"Local people deserve to have the same quality of healthcare as those in the city. New approaches such as collaboration between local providers and communities can help improve our local health outcomes," Fiona Phillips said commenting on the new grants available for healthcare.

The latest round of the grants program “Innovative Models of Care” is open for applications from local health care organisations and grants of up to $1.6 million are available.

Fiona Phillips MP, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care the Hon Ged Kearney and GP Dr Dominic Frawley. 

The Albanese Government has committed $35 million to fund eligible rural and remote recipients to develop innovative primary care pilots to address health workforce shortages and improve patient access to health care in regional Australia. Fiona Phillips MP, Member for Gilmore, is encouraging eligible services to apply.  

A key aim of this program is to attract and keep health professions in regional areas like ours, which has been an issue for quite some time. It also encourages multidisciplinary team-based models of care, with a greater range of health professionals working collaboratively and sharing their healthcare resources.

A multidisciplinary team can consist of doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, midwives, non-dispensing pharmacists as well as all manner of allied health professionals.

"Local practitioners have been telling me for years that change is needed to the way we deliver healthcare. I'm delighted the government is supporting a more wholistic approach to healthcare delivery in regions like ours," Phillips said.

These grants support the Albanese Government’s Strengthening Medicare reforms. They aim to improve access to health care services in rural and remote areas and reduce the health inequity experienced by First Nations people and other disadvantaged groups.

“If you've had to travel a long way to see your doctor, wouldn't it be great if you could also see your speech pathologist, your midwife or nurse practitioner all at the same place. That's what the Innovative Models of Care program aims to do," Phillips said.

Also, “It would be great to see some trials of the Innovative Models of Care program happening in our region, and I strongly encourage local health practitioners to apply for these grants.”

The Innovative Models of Care Program (IMOC) is open to eligible primary care organisations located in Modified Monash Model (MMM) categories 3 – 7. You can find out whether your organisation is classified as rural and remote by checking the MMM classification here: Health Workforce Locator | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

For more information on the IMOC program and how to apply, see: https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/imoc-program