Raising the Bar in Community Care: The TRS Story
When Team Rehab Solutions (TRS) first began, it was born from a small group of passionate clinicians working out of a Sports & Spinal clinic. Our shared vision was clear: Raise the bar – community care deserved better.
Historically, community and aged care were often seen as the “fallback” for clinicians who didn’t land a job in a hospital or private practice. When I was going through university, that stigma was deeply embedded, and the assumption was that working in community care or aged care meant you’d somehow missed out.
But that perception never sat right with me. In fact, some of the most complex, rewarding, and meaningful work I’ve done has been in the community. These are real people with real, often multifaceted complex health needs and they deserve exceptional care.
Specialised Care Where It’s Needed Most
Traditionally, community therapy was seen as generalist in nature. But in practice, it’s anything but simple. Often I find that we are in the front line with people living with complex conditions whether it be Parkinson’s disease, MS, complex stroke, MND, advanced geriatric conditions and so on. As we know, these people require highly specialised, collaborative care.
That’s been our mission at TRS to raise the bar and build a collaborative practice model where patients receive targeted, expert care in the community that is centred around their goals.
We have a team of clinicians who are passionate about their specialised area. This means they not only provide best practice care, but they are genuinely enthusiastic about what they do; whether this be an exercise physiologists that loves seeing neuro conditions, an occupational therapist that knows the in’s and out’s of the NDIS, home mods or mental health, or a physio that’s interested in geriactic care – just to name a few.
That level of clinical depth allows us to deliver the right care, at the right time, in the right environment, whether it’s the home, gym, or most of the time in their home.
A Clinician-Led change
My personal journey reflects this broader evolution. I started as an exercise physiologist at Sports & Spinal with a deep interest in neurological rehab having worked within that area through uni and having studied occupational therapy before transferring over to Exercise Physiology. Over time, I completed a Graduate Diploma and Master’s in Neurological Rehabilitation, with a special interest in stroke rehabilitation and persistent pain.
The journey and the opportunity to specialise and follow my passion is what the TRS model is all about. We’ve intentionally built space for our clinicians to grow their niche expertise and align their careers with what they’re passionate about.
Future-Ready for a Changing Landscape
As Australia’s population ages and the rate of neurological conditions increases, demand for specialised community care continues to grow. TRS is well-positioned to meet this challenge working with the NDIS, Home Care Packages, and the upcoming Support at Home program to provide high-quality, in-home services that keep people where they want to be; safe, supported, and independent at home.
I see it as our responsibility, and we have a huge part to play to support the broader health system, to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, easing pressure on aged care facilities, and helping clients avoid premature transitions into residential care. Our clinicians understand the funding pathways, the system constraints, and most importantly the patient journey.
Working Together on the Sunshine Coast
One of the great joys of working on the Sunshine Coast is being surrounded by a network of passionate, skilled medical professionals. We’re lucky to be part of a health system that’s collaborative and driven by quality care. At TRS and Sports & Spinal, we’re always looking to strengthen those ties because great healthcare doesn’t happen in silos.
Raising the bar is more than just a motto, it’s about delivering specialised, thoughtful, and effective care where it’s needed most. Whether it’s neuro rehab in the home, vestibular therapy in the gym, or mental health support via occupational therapy, our goal remains the same – to bring the very best care to the community.
We’re proud to be part of the Sunshine Coast health landscape, and we look forward to continuing to work alongside so many of you who share the same passion for excellence.
Written by Joe Upritchard, Partner & TRS Sunshine Coast Regional Manager
Masters of Neurological Rehabilitation, Grad Diploma Neurological Rehabilitation & Exercise Physiologist