Connecting Healthcare In Communities

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What does CHIC mean?
  CHIC stands for Connecting Healthcare in Communities (CHIC) which is being sponsored by Queensland Health.
  

• What is CHIC?
  CHIC is a new approach to establishing partnerships across the primary health care sector between Government and non-Government providers. Its’ aim is to improve the health of Queenslanders and increase the capacity of the health system over the next five (5) years to June 2011.
  

• What is Queensland Health’s role?
  All partnerships need one, or sometimes more than one, organisation to initiate a partnership – in this case Queensland Health is facilitating the partnership approach by committing resources to CHIC.
  

• How is CHIC supported?
  Queensland Health is providing funding for CHIC to June 2011. The funding includes “Partnering funding” - to help establish, coordinate and support local Partnership Councils and “Service delivery and innovation funding” - for local Partnership Councils to undertake local projects. A CHIC Implementation Team has been set up, which includes a Statewide Coordinator, a Coordinator based in the former Northern area and policy support staff.
  

• What will CHIC look like?
  Three Area Governance Groups with overall responsibility for the implementation and support of the local Partnership Councils have been established, consisting of key stakeholders, representative of the government and non-government primary health care service providers.
  

• Does CHIC have limits on what can be funded?
  Yes. The local Partnership Councils should develop joint initiatives which address:
  
      - chronic and complex care,
      - integrated health promotion and illness prevention,
      - early childhood health,
      - community mental health
      - drug and alcohol services
  

    All initiatives may not require funding - some may develop after collaboration within the partnerships.

• What will receive funding under CHIC?
  Local Partnership Councils initiatives which look at:
  
      - shared planning and service delivery
      - shared assessment tools;
      - common management protocols;
      - agreed roles in patient support and education; and
      - local community health promotion action.
     
  

• Who is involved on a Partnership Council?
  Membership will vary across the State, but should include representation from the local primary health care service providers. eg: Queensland Health Community Health staff, Divisions of General Practice, General Practitioners, community controlled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services, Domiciliary Nursing groups and non-government health service providers. The involvement of partners is voluntary and decided by the Group at a local level.
  
  

• How many local Partnership Councils? 
  Generally, the partnership councils will align geographically with one or a cluster of Health Service Districts.  Across the state there will be approximately six established in the Northern area, five in Central and a further six in the Southern area.

• How will Partnership Councils operate?
  The governance arrangements and structures of the local collaborations will vary to meet local needs and local circumstances. The types of governance decided upon can be formalised by developing and signing off on a partnering agreement or Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) agreed to by all members of the Partnership Council.
  
  

• How do local Partnership Councils receive funding?
  “Service delivery and innovation funding” is available to Partnership Councils based on the merit of their jointly developed Service Improvement Proposals. Assessment of these proposals by an Area governance group will be in line with the CHIC guidelines. Criteria will include - innovation, partnership, priority, feasibility and capacity to impact on the chosen health priority area.