HOC News

Outback residents have come out in force in Western Queensland to celebrate the launch of a new health and wellbeing program that champions prevention, early intervention, and individual care.

Healthy Outback Communities (HOC) was launched in the Barcoo Shire town of Windorah with most of the local population turning out to the event and many undertaking health checks including diabetes screening as well as lifestyle and wellbeing assessments.

“These are tiny towns, some with fewer than 100 residents and yet we saw a steady stream of Windorah townsfolk plus those who’d travelled several hours from neighbouring towns and properties to find out what this new model of health and wellbeing is all about,” Western Queensland Primary Health Network CEO Sandy Gillies said.

“HOC is a community-driven model of care so we were thrilled to see locals already embracing this program at its launch, especially residents who we know have never had the opportunity to attend a multi-disciplinary health check event. They are now engaging with their health and wellbeing; that’s huge!”

Healthy Outback Communities (HOC) is an award-winning model of healthcare that shifts the focus from illness to wellness by empowering remote communities that don’t have a resident GP or pharmacy to focus on preventive health.

The new approach also offers sessions with the HOC Wellbeing Practitioner to create their own personal wellbeing plan, which will inform the types of wellbeing services needed.

Rugby league identity and Wellness advocate Darius Boyd made the 1200-kilometre trip to help launch the program, which promotes many of the wellbeing strategies that helped him overcome personal challenges.

“In my own life I know the value of reaching out early and looking after your wellbeing before things overwhelm you, and I guess I learned the hard way when midway through my rugby league career I sought professional help for some issues arising from childhood trauma I’d experienced,” Mr Boyd said.

“My only regret was that I didn’t seek help sooner, and that’s why I’m passionate about wellbeing because looking after your health early on through regular checks and lifestyle modifications will help you long term, especially in remote communities like Windorah where access to care can be challenging.”

“It was great to see all the kids enjoying themselves and getting to know the locals who were amazing hosts, plus meeting all the talented health providers who put me through a series of comprehensive health checks that showed me where my health sits right now, and what I can do to maintain good health.”

Healthy Outback Communities is built on an alliance of health providers, advocates, local councils and health workforce agencies ensuring HOC is a collaborative, sustainable model of care.

“In the past, we’ve been siloed and isolated by how healthcare is traditionally delivered in remote communities,” according to Dylan Nelson, HOC Alliance Member and First Nations Engagement Advisor at Health Consumers Queensland.

“It’s good that we are now coming together and working toward one goal which is building these local partnerships and networks to improve access to care which ultimately leads to better health outcomes.”

HOC is established by the Western Queensland Primary Health Network and is delivered by:

• Barcoo Shire Council
• Boulia Shire Council
• Central West Hospital and Health Service
• CheckUP
• Health Workforce Queensland
• Health Consumers Queensland
• Queensland Reform Office
• Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section)
• Western Queensland Primary Health Network

Western Qld Primary Health Network (WQPHN) quick facts:

• Commissions (or funds) health services in Western Queensland.
• Covers almost one million square kilometres of Queensland, 55% of the state’s total land area.
• Aligns health investment with demonstrated population health needs.
• Uses health intelligence data to orientate health services efficiently and effectively.
• Ensures the right primary health care is delivered, at the right time by the right provider.
• Advised by GPs and other health professionals and consumers.
• One of 31 PHNs across Australia established and funded by the Commonwealth Government.

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New Western Queensland Health Initiative wins National Award - "But the hard work is ahead"

An area the size of the state of Victoria in far Western Queensland is the target of a new primary healthcare initiative that’s already caught the eye of a global movement focussed on the wellness of individuals and “value-based” care.

The Healthy Outback Communities (HOC) initiative is a new, collaborative model of health and social care that aims to improve health access, equity, and outcomes in the very remote Western Queensland shires of Boulia, Diamantina and Barcoo.

This isolated region spans almost 220,000 square kilometres and does not have health services that adequately meet the essential needs of residents, with life expectancy in the region at least 5 years lower than the national average.

“We have to bring the focus back to the individual health needs of remote residents,” Western Queensland Primary Health Network CEO Sandy Gillies.

“HOC moves the focus from illness to wellness by providing better and earlier access to health services which helps clinicians have a better understanding of a patient’s health status and the level of care that is right for them.”

“We are under no illusions that this is a mammoth challenge, but we are determined to improve health outcomes for Western Queenslanders who have endured inadequate services for too long,” Ms Gillies said.

The WQPHN’s HOC initiative places health and wellbeing in the hands of communities and links residents to local support.

It’s already attracted national attention, winning the Health Care Equity Award at this year’s Value Based Health Care Awards.

Under “value-based care”, health services are measured on outcomes, rather than a focus on the volume or number of health services delivered.

“The key to the success of the HOC initiative will be that it’s community-driven, where locals not only have a say in how their services are delivered but can also provide workforce support for health services,” Ms Gillies said.

“Without a local GP or pharmacist in their towns, communities traditionally rely on visiting clinicians who might not have a full understanding of a patient’s individual health circumstances.”

“In contrast, the HOC initiative will provide access to a more holistic patient picture through new resources like wellbeing plans, leading to better planning and delivery of services to remote communities.”

“We have to look at a community member’s health journey beyond the visit to the GP or hospital, and connect patients with local health services, local community activities like exercise clubs or social events, which will help support their physical and mental health.”

Royal Flying Doctors Qld Section CEO Meredith Staib has endorsed the initiative as a critical move toward improving the health of rural and remote communities.

“The RFDS has for almost a century been in the primary health care space and the opportunity to join with the WQPHN on this initiative is critical to the work we do in that region already,” Ms Staib said.

“We anticipate our role will be expanding our existing technological capabilities in the region in areas like remote medicine using our reach through telehealth.”

Visiting international health expert Dr Sally Lewis, who has joined the HOC project as an advisor, says a healthy community on its own will deliver 80% of health gains, while formal health care intervention delivers just 20%.

“The HOC initiative gives government and other funders a potential new blueprint on how to improve health services, not just in remote settings but around the country and internationally too,” Dr Lewis said.

“If this project is given strong support to fly, then it could really make a marked change in health outcomes for people across this vast region which, coming from Wales in the UK, is still unimaginable to me in terms of the isolation and distance.”

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