Northern Health recently welcomed Ryan Barlow, CEO of the McGrath Foundation, providing an important opportunity to reflect on the strength and impact of our ongoing partnership.
Together, Northern Health and the McGrath Foundation are supporting patients and families through some of the most complex and vulnerable moments in their cancer experience. Through the McGrath Model of Care, patients receive expert clinical guidance, emotional support, education, care coordination and practical advice from highly skilled cancer nurses who become a consistent and trusted point of contact.
At the heart of this work are our McGrath Cancer Care Nurses, whose roles extend well beyond treatment coordination. They walk alongside patients from diagnosis, through treatment and into survivorship or end-of-life care, helping them navigate uncertainty, understand their care, and feel supported throughout their experience.
“To be a McGrath Cancer Care Nurse supporting people and their families experiencing breast cancer, is to walk alongside patients from diagnosis through treatment and beyond. It’s about building trust, listening without judgement, and being a constant, familiar presence in an often overwhelming time. It means creating connection, guiding complex decisions, and providing education, emotional support, and practical advice every step of the way, ensuring that patients never feel alone,” said Sarah Young, McGrath Cancer Care Nurse.
The visit also highlighted the strength of the McGrath Model of Care in supporting nurses to deliver specialised, evidence-based cancer care. For our nursing workforce, the partnership provides not only a framework for high-quality patient care, but also access to education, onboarding, professional support and a strong national network of cancer nursing expertise.
“I’ve worked as a McGrath Cancer Care Nurse supporting gynaecology and genitourinary cancers for over a year, and in my 16 years of cancer nursing experience, no other employer has provided the same level of onboarding, education, and support,” said Vivian Smith, McGrath Cancer Care Nurse.
“The McGrath Model of Care offers a strong, evidence-based framework for optimal patient care. I value working with the McGrath and Northern Health teams and feel lucky to know and support my patients’ each day.”
Northern Health is deeply grateful to the McGrath Foundation for their ongoing investment in our service. Their funding enables the health service to sustain and strengthen dedicated cancer nursing roles that make a meaningful difference to patients, families and clinical teams every day.
This partnership showcases the values shared by Northern Health and the McGrath Foundation – compassion, collaboration, excellence and a commitment to person-centred care. It demonstrates what can be achieved when organisations work together around a common purpose – ensuring that patients receive care that is not only clinically excellent, but coordinated, supportive and truly human.
“This partnership is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared commitment to patients, families and the nursing workforce. We are incredibly grateful to the McGrath Foundation for their investment in our service and for the strong model of care they bring. Most importantly, this partnership ensures our patients have access to expert, compassionate and coordinated support when they need it most,” said Bec van de Paverd, Divisional Director, Medicine and Cancer, Northern Health.
“McGrath Cancer Care Nurses are clinical experts who help people with cancer and their families navigate the medical system by providing free clinical, psychosocial and emotional support throughout their treatment.
Ryan Barlow, CEO, McGrath Foundation, said, “We are grateful to collaborative partnerships with organisations like Northern Health, as they help us take an important step towards our purpose of ensuring no one goes through cancer without the care of a McGrath Cancer Care Nurse.”
As we look to the future, Northern Health remains committed to continuing this important partnership, strengthening the McGrath Model of Care integration within our services, and exploring opportunities to extend its impact for the benefit of our patients, our nurses and our broader community.