HealthWISE is proud to celebrate 10 years of delivering high quality, locally based, client focused services to communities across the New England North West region of NSW and the Darling Downs West Moreton region of QLD.
In the past decade, we have delivered around $98 million of primary health care services to create better health for our communities.
“Our journey has always been mapped by our vision to create healthier communities and strong strategic goals centred around an increased social impact through strengthening community capacity for improved health and wellbeing, investing in preventative health and focusing on vulnerable groups,” HealthWISE chief executive officer Fiona Strang said.
“There are many standout achievements and well deserved awards, but it’s the courage to have a go, the empowerment of staff to pursue their innovations and the willingness to take a risk that has made many activities and programs memorable for me.”
HealthWISE is Established
HealthWISE sprouted up on the closure of New England Medicare Local in July of 2015, with a small but determined team in Tamworth, Armidale, Moree, Narrabri, Glen Innes, Gunnedah and Inverell.
In the first six months, we provided allied health, mental health, Aboriginal health and medical specialists services in the New England North West of NSW.
We also assessed and supported people living with dementia and began our Primary Health Care Nursing program which reached communities of less than 2000.
By Christmas, we had 6947 Aboriginal clients, provided 30 clinics and lifestyle programs a week and had 1000 mental health referrals.
We provided allied and mental health in 23 towns, health promotion and screening in 35 villages and supported GPs in 11 towns with after hours services.
2015
Making Our Mark
We secured all allied health and primary health care nursing services across the New England, and maintained funding to deliver the Small Town After Hours program, supporting GPs to take time off.
We provided mental health services in Tamworth, Gunnedah, Quirindi, Manilla, Barraba and Walcha.
We kept building our strong partnerships and hosted a number of large health screening and education events.
Taking part in the NSW Knockout Health Challenge, our team Mission Slimpossible won 1st place in the video competition and 2nd in the weight loss challenge.
Our mascot Brolly was created to connect further with our communities.
2016
Healthy Communities
By the end of 2017, HealthWISE had established our organisation’s vision of Healthy Communities and purpose to ‘create better health for our communiities’.
We developed our first 5 year strategic plan focused on this vision and purpose.
The Integrated Team Care and Indigenous Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Aftercare program were established.
We became a specialist disability service provider after a review of over 200 documents and interviews with staff and clients.
Our assessor was impressed by the organisational capacity and flexibility of HealthWISE and clients spoke about the quality of our organisation and our person-centred approach to care.
We received an Armidale Regional Business Award for Excellence in Supporting Mental Health Recovery, and were the runner up for the best employer award at the Narrabri Business Awards.
2017
Recover, Adapt, Connect
We began delivering the two year Recover, Adapt, Connect program over 16 LGAs in NSW & QLD.
The multidisciplinary team of allied and mental health clinicians, care navigators and nurses helped people recover from the Black Summer bushfires, and become better prepared for future natural disasters.
We launched a video series educating the Ezidi community on domestic violence. The Armidale Ezidi Care Navigation Program was also named the 2022 Primary Care Leader – Service Provider at the Primary Care Quality & Innovation Awards.
Primary health care nurses Letecia Kearney & Chris Connor received letters of recognition from the local MP and NSW Parliament for their work in our communities.
2022
Turning 10!
As reach this incredible milestone, many of the staff celebrating with us have been part of HealthWISE from the beginning. We’re excited to see where the next 10 years takes us!
This year we are delivering free training for health care and social service providers on social prescribing, which improves health by connecting patients with community resources. The multidisciplinary Diabetes Shared Care pilot program began in Moree.
Our Moree admin assistant Tian Harris was added to the Hidden Treasures Honour Roll for her incredible dedication to volunteering and the local community.
We’ve launched our Yarning About Dementia video series to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers of people living with dementia.
2025
Board chair Lynette Rickard said that HealthWISE has lived its vision of Creating Healthier Communities since day one, and credited the team for their tireless work in our communities. She said the board has developed and matured over the past decade, guiding HealthWISE through significant growth, complexity and change while ensuring that every decision is grounded in purpose, sustainability and community need.
“I believe our commitment to good governance has not only strengthened our organisation—it’s helped us lead by example in the not-for-profit sector,” she said.
The 2023-27 HealthWISE Strategic Plan focuses on three key areas; strengthening community capacity for improved health and wellbeing, preparing vulnerable people to improve their health and resilience and growing the impact of our services through safe, welcoming and accessible care, advocacy and partnerships.
“This plan reflects our deep commitment to the social determinants of health and to investing in prevention, early intervention and community-led solutions,” Lynette said.
“It’s not just a document that has been written and put on the website, it’s a promise to the people we serve, and one we regularly check our progress against, and adjust our course if necessary.”
She highlighted a small sample of the great work happening across the organisation, including the Ezidkhan care navigation program which has guided over 700 new community members through barriers of language, culture and trauma to receive health care, and our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Inclusion and Rainbow Inclusion frameworks which ensure our language and practices welcome everyone.
“One of my greatest pleasures over the past 10 years has been presenting staff with their 10 year anniversary award,” Fiona said.
“Over the years I have presented over 20 awards to much valued staff – a testament to the HealthWISE culture of supporting its most valuable asset – the staff.”
We would like to thank our funders for investing in and supporting HealthWISE, our partners and sub contractors for their continuing involvement and contribution our success, our board for their commitment, investment and strategic guidance, our executive team for their wise and compassionate leadership, and all of our staff for their dedication to community and client centred care.
