cohealth celebrates delivering more than half-a-million service occasions in FY25

Not-for-profit community health organisation cohealth has released its FY25 Impact Report, revealing its team of more than 900 staff has delivered a significant 526,500 service occasions* to clients in the financial year ending 30 June 2025. 

cohealth strives for health and social equity by providing low-cost and free local services — including medical, dental, allied health, mental health, aged care and counselling, and many other specialist services — to marginalised and vulnerable communities in Melbourne’s CBD, inner-north and inner-west; and on the east coast of Tasmania. 

“We’re proud to have delivered more than half-a-million service occasions in this past financial year, while also continuing to champion the systemic change needed to improve health and wellbeing across our communities,” says cohealth Chief Executive Nicole Bartholomeusz. 

 “Innovation and partnership have been at the heart of our work in FY25,” adds Ms Bartholomeusz, “and our Impact Report showcases what we’ve achieved,” 

Notable cohealth highlights during this period include: 

• A new health clinic at 69 Bourke Street, offering low-barrier, integrated care to people in Melbourne’s CBD, in partnership with the Salvation Army. 

• The introduction of the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department at the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct, in partnership with Northern Health, has meant 66% of young people needing medical treatment have avoided unnecessary ambulance callouts and emergency-department care. 

• Expanded outreach services in Melbourne’s CBD and western suburbs, enabling connection with more people beyond the walls of a clinic. For example, cohealth’s Van West initiative has provided more than one thousand instances of mobile support to community members across Melbourne’s west. 

• Providing 2,090 occasions of health and social care service at Make Room – an initiative supporting people to transition from homelessness to a secure, sustainable home – in partnership with Unison Housing, City of Melbourne, and Ngwala Willumbong Aboriginal Corporation, and supported by the Victorian Government and philanthropists.
   

• Connecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members with culturally safe health and social care. 

• Empowering families to manage asthma at home. With the support of cohealth’s free Community Asthma Program (CAP), 80% of one-to-11-year-old clients have had their asthma well-controlled by the time they are discharged. 

“Our achievements in the past year reflect what’s possible when innovation meets strong, purpose-driven partnerships,” Ms Bartholomeusz says. 

Turning to the future, cohealth is looking forward to bringing its newly released Strategy 2025-35 to life. 

“This is a strategy that will see us be bold and innovative, as we strive to reimagine Australia’s health and social systems, to ensure no one is left behind,” Ms Bartholomeusz says. 

“Our 10-year aspiration is for healthier communities where everyone, regardless of background or geography, can access quality care and experience better health and social outcomes.” 

Download a full copy of cohealth’s Impact Report FY25 here. 

Learn more about cohealth’s 10-year strategy here. 

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*What is a “service occasion”? 

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare defines an “occasion of service” as “any examination, consultation, treatment or other service provided to a patient, or a group of patients, in a functional unit of a health service or hospital on each occasion that such a service is provided.” 

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For more information, or to arrange an interview with Nicole Bartholomeusz, please contact: 

Adam Bennett 

Strategic Communications & Media Advisor 

adam.bennett@cohealth.org.au 

0424 147 230