The Queensland Not For Profit is doubling down on its nurse practitioner-led aged care model, with new Federal funding set to expand the program across eight sites and provide proof it can ease pressure on hospitals and GPs.
Lutheran Services has secured $577,000 from Country to Coast Queensland Primary Health Network to fund a fifth nurse practitioner, extend the program to more homes, and provide evidence of its wider health benefits.
Launched in 2021, the model embeds nurse practitioners in Lutheran Services homes to work alongside GPs, diagnosing and treating chronic conditions, ordering tests, and prescribing medication.
CEO Nick Ryan said the pilot, which began with one nurse practitioner covering Toowoomba and Laidley, was so successful the program has steadily grown with practitioners now in Toowoomba, Laidley, Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
The new funding allows a fifth practitioner to be based at Cooinda Aged Care in Gympie, also supporting Wahroonga Aged Care in Biloela through bi-monthly visits and telehealth clinics. It also covers new telehealth equipment, including an electrocardiogram and wound-care cameras.
The grant will also support detailed analysis for the Federal Government on the program’s impact, from reducing hospital admissions to supporting GP shortages in regional areas.
Mel Wagner (pictured), Lutheran Services’ first nurse practitioner and now Chief Clinician, said the program was “a proven model of care” that has delivered “many positive outcomes for residents with complex health needs.”
With both private and Not For Profit providers like Bupa and Amplar Health now trialling alternative models, the challenge will be ensuring funding and regulation keep pace with innovation.