Imagine

Something very different has opened on the corner of Liverpool and Elizabeth Streets in Hobart – a place where every Tasmanian can find ways to get healthier.
 
It will be a place to seek help in understanding and navigating the healthcare system. It will also be a space for people who want to learn, explore, be inspired, and take charge of their health and wellbeing.

We’ll host a range of sessions, events, and activities for both our members and the community to attend. We’ll also work with with fellow Tasmanian organisations to deliver programs right in the centre of Hobart.

And of course, it’ll be a customer care centre, where current and future members can discuss their health insurance needs, face-to-face, with a fellow Tasmanian.
 
Our new Hobart home is now open to the public!

At St.LukesHealth, we want to help create a generation of Tasmanians free from vaping and smoking. That’s why we’ve made a submission to the Therapeutic Goods Administration and calling on government to implement changes that will result in improved health outcomes for the next generation of Tasmanians.

Vaping is rife among our children and young adults. All over the state, our youth are being lured by Big Tobacco to take up a habit which is likely to lead to addiction, chronic disease, and premature death, the same way cigarettes did for generations of Tasmanians who became addicted to tobacco smoking.

A recent survey of our members revealed high levels of concern about vaping and vaping products, with almost 90 percent of respondents stating they would support a vaping ban. It also found 95 per cent of members surveyed were concerned about vaping as a health issue, with almost 80 per cent stating they were “very concerned”.

We understand that some people may find our stance on vaping controversial, but we stand by our commitment to making Tasmania the healthiest island on the planet. We believe that by advocating for a ban on nicotine-containing vaping, we can prevent the potential harm that this habit-forming behaviour is likely to cause to our community. It’s a necessary step to achieve our goal of generational change and improved health outcomes for all Tasmanians.

Whether it's preparing for hospital, understanding what to expect in hospital, or being ready for when you come home, we know a lot of people struggle to navigate the healthcare system.

We’re going to make this as seamless as possible.

To do this, we’ll be resourcing our customer care centres with ‘health navigators’ to support anyone from the community through the health system by providing the right information at the right time – and we mean ‘anyone’, whether you’re a St.LukesHealth member or not.

We’re taking practical steps to promote early intervention and prevention of health issues that affect many Tasmanians.

For example, we’ve just launched a pilot program in partnership with Kieser Australia – an allied network of exercise scientists, exercise physiologists and physiotherapists - designed to prevent people living with hip or knee osteoarthritis from having avoidable joint replacement surgery, taking pressure off the state’s surgery waiting lists.

We’ve also partnered with the Healthy Heart Network and we’ll soon be launching a program to help prevent catastrophic cardiac events, and reduce cardiac interventional services through early assessment via a virtual heart check.

We are determined to improve our state’s oral health. There are currently 18,500 Tasmanians on the waiting list for public dental access. High costs, challenging access and overall low levels of oral health literacy has created a significant burden for our health system.

That’s why we’re working with oral health practitioners and government to identify opportunities to impact meaningful change, by addressing information, affordability and access for all Tasmanians.

We’re always on the lookout for where we can help improve health outcomes.

We’ve developed a chronic disease management program that works with our chronically unwell members to understand their health needs, educate them and assist them to achieve better health outcomes. We do this through monthly nursing in-home visits, with our member’s circle of care involved as much as they need.

For our members in northern Tasmania, a gap exists where mothers don’t have access to a private hospital to deliver their baby, or to aid in their post-natal recovery. So, we’ve developed a personalised private post-natal service. Whether our members choose a hotel experience or the at-home service, we’re there with them, every step of the way.

We continue to look for opportunities to be in more Tasmanian communities – to be there for you, face-to-face. Even our call is centre based right here in Tasmania.

Being a St.LukesHealth member gives you a voice. When Calvary Healthcare’s proposed co-located private hospital within the Launceston General Hospital (LGH) precinct was first flagged, we surveyed members and northern health care partners on their expectations of a holistic, collaborative public-private health system.

While there was overwhelming support for a co-located hospital, our members said it was imperative for both hospitals to effectively cooperate and share resources. We made sure those voices were heard, with some changes made by the Government and Calvary Healthcare based on their feedback.

The Department of Health is now exploring different care models for these services in its master planning, ensuring the community has access to the right service, in the right setting, with the right outcome.