Well People, Resilient Communities
across the Murrumbidgee

Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) has delivered at least $564,000 in community grants for various activities in local communities to support the mental health and wellbeing of those affected by drought.

MPHN CEO Melissa Neal said these activities have helped reach more than 10,600 people across the region since the Murrumbidgee Community Grants were launched in December last year.

It’s hard to believe we have almost reached the halfway mark of 2019! On reflection, there’s much we have achieved and plenty more to progress for the rest of the year.

Organisations and community groups through the Murrumbidgee now have access to mental health and suicide prevention resources to help them build local awareness, community capacity and reduce stigma.

The theme for National Palliative Care Week 2019 is ‘What matters most?’ The theme addresses the need for Australians to plan ahead for their end-of-life care and discuss it with their loved ones and health professionals.

Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network’s (MPHN) inaugural Pitch Night held on Thursday, 2 May in Griffith was attended by more than 100 people who pledged $106,800 in total funding, shared among three projects; Live Life Get Active, Giz a Break, Exceptional Ageing.

Last night in Wagga Wagga a region-wide winter strategy was launched to address the increased demand on healthcare services in the winter months both in the community and in hospitals.

Under the Empowering our Communities initiative MPHN offers mental health support to help farmers and rural communities deal with the uncertainty, stress and anxiety of drought conditions. MPHN invites the rural workforce to attend free training sessions facilitated by the Blue Knot Foundation.

MPHN, Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) and other key stakeholders, including general practice and NSW Ambulance, are working together to better respond to the surge in healthcare demand over the winter period.

Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) is pleased to announce its three inaugural Pitch Night finalists as Live Life Get Active, Balance Up Nutrition, and Western Riverina Community College. Each finalist is expected to receive around $25,000 in one-off grant funding.

MPHN in partnership with Murrumbidgee Local Health District is working to improve access to health care services where disparities have been identified for mothers and their young children across the Murrumbidgee region.

Today MPHN staff celebrated National Close the Gap Day with a morning tea to raise awareness of the continuing gap in health and life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians.

LifeSpan Murrumbidgee and MPHN today hosted training to encourage responsible, accurate and sensitive representation of mental illness and suicide in the public arena. The training was delivered by Mindframe and supported by Black Dog Institute.

Wagga’s first Mardi Gras was held on Saturday, with staff from MPHN and Murrumbidgee Local Health District partnering to form a colourful team celebrating and supporting diversity in our community and workplaces.

MPHN celebrates International Women’s Day by hearing from its two most senior female leaders, CEO Melissa Neal and recently elected Board Chair Dr Jodi Culbert.

MPHN is pleased to launch its Pitch Night initiative, providing grassroots funding for activities aimed at improving community health and wellbeing. The inaugural Pitch Night will be held in Griffith on Thursday 2 May and three organisations will be given the opportunity to pitch their ideas on the night and receive MPHN funding. Participants will assist MPHN determine the funding each finalist receives, with each finalist expected to receive around $25,000 in one-off grant funding.

MPHN is pleased to release its Vulnerable Population’s Framework – Working together for commissioning for vulnerable populations.

MPHN has a strong commitment to applying a lens to commissioning activities that identifies and addresses the needs of socially disadvantaged people in the MPHN region.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback through the online surveys regarding MPHN’s allied health services. MPHN will now be holding workshops across the region to review the survey findings and determine how to best move forward with delivering allied health services across the Murrumbidgee.

Today in Griffith, MPHN and Wellways Australia officially launched ‘Well Connected’; a new psychosocial support program available throughout the Murrumbidgee region for people with severe mental illness.

MPHN is reviewing how it commissions mental health services to ensure delivery within a stepped care framework and to meet the needs of local communities.

MPHN CEO Melissa Neal said this review process will not disrupt existing mental health services.

MPHN has signed the National Communications Charter (The Charter) to formally demonstrate its commitment to how the organisation will talk about mental health, wellbeing and suicide. It’s the first Primary Health Network in New South Wales to formally commit to The Charter.

Last year, more than 900 students in the Murrumbidgee participated in a youth mental health program to build their tools for positive mental health and resilience as well as prevent suicide, thanks to the LifeSpan Murrumbidgee initiative led by Murrumbidgee PHN.

People often don’t know where to start to get the mental health services they need.

Your local GP or other health professionals can help connect you with the right mental health service.

Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) is reviewing its current allied health service delivery approach to ensure people across the region have better access to these health services.

MPHN is pleased to announce that Jenna Roberts has been appointed to the part time role of Deputy Commissioner with the NSW Mental Health Commission. Jenna is MPHN’s Suicide Prevention Manager (LifeSpan) and she will continue in this role during her appointment with the Commission.

Today, Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) launched the Murrumbidgee Community Grants for activities to support communities living with the impacts of drought with a focus on mental health and wellbeing.

Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) is providing $814,250 over the next three years to increase the support services available throughout the Murrumbidgee region for people with severe mental illness.

Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network’s (MPHN) digital health team will have a My Health Record information stall in the Country Lifestyle Pavilion at the Henty Field Days on 18, 19 and 20 September.

Today in Young, Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Riverina Michael McCormack formally launched a new suicide prevention initiative.

Leeton’s local University of the Third Age (U3A) group recently hosted the digital health team from Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) to inform its members of the national My Health Record system, which is an online summary of your key health information such as medical conditions, medicines, allergies and test results.

Over the next three weeks, Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) will be visiting towns spread across the region to have casual ‘conversations on the couch’ with community members and health professionals to take the pulse on primary healthcare services.