OPTIMISE Refugee Health Project

OPTIMISE was a four-year NHMRC-funded research project to improve the delivery of accessible, coordinated and high quality primary care for refugees and asylum seekers.

The project brought together academics and organisations from within the refugee health sector to develop and test innovative primary care solutions. 

North Western Melbourne Primary Health Network (NWMPHN) is one of three regions in Australia that has a high rate of refugee and asylum seeker settlement, and was involved in implementing a model of practice facilitation to improve services for refugees and asylum seekers. 

Participating practices in NWMPHN were:

• Active Medical
• Calder Medical Clinic
• Cuthbert Medical Centre
• Deer Park Medical Centre
• Dianella GP Superclinic
• Gladstone Park Medical Centre
• Hillcrest Health Centre
• Meadow Heights Medical Centre
• New Leaf Medical
• Palmers Medical Centre
• St Luke Medical Centre
• Westmeadows Medical Centre

As part of the program, each practice received:

• six months of facilitated support to address key areas around delivering high quality primary health care
• a $2,000 grant
• a refugee health module add-on to their Pen CS system as a contribution for their efforts.

This project was a partnership between La Trobe University, NWMPHN, cohealth, AMES Australia and the Victorian Refugee Health Network.