State Member for Mulgrave

Media release From Daniel Andrews MP State Member for Mulgrave Parliamentary Secretary for Health

Monday, 28 August 2006

MORE ROOM FOR BRIMBANK COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELFARE

Brimbank residents will get better access to more community-based services through the extension of ISIS Primary Care’s St Albans site.

Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Daniel Andrews, today opened the service-funded upgrade and launched its commemorative rooms.

ISIS Primary Care receives $13.5 million a year in State funding as Victoria’s largest independent provider of community health and welfare services.

It has also received an extra $750,000 over the past year for initiatives in Brimbank and Wyndham.

These included $400,000 for a chronic disease initiative, $250,000 for a Home and Community Care allied health expansion and $50,000 each for refugee health nursing and Aboriginal health promotion and chronic care.

Mr Andrews said that before the St Albans site’s $550,000 extension, it was cramped, sometimes flooded and could not accommodate enough staff to deliver services.

“Some of these new, State-funded services and more now can be provided from this site,” he said.

The site expansion includes:

 CONSTRUCTION of four new general counselling rooms;

 REDEVELOPMENT of ISIS’ multi-purpose meeting and group room for better public access;

 A SECOND podiatry room;

 RELOCATION of the existing podiatry room to form an integrated podiatrist suite;

 HOUSING staff for the Communities for Children Program for North Sunshine families;

 HOUSING a drug and alcohol team, community health and HACC staff in one workplace;

 CREATION of a modern, open and airy workplace with new workstations and office space.

Mr Andrews also launched the Pam Goodman Commemorative Multi-purpose and Group Rooms, named after a former ISIS board president, who died this year after a brief and unexpected illness. Contact: Daniel Andrews on 9548 5644 www.vic.gov.au “Pam Goodman took every opportunity to remind politicians of the importance of a well-funded, strong community health sector,” he said, unveiling a plaque in honour of the Deer Park mother.

(F: Press2006/IsisStAlbansDA/pivetta/28.08)

Contact: Daniel Andrews on 9548 5644 www.vic.gov.au