COORDINARE celebrates 10 years of improving health and wellbeing in South Eastern NSW

1 July 2025

Today, COORDINARE – South Eastern NSW PHN celebrates 10 years of working to improve health and wellbeing across one of the largest rural and regional populations in New South Wales. 

Established in July 2015 with funding from the Australian Government, COORDINARE has spent the past decade partnering with government, non-profits, healthcare providers, service partners and communities to coordinate local health services and support those at risk of poor health outcomes. 

COORDINARE’s CEO, Ms Prudence Buist said it has been a decade marked by significant activities and achievements, despite the many challenges the region has faced, including the pandemic and natural disasters. 

“Supporting health professionals to care for our community during the pandemic and throughout the recovery phase after the 2019/20 bushfires were defining moments in our organisation's history,” said Ms Buist. 

“The Australian health system can be complex and fragmented, particularly for people who are older, vulnerable or members of our Aboriginal communities. Our work with commissioned providers to co-design system-level improvements has played a vital role in reducing barriers and improving access to health care. 

"We continue to work toward a single, coordinated regional health system—one that delivers exceptional care, promotes healthy choices, and builds resilient communities. Over the past 10 years, we’ve made meaningful progress toward that vision and remain focused on further improvements in the years ahead,” she said. 

COORDINARE has: 

  • Supported GPs and practice staff with training, hundreds of education events, digital health support, and access to local HealthPathways sites. 

  • Worked to take the pressure of hospital emergency departments, commissioning five Urgent Care Clinics.

  • Commissioned providers to open 10 headspace centres, two Medicare Mental Health Centres and five Mental Health hubs, plus we have commissioned mental health and drug and alcohol treatment providers to provide appropriate support. Before COORDINARE there were limited non-government provided Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) services in Southern NSW and other services were scarce.

  • Worked to prevent suicide in our region by funding the backbone teams that are integral to the Illawarra Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention Collaborative, as well as the collaborative in Bega Valley Eurobodalla, and the Goulburn and Region Suicide Prevention Network.  

  • Commissioned the social prescribing, Care Finders and care coordination services to support with complex health needs in navigating an often-confusing network of health and social services.  

  • Worked closely with Local Health Districts to build a unified mental health system, as outlined in the Regional Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan. Our Mental Health Lived Experience (Peer) Work Framework—the first of its kind in Australia—continues to play a key role in developing the Peer Workforce across NSW. 

  • Supported residential aged care homes with training, digital health initiatives and other forms of assistance.  

  • Improved awareness and access to local palliative care options, including at home, and received positive feedback about our Palliative Approach Framework.  

“There is so much more that I could say about our many achievements, and I am confident we’ll see even greater progress over the next 10 years.  

“Today I want to acknowledge and celebrate the dedication and hard work of current and former staff, members of our Board, Clinical Councils, Aboriginal Health Councils, Community Advisory Committees and health professionals. Each has played a vital role in improving the health and wellbeing of people across our region,” added Ms Buist.