🌿 Start the conversation—what’s your plan? This week marks the 30th year of National Palliative Care Week, a time to honour the compassion, connection and care that supports people through life’s final chapter. At Country to Coast Queensland, we’re proud to partner with Palliative Care Queensland and Mingary Care to raise awareness about end-of-life planning—and the power of simple wishes. 💚 Bruce’s wish was to feel the ocean one last time. Thanks to Ambulance Wish Queensland, he did just that—surrounded by his family, in the place that shaped a lifetime of adventure. Planning ahead isn’t just about medical decisions—it’s about dignity, values and love. This year’s theme encourages conversations with loved ones about what truly matters. 📝 Start your care planning journey: https://www.advancecareplanning.org.au/create-your-plan/create-your-plan-qld 🎥 Watch Bruce’s story: https://ambulancewishqld.org.au/bruces-wish-was-to-visit-noosa-main-beach #PalliativeCareWeek #WhatsYourPlan #EndOfLifeCare #AmbulanceWishQld #AdvanceCarePlanning #c2coastqld #CompassionateCommunities (fb)

What does it take to embed virtual care into the future of healthcare—without losing the human connection? At #DHF25, our CEO Julie Sturgess joined Robert Read (Amplar Health), Joshua Mundey (Visionflex) and moderator Travis Hodgson (Healthdirect Australia) for a compelling panel on the evolution of digital healthcare. The conversation tackled big questions — how do we scale what works, where does human connection fit in, and what needs to shift to make meaningful progress? Our key takeaways: 🔁 Scaling what's already working: Australia isn’t short on innovation — but the real challenge lies in scale. As Rob Read noted: “We're not short on pilots. We're short on pathways to scale. And the old way of doing it—it’s not about fixing the system we inherited. It's building the one we want without the limitations.” 🧠 Making digital more human: Travis Hodgson posed a timely question: “In a world that’s becoming dominated by algorithms and artificial intelligence, how do we make sure that the human touch remains in what we do?” The panel offered a hopeful counterpoint — that well-designed digital tools can actually make care more human, not less. From virtual care models that keep older patients connected, to chatbots that improve access without replacing clinicians, the message was clear: tech should enhance, not diminish, connection. 🚀 Being bold with investment and reform: Julie reminded us that health happens well beyond the healthcare system: “If we’re serious about health outcomes, we can’t ignore housing, income and the broader social determinants. Digital solutions need to work across sectors, not just within health.” And grounded her position in recent disaster response work: “If virtual models are safe enough to use during floods and cyclones, why aren’t they embedded in everyday care?” Joshua was direct in his call to action: “Put a virtual care line in every single person's budget, tie it to real KPIs... and stop waiting for perfect conditions.” And, it wouldn’t be a digital health discussion without mention of directories, as Travis added: “Directories are the crown jewel in connected care... we need to continue to lobby government to focus more investment into that.” We’re proud to be part of this national conversation — and even prouder to help lead it. The future of digital health must be connected, preventative and people-first. Digital Health Festival #c2coast #DigitalHealth #VirtualCare #HealthEquity #PrimaryCare #DisasterPreparedness #SocialDeterminants #SystemChange (fb)