More from Australia – Part 3

Continuing from lab director Ed Morrison – catch up with Part 1 and Part 2.

Across Australia, 20 to 30 primary health networks operate to promote health and well-being. The primary objective is to keep people out of the hospital. These networks are a relatively new feature in the Australian health care system. To be successful, each network needs to build a network of networks. The process is complex because each heath network receives multiple dedicated funding flows. Each flow is dedicated to a different population and purpose.

The Primary Health Network in Central Queensland and the Sunshine Coast faces a particularly difficult twist. (More here.) Because the region is so large, face-to-face meetings are difficult to arrange. Nevertheless, PHN’s CEO, Patti Hudson,  has become a firm believer in Strategic Doing. That’s why she has arranged for two staff trainings to take place early next year.

She sees the opportunity to train her staff in the disciplines in Strategic Doing so that they can teach others to build the networks they need.  Because she has a deep background in community health, she understands the importance of building the skills of complex collaboration.

We see the opportunity of working with PHN in Central Queensland  and creating a model that can be replicated in other primary health networks across Australia.