WNSWLHD - Visiting Medical Officer - Virtual Adults. Apply via eCredential

Employment Type:  Visiting Medical Officer
Position Classification: Sessional
Remuneration: As per VMO Determination
Hours Per Week: As per roster
Location: Negotiable

Applications Close:  5 January 2025 - 11.59pm

Western NSW Local Health District is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability and people from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply for our advertised positions. If you require any assistance with your application or have any questions about this position, please get in touch with the contact person listed in this advertisement.

About the opportunity

VirtualADULTS is an innovative service, whereby patients with acute medical concerns who contact Health Direct (or other community-based services) will be connected directly to an Emergency Physician (EP) via video-enabled telehealth. Through this telehealth interaction, EPs will assess, diagnose, and manage patients in real time, aiming to provide care at home or in the community whenever safe and feasible. If necessary, they will determine whether a visit to the Emergency Department is the most appropriate course of action. The goal is to deliver personalized care promptly and in the right location across NSW.

NSW Western Virtual is looking to recruit Emergency Physicians (FACEMs) into the virtualADULTS Western Hub.  Patients who contact Health Direct and would have previously been directed to Emergency Departments across NSW, will instead be connected with a VirtualADULTS FACEM, who will assess, diagnose, and manage patients in real time, aiming to provide care at home or in the community whenever safe and feasible, or directing them to the most appropriate care provider, at the right time.

The virtualADULTS Western Hub will predominately be servicing Rural and Remote areas of NSW with the inherent challenges that isolation brings. This is an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of this service development.

While the VirtualADULTS role will be performed remotely, candidates should maintain current face-to-face clinical practice in either the public or private health care setting to be eligible for this position.

Typical shift patterns required to cover this services, 7 days a week may be:

0730- 1500

1500 -2230

Additionally, there may be a separate opportunity to join the Virtual Emergency Physician program being launched by Western Virtual, which will offer FACEM support to clinical sites across NSW that are managing high-acuity patients.

What we can offer you

Location negotiable, with shifts able to be undertaken from your own home or regular office anywhere in Australia, assuming reliable internet access and other telecommunication considerations.

Other benefits of the role:

·       Flexible work hours and flexible rostering practices.

·       Develop your clinical and communication skills in the area of telehealth.

·       Be part of an innovative team striving for optimising health outcomes across rural and remote NSW.

·       Opportunities for learning and development, including in-house training with My Health Learning and the NSW Health RTO.

·       Professional growth and accelerated career progression.

Where you'll be working

In this position you will work from your home or usual office that must be well equipped with a reliable internet connection and telephone with surround that are appealing to the virtual patient experience. All other telecommunication equipment including a computer with camera will be provided. You will be virtually servicing up to 35 rural and remote health services, hospitals and smaller Multipurpose Services (MPSs) across the Western NSW Local Health District for expert care for patients with life threatening conditions, patients requiring specialist care that cannot be provided locally and will support the LHD transportation service that sits within the vCare model.

Western NSW Local Health District is one of the largest Local Health Districts in NSW covering an area of 246,676 square kilometres, similar to the size of Britain. We deliver innovative health services to an estimated resident population of approximately 276,000 people.

Our organisation is diverse in the health care it delivers boasting the largest rural mental health service in Australia, three major rural referral hospitals at Orange, Dubbo and Bathurst, 50 community health centres which provide access to a wide range of multidisciplinary primary, and community health services, 38 inpatient facilities including 25 MPSs and District Health Services at Mudgee, Cowra, Parkes and Forbes.

There are more than 30,786 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the Local Health District, representing 11.1% of the total population. This is significantly higher than the NSW average of 2.1%. Our region has some of the most vulnerable population in NSW, and even Australia, who generally have a lower socio-economic status, shorter life expectancy, and poorer health outcomes than other people living in NSW.