Western Victoria Primary Health Network
Jess Franks is currently working at Western Victoria Primary Health Network as the Manager of Co-design and Engagement. Prior to this role, Jess worked at Ballarat Community Health as a Social Connection Project Officer. Jess also has experience as a Casual Research Assistant in program development. Jess holds a Master of Public Health degree and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology at the University of Melbourne.
Western Victoria Primary Health Network
Western Victoria Primary Health Network (PHN) was established on 1 July 2015 and is responsible for increasing the efficiency, effectiveness and coordination of health services for patients, particularly those at risk of poor health outcomes. The Western Victoria PHN services a population of 576,790 and has regional centres in Horsham, Ballarat, Geelong and Warrnambool. Our strategic priorities include; REGIONAL HEALTH PLANNING • Undertake regional needs assessment to understand the primary health system priorities for rural and regional communities. • Engage with general practice, Aboriginal health services, private allied health, community organisations and hospitals to maximise knowledge of workforce, service gaps and system issues. • Engage with communities to ensure local perspectives are incorporated into program design, delivery and evaluation. COMMISSIONING • Use regional needs assessment priorities to inform the development of responsive and innovative workforce and service models. • Implement transparent and robust contract and procurement processes. • Adopt evidence based best practice approaches. • Monitor and evaluate services and models. GP AND PRIMARY CARE DEVELOPMENT • Leverage the expertise of general practice to inform primary care development. • Collaborate with general practice in implementing quality improvement activities. • Collate and analyse data to inform service system improvement. • Create opportunities for the primary care system to partner with general practice to improve health outcomes and reduce preventable hospital presentations. HEALTH SYSTEM INTEGRATION • Utilise cross sector collaboration and coordination. • Implement digital health solutions to improve continuity of care and clinical decision making. • Enhance capability and capacity of general practice through the co-design of clinical pathways. • Partner with communities and health professionals