Expression of Interest – Small Town Engagement Model (STEM)

The Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) is seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from:

1. Primary health care providers - (practitioners, GPs, Allied Health professionals, Pharmacists, AMS, diabetes educators and other primary health care providers) who can provide digital and face to face primary health care services through an innovative model of care to local government areas deemed rural by The PHN.

OR

2. Organisations and community groups to participate in a series of consultation opportunities to develop an innovative model to increase equity of access to primary health care services in local government areas deemed rural by The PHN.

This EOI can be submitted by local councils, primary health care professionals (Nurse Practitioner/GP/Allied Health Professional/ Pharmacists & Aboriginal Medical Services) and community groups that deliver primary care services.

Rural LGA's include: Moree Plains, Gwydir, Narrabri, Gunnedah, Tenterfield, Inverell, Glen Innes Severn, Armidale Regional, Tamworth Regional, Liverpool Plains, Uralla, Walcha, Upper Hunter Shire. Muswellbrook, Singleton, Dungog and Mid Coast. Please refer to the map on the right.

This EOI is a 2-stage process, where only those who submit an EOI in the first round will be eligible to place a submission for the second round of the EOI which may have funding associated with it. The first stage of the EOI submission does not have funding associated with it.

The first phase of this EOI allows us to identify communities or primary health care providers who are interested in discussing innovative models of primary care that could be implemented in their LGA.

Innovative models that could be developed include, but are not limited to:

Scenario 1: A visiting health care provider—a Primary Health Care Professional—conducting face-to-face consultations at a local primary care business on a regular schedule. They could also provide telehealth support during non-visit times, ensuring continuous care and accessibility for rural residents.

Scenario 2: The integration of digital health technology into local businesses to improve access to primary health care services. This could involve implementing health measurement tools in pharmacies, setting up telehealth equipment and rooms at community centers, or other innovative solutions that bridge the gap between providers and consumers.

Scenario 3: Addressing specific health needs in rural communities. Two or more health care providers can join forces to target identified health issues, whether it's addressing the needs of priority populations like CALD or First Nations communities, or focusing on specific cohorts such as men's health, farmers' health, or mining communities.

Scenario 4: Consider partnering with an existing provider already delivering a hybrid model (face to face and telehealth for GP and/or Allied Health service provision) delivered either as an outreach program from a larger centre to a smaller town and/or created from a smaller rural town.

If you have any questions, please contact ruralhealth@thephn.com.au or call 1300 859 028 during business hours.