108 Bargara Rd
Bundaberg East, Qld, 4670
If you’re from the Discovery Coast, you’ll know the region is in dire need of additional healthcare. Here at IMPACT Community Services, we’re currently working on a detailed research project to establish what model of health care would best accommodate the needs of the region both now and into the future and we’d love your help.
If you’re a Discovery Coast local, we want to hear from you.
Tell us what local health services you think are lacking, how the community could better attract health professionals and what type of services you want to see available locally.
We want to work together as a community to discover the best possible solution.
Please take a few minutes to complete our community survey.
Historically, the region has been overlooked when it comes to health care investment.
Even before the pandemic and the mammoth local population increase that came with it, local businesses and services were finding it difficult to keep up with demand. Now, local healthcare services in particular are nearing capacity, with the closest hospitals a 1.5-hour drive away and the two local ambulance staff run off their feet.
IMPACT Community Health Services (ICHS) is at the heart of healthcare in Agnes Water. Just recently our ICHS Child Health Nurse was called to assist with a home-birth when a local resident went into labour and couldn’t make it to a hospital, due to flooding and weather conditions. Thankfully, together with the paramedics they were able to communicate with the hospital midwife via telehealth and the delivery went smoothly, with both mum and bub doing well.
As well as nursing services, ICHS also offers a range of allied health programs at our health precinct located at 2 Rafting Ground Road, Agnes Water. In addition, we offer our facility for use by other health providers to deliver their services locally. At present, the precinct is home to a GP and a visiting women’s health clinician, skin specialist, Audiologist and Wide Bay Hospital and Health Services which provide community mental health, physiotherapy and breast screening programs.
IMPACT has first-hand insights into how the growth in population has affected the local healthcare sector. We know that health related appointments are increasingly hard to come by, particularly for people who have relocated to the region and are required to register as new patients – with the majority of services offered via our facility unable to take on any more clients as accommodating current ones within a timely manner is already proving difficult.
These significant challenges are what led IMPACT to undertake this comprehensive research project that ultimately seeks to discover what model of healthcare will best accommodate the fast-growing region.
The project is currently in the information gathering phase, where we are talking with community, stakeholders and government to inform a future model of care to service our region.
Here at IMPACT Community Services (IMPACT) we are focused on three things: improving lives, creating diverse opportunities and working together. We believe this project is relevant to all three.
We are excited for the future and potential of the Discovery Coast region and are grateful for the community input and support.
Significant project updates will be provided on this webpage, as well as via our IMPACT Community Health Service Facebook page.
In addition to completing the community survey, please feel free to share any insights into how the significant growth in the population has impacted you and/or your organisation via email to ichs@impact.org.au or fill in the form below - all contributions will be de-identified and grouped into relevant categories.
Let’s work together to discover what healthcare services our Discovery Coast needs so residents have access to what they need, when they need it.
You have heard the saying location is everything and that could not be truer for Zoe and Jacinta-Tait.
Having recently moved up the road from IMPACT, they were thinking about dropping in to see what supports were available to find a job.
So, when they spotted the IMPACT team at Hinkler Central last week, they thought it was fate and headed over for a chat.
Having found out about the great employment supports, they also completed a survey to enter the draw for a Christmas hamper, full of goodies from Cha Cha Chocolate.
And won!
Today when they came to pick up their prize, Zoe also got to meet her Transition to Work youth coach TJ.
Zoe has been handing out resumes looking for work but to date has not had any luck securing a job.
Zoe said her cousin and friends had gained employment after seeking help from IMPACT and now she is looking forward to seeing how the Transition to Work team can support her on her journey to employment.
Impressed by the friendly and supportive environment, Zoe is eager sign on with TJ and the TtW team.
Zoe said the team seemed willing to do as much as possible to support her and she is excited to do the same.
She hopes to find a job as a receptionist, in administration, or retail sales.
Transition to Work is an initiative by the Australian Government designed to help and support young people who are early school leavers and those who have had difficulty entering employment after school.
TtW also aims to give young people pre-employment support so that they feel confident before they enter the workforce.
Support includes providing tailored career advice, preparing a resume, and developing job search techniques.
Zoe, 16, said she did not want to simply drop out of school, but was looking for a new pathway outside of the classroom.
She said some of her options were school, TAFE, work or signing on with an organisation like IMPACT to help on her employment journey. If you would like to learn more about TtW click here.
Thank you to everyone who completed IMPACT Community Services' Voyager Survey.
While the hampers have been won, we'd still love to hear from you!
You can take the survey here.
At IMPACT Community Services we're dedicated to our vision of improving lives and to achieve this we'd love to hear from you!
We are currently undertaking a survey to gauge community awareness of IMPACT and our suite of supports.
IMPACT's team will be at Hinkler Central Wednesday (December 8).
Pop down and say hello to our lovely staff and fill out the survey to go in the draw to win one of four local hampers from Cha Cha Chocolate.
If you can't make it to the shopping center, we've got you covered.
You can fill out the survey below
See the terms and conditions below:
2021 Voyager Community Survey
Please note: This website may contain references to, or feature images, videos, and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who have passed away.