Rita Gutchen

INDUCTED 2011

Rita was employed as a Health Worker at Wuchopperen Health Service for 27 years. From 1989 until her retirement in 2017, she delivered consistent frontline services to many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families from the communities of Cairns and the surrounding districts of Kuranda, Kowrowa, Mantaka and Koah.

This community focus was essential in providing much needed access for families at a time of extreme disadvantage and limited access to appropriate health care. Wuchopperen recognised that those communities which began after the closure of Mona Mona Mission needed quality health care services and that it needed to be provided in those communities rather than in Cairns. Rita began her health work career by providing outreach services which involved home visits, a day clinic at the local community hall with the visiting doctor from Cairns and working in the Wuchopperen Clinic in Cairns. In those years, she provided health promotion and prevention through the delivery of interactive education sessions. This involved working in a practical way with families to raise their awareness and instil sustainable health care practices such as cooking classes and nutrition into their everyday lives. Much of this was done working on her own, supported by her commitment to strengthen the capacity of individuals and families in a manner appropriate to local needs. As Kuranda expanded their local services, Rita then moved back to work from the Cairnsbased Wuchopperen service. Here, based on her many years of experience, Rita provided valuable support and guidance to the younger generation of health workers. To Rita a job was not just a job. She always believed you must have a passion to work with our people, that you must love what you do and that you must always treat all people with respect and kindness. Rita retired in 2017 as a Senior Generalist Health Worker based in the General Clinic in Cairns focusing on hearing health. She saw many changes in her time and witnessed the expansion of not only Wuchopperen as an organisation but also the expansion of the health sector in delivering services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.