Morningside Family Medical Centre celebrates their QI success
Image: Brisbane South PHN staff and Francesca of Morningside Family Medical Centre with commemorative art created by local First Nations artist, Tallulah Mewett.
Brisbane South PHN are proud to congratulate the team at Morningside Family Medical Centre for their achievements as part of the First Nations Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Program.
The First Nations CQI Program saw several general practices in our region undertake a Model for Improvement (Plan Do Study Act cycle) with a special emphasis on enhancing primary care services for Australia’s First Nations people.
Michelle Johns, General Practice Quality Improvement Coordinator at Brisbane South PHN explains that Quality Improvement (QI) activities help general practice identify changes that will improve patient health outcomes and improve the delivery and access of care for patients.
She acknowledges that for general practices, the fast-paced and busy nature of their work can sometimes mean Quality Improvement (QI) activities aren’t fully embraced and given the attention they need.
“Sometimes general practices see QI as an added burden,” says Michelle, “but it’s actually easier than they think, and incredibly valuable.”
For Maria, the Practice Manager at Morningside Family Medical Centre, QI has always been about improving patient health outcomes.
“QI is a little more work at the start, but overall, once you start seeing improvements, it’s rewarding knowing that we are providing better care,” says Maria.
Helping close the gap
Morningside Family Medical Centre’s involvement in the program underscores the growing commitment among healthcare professionals to address the disparities faced by First Nations people in accessing and receiving equitable health care.
“We ask ourselves, are we providing good patient care? Are we a space where patients feel safe? We want the health journey to be a shared experience where a patient has all the information they need to improve and optimise their health outcomes,” says Maria.
For Francesca, a practice nurse at Morningside Family Medical Centre, participating in the CQI program has helped strengthen her knowledge of First Nations health, enabling her to have key details at the forefront of her mind when meeting with her First Nations patients.
“Due to the limited time available for each consultation, appointments can often feel rushed, and important issues and education, in particular preventative health care, can be overshadowed and forgotten," says Francesca.
“I feel so much more thorough now, applying what I’ve learned through the project. It’s just strengthened what I can do to ensure that the needs of every patient are comprehensively addressed.”
Having up-to-date information about appropriate health checks, available immunisations, and common health issues more commonly affecting First Nations people helps health professionals provide the comprehensive care Francesca is so passionate about.
Image: Artwork created by local artist and proud Quandamooka woman, Tallulah Mewett, depicts themes of community, immunisation and closing the gap for First Nations people.
About the program
Key activities as part of the First Nations Continuous Quality Improvement Program included:
- establishing a Quality Improvement team to define skills, experience, knowledge, and viewpoints within the general practice team
- improving identification of the general practice’s First Nations and multicultural patients by ‘asking the question’
- identifying First Nations patients eligible for immunisations using the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) software
- cultural safety and awareness training to help further develop culturally safe practice.
For Francesca, the program not only gave her a fresh insight into First Nations health but consolidated what she has always done in her role as a practice nurse — her proactive approach to primary care extends beyond just addressing the immediate concerns of why a patient is visiting the practice on that day.
“It's about looking at the bigger picture, which includes identifying preventative health care such as cervical screening, up to date blood tests and immunisations, to name a few. I now have a shortcut prompt to check immunisations, CST screenings, bowel screening - it's all in my chart ready to go before I even see the patient on the day. CQI has helped make my nursing work drastically more thorough,” says Francesca.
QI for the entire practice
In line with its QI vision, Morningside Family Medical Centre now publishes a monthly bulletin for internal staff, detailing changes to billing, immunisation requirements, and quality improvement efforts, to ensure all staff members are informed and involved in the QI process.
Practice manager Maria expressed her appreciation for how the entire team at Morningside has embraced QI to improve daily operations, further highlighting their commitment to providing high-quality care to their patients.
"Nurses are invaluable — they offer so much support to our team and are the pillars of our practice in coordinating patient care. Our reception staff are fantastic, managing patient recalls, taking down all these extra details. Our team has really embraced the CQI program," says Maria.
The positive effects of the CQI program extended beyond just Morningside Family Medical Centre and their patients. Through the Practice Nurse Support Program, Francesca was able to share her experiences of the CQI program with other nurses in the region.
Michelle Gordon, Primary Care Development Coordinator at Brisbane South PHN who helps run the Practice Nurse Support Program said “Francesca shared everything she learned at the practice nurse meeting. It was a hit.”
More information for health professionals
Our Quality Improvement Team works with general practices to provide practical advice and resources to help plan, implement, and review your QI activities. To request further practice support, please contact the Quality Improvement team on 3864 7540 or email support@bsphn.org.au.
Find more QI resources and information on our website: bsphn.org.au/practice-support/quality-improvement