Experience of a Health Information Manager’s professional work placement // Dusty Ellen

Experience of a Health Information Managers professional work placement

Dusty Ellen

My name is Dusty Ellen and I am a Health Information Manager (HIM) from Perth, Western Australia (WA). As a HIM, I have been educated in a broad range of topics throughout my university and career experiences. The variety of skills and knowledge I have attained enable my flexibility and ability to efficiently apply myself to complete a myriad of projects and has facilitated my capability to action changes within the workplace. My confidence in my abilities allows me to accept unfamiliar tasks, as I understand that I can apply my research and problem-solving skills, in order to accomplish organisational tasks.

As a part of my health information management training at Curtin University, I completed a professional work placement at the Western Australia Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA). The WAPHA is an organisation that oversees the strategic commissioning of primary care services across all three WA primary health networks: Perth North, Perth South and Country WA. The role of the alliance is to simplify and increase access to primary care through planning, guiding and investing in priority services which is part and parcel of the Australian Government’s national Primary Health Network program. The WAPHA’s structure has allowed for innovation of the delivery of healthcare within the WA community and has positively contributed to the health, and improvement of services, within WA. One of the WAPHA’s primary focuses is responsibility for the integration and cooperation of local health care systems within WA. It was these unique features of the alliance that inspired me to be involved with the WAPHA to understand how I could embody their vision throughout my future career. As a part of the professional placement, I was able to immerse myself within an established group of the alliance and embrace the opportunity to connect and network with multiple skilled people. I prioritised building rapport and liaising with the staff to learn from the information they shared about their work practices. I had been assigned the task of communicating with several teams within the WAPHA to understand their work practices, as the goal for the project was to implement a standard operating procedure and contribute to the overall effectiveness of the organisation.

“I prioritised building rapport and liaising with the staff to learn from the information they shared about their work practices. ”

One challenge I faced was the hesitation of employees to divulge workplace information and procedures to an unknown and unfamiliar person, who was also not an employee. Apart from the social and political challenges, which presumably are ubiquitous across all organisations, the staff at the WAPHA had to adhere to strict data governance guidelines and procedures, further preventing me from attaining the information I required to complete the task at hand. To overcome this barrier, the WAPHA, as part of the on-boarding process, provided me with a brief induction enabling me to better understand the restrictions imposed on the datasets I would be working with. Throughout my placement and particularly in the early stages, I focused on engaging in micro conversations across the various teams to build rapport among the different staff I would be working with. My purpose of investing time with people was to build trust and increase a strong level of communication, and this enabled the staff to better understand my position and purpose for

pursuing them for information. Conducting myself in a professional and understanding manner and following the values of the organisation, while adhering to their data governance and confidentiality practices outlined during the on-boarding process, I was able to build rapport with the various teams. Involving them in each step of the procedure allowed me to develop a sense of cohesion and collectiveness between teams, which aligned with the WAPHA’s values and created a combined vision to contribute to the growth of the organisation. Furthermore, I believed my transparency and honesty allowed team members to gain a greater understanding of the task I was completing and the potential benefits it would have for all employees.

“My purpose of investing time with people was to build trust and increase a strong level of communication, and this enabled the staff to better understand my position and purpose for pursuing them for information. ”

An element of the organisation’s culture that impacted me the most was the importance placed on team cohesion. In this environment, I was able to express kindness and helpfulness in all tasks I completed, and all conversations I engaged in with the team. I believe it is important for an organisation to have clear values, like the WAPHA, which allows for employees to align themselves with the goals, vision and values of the organisation and the people around them. From this professional placement, I have recognised the importance of a team that understands how to embrace and practice company values, which facilitates teams to build rapport with one another and enhances effective communication. I believe it is these elements that allows the WAPHA to operate as successfully as it does, and I aim to implement similar practices throughout my career as a HIM where I will always work within a team. I am grateful for being a part of a unique and innovative organisation where I was able to learn new skills that are applicable and relevant to the real-world working environment that is constantly evolving with the modern world. My professional placement for Curtin University at the WAPHA has allowed me to more rapidly implement innovative changes within my workplace. I believe this has provided me with skills that are transferable and highly sought after as a HIM within Perth.

Dusty Ellen BScHIM Health Information Manager; Armadale Kalamunda Group PO Box 460 Armadale WA 6112 Tel: +61 8 9391 2144 Email: dusty.ellen@health.wa.gov.au