Innovative Models of Care (IMOC) Program

About the initiative

The IMOC Program objectives are to:

trial new multidisciplinary primary care models designed to reduce chronic workforce shortages and improve patient access in a range of locations (including remote towns)
learn from trials that are under way and incorporate learnings into new trials
evaluate trials to discover which models work, where they work and whether they are financially sustainable.

Communities are rural or remote if they are in categories 3–7 of the Modified Monash Model (MMM).

IMOC aims to attract and keep rural health professionals. It also encourages:

health professionals working to their full scope of practice
multidisciplinary team-based models of care
different employment models for healthcare professionals
sharing of healthcare resources between small, connected communities.

The program has funded over 20 organisations nationally:

In 2020–21, funding was awarded to the New South Wales Rural Doctors Network for 5 trials across Western and Southern NSW (Round 1).
In 2021–22, funding was awarded to GP Down South to trial a model of care in the Warren Blackwood region of Western Australia (Round 2).
In April 2023, funding was awarded to Beechworth Health Service and Outback Futures Ltd (Round 3).
In November 2023, funding was awarded to 6 organisations (Round 4).
In June 2024, funding was awarded to 11 organisations (Round 5).

The IMOC Program funds activities such as:

governance
community engagement
program management activities.

Organisations funded under the IMOC program
	Organisation	Funding	Region	Model
Round 1	Rural Doctors Network Carry out 5 proof-of-concept pilots Learn more and find contact details about the outcomes of the Collaborative Care project. Read the RDN IMOC summary brochure.	$3.6 million over 4 years from 2021	Canola Fields	GP-led multidisciplinary team-based care for chronic-disease patients. Learn more about Canola Fields. Learn more about the outcomes of this trial Canola Fields Deliberate Team-Based Care Model.
			4Ts – Tottenham, Tullamore, Trangie and Trundle	Local health district single employer across sub-region. Learn more about 4Ts. Learn more about the outcomes of this trial 4Ts GP Single Employer Model.
			Lachlan – Parkes and Forbes	Co-design of a shared GP model of care across the region. Learn more about Lachlan. Learn more about the outcomes of this trial Lachlan Valley.
			Murrumbidgee area: Snowy Valleys – Tumut, Tumbarumba, Batlow and Adelong	Shared (group) allied health services model for patients with diabetes. Learn more about Snowy Valleys. Learn more about the outcomes of this trial Snowy Valleys Shared Medical Appointment Model.
			Far Western NSW: Wentworth – Wentworth, Dareton, Buronga and Gol Gol	Sustainable shared GP model of care across the region (ACCHO-led) to address market failure. Learn more about Wentworth. Learn more about the outcomes of this trial Wentworth ACCHO-led Sustainable GP Model.
Round 2	GP Down South Limited	$1.8 million over 5 years from June 2022	Warren Blackwood region of Western Australia	Clinical Care Coordination (CCC) team. Provides support for GPs and improves patient access to integrated health care. Find more information and contact details.
Round 3	Beechworth Health Service	$1.3 million over 4 years from June 2023	North-East Victoria	Improve comprehensive care planning for older people across four multi-disciplinary areas of health care: What matters, medications, mobility, and mental health (4Ms). Find more information and contact details.
Round 3	Outback Futures Ltd	$1.5 million over 5 years from June 2023	5 regions in remote QLD: Blackall-Tambo, Barcaldine, Longreach, Winton, Cloncurry	Work-In-Work-Out (WIWO) multi-disciplinary model to improve access to allied health professionals. Find more information and contact details.
Round 4	Grand Pacific Health	$0.9 million over 4 years from 2024	Batemans Bay and Cooma – NSW	Yarning Spaces: Culturally appropriate multi-disciplinary primary health care services. Find more information and contact details.
	HNECC PHN	$1.5 million over 4 years from 2024	Glen Innes – NSW	Comprehensive Approach for Rural Engagement (CARE) Model: a place-based and person-centred multi-disciplinary health team. Find more information and contact details.
	Killarney Memorial Aged Care	$1.4 million over 4 years from 2024	Killarney – QLD	Holistic team-based care: delivered by a collaborative network of multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals. Find more information and contact details.
	Northern District Community Health	$1.4 million over 4 years from 2024	Central/North-west Victoria: Buloke, Loddon and Gannawarra Shires	Sustainable Rural Healthcare Hub: a network of 6 small health services clustered geographically across the region. Find more information and contact details.
	Sunraysia Community Health Services	$1.4 million over 4 years from 2024	Mildura, Kerang, Shepparton and Myrtleford – VIC	CP@clinic: a community paramedic coordinated care model across 4 community health services. Find more information and contact details.
	Southern Cross Care Ltd	$1.4 million over 4 years from 2024	Chinchilla and Western Downs – QLD	Age Well Community Centre: a one-stop-shop to provide a range of aged care and health services. Find more information and contact details.
Round 5	Amity Health	$1.5 million over 4 years from 2024	Albany – WA	Albany Connected Communities Project: a social prescribing model where health professionals refer patients with unmet social needs to a connect team which then refers patients on to existing support services. Find more information and contact details.
	Northern Eyre Peninsula Health Alliance Inc	$1.4 million over 4 years from 2024	Cleve, Cowell, Kimba, Wudinna, Elliston and Streaky Bay – SA	NEPHA Primary Care Model Activation: a centralised general practice and allied health administration model in rural South Australia. Find more information and contact details.
	Primary Health Tasmania Ltd	$1.5 million over 4 years from 2024	Nubeena, Koonya, Murdunna, Port Arthur, Dover, Geeveston, Bothwell, Ouse, and Hamilton – TAS	Implementing innovative and integrated models of care across 3 rural regions in Tasmania: a community and systems partners collaboration. Find more information and contact details.
	Flinders University	$1.5 million over 4 years from 2024	Nhulunbuy, Galiwin’ku, Gapuwyiak, Garrthalala and Gäṉgaṉ – NT	YArnhem stepped model of care: a digital Stepped-care Mental Health Platform aimed at supporting young Yolŋu to access social and emotional wellbeing care. Find more information and contact details.
	Menzies School of Health Research	$1.6 million over 4 years from 2024	Katherine, Myalli Brumby, Rockhole, Binjari, Werenbun, Manyallaluk, Barunga, Wugularr, Mataranka, Jilkminggan, Minyerri, Urapunga, Ngukurr, Weemol and Bulman – NT	Hep B PAST PLUS: a co-designed approach to reducing liver disease burden in First Nations populations in northern Australia. Find more information and contact details.
	Geriatric Care Australia	$1.6 million over 4 years from 2024	Maclean, Bowen, Collinsville, Lakes Entrance – NSW, QLD and VIC	Interdisciplinary Clinical Support Package: an aged care training model, upskilling general practitioners (GPs), allied health professionals, carers, and nurses to help identify risk factors related to complex age-related health problems. Find more information and contact details.
	Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation	$1.5 million over 4 years from 2024	East Arnhem – NT	An innovative, co-designed, culturally safe and responsive, multidisciplinary model of maternity care focussed on mums, bubs and families in remote North East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory. Find more information and contact details.
	Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network (PHN) Limited	$1.6 million over 4 years from 2024	Toomelah and Boggabilla – NSW Goondiwindi – QLD	Indigenous Wellness Connect: an allied health-led digital health and First Nations complex condition management model. Find more information and contact details.
	Dame Patti Menzies Centre	$1.4 million over 4 years from 2024	Yea, Flowerdale, Kinglake, Alexandra, Eildon and Marysville – VIC	Our Community Our Children: supervised student-led paediatric allied health clinics in 6 trial sites including community education and early years education sessions. Find more information and contact details.
	The North Coast Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health	$1.6 million over 4 years from 2024	Cooloola Cove, Tin Can Bay, Rainbow Beach, Imbil, Glenwood, Amamoor, Cooroy, Pomona, Tewantin, Gympie (outreach): Widgee, Chatsworth, Tamaree and Gunalda – QLD	Mob Pod – Empowering Mob through Community Led Innovation: a mobile mental health services/telehealth model in rural Queensland. Find more information and contact details.
	Mareeba & Communities Family Healthcare Ltd. (MCFHC ORGANISATION)	$1.6 million over 4 years from 2024	Mareeba, Mt Molloy, Mt Carbine, Dimbulah, and Chillagoe – QLD	Primary Care Rural Integrated Multidisciplinary Health Service (PRIM–HS) Mareeba Community Primary Care Trial: testing flexible employment models including a single or primary employer model. Find more information and contact details.

Why it is important

High-quality health care is essential for all Australians – regardless of location. Rural and remote Australians experience poorer health outcomes than people in cities.

New approaches, such as collaboration between local providers and communities, may improve this.

Sustainable solutions can come from:

primary health care professionals working together to deliver services to several smaller, connected communities
making best use of all healthcare providers in a region.

Primary care disciplines may include:

GPs
nurses and nurse practitioners
midwives
allied health practitioners
non-dispensing pharmacists
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers
other health professionals and assistants.

The IMOC Program will benefit healthcare professionals and consumers. It also helps communities create sustainable healthcare for their unique needs.

Goals

The goal is to find out whether the models:

make rural practice more attractive to health professionals
lead to better health services and patient outcomes.

The outcomes may lead to ongoing primary care changes as trials are intended to be financially sustainable into the future, and also potentially applicable to other communities.

Who we work with

We are working with the Office of the National Rural Health Commissioner.

Apply for funding

Round 5 was the final opportunity to apply for funding through the IMOC program. You may still register to receive grant opportunity information and updates on GrantConnect.

Fact sheets