Building an adult integrated care programme in the Top End: experience from a highly successful model of care implementation

Kaspar Jack Willson; Simon O'Hare; Lou Sanderson; Melanie Matthews; Kerry McHale; Helena Chan; Greta Lindenmayer

doi:10.1111/imj.70449

Building an adult integrated care programme in the Top End: experience from a highly successful model of care implementation

Intern Med J. 2026 Jun 1. doi: 10.1111/imj.70449. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Kaspar Jack Willson¹, Simon O'Hare¹, Lou Sanderson², Melanie Matthews³, Kerry McHale³, Helena Chan⁴, Greta Lindenmayer¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of General Medicine, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
² Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation, Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Australia.
³ Mala'la Health Service Aboriginal Corporation, Maningrida, Northern Territory, Australia.
⁴ Gove District Hospital, Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory, Australia.

PMID: 42224652
DOI: 10.1111/imj.70449

Abstract

Integrated care has emerged as a frequently cited strategic target across health systems in recent decades. We describe the implementation and expansion of a novel adult internal medicine integrated care programme bringing together multiple primary care groups and a general medicine service at a tertiary referral hospital in a regional to remote setting. We reflect on the learning, experience and benefits that resulted as the programme evolved, as well as a financial assessment demonstrating a viable funding blueprint for the programme.

Keywords: general medicine; integrated care; model of care.