It’s been a busy four months since the Community Assessment Unit (CAU) first opened its doors in the new Acute Services Building.
Since opening, the CAU has expanded its initial inclusion scope and is accommodating a wider cohort of patients, meaning an increased level of acuity for some patients. To refine the process of delivering care in the community, POWH community health services has joined the CAU team three times a week to prioritise patient discharge. Together, the teams discuss and make plans to accommodate person-centred needs and ensure the holistic wellbeing of each patient. Inpatient activity continues to increase, alongside the demand for CAU involvement. Outpatient consult rooms see patients every day, ensuring the facilitation of care for a range of specialties. CAU Nurse Unit Manager, Brenton Ciani said the patient experience in the outpatient CAU consult rooms has been very positive. “It’s certainly an exciting space to watch as the service grows. From May to August there have been 579 inpatient admissions, and the September inpatient admission activity is looking to be even higher than previous months,” he said.
The CAU staff are enjoying the pace and continue to work as a dynamic team, demonstrating the CORE Values in action.
Future evaluation of the CAU service is a key priority, with the team working to ensure their service meets and prioritises patient needs. “We’re focused on ensuring regular engagement with our community health partners and are excited to be part of the new clinical program, Community Connection and Virtual Health, at POWH. The connection to community and virtual health partners will also influence our service evaluation focus,” Brenton added.