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Today on International Allied Health Professions Day, we wish to celebrate the contributions of Allied Health to Tasmania’s Department of Health and the community.
Earlier this year, Allied Health Services at Hospitals South worked collaboratively with their nursing and medical colleagues to successfully implement the Geographical Homeward Model. This project has led to the reconfiguration of General Medicine, ensuring a patient-centred approach to care delivery.
Under this new model, General Medicine teams now operate within designated home wards, facilitating integrated, multidisciplinary care. Daily safety huddles and regular multidisciplinary meetings are integral to this approach, fostering improved coordination and enabling the optimization of patients' cognitive, functional, and social goals. The model includes a novel allied health interdisciplinary role, which ensures that allied health assessments and interventions occur early in the patient journey, further enhancing care outcomes.
Georgia Lithgow, Medical and Cancer Services Allied Health Lead, said that “Allied Health professionals have played a pivotal role in the implementation of the Geographical Homeward Model. It has been wonderful to witness the unwavering dedication and commitment of each team member involved, all of whom consistently strive for excellence while prioritising the needs of our patients throughout their care journey. The Geo Model has made a meaningful impact on both patient outcomes and staff satisfaction, contributing to a more cohesive and effective healthcare environment”.
“The Geo Model has led to the full patient situation being brought to light, care comprehensively discussed, and discharge home being achieved as soon as possible” – Patrick Hinton (Dietician)
“Having treating teams on the one ward means improved communication between medical, nursing and allied health staff, improving patient care and discharge planning” – Mitchell Semmens (Occupational Therapist)
“Patients admitted to Gen Med now have earlier access to Allied Health Assessment and Intervention. This means allied health needs are identified early and we can start to plan for returning home as soon as their acute illness has resolved” – Tia Moffatt (Interdisciplinary Practitioner/Physiotherapist)
“The Geo Model encapsulates the importance of a Multidisciplinary approach to care and has improved patient experiences whilst in hospital” – Rahme Mohamad (Social Worker)