Giving Back

We believe in active participation. Community organisation is a health promotion and social sciences concept that - broadly - refers to the development of a community's agency, the intent to create and harness its opportunities and address its challenges in a collective manner. We are passionate about the place we live in and seek to contribute actively.

Goulburn Valley Medical Workforce Fund

When Medicare Locals were discontinued by the federal government in 2015, Goulburn Valley Medicare Local's members decided to set up a scholarship and grants fund with the goal to  support the development of the primary care workforce in the Goulburn Valley - and so improve our region's communities' access to healthcare. GV Medical Workforce Fund is a sub-fund under the Australian Community Foundation's umbrella. Sönke, who was GV Medicare Local's CEO, chairs the fund in a voluntary capacity and takes great pleasure in seeing young people enter medicine, allied health, and nursing degrees with the significant financial support the fund offers every year.

Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project

We participate in the Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project, a program with a long-term view that aims to build a connected and optimistic community in which young people are safe, have a sense of belonging, and have access to educational and professional opportunities. It does this by harnessing latent capacity within the community and connecting existing efforts - creating collective impact.

Apart from promoting the program wherever possible, Sönke volunteers as a numeracy tutor for Shepparton High School's year seven students and has engaged others to also contribute.

Community of practice

Progressive primary care services passionate about quality care, teaching, learning, research, and community meet on a regular basis to share ideas how they can further their goals in a sustainable way - essentially, the goal is to reconcile business and population health principles. It is not expected that the group is entirely apolitical, since advocacy for change is expected to be a desirable byproduct.

This is a prospective piece of work, starting in early 2018 - Leaders (executives, practice managers, or GP partners) interested in participating, please contact us.