By Jed Lanyon
Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (EMPHN) will fund a multidisciplinary type 2 diabetes service in partnership with Inspiro: Community Health Service.
The Integrated Diabetes Education and Assessment Service (IDEAS) which will be situated in Lilydale was chosen to meet the needs of people living in the Yarra Ranges, as it has one of the highest rates of preventable hospital admissions for type 2 diabetes in east and north-east Melbourne.
Federal Member for Casey, Tony Smith spoke about the importance of this program.
“In the Yarra Ranges we see high numbers of people admitted to hospital due to complications from Type 2 Diabetes.
“This service works to directly address this by treating people in a community setting, often closer to home with a care team they can build rapport with,” he said.
EMPHN CEO, Robin Whyte, said IDEAS Lilydale aims to provide greater local access to services for people who are living with and managing their diabetes.
“The specialised care team at IDEAS aims to prevent people’s symptoms worsening and requiring hospitalisation by providing effective management and treatment,” she said.
The service is delivered by Carrington Health, Inspiro, Eastern Health, EACH and Access Health and Community.
In 2016-17, in the Yarra Ranges area there were 223 potentially preventable diabetes related hospitalisations.
Ninety-five per cent of people referred to by their GP for Type 2 Diabetes to Eastern Health Specialist Diabetes Clinics are now having their diabetes managed closer to home at an IDEAS clinic, like the Inspiro IDEAS clinic in Lilydale.
To find out more about IDEAS Lilydale, call 9738 8801. A GP referral is needed. The service is based at Inspiro: Community Health Service, 17 Clarke St, Lilydale, and operates on a Wednesday afternoon.
