1. NT : This week the President of the AMA Dr Michael Gannon paid a flying visit to our ACCHO’s in Central Australia : His 2 day diary
2.1 NSW : Indigenous culture at the heart of new Katungul Aboriginal Corporation Community and Medical Services (ACC&MS) home care project
2.2 NSW : Yerin Incorporating Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Centre inaugural Health Care Quality Committee
3. QLD : Apunipima celebrates the first anniversary of its Wellbeing Centres : It has been a year of milestones and learnings for the team that ‘hit the ground running’ 12 short months ago.
4. SA : Nganampa Health Council’s 2017 Annual Report is now available
5. WA : Two Aboriginal women, leaders in Aboriginal health care in Western Australia, have been recognised for their lifelong dedication and commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people.
6.VIC : The Commission for Children and Young People welcomes the appointment of former NACCHO Chair Justin Mohamed as Victoria’s new Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People
7. TAS : A yarn with Assoc. Professor Greg Phillips April 20
8.1 ACT : Winnunga ACCHO Download the April Newsletter
8.2 ACT : Winnunga has commenced a new program for first time mothers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies
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1. NT : This week the President of the AMA Dr Michael Gannon paid a flying visit to our ACCHO’s in Central Australia : Here is his 2 day diary
Day 1.1 Pintupi Homelands Health Service Kintore
Thank you for welcome to Pintupi Homelands Health Service, @WDNWPT Purple House Dialysis Unit in Kintore, NT.
Social, economic, human benefits of delivering health care on country, under community control in evidence
Day 1.2 Urapuntja Health Service Utopia
Fabulous welcome to Urapuntja Health Service Utopia, NT.
Innovative, impressive primary healthcare service delivery in difficult setting. Shocking Diabetes rates. Exciting new Dialysis service. Real answers of course lie in prevention, addressing social determinants of health
Day 2 .1 Congress Alice Springs
Thank you to Congress Alice Springs for the meeting/tour. Fabulous integration of doctors, nurses, midwives, AHWs, allied health experts. Disc. housing, water, social determinants of health, proposed rural training hubs as way to build medical workforce in regional Australia
Day 2.2 Congress Alice Springs; Harm caused by cannabis
Talking to Doctors, Aboriginal Health Workers about harm caused by cannabis in Alice Springs. Any permissive messaging on Gunja extremely harmful to local Indigenous population and their mental health.
Will impair prevention messages my colleagues working so hard on
Day 2.3 : NPY Ngaanyatjarra, Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Women’s Council
Thank you to Andrea Mason, Angela Lynch NPY Women’s Council. Fascinating insights into the work of Ngangkari, wellness models, Mental
2.1 NSW : Indigenous culture at the heart of new Katungul Aboriginal Corporation Community and Medical Services (ACC&MS) home care project
“At the heart of our philosophy of Koori Health in Koori Hands is the health and wellbeing of our Elders,
By our Elders maintaining their lifestyle and connection to culture and country, we will be able to keep them independent and at home for longer.”
CEO of Katungul ACC&MS Robert Skeen also emphasised the connection to country experienced by Aboriginal Elders that is a key driver of the project
A new $1.4 million culturally-sensitive Indigenous seniors home care project, designed for Bateman’s Bay in New South Wales, has been agreed to and launched between aged care provider IRT Group and the Katungul Aboriginal Corporation Community and Medical Services (ACC&MS).
The project is designed to suit Indigenous cultural preferences and recognises that Aboriginal seniors have a connection to country and a desire to age in place, while also aiming to support older aboriginal people to stay in their own homes as they age.
Following the government grant funded project’s launch on 9 April signified by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), there is expected be a first meeting of the Project’s Steering Committee, formed to guide the project’s community-based and community-led approach to Indigenous aged care over the next three years.
IRT Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Patrick Reid says the project addresses barriers to accessing aged care by assisting Aboriginal seniors to apply for government home care funding assistance.
He also adds that IRT’s registered training organisations, IRT Academy, will support the project with delivery of a Certificate III training package for Indigenous trainees to provide culturally-appropriate home care services.
“Through the work of our IRT Foundation, we aim to provide equity in aged care service provisions to all seniors in the community,” Mr Reid says.
“We’re proud to partner with Katungul which has been working for the last 25 years to enable Aboriginal people to live healthy lives, enriched by a strong living culture, dignity and justice.”
Following the Project’s Steering Committee’s first meeting, a Koori Aged Care Community Yarn Up information session will also be held.
This session will have experts on hand to answer questions about the benefits of Koori Home Care, as well as the training offered by IRT Academy.
2.2 NSW : Yerin Incorporating Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Centre inaugural Health Care Quality Committee
This week Yerin had their inaugural Health Care Quality Committee meeting.
The purpose of the Committee is to provide the Yerin Incorporating Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Centre Board and CEO with expert clinical advice on clinical governance, patient experience and quality management of systems
3. QLD : Apunipima celebrates the first anniversary of its Wellbeing Centres : It has been a year of milestones and learnings for the team that ‘hit the ground running’ 12 short months ago.
“We have been able to employ community members into all positions in the centres, which include Receptionists, SEWB workers and Team Leaders.”
Our team leaders are also leaders in their community, which fits beautifully into the Apunipima Model of Care and is something that sets our service apart.”
Tanya Robinson, the Social Emotional Wellbeing Services Manager said it was important for the centres to have a strong local workforce
Last week marked the first anniversary of Apunipima’ s Wellbeing Centres in Cape York.
It has been a year of milestones and learnings for the team that ‘hit the ground running’ 12 short months ago, at centres in Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale and Mossman Gorge.
The Social Emotional Wellbeing services were set up in 2009 by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, in April 2017 Apunipima assumed responsibility and took over the management of these centres.
The role of the Apunipima Wellbeing Centres is to support the broad social and emotional wellbeing needs of each community. Each centre works to the Apunipima Model of Care, a community driven, community led model that focuses on all aspects of cultural, emotional, environmental and spiritual wellbeing.
Setting up a new service arm within any organisation can be a challenging time, Apunipima took these challenges in their stride, keeping community at the forefront of all changes.
“It was really important that the transfer to Apunipima management of the centres had no negative impact on clients using the services. I think we can be really proud of how that unfolded; it was a seamless transition.” Said Bernard David, who was the Regional Manager for Social Emotional Wellbeing at Apunipima.
Apunipima’ s Social Emotional Wellbeing team spent a lot of time in each community, before, during and after the changeover, meeting with all of the stakeholders to ensure that community members were involved in how the program would be delivered into the future.“
Both Bernard and Tanya agree that the future is looking great for the Wellbeing Centres. “We are constantly looking at how we can better service our clients and that will be our focus in the coming months.” Said Tanya.
4. SA : Nganampa Health Council’s 2017 Annual Report is now available
The Annual Report highlights a number of significant achievements in the past year including:
• Excellent child and women’s health program outcomes
• An enhanced program of specialist visiting teams…
• Strong Anangu employment and training outcomes
• An improved chronic disease management program leading to increased adult health checks
• Continuing high levels of participation in our sexual health screen and continued low levels of infection
• Innovative and collaborative public health programs
• Robust, leading edge information technology systems
• A continued strong financial position
To reduce our impact on the environment we have reduced the number of annual reports we have printed.
If you would like to receive a paper copy of this year’s report, or receive a notification next year by email, please send us a private message.
5. WA : Two Aboriginal women, leaders in Aboriginal health care in Western Australia, have been recognised for their lifelong dedication and commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people.
Two Aboriginal women, leaders in Aboriginal health care were posthumously honoured with the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia’s prestigious lifetime achievement awards at the State Sector Conference Dinner
Donnybrook Elder Gloria Khan and Derby Elder Maxine Armstrong have dedicated their lives to advancing the agenda for Aboriginal health in WA.
AHCWA Chairperson Vicki O’Donnell said both women had made positive differences to their communities.
Maxine, who passed away in March 2018, was the last of five founding members of the Derby Aboriginal Health Service, and had served as the Derby Aboriginal Health Service Chairperson for over 15 years. Maxine was also Chairperson of the Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Service Board for over 10 years and a Director on the AHCWA Board for more than a decade.
“Maxine was a passionate advocate for Indigenous and Aboriginal health, with her driving force to ‘help her people’,” Ms O’Donnell said.
“In particular, she was steadfast in her commitment to address the alarming rate of chronic disease in indigenous communities, the unacceptable rate of suicide and the impact of drugs on individuals, their families and their communities.
“Maxine was particularly proud of her efforts to secure funding for key medical facilities such as the Derby Aboriginal Health Service Dialysis Hub and Renal Health Centres in Derby, Kununurra and Fitzroy Crossing. She was also integral to the establishment of a refuge for Indigenous women.”
Maxine’s dedication and commitment to Aboriginal primary health was passionate and instrumental in developing strong partnerships with many community stakeholders across WA and Australia.
Gloria, who passed away in February 2018, was a passionate leader who worked tirelessly to improve the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people both in WA and across Australia.
She served as the AHCWA chairperson from 2005 to 2008, during which time she was also the Chair and the Deputy Chair of the South West Aboriginal Medical Service and Executive Director of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation.
Gloria also sat on several committees including the Ministerial Council for Suicide Prevention and the Telethon Kids Institute’s WA Aboriginal Child Health Survey Steering Committee, the largest and most comprehensive study into the health, wellbeing and development of Indigenous children.
“Gloria was a strong, proud Nyoongar woman who dedicated many years of service to Aboriginal health in WA and across Australia,” Ms O’Donnell said.
“Along with her kindness and compassion, she brought a wealth of knowledge to the sector as a nurse and a trained counsellor, with experience in the areas of domestic violence, sexual assault, grief and drug and alcohol abuse.
“Gloria’s depth of knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal health at the local, state and national level gave her the opportunity to advocate these issues in many forums.
“She showed true leadership, advocacy and commitment to help close the life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people of Australia.”
Maxine and Gloria’s legacies will continue through the efforts of others to ensure the advances and progress they made will continue.
More than 260 delegates from around the state are attending AHCWA’s annual state sector conference at the Esplanade Hotel Fremantle over April 11 and 12.
Yesterday, AHCWA unveiled its revolutionary new health atlas, Mappa, which provides cutting edge mapping technology to help align patients with local healthcare providers.
Tomorrow will see Federal Indigenous Health Minister Ken Wyatt launch AHCWA’s Western Australia Aboriginal Youth Health Strategy 2018-2023: Today’s young people, tomorrow’s leaders.
Developed with and on behalf of young Aboriginal people in WA, the strategy is the culmination of almost a decade of AHCWA’s commitment and strategic advocacy in Aboriginal youth health.
Over the two days, 15 workshops and keynote speeches will be held. AHCWA will present recommendations from the conference in a report to the state and federal governments to highlight the key issues about Aboriginal health in WA and determine future strategic actions.
6.VIC : The Commission for Children and Young People welcomes the appointment of former NACCHO Chair Justin Mohamed as Victoria’s new Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People
The Commission for Children and Young People welcomes the appointment of Justin Mohamed as Victoria’s new Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People.
Mr Mohamed is a proud Aboriginal man of the Gooreng Gooreng nation near Bundaberg in Queensland. He has dedicated the past 25 years to working towards building a stronger and healthier nation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
‘Mr Mohamed is well known as a strong and experienced advocate, and I look forward to working alongside him to advance the rights and interests of Aboriginal children and young people in Victoria,’ Principal Commissioner Liana Buchanan said.
The appointment comes at a time when Victoria has made significant commitments and some progress in tackling long-standing issues for Aboriginal children, particularly those in out-of-home care.
‘There remains much work to be done to tackle discrimination, improve services and ensure that Aboriginal children and young people in Victoria can fully enjoy the rights that many take for granted,’ Ms Buchanan said.
More information about the appointment can be found in the Minister for Families and Children media release: Introducing A New Champion For Aboriginal Young People
Mr Mohamed will begin his tenure on 28 May.
Treaty is connected self worth and empowerment for Aboriginal youth: Justin Mohamed
Victoria has a new Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People and he says the state is changing the course of the Indigenous community with its combined efforts on dealing with children in care and a treaty with the state’s Indigenous people.
Justin Mohamed will take up the position next month, well credentialed as a former head of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, and a former chief executive of Reconciliation Australia.
Victoria is the only state to have a Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young people and the state has been grappling with a 60 per cent increase in the number of children entering care between 2013 and 2015
7. TAS : A yarn with Assoc. Professor Greg Phillips April 20
8.1 ACT : Winnunga ACCHO Download the April Newsletter
Download HERE Winnunga AHCS Newsletter April 2018 (003)
8.2 ACT : Winnunga has commenced a new program for first time mothers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander babies
Download Brochure : ANFPP brochure