Archived News for Health Sector Professionals - February, 2011
The Australian Government has formed a high-level panel to evaluate health and safety practices at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation radiopharmaceuticals facility – ANSTO Health.
The panel will seek the advice of the independent nuclear regulator, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, to evaluate ANSTO’s compliance and current operations with respect to its facility licence.
The panel members are Dr Jim Peacock, Mr Grahame Cook and Mr Tim Ayres.
NHMRC Development Grants announced
Funding totalling $7.4 million has been awarded to 18 research teams under the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) Development Grants scheme.
AMA calls for mental health funding
Australia's peak doctors' group has called on the federal government not to forego mental health for disaster funding.
Smartphones to assist in health service delivery
While e-health has to date largely focused on doctor-patient videoconferencing over fibre networks, wireless-enabled smartphones could soon grow to become the health service delivery platform of choice for many Australians, according to the CSIRO.
Department of Defence to revamp health records
The Australian Department of Defence plans to revamp its health records with a $5 million dollar electronic system.
Defence has chosen global service provider CSC for a five-year IT contract to develop and implement an electronic health (eHealth) information system.
After winning the contract through a tender process, CSC will deliver a centralised, web-accessible, military specific, primary care solution known as EMIS into the Defence’s IT environment.
The system will be known as the Joint eHealth Data and Information (JeHDI) system.
Along with selected partners, CSC will also provide application hosting, IT support services, organisational change, communication, training and project management.
Defence commander Joint Health, major general Paul Alexander said the JeHDI system will hep provide high-quality healthcare that supports ADF members within Australia.
“The JeHDI system will not only provide an eHealth record for all personnel, but also give the Department of Defence the ability to map health related trends of the ADF and derive financial reports on its healthcare costs,” he said.
JeHDI represents one of the first comprehensive eHealth record projects across Australia and will support the needs of modernising the Defence organisation.
NSW funds medical research facilities
The NSW Government has announced funding of $16 million for two major medical research initiatives.
National Health Reforms agreed to at COAG
State governments have embraced a new hospital funding deal that the federal opposition says will do nothing to help Australia's ailing public health system.