The allied health interdisciplinary leader - Phase 1: service development in regional Victoria.

Abstract

Background

The Department of Health and Human Services sponsored a workforce initiative to pilot a new senior Allied Health role - the Allied Health Interdisciplinary Leader (AHIL). Two leaders were placed at a metropolitan hospital, one in a community setting, and one leader with a regional health focus- the Corangamite Health Collaborative.

Objectives/Aims

The AHIL position had three key accountabilities: (1) staff skill and workforce development, (2) communication across services and with the community, and (3) creating an Allied Health governance framework to ensure therapists are supervised, credentialed, capable, and competent. The role required bridging teams and disciplines to work more effectively together and to feel supported in their roles within the individual health services and across the Shire.

Method

Several methods of communication and implementation were developed following the identification of the public and private workforce in the Shire and its needs to achieve targeted outcomes. The project was evaluated against the Victorian Innovation and Reform Impact Assessment Framework and included outcomes related to access to care, safety & quality, client satisfaction, workforce integration, capacity building and optimal use of skills, and workforce satisfaction.

Results

A number of systems and processes were established in the region as a result of this project such as the documentation of a service capability framework and increased communication of the Allied Health workforce across the Shire. Additional work needs to be completed to implement the framework and enqaqe the community- Phase 2.

Implications/Outcomes for Planned Research Project

The AHIL Project demonstrated that a coordinated approach to leadership within the Corangamite Allied Health workforce led to a more streamlined system capable of producing increased patient care and workforce engagement with the overlying banner of safer work practices (clinical governance). As the ground-work for future avenues of professional development and workforce capability have been set, a view to expand onto these valuable gains into 2019 and beyond, and the scalability of this work to other regional areas in the state where there are Allied Health workforce vulnerabilities demonstrate the need for an ongoing AHIL role.