1.WA : South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS) WA
2.NSW Biripi Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) launches new services
3. SA : AHCSA Clinton’s Walk For Justice arrives Adelaide
4. NT Congress Alice Springs Deadly Choices Team
5. QLD Apunipima ACCHO :
Indigenous CBA Interns Raise Money for Kowanyama
6. Victoria : VAHS Healthy Lifestyle Team
7. Tasmania’s Flinders Island Tackling Indigenous Smoking
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1.WA : South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS) WA
Federal minister for Aged Care and Indigenous Health Ken Wyatt visited Bunbury on Monday and took the opportunity to visit the South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS) clinic.
Joined by Federal Member for Forrest Nola Marino, Mr Wyatt admired the state-of-the-art clinic and discussed health care challenges affecting the community.
Ministers Wyatt and Marino met the Clinic on Wheels before a sit down with the SWAMS board of directors and staff to discuss achievements, challenges and future plans.
SWAMS chief executive officer Lesley Nelson said opportunities to highlight the needs of the Aboriginal community with key politicians were encouraging for the future of targeted health care in the South West.
“It’s an honour to meet with Minister Wyatt, who is the country’s first Indigenous minister,” Ms Nelson said.
“Our vision is about providing high-quality, holistic and accessible services to the Aboriginal people of the South West and making sure our clients have more opportunities to access support.”
Since opening its new clinic on Forrest Avenue in August 2015, SWAMS has seen a steady increase in client numbers, resulting in boosted health screening rates and regular visits to all clinics.
SWAMS opened its fourth outreach clinic in March, to now operate from Brunswick Junction, Busselton, Collie and Manjimup.
“SWAMS is also focused on bringing specialists to our clinics to help bridge the gap for our clients and community,” Ms Nelson said.
“We recently held an ear, nose and throat clinic with renowned Clinical Professor Harvey Coates, which saw more than 30 children attend.
“SWAMS supports Aboriginal health through a range of tailored programs and services, we are committed to being able to provide quality health care – it’s a vital need.”
Mr Wyatt was born at Roelands Mission farm and entered the federal parliament in 2010 as the Member for Hasluck. Prior to entering Parliament, Wyatt served as Director of the WA office of Aboriginal Health as well as a similar post with NSW Health.
For more information about SWAMS, visit swams.com.au
2.NSW Biripi Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) launches new services
The Biripi Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS) has received Primary Health Network funding, meaning it can deliver care coordination programs for members of the Aboriginal community with complex medical needs.
The Biripi AMS celebrated the official opening of its upgraded clinic facilities on March 10 with the announcement of Primary Health Network funding.
“The new clinic at Purfleet provides primary care and specialists’ services to close the ‘access’ gap for Biripi people,” Biripi Aboriginal Corporation Medical Centre CEO Brett Cowling said. The Purfleet clinic has been partially funded by the Commonwealth government.
“Historically, specialist services could only be accessed by travelling to Newcastle, leaving family and leaving Biripi country. The Biripi people also opened a new self funded clinic in 2016 that is closer to the Bushland community where a large population demographic reside.”
“Biripi AMS is now 37 years old and the commissioning of these valuable new assets will help secure the financial viability of the organisation into the future.”
Primary Health Network CEO Richard Nankervis said the aim of the funding is to better treat and manage chronic conditions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by improving access to services and better care coordination.
“Major chronic diseases in our community include asthma, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, dementia and mental illness and it is it is vital that these conditions are effectively managed in primary care to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
“The alarming increase in preventable chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity are placing and a huge financial burden on the financial sustainability of the health system and by conducting care coordination programs we can support the patient and facilitate their care needs so we can keep them out of hospital,” Mr Nankervis said.
“A key benefit of care coordination programs is that they are patient-centred, and this is a key focus of all the programs funded by the PHN.
“There is strong evidence that engaging patients more fully in their own healthcare not only improves the experience for patients and those who care for them but it also improves the quality of care and lessens the cost to all.”
Mr Cowling said the funding provided through the Intergrated Team Care (ITC) program will make an important contribution to closing the gap in life expectancy by improving access to culturally appropriate primary care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“As part of this funding we will be providing care coordination activities that help patients get to medical appointments; get the patient’s family or carer appropriately involved; utilising relevant electronic clinical software to maintain, update and where required transfer the patient’s medical records to improve clinical handover and share clinical information with other members of the patients’ health care team.”
3. SA : AHCSA Clinton’s Walk For Justice arrives Adelaide
Along the way the team are spending time in Aboriginal communities; meeting with elders, hearing their stories, talking with school kids and community groups.
Clinton will bring the words of these communities all the way to Canberra
Support Clinton thru Go Fund ME
Photos above shared by Janette Milera-Kaurna ArabunaNarunga.
6. Victoria : VAHS Healthy Lifestyle Team
SO much FUN at Melbourne Colour Run . We ran, danced and laughed our way to the finish line!!
It really was the happiest 5K run ever! Well done to all our HerTribe women and their families. Fluro colours look great on everyone!!
#behappy #bepositive #bedeadly #staysmokefree
6. QLD Apunipima ACCHO : Indigenous CBA Interns Raise Money for Kowanyama
After a tragic incident in Kowanyama earlier this year, Indigenous interns from the Commonwealth Bank’s CareerTrackers Intern Programme have raised money to support the Kowanyama community.
Interns were led by their manager Kyle, a Koko-Berra man who grew up in Cairns though now lives in Sydney where he works as an Indigenous Careers Acquisition Consultant for Commonwealth Bank.
After Kyle heard about the Kowanyama tragedy he wanted to return to his family in the Cape, some of whom were flown to hospital with severe injuries from the incident. Unfortunately, due to work commitments in other Indigenous communities Kyle could not return to Cairns or Kowanyama to support his family at this difficult time.
Reflecting on what was going through his mind when he heard about the incident, Kyle said, “I saw the news about the incident in Kowanyama on Facebook first, so then I called my Uncle who is up there as asked him what’s going on and if any of our family were there. He said that some of our family were in the house when it happened and they have been flown to hospital in Cairns and Townsville.
“I wanted to go up there and help but I couldn’t because I had some work to do with Indigenous communities and I didn’t want to let them down, so I decided to help by raising funds.”
Apunipima Cape York Health Council were assisting with the injured after the incident. Apunipima put Kyle in touch with Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council who spoke with Kyle about raising funds.
Kyle explained that, “We agreed that the funds raised would go towards building a memorial and help cover costs for the families. When discussing the idea of the community project the Shire Council thought it would be important to make that area a happy place again so maybe they will build a child playground or something as a memorial.”
The project was put to the interns and they came up with the idea to hold a fundraiser event. The event celebrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, and gave the attendees a chance to win prizes through a raffle and silent auction. The interns succeeded in securing a range of donated prizes, as well as some entertainment for the event.
One of the highlights of the raffle was a jersey donated by the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) which was signed by the 2016 Wallabies team. Gym franchise Anytime Fitness donated a three month membership which was also raffled off.
The Commonwealth Bank donated a range of cricket memorabilia, including two signed bats. Life Wear also donated some of their garments for the raffle.
Indigenous artist Aunty Bibi Barba donated a painting which successfully raised money through the silent auction.
The CBA CareerTrackers Indigenous Interns also organised a cultural aspect to the event with a few different performances and speakers. The proceedings, included a lesson in language and dance by Tribal Warrior, a not-for-profit Indigenous organisation initiated and directed by Aboriginal people with Aboriginal Elders in Sydney. Two of the interns, Seraphina Lauenstein a Wuthathi women (Cape York, Shelburne Bay) and Jonah Johnson Wiradjuri man (Three ways mission, Griffith), were the MCs for the night.
Other performances included dances by the Butterfly Dancers – a Sydney based Indigenous dance group, as well as a digeridoo performance by one of the interns.
As a thank you to the groups who donated the prizes, the interns donated their time back to Tribal Warrior where they did some community service activities, including boat maintenance, a boxing class, and some language classes.
Altogether $5230 was raised which was donated to Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council for a memorial to be placed at the site as well as to offer support the affected families.
7. Tasmania’s Flinders Island Tackling Indigenous Smoking
Tasmanian Aboriginals are proud of our history and culture;
smoking’s not a tradition we want passed on.
The 12 of US were chosen to represent our communities
and for our belief that together, we can crush the smokes
Download the Newsletter FIAAI Tackling Smoking Newsletter Quarter 1 2017