1.1 Queensland :Apunipima Cape York Health Council 

1.2 Institute for Urban Indigenous Health /Deadly Choices

2.NT : Katherine West Health Board

3. Tasmania Aboriginal Centre

4. SA Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia Inc

5 .Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services

6. NSW Galambila Aboriginal Medical Service Coffs Harbour

7.Western Australia : Aboriginal Health Council of WA.

8. ACT /Canberra Winnunga

 Lets celebrate and share our ACCHO’s success

“The opening of the Coen Health Care Centre is crucial to Apunipima’s commitment towards closing the gap in health for the people of Cape York.

As stated before, there is incontrovertible evidence that community driven, community led, culturally appropriate primary health care is key to improving health outcomes amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Apunipima will be working with Queensland Health and the Royal Flying Doctor Service to ensure that we are collectively able to meet the health needs of the Coen People

Apunipima CEO Cleveland Fagan : Photo above The Tackling Indigenous Smoking team

Part 1  : As of April 1^st 2017, Apunipima Cape York Health Council will be responsible for the running of Wellbeing Centres in Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge.

Apunipima Cape York Health Council now responsible for the running of Wellbeing Centres in Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge.

The four centres were operated by the Royal Flying Doctor Services (RFDS) for the past eight years.

RFDS implemented a project in 2009 to support the broad social and emotional wellbeing needs of those communities. They had great success and Apunipima is excited to work closely with each community to ensure all needs are met and to continue the vital work RFDS has already done.

Apunipima CEO, Cleveland Fagan said, “This is further confirmation that the community are on the way to achieving community control in the Cape. It is an exciting time for the communities and the organisation, and we are looking forward to continuing on with the great work RFDS has already done.”

CEO Cleveland Fagan went on to explain the approach Apunipima is taking, saying, “The centres will be following our comprehensive model of care, which we adopt across all our centres in the Cape. It’s a holistic approach to improve health and wellbeing for communities and families in Cape York.”

Apunipima has been providing advocacy for the people of Cape York for over 21 years. The organisation employs over 180 staff and services 11 communities across Cape York.  Apunipima independently operates Primary Health Care Centres in Aurukun, Coen, Kowanyama, Napranum and Mossman Gorge, and welcomes the addition of the Wellbeing Centres in Aurukun, Coen, Hopevale, and Mossman Gorge.

The four centres will employ a total for 40 positions. There are eight staff members from RFDS coming over to Apunipima to fill eight of the 40 positions. 25 of the positions are community based, the remaining are fly in fly out staff.

Part 2: Apunipima Cape York Health Council’s newest Primary Health Care Centre is in Coen and doors open to the community on Monday April 3rd.

The Coen Apunipima Health Care Centre is Apunipima’s fifth independent Primary Health Care Centre, all of which are community driven and community led facilities on Cape York.

Staff will spend the first week of opening becoming familiar with the new work environment. Coen residents will be welcome to drop by for a look and a BBQ in the second week of opening.

The Apunipima Healthcare Centre in Coen will offer culturally appropriate primary health care services including GP/Nurse Practitioner services, Maternal and Child Health services, Social Emotional Wellbeing services, as well as Allied Healthcare services which include Podiatry, Diabetes Education, Dietetics, and Tackling Indigenous Smoking.

Louise Pratt, an Umpilawoman who grew up in Coen, is the Primary Healthcare Manager who will be running both new Centres in Coen. Louise has been with Apunipima for over 7 years, before which she worked as a Health Worker for Queensland Health. She has over eleven years’ experience working in Health which has provided her with a firm grasp on healthcare needs in Coen.

Louise said “this has been nearly ten years in the making and I just want to acknowledge all people from the staff to the CEO who have put in the hard work to make it happen. I especially want to acknowledge Verna Singleton who was the health worker in Coen before me. She was the first ever Indigenous Health Worker in Coen. She played an important part in getting Apunipima off the ground here, connecting community with healthcare.”

Apunipima CEO Cleveland Fagan said, “The opening of the Coen Health Care Centre is crucial to Apunipima’s commitment towards closing the gap in health for the people of Cape York. As stated before, there is incontrovertible evidence that community driven, community led, culturally appropriate primary health care is key to improving health outcomes amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Apunipima will be working with Queensland Health and the Royal Flying Doctor Service to ensure that we are collectively able to meet the health needs of Coen people. ”

The new centre will work closely with Coen Health Action Team and community leaders to ensure services reflect and respond to the health needs of the local community.

The Department of Health provided funding to Apunipima to build new primary health care centres and accommodation in Coen.

An official opening for the new Coen Primary Health Care Centre is yet to be scheduled

1.2 Institute for Urban Indigenous Health

Join our team!

We are hiring for multiple positions in management, administration, and clinical services.

Get all the info, including vacancies and how to apply at: http://www.iuih.org.au/Jobs/IUIH-Vacancies

2.NT : Katherine West Health Board

Last week we shared a great morning down a Hickey’s Beach with ladies from Timber Creek, talking about women’s health.

Thanks to KWHB Board Directors, Deb our AHP and Julie at CDP for support.

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3. Tasmania Aboriginal Centre and General Practice Training Tasmania.

CLOSING the gap on health disadvantage for Tasmanian Aboriginals requires highquality , innovative, regionally based training programs, says General Practice Training Tasmania.

One of the organisations responsible for training the state’s next generation of GPs yesterday held an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health training workshop at the piyura kitina/Risdon Cove Pyramids.

Last month, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull handed down the ninth annual Closing the Gap report, which tracked the progress made so far in curbing disadvantage among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people.

It found just one of seven targets set almost a decade ago to improve outcomes in indigenous health, education and employment was on track.

GPTT medical educator Maureen Ryan said hearing stories from members of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community had helped the more than 20 GP registrars who attended the workshop better understand their health care requirements.

“There’s still a 10-year lifeexpectancy gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians and the parameters that are being aimed for in the Government’s Closing the Gap initiative are not being met,” she said.

GP registrar Peta Gardam said medical information from the Close the Gap program was particularly helpful.

Copyright © 2017 Mercury

3.Tasmanian Aboriginal group welcomes council move to change Australia Day celebrations

The first step would be to move the citizenship ceremony from January 26.

But not all are on board.

Lord Mayor Sue Hickey was one of the naysayers, but her amendment to lobby the Federal Government on the issue was supported.

Alderman Helen Burnet said January 26 was a day of mourning for many.

“We don’t want to be isolating people, it’s really important in the process of reconciliation for Tasmanians that we think about how we celebrate Australia day and when we celebrate Australia Day,” she said.

Last year, Kingborough Council announced it was shifting its Australia Day ceremony but said it was mainly due to a clash in venue availability.

The head of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, Heather Sculthorpe, welcomed the Hobart move and said Alderman Hickey was right to refer it on to the Commonwealth as it was their legislation which had to be changed.

“By Hobart and other councils setting the way like they have been, the pressure will really be on for [Premier] Will Hodgman to come out to support it would be a fantastic thing and it will make it all the quicker so that we can move on to something else more significant,” she said.

About 1,000 people attended this year’s “invasion day” rally in Hobart.

Ms Sculthorpe has again questioned the merits of Australia Day and said it was not about a date.

“It’s about what do people want to celebrate,” she said.

“The issue for the Aboriginal community is, what conditions have to be met before what people feel there is something to celebrate and we’re a way off from that.

“It’s not about when will we celebrate Australia Day it’s how do we reconcile, how do we form a proper relationship with the Aboriginal community.”

Hobart’s Lord Mayor came under fire late last year after the Museum of Old and New Art unveiled their vision for a former industrial area on Hobart’s waterfront, which included a large-scale memorial to Tasmanian Aboriginal warriors.

Alderman Hickey said she did not support a “guilt-ridden memorial” at Macquarie Point because she “did not kill the Aborigines”.

Ms Sculthorpe said she had since had discussions with the mayor but was yet to sit down with the Premier.

4. SA Nunkuwarrin Yunti of South Australia Inc

The Tackling Tobacco Team can help you on your journey to quit smoking! To find out more visit http://tacklingtobacco.nunku.org.au/how-can-we-support-you/ or call us on 08 8406 1600

5 .Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services

VACCHO this week hosted the First Peoples Yarning Circle at the World Congress of Public Health in Melbourne (2,700 visitors) Pictured Aunty Joy who conducted the Welcome to Country : Photo below : Summer May Finlay

Strong Gunditjmara Artists & Weavers Bronwyn Razem & Vicki Couzens sharing culture in our Yarning Circle, FPNS #wcph2017 #Aboriginalhealth

6. NSW Galambila Aboriginal Medical Service Coffs Harbour

Acknowledging clients, staff, community & partners for their contribution and commitment to  Close the Gap .

Dr Palmer has been with Galambila from the start. Without the Doctors real changes in our clients and community health would not be possible. We ask the Doctors at Galambila to nominate clients that have been dedicated to the management of their own health. Doctors Choice Award for Improved Health Rose Butterworth, Kim Pocock and Carol Mills

7.Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia

Ben Wyatt, who made history as the first indigenous treasurer when Labor recently won the state election, said there was dissatisfaction as legislation was from the early 1970s and outdated.

“There’s frustration from Aboriginal people, from government, and indeed the public servants within the department,” he told AAP on Wednesday.

“The legislation no longer enables them do that they want to do, or what needs to be done.”

Members of the community expressed frustration at the department, with Mr Wyatt saying “paternalistic” legislation needed to better reflect the modern relationship between the indigenous and government, which he hoped to improve.

“You have to involve Aboriginal people in the process of decisions that impact on them,” he said.

Mr Wyatt said health was the biggest challenge for the aboriginal community as there were large numbers of people with chronic disease, and said health minister Roger Cook wanted to see better results and accountability.

The former Barnett government flagged the closure of up to 150 remote indigenous communities in WA in late 2014, which Mr Wyatt described as belligerent and disrespectful.

He hoped there would be relief that this was no longer happening, and that he would work to ensure Aboriginal communities had greater legal rights to live where they do.

“I’ll be a minister for a very short period of time in the grand sweep of history,” he said.

“If I can reform and update the legislation that governs the relationship between Aboriginal people and the government, I’ll be very pleased.”

Some of the highlights of the AHCWA 3 days summit

A fantastic Welcome To Country by Prof. Ted Wilkes and performance by Wadumbah alongside the Derbarl Yerrigan to open our WA ACCHO Sector Conference in Perth this week

8.ACT Canberra Winnunga AMS

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