Central Adelaide health clinicians and educators are sharing their COVID-19 knowledge in regional areas to ensure people get the appropriate care as close to home as possible.
Praising the effort, COVID-19 Commander for the Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN), Rachael Kay said staff had travelled north to Port Augusta to assist the Flinders and Upper North Local Health Network’s (FUNLHN) COVID-19 response, passing on insights and learnings from CALHN’s own pandemic experience.
Ms Kay said staff had worked with their FUNLHN colleagues, providing advice around infection control, COVID flows and to deliver nursing, medical and pharmacy support to alleviate their stretched workforce, which was also impacted by COVID.
She said CALHN staff also assisted in setting up a quarantine facility in the town.
Ms Kay said it was important for CALHN to assist in regional responses to ensure care was provided as close to people’s homes as possible and to avoid adding pressure on metropolitan hospitals.
She said the strong community spirit and desire to help really stood out.
“There’s a connection to purpose and a willingness for everyone to pitch in regardless of their role,” she said.
“The staff and community in Port Augusta work so well together but like CALHN were learning to manage COVID as it was their first significant outbreak in the region.”
Ms Kay said it was gratifying to pay forward what CALHN had benefitted from with staff interactions with the eastern States and offer that same support to regional South Australian colleagues.
COVID-19 Nurse Lead for Acute Services at FUNLHN, Perri Harvey said the expert knowledge of CALHN staff had been second to none.
