Channelling “We Do Whatever It Takes” into Primary Health Care Continuity on the Discovery Coast
Tracks
Coolangatta Room
| Monday, July 27, 2026 |
| 11:10 AM - 11:30 AM |
| Coolangatta Room |
Overview
Nell Angus, IMPACT Community Health Service
Details
Three Key Learnings
1. A co‑designed continuity framework that translates the region’s “we do whatever it takes for community” ethos into coordinated, repeatable processes and shared responsibilities across primary health providers and key agencies.
2. The benefits of iterative testing of flexible, interoperable software queries to improve reliability, accuracy and usability of a vulnerable patient identification tool prior to implementation across diverse clinical workflows and terminology.
3. A transferable methodology offering rural and remote regions a scalable model to enhance disaster preparedness and maintain continuity of essential primary health care.
Speaker
Ms Nell Angus
Project Coordinator, Resilient Care
IMPACT Community Health Service
Channelling “We do whatever it takes” into Primary Health Care Continuity on the Discovery Coast
Abstract
The Discovery Coast, located between Gladstone and Bundaberg at the southernmost tip of the Great Barrier Reef, is a diverse and rapidly expanding region comprising small coastal towns, rural communities, acreage properties and extensive National Parks. While the 2021 Census recorded 6,807 residents, population projection data indicates it now exceeds 8,000, driven by post COVID migration and tourism growth. This rapid change intensifies pressure on a health system already limited in infrastructure, workforce availability and service reach.
The region experiences recurrent hazards, including cyclones, severe storms, bushfires, flooding, heatwaves and mass casualty events. Incidents such as the 2004 tilt train derailment, the 2011 and 2013 Baffle Creek floods, the 2018 Central Queensland fires, the 2023 Baffle Creek fires and the 2024 Bruce Highway Bororen truck explosion have caused isolation, displacement, prolonged service interruption and strain on emergency and health systems.
To strengthen system resilience, IMPACT Community Health Service received funding from Country to Coast Queensland through the PHN Program, supported by the Resilient CARE initiative, to develop a Discovery Coast Primary Health Continuity Plan and supporting resources. These include a general practice vulnerable patient identification tool and handbook, stakeholder memorandum of understanding and
provider/ community education resources. The project unites general practices, pharmacies, Queensland Ambulance Service, communities and key agencies to build interoperable systems that enhance disaster management capability.
Three key learnings emerged:
1.Operationalising communities’ “whatever it takes” ethos into a collaborative primary health care continuity framework.
2.Using iterative testing by trialling the vulnerable patient identification tool within IMPACT’s general practice to refine reliability before broader scaling.
3.Designing flexible practice software queries to support interoperability across diverse general practice workflows and terminology.
Although developed for the Discovery Coast, the framework demonstrates clear scalability and transferability for disaster prone rural regions seeking to strengthen primary health continuity through systems level resilience.
The region experiences recurrent hazards, including cyclones, severe storms, bushfires, flooding, heatwaves and mass casualty events. Incidents such as the 2004 tilt train derailment, the 2011 and 2013 Baffle Creek floods, the 2018 Central Queensland fires, the 2023 Baffle Creek fires and the 2024 Bruce Highway Bororen truck explosion have caused isolation, displacement, prolonged service interruption and strain on emergency and health systems.
To strengthen system resilience, IMPACT Community Health Service received funding from Country to Coast Queensland through the PHN Program, supported by the Resilient CARE initiative, to develop a Discovery Coast Primary Health Continuity Plan and supporting resources. These include a general practice vulnerable patient identification tool and handbook, stakeholder memorandum of understanding and
provider/ community education resources. The project unites general practices, pharmacies, Queensland Ambulance Service, communities and key agencies to build interoperable systems that enhance disaster management capability.
Three key learnings emerged:
1.Operationalising communities’ “whatever it takes” ethos into a collaborative primary health care continuity framework.
2.Using iterative testing by trialling the vulnerable patient identification tool within IMPACT’s general practice to refine reliability before broader scaling.
3.Designing flexible practice software queries to support interoperability across diverse general practice workflows and terminology.
Although developed for the Discovery Coast, the framework demonstrates clear scalability and transferability for disaster prone rural regions seeking to strengthen primary health continuity through systems level resilience.
Biography
Nell Angus is an experienced project manager and community focused leader with a background in emergency aligned operations, Indigenous engagement, public health and higher education. She holds a Master of Public Health (Indigenous Health) and has published research in Indigenous public health. Nell has led strategic initiatives, operational teams and multi stakeholder collaborations across universities, government funded programs and health services, including roles with the University of Melbourne, University of Queensland, University of Sunshine Coast, and Beyond Blue. Her work centres on strengthening community resilience, improving systems and supporting culturally informed practice. Nell lives and works in Agnes Water/1770 region.
