Care Co-ordination Service Centre patient experience officer Joshua Janke (left) and patient Patrick Butcher Jnr discuss the impact the new hub is having on the Lockhart River man’s health outcomes. Photo: Supplied.
A Lockhart River man is praising a new “one-stop shop” for complex health support for allowing him and other remote patients to go from strength to strength on their medical journeys.
The Queensland Government opened the Care Co-ordination Service Centre (CCSC) in Cairns in November 2023 and it has since supported more than 1,600 patients from across the state’s far north in getting improved access to high-quality healthcare closer to home.
The centre is the first of its kind in Queensland and supports patients with complex care needs by offering a range of co-located services including travel, finance and referral systems.
Lockhart River resident Patrick Butcher Jnr said the CCSC was making a significant difference in his healthcare.
“They’ve supported me with transport and organising food packs,” he said.
“To have a service like that, for them to provide support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, it’s so good – all I need to do is rock up at the right time.
“It makes a whole lot of difference to have someone there so you know you’re not forgotten in the health system.
“Since I’ve been going through the service, it’s got me back on track and I’m going from strength to strength.”
The CCSC is a joint project between the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service, the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, and Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council.
Minister for Health, Mental Health and Ambulance Services Shannon Fentiman said the centre provided patients with a single point of contact as they navigated through the health system.
“This amazing initiative has already enhanced the health and wellbeing of those in rural and remote communities across Far North Queensland,” she said.
“In the first six months since the Care Co-ordination Service Centre was officially launched, it has proven to be an enormous success; more than 1,600 people have accessed more streamlined care and treatment closer to home, reducing their need to travel, which we know can be a stressful, sometimes costly, experience.”
