10 Year Impact Series: 2018-19 Population Health Highlights
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October 29, 2025
2018-19 was a stand-out year for South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health network (SEMPHN), with practical ideas delivering important ways to help our community across south east Melbourne live healthier lives.
Some of these ideas included:
- Early detection: a mobile clinic brought breast screening to 1,000 women who might otherwise have missed out.
- Immunisation push: more than 1,500 free flu and whooping cough vaccines reached people at highest risk.
- Community coverage: Greater Dandenong recorded 95.77% herd immunity for children aged 12-15 months.
- Smarter after-hours care: one program averted more than 10,000 hospital admissions, saving $5.5 million, representing a 353% return on investment (ROI).
- A second after-hours project prevented 12,000 emergency department visits, saving $6.2 million – a 379% ROI.
- Cultural safety: 60 health professionals completed training accredited by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners to strengthen care for First Nations people.
These results show how targeted investment, frontline partnerships and data-driven planning turn resources into measurable impact.
Latest news
A statewide investigation has found no evidence of an increased risk of giant cell arteritis (GCA) following COVID-19 vaccination, providing reassurance for clinicians counselling patients about vaccine safety.
South Eastern Melbourne Primary Health Network (SEMPHN) has achieved National Safety and Quality Digital Mental Health (NSQDMH) accreditation for the Medicare Mental Health Phone Program, demonstrating our commitment to safe, high-quality care for service users.
SEMPHN is excited to offer a new paid opportunity for accredited practitioners wanting to gain real-world experience in Medication Assisted Treatment of Opioid Dependence (MATOD).
