Pictured L-R: Amanda Tutty – Physiotherapist at Movement Logic Physiotherapy, Julian White – Senior Manager Primary Care Advancement at Healthy North Coast, Monika Wheeler – CEO Healthy North Coast, Meagan Kelly – Physiotherapist at Movement Logic Physiotherapy, Dr Adrian Gilliland – HNC Board Chair & local GP, Luke Elias – Director Primary Health Programs & Partnerships at Healthy North Coast.
Healthy North Coast is pleased to announce the second round of successful recipients of its Primary Care Impact Grants – innovative, locally designed projects that will support high quality care for people living with chronic and complex diseases across the region.
Following on from a successful first grant round announced in June 2025, 13 grants with a total value of $679,564 have been awarded in this second round, with funding going directly to general practices, Aboriginal Medical Services, allied health businesses and other local providers across the Mid North Coast and Northern NSW, to test and scale creative solutions to current health care challenges.
Healthy North Coast CEO Monika Wheeler said the response to the initiative has shown the depth of commitment from local health providers to improving care for their communities:
“Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in Australia, but we know that nearly 40% of this burden could be prevented by early intervention and addressing risk factors.
“We’ve seen the real difference that local ideas can make through our first round of Primary Care Impact Grants. This second round will give even more providers across the North Coast the chance to test and scale practical solutions that improve care and make it easier for people to stay healthy.”
The Primary Care Impact Grants are part of Healthy North Coast’s commitment to strengthening the region’s primary health care system through the Australian Government’s Primary Health Network program.
$3.4m in total funding has been made available until 30 June 2027. This includes $1.8m through the MyMedicare Multidisciplinary Teams initiative and $1.6m through Primary Health Network program funding to support the management of complex and chronic diseases in high-risk populations.
$1,571,984 has been awarded through 31 successful grants to date, with future grant rounds still to come.
Amanda Tutty, Physiotherapist at Movement Logic Physiotherapy in Coffs Harbour, was thrilled to be among the successful recipients in the second grant round:
“We are really excited through the Primary Impact Grant program to be able to offer an affordable, accessible and evidence-driven program for people on the Coffs Coast with hip and knee osteoarthritis.
“Through exercise and education, our program aims to empower people with osteoarthritis to understand better and live well with their condition, as well as support them in decision making about their treatment options across their arthritis journey.”
The Primary Care Impact Grants are designed to support continuous quality improvement in primary care. The grant applications were reviewed using an evaluation rubric that assessed community need, health equity, efficiency and feasibility of each proposal, by a panel of health experts.
Successful proposals had a data-informed and evidence-based approach to meeting the needs of their communities, with a focus on reporting outcomes to drive continuous quality improvement.
“These are projects that directly respond to the needs of local communities. They are practical solutions that are making a real difference for patients and providers alike,” Ms Wheeler added.
“If you’re a local health provider with an innovative idea for chronic disease prevention and management in your community, I’d encourage you to register your interest for our future grant rounds.”
Each grant recipient will provide valuable data back to Healthy North Coast to assist with evaluation of the program.
More information on the Primary Care Impact Grants, including for local health professionals interested in applying for future rounds, is available on Healthy North Coast’s website.
List of Round Two Primary Care Impact Grant recipients
Multidisciplinary Team Care Grants:
- PKG Medical Centre, Tweed Heads – Supporting vulnerable adults living with diabetes mellitus, chronic airway diseases (asthma and COPD) and chronic kidney failure by coordinating bulk-billed services from allied health professionals – $74,750
- Total Health Pottsville – Integrating pharmacist-led medication reviews into the general practice setting to reduce medication-related errors, adverse effects, and avoidable hospitalisations in older patients with chronic disease – $75,000
- Woodburn Health – Structured assessments, targeted care planning, and regular follow-up with multidisciplinary input for chronic disease prevention and management – $75,000
- Yamba Doctors – Dedicated, weekly diabetes education and movement-based support through a local educator and exercise physiologist – $65,820
Total Multidisciplinary Team Care Grants awarded: $290,570
Chronic Disease Prevention Grants:
- Ocean Shores Medical Centre – RN-led clinic delivering proactive chronic disease prevention and management through early identification, risk assessments, and care planning – $25,000
- Wauchope Physiotherapy and Sports Rehab Centre – A structured, evidence-based falls prevention initiative targeting older adults in the Wauchope region – $49,320
- Port Macquarie Wound Care Clinic – Nurse-led program delivering specialist wound care and chronic disease management to vulnerable patients across the Hastings-Macleay region – $50,000
- O-Plus Health, Iluka – Multidisciplinary High Risk Foot Clinic in the Clarence Valley region to address a critical service gap for people with type 2 diabetes at risk of foot complications – $50,000
- Movement Logic Physiotherapy, Coffs Harbour – Person-centred, evidence-based care for people with knee and hip osteoarthritis in the Coffs Harbour region – $50,000
- Tweed Health For Everyone – Expand existing multidisciplinary wound care service to better meet the needs of high-risk patients in the Tweed region – $40,000
- Banora Point Medical Centre – Nurse-led diabetes clinics to enhance chronic disease management, provide early intervention, and promote preventive care for people with or at risk of diabetes – $24,674
- Keen Street Clinic, Lismore – Expand chronic disease management services by embedding structured mental, emotional, and social health assessments into care planning – $50,000
- Your Family Practice, Lakewood – Establish weekly Well Women’s Clinic in Camden Haven to empower women through access to general practice services, IUD insertions, education, and trauma-informed care – $50,000
Total Chronic Disease Prevention Grants awarded: $388,994
More information about each of the round two grant recipients can be found on Healthy North Coast’s website.
