Media Release

 

June 24, 2011

 

East meets West to understand and improve children’s health services

 

Representatives of The Children’s Health Network – Kaleidoscope will meet with Executive Director of Child and Adolescent Community Health, Mark Morrissey, from Western Australia’s Department of Health on Tuesday 28 June and Wednesday 29 June to discuss respective models of care in children’s health.

Mr Morrissey will make the trip from Western Australia to learn more about Kaleidoscope’s integrated structure that links acute and community health settings. Kaleidoscope clinicians and staff will also take the opportunity to learn more about Western Australia’s unified health service for child and adolescent health.

Kaleidoscope has long been recognised as an ideal structure for children’s healthcare, highlighted in The Garling Report 2008 – the special commission into acute care services, it is this structure Mr Morrissey would like to learn more about.

“WA Health is working towards ensuring that the linkages in place between the acute and community child health components are based on the best models and structures available,” Mr Morrissey said.

“Kaleidoscope appears to have an effective and innovative approach in this regard. By nature of its geographical location - WA is isolated and visits such as this will assist in ensuring WA is kept abreast of what may be occurring in other states - that can inform how we better provide high quality health services to infants and children,” he said.

While the two day visit will primarily focus on educating Mr Morrissey about the Kaleidoscope structure, Director of Children, Young People and Families Professor Trish Davidson will take the opportunity to learn more about WA Health’s model of governance.

“This visit is an excellent opportunity to understand how WA Health delivers healthcare to children, to share experiences about models of care, consumer involvement, ambulatory care and the rights of children in hospital,” Professor Davidson said.

“We will reflect and learn from Mr Morrissey’s visit, obtaining new ideas and understanding different methods that may improve our services,” she said.

Over the two days Mr Morrissey will meet with various representatives of Kaleidoscope, while also touring Kaleidoscope’s flagship, the John Hunter Children’s Hospital and community health settings.

 

Media Opportunity

When:          Tuesday 28 June at 12.15pm
Where:         John Hunter Children’s Hospital
What:           Executive Director of Executive Director of Child and Adolescent Community Health, Mark Morrissey, from Western Australia’s Department of Health visits John Hunter Children’s Hospital

 

Media inquiries:

Lucas Coleman - 02 49213844, 0407895101 (Ref : HNE-2576)