The LifeSpan Collective meeting is the local governance meeting for suicide prevention in the region. The first meeting took place this week and consisted of representatives from Black Dog Institute, local organisations and people with lived experience.

Thank you to all our members who submitted an entry into the 2017 Primary Healthcare Awards.

Dr Stephen Duckett of the Grattan Institute will be addressing primary healthcare professionals of the Murrumbidgee region; speaking on the future of primary care, social determinates of health, and equity in healthcare.

Michael, Patricia and Alexandra Wheatley recently visited the MPHN offices and Wagga Wagga headspace to chat with staff and find out more about the NewAccess program.

People in the Murrumbidgee who have breathing difficulties related to asthma and hay fever need to prepare now for the start of the late spring thunderstorm season, advises the Asthma Collaborative Committee.

Additional support for pregnant women and new mothers experiencing addiction to drugs or alcohol will now be available to people living in Murrumbidgee communities with a $1.8 million investment from Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN). 

Additional support for people after a suicide attempt will now be available to people living in Murrumbidgee communities with an $800,000-a-year investment from MPHN. 

MPHN has come out in support of a ground-breaking program which aims to make service provision within the health, human services and wellbeing sectors more responsive to the needs of LGBTI people.

Entries Now Open!

MPHN is excited to announce the launch of our inaugural Primary Healthcare Awards.

MPHN recently met with the Consortium responsible for delivering the GPs with Special Interests in Mental Health Initiative.

Congratulations to Daniel Thomson and the team at Barefoot Lifestyle for being the first privately run nutrition/dietetics business in Australia to receive QIP (Quality Innovation Performance) accreditation.

What a pleasure it was to meet Eleanor (Ella) Warwick recently. Ella is a John Flynn Scholarship medical student – 2nd year University of Newcastle. The John Flynn Scholarship two week placement occurs each year from 1st – 4th year and is designed to promote familiarity with students returning to the same practice location each year.

Wagga Wagga, 27–29 September 2017

MPHN is proud to be a major sponsor of the Congress. The theme for 2017, Our Future – World Class Rural Health, will explore excellence in rural health services and research.

MPHN recently invited Murrumbidgee community pharmacies and local health advisory committees (LHACs) to apply for funding to increase community participation in state and national bowel, breast and cervical screening programs. 

Murrumbidgee PHN was recently successful in reserving nine places for general practitioners from the Murrumbidgee region to attend the EMST workshop, which is being run in Wagga Wagga by the College of Surgeons in November this year. 

Bowel, breast, and cervical screening rates in the Murrumbidgee and indeed Australia fall well below other developed nations and national targets.

Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network (MPHN) welcomed health-related announcements made in last night’s budget by Federal Treasurer, Scott Morrison.

The Murrumbidgee Lifestyle and Weight Management Program has been co-designed by a local allied health provider, LiveBetter (formerly CareWest), eight general practices and MPHN. The program is based on current clinical practice guidelines for management of overweight and obesity in adults, adolescents, and children in Australia.

MPHN and Murrumbidgee Local Health District (MLHD) hosted the 10th Local Health Advisory Committee (LHAC) Forum in Narrandera 6 and 7 April 2017. LHACs provide an important link between health provider organisations and the community.