Wellbeing Partnership making a healthy difference in northern Adelaide

The Northern Adelaide Health and Wellbeing Partnership (the Wellbeing Partnership) came together in 2021 through a series of roundtables which culminated in the development of a shared vision of creating a vibrant health and wellbeing community for the north.

The Wellbeing Partnership aims to attract and increase research, education, health and wellbeing opportunities as well as economic benefit through employment and future growth. It also seeks to advocate for improved physical and digital service connectivity and ensure integration of the various services provided across the Lyell McEwin Hospital and surrounding Health and Wellbeing Precinct.

Member organisations include Adelaide PHN, local government associations, universities, research institutions and government and non-government providers of health services. In November 2021, five priority areas were outlined for the Wellbeing Partnership:

1. Identify a leading-edge anchor organisation to have either a physical or virtual presence in the north to partner with current industries and incentivise investment and growth in the north.

2. Identify the north as a funding test bed for health and other related sectors through Local, State and Federal Government investment and grants to support research and innovation development.

3. Identify alternative educational and career pathways in the north (both physical and virtual) through the three universities and TAFE SA, with considerations for new models of training and emerging workforce requirements into the future.

4. Identify opportunities to connect services across the north through both a physical and digital presence, such as accessibility via public transport and the road network, access to mixed-use housing, office and retail spaces, and offer technically wired and virtual spaces to industry and the community.

5. Identify opportunities to incorporate community-orientated initiatives and a model of integration that links services and infrastructure within the physical Health and Wellbeing Precinct surrounding the Lyell McEwin Hospital. This may include (but is not limited to) market gardens, reserves and green spaces, along with a commercial retail outlet and an integrated approach to link buildings, white spaces and service spaces across the site.

Highlights to date

April 2022

Partnership Director recruited to progress the priority areas. Melanie Schmidtke subsequently met with all partners to understand their unique perspectives, facilitate inclusiveness in development of the workplan and ensure alignment to the vision.

May 2022

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by eighteen founding members. The MOU formalises funding arrangements for a 12-month period and outlines the governance framework. It demonstrates the commitment of member organisations and a recognition that working together to address complex health and social needs will deliver the best outcomes for individuals and the wider community.

June 2022

A six-month project plan was endorsed by the Executive Steering Committee, outlining a series of deliverables such as the development of a brand identity, a community engagement framework and analysis of current and future workforce needs.

Roundtable members will meet again in December 2022 to review the outcomes of the project plan.