Byford Health Hub - Building healthy communities with healthy people

The Byford Health Hub (BHH) continues to progress, with the completion of phase one of the program.

A lot was achieved during this initial stage, involving:

• the establishment of governance, including an Interagency Steering Committee and Project Reference Group
• an extensive co-design program that saw the formation of a Community and Consumer (CaC) and Service Provider and Clinician (SPaC) Advisory Group to provide advice and support to the program
• further consultations with subject matter experts, including students from the local Byford Secondary College, to inform the possible models of care.

The EMHS BHH Project Reference Group visiting the site of the new health hub.

EMHS A/Executive Director, Clinical Service Strategy and Population Health Susan Mylne said this important work would inform future decisions about the direction of BHH.

“Collaborating with our community, and ensuring we listen to a diverse range of voices is an important part of this project,” Susan said.

“We will use the information from our phase one consultation to inform decisions during the second phase, to ensure the development of an innovative and integrated health hub.”

The second phase of the program has now commenced, with the development of a business case to secure funding for the design and construction of the building and home of the health hub.

Background

The East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS) is responsible for coordinating the planning and delivery of BHH and has partnered with the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale to build a healthy community that fosters healthy people. The delivery of BHH is funded by the State Government.

The Byford Health Hub website will continue to provide all current program updates, information and contact details.

The Autumn/Winter 2022 edition of the Peel Magazine featured an article on the Byford Health Hub.

Read the story on pages 28-29.

This year's State Budget will commit $5.9 million to commence work on the Byford Health Hub, to provide a vital health asset to a growing region.

The integrated health hub will be located in the Byford Town Centre and will operate as a satellite service under the Armadale Health Service.

The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale has experienced the fastest population growth rate in Western Australia over the past decade and as this growth is expected to continue the health needs of the region are also increasing.

The new facility will provide a mix of health assets to the region and include health services such as medical clinics, allied health and GPs, mental health services, nurse practitioners, community midwives and treatment rooms.

The State Budget funding will start the development of forward works on the $30.6 million Byford Health Hub project. These works will include utility connections and site preparations.

Comments attributed to Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:

"The McGowan Government recognises the benefits of a health model which brings together a mix of health and social health services under the one roof.

"This is an opportunity to shape a shared model of care which can positively impact the health and wellbeing of the community, and I welcome the commitment in this year's State Budget."

Comments attributed to Darling Range MLA Hugh Jones:

"I'm pleased this year's State Budget has delivered $5.9 million of funding for the new Byford Health Hub.

"The development of forward works is the first step in delivering the main construction work on the health hub.

"This facility is set to meet the growing demand of the community for years to come."

The planning and establishment of the Byford Health Hub (BHH) continues to progress in the new year.

Announced in February 2021, the idea of the BHH is to support the fast-growing Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale community. The East Metropolitan Health Service (EMHS) is partnering with the Shire to plan, design and deliver the health hub located in Byford.

The BHH is important to the development of an integrated care model that focuses on and addresses a range of health and social needs, which will positively impact the health and wellbeing of the wider SJ community.

Essential to this planning is the EMHS Byford Health Hub Interagency Steering Committee and Project Reference Group, which were established in 2021 and are committed to moving the Hub forward.

The Project Reference Group held their January 2022 meeting in the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale and visited the proposed Hub site in Byford.

Following an expression of interest process last year, the Community and Consumer (CaC) and Service Provider and Clinician (SPaC) Advisory Groups have been formed to provide advice and support in shaping the BHH. This is to ensure that the health hub is representative of the needs of the whole community.

The BHH is in line with the recommendations of the Sustainable Health Review (SHR), which sets directions to drive a cultural shift away from acute hospital-based care to prevention and seamless access to services at home and in the community.