On this page

1. Aim of the clinical community of practice
2. Governance
3. Clinical leads
4. This community of practice scope is not
5. Membership
6. Frequency of the community of practice
7. Guidelines and resources

Aim of the clinical community of practice

The Agency for Clinical Innovation (ACI) Cardiac Community of Practice (CoP) will provide an opportunity for sharing of ideas, strategies, local solutions and concerns with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The CoP will be multidisciplinary and include representation from all local health districts and networks. It will enable clinicians and clinical managers in cardiology from across NSW to provide expert advice and guidance to the system, and facilitate escalation of matters that require a state-wide or system response.

The aim of these sessions is to:

• support clinicians to network and share strategies, local solutions and issues with respect to pandemic preparedness for cardiac care
• identify, prioritise and escalate issues related to COVID-19 which are actually or potentially affecting clinicians providing cardiac care that require a statewide or system response
• review and provide expert clinical advice on guidelines, resources and other information
• share Ministry approved advice and resources on the response to COVID-19 that can be circulated within all districts and networks.

Information about Virtual care for cardiac rehabilitation is available on the ACI website.

Governance

• Executive sponsor: Deb Willcox, Deputy Secretary, Health System Strategy and Planning
• Clinical leads:
  • Dr Suzanne Eshoo, Cardiologist, Blacktown Hospital  
  • Ms Sandra Hamill, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Chronic and Complex Care, Blacktown Hospital
    
• Community of practice secretariat: Bridie Carr, Cardiac Network Manager, Agency for Clinical Innovation
  
• Key stakeholders: local health district clinicians and managers.

The ACI Cardiac Network will escalate issues raised by the community of practice to Strategic Reform and Planning. Key information will be collected and distributed through the MOH-COVID19-ClinicalAdvice@health.nsw.gov.au, which will be monitored by Strategic Reform and Planning.

Collated issues/advice will be escalated by Ms Willcox through to the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) and/or the State Health Emergency Operations Centre (SHEOC) as appropriate.

PHEOC and SHEOC responses will be provided to the Strategic Reform and Planning and then to the CoP secretariat.

Regular CoP updates will be provided to NSW Health Chief Executives.

Clinical leads

Each CoP will have a clinical lead appointed by Deb Willcox, Deputy Secretary, Health System Strategy and Resources.

The clinical leads will:

• assist with the facilitation of the CoP
  
• work with clinical peers in the districts and networks to share ideas and develop appropriate response strategies
• provide expert advice and guidance to the system and Ministry as required
• escalate relevant matters to the Ministry that require a statewide or system response
• provide expert advice to respond to media enquiries.

This community of practice scope is not

A group which is able to independently endorse state-wide changes or make decisions that impact a unit or system or allocate funding to recommendations.

Membership

The Cardiac CoP is open to all ACI Cardiac Network member and other clinicians working in cardiology services in NSW. As a minimum it will include representation from all districts and networks. Membership may be extended more broadly to include professional colleges, private providers/clinicians and other non-government organisations as appropriate to the clinical speciality.

To join the CoP interested stakeholders should email ACI-Cardiac@health.nsw.gov.au

Frequency of the community of practice

Ad hoc according to the phase of the pandemic, new variants and increasing numbers. The CoP will meet virtually using Teams on Friday, from 2:00pm. Details on how to join the meeting will be attached to the calendar invitation and will be provided on the Agenda.

Guidelines and resources

Agency for Clinical Innovation: COVID-19 Response: Communities of Practice