‘EXPERIENCE AND LEARNINGS FROM IMPLEMENTING IMPROVEMENTS IN REFERRAL MANAGEMENT AND DEMAND
With
Nalani Cox,
Program Manger (Assistant Director of Nursing ADON)
Referral Strategy and ”PerformanceGold Coast Health, Queensland Health
PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE SEGMENT
Filmed in Southport (Gold Coast) | May 2025
Nalani Cox joined Gold Coast Health in 2019 as a Nurse Manager focused on improving referral management processes within the outpatient environment through the implementation of the Clinical Prioritisation Criteria. This work became a focus point for the organisation in 2020 when Nalani led an organisational wide change project introducing Smart Referrals, Refer Your Patient website and HealthPathways which has culminated in her position as the ADON of the Referral Strategy and Performance Department.
Here she continues to improve and support the continuum of care and create improved clinical safety and transparency of referral management processes across Gold Coast Health. Nalani believes that working collaboratively with external care providers and staff across all levels of the organisation to drive change management, clinical redesign and promote shared understanding is critical in improving the patient journey through our complex health environment.
Prior to commencing this work, Nalani participated in the Australian College of Nursing (ACN) Mid-Career Nurse Leadership Program, which she describes as a catalyst for some of the most significant career achievements to date. Nalani is the deputy chair of ACN Brisbane Region Leadership team.
Source: Supplied
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Addressing the perinatal mental health clinician shortage
Perinatal depression and anxiety (PNDA) impacts 100,000 Australians each year, equating to one in five mums and one in ten dads, with PNDA costing Australia $877 million annually. To address the nationwide shortage of specialist perinatal mental health clinicians, Gidget Foundation Australia has partnered with Federation University to launch the Graduate Diploma in Perinatal Mental Health.
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Mission to raise awareness of sarcoma and need for clinical trial funding
Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer, remains the deadliest cancer for children and young adults, accounting for nearly one third (30%) of cancer-related deaths among those aged 15–24 and one tenth (10%) of those aged 0–14. Further, still severely under-diagnosed, sarcoma only accounts for one sixth (15%) of all cancer diagnoses in the 15 – 24 age group, and less than a tenth (8%) among children under 10.
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Continuing education program leads to better conversations
Medicines Australia’s Continuing Education Program (CEP) is designed to educate medical representatives to a recognised industry standard. Dr Tristan Ling, CEP Academic Lead and Project Manager at the College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania talks about the 900 students that come through the program each year.
The CEP is primarily directed at medical representatives working within the prescription medicines industry, but is also recommended to people who may not be currently employed within the industry but would like to pursue a career as a medical representative. It is also available to personnel working for organisations interacting with the pharmaceutical industry.
