Strategic Plan 2023 - 2030

Strategic Plan 2023 - 2030

Healthy North Coast commenced operations in 2012. We are a not-for-profit organisation whose principal activity is to enable better health for North Coast communities.

We believe there is no wrong door, all North Coast residents should be supported to have their health needs met regardless of how and where they enter the health system.

As one of Australia’s 31 Primary Health Networks (PHNs) funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, we work to streamline health services, particularly for those at risk of poor health outcomes, and to better coordinate care so people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

Our Vision

Healthy people in North Coast communities

Our Values

Community first and always | Achieving more together | Nurturing innovation

Our Purpose

To build a person-centred health system in which each member of the North Coast community, especially those with the greatest need, receives care that is integrated, high quality and easy to access. Our commitment to closing the gap and reducing health inequity for Aboriginal people and communities is paramount to each of our objectives and outcomes.

Our areas of impact

To achieve our vision, we will focus on these areas of impact:

Excellence

We champion excellence in planning, commissioning and person-centred care, driven by curiosity, compassion and continuous improvement – this is underpinned by our focus on monitoring and evaluation.

We aspire to lead system integration across the region – creating lasting impact and ensuring the value of primary and community care is recognised and celebrated.

We communicate with purpose and clarity, sharing stories that centre on people and strengthen our region.

We embrace reform with confidence and are proud to be innovators shaping the future of health care.

Equity

We actively listen to communities and prioritise needs so that resources reach those where they will make the greatest difference.

We strengthen the primary healthcare system to empower every North Coast resident to live their healthiest life.

We act with intention to close the gap in health outcomes, walking alongside and directed by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, and upholding a genuine ‘no wrong door’ approach to care.

We support collaborative action to improve housing, education, the economy and other social determinants of health with health, social and local government stakeholders.

Sustainability

We collaborate with partners across health and social care, including Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and Local Health Districts, to build a connected and resilient health system for the North Coast.

We lead with responsibility – reducing waste, planning for climate impacts and natural disasters, and optimising our workforce, resources and technology for long-term impact.

We harness artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation with purpose, ensuring it strengthens care and connection.

Our governance is transparent, accountable and anchored in quality.

People

Our people are the heart of our excellence – the community, GPs, nurses, pharmacists, mental health professionals, allied health professionals, administrators and our own our team.

We embrace new ways of working and are united by a shared commitment to high performance and collaboration.

We invest in attracting and growing talent, supporting professional development, and nurturing positive, thriving workplace cultures across our region.

In line with the quadruple aim of successful health reform, PHNs deliver 3 core functions:

  • Coordinate and integrate local health care services in collaboration with Local Hospital Districts and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations to improve the quality of care, people’s and clinicians experience of care and efficient use of resources.
  • Commission primary health care and mental health services to address population health needs and gaps in service delivery, to improve access and equity.
  • Capacity-build, collaborate and provide support to general practice, primary health care and mental health providers to support quality care delivery.

PHNs’ primary objectives are to keep people well, particularly people with chronic health conditions and mental illness, and reduce pressure on the hospital system. To accomplish this, PHNs deliver national programs using a ‘place-based’ approach – tailoring initiatives to meet their local population’s health needs.

Download the 2023-2030 Strategic plan.

Healthy North Coast ’s Strategic Plan provides a roadmap for our organisation’s vision for 2030.

Our strategy is based on global trends and modelling, policy and scientific literature, and is sense-checked against regional evidence, data, community feedback and through targeted consultation with Healthy North Coast’s Advisory Committees.

The plan is underpinned by recognition of Aboriginal peoples’ rights to self-determination, cultural rights, rights to education, health, employment and language, and commits to promoting their full and effective participation in all matters that concern them.

This 2023-2030 Strategic Plan ensures our work is focused on the areas that matter most to our communities, our partners and us. It guides us forward to an intentional future, is reviewed for currency and adapted if needed.

This plan positions Healthy North Coast to take a proactive approach to addressing both global and regional challenges and creates an opportunity to work collaboratively with our stakeholders and community to design and implement systems, structures and services that improve health and wellbeing outcomes in a rapidly changing world.

The challenges facing primary health care

The Australian health system faces significant pressures – rising costs driven by increasing incidence of chronic diseases, an ageing population, inequitable access to services and gaps in workforce.

Changing patient expectations are driving more personalised, digital and integrated care experiences.

Relevant policy and literature highlight the importance of prevention, wellbeing and social determinants; health system agility and resilience; growing the use of digital technology in services design and delivery; and the need for a shift from volume to value-based commissioning that improve health outcomes, particularly for priority populations.

As we navigate complex challenges over the coming decade, the Healthy North Coast Board has identified three global megatrends that are significant for our business and our communities: adapting to climate change, the escalating health imperative, and diving into AI  and digital.

Adapting to a changing climate

The World Health Organisation (WHO) identified climate change as the single greatest threat to human health. It is well documented that the rapidly changing climate is locked in, and extreme weather events are increasing in intensity and severity, both globally and locally.

The North Coast of NSW (together with Southeast Queensland) is an identified disaster ‘hotspot’ in Australia. In recent years, the region has experienced a series of major disasters (2017 floods, 2019-2020 bushfires, 2021 Mid North Coast floods, catastrophic 2022 Northern Rivers flooding, 2025 Ex-Tropical Cyclone and 2025 Mid North Coast flood events) along with the COVID-19 global pandemic.

These events have had a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of our communities and service providers. The response to climate change requires deep commitment to disaster preparedness, community and health sector resilience and adaptation.

The escalating health imperative

Health care expenditure continues to grow as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) in most countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

This is exacerbated by ageing populations and evolving health challenges such as antimicrobial resistance and anticipated future pandemics.

By 2030, a third of North Coast residents will be aged 65 years or older.

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed health challenges around the management of chronic illness and mental health. It highlighted the importance of social and economic determinants of health. Lifestyle interventions implemented earlier in life can transform ageing pathways to enable quality of life. Health and social services working in integrated systems can focus service delivery on what matters most and simultaneously reduce waste through low value care.

Diving into artificial intelligence and digital

The rapid development of AI tools and the adoption of other digital and data technologies in recent times has meant that many sectors and organisations have experienced considerable operational and workforce change. This is set to continue.

AI, remote working, telehealth, virtual education and the emergence of data-driven organisations is revolutionising the way companies operate.

A willingness to innovate and leverage opportunities enabled by digital and data technologies will improve health and wellbeing outcomes on the North Coast. While committed to diving into the digital realm, we stay focused on ensuring responsible and ethically sound approaches through robust governance and cybersecurity.

A focus on excellence

Strategic initiatives

  • champion planning and commissioning excellence
  • embed consumer perspectives in all stages of commissioning cycles
  • use evidence and data from diverse sources to determine our priorities
  • use evolving ways of measuring outcomes
  • deliver a transparent performance reporting program to stakeholders
  • provide leadership for integration care across the health system
  • demonstrate the value of North Coast primary health care to state, Commonwealth, local government and communities
  • demonstrate our impact and capability through clear, purposeful narratives
  • strengthen our brand value with all stakeholders

Outcomes

  • increased value for investment in collaborative commissioning
  • communities actively contribute to needs identification, service design, implementation and evaluation
  • commissioning activities demonstrate improved health outcomes in all PHN Program areas and regional needs:
    • Aboriginal health
    • aged care
    • alcohol and other drugs
    • digital health
    • mental health and suicide prevention
    • population health
    • workforce
  • primary care inclusion in health care policy and planning across all tiers of government
  • Healthy North Coast is a recognised and trusted source of information
  • scaling of local innovation nationally

A focus on equity

Strategic initiatives

  • use needs-based prioritisation planning to drive health equity and allocate resources where needed most
  • actively engage with and elevate the voice of priority populations
  • deliver targeted initiatives to address health inequity
  • actively partner with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations regarding the investment and activities in Aboriginal health
  • improve access to health care by embedding a no wrong door approach into primary health care services
  • improve health literacy, especially in priority populations
  • engage meaningfully and respectfully with health service providers, other stakeholders and communities
  • evaluate services and initiatives and act on findings, including investment in prevention
  • support collaborative action with health, social and local government partners to improve the social determinants of health, with a focus on housing and homelessness

Outcomes

  • Outcomes that matter to communities are included in health needs assessments
  • Commissioning is aligned to the health needs assessment and collaborative services planning
  • improved health and wellbeing across the age continuum and for priority populations
  • Aboriginal health priorities and services are driven by Aboriginal communities
  • higher rates of health self-management by consumers
  • improved access to primary health care
  • improved consumer and provider experience via seamless digitally enabled navigation
  • improved social determinants of health
  • health consumers are seamlessly connected with social, housing and other support services, if required
  • people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness access primary health care services in their community, including at homelessness services

A focus on sustainability

Strategic initiatives

  • build an integrated health and wellbeing ecosystem that is geared towards cross-sector collaboration and communities’ strengths
  • increase investment in preventive health, primary care and wellbeing
  • build partnerships with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, Local Health Districts, commissioned service providers and other stakeholders
  • proactively mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change
  • use AI and other technological innovations to optimise internal operations, enable the health workforce and improve access to health, ensuring robust cyber and information security
  • be effective financial stewards of commissioning funding
  • attract and leverage a diverse range of funding streams to meet emerging needs
  • develop an effective financial, performance management and accountability regime
  • maintain good governance with an engaged and skilled Board that is well briefed
  • provide an effective, efficient and ethical program of commissioning and procurement
  • work in alignment with the PHN Program Performance and Quality Framework, enhanced by place-based planning

Outcomes

  • health partnerships drive improved health outcomes, evolved models of care and new funding streams
  • evidence of health system adaptation to climate change
  • infrastructure is in place to support disaster resilience
  • reduced impact on the environment
  • patient journeys are streamlined through AI and other technology
  • lower demand for acute health care
  • a strong, diverse, bold and effective Board that successfully supports Healthy North Coast to reach our strategic goals
  • diverse funding streams fund regional priorities
  • increased internal operational efficiency and effectiveness

A focus on people

Strategic initiatives

  • strengthen the capacity and capability of the primary health care workforce and service providers
  • build a high level of primary health care workforce satisfaction
  • build cultural competence of the primary health care workforce, commissioned providers and our staff
  • strengthen the capability of our staff to deliver our strategic and operational plans
  • Build and maintain a high performing team and a culture of success
  • support workplace cultures that create strong learning environments and mechanisms for fostering innovation
  • build a diverse and inclusive Healthy North Coast workplace that values all employees

Outcomes

  • the North Coast is a desirable place to live and work
  • clinicians have a positive experience delivering care
  • multidisciplinary primary health care service models are embedded across the region
  • ways of working that foster collaboration and peer support
  • culturally competent primary health care workforce, commissioned providers and Healthy North Coast staff
  • improved Healthy North Coast workforce attraction, retention and organisational culture
  • diversity and inclusion where all staff are empowered to contribute and work at their optimal best, enhancing innovation

Monitoring and evaluation

Our 7-year Strategic Plan includes outcomes for each area of impact. These will be evaluated at the end of the plan’s timeframe in 2030. This evaluation will focus on the outcomes of the Strategic Plan and be informed by the deliverables and indicators in the Operational Plan. The Operational Plan is built annually and monitored and adapted regularly to ensure progress towards achieving our strategic outcomes by 2030.