A local palliative care provider has been put forward for an award recognising their attempts to innovate and develop the best possible practice in the field.
Eastern Palliative Care (EPC)’s Central Care team are nominated as a finalist for innovation in palliative care awards at the upcoming 2025 National Palliative Care Awards on 11 September.
Program development and volunteer services manager at EPC Krystal Wallis said in 2022, EPC’s Central Care Team—made up of nurses, physicians, counsellors, psychologists, social workers, and volunteers—embarked on a transformative journey.
“Over 18 months, they redesigned their entire model of care, shifting from a one-size-fits-all approach to a system that’s responsive, personalised, and sustainable, this wasn’t just a tweak, it was a complete overhaul,” she said.
“Australia is on the brink of a care crisis, according to leading demographer Bernard Salt, the country is facing a ‘tsunami of care demands’—a freight train of need driven by an ageing population,”
“By 2032, the number of Australians aged 85 and over is expected to triple, placing unprecedented pressure on palliative care services, yet funding hasn’t kept pace and community organisations like EPC are being asked to do more with less, while demand continues to rise so rather than wait for the system to catch up, EPC decided to work smarter.”
EPC is based in Mitcham, but is a free, not-for-profit, home-based palliative care provider which services the Outer East regions of Yarra Ranges, Knox and Maroondah as well as Boroondara, Manningham, Monash and Whitehorse.
Ms Wallis said the new model of care is built around client needs, not just clinical routines, with a focus on tailored care, real-time feedback, data-driven decisions and coordinated and responsive care.
“Clients are now prioritised based on urgency and individual circumstances, those in crisis get help faster, while others have more control over how and when they engage and integrated teams, daily huddles, joint visits, new triage tools and redeployed clinicians ensure urgent needs are met quickly,” she said.
“Clients were involved from the beginning, their voices shaped the design, and their feedback continues to guide improvements, EPC now ask clients right up front what matters most to them – and care design starts from that point,”
“By analysing real-time data, the team identified key areas for improvement—like reducing waitlists, increasing psychosocial support, and shifting from reactive to preventive care.”
Other finalists up for the innovation award are Professor Jennifer Philip from the Palliative Nexus Research Group at the University of Melbourne and the Palliative Care Tasmania team.
Ms Wallis said their project didn’t just improve care—it redefined it.
“It proves that innovation isn’t always about technology, sometimes, it’s about listening deeply, adapting bravely, and working together in new ways,” she said.
“EPC’s model is now being recognised as a benchmark for palliative care innovation, it’s a blueprint for how community organisations can respond to growing demand with creativity, compassion, and collaboration; even when the money doesn’t match the need,”
“Every day, the staff at EPC step into spaces that most of society prefers to avoid—supporting people at the end of life with compassion, grace, and unwavering dedication, their work is quiet, powerful, and deeply human and now, it’s being recognised for something extraordinary; innovation.”
EPC’s fourth annual ‘Pound the Pavement 4 EPC’ fundraising event held at Lillydale Lake is also coming up on Sunday 12 October, with a goal of $40,000. Anyone interested can find out more at epcvic.org.au/events/event/pound-the-pavement-4-epc.1010.
“EPC is proud of its team—not just for the care they provide, but for the courage to rethink how that care is delivered, in a time when community palliative care services across Victoria are stretched thin, EPC has taken bold steps to ensure that the most vulnerable receive the right support, at the right time, in the right way.”
The winners will be announced as part of the Oceanic Palliative Care Conference held from 10-12 September 2025 in Brisbane.
Palliative Care Australia’s chief executive Camilla Rowland, said the winners of eight award categories would be announced at a ceremony in Brisbane on Thursday 11 September hosted by comedy great, and palliative care advocate, Jean Kittson.
“The National Palliative Care Awards are one of the ways we can shine a light on the dedication and compassion of people across Australia who care for patients with life-limiting illnesses, and the families and communities that surround them,” she said.
“The award finalists are changemakers that have worked with their teams to deliver exceptional care and advocate for people at the most vulnerable moment in their lives.”
There are 24 finalists of the awards across eight categories: Emerging Leader, Emerging Researcher, Outstanding Achievement (individual, team, volunteer or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sub-categories), Innovation and Lifetime Achievement Award.
