Senior health leaders from around the State will meet this week as part of a new program to drive change in Tasmania’s health system.
Convened by Health Services Innovation (HSI) Tasmania within the Faculty of Health at the University of Tasmania, the two-day workshop is part of a 14-month program to work with senior health administrators and clinicians to optimise the delivery of patient care through collective leadership and thinking.
HSI Tasmania co-director Associate Professor Craig Quarmby said one of the key issues the program would examine was how senior leaders could work together to drive better health outcomes.
“With the launch of the One State, One Health System, Better Outcomes White Paper and the formation of the Tasmanian Health Service, the timing is perfect to ensure that the people who oversee our health system, no matter where they are based, are working as best they can, both as individuals and as a broader team, to ensure health reforms are implemented for the benefit of the entire health system,” Associate Professor Quarmby said.
“We need to drive improvements collaboratively, across both hospital and community care. We need to work with the people who deliver health care at the coalface as well as those who work within our communities to ensure Tasmanians receive high quality and timely care, and appropriate support in the home setting.”
He said bringing together top administrators and clinicians from around the State was an important focus.
“The need to break down regional and professional barriers and work effectively as one system has been highlighted in both the White Paper and the THS process,” Associate Professor Quarmby said.
“There are undeniable challenges in delivering healthcare, not just in Tasmania, but nationally, so it is important that our health leaders have the tools they need to collaborate and deliver results.”
Associate Professor Quarmby said the program, which is funded by the Federal Government, had been endorsed by senior clinicians in medical, nursing and allied health disciplines as well as key health organisations around Tasmania.
“I think many people see that with this program underpinning the principles of the current reforms, there is a real opportunity for positive long-term change in the health system, for overcoming the challenges and achieving higher standards of patient care.”
Media UTAS
