The Practice Manager by arkmedia4217

excellence in healthcare management

the practice manager 2019 : Issue 1 : aapm.org.au

IN THIS ISSUE

Avant-AAPM Scholarships Empower Practice Managers

Tech Trends in Healthcare for 2019

Communication is key

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Contents

principal partner

AAPM Board

Your Association â&#x20AC;&#x201C; AAPM Board

President

A message from the President

From the CEO

Scholarships empower practice managers

Tech trends in healthcare for 2019

national partners

Cathy Baynie Vice-President David Osman Secretary Fiona Wong Treasurer Jackie Beer Non-Executive Directors

The way we were

Is your practice at risk of payroll tax?

Profile of Natalie Dunk-Andrews - a quiet achiever

Communication is key

James Downing Jon Erwin Richard Evans Danny Haydon David Oberklaid

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FOREWORD

A message from the President

It is with a sense of anticipation that the Board of Directors looks forward to 2019.

Cathy Baynie National President

This year will bring changes to the operations of AAPM as our new CEO and staff settle into their roles alongside the loyal and existing staff at National Office. 2019 is also the year in which we celebrate the 40th Birthday of our association. By the time this article goes to print we will have held our National Strategic Planning Day in Melbourne when the Board, State Presidents, CEO and staff meet to evaluate the AAPM Strategic Plan. The day will be spent setting priorities, focusing energy and resources and strengthening our operations as well as ensuring that Directors, National Office and State Committees work toward common goals and establish agreement around intended outcomes. Effective strategic planning articulates not only where we are going as an association but also the actions needed to make progress and the indicators that will measure our success. It is imperative that for AAPM to remain current and continue to be the peak professional body representing practice management that we assess and adjust the organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s direction in response to an ever changing environment. Colleen Sullivan OAM, long serving life member and fellow of AAPM, will join the strategy planning this year. Colleen will lead us in a session that will address the culture of AAPM - who are we, where we have come from, who we serve and why, as well as how best to celebrate turning 40! It is discussions such as these that will assist in ensuring that we take the best of our past with us as we focus on the future. I would like to thank Colleen, my fellow Directors and the State Presidents for giving so freely of their time to work with National Office to achieve our goals. Cathy Baynie National President

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FOREWORD

From the CEO Towards the end of February this year AAPM’s Board, State Committee Presidents and management will come together in Melbourne to review AAPM’s work and set strategic priorities for the future of our association. A key theme will be the increasingly competitive environment in which AAPM operates.

Nicholas Voudouris Chief Executive Officer

In particular, education and networking for practice managers is becoming a crowded space and for AAPM to build on its already successful position it must deliver high quality, relevant and accessible education to members that represents strong value for money. To this end AAPM’s 2019 education program has been substantially revamped and expanded, with over 50 educational and 180 networking events scheduled to be delivered across Australia. These include technology forums, practice management symposiums, receptionist/admin workshops, webinars and of course our annual conference. By popular demand we will also be running the AAPM/APNA joint workshops again this year as well as a trial-run of a specialist workshop. The approach to our education program this year has been to focus on the topics that State Committees identified as the strongest areas of need, as well as taking account of other sources of member feedback. This year we have adopted a stronger emphasis on workshop-style “active learning” approaches and we believe this will result in better learning outcomes. We are very keen to receive feedback from members about the changes we have made to our education program this year and so encourage members to let us know what you think of the new format and revised content. Nicholas Voudouris Chief Executive Officer

40 YEARS OF AAPM - A VISUAL ARCHIVE AAPM is currently collating a visual history of the last 40 years. If you have any historical photos, journals, or any interesting anecdotes or stories we would like to hear from you. Please contact Andrea in the National Office on 1800 196 000 or via email aharrispoddi@aapm.org.au

Publication Apology In the 2018 December issue of The Practice Manager Journal, the article titled “Axe the Fax” did not acknowledge its author. This article was authored by Miroslav Doncevic, Managing Director, Digital Medical Systems.

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Avant-AAPM scholarships empower practice managers Avant, National Partner of the Australian Association of Practice Management (AAPM), each year awards five scholarships to practice managers to enrich their professional development and better support the doctors and patients in their practice.

As Australia’s leading medical defence organisation – by doctors, for doctors – Avant is dedicated to empowering practice managers through education and professional development to support their practice to deliver strong and sustainable patient outcomes.

The 2018 Avant - AAPM Scholarship Program attracted a record 59 applications, with a significant number of applicants being nominated by their practice principal.

The 2018 Avant-AAPM Scholarship recipients are:

The scholarships were awarded at the 2018 AAPM National Conference, held in Canberra, to practice managers representing general practice, speciality and allied health practices. The scholarship recipients will undertake online practice management courses in health practice management and practice leadership at UNE Partnerships.

· Marly Spoddig, Practice Manager,

Doctors of South Melbourne, VIC · Jean Cleary, Practice Manager,

Chatswood Road Medical Centre, QLD · Bianca Lean, Assistant Practice Manager,

The Practice Bundanoon, NSW · Kayleigh Thompson, Practice Manager,

Blackrock Medical Management, QLD · Kristy Woolley, Practice Manager, Quirindi

Health Centre, NSW The judging panel comprised two experienced practice managers, Jan Chaffey and Colleen Sullivan, OAM and Marianna Kelly, who is a practice manager, registered nurse, mediator and Avant risk advisor. An invaluable learning experience Marly Spoddig, (pictured), practice manager at Doctors of South Melbourne and an AAPM member, said she was looking forward to completing a Diploma of Professional Practice Leadership at UNE Partnerships this year.

Image L:R Marianna Kelly, Marly Spoddig, Colleen Sullivan, Jan Chaffey

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“I was really excited to be chosen as one of the scholarship recipients. I shut the door to my office and did a little celebration dance,” Marly laughed.

With support from AAPM and its mentoring program, Marly has helped to build the Doctors of South Melbourne from scratch. In recognition of her strong work ethic and leadership skills, she was promoted to practice manager and now manages seven GPs, four receptionists and one practice nurse. “This scholarship will be an invaluable learning experience and allow me to formalise my knowledge, support the practical aspects of my role and grow further towards being an exceptional practice manager and leader,” said Marly. “Thank you for this incredible opportunity to better myself and my clinic. This is only the beginning and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me.” Dr Elaine Sung, owner of Doctors of South Melbourne, said she nominated Marly for the AAPM Avant Scholarship because she was “born to be a practice manager.”

Image Marly Spoddig

While undertaking a Bachelor of Sport Science at Victoria University, Marly assumed a variety of managerial roles within the health industry. In October 2017, she accepted an office manager role at Doctors of South Melbourne and the daunting responsibility of setting up the new GP clinic. “One of the main challenges I faced was being new to practice management and dealing with the workload of setting up a new practice while simultaneously managing the day-to-day tasks of running an increasingly busy clinic,” Marly said.

“I had a dream of building a caring, evidencebased, quality medical clinic and Marly has helped me create that,” Dr Sung said. “Being a brand new clinic, there was so much to do, but Marly has shown so much initiative and been incredibly hardworking and enthusiastic.” “We passed accreditation with flying colours with Marly’s leadership and she has been proactive in building a hardworking and happy workplace culture. The scholarship will provide a great framework to support her business intuition and I’m sure the practice will evolve into an established clinic and thrive as a result.”

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Avant-AAPM scholarships empower practice managers continued Sustainable practices

2019 AAPM Avant Scholarship Program

Cathy Baynie, Director and National President of AAPM, said the AAPM was proud of its longstanding partnership with Avant.

Each year, Avant awards five AAPM scholarships to practice managers to undertake online practice management courses. Applications for the 2019 AAPM Avant Scholarship Program open in July. For more information, visit the Avant website at: avantdifference.org.au/aapmscholarship-program/. Further information will also be sent to all AAPM members closer to the opening date.

“A key element is Avant’s ongoing support of the AAPM Scholarship Program which offers AAPM practice managers the opportunity to undertake study to foster and promote continuing training and professional development,” Ms Baynie said. “Avant’s support goes to the heart of AAPM’s mission to provide education to its members to achieve sustainable practices with optimal patient outcomes.” “It’s great to see scholarship recipients from a breadth of regions across Australia and we look forward to seeing each of them continue to develop in their careers and the profession.” People leadership in practice Avant recognises that people leadership is an essential part of practice management and in 2018 developed a discussion paper in partnership with AAPM, Practice management: people leadership. It provides practical solutions on evolving the leadership role of practice managers, and case studies and common scenarios practice managers may face. To download the paper, visit: avant.org.au/ Resources/Public/Practice-management--people-leadership/

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Tech trends in healthcare for 2019 by Miroslav Doncevic, Managing Director, Digital Medical Systems

All the “wow” factor technology you could possibly want was displayed at CES 2019, the showcase event in Las Vegas for the latest in gadgets and consumer technology; from rollup TVs (yes, roll up TVs are now available - wow!), 5TH Generation (5G) cellular (mobile) networks, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR), fully Autonomous Vehicles, more Digital Health devices, Artificial Intelligence (AI), more Internet of Things (IoT), through to Quantum Computing and more.1,2 5G is predicted to be a real game changer, a key enabler of the so called 4th Industrial Revolution3 , [which is] “…characterised by a fusion of technologies.”4 This “mobile first, hyper connected data driven world” requires a “real time wireless/mobile communications network.”5 which 5G will deliver for the first time. 5G is going to be at least 20 times faster and with almost no latency compared to the current 4G LTE mobile networks. 5G is expected in Australian cities sometime in 2019, however don’t expect 5G smartphones until sometime in 2020. What about technology advancements that can improve healthcare delivery in Australia

here and now, for patients, practice staff, and doctors? We will review two products in different categories of significant advancement that have that “wow” factor; Digital Therapeutics / App-Based Healthcare from iHealth Labs, and in the practice administration category, a complete reception / patient engagement highly automated management solution by AutoMed Systems. App-Based Healthcare “Digital therapeutics are a new category of apps that help treat diseases by modifying patient behaviour and providing remote monitoring to improve long-term health outcomes. These apps can help hypertension patients lower their blood pressure, reduce dependence on opioids for those with chronic pain, and help diabetics monitor their blood sugar.”6 I asked Craig Simmonds of Propell Health,7 the distributor of iHealth Labs devices in Australia, for an update on advancements in Digital Health devices since 2017 (previously reported as “connected health devices”8) iHealth Labs is a global leader in patient friendly, smartphone app

and cloud connected mobile health devices that are approved in Australia by TGA. Devices include Blood Pressure monitors, Glucose monitors, Wireless scales, Pulse Oximeters and Holter Monitors. Simmonds particularly highlighted the new HealthBeats™ cloud based remote patient monitoring platform and mobile phone app solution, as providing the previously missing vital connection from the medical clinic to the patient data. HealthBeats™ provides medical clinics the ability to monitor the condition of their patients and provide good quality proactive care remotely. Patients can have better control of their health conditions at home using iHealth monitoring solutions. The HealthBeats™ platform is designed as a fee for service subscription model for patients with chronic conditions, generating new ongoing monthly professional service fees for medical clinics from the subscriptions. Other HealthBeats™ features include: Customised Care Plans - Every programme can be customised to patient/participant’s needs.

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Tech trends in healthcare for 2019 continued

Patients can check their plan information, schedule, and learn more about their vital thresholds. The patient/participant owns the vitals data. Provider Alerts - For proactive care, HeatlhBeats™ can be

patient/participant experience. Vital Tracking - The healthcare provider is able to monitor the results of the vital trend. By tracking the trend patterns, provider is also able to identify any early warning symptoms.

Care Chat Support - The entire Careteam can interact with the patient/participant. Clinicians are able to provide real-time advice to the patient/participant. Digitising your team - Careteams setup is customised to your specific requirements including on-boarding all your medical team members into a central database system. AutoMed Systems9 is a complete

configured to send alerts to clinicians who can decide if intervention is needed. A clear overview is provided of all alerts for ease of management. Care Tasks: by Provider - The patient’s mobile app displays large task cards for ease of view, perform and scroll the tasks. The scheduled tasks are set for the patient to take their measurements as prescribed by the clinician. Easy to Measure Step by Step Experience - Step-by-step guides are designed for a seamless

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With the HealthBeats™ integrated platform, doctors, nurses, pharmacists can remotely monitor participants’ health data as frequently as required, thus managing their health conditions effectively.

reception/patient engagement management solution that is more comprehensive and advanced than any other product I have seen recently. Dr Peter Demaio, the founder and CEO of AutoMed Systems, is also a GP and as practice principal built up one of the largest and busiest GP practices in Burwood, Victoria. Continuously seeking improvements in practice workflow efficiencies and profitability as Medicare rebates were frozen in spite of wages and other practice costs rising, Demaio says that using AutoMed improves the patient’s experience, dramatically decreases workload (and stress) on practice reception staff and improves practice viability and profitability as a whole. AutoMed has 11 core modules that are fully integrated into the leading Clinical and Practice

Management Systems (PMS) in Australia; Best Practice as well as Medical Director/Pracsoft. Various modules are also currently available for Helix customers. Other clinical / practice management systems integrations are also in development. The AutoMed modules cover all aspects of reception and patient engagement workflows; Online Appointments, Caller ID, Check-In Kiosk with Integrated Payments as well as a Desktop Payment App, Appointment Reminders, Results Notification, Clinical Reminder Messaging, Email and SMS campaigns, TeleHealth, Repeat Scripts, Patient Calling Board and Concierge. There is also a smartphone patient app (Android and iOS) that integrates all of the AutoMed modules. Online Appointments and Mobile App - The comprehensive fully configurable and intuitive online appointment system handles both existing and new patients and caters for upfront payments. Complex appointment types can be configured on the AutoMed Online Dashboard, including different durations, nurse allocations, facility resources such as rooms and equipment, during before or after the practitioners consult. All appointment and TeleHealth services are also

available via a Mobile App Caller ID - AutoMedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revolutionary Caller ID module presents the patient data associated with an incoming phone number, allowing reception staff to quickly and accurately identify the calling patient along with a visual display of their demographic detail, patient notes, recalls due and last doctor seen. Check-In Kiosk with Integrated Payments - The Kiosk performs the reception functions of patient arrivals, data validation and outstanding accounts all within a couple of seconds using a Medicare card reader facility.

The Kiosk also caters for walk-in patients and making future appointments. Billing options generate and print invoices post-consultation and accept payment from patients via either a Tyro or Ingenico terminals and process Medicare rebates if applicable.

Appointment Reminders - This services automatically sends reminders out to your entire appointment book or selected appointment types only, with the ability to customise templates per appointment type. Result Notification - AutoMedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique results messaging system sends specified messages to your patients as results / investigations are reviewed and notated as No Action, Discuss or Urgent. Many intelligent features have been built in to prevent duplicate and/ or conflicting messages in the case of multiple results. Clinical Reminder Messaging AutoMed automatically sends patients a reminder of their upcoming recall a configurable number of days before it is due. You can select whether to send plain or secure texts and can enter a specific message per recall type. Email and SMS campaigns module - A dedicated SMS/MMS Sim card is allocated per practice and includes an unlimited number of SMS messages which allows up to 1,000 characters per message. Beyond the costs savings implicit in fixed cost messaging, another important benefit is that your patients will be receiving all their communication from the practice from one single number,

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Tech trends in healthcare for 2019 continued

increasing their confidence in the privacy of their data. TeleHealth - AutoMed’s Telehealth module makes your services available nationwide via its integrated online appointments platform using accessible technology to connect your practitioner and patient. Repeat Scripts - AutoMed’s online repeat script service provides a streamlined process for patients to request, and pay for, their repeat scripts online. Concierge - The concierge service offers New Patient Registrations, Existing Patient Updates, Patient Arrivals and Consent Forms. The functions have a focus on improving data integrity in a paperless environment with enhanced patient privacy. In conclusion, many of the new technologies coming our way shown at CES 2019 do have “wow” factor, and are something to look forward to, especially faster mobile communications with 5G. Practice managers should also investigate the “Digital Therapeutics/App-Based Healthcare” technologies now available such as HealthBeats and iHealth monitoring devices as well as the highly automated reception /patient engagement solutions from AutoMed technologies also

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available now These solutions can significantly improve their practice competitiveness and viability by enhancing the triple bottom line of patient experience, practice staff work flow reductions, and doctor’s efficiencies. Oh, and practice profitability. Get that “wow” factor for your practice.

References: 1. https://www.ces.tech/, accessed January 2019 2. https://mashable.com/ feature/best-tech-ces2019/#OkkEs2uvCaqu, accessed January 2019 3. https://www.weforum.org/ agenda/2016/01/the-fourthindustrial-revolution-what-itmeans-and-how-to-respond/, accessed February 2019 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Fourth_Industrial_Revolution, accessed February 2019 5. http://videos.ces.tech/detail/ video/5987688405001/newfrontiers-in-mobile, accessed February 2019 6. https://www.cta.tech/News/ i3/Articles/2018/May-June/ App-Based-Healthcare.aspx, accessed February 2019 7. https://www.propellhealth.com. au/, accessed February 2019 8. Tech Trends for 2017, Practice Manager, 2017 (1):12 9. https://automedsystems.com. au/, accessed February 2019

AutoMedSystems Not just a Kiosk, a complete reception solution “55% of our patients now self-arrive and 57% make Online Appointments. Emma BHC We see 650-800 patients per day with just 3 reception staff!” “... Our patients appreciate entering their new patient details quickly on a tablet interface and our reception team love the efficacy of zero data entry and no more scanning forms. We would highly recommend AutoMed Concierge for any medical practice waiting room”. Director, Boni NSW

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The way we were by Helen Kenny, Membership Manager, AAPM

In celebrating our 40th year as a member association, it is a good time to check in on why people continue to join AAPM, how things have changed in practice management and how some things have stayed the same! Let’s take a stroll back as far as the nineties just when the country was still struggling through a severe recession, global political upheaval and there were no longer such things as a “safe” job. The average yearly wage for a Practice Manager, across all disciplines, was a whopping $29,000, however some were paid as little as $10,000. It was suggested, by a senior manager of Victorian Commerce and Industry, that “the Saturday newspaper employment section will give managers an idea of salaries being paid to similar types of positions in the industry.” Forward thinking AAPM was already discussing the idea of introducing a Salary Survey to profile a wide range of parameters and empower practice managers to take charge of their own financial worth. Changes handed down by the Industrial Relations Commission in 1990 fuelled debate about whether practice managers should be covered under a restructured industrial award,

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providing a career pathway for clerical employees who attain and use additional knowledge and skills, rather than the quaint sounding “Clerks and Switchboard Attendants Award (Qld).” The December 1991 Practice Manager Journal contained an article titled “Changes to Medicare.” Sound familiar anyone? These included the introduction of five-digit item numbers – the four-digit numbers having been used up - and a maximum $2.50 co-payment for GP consultations. If you were lucky enough to have a

computerised management system in your practice, you needed to first check if it could handle the new five-digit numbers, then write to the Department of Health, Housing and Community Services, enclosing a $35 cheque, and they would post you a “diskette” containing the new item numbers. “I do everything!” was the response of 50% of members surveyed in 1992. This meant full responsibility for running the practice, necessitating a wide range of skills and experience

from making investment decisions to ordering supplies, and hiring and firing. Change, both continuous and irreversible, was a major and enduring theme. Todays Practice Managers face similar challenges with the ongoing technology evolution, government legislation, finance, governance, and human and industrial relations. They are naturally considered to be the agents of such change. In the past, management of staff was enough to ensure a reasonable level of productivity and efficiency but, in the turbulent climate of the nineties, there was recognition of a need for leadership as well. Leaders ensure that staff share their vision, provide a bottom line and show that their goals are real and attainable. The wheels of generational change turned and the Diploma of Practice Management morphed into the Diploma of Professional Practice Leadership, providing the skills to drive a more educated and demanding workforce. Overwhelmingly, new members say that they join AAPM for access to professional development, networking, education, resources, industry news and support in their role. This has held true since the

beginning, with the same benefits and services listed in the Practice Manager Journals from decades past and a strong emphasis on belonging. What did our education events look like in 1992? New South Wales offered seminars on: “Debt recovery” and “Legal responsibilities,” Queensland: “Handling the dying and grieving patient,” South Australia: “Bookkeeping” and “Receptionist development,” Victoria: “Computer management and maintenance,” Tasmania: Coffee and chat ”Keeping the staff happy” in a member’s home (address and phone number published); and everybody simply couldn’t get enough of taxation, taxation and more taxation workshops. Need a checklist for your waiting room? Just scratch off the bit suggesting a public phone in the waiting area for patients to make local calls… and cordial for the kids!

total membership then stood at just 1134. The theme for the 1999 Conference in Brisbane was “Managing the Future” with much excitement about what the leap into 21st century might bring to healthcare practice management, not to mention a lot of frantic preparation of systems against the infamous Y2K bug. Twenty years on we know that crash never eventuated, but AAPM is still in the business of imagining the future for our members and it looks like an exciting prospect.

Brisbane will be a wonderful destination for AAPM’s special anniversary National Conference this year and has successfully hosted many in the past, including the 1993 Conference with 500 delegates attending. A truly impressive number considering

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Is your practice at risk of payroll tax? by Jarrod Bramble, Partner, Cutcher and Neale Lately state revenue authorities have increased their focus on medical and allied health practices. Their focus has been on reviewing whether payments to professionals are “deemed wages” and therefore subject to payroll tax. Could your practice structure make you liable for the additional tax liability? In many instances being made subject to a payroll tax liability, which often could be backdated to include a number of past years, could place a practice in a dire financial situation. So, what can we learn from these recent cases and how can you ensure that your practice isn’t also at risk of triggering payroll tax? In the Winday case, Winday International Pty Ltd v Chief Commissioner of State Revenue [2016], which involved radiologist working at an imaging facility, the radiologists bulk billed patients, the fees were collected by Winday, and an amount was paid to the practitioners less the percentage for their service fee. On face value this arrangement sounds like common practice in medical practices. However, under the service agreement entered into by Winday it was stated that a minimum amount would be paid to radiologists for every day they provided services – this was critical to being “deemed employees” and therefore triggering payroll tax. Also important in the payroll tax judgement were other factors, for example Winday advertised the radiologists on their website as ‘our staff’, and that patients were considered patients of the practice and not the practitioner. All of these things make it look as though an employee/employer relationship was in place. The final nail in the coffin for Winday focused on the cashflow of patient payments. The way fees were paid alluded to Winday having earned the patient fees, rather than the practice being a collection house of all professional’s fees, and then passing those funds on.

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It is imperative that the terms of your Service Agreement are practically carried out day-to-day when it comes to who is billing patients, who is receiving the fees paid, and how these funds are then accounted for. Proof of this is the Optical Superstore case who ensured that by having correct bank practices in place, including the use of a patient clearing account, meant that the Victorian Supreme Court found in the name of the taxpayer – thereby creating great precedent for medical practices who have correct Service Agreement arrangements in place. It was confirmed that there is no intention to impose payroll tax liabilities on the simple passing of money from a bank account held in trust for a practitioner– and that the meaning of ‘payment’ cannot extend to the return of monies where the second party earned that money from providing services to a third party. It is not enough to rely blindly on the written contract in place, as a review from state revenue will look beyond the paperwork and into the physical cashflow that reflects the relationship in place. If you feel that your Service Agreements and practical day-to-day operations in your practice could fall foul in a review, or you’d like to review your processes for peace of mind, please get in touch with one of our advisors.

Jarrod Bramble, Partner Cutcher and Neale

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excellence in healthcare management excellence in healthcare management

2019 AAPM NATIONAL CONFERENCE

WAVES OF CHANGE 01 - 04 OCTOBER 2019 Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Queensland

AAPM celebrates 40 Years Join the celebrations at the 2019 AAPM National Conference in Brisbane. This program will be full of interactive learning, inspiring keynote speakers and exciting networking activities all culminating in the GALA BALL on the final night of the conference. All AAPM members, delegates, partners and friends can join in the festivities. A Full Conference Registration INCLUDES v

Welcome drinks on Tuesday 01 October v v

All plenary sessions

Your choice of concurrent sessions

Happy Hour drinks on Wednesday and Thursday v

Your ticket to the BALL !

Plus much more. . . make sure you are ready by diarising the dates today. Early Bird Registrations OPENING SOON via aapmconference.com.au

Profile of Natalie DunkAndrews - a quiet achiever by Margaret Kirby, UNE Partnerships Natalie Dunk-Andrews is a proud Tharawal woman, who lives on her property on the Dawson River with her husband and two beautiful daughters. Natalie has worked for Theodore Medical Centre, in Central Queensland as a Clinical Nurse, Diabetes Educator, and the practices Indigenous Health Team Leader for the past 11 years. During her career as a nurse and community educator she has worked in many areas, however, Natalie believes that she found her forte in primary health care working as a practice manager. It is her passion for primary health care and her role as a practice manager which led her to apply for the AAPM Indigenous Scholarship to study a Diploma of Practice Management Leadership with UNE Partnerships.

Leadership with UNE Partnerships. Her goal was to reinforce her management and leadership techniques while allowing a path for certification through AAPM Certified Practice Manager program. Natalie won the AAPM Indigenous Scholarship in 2016, which was announced at the AAPM National Conference in Melbourne.

Natalie has worked as a healthcare professional and nurse for over 20 years now, and during that time, she has worked in a range of the areas including renal, mental health and aged care. However, it was her role as the practice manager at Theodore Medical Centre which led to her developing a passion for primary health care. Theodore Medical Centre is the only private practice in a small town nestled on the Dawson River, 565 kilometres north west of Brisbane. It has a population of around 450 residents and services a very large surrounding area.

Natalie was a motivated and disciplined student who breezed through her modules quickly and to a very high standard. Like many students she faced a few challenges during her study, such as the need to travel for long periods of time and complete practice accreditation, but still managed to study. Her mentor and supervisor, Anne Chater, helped her immensely, as did the UNE Partnerships expert assessors and administration team.

Natalie was fortunate to have employers at Theodore Medical Centre who could see her passion for health care, and innovation in delivery, and encouraged her to make any changes to the practice that would improve the delivery of services to local residents and make the practice sustainable for the future. With their support, and her passion and a commitment to health, Natalie consolidated her career by joining the professional membership of AAPM, where her professional development could be supported in her new management role. In 2016 she applied for an AAPM scholarship, to undertake the Diploma of Professional Practice

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Natalie feels that the Diploma of Professional Practice Leadership provided her with the knowledge, skills and expertise required to be an effective practice manager and provided a sound base from which to launch the next stage of her already successful career. The course provided Natalie with the confidence to set up systems and develop procedures to assist her desire to better serve her community.

Committed to the health of local indigenous residents, Natalie has worked within her local shire to ensure the health status of the local resident improves. To that end, Natalie and Theodore Medical Centre have been involved in the delivery of services in a range of local programs including the Closing the Gap Day, annual NAIDOC celebrations, Community Doctor Days, Audiology Testing and eye screenings. Natalie is proud to work for Theodore Medical and believes the practice is a pioneering practice. As Natalie explains, “Theodore Medical’s mission of ’thorough and thoughtful’ is seen in every facet of our business and patient outcomes. I can only hope that I will be successful in taking this practice to the next level and following in the footsteps of those before me…”

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Communication is key by Danielle Kotkin, Marketing & Communications Manager, AGPAL Group of Companies

The majority of the time, verbal communication seems like a straight forward process – we speak, someone listens; they speak, we listen. However, effective communication is more than just an exchange of words to get your message across. For some, effective communication comes naturally; however, for the rest of us we need to consider how we say something (the tone of our voice and delivery), why we say it (intention behind the message), clarity of details (to avoid misinterpretation) and our body language. If focusing on all this isn’t enough, every now and then our attempts at effective communication can fly out the window because what we don’t say can communicate much more than what we do say. Yet regardless of whether you are trying to improve communication with your patients, boss, members of your practice team or affiliated stakeholders and organisations, becoming an effective communicator can deepen your connections with others, build trust and respect, and improve teamwork, social and emotional wellbeing. Effective communication also plays a key role in supporting a high-quality clinical handover process. Recognising that effective communication is a learned process, the way in which you overcome barriers along the way is typically where the greatest learning occurs. Mastering the art of effective communication takes practice and a focus on identifying and changing habits can be the first step to improving your verbal communication skills. You may find this only happens every now and then but do you find yourself resonating with one or some of the points in our checklist below? Read on to discover some helpful tips to combat some of these common conversation pitfalls.

Being distracted and not paying attention Using a mobile phone or electronic device, including a computer to make notes or looking away while a person is speaking, can give the impression that you are not listening to their thoughts or feelings.

TIP: Put devices away, keep eye contact and make notes during conversation pauses (rather than constantly while the person is speaking) can assist with minimising this barrier. Becoming an active listener, which requires you to be present and pay attention to the person speaking, will also allow you to better understand the emotions the speaker is trying to communicate. This in turn, will lead to the person feeling heard and understood which can help build a stronger, deeper connection between you.1 Using technical language and not tailoring the message While you and members of your practice team may know exactly what you mean, using acronyms and medical jargon can leave patients feeling anxious and confused about their condition, options and treatments. Similarly, not tailoring your message for your audience can also cause unease. New team members with limited industry experience and limited knowledge as to your systems and processes may also experience similar challenges.

TIP: Adjust your nonverbal cues and use words

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suited to a patient or team member’s level of understanding and knowledge. This will open up clear lines of communication, decreasing the chances of misinterpretation.

Judging your patients or team members Effective communication requires an open mind which can be difficult when you don’t get on with someone or disagree with their ideas, values and opinions. If you exhibit certain non-verbal cues, such as avoiding eye contact, crossing your arms, pointing your finger, sighing and clearly showcasing an eye roll, witnesses may read these as feelings of perceived judgment or conflict when this is not your intention at all.

TIP: As a professional you need to set aside your judgements, withhold blame and learn nonjudgmental ways of dealing with sensitive issues or difficult patients and team members in order to gather relevant information. Take time to consider what non-verbal and body language mannerisms you display during conversations. You may identify that there are small tweaks you can make to actively support your communication goals of being polite, approachable and supportive when it matters most. Telling versus asking As a practice manager or clinician you and your team have specialist expertise and there could be an assumption that you appear to know better. However, while you may know more health-related information, a patient knows their condition(s) and lifestyle expertly and, as such, needs to play a vital part in any communication. At times the sense of hieratical power can also be felt when managing a team.

TIP: Ask for a patient’s thoughts and opinions on treatment options, rather than simply jumping in to fix and solve the problem, to allow the patient to feel more empowered and engaged in their own healthcare. The same rule can be applied to create a positive team environment – engage team members in planning, quality improvement processes and feedback systems to ensure they feel supported, listened to and appreciated. Interrupting the people and avoiding their concerns Nobody likes to be interrupted or have the conversation redirected away from their concerns. Likewise, not addressing or considering a patient or team member’s feelings or concerns is a major barrier to effective communication.

TIP: Actively listen, be empathetic and reassure the patient or team member that they have been heard, even if their concerns seem unlikely or are unwarranted. This process will also allow you to put yourself in the other person’s shoes which will help you objectively validate their attitude and perspective while establishing trust - an essential component of any relationship. As the saying goes ‘practice makes perfect’ which means the road to effective communication will take some time, and while we’ve all been communicating since birth in one form or another, the effectiveness of that communication perhaps wasn’t always as good as it could have been. We may have been too busy constructing our next responses to actively hear the other person’s words, or our body language may have marked our words as meaningless. Whatever the cause, being aware of potential barriers, and actively working on the skills required to be an effective communicator, can result in better professional and personal relationships. Noting the importance of effective communication, this topic is embedded across a number of industry standards and accreditation requirements to support Australian healthcare teams master this skill, which is central to their day-to-day operations and success.

Danielle Kotkin Marketing & Communications Manager AGPAL Group of Companies

If you’d like to learn more about accreditation and how AGPAL and QIP can support your practice, contact our team:

AGPAL P: 1300 362 111 E: info@agpal.com.au

QIP P: 1300 888 329 E: info@qip.com.au

Source: 1. Robinson, L., Segal, J., and Smith, M. (January 2018) Effective Communication https:// www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/effective-communication. htm Accessed 19 September, 2018

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AAPM word search Find the words in the puzzle and embrace AAPMs 40th Anniversary celebration. ANNIVERSARY ASSOCIATION BALLOONS BRILLIANT CAKE CALENDAR

S W H C Y S N I B C F E B A J S N I N X Z D E I O G L V V K

CELEBRATION CHAMPAGNE COMMUNITY CONFETTI CONGRATULATIONS DANCING

T S B N E M Y C N M E V E T I Y H O E I R T F Z Q N I A R V W U T N P T P O I O C A K E A U M I L Z M V P L T E A Z C F F A U E D A N C I N G T Q P Y C J F D W V Y O I C B G Z A S A M Y A X N S Q C V H T L G I I Y A E F R E Q Z L U E P J O G X E V V T C X C S X N R E F A U H Z J MQ A C M L O OWQ C E E Z H L Q A D F MQ R F A N QM B P D E I R M A E J U M J C S W R G E E R A C H S K M U K Y G D I M P L F W F N L V F X Y M E T P A H C H Q Z V F Q S W X J I S A Q O R A R I W

excellence in healthcare management

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V V S R O R Q M K A L V Q G N F N D U K C N L T I E S U L L

EDUCATION EVENTS EXCELLENCE FORTY FRIENDSHIP HEALTHCARE

H R H N A R K N L H R D G L Y D D B A L L A C L U P O F C R

Y U P N R Q I W A N G Q S L WQ R Y X M E E C G V H C A I G N H N N I E N P G E A D T Z G V K I B N W E F J O H C U D C I Z G D A A N N Q R Z O U A Y T M J M S Q Q L F G E M E E F W N A E H C T F I E M Y L G Z I H G M T D X E L E B R WW L

G O U R U A S G A S F S K G D X G I I E G N C S U S Q H R Q

INNOVATION KNOWLEDGE LAUGHTER LEADERSHIP LEARNING LIKEMINDED

MANAGEMENT MANAGER MEMBERS MEMORIES MILESTONE MUSIC

NETWORKING PARTY PRACTICE SCHOLARSHIP TALENT TEAMWORK

P M Y O D E P N N R I J A I W E T E Q K H N A R C D P O V A N W T V O M A O R U E N G J Y X X W E P C Z H M R E H S S R L P F K J L G E H E E L C F M N X Z P B C J A H E E G B Y M N U MMO T S C E L Y A N J E T O C D M T L A U X A F Q F D A W V B R O P E R C T X N A K X T J K I A T I O N K I C Y C

F T E Q C R X O G K U L T X D P MM N Q E I E U W Y L H C Y I QW S I M D F O R T P N B N E C Q U N K D A M W L I A R Q WO Y E P R Z Z C L D C G H A B S N A A G CW V V Q X C U H A L L O O N B P R U H E B Q D J A B C G N I N R W H K N Q I C P F N W L O C X M B L N I Z V I I F Z K O T A E V K WM N T D B R G T T Q G G U R I D T N E L O P Q T T X V I G E P H

X F F Z D G S X Z V N R M U D R I T N U E J V I H A M P U A S M N D Y S A E F C E W R J R G N V U U G H V R A T J B U L

P S C I S U M X J V W R W B G I Y D L D O P D S K N Z G P H

T F A DR The cover and support you need

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We’ve been awarded a 15 year platinum performance rating from Australia’s most respected super research company, SuperRatings. That means we’re not only one of the largest super funds in the country, we’re also one of the best.

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Product ratings are only one factor to be considered when making a decision. See hesta.com.au/ratings for more information. Issued by H.E.S.T. Australia Ltd ABN 66 006 818 695 AFSL 235249, the Trustee of Health Employees Superannuation Trust Australia (HESTA) ABN 64 971 749 321. This information is of a general nature. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or specific needs so you should look at your own financial position and requirements before making a decision. You may wish to consult an adviser when doing this. Before making a decision about HESTA products you should read the relevant product disclosure statement (call 1800 813 327 or visit hesta.com.au/pds for a copy), and consider any relevant risks (hesta.com.au/understandingrisk).