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Mental health advocate backs wellness hub for North-West Tasmania
A prominent Tasmanian mental health advocacy organisation is throwing its support behind St Lukes' proposal for a wellness hub in Devonport, reinforcing the urgent need for more access to preventative health programs across the state’s North-West.
Leading Tasmanian not-for-profit St Lukes, in partnership with Devonport City Council, is seeking $1 million in Federal Government funding to construct the facility, which aims to foster a community culture of movement, nutrition, and connection.
Mental health and suicide prevention advocacy organisation, SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY, is backing the proposal, welcoming its potential to improve mental health and wellbeing across the region.
Founder Mitch McPherson said the proposal highlighted the critical role of accessible community spaces in reducing social isolation and promoting positive health choices.
"Initiatives such as St Lukes' wellness hub have the power to bring people together in ways that support both their physical and mental health, potentially helping countless people on their wellbeing journeys," Mr McPherson said.
“St Lukes has been a key component and entirely instrumental in making Mental Health First Aid training available to the Tasmanian community, allowing the SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY team to use their wellness hubs in Hobart and Launceston, entirely free of charge.
“Providing a safe, comfortable, and private environment is extremely important to conducting successful training and to ensure the wellbeing of all participants. This is exactly what the St Lukes hubs encompass.”
In 2021, 41 per cent of the population in Devonport reported having a long-term health condition – this was 1.6 per cent higher than Tasmania and 5.3 per cent higher than Australia as a whole.
With one in five Tasmanians also living with mental health issues, St Lukes CEO Paul Lupo emphasised the urgency of action.
"The backing from our community partners, including SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY, reinforces what we already know – that there is a deep need for preventative health initiatives in North-West Tasmania," Mr Lupo said.
"Our Devonport wellness hub will fill a gap and provide a non-intimidating entry point for people who want to take charge of their health, but don't know where to start.”
St Lukes Event and Partnership Manager, Nikki Long, said the wellness hub model delivered the key ingredients for better health and wellness outcomes, without the need for medical intervention.
“Our wellness hubs are welcoming spaces that bring together like-minded individuals and organisations to offer a diverse range of preventative health and wellbeing programs for the community that encourage movement, nutrition and connection,” Ms Long said.
“We’ve experienced huge demand since opening our first two hubs in Hobart and Launceston, which have seen 18,954 Tasmanians attending events and programs since they opened.”
Mr Lupo said having the support of organisations like SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY reinforced the sentiment of the organisation’s members, with 90 per cent supporting the wellness hub proposal for the North-West.
“With strong support at community level, St Lukes and Devonport City Council are urging the Federal Government to recognise the opportunity for investment in Tasmania’s long-term health future,” Mr Lupo said.
The proposed wellness hub would be located within the Devonport Oval Precinct, with St Lukes responsible for its operation, ensuring alignment with Devonport City Council’s Living Well Devonport Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
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Contact: Jacquie Ray, Timmins Ray Public Relations – 0429 683 779 | jacquie@timminsray.com.au
‘Healthiest Island’ partnership brings surgery-saving program North
Tasmanian-first program preventing osteoarthritis-related surgery launches in Launceston
A program revolutionising osteoarthritis (OA) treatment and drastically reducing the need for surgical hip and knee replacements is expanding to Launceston, thanks to a key partnership between two healthcare providers committed to keeping Tasmanians out of hospital.
The collaboration between Tasmanian not-for-profit St Lukes and Kieser Australia uses guided physiotherapy and strength training for people diagnosed with hip or knee OA, with the aim to delay or avoid surgery altogether. Patients would otherwise need an urgent joint replacement, or suffer through pain, reduced movement, and flow-on health impacts.
OA is a chronic degenerative joint disease, causing pain, stiffness and disability. Around 2.2 million Australians currently suffer from OA – a number that is predicted to increase to 3.1 million by 2030. As the primary treatment for OA, joint replacements are on the rise, increasing 32 per cent between 2008 to 2018.
The program’s expansion to the north follows the overwhelming success of the initial Kieser Osteoarthritis Pilot Program – a Tasmanian-first developed in partnership with St Lukes in the south of the state.
St Lukes Chief Health Officer Luke Cameron said they were continuing to explore with Kieser ways to better understand the impact of OA in regional areas, and what models of care could be developed to assist in keeping more Tasmanians out of hospital.
“The first group of participants in this pilot program were able to achieve significant functional and strength improvements, and on average their pain levels halved,” Mr Cameron said.
“For people living with chronic pain, that’s a remarkable result which makes a huge difference to their quality of life.
“The feedback in southern Tasmania was so positive that we are proud to now bring the program to Launceston, to help keep those suffering from osteoarthritis moving, healthy, and out of hospital.
“St Lukes has a vision to make Tasmania the healthiest island on the planet, and we are thrilled to partner with providers such as Kieser to look at health challenges such as OA holistically.”
Kieser Australia Clinic Leader Jed Morgan said there was significant need for the program in northern Tasmania.
“This is a pilot we’ve developed together with St Lukes, targeted to the needs and lifestyles of Tasmanians, and we’re thrilled to collaborate on a new program for people in the north,” he said.
“Over 14 weeks, we work with clients with OA on a tailored program in the Kieser facility. The program involves one-on-one sessions with our physiotherapists and exercise scientists to isolate the muscles associated with their pathology, restoring strength and function to our clients.
“There are clear physical benefits, but we also see a huge improvement in participants’ mental health and wellbeing as the burden of chronic pain eases and they enjoy improved strength, fitness and quality of life.”
St Lukes CEO Paul Lupo said the OA program was an excellent example of the non-profit’s focus on preventative and early intervention action to keep people out of hospital.
“People’s expectations of private health are changing,” Mr Lupo said. “Our members now want us to help them maintain and optimise their health and wellbeing, not just to get well again once a serious health issue hits.
“That’s why this federal election, we’re advocating for regulatory change that would allow funds like St Lukes to play a greater role in primary care, especially in the preventative space.
“We’re also asking candidates to back a hospital-in-the-home program, where GPs can refer patients for home-based acute care, and remain involved in collaborative discussions about patients’ care – exactly what we’ve seen happen with our Kieser OA pilot program.
“This is not a minor issue. Last financial year, joint replacements were our second biggest hospital claim area, a close second to heart-related procedures. OA claims will only increase as Tasmania’s population ages. If we can keep even a percentage of those members from needing surgery through early, non-surgical treatment, it will relieve pressure on our hospitals and joint replacement waitlists.
“Programs like this that make hospital admission a last resort are a great proof point of our vision to make Tasmania the healthiest island on the planet.”
[1] Ackerman I L et al, Counting the cost: the current and future burden of arthritis. Arthritis Australia. 2016.
[1] https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-musculoskeletal-conditions/osteoarthritis/data
Tasmania is the place to pilot revolutionary health care
It is no surprise that health has emerged again as a defining issue this federal election. Until we tackle our health issues at the source, they will continue to worsen. We neglect long-term preventive health investment at our own peril.
Within this reality lies a compelling case for Tasmania’s political candidates to demonstrate transformative national leadership and position our state to become the blueprint for revolutionary preventative health care models, setting a new standard for regional Australia.
Tasmania is grappling with some of the country's most alarming health statistics, including a staggering 20-year gap in life expectancy between Bridgewater and Sandy Bay residents[1]. We have among the highest rates of smoking, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and asthma. One in five Tasmanians also live with mental health issues. This is an unconscionable reality that demands immediate action.
But while chronic illness remains one of the state’s biggest health challenges, the good news is 80 per cent of these conditions are lifestyle-related and completely preventable. Despite this, the Tasmanian Government is spending a mere fraction (just three per cent) of the state’s health budget on preventative health. Like most state health systems, it is in constant firefighting mode.
With a vision to make Tasmania the healthiest island on the planet, St Lukes proposes a game-changer this election – the creation of a federally backed Healthy Futures Fund.
Much like the Australian Government’s forward-thinking future fund for infrastructure, guaranteed funding specifically for preventative health would empower small-scale programs to reach impactful scales, while fostering innovative approaches to community health, all geared to achieve generational change.
As an example, targeted initiatives in health literacy, smoking cessation, obesity prevention, and mental health could alleviate immense pressure on overburdened health systems.
St Lukes is ready to work with the government of the day to find and facilitate solutions in this space because: a) it is the right thing to do; b) it takes pressure off the public system; and c) it is an area where the public and private sectors can work together to create health systems that better meet community expectations.
We now cover more Tasmanians than any other private health insurer, and our members expect more from us – they want us to help them be healthy and stay well, so we’re answering the call.
We have a bigger role to play in primary care and we know this is supported by our community because our membership informs everything we do and we see it every day in our wellness hubs, where we fund a range of preventative initiatives for the whole community.
In addition to the Healthy Futures Fund, we are advocating for $1 million in federal funding to construct our third wellness hub in Devonport. We’ve experienced huge demand since opening our first two hubs in Hobart and Launceston, filling a gap for Tasmanians who want to get healthier, but don’t know how or where to start.
We are also seeking support to pilot a new model of care, providing acute home-based treatment for patients who would normally be admitted to hospital. By stepping up services outside hospital walls, the program would reduce preventable admissions, drive better patient outcomes, and generate invaluable data to inform broader adoption across Australia.
These initiatives represent a paradigm shift. Small investments that have the potential to lead to real generational change, if only we saw a government willing to look at the big picture.
Tasmania can turn its appalling situation around and leave a legacy of health care innovation. With the Federal Government's support, these initiatives can save lives, enhance life expectancy, and set an enduring example for the rest of Australia.
We are asking for a hand up, not a hand out, to redefine health care for our future generations.
Paul Lupo is the CEO of Tasmanian not-for-profit St Lukes.
[1] University of Tasmania | The education crisis imperilling Tasmania’s future and what we can do about it.
St Lukes seeks federal funding to deliver successful wellness hub model in Devonport
Leading Tasmanian not-for-profit St Lukes has entered into a strategic partnership with Devonport City Council, aimed at connecting the community to deliver better health outcomes for North-West Tasmanians – with the Federal Government urged to get on board.
St Lukes is asking for $1 million in Federal Government funding to construct a wellness hub in Devonport, delivering its proven model to the North-West of the state, in partnership with the Council.
St Lukes initiated discussions with federal politicians some months ago and intends to ramp up its campaign in the lead up to the federal election.
With the burden of preventable chronic disease in North-West Tasmania among the highest in Australia, St Lukes CEO Paul Lupo said the wellness hub represented a multi-generation investment in the health and wellbeing of Devonport and the broader region.
“St Lukes partnership with the Devonport City Council is a strategic collaboration that will serve as a catalyst for connection within the community,” Mr Lupo said.
“There is a critical and urgent need to better engage and communities in areas where they can manage their health through preventative lifestyle changes to improve health outcomes.
“Our wellness hub concept for the North-West provides an entry point for people in the community who want to make positive changes to their health, but simply don’t know where to start, offering a diverse range of preventative health and wellbeing programs that encourage movement, nutrition and connection.”
In 2021, 41 per cent of the population in Devonport reported having a long-term health condition –1.6 per cent higher than Tasmania and 5.3 per cent higher than Australia as a whole.
Further, almost two thirds of the North-West population are overweight or obese, more than 70 per cent undertake insufficient physical activity, and only one in 20 (6 per cent) eat enough vegetables.
With a vision of making Tasmania the healthiest island on the planet, Mr Lupo said St Lukes was determined to help shift the dial.
“These poor health outcomes represent a long-term situation, highlighting the challenges our health system faces in addressing entrenched negative health trends within targeted regional populations,” he said.
“The Devonport wellness hub will benefit from the learnings of our Hobart and Launceston hubs, which have welcomed more than 15,000 people participating in a range of activities and events.”
Under St Lukes’ proposal, the Federal Government would fund the build and fit-out of the wellness hub open to the whole community, with Devonport City Council providing the location, already identified within the planned Devonport Oval Precinct.
St Lukes will provide its wellness hub model and be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the North-West hub, working closely with Council to ensure strategic alignment to its Living Well Devonport Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
Devonport Mayor Alison Jarmen said Council welcomed the proposal, which would further leverage existing federal funding for the sporting precinct, enhancing the benefits of both initiatives to deliver an even greater outcome for the community.
“We have a timely and unique opportunity to integrate a dedicated wellness hub into the facility that acts as an entry point to capture a broader audience who might not directly participate in the sporting complex,” Mayor Jarmen said.
“St Lukes’ vision for Tasmania to be the heathiest Island on the planet strongly aligns with Council’s aspiration for all our community members to be eating, moving, being, learning, and connecting with a sense of belonging and pride in the place we call home.
“The proposal represents a multi-generation investment in the health and wellbeing of our city and the broader region.”
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For more information
Jacquie Ray, Timmins Ray Public Relations: 0429 683 779.
[1] Devonport City Council Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023-2033