Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service

What Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service does

Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service (SCHHS) is a Queensland Government statutory public health service operating an integrated network of five hospitals and health centres across the Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions of Queensland, Australia. Established under the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011 and operating under the Queensland Health umbrella, the service provides free public hospital and community healthcare to eligible patients under Australia's Medicare system, with facilities including the tertiary teaching Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) at Birtinya, Nambour General Hospital, Caloundra Health Service, Gympie Hospital, and Maleny Soldiers Memorial Hospital. Its service portfolio spans emergency and acute care, maternity (including a Midwifery Group Practice and Birth Centre), mental health (including new Crisis Support Spaces), cancer care, dental (with mobile dental vans), sexual health, palliative care, child health immunisation across 15 clinics, and telehealth. Operational scale is substantial: over 45,000 emergency presentations across four sites in a single summer period, 56,549 ED presentations at SCUH alone in Oct-Dec 2023, and 269,000+ COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the program's first year.

The underlying technology stack centres on an Integrated electronic Medical Record (ieMR) system deployed across all facilities, supporting care coordination across the network. Research infrastructure at SCUH includes a dedicated Clinical Trials Ward with eight fully-equipped consultation rooms, a PC2 research laboratory with monitored freezers, centrifuges, and biological safety equipment, on-site Pathology Queensland integration, and a comprehensive medical imaging suite (X-ray, CT, MRI, Ultrasound, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine, PET, Fluoroscopy, Bone Mineral Densitometry). Clinical pharmacy capabilities include investigational drug services, aseptic preparation of sterile and cytotoxic medications, and temperature-monitored secure storage for trial drugs. The research division operates commercially sponsored trials, collaborative multi-centre trials, and investigator-led studies, alongside the Infection Research Network Sunshine Coast focused on antimicrobial resistance and infectious diseases.

The business model is government appropriations-funded rather than commercial: SCHHS is funded through Queensland Health state allocations and Commonwealth Medicare bulk-billing, with services provided at no out-of-pocket cost to eligible public patients. Limited ancillary revenue streams include research governance fees for commercially sponsored research, private patient billing, and specific treatment fees. Distribution is direct-to-patient through hospital emergency departments, inpatient services, outpatient clinics, community health centres, child health clinics, and telehealth channels across a regional catchment. Customer segments are essentially horizontal — general public/patients, mental health consumers, and children/families — with research partners (six Australian universities, TAFE Queensland, Pathology Queensland) forming a non-revenue institutional ecosystem. The service employs ~1,062 staff (per LinkedIn scraper, likely understated relative to full operational headcount) and is led by Acting Chief Executive Karen Dean.

Name

Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service

Legal name

Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service

Website

https://sunshinecoast.health.qld.gov.au

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service is a Queensland Government statutory public health service operating five hospitals and community health centres across the Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions, delivering comprehensive acute, mental health, maternity, cancer, dental, and clinical research services funded through state appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Hospital and Health Services

NAICS

General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (622110), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (62211)

SIC

Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062), Services-Hospitals (8060)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Regional General Hospitals (HLAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Safety-Net & Public Hospitals (HLAFAAAD)

Keywords

• Public hospital services
• Emergency and acute care
• Clinical research trials
• Community health services
• Mental health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Birtinya

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Healthcare Services: Government-funded public hospital and health services provided free of charge to eligible patients under Australia's Medicare system. Funded by Queensland Government and Commonwealth government allocations.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service is a publicly funded health service that operates a network of five hospitals and multiple health centres across the Sunshine Coast and Gympie regions of Queensland, Australia. It delivers comprehensive clinical services including emergency care, maternity, mental health, cancer care, dental, palliative care, telehealth, and child health services, alongside a research program that conducts clinical trials and infection research in partnership with universities.

Product overview

Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service is a public healthcare provider operating a network of five hospitals (Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Nambour General Hospital, Caloundra Health Service, Gympie Hospital, Maleny Soldiers Memorial Hospital) and multiple health centres across the Sunshine Coast region in Queensland, Australia. The health service provides comprehensive clinical services including dental, sexual health, mental health, cancer care, maternity, palliative care, and telehealth. Its research division includes clinical trials, the Infection Research Network Sunshine Coast, and medical imaging and pathology services. Key facilities include the dedicated Clinical Research Unit at SCUH with 8 consultation rooms, PC2 research laboratory, and crisis support spaces for mental health care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sunshine Coast University Hospital The main tertiary teaching hospital located at 6 Doherty St, Birtinya QLD 4575, providing emergency, specialist, and general medical services to Sunshine Coast residents.
• Nambour General Hospital A regional hospital providing emergency, inpatient, and outpatient services to the Sunshine Coast hinterland area.
• Caloundra Health Service Provides health services to the southern Sunshine Coast area including the Minor Injury and Illness Clinic.
• Gympie Hospital A regional hospital providing emergency and general medical services to the Gympie area, featuring a nurse-led walk-in clinic.
• Maleny Soldiers Memorial Hospital A smaller hospital providing limited services to the Maleny community in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
• Dental Services Oral health services including mobile dental vans serving schools, providing free dental care for eligible students from prep to grade 10.
• Mental Health Services Comprehensive mental health services including crisis support spaces, inpatient care, and community mental health programs.
• Cancer Care Oncology services including chemotherapy, radiation therapy coordination, and cancer treatment programs.
• Maternity Services Maternity care including antenatal, birthing, and postnatal services, including Birth Centre at SCUH and publicly funded home birth.
• Telehealth Remote healthcare consultations using video technology to connect patients with healthcare providers.
• Clinical Trials Program Research program conducting commercially sponsored trials, collaborative multi-centre trials, and local investigator-led trials with a dedicated Clinical Research Unit ward at SCUH featuring 8 consultation rooms and a PC2 laboratory.
• Medical Imaging Services Full diagnostic and interventional imaging services including X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound, mammography, nuclear medicine, PET, fluoroscopy, and bone mineral densitometry at multiple sites.
• Child Health Clinics Child health services including 15 immunisation clinics across the Sunshine Coast, a weekly drop-in immunisation clinic at Maroochydore Child Health, and the NOURISH service for premature babies.
• Crisis Support Space A calm, welcoming alternative to Emergency Departments for people experiencing mental health crisis, co-designed with lived experience consumers, located at Nambour Hospital and SCUH.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% reduction in severe RSV illness in babies during first 6 months of life
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of the Sunshine Coast (USC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop external research partner; joint partner in Sunshine Coast Health Institute; collaboration on clinical trials and research projects
• The University of QueenslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop external research partner; collaboration on research studies and clinical trials
• Queensland University of Technology (QUT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop external research partner; collaboration on academic research and clinical trials
• Monash UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop external research partner; collaboration on research projects and clinical trials
• University of SydneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop external research partner; academic research collaboration
• Griffith UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Sunshine Coast Health Institute; health education and research collaboration
• TAFE QueenslandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Sunshine Coast Health Institute; vocational education collaboration
• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on infection research and antimicrobial resistance through Infection Research Network Sunshine Coast
• Australian Society for AntimicrobialsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on infection research through Infection Research Network Sunshine Coast
• Australasian Society for Infectious DiseasesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on infectious diseases research through Infection Research Network
• Cairns Hinterland Hospital and Health ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional collaboration on infection research through Infection Research Network Sunshine Coast
• Metro North Hospital and Health Service, BrisbaneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional collaboration on infection research through Infection Research Network Sunshine Coast
• NPS MedicinewiseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on antimicrobial stewardship research through Infection Research Network
• NSW Government - South Eastern Sydney Local Health DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on infection research through Infection Research Network Sunshine Coast
• Prince of Wales Hospital SydneyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on infection research through Infection Research Network Sunshine Coast
• Queensland Statewide Antimicrobial Stewardship ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on antimicrobial resistance research and stewardship measures
• University of New South WalesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaborator on infection research through Infection Research Network Sunshine Coast
• University of Technology SydneyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaborator on infection research through Infection Research Network Sunshine Coast
• Country to Coast Queensland PHN (CCQ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership protocol 2025-2028 for joint work to improve health and wellbeing of Sunshine Coast region residents; shared commitment to responsive service arrangements
• Pathology QueenslandcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides comprehensive pathology services for Sunshine Coast University Hospital; central pathology services for clinical trials

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gold Coast Health: Adjacent Queensland HHS operating Gold Coast University Hospital and Robina Hospital. Directly comparable regional tertiary network serving a high-growth coastal population — closely analogous operating model, funding structure, and demand profile to SCHHS.
• Metro South Health: Major Brisbane-based Queensland HHS operating Princess Alexandra Hospital, Logan, Redland, QEII and Beaudesert hospitals. Directly comparable as a large statutory HHS with tertiary, secondary, and community hospital mix under the same legislative and funding framework.
• Cairns Hinterland Hospital and Health Service: Queensland HHS operating Cairns Hospital plus regional and rural facilities across Far North Queensland. SCHHS is a confirmed collaborator through the Infection Research Network Sunshine Coast, and the HHSs share the regional multi-site delivery model under the same Queensland Health funding architecture.
• Metro North Hospital and Health Service: Queensland's largest HHS, operating Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, The Prince Charles Hospital, Redcliffe, Caboolture and Kilcoy hospitals. Directly comparable as a fellow statutory HHS under Queensland Health with a comparable multi-hospital network, academic/research partnerships, and similar public funding model. SCHHS even collaborates with Metro North through the Infection Research Network.
• West Moreton Health: Queensland HHS providing services across Ipswich, Somerset, Scenic Rim and Lockyer Valley. Closely comparable regional HHS structure with a mix of inpatient, community, and mental health services funded under the same Queensland Health appropriations model.

Broad incumbents

• Alfred Health: Major Victorian metropolitan health service operating The Alfred, Sandringham and Caulfield hospitals with leading trauma, transplant, and clinical research programs. Comparable at the tertiary teaching hospital level and as a major clinical trials site in Australia's public hospital landscape.
• Western Health (Victoria): Major metropolitan health service in Melbourne's western suburbs operating Sunshine, Footscray, and Williamstown hospitals. Comparable as a multi-site public health service with a focus on growing catchments and integrated digital records.
• NSW Health (South Eastern Sydney Local Health District): Large NSW LHD operating Prince of Wales, St George, Sutherland and Sydney/Sydney Eye hospitals. SCHHS is a confirmed collaborator through the Infection Research Network Sunshine Coast, making it a peer in infectious-disease research operations.

Regional players

• Children's Health Queensland: Queensland's specialist paediatric HHS operating Queensland Children's Hospital. Comparable as a Queensland statutory HHS with a dedicated research focus; relevant peer given SCHHS's child health and immunisation service lines.

Others

• Country to Coast Queensland PHN: Primary Health Network covering the Sunshine Coast region and a SCHHS strategic partner under a 2025-2028 joint protocol. Included as an ecosystem peer because PHNs co-fund and co-design regional service pathways with SCHHS, making them the most directly comparable commissioning counterpart.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qldhealthnews
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@qldhealth
• Facebookfacebook.com/SunshineCoastHHS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sunshinecoasthealth
• Instagraminstagram.com/sunshinecoast_health

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service