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Our regular update on mental health services, specialist care, and referral pathways in Canberra.
From the Deakin Private Hospital Team
Welcome to the latest edition of In Mind, our regular GP update.
Not every patient needs an admission to access the care we offer and this edition is a good reminder of just how much is available to your patients as outpatients. Outpatient rTMS is open across our psychiatry team, our Day Programs continue to run regular intakes, and our new Carer Support Program launched in June with no referral required at all.
It's also been a genuinely exciting few months more broadly; our model of care has been recognised nationally, and Dr Ava Carter has published landmark research.
We continue to have short to no waiting periods across our outpatient and Day Program offerings. If you're weighing up whether a patient is suited to inpatient or outpatient care, our Admissions Coordinator team is happy to talk it through: 1800 961 391 or dkn.admissions@imh.com.au.
Thank you, as always, for the trust you place in us with your patients.
Spotlight | Deakin Private Hospital's Model of Care Recognised Nationally
Deakin Private Hospital has been featured across The Canberra Times and the Medibank Newsroom earlier this month, with new data confirming what many of you have seen firsthand; our model of care is delivering measurably better outcomes for patients.
More than 1,300 patients have now been treated through our integrated model, which combines shorter hospital stays with intensive, wraparound care in the community. Incorporating inpatient treatment, day programs, telehealth, and in-home clinical support working together to support recovery well beyond discharge.
The results speak for themselves. While private mental health readmission rates nationally sit above 45% within 12 months, Deakin Private Hospital's average readmission rate over the past year has been just 22%.
Medibank Chief Medical Officer Dr Andrew Wilson said the model reflects the direction mental health care needs to take; shorter hospital stays combined with comprehensive, ongoing support at home. For your patients, this means a care pathway designed to hold recovery beyond our walls, not just during an admission.
Read the Canberra Times feature Read the Medibank feature
News and Updates
Dr Ava Carter's Churchill Fellowship Report | Making the Case for Mouth and Mind.
Dr Ava Carter, Medical Director, has published her Churchill Fellowship report, ‘A Case for Psychostomatology’, a landmark piece of research calling for the formal integration of oral health and mental health care in Australia.
Drawing on 113 interviews across five countries, the report finds that people living with severe mental illness are 2.8 times more likely to experience oral disease and outlines 36 evidence-based recommendations for integrating oral and mental health care — from oral hygiene kits for psychiatric inpatients through to a proposed national Chief Dental Officer.
It's a piece of research with real implications for whole-person care, and we're proud to have it come out of our own clinical team.
rTMS and Novel Therapies for Treatment-Resistant Depression | Outpatient Pathways Update
Outpatient referrals for rTMS are open across our psychiatry team, including with Dr Ava Carter and Dr Ashish Vaikyl. Dr Carter is also now accepting outpatient referrals for novel therapies for treatment-resistant depression.
For patients who haven't found relief through standard antidepressant approaches, these medically supervised treatments work through different mechanisms and are assessed individually for clinical suitability — delivered safely within our hospital, for inpatients and outpatients alike.
Hospital in the Home | Supporting Recovery Beyond Our Walls
For many patients, recovery doesn't end at discharge, it's just beginning. Our Hospital in the Home program bridges that gap, with our Community Care Nurse travelling to patients to support the transition back into daily life.
Care plans are reviewed and tailored to each patient's mental, physical, emotional and social wellbeing, supported by a practical recovery toolkit including mindfulness exercises, journaling prompts, and coping strategies patients can apply to real, everyday situations. The goal throughout is independence, not dependency: helping patients move from receiving care to actively owning their recovery.
Hospital in the Home is available to eligible patients transitioning out of inpatient care at Deakin Private Hospital.
New | Carer Support Program
Caring for someone experiencing mental health challenges deserves its own support. Our new Carer Support Program is a 3-week group program for parents, carers, partners and family members, covering understanding mental health and recovery, responding to distress, communication and boundaries, and sustaining carer wellbeing.
Sessions run once a week for three weeks, facilitated by a qualified Allied Health Professional. No referral is required. This is a self-funded program.
This Month in Mental Health
Wellbeing Seminar with GoodLoop
We recently partnered with GoodLoop, our Deakin neighbours, to co-host a wellbeing seminar for the local community, continuing our ongoing commitment to mental health education and connection beyond the hospital.
Behind the Scenes | A Tour Through Deakin Private Hospital
If you haven't been through our facility yet, we’ve created a short video providing a relaxed look at the spaces where our patients receive care.
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Supporting Recovery Beyond the Hospital Walls: Our Hospital in the Home Program
Deakin Private's Hospital in the Home program is designed to bridge the gap between leaving hospital and integrating back into everyday life. Our program is designed to work alongside patients as they transition back into daily life and begin taking ownership of their own recovery journey.