1.1 National: ACCHO sector represented at 2018 COAG Health Council Indigenous Health Round Table meeting in Alice Springs
1.2 National: Consultation to inform the development of the National Tobacco Strategy are now open! Closes 17 August
2.NT: Danila Dilba ACCHO Deadly Choices team supports Evonne Goolagong Foundation at Darwin launch
3.1 NSW : Condobolin Aboriginal Medical Centre : Peter Macdonald, heart transplant pioneer, helping close the Indigenous life-expectancy gap
3.2 NSW : Pius X ACCHO to receive more than $400,000 for New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services program
4. SA : Nganampa Health Council ACCHO launches new anti-smoking posters
5. WA : AHCWA : Meet our newest graduates of our Certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Practice program
6.1 QLD : IUIH is proud & excited to have just won the Large Employer of the Year category for the Metropolitan region at the Queensland Training Awards
6.2 QLD : IUIH Deadly day out at the Indigenous Seniors’ Games
7. VIC : VAHS complete your health check at VAHS, you can grab a special VAHS, Deadly Choices, The Long Walk and Essendon FC shirt.
How to submit a NACCHO Affiliate or Members Good News Story ?
Email to Colin Cowell NACCHO Media
Mobile 0401 331 251
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1.1 National: ACCHO sector represented at 2018 COAG Health Council Indigenous Health Round Table meeting in Alice Springs
The ACCHO sector was represented by John Singer NACCHO Chair, Donna Ah Chee CEO and Dr John Boffa Congress Alice Springs and AMSANT John Paterson
Key Points made by NACCHO Chair
1.Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and other Organisations need to be positioned as the primary service delivery method for Indigenous specific services.
2.We need investment to ensure we achieve health equity and accountability of the mainstream health services and systems to be part of closing this gap
3.We need the Government to genuinely listen and act on the voices of Aboriginal people, particularly on the Close the Gap Framework
The Indigenous Health Leadership Group was represented by IAHA , CATSINAM , NATSTIHWA and AIDA and Lowitja
1.2 National: Consultation to inform the development of the National Tobacco Strategy are now open! Closes 17 August
The Australian Government Department of Health has engaged Siggins Miller Consultants Pty Ltd (Siggins Miller) to undertake the development, consultation and drafting of the next iteration of the National Tobacco Strategy (NTS).
It is anticipated that the next NTS will build on the aim of the current NTS to improve the health of all Australians by reducing the prevalence of tobacco smoking and its associated health, social and economic costs and the inequalities it causes.
The proceeding online written submission template will firstly invite you to provide a standalone submission. Following this, you will have the opportunity to respond to a number of additional questions which primarily draw on the Priority Areas in the current NTS. You may choose to complete either or both of these options.
This online written submission portal will close at close of business on 17 August, 2018.
If you have further questions about the consultation process or have difficulty with the online platform, please contact Siggins Miller Consultants at 1800 106 052 or email us at nationaltobaccostrategy@sigginsmiller.com.au. It should be noted that the 1800 number provided is a message bank service in which you can leave your inquiry, a senior Siggins Miller staff member will endeavour to return your call within 72 hours.
You are able to save and continue your written submission at any time during the process by clicking on the button ‘Save page and continue later’ below. You will be asked to provide an email address, where a link of your submission will be sent to the email address.
You can continue with your submission by pressing on the link.
2.NT: Danila Dilba ACCHO Deadly Choices team supports Evonne Goolagong Foundation at Darwin launch
The Evonne Goolagong Foundation held a come and try tennis day at the new tennis centre at Marrara.
Danila Dilba staff came along to support the day and ran a stall with Deadly Choices health information.
Evonne spoke about her journey to winning Wimbledon and coaching clinics were held for school kids. It was great to see Evonne also have a talk with local Larrakia Elders.
A great event for our young people promoting healthy lifestyles, tennis and believing in yourself.
Evonne Goolagong Foundation
Since 2005, Evonne has run the Goolagong National Development Camp for Indigenous girls and boys. Using tennis as a vehicle to promote better health, education and employment, the program has awarded school scholarships, produced university scholars, tennis players, coaches, and sports administrators and has helped with employment placement.
Since 2012, under the auspices of the Evonne Goolagong Foundation and in conjunction with the Australian Government, the Dream, Believe, Learn, Achieve programme has conducted Tennis Come and Try Days nationwide giving access to Goolagong State Development Camps which in turn feed into the GNDC .
In the Australia Day Awards 2018 Evonne was awarded Australia’s highest honour. She was appointed as a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for eminent service to tennis as a player at the national and international level, as an ambassador, supporter and advocate for the health, education and wellbeing of young Indigenous people through participation in sport and as a role model.
Watch Evonne receive her award on Rod Laver Arena. Click on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PgtXqBGqrg
On 5th June 2018 Evonne received the Philipe Chatrier Award, the International Tennis Federation’s highest accolade given for exceptional contributions to tennis on and off the court.
3.1 NSW : Condobolin Aboriginal Medical Centre : Peter Macdonald, heart transplant pioneer, helping close the Indigenous life-expectancy gap
Every six weeks or so Peter MacDonald flies out to the Condobolin Aboriginal Medical Centre, in central-western New South Wales, to look after the health needs of the locals.
Centre manager Katie Worthington said Professor Macdonald had been coming since 2006.
“We have this long-standing joke with Peter that he’s the longest-standing doctor in rural Condobolin because, you know, doctors come and go, but Peter’s been coming for over 10 years,” she told 7.30.
It all began 12 years ago, when an Aboriginal patient and his wife told Professor Macdonald about the lack of medical services in Condobolin.
“She was the one who approached me and said there’s basically nothing out at Condobolin, certainly no specialist services, and would I be prepared to come out and do a clinic there,” Professor Macdonald said.
“I said, ‘Yeah, it’d be a nice change to working in the big city hospital on a daily basis’.
“So I flew out for the first time in December 2006.”
‘You can see the health benefits’
Anna Dargin was one of Professor Macdonald’s first patients and she still sees him regularly.
“We need someone to come in like this here, to do all the things, the treatment here rather than having to go away,” she told 7.30.
“It was a real treat seeing him today.”
Professor Macdonald said: “I’m seeing patients that I’ve seen many years in the past and it’s good to see them come back.
“And you can see the benefits in their health over the long term.”
He sees the Condobolin work as an opportunity to give back.
“As a group, the Indigenous population tend to have … more coronary risk factors, and they tend to develop coronary artery disease and heart disease at a younger age,” he said.
“They are seriously disadvantaged and, as you know, we’ve got this awful gap in life expectancy between the Aboriginal community and non-Indigenous Australians.
“What I do coming out here won’t solve this problem but at least it’s something. It’s an attempt to try and address the problem.”
3.2 NSW : Pius X ACCHO to receive more than $400,000 for New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services program
The Coalition Government is set to wave through more than $400,000 to Pius X Aboriginal Corporation in Moree, in a bid to boost access between the organisation and mothers and babies.
“It will provide better access to healthcare including antenatal care and practical advice for mothers, and immunisation and health checks for children before they start school,” Member for Parkes electorate Mark Coulton said.
Mr Coulton made the announcement last week that the funding will come from the larger pool of more than $1 million, which will be spread across Aboriginal health services in New South Wales.
Bourke Aboriginal Health Service and Dubbo Aboriginal Health Service have also been flagged to receive part of the share.
The $426,780 reserved for Pius X in Moree will go to the establishment of the New Directions: Mothers and Babies Services.
The program attempts to build on the government’s commitment to halve the gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander infant mortality.
“We are seeing positive health results including a decrease in smoking rates during pregnancy, a decrease in rates of low birth weight babies and improved childhood immunisation rates,” Mr Coulton said of the program.
“This is an important health program that will help our local children have a great start to life.”
Minister for Indigenous Health Ken Wyatt AM noted the program had already been rolled out in other parts of Australia and that the results spoke for themselves.
“An Australian Institute of Health and Welfare study in 2014 showed that families participating in the New Directions program registered improvements in seven out of the eight national Key Performance Indicators on maternal and child health,” Minister Wyatt said.
Pius X nurse manager Ros Rose said that the rate of infant mortality was a particular concern in the local health district.
“There is a 6.1 per cent difference in mortality rates between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities,” she said.
Ms Rose cited many reasons for the disparity, such as socio-economics and cultural barriers.
“Some people just assume that they’re welcome into the woman’s home. Never assume that you’re welcome,” she said.
“They will also visit them and speak at them. There’s a difference between speaking at them and speaking with them.
“We [Pius X] will have midwives go out into the community with an Aboriginal health worker, someone who knows the community. They will speak with these women and ask for their input.”
Pius X CEO Donna Taylor said she was pleased to hear that the local organisation had secured the vital funding.
4. SA : Nganampa Health Council ACCHO launches new anti-smoking posters
Have you seen our new anti-smoking posters yet? We should have them out in your community soon! Three of them were done by Kaylene Whisky from Iwantja and one by Pantjiti Lewis in Pukatja.
Thanks Kaylene and Pantjiti for creating such vibrant paintings for us to make into posters.
Remember, if you are thinking about quitting, come and see the clinic as we can help.
5. WA : AHCWA : Meet our newest graduates of our Certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care Practice program
All three men passed with flying colours providing a huge boost to the male AHW workforce.
Congratulations to Jay Ryder, Jarrod Minniecon, and Ken Nicholls.
6.1 QLD : IUIH is proud & excited to have just won the Large Employer of the Year category for the Metropolitan region at the Queensland Training Awards
6.2 QLD : IUIH Deadly day out at the Indigenous Seniors’ Games
What a deadly day out at the Indigenous Seniors’ Games last week at Shorncliffe.
Congrats to the Purga Porcupines team who took out the day!
2nd place team: Nalingu Possums I 3rd place team: Morayfield Stingers
Individual results: Mobility winner: Les Parker, Goodna Goannas I Over 70s: Tom Kairupan I Ten Pin Bowling: Robert Graham, Kambu Kookaburras I Numbers Board: Catherine Thurland, Purga Porcupines I Hole in the Wall: Kay Long, Morayfield Stingers I Quoits: Harold Leedie, Gympie Gold I Darts: Eddie Thompson, Kambu Kookaburras I Overall individual champion: Ernie Chong, Kambu Kookaburras
7. VIC : VAHS complete your health check at VAHS, you can grab a special VAHS, Deadly Choices, The Long Walk and Essendon FC shirt.
Don’t forget to get complete your regular health check this year!
A health check is a deadly way to manage your health but also detect any risk factors that can lead to a chronic disease.
If you complete your health check at VAHS, you can grab a special VAHS, Deadly Choices, The Long Walk and Essendon FC shirt.
Ring VAHS on 03 9419 3000 to book you and your family in for your health checks.
#vahsDC #StaySmokeFree #VahsHealthCheck
Essendon Football Club Deadly Choices The Long Wal