About Us
The year it all began…
Founded in 1999, Bridges & Pathways was born from the devastating stories of many Australians whose symptoms were dismissed and who were accused of being malingerers.
The year 1999 was when general practitioners, case managers and carers came together with patients suffering from a mystery illness (more commonly known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)). The common purpose was to provide all Australians better access to care and research, paving the way for dynamic partnerships to begin a healthcare industry revolution we now know as Bridges & Pathways.
Two decades later, we have represented Australians living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia (FMS), and chronic pain and fatigue syndromes by participating actively in Australian Health Reform projects (Federal and State) to improve health outcomes and ensure the well-being of Australians living with these complex chronic conditions.
Our Mission
Bridges & Pathways was established with a clear mission: to facilitate early intervention, seamless, affordable, best-practice care to Australians living with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia (FMS), promoting their well-being and reducing disability and the impact of illness on their daily lives.
Since 1999, we have developed dynamic partnerships focused on changing the narrative around ME/CFS/FMS; basing our argument on the fact that these overlapping complex multi-system physical conditions can be managed to limit chronicity, reduce the total illness burden and prevent unnecessary disability.
We believe that disease management must focus on health outcomes; be multidisciplinary, assisted by a team of providers working holistically together and focusing on individual patients, tailoring their care by prioritising their needs (client focused care).
What Have We Been Up to?
Staying consistent with Australian Medicare Chronic Disease Management Programs, tailored for ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia, we have facilitated 8000+ patient services, including but not limited to national call lines, email support services, local support groups and education programs for over two decades.
Our clinical and research collaborations have contributed to a continuous quality improvement process, fast-tracking biomedical research into daily clinical care, making the transition towards evidence-based care more effective. We have also provided consumer representation on working groups such as national pain strategy, chronic disease strategy and primary health care reforms.
Our projects over the years have included evaluations for the implementation of:
ü Enhanced Primary Care
ü Medicare items
ü Care Planning in Primary care Settings
ü Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
ü Tele-Health for Rural and Home-based Clients
ü Digital Online Platforms to streamline care
ü Service Models for Patients with complex chronic diseases who fall into service gaps.
As a result of these projects, we have developed provider and consumer resources (Australian ME/CFS Nurses Manual and Fibromyalgia Nurses Manual, Patient Manuals, and General Practice Manuals).
These have now been developed into a Nurse Led Model of Care for patients with complex pain and fatigue conditions (MECFS/ Fibromyalgia/ Long COVID). This program was introduced to provide early diagnosis, case management and intervention, leading to streamlined referrals, cost-effective pathways of care across all levels of the Australian health system.
Our Clinical Research Collaborations aim to change the lives of 500,000+ Australians living with ME/ CFS/ Fibromyalgia!
Who We Are
Based in the Southern suburbs of Adelaide with its strong university, clinical and consumer networks, we work in dynamic partnerships with providers and consumers and university staff to represent the poorly understood conditions of ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia. We work with clinicians to improve services in the context of Australian health reforms, always focusing on improving health outcomes for all Australian living with these conditions.
Our 2024-26 priority is to multiply the number of clinics providing access to early intervention, best practice care, with a special focus on ME/ CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia) and overlapping conditions. We aim to continue to support Australians living with these complex chronic conditions by providing up to date and useful information to help them maintain their quality of life.
We are seeking sponsorships and financial support to evaluate our patient centred service models and resources, including a Nurse Led Early Diagnosis and Intervention Model for general practice so that it can be multiplied Australia wide to equip providers with necessary practice resources to provide their patients with early intervention and best-practice care!
Any donation helps – Please Donate.
If you need our help, we can be contacted through this website, Facebook, email bpclients5159@gmail.com, or our national call line on 0439 795 752.
You can find our charity details on the ACNC (Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission) website: https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities/ Search by charity: Bridges and Pathways
Join Us: Volunteer for a Cause!
Bridges and Pathways is open to working with skilled individuals who can help us in our mission. We are currently seeking:
- Practice Nurses and Nurse Practitioners
- Experienced Nurse Educator to deliver Chronic Disease Management programs adapted for ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia
Other current positions are:
- Medical journalist with a knack for summarising academic articles into people-friendly language.
- Writer for our media releases
- Patient Advisory Service Manager (in office)
Please feel free to share your unique skill-set by filling out the Volunteer Expression of Interest form and return it to us by emailing us at bpvolunteers01@gmail.com with a subject line “Interested in volunteering!”