Innovative model of care to bring improved access to health for Queensland/New South Wales Border communities

The Macintyre Health Alliance – a collaboration between Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN (the PHN), Goondiwindi Medical Centre, Darling Downs Health, Pius X Aboriginal Medical Service, Hunter New England Central Coast PHN (HNECC) and the Hunter New England Local Health District (LHD) – are celebrating the news that the PHN’s application for an Innovative Model of Care (IMOC) Grant to implement the new Indigenous Wellness Connect program has been successful.

The $1.5 million grant will support a four-year trial of an Allied Health Primary Care-led Digital Health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander chronic conditions management model.

Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN Chief Executive Officer, Ms Lucille Chalmers, said Indigenous Wellness Connect will provide culturally safe, patient centred, digitally connected primary care services within the communities that need it most.

“The program will improve continuity of care and equity of access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people based in the Queensland/New South Wales border communities.

“Indigenous Wellness Connect will utilise the range of skills offered by multidisciplinary Allied Health and nursing professionals in the Indigenous communities in Boggabilla and Toomelah and tap into General Practitioners and Indigenous Health Workers across the Queensland border located in the Goondiwindi Medical Centre. These three video-linked telehealth hubs will be networked to support each other clinically and culturally and to provide the best care for their patients, saving travel time and delay in accessing medical services.

“The model will be delivered in partnership with medical clinicians, a care coordinator and Indigenous Health Workers via digital connectivity. This will bring primary care services to communities where there are workforce and service shortages,” Ms Chalmers.

Director Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Mr Todd Williams, said this project creates a digitally enabled, culturally safe, connected primary care services network between underserviced rural communities with high Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations by linking to the closest primary care hub and beyond.

“This innovative model uses a telehealth cart system with diagnostic tools supported by enhanced digital satellite connectivity. It also uses remote support from a multidisciplinary team of General Practitioners, Allied Health and Specialists. The project can also support the non-indigenous population for management of their chronic health conditions,” Mr Williams said.

“One of the significant benefits of the project will be the cross-border data sharing, which will mean a patient only has tell their story once, and health care professionals will have access to the most up to date health information.”

Dr. Sarah Gleeson, a practice partner at Goondiwindi Medical Centre is thrilled that the health needs of cross border communities have been recognised and addressed.

“We have been very happy to work with the Macintyre Health Alliance and support the PHN’s application for the IMOC grant. This grant culminates the work of many groups over a decade, and it’s wonderful to see it come to fruition with the funding provided by this grant,” Dr Gleeson said.

“Helping our community members manage their chronic health conditions so they can thrive and stay out of hospital is of utmost importance and we can’t wait to get started on this project.”

This program will also see clinical placement of allied health students across all sites of the Project for those who have a genuine interest in rural health, which will build capability and capacity of the health workforce in the local communities.

Doctor Alison Koschel of the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) said “It is exciting to be working in partnership with our colleagues from the Darling Downs and West Moreton PHN and local health care providers to enable equitable service access to people living in border areas of NSW and Queensland. HNECC PHN are passionate about ensuring that rural communities receive access to timely quality primary care and this grant enables that in Goondiwindi, Boggabilla and Toomelah.”

The grant enables the recruitment of a Project Coordinator, Indigenous Health Coordinator and Telehealth Care Coordinator to deliver the project. They will manage the project, give strategic oversight and participate in the various Governance and Working committees. The grant will also allow the purchase of key IT resources and improve internet reliability for the health services in the two remote communities with the installation of satellite towers.

New digital health technologies will also be made available for access by patients via each of the telehealth hub sites. Wi-Fi will be available allowing patient access to health-related web site resources while onsite at the hub to encourage usage. The multidisciplinary telehealth teams will undertake training to adopt new digital health technologies into their everyday processes and educate patients on the benefits of access digital health technologies such as My Health Record, health apps and other available health tools.