About Us

Regional Australia is the powerhouse of our nation. Around two thirds of Australia's export earnings come from regional industries, yet when it comes to healthcare, patients in regional cities too often miss out on the best that is available.

We don't think this is fair. 

Stroke is a common enough condition that you can be sure someone who suffered a stroke would have been admitted to a regional hospital in Australia today. Stroke patients in metro hospitals are most commonly cared for by a stroke specialist in a stroke unit. As a result they are more likely to make greater gains with their recovery and to be living at home 12 months after their stroke.

It's time for this model of care to be extended to patients in the regions. 

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The BUILDS team completed a a 1-year pilot with Echuca Regional Health (ERH), a hospital in northern Victoria that admits an average of 120 stroke patients a year.  120 stroke patients (aged 38 to 98) benefited from the project, experiencing 'true' stroke unit care in a regional setting. They had access to a stroke neurology specialist via telehealth and care was coordinated locally by the Stroke Coordinator. It has been a game changer for ERH patients, improving quality of care and reducing admission lengths.  Staff and patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the service, use of resources have been streamlined, and most importantly, patients received a stroke specialist consultation and a clear plan for their care early in their admission.

 

The BUILDS project is also transforming the lives of the regional clinicians who provide the care. They are well supported by the stroke specialist and have greater knowledge, confidence and skills to provide the care that all survivors of stroke deserve.

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The success of BUILDS at ERH has made expansion to other regional health services possible. Project outcome data was used to obtain philanthropic funding to expand BUILDS to Central Gippsland Health, Sale (Victoria) and North West Regional Hospital, Burnie (Tasmania) in 2023.

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With the support of Ambulance Victoria, and the executives at ERH and Burnie, BUILDS in these two health services both transitioned to the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine Inpatient Service (VTIS). BUILDS finished up at the end of 2024 at Sale upon completion of the pilot.

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Led by Dr Felix Ng, BUILDS was successful in securing a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) grant through the NHMRC to expand the program in a clinical trial involving multiple sites in different states in Australia. Work commenced in March 2025. We want to test the clinical impacts and fesibility of scaling up the BUILDS model at the national level. The BUILDS team welcomes Dr Joseph Wong as the Medical and Project Lead on BUILDS-National. 

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