despite being seriously ill, Blake had a remarkable ability to remain energetic and was always up for a play, when staff expected to see him weak and non-responsive. Children with Down syndrome are known for a high pain threshold, and Blake was no exception.

Patient/Consumer Activated Care Team (PACT)

A PACT review is a patient review conducted by an experienced medical team independent of the doctors and nurses caring for you. It is a way for consumers to get a second opinion in relation to their concerns and treatment without needing to change hospitals.

PACT brochure (PDF)

During the month of April 2015, the second annual Person Centred Care Survey for consumers was administered across Bendigo Health as part of our commitment to our vision of Healthy Communities and World Class Health Care, and to the NSQHS Standard 2 – Partnering with Consumers.  The survey aims at measuring our impact in relation to Bendigo Health's Strategic Goals. By 2018, we aim to have improved our person-centred care practices by 5% each year over the life of the 5-year Strategic Plan.

Comparison of the survey results in 2014 and 2015 suggest that the majority of the respondents felt positive about Bendigo Health's services and the ways in which consumers were involved in their own care. Consumers who responded felt that:

Consumer Responses

^{Click image to enlarge}

Victorian Cleaning Standards

Each year Bendigo Health has three independent external cleaning audits to comply with Victorian Cleaning Standards. The latest audit conducted in February 2015 showed consistently high results which were above the benchmark.

Reprocessing of equipment and instruments meets Australian standards and best practice guidelines ensuring microbiologically safe procedures for our patients.

Scored as per February 2015:

97% Overall Compliance Score

96% Very High Risk
(e.g. Operating theatres, Intensive Care Unit, Central Sterilising Services Department)

98% High Risk
(e.g. Emergency, nursing units)

99% Moderate risk
(e.g. Medical Imaging, waiting rooms)

Hand Hygiene Compliance

Bendigo Health maintains consistent hand hygiene compliance rates and reports our performance quarterly to Hand Hygiene Australia. The state compliance rate has been raised twice in the last twelve months, most recently from 77-80% for the last audit:

^{Click image to enlarge}

Infection Prevention Control staff monitor the 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene and report feedback to staff. Alcohol -based hand rub is strategically placed throughout Bendigo Health to facilitate good compliance and clean hands.

Worldwide Hand Hygiene Program

Antibiotic Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is the ability of bacteria, viruses and parasites to stop an antimicrobial (such as antibiotics, antivirals and antimalarials) from working against it. As a result, standard medical treatments become ineffective and infections persist and may spread to others.

IDEA³S Program

Staff Influenza Vaccinations

This season, over 2,100 influenza vaccinations were given to staff. This equates to 65% of staff having had the influenza vaccine this year. The state government compliance requirement is 75%.

^{Click image to enlarge}

By increasing immunity in our staff and their families we are also reducing transmission risk to a vulnerable patient population and to the wider community. Infection Prevention Control has provided extended clinic hours and mobile clinics including night shift and weekends to optimise staff access for vaccination.

The Infectious Disease Service (IDS)

The Bendigo Health IDS team treats patients with HIV, Hepatitis B and C and other infectious diseases as well as chronic infections. The aim of the service is to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with these diseases and to reduce transmission both within the community and the hospital environment. The team supports all patients throughout their journey, including pre-treatment assessment, medical appointments, treatment phase and the follow-up phase.

New treatments for Hepatitis C

1. Medication Safety

Bendigo Health’s clinical staff work in strict compliance with policy and best practice in order to eliminate medication risks to patients.

Medical Officers, pharmacists and nursing staff work closely together with the specialised pharmacy advisory committee to ensure that the prescribed medication reaches the patient. It involves three stages – prescribing, dispensing and administration – all of which are carefully checked and monitored.

As part of our continuous improvement, the Pharmacy Department produces a regular ‘Medication Safety’ newsletter specifically focussing on supporting staff to have access to best practise information and to remain highly skilled, and hence to promote better health outcomes for our patients.

2. Falls

Bendigo Health’s falls steering committees, risk management committees and working groups oversee our objective of reducing the harm that may occur as a consequence of falls.

The following graph shows the number of falls per 1000 bed days (including all inpatient beds and residential services):

^{Click image to enlarge}

The following graph indicates the number of falls per 1000 bed days in the sub-acute wards. It shows that Bendigo Health is performing better than the Victorian Benchmark:

^{Click image to enlarge}

3. Pressure Injuries

Pressure injuries occur when an area of skin has been damaged due to unrelieved pressure. It usually occurs over the bony areas, especially heels, buttocks and toes.

The following graph shows the total number of pressure injuries per month. The incidents shown record the number of pressure ulcers acquired during care or that were present upon admission and then became worse. They also demonstrate that Bendigo Health ranks very strongly against the Victorian benchmark.

^{Click image to enlarge}

4. Oral Health

The Dental Services remain strongly committed to support patients’ oral health, including prevention of pain, infection and tooth loss.

In 2014-15, the service continued to perform above the national targets, and witnessed some great achievements:

• Bendigo Health treated an additional 1931 children, by utilising the Child Dental Benefit Scheme (CDBS).
• Additional funding provided to Bendigo Health enabled the service to be provided to our aged care facilities. From a total of 208 of our residents, 153 (74%) were seen by a dentist.
• A continued growth in the number of patients was observed in our priority groups (i.e. children and young people under 18 years old, Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, refugees and asylum seekers, and homeless people or those at risk of homelessness.
• The number of Aboriginal persons seen by our service grew by 13% to 245.
• Our relationship with partner services and supporting initiatives were strengthened to reduce the barriers to service.
• Dental Services have improved the way that treatment is provided to patients who are seeking attention for emergency care. As a result, patients are being seen more promptly.

^{Click image to enlarge}

Introduction to the Bendigo Health Dental Services.

5. Safe Use of Blood and Blood Products

The provision of safe blood and blood products remains a high priority at Bendigo Health.

All Bendigo Health blood and blood product related policies and procedures continue to comply fully with state and national guidelines. These policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and new protocols are developed as the need arises.

All hospital medical staff, registered nurses, registered midwives, enrolled nurses, anaesthetic technicians, health service assistants and porters involved in any aspect of the transfusion process are required to complete blood component mandatory assessments.

Bendigo Health also remains committed to providing patients with relevant information on the administration of blood and blood products. Patient information brochures are now available on the Bendigo Health internet site for patients to access from home. Recently a transfusion visual pathway has been developed that is intended to give patients a general idea what to expect before, during and after a blood component transfusion.

Transfusion visual pathway (PDF)

All public sector residential aged care services (PSRACS) are involved in a quality indicator program designed to support care excellence.

This program was the first of its kind in Australia and is now well established and recognised. All PSRACS collect and report indicators on five high-risk care areas including:

• Pressure injuries
• Falls and fall related fractures
• Use of physical restraint
• Use of nine of more medicines
• Unplanned weight loss

The program aids to provide a set of meaningful and measurable indicators, enabling services to monitor trends in their performance and benchmark against other services. Data is displayed per 1000 bed days so that facilities of different sizes can be compared accurately and collected in 3-month blocks or quarters.

Below is a summary of pressure ulcers incidents and falls for Bendigo Health residential services. Over the past year, Bendigo Health’s Residential Aged Care Nursing Homes have had less incidents of pressure ulcers than the Overall High Care Statewide Rates of incidents:

^{Click image to enlarge}

In residential aged care facilities statewide, up to 60% of residents fall at least once a year with half of them suffering an injury as a result. Bendigo Health Nursing Homes experienced a decrease in the amount of falls in quarter 1, 2 and 4, performing better than the overall high care state wide rates:

^{Click image to enlarge}

This year, Bendigo Health volunteers from Joan Pinder Nursing Home, Stella Anderson Nursing Home and Simpkin House have been involved with a Meal Mates program.

Under the supervision of nursing and clinical staff, the volunteers provide help with feeding residents who are unable to manage by themselves.

Meals are a very important part of our lives and can often provide wonderful memories. For our residents who are limited in the number of meals they can have with friends and family, it is great to have volunteers sit with the residents to make these meals interesting and enjoyable. The residents are enjoying spending time with the volunteers and by all accounts are eating much better since this program began.

In collaboration, volunteer services, residential aged care, dietetics and speech pathology departments worked together to ensure the quality and safety of the program and as such were the July 2014 finalist in the Bendigo Health Quality Awards. The volunteers enjoyed a morning tea where they were thanked by Bendigo Health’s CEO John Mulder and Community and Continuing Care Executive Director Liz Hamilton for their contribution to the care of our residents.

Bendigo Health’s Deaf Access program supports people who are deaf and hard of hearing.

It aims to raise awareness of Auslan as the language of the deaf within the general community for the purpose of inclusion. A recent consultation with the Bendigo Deaf Community highlighted the need for more Auslan signing classes to be developed. As a result, the Deaf Access Baby Auslan Signing classes were launched in Bendigo and Castlemaine in May 2015.

This six-week course for children of all abilities, both deaf and hearing is designed to improve communication between children and parents. It provides an alternative communication method for children who are preverbal and nonverbal, while raising awareness of the Auslan sign language and deaf culture.

The small classes are offered in the relaxed setting of local neighbourhood houses and are provided by qualified Auslan interpreters. They teach children and their parents a basic understanding of the signs used every day in the home. Signs like Milk, Bottle, Nappy, Wet and Dummy are useful to speed communication and reduce frustration. Deaf Access aims at supporting a self-sustaining program of inclusion for the two communities.

Bendigo Health’s vision is ‘Healthy Communities and World Class Healthcare’. While the vision states that we are focussed on improving the health of the community we service, at Bendigo Health we also know that this also means improving the health of our staff. We care about our staff and are passionate about improving their health and wellbeing.

We actively engage in promoting health and wellbeing to our staffing group across all sites. Bendigo Health undertook a staff health and wellbeing survey to understand the health status of our workforce and also the challenges they face in improving their health statistics. This enabled us to focus our activities on the things that matter.

Staff Health & Wellbeing Survey

Bendigo Health has had a Health Promotion Steering Committee for many years.  Recently, it was decided to divide the committee into two groups, one focussing on health promotion activities for patients, residents and client and the second focussing on the health and wellbeing of staff and volunteers.  This has resulted in initiatives that are more tailored for the target audience.

Committee work

In September 2014, Bendigo Health was formally recognised for its efforts with respect to Staff Health and Wellbeing. Bendigo Health was one of eight health services to be invited to a breakfast with Dr Pradeep Phillip the Secretary of the Department of Health. In addition, we were selected as finalist for the Bendigo Business Excellence Awards in the Healthy Workplace category.

The Victorian Healthcare Experience Survey (VHES) is a state-wide survey that asks people how they felt about their experience with the public hospital, such as Bendigo Health.

The VHES is part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to the ongoing improvement of the public health system.

The VHES survey is distributed randomly to a selection of patients, providing useful feedback on the quality of the health services from patients’ perspective, and guiding health service management as to where things could be improved for greatest effect.

Between April and June 2015, patients who received services from the Bendigo Health Acute Campus and/or the Emergency Department:

^{Click image to enlarge}

In response to outcomes from the VHES, Bendigo Health has improved our services in several areas to better meet the needs of our patients and the community, for examples:

Meal Mates – Our volunteers program that provides help with feeding aged care residents who are unable to manage by themselves.

Person Centred Care Survey – An annual survey that measures the extent to which our consumers are involved in their own care.

PACT – An independent patient review conducted by an experienced medical team, which is a way for consumers to get a second opinion in relation to their concerns and treatment.

PACER – The Police Ambulance Clinical Early Response program that intervenes in mental health crises observed in our community.

Discharge phone calls – Designed to improve patient satisfaction and address their concerns in a timely manner. Currently, discharge phone calls are made at the Surgical Unit, Cardiac Catheter Lab, Inpatient Rehabilitation, Day Surgery and the Orthopaedic Unit.

Bendigo Health provides high quality, person centred care based on best practice. The system we use, termed ‘clinical governance’, is underpinned by our accreditation system.

Bendigo Health is accredited by the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS), an independent not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to ensure we are providing safe, quality care in accordance with widely recognised state and national standards and to identify any areas for improvement. Accreditation is one tool, in a range of strategies, which can be used to improve safety and quality in a hospital. It is a way of verifying that actions are being taken, that system data is being used to inform activity and that improvements are made in safety and quality.

Victorian Clinical Governance Policy Framework

Bendigo Health is committed to improving the quality and safety of our health service by providing care within the domains of quality (as described in the Victorian Clinical Governance Framework – enhancing clinical care, 2009). The framework consists of four domains:

Consumer Participation – is the process of involving consumers and community members in decision making about their health care, health service planning, policy development, setting priorities and quality issues in health service delivery;

Clinical Effectiveness – is ensuring the right care is provided to the right patient who is informed and involved in their care at the right time by the right clinician with the right skills in the right way;

Effective Workforce – Staff must have appropriate skills and knowledge to fulfil their roles and responsibilities within the organisation. Support is required to ensure clinicians and managers have the skills, knowledge and training to perform the tasks that are required of them and that they understand the concept of governance;

Risk Management – Clinical risk management is part of the broader organisational risk management system which integrates the management of organisational, financial, occupational health and safety, plan, equipment and patient safety risk.

High – level governance of quality & safety

Bendigo Health’s Quality Care Council meets bi-monthly (as a sub-committee of the Board) and works to ensure that a consistent endeavour is applied across the organisation to oversee the delivery of optimal care in an environment of minimal risk. The Quality Care Council reviews reports that allow for a systematic, coordinated, and continuous approach to improving performance by focusing on the processes and mechanisms that address these values under the domains of quality. Over the past 12 months, the Quality Care Council has provided significant leadership in establishing a suite of high level Key Performance Indicators that are presented via a specialised dashboard report. The dashboard allows for ‘at a glance’ viewing of the organisation’s performance in Quality & Safety and enables the subcommittee to make informed decisions when the organisation is planning, designing and evaluating improvements in service delivery to ensure patient safety is maintained.

In addition, Bendigo Health operates an organisation wide risk management strategy to identify risks and establish appropriate responses and systems to mitigate them.

Bendigo Health’s status as a fully accredited health service is of great importance for patients, clients, consumers and families of our service as it indicates that the organisation not only examines its own systems, processes and services, but is also rigorously examined for quality, safety and patient centred care through fully recognised external organisations, allowing clients to be assured that they are coming to an organisation which works hard to provide the best possible care.

Credentialing and Scope of Practice

Credentialing is the formal process used to verify the qualifications, experience, professional standing and other relevant professional attributes of health professionals for the purpose of forming a view about their competence, performance and professional suitability to provide safe, high quality health care services within specific organisational environments.

Consumer Story

Rod and Betty’s story about maintaining a good quality of life after a diagnosis of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Rod and Betty’s welcome to their home is warm and genuine. Betty takes us on a tour to see her artwork: fine pieces of hand-painted china, a coffee table displaying exquisite glassware and paintings hanging in the living room. In the past, Betty sewed the family’s wedding dresses and was a successful cake decorator at the Redcliffs Bakery. Their home is filled with beauty and talent, and perhaps most importantly, with memories that will never fade.

In August 2014, Betty was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia at Bendigo Health. The illness was in its early stage allowing Betty to continue with much of her normal life, and Rod stepped in as her main carer. This opened a new chapter in their life, after 62 years of marriage...

	Listen to the song “Hold on Tight” which was written by Kids With Confidence in Bendigo.
	This group of young people have family members with a mental illness and may have caring responsibilities at times.

Chronic kidney disease is a major public health problem worldwide. Bendigo is no exception. Bendigo Health supports and provides treatment for many people with various stages of kidney disease including people who require dialysis from the Loddon Mallee region and beyond.

As the regional referral centre for central Victoria, Bendigo Health Renal Services is striving for innovation to meet the needs of our patients. A new self-care dialysis model is being developed by the Renal Services team as a means to enable transition to home dialysis for some patients. Other initiatives are being developed to enable better access to renal services in the region.

“Life of a Dialysis Patient with Vin DeAraugo”

The Surgical Unit Volunteer Pilot Program was a project designed to develop and implement a post discharge telephone support service to patients, where the volunteer is the key participant in the delivery of the service.

The aim is to provide a service that would improve patient satisfaction, address any patient/carer concerns, determine participation in discharge planning and facilitate a decrease in readmission rates all within a timely manner.

The key role of the volunteer is to telephone the patient or carer post discharge from the Surgical Unit, asking a set of specific questions from a pre-determined script. Depending on responses given, the volunteer may be alerted of a clinical concern and refers the patient on to the nurse for clinical review. The nurse then utilises telephone triage protocols and provides advice to the patient/carer on actions required that will support the patient to remain at home and avoid an acute hospital presentation.

Feedback form the pilot phase conversations were positive and are highlighted in the graphs below:

^{Click image to enlarge}

‘Thank You’ video to our Volunteers (2015 Volunteer Week)

The Bendigo Health Surgery Journey poster was developed to provide consistent information for pre-operative patients/consumers for surgical admission.

This initiative was designed to develop a way emotional care could be delivered to our consumers which would better meet patients’ needs and preferences. Surgical patients are often experiencing considerable stress in their lives when they come into the operating theatre. By better educating our patients/consumers about the surgical journey, we aim to make them better placed to retake control over their own emotions. We believe the knowledge gained will help alleviate patient anxiety, thus leading to better patient outcomes.

The Bendigo Health Surgery Journey (PDF)

The Surgery Journey media presentation was created to enhance the patient experience and information provided to patients and families.

The Bendigo Health Surgery Journey

There is a myth that, once elderly people come into an aged care home, there is no longer any fun in life.

Bendigo Health’s Residential Services and Day Respite staff wanted to challenge this myth and, together with lifestyle staff, residents and families, they produced a calendar for 2015 with the theme of Memorable Motoring Trips. With the support of a professional photographer, Image Pictures, the Central Victorian Veteran Vintage and Classic Car Club, residents and families, the search began for suitable cars and outfits for the photo shoots.

Carshalton House late resident Betty Frowde handmade and wore her wedding dress in 1957. She dusted off the 57-year-old gown, and proudly wore the gown as the model for the month of February in the 2015 calendar. Each month features some of Bendigo Health’s aged care residents dressed to match the vintage car they modelled with.

The theme for each photo shoot was fun, filled with laughter and happy trips down the memory lane. This generated many a conversation around the dining tables where the participants involved shared their experiences with other residents. The expression on Betty’s face reflected back to the happy memories of that special day 57 years ago.

The National Trust Heritage Festival during May 2015 commemorated a milestone centenary – the death of William Charles Vahland, one of Australia’s most important 19th Century architects.

Vahland designed more than 200 buildings across Greater Bendigo and the Goldfields region over nearly six decades. He left his mark most prominently in Bendigo by designing The Anne Caudle Centre and surrounding buildings, along with The Capital Theatre, the Bendigo Art Gallery, the Bendigo Town Hall and the Alexandra Fountain, which are all magnificent testaments to the vision of this man.

Architecturally, Bendigo Health’s Anne Caudle Centre campus is the largest and most intact complex of buildings and structures designed by the prominent Bendigo architects W.C. Vahland and R. Getzschmann between 1860 and 1900. The Bendigo Hospital was also designed by Vahland and Getzschmann and was very similar to the Anne Caudle Centre campus in design and scale, but few original elements of the hospital design have survived.

Aesthetically, the Anne Caudle Centre campus is significant as the only benevolent asylum designed predominantly in the classical style. While the majority of benevolent asylums were designed in a Tudor style, the buildings of the Anne Caudle Campus were predominantly designed in variations of Academic Classical and Italianate styles. The German training and background of the architects Vahland and Getzschmann are likely to have had a strong influence on the aesthetics of the buildings.

William Charles Vahland Profile (PDF)

In difficult and demanding times such as critical illness or other traumas in life, we may experience high stress, reducing our ability to cope.

Family members and friends are often an important support, but sometimes the presence of a person who is more detached from the situation can help. Pastoral Care seeks to engage with people’s “ultimate concerns” as they journey through life. These issues often arise when in hospital, as people may be struggling to make sense of the circumstances with which they are faced. Pastoral Care is provided by chaplains who have their own faith, whilst also accepting and respecting the beliefs of others. All chaplains are sensitive to and respectful of different faith traditions, beliefs and cultural needs.

Bendigo Health and the Victoria Police Bendigo Branch began a PACER (Police Ambulance Clinical Early Response) team in 2014.

The program was introduced in response to mental health crises observed in the community, where emergency services including police, mental health and ambulance services were spending an increasing amount of their resources. A significant focus on policy, legislation and protocol development in Victoria preceded the establishment of PACER to determine the most suitable response.

Some of the aims of PACER include:

• Timely assessment and early intervention for mental health crises in a community setting;
• Create a streamlined approach to mental health crises by sharing of information between services and having Bendigo Health Mental Health clinicians co-located at Bendigo Police Station;
• Bendigo Health Emergency Department (ED) diversion by reducing referrals to ED via Police.

The PACER team includes a police officer and a mental health clinician who provide a timely clinical mental health response to clients in their own environment. The PACER team operates from 3pm to 11pm, seven days a week, extending geographically outside of Bendigo and responding to people of all ages within a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, genders and cultures.

PACER Video

Seclusion Rates at Bendigo Health.

A concerted effort to improve patient outcomes and reduce seclusion rates in the psychiatric services commenced at Bendigo Health in 2014.

As a result, the seclusion rates per 1000 bed days reduced by 72% (2013-14, 4th quarter). Individual hours in seclusion reduced by 60% and a financial saving of $63,000 (between Jan-Oct 2014) was made.

YPARC is a state of the art 10-bed facility that provides 24-hour treatment and support for young people aged 16-25 experiencing difficulties with mental health.

Coordinated by Bendigo Health in partnership with Mind Australia, the facility is a significant boost to the mental health services available to young people in Bendigo and the Loddon Campaspe Southern Mallee region.

YPARC provides a short term ‘step up’ (from the community) or a ‘step down’ (from hospital) function to assist with successful transition back to the community and maximise recovery potential.

YPARC is a voluntary service so the young person needs to be willing to attend and engage in the psycho-social rehabilitation activities which are imbedded in the program. All young people are included in this peer led program with communal house meetings, meal planning, meal preparation and a sense of community.

The feedback from young people who have received care at YPARC is overwhelmingly positive. Based on satisfaction surveys completed on discharge, 82% of clients reported that they would recommend the unit to their peers should they be experiencing mental health problems.