Sector Leader | December 2023

DECEMBER 2023

Rachel Atkinson

How the CEO of Palm Island Community Company became a force for change

Queensland Training Awards

Student of the Year Shaniqua Burke

Apunipima trials innovative model of care

Under the spotlight: MyMedicare

Uniting for change: NACCHO Members Conference 2023

Meet QAIHC’s longest serving team member

ACTING CEO MESSAGE Welcome to Sector Leader magazine

DECEMBER 2023 We welcome submissions from our Members, Associates on the great work being undertaken within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisation Sector.

If you would like to contribute story ideas for consideration or comment on items in the current issue, please contact our Communications Team at communications@qaihc.com.au.

Previous issues can be viewed online at qaihc.com.au

As we head into the festive season, I would like to take this moment to thank everyone for their support as I transition into the role of Acting Chief Executive of QAIHC. I want to formally acknowledge and thank our outgoing CEO Cleveland Fagan for his leadership and wish him well in this next chapter of his life. Cleveland and I have worked together in QAIHC and more broadly in the ACCHO sector for many years. I am pleased he is taking some well-deserved time for himself and his family before taking on his next adventure.

QAIHC is an incredible organisation that has a proud history of leading and advocating for our Members and mob in Queensland. We have championed important health reforms, including the introduction of the Queensland Government’s health equity legislation.

I feel privileged and excited to have this opportunity to work with our Member services until a new Chief Executive is appointed. Together, we can ensure QAIHC is an organisation that is driven to eliminate institutional racism and achieve health equity for our mob. We also want to influence the health system to put our Members at the centre of health service delivery for our communities.

In the aftermath of the failed Voice referendum, we must be stronger and more united than ever in our advocacy and in the quality of the work we do to support and develop our sector. Our Member services are facing new challenges, including growing demand with limited funding to support increased services. Mob are increasingly looking to them to provide a range of services and supports, including aged care and disability services.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this publication may contain images or names of people who have passed away.

Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council First Floor, 36 Russell Street South Brisbane QLD 4101 P 07 3328 8500

The funding environment is more complex than ever and, as our Member services have grown and become more sophisticated, chief executives and board members know they must strengthen their leadership and governance skills, and plan for growth and succession.

As the peak body for Queensland ACCHOs, we are committed to developing our sector. We have an ambitious work program in the lead up to the March 2024 local government elections and October 2024 state government election.

We aim to strengthen our advocacy and leadership regionally and nationally, including our engagement with Members and key stakeholders.

We will also be on the ground supporting our Members, helping to support their leadership skills, governance practices, business expertise and supporting them to provide stronger comprehensive primary health care. Our Members are at the core of everything we do — we want to know your priorities, your challenges and your enablers so we can support you as best we can.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Sector Leader magazine. If you have any articles or news you wish to share, please contact our Communications team at communications@qaihc.com.au

VIEW SECTOR LEADER ONLINE

Paula Arnol Acting Chief Executive Officer Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council

ii Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

Contents

29

26

36

24 2 QAIHC News 6 Queensland News 7 Government News 8 National News 12 Cover Story Empowering our communities: Rachel Atkinson’s remarkable journey in health

17 Sector Workforce:

Medical Receptionists advance careers with QAIHC training partnership

18 Data Room: Maternal health and perinatal data

12

23 Member News: Spotlight

on Brooke Carson, Deadly Choices communication officer

24 Member News: Hard work pays off for student of the year

trials new holistic service model in Napranum

33 Member News: Galangoor

signs historic agreement with Wide Bay HHS

34 QAIHC Staff Profile

35 Research and Policy:

Yarrabah’s health in local hands

27 Member News: Carbal Medical Service sees dividend from training investment

28 Member News: Gindaja

showcases model of care at world conference

30 Member News: Three

38

Introducing Jan Roma, QAIHC administration officer

26 Member News: Keeping

21 Public Health National

30

32 Member News: Apunipima

celebrates excellence

29 Member News:

trachoma workshop draws experts from across Australia

21

22 Member News: Kambu

20 Public Health In focus: QAIHC

MyMedicare Discussion Paper

23

7

Gindaja: A 40-year history

QAIHC and ANU lead tobacco consumption consultation in Queensland

36 Research and Policy

My health for life continues to be improved for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

38 Deadly Entertainment

Members celebrate milestone anniversaries

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

1

QAIHC NEWS

Gregory Richards, General Manager — Policy & Research We recently welcomed Elizabeth Harding, our new Manager of Policy & Research to the team. Elizabeth comes to QAIHC with more than 20 years of government experience (Commonwealth and state) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health policy. Her new management role will bring together QAIHC’s research and policy divisions for better collaboration and synergy. Liz has a particular interest in supporting the team in its work on Priority 3 of the Closing the Gap agenda (Transforming government agencies).

The team is finalising work on the Youth Hub. We welcome to the team Jaymie Lynch, who will be the new Youth Hub Coordinator. Jaime has previously worked as the receptionist at QAIHC and brings plenty of drive and enthusiasm to her new role. This opportunity forms part of our internal succession plan.

We conducted a data systems and reporting workshop for Members in Townsville in conjunction with trainers from PenCS, Darta, Train IT Medical and Joanna de Vries.

The Policy and Research team is planning to employ a research officer to manage a feasibility study into the centralisation of health ethics approvals for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research.

Glen Peters, General Manager — Corporate Services The Corporate Services team recently supported 17 different Member services in relation to financial services, accreditation, information and communications technology support and HR. We are viewing an updated new Enterprise Resource Program for Members. The modernisation of the sector and the needs of Members are greater than what the current system provides. The second implementation of the program will commence soon.

QAIHC is investing in the cyber security space to provide better security solutions for Members. QAIHC has become a Microsoft Partner and has sourced cyber security programs for Members at an reduced cost, which they can purchase. We are also investing in improved procurement strategies sector wide.

Robert Skeen, General Manager — Health Reform; and Acting General Manager — Sector Development Health Reforms The team has been progressing the Closing the Gap work through Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Coalition and working on a strategy to move forward to show actual outcomes that are transparent. We’ve been invited to provide a submission to Queensland Treasury and will be working with the Office of the Chief First Nations Health Officer on this.

The Torres and Cape Health (TORCH) Commissioning Fund has been progressing well and will be looking to establish an interim Board of Directors soon. Work is also being done on the Health Equity Strategies and the team is looking at

2 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

all the Implementation plans to respond to the key themes.

Sector Development We have appointed external consultants to work on a Member Engagement Strategy so the Sector Development team is strategically connecting and working with the Members.

We have a Sector Development Planning Day with the team’s leadership to regroup and enhance the work moving forward. We have been contacting Members to understand their needs and what their expectations of QAIHC are as a Sector Development team.

QAIHC NEWS

QAIHC research advisor addresses global conference QAIHC Principal Research Advisor, Greg Pratt, was a speaker at the American Society of Human Genetics’ Annual Meeting in Washington DC in November; part of an Australian contingent presenting about exciting work being led by a group of Aboriginal researchers in Australia that promises to support equitable access to genetic healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The integrated healthcare model and referral pathway aims to deliver better access to genetic health services for patients of Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs).

We are currently seeking funding to trial a pilot based on the healthcare model within our sector.

The invited session included presentations by Professor Alex Brown, Associate Professor Kalinda Griffiths, Associate Professor Azure Hermes and Greg Pratt; followed by a panel discussion.

More than 8000 scientists from around the globe attended the five-day program, which comprised some of the most significant new advances in the field of genetics.

Mr Pratt spoke about his work on a genetic healthcare model identified and developed in the report, Integrated Genetic Health Care: Improving Access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People to Clinical Genetics through Partnership and Primary Health Leadership.

Data systems and reporting workshop in FNQ Three members of QAIHC’s data team travelled to Townsville for a data systems and reporting workshop in conjunction with electronic medical record (EMR) system trainers.

Twenty-one teammates from 11 Member services also made the trip to Queensland’s fourth-most-populous city to take part in the workshop which included sessions such as CAT4 for beginners and advanced users, building a dashboard and EMR training best practice.

The event was well received, with all attendees agreeing or strongly agreeing they were confident in their ability to share and understand organisational data for reporting activities.

After the event, an attendee commented, “I wanted to take the time to thank you for pulling together a fabulous workshop.

[My teammate] and I both found it incredibly valuable and have left with a very long list of ideas and improvements”.

Pictured from left at the conference are QAIHC Research Principal Advisor, Greg Pratt; Associate Professor Kalinda Griffiths from Flinders University and Associate Professor Azure Hermes from Australian National University.

New QAIHC team members Over the past three months, QAIHC has welcomed eight new team members into our ranks in all divisions of QAIHC. We are constantly working to expand on our service offering and our capacity to assist our Members. Here are our new staff members: Annie Parks, Project Officer (Palliative Care), Policy and Research.

Samantha Townsend, Communications Manager, Corporate Services Raijeli Volavola, Contracts Officer, Corporate Services Tamara Dix, Senior Quality and Compliance, Corporate Services Jack Carty, Manager Graphic Design, Corporate Services Kenneth Munro, Data Training Officer, Policy and Research Elizabeth Harding, Manager, Policy and Research Senarath Bandara, Manager, Finance

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

3

QAIHC NEWS

QAIHC team anniversaries Congratulations to our team members who marked significant anniversaries with QAIHC this year.

10+ YEAR ANNIVERSARIES

We thank you for your continued dedication and support of QAIHC’s goals to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Queensland — your contribution to our organisation is deeply appreciated by everyone.

5 YEAR ANNIVERSARIES Anna Sheahan

Kevin Siah

Becky Raval

Lee Yeomans

Susan Carrigan

Natalie Van der Zant

Sophia Couzos

Rita Francis

Melita Parker

Jan Roma

10 YEAR ANNIVERSARIES

Tiana Lea

Glen Peters

4 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

Sandy Robertson

QAIHC NEWS

Care Coordination Service Centre opens in Cairns The ground-breaking Care Coordination Service Centre (CCSC), which offers support for priority patients referred for planned specialist outpatient care has commenced operations in Cairns.

The CCSC is a joint effort between QAIHC, Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service and the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service.

A first for the state, the CCSC aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people who live in rural and remote areas across Far North Queensland, by providing health systems improvements strengthening care coordination.

The centre supports patients with complex health conditions and has been developed as a single contact point for patients to help them navigate the health system.

The centre has a range of co-located services such as patient travel, referral systems and digital information. It has also launched the Priority Patient Dashboard, a patient risk prioritisation process to provide greater visibility for priority patients.

Government’s Action on Ice strategy and is funded by the Queensland Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women.

Breakthrough Our Way provides voluntary information sessions for families, significant others and the broader community whose lives are affected by ice and other drugs.

There are five service providers delivering Breakthrough Our Way sessions around the state: QAIHC, Bridges, DrugARM, Lives Lived Well and Apunipima.

Get in touch with your nearest service provider or reach out to Natalie Scott, Manager, Social Health Programs at natalie.scott@qaihc.com.au for updated resources or training.

Uluru Dialogues architect Aunty Pat Anderson addresses QAIHC QAIHC was delighted to host Aunty Pat Anderson AO, national living treasure and human rights campaigner, at a private function for QAIHC staff and Members in October.

QAIHC and Apunipima update Breakthrough Our Way Pictured from left: Former QAIHC CEO Cleveland Fagan, IUIH CEO Adrian Carson, Aunty Pat Anderson AO, QAIHC Chairperson Matthew Cooke, IUIH Director-Network Development Kaava Watson and First Nations Chamber of Commerce and Industry Executive Lead, Joshua-Clark Hollingsworth.

QAIHC and Apunipima Cape York Health Council have redeveloped a Queensland Government funded program aimed at tackling the growing ice/methamphetamine problem, customising to support and include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

Breakthrough Our Way is an initiative of the Queensland

In an informative address, Aunty Pat discussed the Voice to Parliament referendum, the ‘Yes’ campaign and the history and progress of the Uluru Dialogues and Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Aunty Pat Anderson has had a long career advocating for the medical and human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

She Co-Chaired the Referendum Council during the declaration of the Uluru Statement.

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

5

QUEENSLAND NEWS

New funding extends landmark Indigenous Queensland Family Cohort study

HWQld launches Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan

The University of Queensland and Mater Research Institute’s Indigenous Queensland Family Cohort study will identify First Nations families during pregnancy and monitor the health and wellbeing of participating mothers, babies and fathers over five years. A $4.69m National Health and Medical Research Council grant will extend the pilot study from Mater’s South Brisbane health campus to Rockhampton, Townsville, Cairns and the Metro North Hospital and Health Service regions. The landmark study will place health workers in Indigenous communities and study the long-term wellbeing of 400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families across Queensland. The funding focuses on early diagnosis and healthcare interventions.

Health and Wellbeing Queensland (HWQld) has launched its Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Endorsed

by Reconciliation Australia and the HWQld Board, the plan focuses on reconciliation and health equity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The 12-month plan involves 13 actions and 41 deliverables, aligning with HWQld’s strategic goals. Visit hw.qld.org.au

More: www.materresearch.org.au

QUT sets 2024 launch for pioneering Indigenous knowledges faculty Queensland University of Technology plans to open Australia’s first Faculty of Indigenous Knowledges and Culture in 2024. The faculty commences student intake in 2025 and aims to double Indigenous student numbers in five years. Supported by Federal Government funding, it will focus on Indigenous educational pathways and academic excellence in Indigenous Knowledges.

More: www.qut.edu.au

6 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

Thursday Island Hospital Redevelopment continues Stage 3 of the Thursday Island Hospital Redevelopment project is now underway. Launched in April 2021 with a $46 million budget, the project aims to upgrade the hospital’s infrastructure. Construction of the maternity ward is already underway, and the Emergency Department is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. Upon completion in 2024, the redeveloped hospital will have 31 inpatient beds, seven emergency beds, two negative pressure rooms, operating theatre with four recovery spaces, a birthing suite, five outpatient rooms and enhanced medical imaging department with a new CT scanner service, a first for the Torres Strait.

Cultural connection vital for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health The Staying Deadly Survey by the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health found stronger cultural connections reduce mental disorders and substance abuse. Surveying over 400 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, it highlighted preferences for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and will inform mental health system reforms. Further information in the next edition.

GOVERNMENT NEWS

NACCHO unveils new cancer plan Did you know that in the period from 2006 to 2019, cancer mortality for non-Indigenous people declined, but increased for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?

It is for this reason that a new cancer plan suited to the particular social, cultural and economic conditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been developed.

The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)’s new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cancer Plan (the Plan) was launched in late October and was co-designed with the ACCHO sector and other stakeholders across the country.

The Plan was developed and written in alignment with Cancer Australia’s Australian Cancer Plan.

The consultation process for the Plan highlighted the need to focus on structural reform including sustainable funding, increasing accessibility of services and ensuring mainstream cancer centres are culturally safe and responsive.

The document is broken down into five areas of focus: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Enablers for real change Cancer prevention Timely cancer screening and early diagnosis Improving the health system at all stages of cancer journeys Culturally informed evidence base.

“By working together, these two plans will achieve better outcomes for more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their families and Communities at a faster pace,” said NACCHO Deputy CEO, Dr Dawn Casey.

Visit https://naccho.org.au/cancer/

End of COVID emergency response The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has officially announced COVID-19 is no longer considered a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance.

The announcement on 20 October 2023 marked 1333 days since the emergency was initially declared and the Emergency Response Plan for Communicable Disease Incidents of National Significance: National Arrangements was enacted by the Morrison Government in early 2020.

It follows the World Health Organisation’s announcement on 5 May 2023 that COVID-19 is no longer considered a public health emergency of international concern.

A statement from the Department of Health and Aged Care said the removal of the declaration would make no significant impact on managing COVID-19 given most of the national response measures had already ended.

“The Department of Health and Aged Care will continue to work closely with state and territory health agencies, to ensure a consistent and dedicated response to the virus,” the statement read.

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee, the key Australian Government decision-making committee for health emergencies, supported the move in a statement on 20 October.

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

7

NATIONAL NEWS

ACCHO sector gathers for NACCHO Members’ Conference The annual 2023 NACCHO Members’ Conference in Perth in October was a wonderful showcase of the important work being conducted by the Aboriginal community controlled health sector across Australia.

He recognised that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had been “affected deeply” by the referendum campaign and were experiencing “grief and loss”.

More than 800 delegates from Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) around Australia attended the event, which was themed ‘Working together, we are stronger’. The event was held from 24-26 October 2023 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

NACCHO members and affiliates attended numerous sessions on topics including rheumatic heart disease, men’s and women’s health, prison health care, emergency response plans and more.

NACCHO Chair Donnella Mills opened her address by responding briefly to the outcome of the Voice referendum on 14 October.

“The vitriol and misinformation have taken a personal toll on each and every one of us,” she said.

“But it has made us resolute. If anyone can lead us out of a crisis; a crisis of division, it is this sector.

“The result of the vote, it will not hold us back.”

Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, Hon. Mark Butler MP, acknowledged the role of ACCHOs in rallying people for the ‘Yes’ vote for the Voice referendum and being at the frontline of the “yawning” health gap between Indigenous and nonIndigenous Australians.

8 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care, Hon. Mark Butler MP.

“Anger can motivate… If ever there was a time to work together, it’s now,” he said.

Minister Butler said the formation and codesign of an internal governance committee in the Department of Health (Commonwealth) focusing specifically on First Nations’ health, as well as the implementation of the Closing the Gap agreement would both be expedited.

Minister Butler commited to push for the 2024 health roundtable meeting between himself and representatives from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to be brought forward to early next year.

In other conference news, The NACCHO AGM and EGM were also held on Tuesday, 24 October. A motion at the EGM to pass resolutions to amend the Constitution were, once again, unsuccessful.

Answering a question from the floor about what actions the Government would take regarding improving the health and welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in custody, Minister Butler committed his department to reviewing access and cultural appropriateness of healthcare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals in custody.

However, he could not promise the implementation of Medicare in prison health services.

A Gala Dinner, featuring some top karaoke performances from Members and Minister Butler, was a great way for delegates to unwind after a big first day.

NACCHO Chair Donnella Mills.

QAIHC team members (from left) Thuy Doan, Senior Policy Officer and Teisha Nikolaou, Senior Policy Officer, enjoy the NACCHO Members Conference 2023 in Perth.

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

9

NATIONAL NEWS

AMA says governments must address First Nations inequities to fight diabetes problem Governments must tackle the underlying social determinants of health to help achieve health equity and fight the growing problem of people living with diabetes in Australia, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has told a parliamentary inquiry.

The AMA’s submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport’s Inquiry into Diabetes in Australia stated that health was shaped by the social, economic, cultural and environmental conditions a person lives under, and to achieve health equity, governments must focus not only on treating disease and modifying risk factors, but also on tackling the underlying social determinants of health.

We need a determined effort by the Australian government to address the inequalities in our society which give rise to unequal health outcomes for all Australians,” the submission stated.

“This includes systemic inequities that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, resulting in disproportionately high levels of diabetes, with almost eight per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with the condition.

This very often leads to chronic kidney disease.

“Health outcomes relating to diabetes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, could be improved with better investment in prevention and early detection programs”.

The AMA’s submission also suggested that taxing the sugar in soft drinks was one example of a measure that could help address the growing costs to the health system of more than 1.3 million Australians living with diabetes.

Two in three adults, and one in four children are living with overweight or obesity, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases.

The submission stated health data showed that preventable diseases resulting from people being overweight and/or obese accounts for 18 per cent of health spending ($4.3 billion).

AMA President Professor Steve Robson said preventive health measures not only saved lives, but also took pressure off the health system in the long term.

“The AMA would like to see all levels of government do more with preventive health policies that lead to positive health outcomes and save the economy money,” he said.

10 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

NATIONAL NEWS

Kulay Kalingka cancer study a world-first A first-of-its-kind study exploring cancer in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities has begun data collection.

The Kulay Kalingka study led by The Australian National University (ANU) will gather information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ experiences of cancer where no data currently exists.

Launched at Wiradjuri Condobolin Corporation in Condobolin NSW, the study will fill important gaps in understanding experiences of cancer — the fourth leading cause of burden of disease for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“The Kulay Kalingka cancer study arose from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community needs, to better understand cancer attitudes, beliefs and experiences and from calls for the inclusion of First Nations patients, families and communities in cancer research,” said ANU Professor Ray Lovett, a Ngiyampaa/Wongaibon epidemiologist.

“The study has been designed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community over two years. Community partners have raised access to appropriate information and screening along with culturally appropriate treatment as important to achieving health equity.”

Funded by the Australian Government through Cancer Australia, it’s the first cancer study designed, governed and controlled by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The study is being led by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research team at the ANU National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research.

While Australia’s cancer survival rates are among the best in the world, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience higher incidence and cancer mortality rates, and lower participation rates in bowel, breast, and cervical cancer population screening programs.

The collection of up to 3,000 stories told by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as part of this study will provide the evidence needed to inform government policies, programs and services to improve cancer outcomes.

“The Australian Government welcomes the next stage of the Kulay Kalingka cancer study as an important addition in our efforts to address cancer control for all Australians,” Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health said.

“Improving the health of our First Nations people and Closing the Gap is a national priority, including understanding and improving cancer outcomes in the cities, towns and the bush.”

The results of the study will inform the implementation of the recently released Australian Cancer Plan.

“Achieving equity in cancer outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is the most significant ambition of the soon to be released Australian Cancer Plan,” Professor Dorothy Keefe, CEO of Cancer Australia said.

Further information about the study is available at https://nceph.anu.edu.au/research/projects/ kulay-kalingka-study

Kulay Kalingka translates to “net bag in the water” in the Ngiyampaa (Wongaibon) language. Woven net bags have been used by rainforest Bama (peoples) to process highly toxic foods, whereby foods are placed in net bags and run through a slowmoving stream to leach out their toxins and make them safe over time.

This concept is woven into the Kulay Kalingka Study: the net bag is symbolic of how people and families fighting cancer can include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing concepts for cultural, medicinal and spiritual healing, alongside clinical treatments.

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

11

QAIHC MEMBER COVER STORY

Empowering our communities

Rachel Atkinson’s remarkable journey in health Indigenous health leader Rachel Atkinson has devoted her life to championing the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

From her early days as a social worker to her rise as the Chief Executive Officer of the Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service (TAIHS) and now Palm Island Community Company (PICC), Rachel Atkinson — a proud Yorta Yorta woman — has dedicated four decades to lifting up Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

I’m a good fighter,” Rachel said. “I’ve always been involved with families and communities, even as a kid. I’ve always been a bit radical, and hard-headed.”

Born into a lineage of tireless activists, Rachel has dedicated her professional life to the empowerment of families and community. She hails from the Atkinson and Charles families and can trace her roots back to legendary Yorta Yorta leaders William Cooper (her great uncle), his nephew Sir Douglas Nicholls, who was appointed the first Indigenous Governor of South Australia in 1976, and the many Yorta Yorta leaders who came before her.

Rachel’s great uncle William Cooper was integral to the Cummeragunja walk off, the first Indigenous mass protest in Australia. In 1939, 200 mostly Yorta Yorta people walked off the Cummeragunja mission in protest of the poor conditions and treatment under the control of the NSW Aboriginal Protection Board.

They crossed the Murray River, leaving the state of New South Wales, and settled on the banks of the Victorian side of the river. Some of the Elders who led the walk-off led the way for the creation of the Rumbalara settlement, in Rachel’s childhood town of Mooroopna, near Shepparton.

“William Cooper, Douglas Nichols, and the many Yorta Yorta warriors — that history still lives with us. I think somewhere it’s given me that strength. Purely because I’m an Aboriginal

12 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

woman I’ve had to fight. Not alone, but collectively,” Rachel said.

Rachel grew up with her family living in humpies on the banks of the Kaiela River (Goulburn River) near Barmah, Victoria. Her family later moved to Rumbalara reserve.

As a youth living on the Rumbalara reserve, Rachel was rarely exposed to racism. Though she and her family lived simply, the strength of the family and of the community kept her shielded within the reserve. She never realised that she and her community were considered ‘different’.

“Growing up we were oblivious to what was happening in the big space out there. In terms of racism and poverty, we were one group living on a reserve, so we missed that overt racism,” she said.

But that all changed when the family moved into town at Mooroopna, and Rachel was exposed to racial prejudice for the first time.

“Going to school highlighted there was a difference between us and them,” she said. “We were segregated — the Rumbalara kids were all put into a separate class. I must have shown some aptitude because they put me in the mainstream class when I was in year 6.”

Her introduction to ‘mainstream’ education was a rocky one.

“On the first day of Year 6, the teacher welcomed the new students. When the teacher got to me he said, ‘I hope you’re not like the rest of them’.”

Shocked, Rachel acted impulsively.

“I knew that he had a limp, and that he couldn’t run. So, I lifted the lid of the desk and I slammed it down, swore at him and ran away, because I knew he couldn’t catch me. This was my welcome to my class,” she recalled.

The incident was a defining moment for Rachel.

“That could break you or make you; but I think it made me,” she said. “Racism does hurt, but I had strength. My strength came from my family — the Atkinsons and the Charles’ — and their world.”

“That was the beginning of really knowing that everything was

sn’t right for us.”

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

13

QAIHC MEMBER COVER STORY

Rachel quickly came to realise she needed to be smarter than those in the community who would treat her differently because of her race.

I knew I had to do everything twice as good as them, especially in sports and school” she said.

“We were good fighters, we were good at sports, we could run and play basketball. They needed us, even if they didn’t really want us, and that’s powerful.”

Years later, with the weight of her young children’s futures on her shoulders, Rachel uprooted her family, making a brave move to Townsville. She was determined to carve out a better existence not just for herself, but for her young family as well. She worked hard in a prawn factory and cleaning houses.

It was here that Rachel’s journey to the health sector truly began. A friendly person saw a spark of potential in her and encouraged her to go to university.

“One lady asked me ‘why don’t I go to university?’,” Rachel said.

“I said, ‘I can’t even spell university, let alone go to university.’

“But in the early 1980s I completed a Bachelor of Social Work.

“From there I worked for years in government, in child protection, but in the end I thought, ‘this is not for me’.”

Pictured at PICC’s Early Years Conference — Keeping Cuture Strong event in 2022 was CEO Rachel Atkinson and conference host, Australian Indigenous actor, comedian and Playschool presenter, Luke Carroll.

national level. In 1998 Rachel was elected Board Chair of the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Forum, which would be renamed the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council (QAIHC) in 2004.

“I lasted in the chair for many, many years until I left TAIHS in 2006,” Rachel said.

Rachel remains influential in the child protection sector through her work as board member of SNAICC (Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care) and founding member of QATSICPP (Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak).

Rachel’s next foray into the Aboriginal and Islander health space came when she was successful in her application for the job of CEO of the Palm Island Community Company (PICC) — a company that would provide health, social and community services for the people of Palm Island. The current service delivery model in Palm Island was not working and it was hoped PICC would be the solution.

In 1996, Rachel successfully applied for the position of CEO of the Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Service (TAIHS).

For the better part of a decade, Rachel helmed TAIHS, growing the business and eventually moving from a broken-down old building on Flinders Street to the modern building in Garbutt on which TAIHS stands today.

The service was financed on a dual shareholder model where the Queensland Government and Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council would be 50/50 owners of the company. From the beginning of PICC, Rachel worked with its Board and the community to relinquish shareholder control and transition the organisation to full community control.

As CEO of an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO), Rachel was positioned to not only help Townsville mob, but to advocate for mob at a state and

“The strength behind PICC at the time was that it was a safe bet to go with as there were rules and regulations relating to government owned companies,” Rachel said.

14 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

“But what it didn’t have was the concept of community control.

“You had to get a flight to Townsville and then get a cab to the

From day one, the Board and I recognised that the preferred

hospital. If someone had an emergency health crisis, you had

model of care would one day be community control. I was

to get flown to the mainland to visit a doctor. It was a pure

lucky that I had really good strong Board members who backed and supported the model of community control.”

Over time, Rachel pushed and prodded governments to grow the health and social service programs on Palm Island. A child family centre was established. There were two small rooms at the child and family centre that PICC turned into a maternal health centre.

That was the beginning of shifting into medical.

We got a doctor, a nurse, then a health worker for maternal health. And then we expanded the service into whole-of-family care,” she said.

At this point, the only medical services available on the Island were through the government-run, Palm Island Hospital.

Doctors rotated in and out so there was no continuity of care, there were no specialist services (any complex health conditions called for a flight to the mainland) and some health workers were not culturally aware, all of which provided a disincentive for the people of Palm Island to get timely medical care.

state government medical model.”

In April of 2019, a $16.6m primary health centre was opened on Palm Island.

From the outset, Rachel knew the way to ensure the community used the primary health centre was to ensure it ran the centre too. The consultation for the Palm Island Health Action Plan already showed that the community wanted an ACCHO. “The model could never work as it was initially. It was for the community, but not with the community and certainly not by the community,” Rachel said.

“We knew that, even with our little health medical centre, we were better than Queensland Health for the community’s primary health. While they were building this big building, we were working to take it over.

“We had to lobby government and council to relinquish their stakes in PICC; this happened over many, many hard conversations. It wasn’t an easy process.

“But the strength I had behind me, the Board who believed in

“If you had to see a specialist, you were flown out,”

what we were doing and the community. That was how

Rachel explained.

that happened.”

Established in 2007, PICC delivers innovative, community — driven programs aimed at supporting and strengthening the social, cultural and economic fabric of the Palm Island community.

Community enjoying life on Palm Island

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

15

QAIHC MEMBER COVER STORY

On 30 September 2021, after years of lobbying by Rachel and the Board, the primary health centre transitioned to the care of PICC, and PICC transitioned to community control, making it by far the largest provider of medical services on the island.

From a single employee (i.e., Rachel) in 2007, to around 180 staff today, PICC has grown into the major employer on Palm Island and is a cornerstone of Palm Island community life.

PICC is a place-based organisation, committed to local solutions. This year PICC was proud to open a Telstra Call Centre on Palm Island.

PICC’s focus on the community has resulted in an incredible economic, social and educational lift for the people of Palm Island. And while there are still issues on Palm Island like overcrowding, poverty and the ongoing effects of intergenerational trauma, Rachel is rightly proud of what she, her board, and the community have built with PICC. “We’ve grown and invested in the community in all our services,” Rachel said.

We’ve never had trouble getting doctors or nurses. There are a lot of good doctors and good people out there who want to work in our sector, because they believe in what we do.

“We’ve got some really good Registrars who are staying on now doctors who want to work in ACCHOs.” Rachel said a reason PICC has been able to employ and maintain doctors was because the organisation had a policy of asking for, then listening to clinicians’ advice on what may or may not be effective.

“If we look at doctors, for example, we respect what they want and encourage them to guide us, to tell us what is going to work. They take the lead, and we invest in our doctors and nurses,” she said.

“These doctors want to work with us. We have a doctor who lives in Brisbane, and he flies up here on Sunday and flies home on Thursday! We value them as part of our team.

16 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

We are constantly investing in local employment.

If you look at PICC now, the majority of staff are local Palm Islanders. Many of the people managing our services are local Aboriginal men and women. ”

After a lifetime of working toward the good health and wellbeing of mob, Rachel said one of her biggest career achievements was investing in the local economy through PICC. “We provide equitable wages,” she said, “I think that valuing the skills that we have within our sector and investing in people not only benefits our organisation but also the whole community.

My proudest PICC achievement is growing the organisation with good people. Palm is a safe, good community, and I’m proud to be working for this community.”

But Rachel’s proudest personal achievement is closer to home.

“My proudest achievement is becoming a grandmother.”

With nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, Rachel’s family stands as another achievement in a life committed to service.

Rachel is a QAIHC Hall of Famer and this is her story.

Thanks for sharing, Aunty Rachel.

SECTOR WORKFORCE M hel B et

Medical receptionists advance careers with QAIHC training partnership Medical receptionists from across Queensland are kicking career goals thanks to a QAIHC workforce program.

Over the past 14 years, QAIHC has collaborated with UNE Partnerships to deliver a formal qualification for medical receptionists from QAIHC’s Members.

Through this collaboration, students from rural, remote, regional, and urban Member services have successfully completed or are currently studying the Certificate III in Business - Medical Administration.

In September, QAIHC hosted the second week-long workshop for some of the students as part of their qualifications.

QAIHC Workforce Coordinator (Medicare and Chronic Disease) Sandy Robertson said the QAIHC and UNE partnership aimed to deliver a quality service that was flexible and culturally safe.

airu

“I learned new skills, gained a lot of knowledge and met beautiful people,” Bethel said, whose mob are the Taepathigi Pargon and Kaurareg-Horn Island/ Badu Island peoples.

The course will help me better in my current position as a medical receptionist and most importantly give me a vision to achieve higher and greater opportunities in the healthcare industry.”

Fellow student Petria Mosquito, who works at Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation Primary Health Care Service, said the course had been a “great opportunity”.

I’ve learnt a lot from the course and hopefully can pass my knowledge down to new employees,” said Petria, whose mob is the Ewamian and Wakka Wakka peoples.

“It’s been a great opportunity for students to meet likeminded students from across Queensland, “she said.

This course has given them confidence in their role, with some progressing to further study.”

She said the majority of course participants stayed with their organisations and progressed to other or higher roles, such as practice managers, primary health care managers, team leaders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practitioners and human resources officers.

The workshop culminated with a presentation of certificate of attendance for the students, to celebrate their hard work and commitment to complete their qualifications.

Bethel Mairu, a medical receptionist at Apunipima Napranum, said the workshop at QAIHC had been “awesome”.

Petria Mosquito

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

17

Overview of maternal and perinatal health from national and state data National rates of birth in 2020 1

“Maternal Services developed in partnership with community are associated with increased antenatal care visits by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, and a decrease in pre-term births” 3

75 per 1,000

55 per

Indigenous

Non-Indigenous

1,000

National Indigenous maternal age 1, 2 26.7 Yrs 26.5 Yrs

National rates of maternal health care access have improved since 2012 2

51%

71%

86%

88%

2012

2021

2012

2021

Seeking ante-natal care in the first trimester 1, 2 24.9 Yrs 2005

2020 2021

National Births < 20 yrs of age for Indigenous women 1, 2

Attending 5 or more sessions of antenatal care 1, 2

Nationally, rates of birth intervention for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have risen since 2005 Induced labour or Caesarean birth 1

22% 19%

10%

20% 36%

24% 32%

Induction

Caesarean birth

2005

2005

2011

2021

2020

2005

2020

National drivers of birth outcomes

Babies born at term are more likely to have positive health outcomes over their life course. 1 First babies were more likely to be born at term

Babies born in major cities were more likely to be born at term.

babies born to mothers with a parity 89% of of one (first baby) were born at term

babies born to mothers who lived in major 87% of cities or inner regional areas were born at term

babies born to mothers with a parity 81% of of four or more were born at term

babies born to mothers who lived in remote 83% of and very remote areas were born at term

Babies born to mothers who did not smoke were more likely to be born at term.

Babies with a healthy or high birth weight were more likely to be born at full term.

babies whose mother did not 89% of smoke were born at term

healthy birth weight 96% with born at term

babies whose mother smoked 83% of were born at term

low birth weight 33% with born at term

18 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

high birth weight 94% with born at term

Maternal health Duration of pregnancy 1

Babies born at full term are more likely to have better outcomes generally and have a reduced risk of adverse neonatal outcomes than those born early.

Pre-term < 37 wks

Full-term 37 - 41 wks

14%

86%

8%

92%

14%

Smoking during pregnancy

Good news: Nationally, the proportion of Indigenous mothers and pregnant persons who smoked at any time during pregnancy has dropped from 50% in 2011 to 42% in 2021. 2, 4

50%

42%

2011

2021

86%

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers still need support to stop smoking during pregnancy. 4 Post-term > 42 wks

< 1%

< 1%

< 1%

Indigenous Non-Indigenous Indigenous Australia Australia Queensland

Smoking is a preventable risk factor for pregnancy complications, and is associated with worse perinatal outcomes, including low birthweight, being small for gestational age, pre-term birth and even perinatal death. 1

QAIHC supports Mater Strong Families study QAIHC has provided a letter of support for projects led by Mater Research into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families around perinatal health and child and maternal health outcomes. These projects include a longitudinal birth cohort study, The Strong Families Study, which builds on conversations that Mater has been having with communities and Member services about priorities for families during the perinatal and early childhood period. Research locations for this study will include Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns and Rockhampton so far. The study will be following families and

7%

5%

40%

36%

Smoked in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy

Smoked after 20 weeks of pregnancy

Almost all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who smoke want to quit or wish they never started smoking 5

Indigenous Non-Indigenous Non Smokers

their children through pregnancy and the first few years of life and providing ongoing support and early intervention referrals across the first 2,000 days, from birth to school age. Mater have stressed the importance of respecting and protecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander worldviews, knowledges, practices and perspectives in this work.

QAIHC will be providing input into the co-design of the Strong Families study and representing interests of Members and community in the Indigenous Steering Committee, as well as being a touchpoint for Members about the study.

Please contact QAIHC Policy and Research Division to talk more about this project via research@qaihc.com.au.

1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2023). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mothers and Babies. Canberra: Australian Government. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/indigenous-mothers-babies 2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2021). National Perinatal Data Collection annual update 2021, Data Tables. Canberra: Australian Government. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/australias-mothers-babies/data 3. Kildea, S., Hickey, S., Barclay, L., Kruske, S., Nelson, C., J, S., . . . YL., R. (2019). Implementing Birthing on Country Services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families: RISE Framework. Women Birth, 32(5), 466-475. doi: 10.1016/j.wombi.2019.06.013 4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (updated June 2023). Australia’s mothers and babies. Canberra: Australian Government. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/australias-mothers-babies/contents/antenatal-period/smoking 5. Kennedy, M. M. (2022). Ngaaminya (find, be able to see): summary of key findings from the Which Way? project. Medical Journal of Australia. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja2.51622

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

19

PUBLIC HEALTH

In focus: QAIHC MyMedicare Discussion Paper QAIHC Public Registar, Dr Shamila Ginige, provides an overview of the QAIHC MyMedicare Discussion Paper.

MyMedicare is an Australian Government initiative that allows patients to enrol with one primary care practice and to nominate a preferred GP at that practice. The registration to MyMedicare is voluntary for patients, practices and primary care providers. The intention of MyMedicare is to, over time, support a range of reforms to improve access to primary care and support practice viability.

At QAIHC, we have put together a discussion paper on MyMedicare raising some of our questions and concerns about MyMedicare’s impact on Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs). We are concerned this initiative may impact on health services in ways that may undermine the ease of patient access to health care.

The concerns raised by QAIHC include: The lack of consultation with the ACCHOs sector in program design and implementation.

The benefits to patients in registering with MyMedicare are unclear.

The possible reduction in Chronic Disease Management care items performed in ACCHOs.

20 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

The lack of informed consent due to the limited public communication about the MyMedicare program and its implications.

Capitation payments not covering the costs of treating complex patients.

The impact of patient mobility between services on this program.

The administrative burden with manual patient registration.

The lack of visibility over the program rules.

The recommendations put forward were: 1. QAIHC invites MyMedicare program developers/stakeholders to work with QAIHC to address the concerns raised.

2. QAIHC recommends that appropriate support is provided to ACCHOs to register their patients from 1st October 2023 in the form of additional workforce or financial subsidies.

3. QAIHC recommends that appropriate information, support, and targeted communication is provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and the community to allow for informed consent when nominating a practice with MyMedicare.

For more information visit www.qaihc.com.au

PUBLIC HEALTH

National trachoma workshop draws experts from across Australia QAIHC Public Registrar Shamila Ginige provides insights into the National Trachoma Stakeholders Workshop in Sydney, which she recently attended. Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness in the world.

Preventative health strategies and improving environmental wellbeing were two key priorities in the race to eradicate trachoma at the National Trachoma Stakeholders Workshop in Sydney in November.

The workshop brought together representatives from the health sector, as well as those from environmental health and housing for the first time to discuss measures to eradicate the contagious eye condition.

Trachoma is a disease of the eye caused by infection with the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis. Australia is the only high-income country in the world where trachoma is still endemic. It occurs primarily in remote and very remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, South Australia, and Western Australia. Trachoma is strongly associated with substandard living conditions and sanitation.

Crowding in households, limited water supply for bathing and general hygiene, and inadequate waste disposal systems have all been associated with trachoma prevalence.

Presenters discussed the following topics: The SAFE acronym (surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness, and environmental health) that has been adopted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for trachoma control should be flipped to ‘EFAS’, with an emphasis on environmental health and promoting better hygiene over more acute strategies like antibiotics and surgery.

The definition of overcrowding only takes into consideration the number of bedrooms in a house. This often results in management strategies recommending additional bedrooms, when solutions should be focused on the number of wash facilities, entry points and maintenance of health hardware.

Image courtesy of The Fred Hollows Foundation

Government housing departments outlined the complexities of building and repairing houses in remote communities. It can cost around $825,000 just for materials and trades to build a new house in a remote community due to poor access and long distances.

Success stories from other states were discussed e.g. in Western Australia, diagnosed environmental healthrelated conditions triggered environmental health referrals. A team of officers from environmental health and housing departments would visit the family’s home, with consent, and perform a ‘healthy home’ assessment to fix minor issues and log jobs that require further trades.

They also provided mobile laundry services and basic home and hygiene packs to the families.

Environmental health-related conditions include impetigo, scabies, rheumatic heart disease, acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, otitis media and trachoma. Some presenters proposed a single roadmap for preventable health strategies, addressing common environmental health factors, would be more beneficial than having separate roadmaps for each environmental-related health condition.

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

21

MEMBER NEWS

KAMBU

Kambu celebrates excellence The award winners from each category were as follows: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Staff Member of the Year 2023 Terry Strangways and Laura Seru

Most Improved Staff Members

Sian McQueen and Ronnella Onyeajum

Clinical Staff Members

Dr. Lindsay Davidson and Breanne Chapman

Ipswich Member Kambu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health has celebrated its employees’ commitment to healthcare excellence with its annual Staff Appreciation Breakfast and Awards 2023.

Kambu Health Chief Executive Officer Simone Jackson said the annual awards event served as a reminder of the “incredible dedication and passion” of all Kambu Health employees.

“The event not only acknowledged the hard work and dedication of the award winners but also served as a source of inspiration for all Kambu Health employees to strive for greatness in their roles,” she said.

It is through the collective effort of individuals like these that Kambu Health continues to be a beacon of hope and health in the community.”

The Clinical Staff Member award celebrated the hard work and dedication of those on the front lines of healthcare.

Dr. Lindsay and Breanne have consistently delivered highquality care and support to Kambu Health’s patients.

Administration Staff Members

Viviene Naylon and Grace Chong In the Administration Staff Member category, Viviene and Grace were honoured for their exceptional contributions behind the scenes, ensuring the smooth operation of the organisation.

Excellence in Leadership

Karah Mackenzie and Kym Monzari The Leadership award acknowledged the profound impact of Kym and Karah, who have demonstrated strong leadership skills, guiding their teams towards success.

Peer of the Year

Stacee Caton and Grace Mani The Peer of the Year award celebrated the importance of teamwork and collaboration at Kambu Health. Stacee and Grace have exemplified the spirit of cooperation, making a significant difference in their respective roles.

CEO Award

Ian Powles, Tamika Muller, Abby Arthur, and Haydn Struckett The CEO Award was presented to Ian, Abby, Tamika, and Haydn who demonstrated extraordinary commitment to Kambu Health’s mission and values, consistently going above and beyond in their efforts to improve the lives of those they serve.

22 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

MEMBER NEWS

IUIH

Spotlight on Brooke Carson, Deadly Choices communications officer Brooke Carson, a Cobble Cobble woman, is about to graduate from a Bachelor of Media Communications majoring in journalism and fashion communication from QUT. She has been part of IUIH’s Deadly Choices team since 2020, working on the radio podcast with Triple A and managing the Deadly Choices social media accounts.

Her interests are diverse: from rugby league and sports journalism to fashion, modelling and styling.

What is your advice for someone considering studying journalism?

I really recommend journalism as a course. I think it’s such a great career option as journalism is not limiting.

With journalism you could venture into other spaces like communications, production and all types of writing.

My advice is to take journalism as a huge opportunity to learn about people and create options.

Let’s find out more about this high-achieving young woman!

Tell us about yourself. Where are you from and who is your mob?

I was born in Townsville as my dad served in the military.

My family moved back to Brisbane (my family’s base) just after I was born, and we have lived on the north side ever since.

My mob are the Cobble Cobble people from the Western Downs Region.

What interested you to study journalism at university?

I always had a strong love for rugby league. I am a die-hard Brisbane Broncos fan and have grown up around the game.

As I don’t play rugby league, I wanted to find another pathway where I could be involved. Since I love writing and learning about people and their stories, journalism seemed a great way to go.

What skills have you learnt that you believe will best contribute to your community?

I have learnt so much it is hard to narrow down to a few but ultimately, I have learnt how to help my community through a platform and what my community needs out of me. I feel as though I am learning how to be a leader in my community while also being a listener and provider.

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?

In five years’, time, I see myself adventuring around parts of the world while either continuing my work for Deadly Choices as a communications officer or an NRL club.

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

23

MEMBER NEWS

APUNIPIMA

Hard work pays off for student of the year Aboriginal Health Worker Shaniqua Burke has discovered that hard work can get you places you never thought possible.

The 21-year-old from Napranum in Queensland’s northern peninsula area credited hard work for helping her win Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year at the Queensland Training Awards this year.

Now, with a Certificate III in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Primary Health Care from TAFE Queensland under her belt, the opportunities are limitless.

The proud Kunjen/Kokoberra woman from Kownyama and Napranum said her grandparents, Kowanyama Mayor Robbie Sands and his wife Donna, had instilled in her a drive to succeed.

students studied the mainstream education criteria.”

After finishing high school, Shaniqua took up a position with a job services company that had a strong community engagement focus. She realised she wanted to help her people and be at the ground level of improving community health.

I’d say my grandfather and grandmother are my biggest inspirations,” Shaniqua said. “They’ve always taught me that education is a vital pillar in your life and so is working hard.”

“They’ve always been great role models and, you know, they’ve always shown me what it’s like to be a better person in the world, she said. “Everything starts at home — making a child feel important, making them feel smart. And that’s what they’ve done; they believed in me. They’ve been an inspiration for to me to become bigger and better.”

“Growing up, a lot of family members and members of the community had all sorts of chronic conditions,” Shaniqua said. “(Many of them) did not know much about their conditions or why they were in that type of state.

So, when I worked in community engagement, it opened my mind, and I decided I wanted to do something that could help people with chronic conditions.”

Shaniqua worked hard in high school to be accepted into the mainstream curriculum.

Shaniqua commenced a Certificate III in Aboriginal and Torres

“At school, the Indigenous students had different criteria to non-Indigenous students, and I worked hard to get in a higher class because I wanted to go to uni after school,” she said.

health worker in Apunipima Cape York Health Council’s

“We were in a separate class where we’d study a curriculum such as low English or Prevocational Maths, while other

24 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

Strait Islander Public Health after landing a job as a trainee Napranum clinic.

Shaniqua credited an inspiring TAFE teacher with pushing her to keep studying when work and family commitments were almost too much.

“At first it was just a certificate requirement for the job,” she said.

At first, like many young people aching to

But the teacher, Daniel Noble, made the course interesting.

get out and see the world, Shaniqua

“So, I guess doing the class, it made me want to just study more for my own learning and not just as a starting point for the requirements of the job,” she said. “I want to keep learning in that sphere and open my mind.”

Here again, Shaniqua’s understanding of hard work stood her in good stead when she came home from work or trips away to TAFE in Townsville. She had to work around family, job and community responsibilities to make sure her assignments were done well and on time.

wanted to leave Napranum.

But though the world is her oyster, she’s happy for the moment, just where she is.

“I think I’ve sort of grown into the role here,” she said.

“I went to TAFE in Townsville every eight weeks for two weeks, so I was away a lot from home,” she said. “I had to complete assessments and I wouldn’t get that time at work. So, it’d be just trying to make up that time at home, but I couldn’t focus much, you know; you have your family around and you’ve got other responsibilities to attend to at home. But in the end, it was just making it an important mission to complete.”

The recognition of her hard work has helped her believe that it was all worth it in the end.

“It made me feel relieved in a way,” she said. “Working academically hard in school and, you know, subsequently achieving a lot of stuff. But I’m now able to see that and recognise that for myself.”

The community-minded young woman said she wanted to make a career in primary health and gained the most satisfaction out of helping community live longer, happier, healthier lives.

I wanted to do nursing, but you know, working in the health worker role for a while made me realise we were a first point of contact for our people,” she said.

“They come to us first before anyone: before a nurse, before a doctor; and I get satisfaction staying at that level. It just makes me feel a bit comfortable and closer to them.

“So maybe in the future I’ll just study more primary health electives and go higher into an Advanced Diploma in Primary Health.”

“When you move to the city, you don’t feel the sense that you’re doing something. So, staying in community means going to sleep at night, feeling that I’ve prevented somebody from being one step closer to a chronic condition or helping somebody change their lifestyle to live longer.

“But in the city, you meet 10,000 different people and you don’t get to see your help paying off.”

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

25

MEMBER NEWS

GURRINY YEALAMUCKA

Keeping Yarrabah’s health in local hands Gurriny Yealamucka Health Services Aboriginal Corporation (GYHSAC) in Yarrabah, south-east of Cairns, has realised great success in preventing workforce shortages by doing what the ACCHO sector does best: local solutions tailored to local problems.

GYHSAC’s clinic is thriving due to two linked policies: 1) hiring from the local talent base and providing training, recognising potential rather than qualifications and 2) ensuring positions that are not filled by locals are filled by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, before going wider.

In the GYHSAC Annual Report, CEO Suzanne Andrews said, “We work in, and with our community, to protect, educate and safeguard our members, and where possible we have always provided employment and training opportunities to our community members.”

Three quarters of the organisation’s Indigenous staff hold qualifications in their area of employment.

Ms Andrews said GYHSAC’s contribution to the local economy was approximately $4m over the past 12 months through local employment and procurement.

The focus on local hiring is exemplified by two young Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs), Clevanna Messer and Stanley Yeatman, both with ties to Yarrabah.

Ms Messer is an AHW with a long family history of looking after the health of mob. She specialises in child health and has worked at Gurriny Yealamucka for five years. Clevanna recently deferred a nursing degree after completing the first two years.

She is also a descendant of Murial Stanley, a Yarrabah local born in 1918, who became Australia’s first Aboriginal nurse and midwife in 1944.

I really like child health; I love working with the team and I love working here.”

26 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

Stanley Yeatman, another Aboriginal Health Worker from the Yarrabah region working with GYHSAC in early childhood health, said working in child health was incredibly rewarding.

When we see kids that are non-verbal, and then we get to help prepare them for services like speech pathologists, and for them to have a support when they start school... just seeing them growing and learning and becoming better with speech, with development, I think that’s one of the highlights for us, helping them grow developmentally,” he said.

GYHSAC’s health-worker-led model of care means that AHWs like Stanley and Clevanna do lots of outreach.

They help run four GYHSAC clinics at the school on Tuesdays, talking to students about preventative health measures. They also conduct weekly home visits.

GYHSAC has had such success with their youth health activities that the community of Yarrabah has not had to have a surgical intervention for rheumatic heart disease in a child for over two years.

GYHSAC currently employs two Indigenous GPs, Dr Carli Westmore and Dr Jason King, who is Director of Clinical Services. They are a boon to GYHSAC’s cultural safety, ensuring Yarrabah residents have access to a health service that understands and accepts the Yarrabah community.

Dr Westmore hoped she could be a role model for locals.

The pathway to becoming a doctor is quite long and often our mob don’t know how to do it — cause if you can’t see it, you can’t be it,” she said.

MEMBER NEWS

CARBAL MEDICAL CENTRE

Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners (AHPs) are essential members of the Australian healthcare system, providing culturally sensitive and accessible healthcare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the need to upskill AHWs to become AHPs. AHPs are registered health practitioners with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia, qualified to provide a wider range of healthcare services, including clinical services like immunisations and wound care.

QAIHC Member, Carbal Medical Services in Toowoomba, is committed to investing in its health care workers’ education and training and upskilling Aboriginal Health Workers to Practitioners.

“This is not only a moral and ethical imperative but also a practical and strategic choice for Carbal Medical Services, it leads to better health care delivery, improved health outcomes and a more culturally sensitive health care system for Indigenous communities,” said Carbal Medical Services General Manager Tamika Campbell.

“Benefits of upskilling from AHW to AHP include increased knowledge and skills, widening the scope of practice, improved career prospects, and the opportunity to work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and community health services.”

providing high-quality healthcare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their community.

“Before, we focused more on providing community-based health promotion and education services,” said Kristy. “But now, we provide a wider range of healthcare services, including clinical services. I have been able to assist the nurses with wound care, immunisation, chronic diseases, telehealth support, antenatal care and much more. As an AHP I can access additional Medicare item numbers, as well as upload Shared Health Summaries for clients.

Jannah said upskilling to become an AHP had given her a greater sense of confidence and professionalism.

“I wanted to gain knowledge to help the community,” she said.

“Studying has given me not only more knowledge but also confidence in my work. I can utilise MBS item numbers I couldn’t before, and I’m able to help other team members and nurses more in the clinic.”

In addition to supporting Kristy and Jannah to upskill from AHW to AHP, Carbal Medical Service is currently providing support and guidance to nine Indigenous staff members across the organisation who are employed in roles such as receptionist, transport officers, and care coordinator.

Visit www.carbal.com.au

Ja n

Carbal Medical Centre sees dividend from training investment

na

e hD

sec Bras

Kristy Purnell

Ms Campbell said AHWs and AHPs often acted as liaisons between the health care system and communities, leading to improved health outcomes, increased healthcare access and better overall community health.

Kristy Purnell and Jannah De Brassec are two AHWs who recently completed their qualifications to transition to AHPs. They have worked at Carbal Medical Service in Toowoomba and Warwick for over four years, and they are passionate about

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

27

MEMBER NEWS

GINDAJA

Gindaja showcases model of care at world conference Yarrabah Member service, Gindaja Treatment and Healing Centre, has taken to the global stage to showcase its Indigenous-led model of care.

The organisation was invited to discuss the Gindaja Model of Care at the Healing our Spirit Worldwide (HOSW) Conference: the Ninth Gathering in Vancouver, Canada in September.

HOSW brings together thousands of Indigenous leaders and health care professionals from around the world to share and celebrate the healing power of traditional Indigenous knowledge and cultures.

Gindaja Treatment and Healing Centre Chief Executive Officer Ailsa Lively said the conference had been an amazing opportunity to highlight her team’s commitment to delivering quality health care.

We embarked on a journey to develop our model of care to drive the focus of service provision across a full continuum of care and within a strong Indigenous led framework,” she said.

“The Model of Care had to unite the organisation and provide our stakeholders, including non-Indigenous stakeholders, with our own self-determined framework and evidence base.

Schrieber, Aboriginal Health Worker Kerry-Anne Yeatman and Residential Coordinator Tamara Yeatman.

The Gindaja Model of Care is framed by the organisation’s mission statement:

To provide culturally appropriate, specialised alcohol and other drugs care and support services in the areas of education, treatment, recovery and healing to people with alcohol and substance dependencies in Yarrabah and beyond.

The Model of Care focuses on the following areas: health promotion and education, learning and wellbeing, residential recovery, Step Up Recovery (relating to the Step Up supported accommodation program) and its after care and its continuing care.

Gindaja is dedicated to an approach that is: grounded in social and emotional wellbeing; evidence informed; holistic and empowering; flexible and responsive; person, family and community centred; culturally secure and respectful; confidential and inclusive; and non-judgemental and compassionate.

For more information on the Gindaja Model of Care visit https://gindaja.org.au/model-of-care

It also had to inspire new and innovative Indigenous approaches and responses that could be developed and trialled.”

In line with the team’s commitment as a Gindaja family, every one of the seven team members at the conference delivered parts of the presentation.

Team members that presented were Board Chairperson Lynese Hari; Board Director Jasmine Canendo; Ms Lively, Learning and Wellbeing Coordinator Hezron Murgha, Finance Officer Ashleigh

28 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

Pictured at the conference (from L-R) are CEO Ailsa Lively, Aboriginal Health Worker Kerry-Anne Yeatman, Board Chairperson Lynese Hari, Learning and Wellbeing Coordinator Hezron Murgha, Finance Officer Ashleigh Schreiber, Board Director Jasmine Canendo and Residential Coordinator Tamara Yeatman.

Gindaja: A 40-year history The Gindaja Treatment and Healing Centre in Yarrabah, the only Aboriginal community controlled Alcohol and Other Drugs residential service in Far North Queensland, has undergone a significant operational and physical transformation over the past 40 years.

The Yarrabah community first identified the need for a local service that would provide support for Yarrabah people who were battling with alcohol and drug dependency in the late

Gindaja Treatment and Healing Centre has transformed over the past 40 years, from a small building built by the local Yarri people (left) to the large facilities it has today.

1970s to early 1980s.

Gindaja first started operating in an original single level building, built by the local Yarri people. It still stands today as the training room for the Gindaja team.

Today, Gindaja has 17 beds at its Residential Centre and another 10 beds as part of its Step Up supported accommodation program. Overall, Gindaja supports approximately 80 clients a year.

Gindaja has received capital works funding to upgrade the Centre, which is a 10-minute drive outside of the main township of Yarrabah and sits on approximately 10,000sqm of land.

An aerial view of the Gindaja Treatment and Healing Centre.

The new Learning and Wellbeing Centre, which is still under construction but nearing completion, supports about 175 clients in its day programs. While this service has operated for the past 15 years, it is the first time it has had its own building.

Gindaja now has more than 50 staff (most of whom are local Yarri people, with only three non-Indigenous staff); its own client programs, which have been created and written by staff; and five service areas (residential and day based).

Gindaja also auspices the Yarrabah Justice Service which has been operating from within its residential centre. The Service will move into its own office space later this year.

Gindaja’s new Learning and Wellbeing Centre.

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

29

MEMBER NEWS

Three Members celebrate milestone anniversaries Three Member services celebrated landmark anniversaries looking after their mob this year – ATSICHS Brisbane marked its 50 year anniversary, Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation in the Atherton Tablelands commemorated its 30 years anniversary and the Northern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Alliance (NATSIHA) celebrated 20 years.

ATSICHS Brisbane On 13 May this year, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Brisbane celebrated its 50th anniversary with a gala dinner at Brisbane City Hall.

Over the decades, ATSICHS Brisbane has made significant strides in healthcare, community services and early childhood education, expanding their medical clinics, creating new services, and ensuring more community members have access to quality healthcare. They also pioneered the introduction of community-controlled kindergartens, opened the dedicated First Nations aged care facility, Jimbelunga Nursing Centre and have made a significant impact for our community in the areas of child protection, youth justice and family wellbeing.

Beyond celebrating their long history, the gala dinner was also an occasion to honour the outstanding achievements of seven community leaders as new Life Members. Uncle William (Billy) Gorham, Uncle Mark Moore, Uncle Jeffery Broom, Aunty Glenda Brooks, Dr Aunty Mary Martin, Aunty Dorothy Buhmann and Dr Aunty Lilla Watson, were acknowledged for their contributions to ATSICHS Brisbane over the years.

Dignitaries, including the Honourable Leeanne Enoch MP, ATSICHS Brisbane Board Chair Melody Ingra, Life Members Uncle Les Collins and Aunty Erica Fisher, as well as representatives from ATSICHS Brisbane’s member network.

30 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

ATSICHS Brisbane CEO Renee Blackman addressing the audience at the Brisbane ATSICHS 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner at Brisbane City Hall.

Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation has celebrated 30 years looking after mob in the Mareeba, and more recently, Atherton and Kuranda communities.

Mulungu staff, clients, and community gathered at both their Mareeba ‘Mulungu’ and Atherton ‘Midin’ clinics for two dazzling nights of celebration on the evenings of 7 and 8 June.

Incorporated in 1993, Mulungu grew out of Wuchopperen Health Service’s Mareeba clinic. Over time, it was clear the Mareeba community needed greater involvement in the medical service, so steps were taken to incorporate a new entity.

In an interview for Mareeba’s The Express, CEO Gail Wason said, “It all started with a collective of people coming together with the same common cause. We had our kids coming in and out of hospitals, and the community felt like they were being treated as second-class citizens.”

Today, Mulungu has nearly 120 staff, up from 3 in 1993, many of whom are from the local community and have ‘grown’ with the business.

Northern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Alliance (NATSIHA) The Northern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Alliance (NATSIHA) is celebrating 20 years as the regional peak body representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations in Far North Queensland.

NATSIHA membership comprises of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health and Wellbeing Services (ATSICCH&WS) located throughout Far North Queensland and works with these services and the communities they serve to ensure they have regional representation and advocacy at the state and federal level.

NATSIHA is unique that of the 80,000 plus Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Far North Queensland, our Members provide culturally appropriate health services to over 70% of this population.

We love growing local people, and I think providing a dedicated, caring service to Mareeba and surrounding communities demonstrates this,” she said.

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

31

MEMBER NEWS

Apunipima trials new holistic service model in Napranum Apunipima Cape York Health Council is trialling a new model of care in its Napranum clinic near Weipa, focusing on a holistic approach to health care which encompasses the social determinants of health and wellbeing.

The Coordinated Case Care trial will work with five families and focus on social aspects of community life, from food security and fitness right through to home life, employment and financial health.

The trial is based on successful overseas ‘social prescribing’ trials, which focus on a full holistic assessment of individual and family need. The healthcare approach looks at a patient’s non-medical needs as well as their physical health to improve individual and family wellbeing.

Apunipima CEO Ms Debra Malthouse said the more social service providers work together, the greater benefit in health outcomes for community members.

“Health is not just about our physical wellbeing, we know that social, emotional and cultural factors impact on our health and wellbeing as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Ms Malthouse said.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled health organisations understand this but we need to be

32 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

better at working collaboratively with other care providers so that individuals and families have access to health care and support services that appropriately respond to their needs.

“When you expand the care provider group to include any service that deals with the social aspects of community life, such as Council, employment agencies and justice groups, it brings many more voices to the table, and this trial is about engaging with and bringing those services into the health conversation.”

Participants will undergo a social determinants assessment at the start of the trial to create a plan for them to follow.

Throughout the trial, an Aboriginal Health Worker will be the case manager working directly with participants to support them to achieve the goals they identified in their plans.

Community connect worker with Weipa Community Care Association Shaylee Gomes is involved in the trial and excited to learn of the results.

“Everything that we’re trying to do here involves looking at the situation holistically, so I think coming together and networking as a community while engaging around the whole family unit is the best possible way to use the limited resources we have available,” she said.

MEMBER NEWS

GALANGOOR DUWALAMI

Galangoor signs historic agreement with Wide Bay HHS On 30 Aug 2023, Galangoor Duwalami Primary Health Care Service (GDPHCS) and Wide Bay Hospital Health Service (WB HHS) solidified their partnership by signing a Collaborative Agreement, aiming to enhance healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities on the Fraser Coast.

This agreement is a continuation and expansion of the initial Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2008, highlighting the commitment both organisations have towards health equity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Both GDPHCS and WB HHS, recognised as Fraser Coast’s primary service providers, have now reinforced their commitment to bridging health inequalities faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

By actively addressing systemic health disparities, the two entities aim to advance the national Closing the Gap targets and the Health Equity Strategy.

The signing was a significant event, attended by a diverse group of community partners, supporters, and esteemed guests, reflecting the profound importance and resonance of the agreement within the community.

Among those in attendance were friends from Happy Feet, Women’s Health, Elder Joe Eggmollesse, and special WBHHS guests such as Debbie Carroll, Robyn Bradley, and Karla Steer.

The ceremony saw Aunty Lenore Denduck, Company Secretary of Galangoor; Stevan Ober, Galangoor’s CEO; Karla Steer, a WB HHS Board Member; and Debbie Carroll, CE of WB HHS, come forward as the key signatories.

The foundation of the original Memorandum of Understanding was set by the late Coralie Ober, the then-Galangoor Chair, in association with the Fraser Coast Health Service District, now WB HHS, with a focus on maternal services.

Through this new agreement, both Galangoor and WB HHS are set on a path of enhanced collaboration in Indigenous healthcare.

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

33

QAIHC STAFF PROFILE

Introducing Jan Roma, QAIHC Administration Officer Where are you from and who are your people(s)?

My family is Gangalu/Ghungalu which encompasses the areas of the lands in between the Dawson and Comet rivers in Central Queensland. My hometown is Theodore (Willi Willi land — my father’s grandmother’s ancestral lands) as that is where our family lived — my dad, mum and 12 siblings. I have a strong cultural connection to the Wakka Wakka people in the South Burnett region of Southeast Queensland — as my mother and her old people are from that area.

How would you describe your role in QAIHC? Ongoing administration support and coordination of all QAIHC travel, supporting the Office Manager and other managers in QAIHC.

How long have you been at QAIHC?

How does being a Ghungalu woman influence how you see the world?

When people look at me they will see a strong black woman with strong cultural and family values. They will see struggle and also they will see a woman who has survived and how

I have been with QAIHC for 14 years now.

I see the world — a world that is still learning and also

What did you do before coming here?

other in this world and also we have to learn acceptance.

Well I have been around, job wise I mean. I worked in Rockhampton for years and then moved to Brisbane, I was at Commonwealth Education which had a few name changes, I was working in the ABSTUDY Unit (Aboriginal Study Assistance Scheme), which eventually came under Centrelink, 18 years all up. I left in 2005 and before I started at QAIHC, I was at Medicare (Indigenous Access) for a year.

Family is a huge part of your life; can you talk about it a little bit?

I grew up in Theodore, a small country town in Central Queensland, 561 km from Brisbane via the Warrego and Leichhardt highways. I have seven brothers and five sisters.

I am eighth in line; mum and dad have both passed, it’s been over 10 years now. We literally were ‘fringe dwellers’ as we lived in a little tin shack with dirt floors on the outskirts of Theodore. We’d walk over a long pipe across the river to go to school. Out of the 13 of us — the youngest has only just turned 50. Family is very important to me as I have raised children with my husband Devon of 36 years — Taylor, Josephine and the youngest (and hardest to shake off) Brody.

34 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

surviving. We have to learn to be able to understand each

What has been your best memory of working at QAIHC? Have to think about that one, there has been so many good memories, probably the people that I have met over the years and the long lasting friendships.

What do you get up to in your spare time?

I love watching rugby league (love my Raiders), I used to play touch football and basketball, but have retired from that now.

I love watching movies, going shopping, and hanging with family.

What made you want to gravitate toward the health sector?

I was always in education, but I was offered an Admin job at QAIHC at the time I was not working. But I’m glad now to be in the health sector.

Who’s your favourite sportsperson and why?

I haven’t really got a favourite, because I watch so many sports, but right now my favourite is my niece Ally Anderson, who plays for the Brisbane Lions Women’s Team.

POLICY AND RESEARCH

QAIHC and ANU lead tobacco consumption consultation in Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Queensland have voiced their opinions on tobacco consumption and access by their peoples.

QAIHC, in partnership with Australian National University’s National Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Wellbeing Research have conducted a series of consultation sessions throughout the state to determine community usage and gather feedback on measures to discourage smoking and tobacco use.

“Despite a general trend downwards, tobacco consumption amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples remains almost triple that of non-Indigenous populations,” said QAIHC General Manager of Policy and Research, Gregory Richards.

“In remote and very remote areas, tobacco consumption is increasing, contrary to national trends.

“The leading causes of death for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples — cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and lung cancer — are all either directly caused, or significantly contributed to, by tobacco consumption.”

Mr Richards said the consultation sessions provided an opportunity for Member services and their communities to have a say on the issues surrounding tobacco usage and access, and how they wanted preventative health measures delivered in their areas.

QAIHC has consulted with communities with the cooperation of Members including Palm Island Community Company, Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service, Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation Medical Centre, Wuchopperen Health Service, Apunipimpa Cape York Health Council, Girudala Community Co-operative Society Ltd, North Coast Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health, the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, Goondir Health Services and Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Co Ltd. Feedback from the consultation sessions included: More anti-smoking education needs to be delivered in schools.

More staff training in intervention techniques was required.

People are not cutting back because cigarettes are getting more expensive – it is an addiction.

Children are being bullied into vaping at school.

More information required on how to access nicotine and other cessation products.

The community needs to tackle the problem together with strong leadership.

The government should follow the lead of New Zealand and ban the sale of smoked tobacco products to young people born after a certain year.

ANU will use the data from the stakeholder consultation sessions for research and for advocacy.

QAIHC and ANU consulted with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Mackay on community tobacco consumption.

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

35

POLICY AND RESEARCH

My health for life continues to be improved for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples Diabetes Australia has continued to work with QAIHC and Members to help design and roll out a preventative health and wellbeing program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Queensland.

QAIHC is consulting on the development of a refreshed, fit-forpurpose version of the established health program, My health for life, that is culturally appropriate and meets the needs of participating QAIHC Members and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

the barriers and enablers to the acceptance and successful implementation of the My health for life program.

“After seeing some of the health challenges in communities in rural and remote areas, we see a need for prevention programs to have local flexibility and be guided by our Members to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples create healthier habits in their communities,” said QAIHC General Manager Policy and Research Gregory Richards.

“We are currently working with Diabetes Australia to create a reinvigorated My health for life program that offers targeted, culturally appropriate resources and that reflects the environment and lived experiences of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

QAIHC is working with its Member services Apunipima, Mudth-Niyelta, ATSICHS Mackay, Girudala and Gindaja, as well as Associate Member Gumbi Gumbi to include a fit-for-purpose My health for life program into their service offerings, while ensuring they have local flexibility.

“It was great for my team to connect with the Apunipima Cape York Health Council which has been running the program for years,” Mr Richards said.

Funded by the Queensland Government through Health and Wellbeing Queensland and co-ordinated by Diabetes Australia, My health for life is a free initiative focused on making healthier choices and healthier habits. The program is aimed at Queenslanders who are at high risk of chronic disease, including heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Participants work with qualified health coaches to co-design a health plan that suits their lifestyle and health conditions.

For the past two years, QAIHC has been consulting widely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) across Queensland regarding

36 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

“It’s been very informative talking to them about their experiences – what elements of the program have worked well for them and what hasn’t.”

Over the past few years, Apunipima’s nutrition team has been delivering the program in Cape York communities with positive community participation. The My health for life program enables informal group conversations about stronger health in a relaxed community setting, while supporting participants to make small health changes that they personally see as a priority.

Participants choose their own health goals and support one another as a group over six sessions. Personal goals might include becoming more active, eating healthier, achieving a

POLICY AND RESEARCH

healthier weight, feeling less stressed or reducing smoking or alcohol intake.

her health and fitness so she could participate in a fivekilometre fun run.

From February to May 2023, Community Nutritionist Sue Charlesworth led a My health for life program in Pormpuraaw with some of the Pormpur Paanthu Aboriginal Council staff.

“I was turning 50 and I needed to get a lot healthier around my grandchildren and children and better myself on my own journey,” she said.

“Group members appreciated talking about different chronic diseases and how lifestyle factors such as what we eat, exercise, how much we smoke or drink, and mental wellbeing all affect the risk of getting a chronic disease, or controlling a chronic disease if they already have one,” she said.

I found (My health for life) really good because it makes you have a look at your goal setting and health issues that may affect your life.

“It was great to see how the group sessions also enabled the participants to support and encourage each other in their personal health journeys, as they shared their stories, successes and challenges with each other, supported by the program health information offered.”

Pormpuraaw community member and MH4L participant Vanessa Deakin said she joined My health for life to improve

“I started doing walking and gradually extending the walks, being mindful of what I ate and getting enough rest as well.

In return, your mental health improves, you feel good about yourself and your body. Other people notice how you are beaming with happiness.”

For more information on My health for life visit https://www.myhealthforlife.com.au/

The My health for life Program in Pormpuraaw (delivered by Apunipima Cape York Health Council) has been helping locals make healthier choices. Pictured from left are participant Alfreda Tarpenncha, Community Nutritionist Sue Charlesworth, participant Vanessa Deakin and participant Dorita Teddy.

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

37

DEADLY ENTERTAINMENT

Dan Sultan (2023)

by Dan Sultan

Winner of the 2023 ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album.

“Dan Sultan chronicles a profound journey of personal growth, marked by adversities, recovery, and enlightenment.

As usual, it showcases the revered singer-songwriter’s creative prowess and raw talent. This time around, it’s just a little more personal. It reveals intricate aspects of the artist’s identity, preserving the signature elements of Sultan’s musicality, with an added sincerity to the songwriting.” — Double J More: www.dansultan.com

The New Boy (2023)

directed by Warwick Thornton Set in 1940s Australia, The New Boy is the story of a nine-year-old Aboriginal orphan boy (Aswan Reid) who arrives in the dead of night at a remote monastery, run by a renegade nun (Cate Blanchett), where his presence disturbs the delicately balanced world in this story of spiritual struggle and the cost of survival.

More: www.imdb.com/title/tt18180926/

Working Country

Aboriginal stockmen and stockwomen at State Library of Queensland In a time of unruly upheaval and devastation to land and family life from the colonial invasion, working Country was a means of survival. With their knowledge and understanding of this land, Aboriginal people played an integral part in establishing Queensland’s pastoral industry. Working Country is a free showcase running until 17 March 2024.

More: www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/working-country

38 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

Miss Kaninna

Triple J Unearthed Artist of the Year (NSFW lyrics) Hailing from lutruwita/Tasmania, Miss Kaninna is a proud Yorta Yorta, Yirendali and Kalkadoon woman who grew up on the shores of Bruny Island. From a young age, Miss Kaninna has been commanding stages, carrying forward the powerful storytelling of her ancestors and fearlessly bringing them into the present.

Embodying the criteria almost to perfection, she’s been on an unstoppable winning streak throughout 2023 and to say that she’s had a “stand-out year” would be a severe understatement.

More: www.instagram.com/misskaninna

Edenglassie (2023)

by Melissa Lukashenko Two extraordinary Indigenous stories set five generations apart: When Mulanyin meets the beautiful Nita in Edenglassie, their saltwater people still outnumber the British. As colonial unrest peaks, Mulanyin dreams of taking his bride home to Yugambeh Country, but his plans for independence collide with white justice. Two centuries later, fiery activist Winona meets Dr Johnny. Together they care for obstinate centenarian Grannie Eddie, and sparks fly, but not always in the right direction. What nobody knows is how far the legacies of the past will reach into their modern lives.

More: www.uqp.com.au

The Queen is Dead: The Time has Come for a Reckoning (2023)

by Stan Grant ‘History is not weighted on the scales, it is felt in our bones. It is worn on our skin. It is scarred in memory.’ The Queen reigned for seventy years. She came to the throne at the height of Empire and died with the world at a tipping point.

What comes next after the death of what Stan Grant calls ‘the last white Queen’?

More: www.harpercollins.com.au

The Broken Rainbow (Nerra: Deep Time Traveller) (2023)

by Tasma Walton and Samantha Campbell

Horizon

by Bangarra Dance Theatre (2024) There is a place between sea and sky – a sacred realm, where the sun rises and falls and the light is new. From two of the world’s great First Nations comes a brand-new work: Horizon.

Some call it a feeling, some call it the mother spirit. It’s the place where sea meets sky, the horizon we all look to, the compass that guides us home. Horizon runs from 8-17 August 2024 at the QPAC Playhouse theatre. Tickets are on sale now.

More: www.bangarra.com.au

“Nerra, you are the next Deep Time Traveller, as your great-grandmother was before you.” When Nerra’s greatgrandmother passes away, she leaves a box of artefacts to Nerra. Nerra is drawn to the clapsticks which glow red hot, and when she picks them up, she is transported back in time. Dreaming is out of balance and a hero needs to help.

More: www.scholastic.com.au

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

39

QAIHC Board Members

Debra Malthouse Far North Queensland Director

Dorothy Smith North and North West Queensland Director

Matthew Cooke Chairperson

Rachel Atkinson Deputy Chairperson

Stevan Ober Central Queensland Director

Sheryl Lawton South and South West Director

David Collins South East Queensland Director

Adrian Carson Independent Director

QAIHC Members Members

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Brisbane Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Mackay Apunipima Cape York Health Council Bidgerdii Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service

Gladstone Region Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Service t/a Nhulundu Health Service

NPA Family and Community Services Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation

Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Co Limited

Torres Health Indigenous Corporation

Goondir Health Services

Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Services

Palm Island Community Company

Carbal Medical Services

Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service Aboriginal Corporation

Charleville and Western Areas Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Limited

Injilinji Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Children and Youth Services

Cherbourg Regional Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Service

Kalwun Health Service

Yulu-Burri-Ba Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health

Kambu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health

Regional Members

Mamu Health Service Limited

Institute for Urban Indigenous Health

Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health Galangoor Duwalami Primary Healthcare Service

Mookai Rosie Bi-Bayan

Gidgee Healing

Mudth-Niyleta Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation

Gindaja Treatment and Healing Indigenous Corporation

Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation Primary Health Care Service

Girudala Community Co-Operative Society Limited

North Coast Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health

40 Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

Wuchopperen Health Service Limited Yoonthalla Services Pty Ltd

Northern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Alliance

Our Members LEGEND

Torres Health NPA Family and Community Services

QAIHC Member QAIHC Associate Member QAIHC Regional Member

Hospital and Health Services* Cairns and Hinterland Central Queensland Pormpur Paanth Aboriginal Corporation

Ngoonbi Mulungu

Darling Downs Gold Coast Mackay Metro North

Mutkin Residential and Community Care Indigenous Corporation

Biddi Biddi Normanton Recovery and Community Wellbeing Services

Central West

Apunipima Gindaja Gurriny Yealamucka Mookai Rosie Bi-Bayan Wuchopperen

Metro South

Mamu

NATSIHA

TAIHS

North West

Ferdy’s Haven Palm Island Community Company

South West Sunshine Coast Torres and Cape Townsville

Girudala

Gidgee Healing

West Moreton ATSICHS Mackay

Injilinji

Wide Bay

Mudth-Niyleta

*Children’s Health Queensland is not depicted on the map as it is a statewide specialist HHS Bidgerdii

Gumbi Gumbi

GRAICCHS T/A Nhulundu Health Service

Yoonthalla

Galangoor CRAICCHS CWAATSICH

IUIH Goondir

CACH

NCACCH

Kambu

Goolburri Carbal

Kalwun

Yulu-Burri-Ba ATSICHS Brisbane Link-Up Gallang Place QAIAS Winangali Marumali

Sector Leader MAGAZINE | D E C E M B E R 2023

41

Artwork: Connecting Community, Mandy Draper © 2022