Six 12-week pilot projects have commenced under the Collaborative Health Care (CHC) Initiative, a partnership between aged care providers and broader healthcare operators, aimed at improving health outcomes for older Australians in regional communities.
The initiative is being spearheaded Not For Profit aged care provider Whiddon, which has formed a partnership with more the 20 organisations (see below), including the NSW Ministry of Health, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, aged care and hospital operators, academic leaders, and peak bodies.
The CHC Initiative published a White Paper last year, and released an Interim Report in June 2025. Two workshops were held at the University of Sydney in April and June 2025, bringing together over 40 sector leaders to identify shared priorities and co-design solutions – laying the groundwork for the six pilot programs.
“Rural health systems are under strain, but they’re also full of opportunity. Through this initiative, we’re showing what’s possible when silos are removed, and care is designed with community needs at the centre – and we’re not asking for a cent to make this happen,” said Whiddon CEO Chris Mamarelis.
“To move from a white paper to boots-on-the-ground pilots in under a year is almost unheard of in our sector — and it speaks volumes about the will for change across the system.”
The pilots underway include:
- Shared Workforce Models: nurses and allied health professionals are trialling flexible staffing arrangements across both hospitals and aged care homes.
- Agile Transitional Aged Care Beds: A new, fast-tracked hospital discharge pathway is being co-designed to relieve bed pressure in regional hospitals, enabling patients to be transferred directly into available residential aged care beds, bypassing administrative bottlenecks.
- Shared Wellbeing Programs: Long-stay hospital patients are joining aged care-led wellbeing and lifestyle activities, supporting social connection and cognitive health while easing the impacts of prolonged hospitalisation.
- Non-Clinical Services Sharing: Models for shared transport, catering, maintenance, and emergency preparedness are being piloted across co-located or nearby providers.
- Emergency and Disaster Response: A shared agreement on emergency planning.
- Shared Transport: Community Aged Care Providers assist hospital inpatients and Residential Aged Care Home (RACH) residents with transport for health-related appointments
Each pilot is supported by a dedicated local working group and coordinated under a shared governance framework developed by the Nous Group. The programs will be evaluated through a design led by Professor Lee-Fay Low from the University of Sydney.
Progress will be tracked over the coming months, with pilot outcomes to be presented to State and Federal Ministers in early 2026.
“We’re not waiting for reform; we’re building it from the ground up,” said Chris.
“Our goal is simple. Create a scalable, collaborative model that transforms how care is delivered across the country and ensure older Australians in our regions receive the integrated, dignified support they deserve.”
