We’re delighted to announce the appointment of Margie McLeod as Regional Forum Facilitator, following the appointment in early May of the five HealthPathways Regional Group Clinical Advisors.

As Regional Forum Facilitator, Margie will report to Andy Froggatt, Chief Implementation Officer HealthPathways, who has overall responsibility for this initiative. Margie is currently the program lead for Western Victoria and will split her time between the two roles.

Margie will provide logistical support to the Regional Forums held in the following regional locations, on average three times per year:

• Victoria and Tasmania
• ACT and New South Wales
• Queensland
• Northern Territory, Western Australia, and South Australia
• New Zealand
• United Kingdom

Specifically, Margie will work with the local region to finalise local membership, work with the local Chair to plan and organise the agenda and follow up on actions arising from each meeting.

“Margie brings not just a passion for HealthPathways to the role, but a depth of experience and knowledge of the health sector. She will assist us to not only effectively support the regional forum meetings, but ensure that the appropriate common issues are identified and effectively communicated to the Joint Community Collaborative forum for their consideration,” says Andy Froggatt, Chief Implementation Advisor.

Margie’s first steps will be to finalise the Terms of Reference for the forums, call for expressions of interest for the Regional Forum Chairs, and build the agenda for the first Regional Forums to be held in late July.

“We’re aiming to have the Chair positions in place by late June/early July and the agenda for the first forum meeting confirmed in early July, for a late July meeting,” says Margie.

“We’ll be providing more information with specific timelines, including details about the Chair election process, very soon.”

“The aim is to schedule the forums on two occasions in 2018, with a view to holding them four times per year in 2019. Over the next two weeks, I will make contact with each regional HealthPathways manager and regional clinical advisor to assist with planning the initial round of meetings. I would like to discuss ideas about timing, location, membership, and agendas with each region.”

The Regional Forum Meetings will be aligned across regions, held within the same fortnight to enable consistency of approach, covering the same core topics and contributions from Streamliners portfolio managers, says Margie. Beyond this July, a calendar of meetings will be developed, ensuring that regions have plenty of advance notice.

“I am looking forward to working with community members through the regional forums,” says Margie.

“There is no intention to replace anything that is already working within your region, but instead these forums will hopefully enhance those meetings and add value for each region and the HealthPathways Community as a whole. I am committed to ensuring these meetings are productive and they contribute positively to our HealthPathways community.”

Region specific, confidential information will not be shared between HealthPathways regions without approval by Streamliners and the originating region. To ensure confidentiality will be protected, specific expectations will be outlined in the Terms of Reference for the Regional Forums and will be refined with each Regional Forum Chair.

Next Steps

Indicative timeline for Regional Forums:

Questions

If you have any questions about the Regional Forums, please email Andy Froggatt (andy.froggatt@healthpathwayscommunity.org)

Margie McLeod

Regional Forum Facilitator
Program Lead, Western Victoria HealthPathways

A registered nurse with an emergency and management background, Margie has a Master’s Degree in Public Health, majoring in Health Services Management.

Margie started working as the HealthPathways coordinator at the commencement of HealthPathways Barwon in 2013, when Barwon was the second region in Australia to commence HealthPathways, following Hunter New England’s lead. At that stage, the HealthPathways programme covered the Geelong-Otway region and the team consisted of Margie and two GP editors.

Since the inception of Primary Health Networks HealthPathways Barwon grew into HealthPathways Western Victoria, covering a much larger footprint. The team now includes Margie as program lead, with a team of four coordinators and six GP editors.

Margie is passionate about improving access and delivery of high quality healthcare to our community.

She says, “I believe HealthPathways – both the process and the outcomes - lead to significant improvements in patient care, and make a significant difference by supporting GPs in their day to day practice. I am committed to ensuring the Regional Forums are an effective platform to assist with communication and collaboration, and ultimately build on the success of each region’s programs.”

Margie shares her home in Barwon Heads, a small coastal town on the Bellarine peninsula, with her husband, three teenage children and two dogs. She enjoys bushwalking, tennis and spending time with friends and family.