Service Improvement Grants
GRICS is committed to working with its member health service providers to continue improving health outcomes for Gippsland cancer patients.
The Service Improvement Grants give member health service providers the opportunity to identify small projects which will improve health outcomes for Gippsland cancer patients that align with the Optimal Cancer Care Pathways and The Victorian Cancer Plan 2020-2024.
GRICS notify member health service providers when grant applications open each year. Download the funding application, EOI and guidelines using the buttons below. If you have further enquiries, contact GRICS on 03 5173 8351 or send us an email.
GRICS Service Improvement Grant in Action
Upskilling the South Gippsland Hospital (SGH) staff in contemporary palliative care
Bridie Brehmer from SGH has undertaken a project to ensure the safe, effective, evidence-based delivery of contemporary cancer care with the support of a GRICS Service Improvement Grant. The project identified a gap in the availability of home-based palliative care services for the Corner Inlet community. Staff at SGH were supported in the implementation of the Australian Palliative Care Outcomes collaboration tools and upskilled in Central Venous Access Devices (CVAD) management. A sustainable program has been successfully established to ensure staff are able to maintain CVAD management skills, access regular education and training and improve networking with the South Gippsland Palliative Care team.
2020 - 2021 Service Improvement Grants
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Bass Coast Health - Implementation of CHARM
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Latrobe Community Health Service - Advanced Care Planning for Cancer Patients
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Omeo District Health - Skin Cancer Screening Clinic
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Latrobe Regional Hospital - Cancer Services Data Project Officer
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Central Gippsland Health - Improving the quality of end-of-life care for people living with cancer
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West Gippsland Hospital - Streamlining the evidence of quality cancer care
Community Ambassador Program
The Community Ambassador Program involves consumers who have had a cancer diagnosis presenting their experience to community groups for free.
The aim of the Community Ambassador Program is to assist people to identify;
- available cancer services and resources
- helpful tips at different stages of the cancer journey
- how and where to find reliable cancer information
If you are a member of a community group or workplace and would like a Community Ambassador to speak to your group, please contact GRICS on 03 5173 8351 or send an email using the button below.
Consumer Engagement
GRICS Consumer Reference Group
GRICS values the input of patients, carers and community members who have experienced the cancer journey. The GRICS Consumer Reference Group (CRG) was established in 2010 and provides consumers with the opportunity to contribute and inform the provision of cancer services across the region.
CRG membership is open to anyone with a lived experience of cancer, including carers. For more information, please contact GRICS on 03 5173 8351 or send an email using the button below.
Survivorship Projects
In 2018 Gippsland Health Services, Monash University, Gippsland PHN and GRICS were involved in a flagship cancer survivorship project funded by the DHHS. The Gippsland Survivorship Program aimed to improve care coordination, service delivery and health outcomes for people with cancer and their supports. The project resulted in the development of nurse-led Survivorship Clinics being established at three Gippsland health services.
Survivorship care aims to improve care and outcomes for people from the point of cancer diagnosis throughout their life. This work focuses on the post-treatment phase, as there is a recognised gap in optimal care in the period following initial cancer treatment. The project aims to increase awareness of, and commitment to, survivorship care through understanding when and how this care is provided at our cancer services.
In 2019, an evaluation of the funded projects was undertaken to inform policy and future investment in survivorship care. Based on this, the Victorian Government has funded six new survivorship projects which will build on the successes and lessons from survivorship projects delivered over the last 10 years. The ‘embed and spread survivorship care’ project across Victoria is part of an ongoing commitment from the Victorian Government to improve how Victoria delivers cancer survivorship care.
GRICS is working with Gippsland providers to promote the embed and spread of survivorship services across our region.
Snapshot of project outcomes
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207 people were seen through the clinic
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Five cancer survivorship nurses have been trained across Gippsland
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End of treatment care plans are shared between patient, medical specialist and GP
Helpful resources:
“Wonderful supportive clinic, highly recommend”
“I felt I had an opportunity to discuss everything”
“My fears and worries were clarified”
“Suggest that the program was longer”
“Exactly what I needed, very supportive”
Consumer feedback
Statewide Survivorship Framework and Policy Implementation
"Since 2011, the Victorian Government has made significant investments into improved models of survivorship care through policy and the delivery of the Victorian Cancer Survivorship Program (VCSP). Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre (ACSC) received funding from the Victorian Government to continue to undertake work to define and measure quality cancer survivorship care. The Victorian Quality Cancer Survivorship Care Framework and Policy Template has been developed as part of this work. The Integrated Cancer Services (ICS) and ACSC are collaborating on the Victorian Statewide Collaboration to Improve Cancer Survivorship Care 2022 project to facilitate high quality survivorship care by supporting Victorian public hospitals to ensure appropriate survivorship care policies are in place". Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre (2021) Victorian Quality Cancer Survivorship Care Framework.
Following implementation of the survivorship policy, the VICS and ACSC are continuing to collaborate with healthcare professionals and consumers to develop 2 areas of priority, from 6 identified areas of improvement. Survivorship Care Plans (SCP) and Needs Assessments (NA) are being developed in readiness for implementation in 2023.
Would you like more information on survivorship or would like some assistance in implementing the policy, SCP and NA?
Optimal Care Pathway
The Integrated Cancer Services have been tasked by the Department of Health and Human Services with implementing the Optimal Care Pathways for Cancer throughout Victoria. The initial focus was on the colorectal and lung tumour streams followed by esophagogastric, prostate, pancreas and head and neck cancers. More tumour streams will be instigated as we progress the work.
As part of our implementation process, GRICS collected a considerable amount of data for auditing and surveyed both consumers and clinicians to collect information about the current state of cancer care and existing pathways in Gippsland. We have used this data to identify any gaps and opportunities for improvement in current practice by benchmarking against the OCP recommendations. The information we have collected has informed our areas of focus for improvement activities. We have worked closely with the Gippsland PHN, Gippsland Health services and consumers to achieve these enhancements.
Another integral component of the work undertaken is the promotion of the OCPs to both health professionals, consumers and the broader community, with more events planned.
By adopting the OCPs, Gippsland health facilities will be better equipped to provide consistent, coordinated and quality cancer care at each stage of a patient’s cancer journey.
Current Projects
Optimal Care Pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People with cancer learning program
In 2019 GRICS, in collaboration with Monash University, undertook a cancer workforce readiness survey looking at the implementation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Optimal Care Pathway for people affected by cancer, the results of which clearly highlighted the appetite for further training and understanding for clinicians working in oncology and cancer.
As a result, Gippsland Regional Integrated Cancer Service (GRICS) and Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (SMICS) have been working with local Aboriginal Health Clinicians and oncology staff to develop a co-designed learning program. The Program explores ways to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people affected by cancer using the Optimal Care Pathway as the guiding framework.
The aims of the training package are to:
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bring together Aboriginal Health Clinicians and Cancer clinicians to share knowledge
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explore individual beliefs and knowledge and how this may impact the delivery of culturally appropriate care
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facilitate networking between cancer and Aboriginal Health Services to ensure the delivery of culturally appropriate and quality care
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identify gaps and barriers in current services and identify strategies to improve care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait people affected by cancer.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Learning Program was piloted on Thursday the 9th of June 2022, facilitated by Aboriginal Health Officers and Oncology Staff from both Gippsland and Monash Health. The pilot will be formally evaluated by Monash University.
The Victorian Integrated Cancer Services are supported by the Victorian Government
© 2021 Gippsland Regional Integrated Cancer Service
The Victorian Integrated Cancer Services acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present. We celebrate, value and include people of all backgrounds, genders, sexualities, cultures, bodies and abilities.