ECU Health Centre Wanneroo

About the ECU Health Centre

The ECU Health Centre is a state-of-the-art, integrated primary healthcare, clinical training, and research facility located in the central Wanneroo business district. At our facility a wide range of health service providers offer an integrated, 'one-stop shop' for patients, their families and carers, as well as health and wellbeing services for the community.

The Wanneroo area has high rates of chronic disease, mental health, overweight and obesity, and lifestyle-related health issues. This makes it vitally important that residents have access to low-cost, accessible, and responsive health services across the lifespan at the ECU Health Centre. More broadly, ECU aims to work with local stakeholders to develop new services and programs to improve the health and wellbeing of our community.

History

The impetus for the development of the ECU Health Centre was an extensive community consultation in 2008, when Professor Cobie Rudd, then Dean, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Postgraduate Medicine (now Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Regional Futures, and Vice-President) was invited to present a keynote presentation at WA’s only 2020 Summit in Wanneroo, in parallel with the national 2020 Summit.

The Commonwealth government invited ECU to express interest in hosting the Wanneroo GP Super Clinic, one of the first two GP Super Clinics in WA. The site was purchased from the City of Wanneroo in 2010.

The Centre commenced operations on 29 September 2014, and was officially launched on 10 December 2014 by the Hon. Dr Kim Hames MLA, WA Deputy Premier and Minister for Health and Tourism. Clinical training for nursing, paramedicine, psychology, and allied health students commenced at the Centre in 2015.

Business Station and ECU had an existing collaboration at the ECU Business and Innovation Centre (ECUBIC), located in central Joondalup. In 2021, this collaboration extended to the establishment of the Allied Health Precinct on Level 3 of the ECU Health Centre, rounding out the range of services available at the Centre.

Governance

Governance of the ECU Health Centre is the responsibility of the ECU Health Centre Committee, chaired by Professor Moira Sim, Executive Dean, School of Medical and Health Sciences. This Committee oversees all aspects of the ECU Health Centre and determines strategic directions.

The ECU Health Centre Committee is advised by the Teaching, Training and Clinical Governance Advisory Group (TTCG AG). This group includes representation from ECU, IPN Medical Centres, Total Health, North Metropolitan Health Service, Health Consumers’ Council of WA, and the ECU Psychological Services Centre.

Operational matters are overseen by the Wanneroo GP Super Clinic Services Review Group (SRG), which has responsibility for monitoring service provision, compliance with contractual requirements, and reporting to the Commonwealth Department of Health.

The Project Coordinator, ECU Health Centre, is responsible for secretariat support for the three governance committees, and provides project management for identified strategic projects.

Commonwealth GP Super Clinic Program

The ECU Health Centre houses the Wanneroo GP Super Clinic, one of WA’s first two GP Super Clinics funded through the Commonwealth Department of Health’s GP Super Clinics Program. ECU invested $12 million in the Centre, with the Commonwealth and Western Australian governments providing $5 million each. IPN Medical Centres operates the Wanneroo GP Super Clinic on behalf of ECU.

GP Super Clinics are a key element of the Commonwealth Government’s ongoing strategy to build a stronger primary health care system. While there are many models of GP Super Clinics, they all aim to provide co-located healthcare services under one roof, to make it as easy as possible for patients to access a range of health providers in chronic disease management, health promotion and illness prevention.

The GP Super Clinics Programme website provides more information and outlines the program’s Objectives.