The broad outcomes of the Operational Plan for the year fit under the following Australian Council on Healthcare Standards:

• A Strategic Directions Plan for 2006-2009 has been endorsed by the Board. This plan has been presented at the Strategic Health Forum for the Melton and Moorabool Shires. The plan provides an indication of priority issues for the next three years, which will influence key areas of activity. One of the main aims of the Board is to expand the Mental Health program, which will be based at the Melton Community Health Centre during the next three years.
• Djerriwarrh Health Services is very proactive in consulting with the local community and as such is a member of the Melton and Moorabool Shires’ Strategic Health Forum, which meets on a regular basis to discuss the health and other needs of the local community.
• In addition, the organisation is a member of the Melton East Community Services Group for Melton Shire. This is a government initiative to plan and deliver appropriate community health services within the Melton East catchment. This group has been formally meeting for over twelve months and membership includes Djerriwarrh Health Services, Western Health,
• Djerriwarrh Health Services became responsible for the governance of Melton Health during the year. Western Health remains an essential partner in the arrangements, particularly in regard to their participation on the operations committee.
• Djerriwarrh Health Services has endeavoured to ensure we improve our financial performance. We have been under the Close Watch Model for this year and all activity has been reported to Department of Human Services on or before due dates. We have been compliant with all close watch indicators.
• The Djerriwarrh Health Services end of 2005/2006 year financial result is within the predicted deficit range and an improvement on the forecasted deficit. Existing expense management initiatives remain in place to ensure full year effect and beyond will be maintained.
• Risk Management strategies continue. During the year auditors were engaged to review the management of Workcover throughout the organisation. Some minor recommendations were made, all of which have been implemented.

• Primary Care services are delivered where they are most accessible to the community we serve. The community is provided with a range of primary health services relevant to the community’s health needs based on quantitative data. Expansion of allied health and family violence prevention services has occurred during the year.
• The Community has access to an expanded provision of core acute services in medical, surgical and ambulatory care.
• Aged people in our community are assured of continuing residential and home based aged care. Residents in the Residential Care Unit, Grant Lodge, receive services from staff trained/skilled in Aged Care.
• Women in the communities of Melton, Bacchus Marsh, Ballan, and neighbouring areas and throughout the catchment area have access to high quality obstetric services.
• Planning for Melton Health continued during the year, with the commencement of the construction phase as well as recruitment of senior staff. Melton Health will improve access to health care services in the community, including oncology, renal dialysis, day rehabilitation and paediatric management.
• Emergency Services presentations continue to be steady at around 500 per month, indicating the need for such a service in the local community.
• Radiology services have expanded and improved, with increased staffing and introduction of new equipment.

• With the advent of Melton Health opening at the end of 2006, an integrated Organisational Structure has been put in place, which takes into account both the program management needs as well as professional responsibilities.
• A dedicated Human Resource Department is being developed and should be fully implemented towards the end of 2006.
• All staff are appraised annually, with dignity and respect, based on the DjHS approved Performance Management Plans.

• Djerriwarrh Health Services entered into an implementation contract with iSOFT Australia in May 2006. The impact of this is that the Health Service will have embedded the latest IT software technology suited to patient and client management systems.
• The roll out of the new IT Plan is resource intensive. There has been extensive building renovations to accommodate this program and staffing put in place to deliver the plan on time.

• A Security Working Party was put in place during 2006. Recommendations from this group saw changes made in security management, particularly in the Emergency Services.
• Emphasis during the year has been placed on Occupational Violence and strategies the organisation has in place to minimise the risk of this occurring. Monthly incident reports are collated on any such occurrence and form part of a performance indicator report to the Board.
• At the request of staff, Djerriwarrh Health Service became a ‘smoke free’ workplace during the year. Designated smoking areas for staff and patients have been nominated.
• Additional car parking places have been provided for staff and patients during the year.
• There has been a refurbishment of the external environment of the Bacchus Marsh and Melton Regional Hospital, including regrading of the main driveway, external areas of the hospital painted and upgrading of the garden environment. This improvement in environment adds to the ambience and safety of the workplace for staff, patients, residents and visitors.

• The quality improvement culture was again demonstrated during the year, with the Residential Care Unit, Grant Lodge, receiving a further three year period of Accreditation with the Aged Care Standards Agency. In addition, the Australian Council on Healthcare Standards congratulated the organisation on the progress it has made, which was noted in the Self Assessment Report in 2006.
• For the third year running, Djerriwarrh Health Service was nominated for an award in the Rural Hospitals Category for the Dept of Human Services’ Quality of Care Report.
• The Health Service continues to demonstrate a high quality of service delivery through the Victorian Patient Satisfaction Monitor. For the results ending the six month period August 2005, we scored 85% for overall care compared to the Category average of 83%.
• All departments continue to report their quality improvement activities to the Patient Client Care Committee on an annual basis.