April 7, 2026Northern Health has celebrated the successful completion of Timely Emergency Care 2 (TEC2) – Excellence in Flow, a program that has delivered sustained improvements for patients while strengthening how teams work together across the health service.
TEC2 brought together a series of connected change initiatives with a shared focus on delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time – with a strong emphasis on supporting people, particularly older patients, to remain safely at home wherever possible.
Over the life of the program, Northern Health implemented and expanded innovative models of care, including the Geriatric Emergency Department Intervention (GEDI) model, Ready Steady Home, enhanced care coordination and Progression of Care initiatives. Together, these changes supported improved patient flow across the system, from the emergency department through to inpatient care.
A key area of impact was the Progression of Care work, which helped reduce acute length of stay across inpatient services, including the medicine and cancer wards. By strengthening multidisciplinary coordination and focusing on timely decision making and discharge planning, teams were able to support patients to move through their care journey more efficiently and return home sooner.
The success of TEC2 was formally recognised through a Certificate of Recognition and Achievement, acknowledging Northern Health’s outstanding improvement in emergency and inpatient outcomes as part of the Timely Emergency Care 2 – Excellence in Flow pathway.
TEC2 Project Lead, Laura Hughes, said the program’s success came from deliberately connecting individual initiatives into a single, shared purpose.
“TEC2 was never about one initiative working in isolation. Its impact came from connecting multiple changes together – GEDI, Ready Steady Home and Progression of Care – towards a common goal. By working as one system, we were able to improve flow, reduce length of stay and, most importantly, deliver better outcomes for our patients.”
The program also reinforced the importance of collaboration, both within Northern Health and with partner service, and strengthened a culture grounded in Northern Health’s values of Safe. Kind. Together.
While TEC2 has formally concluded, its legacy continues. The models, partnerships and learnings established through the program will inform future improvement work and support Northern Health’s ongoing commitment to delivering safe, timely and patient centred care.
TEC2 Excellence Awards
A highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of the TEC2 Excellence Awards, recognising teams and staff who demonstrated leadership, collaboration and commitment to improving safe and timely care.
The awards presented were:
Home First Champion: Outstanding commitment to keeping older people safe, well and supported in their own home wherever possible.
GEDI Clinicians: Edwina Holbeach, Caroline Stolarek, Luke Ho and Hao Zhuo
Days Matter: Impactful work to reduce unnecessary length of stay and ensure every hospital day adds value to patient care.
NUMS Medicine and Cancer: Renee O’Rourke, Rani Glendinning, Judy Sonneveld, Rhiannon Cooper, Nadine Stowell, Erin Edwards.
One System, One Team: Exceptional collaboration across community, emergency and inpatient teams.
ED Physician: Tam Reynolds
Right Care, Right Place: Excellence in delivering care in the most appropriate setting and improving patient flow.
Ready Steady Home Team (now the new Older Persons Care Hub): Sue Hull, Nicky Tully, Rachael Walsh, Jess Viergever
Click here to watch a Department of Health video on TEC2.
