West Wimmera Health Service is proud to be a partner in the Strengthening Care for Children project (SC4C@WSM) and is playing an active role building local specialist expertise and confidence including facilitating paediatric telehealth co-consultations.

Chief executive officer Ritchie Dodds explained the health service's allied health clinicians and maternal and child health nurses were working together with GPs, and education and family service providers across the Wimmera Southern Mallee region.

"Working with local providers ensures families have access to the right healthcare in their communities and can support children with a range of development and behavioural matters," he said.

The shared care initiative is significantly improving the health and wellbeing outcomes for children in our local communities by connecting specialist expertise with local health providers.

The partnership supports co-consultations with Royal Children's Hospital Paediatricians Dr Billy Garvey and Dr Claire Nogic. Local health, education and social care providers facilitate appointments and help families navigate services for their child.

If a child needs more support, a family is finding it difficult to get the support needed, or a child has a more urgent need - for example will be starting kinder/school soon - parents or health, education and family support professionals can initiate a referral for a telehealth co-consultation with the Royal Children's Hospital.

Dr Billy Garvey highlighted benefits of the pioneering program.

"The new telehealth partnership is leading the way for many other state-wide initiatives. A real strength of service is the relationship and trust that families already have with the local clinicians, who lead the telehealth appointments," he said.

"This real time collaboration is best practice in multidisciplinary care, reducing stress for families and offering upskilling opportunities for service providers."

Mr Dodds said telehealth appointments not only saved families the time and cost of travel to Melbourne, they were also offered shorter wait times and the follow up engagement and support at a local level.

The telehealth initiative is a collaboration between the Wimmera Southern Mallee By Five project - representing around 50 local organisations across six local government areas - and the Royal Children's Hospital.

From 2021-2023, funding from the Regional Development Victoria, the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation, Wimmera Southern Mallee Health Alliance, Murdoch Children's Research Institute and local government agencies will allow for more education and co-consults to be delivered following the initial success of the innovative program in 2020.

"Maternal and child health nurses across our region have been making referrals to this program for some time now, and the successful outcomes of the co-consultations led to the program being expanded," Mr Dodds said.

"A range of education, family service and health practitioners can refer children directly. This is a brilliant outcome for families in the Wimmera Southern Mallee."

By Five is an innovative collaborative program, delivering projects to our communities for the past three years.

It is an initiative of the Wimmera Southern Mallee Regional Partnership and Wimmera Southern Mallee Health Alliance partners (Rural Northwest Health, Wimmera Health Care Group, Edenhope District Memorial Hospital, and West Wimmera Health Service), and local government councils in Buloke, Hindmarsh, Northern Grampians, West Wimmera and Yarriambiack Shires and the Rural City of Horsham. By Five received a 2020 Victorian Early Years Award for Creating Collaborative Community Partnerships Awards.

Mr Dodds said local maternal and child health nurses, allied health clinicians, education professionals, GPs or family support workers could help to arrange a referral and will attend the co-consultations.

"We encourage anyone who thinks this service may be a benefit for their child to get in contact with us."

Families can start the process for a telehealth referral and appointment by calling (03) 5391 4267 to speak to a West Wimmera Health Service maternal child and health nurse or allied health clinician.

People can also speak with their local school, GP or family services provider.