Following the ongoing success of the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) Queensland program in orthopaedics and emergency surgery, Clinical Excellence Queensland is expanding the GIRFT program to include diabetes.
GIRFT is a clinician-led, data driven quality improvement initiative aimed at reducing unwarranted variation to optimise value for patients, clinicians, and the Queensland public health care system. This is achieved through local data review and peer discussion and by addressing system-level barriers.
Deputy Director-General, Clinical Excellence Queensland, Dr Helen Brown said the decision to proceed with diabetes comes in recognition of the high prevalence of diabetes across the State with diabetes ranking in the top 10 causes of death in Queensland.
“Following an expression of interest recruitment process, it is my privilege to introduce the clinical lead for the GIRFT Queensland Diabetes Program, Dr Gaurav Puri,” Dr Brown said.
“Dr Gaurav Puri is an Endocrinologist and the Clinical Director of Logan Endocrinology and Diabetes Services (LEADS) at Logan and Beaudesert Hospitals in Metro South. Gaurav is also the current Chair of Queensland Diabetes Clinical Network.”
Dr Puri graduated in 2003 and has worked in various health services including the National Health Service in the UK and WA Health and completed Master of Health Leadership and Management from the University of New South Wales.
Nationally, he has contributed significantly towards the development of the recently published Australian National Diabetes Strategy 2021-2031, and he also led the award-winning VOICeD program for Clinical Excellence Queensland.
“I am very passionate about health equity, sustainability, and building system capacity by establishing integrated models of patient centred care that are co-designed with consumers,” Dr Puri said.
“I am honoured to lead this work and I am excited for what we can achieve for diabetes using the GIRFT methodology,” he said.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr Puri and wish him all the best as he undertakes this important role, enabling collaboration between Hospital and Health Service executive teams, multidisciplinary clinical teams and the Department of Health to drive quality improvement at all levels of Queensland Health,” Dr Brown said.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to recognise the ongoing work of all divisions who make this invaluable program possible, including the Healthcare Improvement Unit and the Statistical Services Branch as well as the Healthcare Purchasing and System Performance Division.”
Source: The Health of Queenslanders 2020
