IFIC Australia

Introduction to Greg Stewart – IFIC Australia Chair

By Miriam Galvin / August 22, 2023

IFIC Ireland, in partnership with the Health Service Executive Ireland, is collecting and mapping documented implementations of integrated health and care across the island of Ireland

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The Waterloo Health and Wellbeing Peer Education Program

By Miriam Galvin / January 12, 2023

In 2021, Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) participated in the IFIC Autumn School. Over the week, a group comprising SLHD staff, NSW Department of Communities and Justice Housing staff, non-government agencies, social housing tenants and other community members were tasked with designing an integrated care intervention to better support the health and wellbeing needs of residents of the Waterloo social housing estate, in inner Sydney NSW, and improve communication between services and residents.

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Workforce Development in Integrated Care a Global Perspective Recruitment invitation

By Niamh Daly Day / February 3, 2022

Workforce Development in Integrated Care a Global Perspective Recruitment invitation Researchers from the University of Sydney, Australia are leading a research study on workforce development in integrated care. The overall aim of the project is to develop an international education framework for the health and social care workforce in integrated care. There are two phases…

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Value-based care: why it matters so much now

By Miriam Galvin / October 8, 2020

The twin challenges of last summer’s bushfires, swiftly followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, have exposed critical bottlenecks and vulnerabilities in the Australian health system

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Is integrated mental health care hard to achieve?

By Miriam Galvin / August 4, 2020

First, what is integrated mental health care- it is a mental health care system that should encompass clear and seamless care pathways that match the intensity and type of care with the severity and complexity of the illness that people experience over time. For most people living with mental illness in Australia these care pathways are often difficult to find and often unaffordable.
Improving mental health care services has been a focus of the Bupa Health Foundation since its beginnings some 15 years ago.

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Australian contributions a factor in boosting IJIC’s impact rating

By Miriam Galvin / July 30, 2020

In June 2020, the International Journal of Integrated Care celebrated a further growth in its impact factor rating to 2.753 – it’s highest rating to date. This reflects a growing level of citations for the Journal that have risen from 341 in 2012 to 1,245 in 2019.

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Realising the Value of Integrated Care in Australia: Beyond COVID19

By Miriam Galvin / July 27, 2020

Integrated care systems and communities provide greater resilience in adapting and coping with such urgent and complex problems. The COVID 19 pandemic may prove to be a catalyst in rethinking how health and care systems work in ways that better protect the vulnerable and are better prepared to cope with emerging systemic shocks.

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The Orange Declaration

By Miriam Galvin / April 1, 2020

In October 2018 researchers and service providers met in Orange NSW to consider the challenges in addressing consistently poor mental health outcomes in rural and remote Australian communities. They concluded that rural mental health services are not working, despite increases in government funding.

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The case for a more intimate relationship between research, policy and practice

By Miriam Galvin / March 3, 2020

A ship without a compass? The case for a more intimate relationship between research, policy and practice to enable the more successful adoption of integrated care

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Congratulations to Sydney Local Health District

By Miriam Galvin / December 2, 2019

Congratulations to Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) for taking out the Collaboration Award in the 2019 Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Sector Management. The ‘Creating Healthy Homes and Neighbourhoods’ initiative delivers cross-agency care coordination to ensure vulnerable families have their health and social needs met, and are connected to society.

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Thinking global while acting local

By Miriam Galvin / September 19, 2019

From a global perspective the Australia health system is considered to be high quality, accessible and innovative delivering good patient outcomes.

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A note from the Chair – Building New Opportunities for Integrated Care

By Miriam Galvin / September 16, 2019

I am delighted to be writing this blog as the new Chair of IFIC Australia and, in so doing, to pay tribute to our outgoing Chair – Peter McGeorge – for his commitment and enthusiasm over the past 2 years

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How to Take Integrated Care Forward in Australia

By Miriam Galvin / September 15, 2019

A core objective of IFIC Australia is to help support the effective implementation of integrated care in policy and practice. The IFIC Australia initiative reflects the growing focus at State and Federal level on person-centred integrated care as a means to promote better value in the way health and care services are delivered

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IFIC Australia welcomes Sydney consortium as Platinum partners

By Miriam Galvin / September 10, 2019

IFIC Australia welcomes its new consortium Partner, comprising Sydney LHD, South Eastern Sydney LHD and Central and Eastern Sydney PHN.

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Building Community Nests

By Miriam Galvin / September 9, 2019

We all know that personal development takes time. It is a lifelong experience that allows us to incorporate new skills and qualities so that we can better face current and future challenges.

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Value Based Health Care: Setting the scene for Australia

By Miriam Galvin / July 18, 2019

On June 4th 2019, IFIC met with the steering committee of the Transnational Forum on Integrated Community Care (TransForm) in Brussels.

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Coordinating care to older people at home: what works and how can we improve care delivery?

By Miriam Galvin / May 30, 2019

On the 17th April 2019, Nick Goodwin hosted a seminar at the University of Newcastle’s Sydney Campus to examine the international evidence and experience in coordination of care to older people with complex needs in the home environment.

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IFIC to Launch International Mapping Exercise of Innovations in Integrated Care

By Miriam Galvin / May 30, 2019

There are many innovations in integrated care ongoing in Australia and worldwide, but most often there is a lack of awareness or appreciation of these projects in how they have been designed and implemented and the impact they have made.

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A final note from Peter McGeorge, Chairman of IFIC Australia

By Miriam Galvin / May 21, 2019

With regret this is my last newsletter as Chair of IFIC Australia, as I stepped down from the role at our last Partners meeting in April.

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Dr Nick Goodwin and Dr David Perkins write for Health Advocate Magazine April Edition

By Miriam Galvin / May 2, 2019

The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) is Australia’s national peak body for public and not-for-profit hospitals and healthcare providers.

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Dr Dana Newcomb reflects on CHQ’s case studies

By Miriam Galvin / May 2, 2019

Integrated care is a well-established concept amongst health policy makers and system leaders in Australia. However it is still considered by many to be a means of improving outcomes and experience of care for older adult populations. Children and young people are often left out of the conversation.

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Health Justice Australia comes on board as a partner

By Miriam Galvin / May 2, 2019

Integrated care is increasingly present in the priorities of Australia’s healthcare, from the work of our primary care services to the policy settings within government.

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IFIC Austalia are delighted to announce partnership with AHHA

By Miriam Galvin / March 26, 2019

Coordinated and integrated care is a critical part of a fit for purpose 21st century healthcare system that meets the 21st century needs and expectations of Australians. The Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association (AHHA) has worked extensively with members and the broader health sector to articulate a vision for value-based, outcomes-focused and patient centred care,

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IFIC sees significant growth in Australian academic output in 2018

By Miriam Galvin / March 26, 2019

When IFIC Australia was founded in November 2015, one of its core objectives was to provide a platform through which to develop and exchange ideas to advance science and knowledge in Australia and on an international stage.

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Nick Goodwin to be appointed as Professor and Director of the Central Coast Research Institute

By Miriam Galvin / March 20, 2019

Prof. Nick Goodwin, co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the International Foundation for Integrated Care, has accepted the appointment as Director of the Central Coast Research Institute (CCRI) that will be based within the Health and Wellbeing Precinct on the Gosford Hospital campus. Developed in partnership between the University of Newcastle and Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD),

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Taking forward Integrated Care in Australia and the Asia-Pacific Region

By Miriam Galvin / March 20, 2019

Led by IFIC Australia’s co-directors – Prof. David Perkins and Prof. Nick Goodwin – this round-table session is designed to bring together delegates from Australia and the Asia-Pacific to learn more about IFIC’s approach to developing collaborative centres and networking activities across the Region.

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Formative Evaluation of the Central Coast LHD’s Integrated Care Programme

By Miriam Galvin / December 18, 2018

The Central Coast LHD is one of three demonstrator sites of the NSW Health Integrated Care Strategy that took place from July 2014 – June 2017

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Work plan and events taking shape for 2019

By Miriam Galvin / November 29, 2018

Hi all. The end of the year is approaching rapidly so it’s time to reflect on how IFICA has progressed over the course of past months and to take a peek at what’s planned for next year.

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The ICA© on the road: teaching integrated care design and implementation in rural New South Wales

By Miriam Galvin / November 27, 2018

In the inspiring landscape of Orange, at the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health of the University of Newcastle a group of integrated care enthusiasts gathered on Monday, 29 October, to start a week-long Accelerated Learning Course on “Designing and Implementing Integrated Care”.

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Organising Care at a Population Level: Reflections from the IFIC Australia Workshop at NSW Parliament House

By Miriam Galvin / November 21, 2018

On the 9th November, IFIC Australia hosted a symposium at NSW Parliament House examining international evidence and experience in the organisation, funding and evaluation of integrated care. Led by Dr Apostolos Tsiachristas (Oxford University), Dr Liz Schroeder (Macquarie University), and Dr Viktoria Stein (IFIC) the symposium explored trends and approaches in the organisation of care services to improve population health and sought to put the debate in the context of the Australian reality.

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Prof. Nick Goodwin visit’s Taiwan to sign a new knowledge partnership agreement with the IAIC

By Miriam Galvin / November 19, 2018

The International Foundation for Integrated Care has developed global reach in the last few years and now boasts a network of approximately 19,000 individuals and organisations across more than 50 countries worldwide. This growth has been particularly strong in the Asia-Pacific region where IFIC has been undertaking conferences

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Evaluating integrated care at Macquarie University’s Centre for the Health Economy (MUCHE)

By Miriam Galvin / November 16, 2018

The Macquarie University Centre for the Health Economy (MUCHE) is based in Sydney, Australia. It is a University led strategic initiative to undertake innovative research on health, ageing and human services.

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Promoting Better Value in Care Provision through Alliancing: Prospects for Australia

By Miriam Galvin / November 16, 2018

Our CEO, Dr.Nick Goodwin, reflects on the prospects for the development of alliances in Australia following the Transformers 3 workshop programme held in Byron Bay and Coffs Harbour between 5th and 8th November 2018 in partnership with the Centre for Healthcare Knowledge and Innovation.

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Winter Strategy care for high risk patients; 2017 and beyond

By Miriam Galvin / November 16, 2018

A joint Primary Care and Hospital Sector program for heightened care for high-risk patients through the 2017 influenza season in Northern NSW has led to ongoing refinement for 2018 and beyond.

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The complex task of Health Economic Evaluation in Integrated Care in New South Wales

By Miriam Galvin / November 8, 2018

Economic evaluation for integrated care is a peculiar task, perhaps not unlike tunnelling through spaghetti in a black hole, or aptly described by Tsiachristas et al as ‘a stairway suspended somewhere between heaven and hell’

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Healthy Homes and Neighbourhoods (HHAN) Integrated Care Initiative in Sydney

By Miriam Galvin / August 22, 2018

A number of families living in our community experience many barriers to accessing health and social care. The problems that these families face are highly complex, often spanning over generations, and cannot be addressed by one agency alone.

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Steady progress in the development of IFIC Australia

By Miriam Galvin / August 21, 2018

Greetings! The past quarter has been a time of steady progress in the development of IFIC Australia (IFICA). Following on from what was a highly successful IFIC conference in Utrecht in May, a teleconference meeting of the Partners was held in June while, expressions of interest from new partners are being followed up, IFICA Webinars commenced and planning for an Accelerated Learning Program during the week of Oct 29th this year has been advanced.

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Integrated care for children, young people and families

By Miriam Galvin / August 15, 2018

Health services globally are under pressure from rising demand and associated fiscal pressures. It has been clear for some time that simply investing in our current hospital focused model of care is not the answer. To realise true value for investment and improve health outcomes we need to work differently.

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Towards integrated mental health services in a rural community

By Miriam Galvin / August 15, 2018

As I write, the Australian media has been focussing in depth on drought in Australia for two weeks. It is as if those in metropolitan Australia have suddenly realised that rural farmers and communities are experiencing hardship and are at risk of psychological distress and mental illness.

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Third Transformers Special Event Series Announced

By Miriam Galvin / August 1, 2018

IFIC Australia’s knowledge partner The Centre for Healthcare Knowledge & Innovation (the Centre) has a new look. On July 1, the North Coast Primary Health Network initiative transitioned to a consortium of some of the most effective and progressive service providers on the North Coast.

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