‘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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Landmark research projects tackle critical issues in emergency healthcare
For two decades, the demand for emergency department services in Australia has outpaced population growth and wait times have increased. In 2022-2023 more than 8.8 million emergency department presentations occurred nationwide.
While demand is a contributing factor, EDs are currently being impacted by various factors across the entire health system.
The Emergency Medicine Foundation (EMF) is a non-profit organisation funding innovative Australian research that improves the way people are cared for in a medical emergency. The aim of the research is to deliver better and more effective health services to save lives and money.
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Global collaboration in pulmonary fibrosis research
Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred. The debilitating and fatal disease ended the life of an Australian man 8 years ago.
His son led philanthropic efforts to establish the connection between 2 Australian organisations; Lung Foundation Australia and Centre for Research Excellence in Pulmonary Fibrosis and the US based, Three Lakes Foundation. The three organisations recently announced a collaboration to create a global network for PF research.
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GP lens on Aboriginal health and COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic rolled through 2020 and the first half of 2021 without major lockdowns in regional communities, however recently that changed. The concern is now on vaccination rates in communities across Australia.
First Nation Aboriginal communities are at greater risk of outbreaks and transmission with low vaccination rates because of supply issues and changing advice rather than hesitancy.
