A pioneering project that delivers 24-hour virtual emergency healthcare across Victoria is a winner in the Australian Financial Review's 2024 Higher Education Awards.
Pictured: La Trobe Vice Chancellor Theo Farrell, Loren Sher and Rebecca Jessup from Northern Health, and Adam Semciw (La Trobe)
The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED) is an Australian-first service, bringing together La Trobe University's leading digital and research expertise with the real-time needs of Northern Health patients to reshape the delivery of emergency care.
First introduced in 2020 during the COVID pandemic, the VVED is a pioneering project that allows non-urgent patients access to emergency care from anywhere in Victoria, 24 hours a day.
The VVED - which was a finalist in the awards' Industry Engagement category - began with a request from Northern Health to help implement a virtual emergency department.
From there, academics from La Trobe's School of Psychology and Public Health and School of Allied Health worked with the hospital to identify needs and develop an online registration system for patients.
In February 2022, the Victorian Government invested $21 million to roll out the virtual ED across the state, offering real-time online telehealth consultations for patients, aged care facilities and other healthcare professionals.
In March 2024, the government invested a further $235 million to double the capacity of the service to 1000 patients each day.
To date, VVED has helped 86 per cent of its patients avoid an unnecessary trip to hospital.
"The Victorian Virtual Emergency Department is a game-changer, providing timely, accessible healthcare to Victorians when they need it most," Professor Boyd said.
Two other La Trobe programs and one academic were also finalists in this year's AFR Awards:
- MedTech company AlleSense was a finalist in the Research Commercialisation category. AlleSense has patented a sensor which instantly detects cancer cells by measuring their optical properties and translating them into vibrant colour contrast. Known as the NanoMslide, the invention replaces current chemical staining with cutting-edge nanotechnology, enabling faster, cheaper and more accurate detection of early-stage breast cancer.
- Two programs that aim to move the dial on access to higher education for first in family students were finalists in the Access and Equity category. Almost half of La Trobe's students are first in their family to attend university. Indigenous program RISE with La Trobe and the Tertiary Preparation Program nurture and support those students on their university pathway. The online TPP program assists students to study at their own pace and provides a supporting learning experience tailored to their needs. RISE provides a culturally appropriate bridge for Indigenous high school students to university.
- Professor Bec Strating, Director of La Trobe Asia and a Professor of International Relations, was a finalist in the Emerging Leadership category. Professor Strating is one of the few women leaders working on international security in Australia. She has an exceptional track record of impact as a leader, mentor and role model within La Trobe and further afield in think tanks and research collaborations across Asia and beyond. Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong describes Professor Strating's work as "a powerful contribution to security discourses in Australia".
The AFR Higher Education Awards is an annual event dedicated to recognising the remarkable contributions that tertiary institutions have made to the Australian community over the year.
