1.1 NSW : Bourke Aboriginal Health Service utilises My Health Record to improve the health outcomes of the community

The Bourke Aboriginal Health Service was established 30 years ago to address early mortality rates in the community. But if you ask Barbara Flick – or Ungi as she’s also known – not enough has changed since.

Ungi is part of the Pademoen Clan of the Yuwallaraay nation. She’s also CEO of the Bourke Aboriginal Health Centre.

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Her impressive career in healthcare spans almost half a century. She was the first nurse at the Aboriginal Medical Service Redfern in 1972, ran the biggest GP practice in Darwin and served as National Indigenous Health Advisor to the Australian Medical Association.

With a resume like that, it’s little wonder that Ungi was invited into the Bourke community to work on improving the Aboriginal Health Service six years after her retirement.

“I work in healthcare because I want my grandchildren to grow up to be strong and healthy, to make decisions about what they want to do in life and to maintain their culture and identity,” Ungi says. “When I heard about the situation in Bourke, my heart ached for the families here. I wanted to keep doing something useful, so I accepted their invitation.”

Bourke has a small population of just under 3,000 people and more than 30 per cent are Indigenous. It’s remote, which makes it difficult to attract medical staff. It also has high rates of chronic disease.

“We have a lot of sick people in the community, but exact rates of chronic disease aren’t well known,” Ungi says. “A lot of people don’t get health checks so we can’t identify chronic disease and help treat it.”

Improving outcomes

The Bourke Aboriginal Health Service offers two main programs – clinical services to treat people who are sick and a chronic disease program to help mitigate community issues. Ungi believes My Health Record will help improve both.

“It will have an enormous positive impact on our population,” Ungi says. “It’s difficult to get a GP in rural and remote areas so we have to staff our clinic with locums. They come for two or three weeks at a time and then go away. During that time with us, they’re more concerned with dealing with the people who turn up at the clinic sick everyday than managing chronic disease.

“With My Health Record, people won’t have to tell the same story to every locum they come across. But practitioners will still be able to see what their conditions and medications are.”

Many of the people in the Indigenous communities also move across the region regularly to visit family. Ungi says My Health Record will ensure continuity of care: “It will make us comfortable in knowing that when people go away, they’ll be taken care of properly.”

Addressing community challenges

On a broader level, My Health Record can improve the health outcomes of the wider Bourke community.

As an example, Bourke Aboriginal Health Service is currently running a ‘Too Deadly for Diabetes’ program to help address management of the disease in the community. It’s been a huge success – after seven weeks, one diabetic even went into remission.

“My Health Record will help us keep track of what’s happening. It will help locums review medications and reduce them when necessary,” Ungi says. “It’s not just about knowing what’s wrong with people. By using My Health Record, we can see changes in their illnesses or medications. This is most important for the management and treatment of chronic disease.”

Ungi wants the Bourke community to have better control over their personal health and their lives. Anything that encourages honest conversations with treatment providers is an important part of the solution.

“Our biggest concerns are about people going down that road to the cemetery,” Ungi says. “My Health Record will benefit our community by giving us the information we need to treat people in the most appropriate way, to stem the flow of disease and give people a healthier life.”

1.2 NSW : Awabakal Ltd Preschool Wickham was awarded ‘Most Outstanding Childcare Service in the Newcastle and Hunter Region’ 

This tops off a fantastic 12 months with the Excellence Accreditation result, placing the preschool in the top 48 services in Australia, so it was fitting to get validation from the Local Business Awards by being the leading centre in Newcastle.

The staff attended a night at the Belmont 16 Footers where the announcement was made. The journey has been an exciting time for Wickham, and the girls would like to honour the many, many staff and pioneers from the community that set the foundation for our preschools. Without the foresight, passion and vision from those pioneers, these opportunities would not be available for us today.

2.NT :  Malabam Health Board and Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation will each receive $742,000 over three years to lead local pilot programs to target Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD).

The Government has funded nearly $4.5 million to eliminate the RHD, with more than 6,000 Indigenous people living with the painful and prolonged disease.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion, said the expansion of the Rheumatic Fever Strategy would include practical environmental health hygiene activities and intensive health promotion measures to help combat both acute rheumatic fever and the associated RHD.

Originally published here

Picture above : LIFE THREATENING: Liddywoo Mardi, 15, after open-heart surgery at Royal Children’s Melbourne. Picture: CDU.

“RHD and acute rheumatic fever take scores of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lives each year, including young people who never get a chance to reach their full potential,” Minister Scullion said.

Malabam Health Board and Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation will each receive $742,000 over three years to lead local pilot programs to combat RHD.

​“Malabam Health Board will cover Maningrida and Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation will focus on the Yirrkala and Millingimbi communities in East Arnhem Land,” Minister Scullion said.

“Our Government recognises the vital role local Aboriginal Medical Services play in their community and we believe these organisations are vital to averting new cases of this preventable disease.” he said.

Minister Scullion said the new programs will help support the Roadmap to Eliminate Rheumatic Heart Disease, which is currently being developed.

“Through this roadmap and the guidance of key stakeholders and experts, we will eliminate this disease and improve the health and living conditions of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now and into the future,” Minister Scullion said.

“The Government is making a significant investment in RHD prevention, allocating $23.6 million to the Rheumatic Fever Strategy over the next four years.

“The strategy supports state and territory-based programs to register, manage and control acute rheumatic fever and RHD.”

RHD is caused by repeated bouts of acute rheumatic fever, damaging the heart valves, which is an auto-immune reaction to untreated throat and skin infections.

Poor living conditions contribute to these infections making rheumatic fever more likely.

3.ACT : Australian first as major steps taken in realising Winnunga ACCHO  Model of Care at AMC

“ I want to congratulate the Minister for his courage and confidence in supporting Winnunga to be autonomous in the AMC.

This is ground-breaking for an Aboriginal Community Controlled health service to be afforded an opportunity to deliver our holistic model of care in a corrections facility. I hope Health Ministers in other States and the NT are watching this space, and that they engage with the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector to give Aboriginal detainees a choice of service provider in correctional facilities, and follow Minister Rattenbury’s lead.

I want to thank Dr Nadeem Siddiqui ED Clinical Services for the care and support that he and the Winnunga team provided to Narelle King and her family in difficult circumstances.

We should never forget that the Moss Review was commissioned by the Minister to review the care and treatment of Steven Freeman who was severely assaulted in AMC in 2015. I know that Narelle King (Steven’s mother) doesn’t want any other mother to ever go through the heartache and pain that her and her family have suffered since the assault ” 

Ms Julie Tongs OAM, Chief Executive Officer Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services (WNAHCS)

Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services (WNAHCS) was joined today by ACT Corrective Services and Canberra Health Services, coming together to mark to another major milestone towards a second 24 hour health service for detainees.

In an Australian first, a holistic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary health provider is being integrated into a correctional environment. Holistic health care refers to the physical, emotional, social and cultural wellbeing of an individual.

Under the Model of Care, holistic 24 hour 7 day a week Winnunga Health Services will be made available to all detainees in the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC).

Since ACT Health and WNAHCS signed a contract on 22 June 2018 for service delivery, a senior governance forum has been established to oversee the implementation of the Model. Recruitment and transition planning is progressing between ACT Health and Winnunga.

The Model of Care is the ACT Government’s response to Recommendation 5 of the Moss Review, that “Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service be integrated into the provision of health care at the AMC in order to introduce its holistic model of care to Indigenous detainees.”

Planning for a new AMC Hume Health Centre is also underway, which would house both Justice Health and WNAHCS. This building is due to be completed in the 2020 financial year.

Comments attributable to Minister for Justice and Corrections Shane Rattenbury:

“The ACT Government is committed to working in partnership with the community to ensure that we have the right services and support in place to provide holistic health support to detainees at the AMC.

“I thank Julie Tongs for her leadership in progressing the Model of Care, as well as acknowledge the work of Winnunga staff in providing holistic health services.

“I would also like acknowledge staff from ACT Corrective Services and Canberra Health Services, in realising this next major step in the Model of Care at the AMC.

“Reducing the overrepresentation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the correctional system requires adopting best-practice models, and I look forward to seeing the successes of the Winnunga Model of Care over time.”

4.VIC : The Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-Op and Barwon Health co-fund Koorie Birth Suite inclusive space for Geelong’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community

WHEN new mum Simone Lucas gave birth to Ryleah-Jayne recently she felt relaxed and at home.

Being surrounded by indigenous paintings helped Ms Lucas connect with her Wathaurong heritage.

Ms Lucas was the first Aboriginal woman to give birth at Geelong hospital’s culturally inclusive Koorie Birth Suite.

Orginally published HERE 

Picture above : Simone Lucas, centre, with one week old Ryleah-Jane in the new birthing suite with artist Ammie Howell, left and elder Aunty Naomi Surtees. Picture: Alison Wyn

The suite, named Darrabarruk Pupup, meaning new baby, is part of an initiative to improve Barwon Health’s maternity experience for Geelong’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

Barwon Health chief operating officer Amanda Cameron said 53 indigenous babies were born at the hospital last financial year with higher numbers expected in the future.

“The Aboriginal community’s input and decision making has assured the development is the most culturally appropriate and safe environment for our maternity patients and their families,” she said.

Ms Lucas said the suite was excellent and welcoming.

“They didn’t have this suite the first time I gave birth,” Ms Lucas said.

“Just noting that it was culturally appropriate made it relaxing.”

Aunty Naomi Surtees said the opening of the suite was an important moment that would hopefully promote better health among the wider community and assist in closing the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous health.

“It’s a very big moment. My children were born here, and my grandchildren … it’s a very empowering moment,” Ms Surtees said.

“We needed to have a room of our own, a place where women felt comfortable … with spirits around them and on the walls protecting them.”

Ms Surtees said for women who are on their own, the room is their protection.

“It is very breathtaking, a safe area they can birth their children,” she said.

5.1 QLD : Apunipima ACCHO hosted a youth camp for the community of Hopevale on Cape York 

Twenty-five teenagers between the ages of twelve and seventeen, participated in the five day event school holiday event

Activities at the camp included, kup murri and collecting fresh water mussels, sing alongs and motivational games and activities.

Across the week there were visits from other agencies and services to explain what they do and how they can support the kids.

The aim of the camp was to help build relationships and trust with the group and let them know that Apunipima is here to support them.

5.2 QLD : Wuchopperen ACCHO Dentist receives highest accolade for dental surgeons