Alpine sets the PACE
11 August 2021
Photo: PACE Participants from 2018 enjoying the exercises and each other.
There’s positive news if you live in the Alpine Shire and have a heart or lung health condition. Since 2018 Alpine Health has partnered with local healthcare providers Equilibre Health, Kiewa Valley Sports and Spinal Physiotherapy, and Ovens Valley Physio and Pilates, to deliver: The PACE (Pulmonary and Cardiac Exercise and Education) Program who have now delivered to over 500 clients in this time.
PACE Nurse Coordinator, Roslyn Bloomer, said “The PACE program is designed to help local people with heart and lung conditions to improve their health. This is done by providing individualised programs, we treat each patient as an individual, this is key. Through assessment, education, exercise classes and home-based activity plans we have seen so much improvement for many clients.”
Fiona Miller, Physiotherapist, said “Our clients have had amazing results across the board, with many of them reporting that the quality of life and even relationships with others, have improved whilst coping with a chronic disease.” Leeah Cooper, Exercise Physiologist says “PACE gives people the confidence to go back to doing day to day activities, and even achieve goals they thought might be impossible.”
Alpine Health CEO, Nick Shaw said “The PACE program has been a very successful demonstration of community healthcare partnerships and has only been made possible with the funding support from the Murray PHN.”
The PACE program runs all year around with rolling intakes, so you can self-refer or be referred by any health professional, at any time.
Roslyn Bloomer, PACE Nurse Coordinator said “The PACE program has terrific support from our local medical centres in Myrtleford, Bright and Mount Beauty, other health professionals and our regional hospitals. The PACE program will work closely with participants’ GPs, specialists and other health professionals to ensure that the whole multidisciplinary team works together to provide each participant with the best care for them so that they get the positive results they are after.”
In the last 12 months PACE has received the National HESTA Team Excellence Award, and the Clinical Prize at the Scientific Meeting of Australian Cardiac Rehabilitation Association.
People interested in the PACE program can find out more by discussing it with their doctor, specialist or other health professional, or by calling the PACE Nurse Coordinator, Roslyn Bloomer, on 03 5754 3595, or emailing [email protected].