- Author James Cook University, Tropical Australian Academic Health Centre (TAAHC) and project partners
- Publish date 11 October 2024
- Type Fact sheet
- Documents
- Health service delivery
Summary
This community factsheet was developed through the Integrating Health Care Planning for Health and Prosperity in North Queensland project and outlines seven community-led actions to improve health and wellbeing in Hughenden. Co-designed with local residents, service providers and community stakeholders, the resource promotes greater awareness and use of local health services, telehealth, patient travel assistance and allied health programs. It also highlights the establishment of a Community Champions network, a local health expo and improved communication pathways to help residents navigate available services. The factsheet demonstrates how participatory, place-based health planning can translate community priorities into practical actions that improve access to care, strengthen local health literacy and support better health outcomes in regional and remote communities.
Projects
Integrating Health Care Planning for Health and Prosperity in North Queensland
This project developed and tested a participatory, place-based approach to health service planning in North Queensland, helping communities, health providers and decision-makers work together to identify local priorities and improve access to care. The project was delivered in two phases. The first phase established the publicly accessible North Queensland Health Atlas and a comprehensive regional gap analysis, providing a shared evidence base to support health service planning and investment decisions across the region. The second phase worked directly with the communities of Clermont, Hughenden and Kowanyama to co-design locally relevant solutions through workshops, interviews and community-led planning processes. The project resulted in a range of practical outcomes, including the reopening of a public midwifery clinic and establishment of a local service provider forum in Clermont, the creation of a Community Champions network, health and social service directory and community health expo in Hughenden, and workforce planning activities in Kowanyama that informed follow-on initiatives. In addition to delivering local outcomes, the project produced lasting resources for communities and planners, including the North Queensland Health Atlas, a Data Sources Catalogue and published guidelines for participatory place-based health planning. Together, these resources support more coordinated, evidence-based and community-informed health planning across northern Australia. The project demonstrated how locally driven planning can strengthen collaboration between communities and service providers, improve awareness and accessibility of services and create a foundation for more responsive and sustainable health systems in regional and remote areas.