Cohealth celebrates major milestone

Not-for-profit community health organisation Cohealth has reached a major milestone, with its team delivering half-a-million service occasions to clients over the past year.

In August, Cohealth released its FY25 Impact Report, which revealed that its team of more than 900 staff delivered a significant 526,500 service occasions to clients during the past 12 months.

Cohealth’s chief executive Nicole Bartholomeusz said, “We’re proud to have delivered more than half-a-million service occasions in this past financial year, while also continuing to champion the systemic change needed to improve health and wellbeing across our communities.”

“Innovation and partnership have been at the heart of our work in FY25, and our Impact Report showcases what we’ve achieved,” she said.

Cohealth provides low-cost and free local services – including medical, dental, allied health, mental health, aged care and counselling, as well as many other specialist services – to marginalised and vulnerable communities in Melbourne’s CBD, inner-north and inner-west, and on the east coast of Tasmania.

Over the past year, Cohealth has continued to grow, including opening a new health clinic at 69 Bourke St, offering low-barrier, integrated care to people in Melbourne’s CBD, in partnership with The Salvation Army.

It has also expanded outreach services in Melbourne’s CBD and western suburbs, and introduced the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) at the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct.

The VVED is delivered in partnership with Northern Health and has meant that 66 per cent of young people needing medical treatment have avoided unnecessary ambulance callouts and emergency department visits.

“Our achievements in the past year reflect what’s possible when innovation meets strong, purpose-driven partnerships,” Ms Bartholomeusz said.

These partnerships have enabled Cohealth’s services to grow and reach more clients. One such example, according to Ms Bartholomeusz, is the delivery of 2090 occasions of health and social care at Make Room – an initiative supporting people to transition from homelessness to a secure, sustainable home. It is delivered in partnership with Unison Housing, the City of Melbourne, and Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporation, and is supported by the Victorian Government and philanthropists.

Cohealth has also just released its 10-year strategy, which aspires to create healthier communities where everyone – regardless of background or geography – can access quality care and experience better health and social outcomes.

The strategy focuses on building on the existing strengths of Cohealth’s workforce, ensuring a skilled, resilient, diverse, capable, and engaged team.

It also aims to champion innovation by providing a clear vision, resources, and support for creative and bold initiatives that will further the organisation’s mission.

“This is a strategy that will see us be bold and innovative, as we strive to reimagine Australia’s health and social systems to ensure no one is left behind,” Ms Bartholomeusz said. •