The new CEO of NATSIHA shares her vision Mookai Rosie Bi-Bayan opens doors to new clinic
QAIHC to trial first-of-itskind genetic healthcare pilot
Girudala’s new CEO A/Prof. Carmen Parter: “I want to give back to my community”
Kicking goals at the Murri vs Koori Carnival
Dr CJ Westmore’s unconventional journey to medicine
Welcome to the first edition of Sector Leader for 2024.
This edition of Sector Leader is devoted to inspirational leaders from the ACCHO sector who are making an impact in community controlled health.
Whether they are providing medical services, working with youth or leading an ACCHO, they are all driven to deliver a better tomorrow for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
NATSIHA’s new CEO Noeleen Selke has always advocated for the wellbeing and equality of her people – it’s something that has been instilled in her from a “very young age” by her family (her grandmother was well-known activist Jumula Dubbins of the Western Torres Strait island, Moa Island). As the new CEO of NATSIHA, Noeleen plans to grow NATSIHA through strong regional representation at a state and federal level. Read about her fascinating career in our cover story on page 16.
On page 19, we share the story of Gurriny Yealamucka’s Dr Carli ‘CJ’ Westmore and her unconventional journey to medicine. CJ grew up in a two and a half bedroom house with six siblings and no electricity and had to give up home-schooling in Year 10. However, she overcame all the odds and finished a Bachelor of Medicine. She is now
a GP Registrar at Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service.
We celebrate the appointments of new CEO Carmen Parter at Girudala (page 24).
We also talk to CRAICCHS Youth Hub workers Jonathan Walsh and Whitney Cobbo, who are providing support and activities for young people in their community (page 15).
Mookai Rosie Bi-Bayan has just opened a new clinic for its medical service (page 22), while Goondir Health Services has launched a mobile barber and counselling service (page 28). Apunipima has also been providing important support to the community of Wujal Wujal after the December flood event.
Thank you to our incredible Member ACCHOs and their staff for their continued work to strengthen the sector and provide support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in Queensland.
If you have any articles or news you wish to share in future editions of Sector Leader, please contact our Communications team at communications@qaihc.com.au
Paula Arnol Acting Chief Executive Officer Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council
We welcome submissions from our Members and Associates on the great work being undertaken within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled health organisation (ACCHO) 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
Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council
First Floor, 36 Russell Street
South Brisbane QLD 4101
View Sector Leader online
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this publication may contain images or names of people who have passed away.
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The Corporate Services team was pleased to launch QAIHC’s new Sector Relationship Management (SRM) platform in February. The SRM is an online centralised stakeholder engagement tool that helps QAIHC staff engage with Members more strategically by tracking associated events, meetings, phone calls and other connections.
A warm welcome to Ann Pererra, our new Financial Accountant, to the Corporate Services division. Anne recently worked as a financial analyst for the Northern Territory Government in Darwin and comes to QAIHC with a wealth of experience.
Business Operations Specialist
Jacob Pagan has been supporting Charleville and Western Areas
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health’s (CWAATSWICH) CEO Sheryl Lawton and her executive team with developing their new strategic plan. He recently travelled to Charleville with Senior Policy Officer Teisha Nikolaou to assist with the management team consultation for development of the strategic plan.
The ICT team has implemented a new migration process for QAIHC clients moving from hosted to cloud based ICT operational systems. The new process improves cost
efficiency, reduces IT management risk around business continuity and back-ups, reduces the investment in IT hardware and reduces requirements for localised security expertise. The new process also converts client’s IT investment into operating expenses due to the subscription nature of licensing.
A big welcome to Taeg Twist, our new Youth Hub Coordinator. Taeg hails from the Torres Strait and previously worked as a medical receptionist at Torres Health. She also delivered sexual health education and awareness through Illbijerri Theatre’s The Score program.
Taeg and fellow Youth Hub Coordinator Jaymie Lynch have been busy visiting Member services including NCACCH, CRAICCHS, ATSICHS Mackay, Yulu-Burri-Ba, Wuchopperen and Apunipima to discuss the Youth Hub Program and connect with Youth Hub workers.
Alexandra Shine has also joined the Policy & Research team as Project Lead reviewing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ethics governance in human health research. Alexandra has a background as
a rural and remote clinical nurse specialising in critical care and is an Associate Lecturer at CQ University.
Welcome Alexandra.
To help inform QAIHC’s workforce strategy for the ACCHO sector, Policy and Research plan to work with members on understanding their workforce and training needs.
The team is pleased to announce the appointment of Anna McNee, our new Manager of Program Management.
Anna was recently a Program Manager at Brisbane South PHN, responsible for aged care and homeless health. She has a background in health and sales and marketing in the media industry.
The QAIHC SEWB State Gathering was recently held from 13-14 March and was a big success. Members enjoyed the keynote address from Jarrod Harbrow, a former AFL player and the co-founder of Harbrow Mentoring, an organisation devoted to improving the life skills of young people. There were also showcases from Goondir Health Services, Gurriny Yealamucka, CRAICCHS, Gumbi Gumbi and Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service. Attendees also participated in ‘Exploring Trauma’ training.
The team has been supporting Mookai Rosie to secure Growing Deadly Families funding for the expansion of its health facility.
Work on the Torres and Cape Health (TORCH) Care Commissioning Entity is progressing. A communitycontrolled Board (Founding Board) has been created to progress the project to ensure the Entity will be established on 1 July 2024.
The immediate priorities of the Board are to finalise the Constitution of the Entity and to recruit and appoint a Chief Executive Officer to undertake activities during the establishment phase of the Entity’s operation.
The QAIHC Health Information Team has been busy improving its services and support for Members with the purchase of new data software licenses and the addition of a new team member.
QAIHC has purchased PenCS CAT and Topbar licenses to support Member services to use evidence-based practice at the service, regional and state level. These tools allow for improved decision support, practice population planning and actions.
New data training officer Ken Munro recently joined the Health Information Team to train and facilitate the use of CAT and Topbar within Member services. He brings a wealth of practical knowledge from more than 15 years at Yulu-Burri-Ba Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health.
Ken has also re-invigorated the HIT Member Service Network — Q DATA
Senior Policy Officer Teisha Nikolaou, Project Coordinator Ryen Diggle and Business Operations Specialist Jacob Pagan are working together to integrate a health equity perspective into new operations and projects. Their efforts reflect QAIHC’s ongoing commitment to address health equity issues. Teisha is now sitting on the South West Primary Care Alliance Leadership Committee, offering guidance on health equity issues.
This network is open to all QAIHC Member service staff who are data enthusiasts and meets bi-monthly on the last Thursday of the month. Additionally, the Health Information Team is planning another Data Systems and Reporting Workshop in Meanjin (Brisbane) during the week of 20 May 2024. See the QAIHC website for more data resources and the data training request form. Statewide reporting and Member service dashboards are in development with a suite of QAIHC clinical indicators, MBS revenue and community catchment snapshots. These dashboards aim to assist in the helicopter view of ACCHO’s service delivery in QLD. These will be released in Power BI for Member services viewing in the coming months.
An informative new feature in the PenCS Clinical Analysis Tool (CAT4) is the Risk of Hospitalisation report. This functionality allows CAT4 users to identify patients at risk of hospitalisation in the next 12 months.
For patients with multiple chronic conditions, it calculates the risk of hospitalisation by also considering their conditions, medications, pathology, and demographics. Another useful function of CAT4 is the MyMedicare filter (available for Best Practice users), which helps identify patients in the practice who are registered to MyMedicare.
For more information contact: HIT@qaihc.com.au
Deadly footy was the name of the game at the Murri v Koori Interstate Challenge, held on Saturday 24 February at the Logan Metro Sports Complex at Crestmead.
While the weekend was disappointing for most of Queensland’s sides, including the Open Men (Michael Purcell Memorial) losing to Walgett (4-46), Queensland’s Open Women (Mungindi Panthers) representatives were victorious in a nailbiter against the Newcastle Yowies (20-18).
QAIHC was proud to sponsor the Murri v Koori Interstate Challenge and a team of six QAIHC staff were there on the day to spread the word about the state’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO) sector.
QAIHC Office and Events Manager Tiana Lea said the Murri vs Koori Interstate Challenge was always a deadly day of footy.
She said it was amazing to see such a huge turnout especially when half the teams and many of the supporters had travelled from interstate.
But what makes this carnival so special is that it’s not just about footy — there’s also a huge focus on health and wellbeing,” she said.
Under the QAIHC marquee, our intrepid team handed out fresh fruit, QAIHC merchandise, spoke to people about the ACCHO sector and conducted a survey of attendees, aimed at improving the ACCHO sector’s service to mob.
The survey asked mob, especially young mob, how often they attended an Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS), and how they felt in going to their AMS.
Lack of engagement of youth in Community with the ACCHO sector has become a sector-wide concern.
matches were a cultural celebration with the Queensland Murri players, facing off against Rugby League Samoa Queensland.
The only other interstate match of the event was in the Under 16 Boys category, with Queensland Murri facing off with NSW Koori in the 2024 Steve ‘Bear’ Hall Shield.
QAIHC and Members have been working together to encourage our young people to reengage with their local AMS, and the survey is one method in use.
To sweeten the deal on the survey, QAIHC had prizes on offer for all respondents; first prize was $200, second prize was $100, and third prize was $50. All prizes were given as Visa gift cards.
While the two opens games were played against the winners of the Murri Carnival and Koori Knockout, five of the preceding
NSW Koori, in a reversal from 2023, was able to reclaim the Shield with a convincing win over Queensland Murri (36-22).
The Darumbal people have been recognised as Traditional Owners over 12 parcels of land in Central Queensland, during a special session of the Federal Court on Friday 1 December 2023.
The hearing at the Rockhampton Regional Council City Hall ended a 26-year journey to have their enduring connection to and care of country recognised.
Justice Darryl Rangiah confirmed the Darumbal people as Traditional Owners of more than 10,000 hectares of land in Part B of their claim.
Part A was granted to the group in a Federal Court determination in 2016, after beginning their Native Title claim in 1997.
Speaking to National Indigenous Times, Traditional Owner and applicant, Rodney William Mann said a big weight had been lifted off their shoulders.
All of the hard yards have been done but we turn another page now as we hand our culture, experiences and our stories to the younger generation.
“So it’s their turn to take our stories and run with the baton and now us older generation can relax.”
On Monday 19 February, representatives of Traditional Owner groups around Wujal Wujal in Far North Queensland presented their case for a renewable energy asset in the community.
The solar/battery/hydroelectric proposal would be a solar array with battery storage, followed by a hydroelectric installation in the future.
Traditional Owners Kathleen Walker and Marie Shipton and Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Josh Paterson presented their proposal to the Queensland Energy Development Conference.
Wujal Wujal was devastated by flooding after Tropical Cyclone Jasper and has been slowly regaining power as properties are deemed safe to reconnect to the grid.
However, the plan faces a regulatory roadblock as Queensland legislation from 2023 mandates public ownership of most renewable generation assets.
In March 2023, Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation applied to install a solar/battery system in Wujal Wujal but as there was no path to public ownership, the project was rejected.
A multidisciplinary team of QIMR Berghofer researchers has been awarded a $5m grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council to try to eliminate strongyloidiasis, a parasite endemic in some Indigenous communities.
Strongyloidiasis is a potentially fatal tropical disease caused by the Strongyloides stercoralis parasitic worm, which is widespread in the world’s tropics.
Strongyloidiasis symptoms vary, but severe infections can lead to sepsis, pneumonia and death.
Like rheumatic heart disease or trachoma, addressing social determinants of health such as poor sanitation, no clean water, no washing facilities, limited access to healthcare and health literacy, is integral to fighting the disease.
Project lead Professor Darren Gray said, “Our project has the potential to eliminate this potentially fatal infection, which has a devastating effect on some of our country’s most vulnerable people.”
QIMR Berghofer team member and molecular parasitologist
Dr Catherine Gordon said the team was also looking at improving detection methods for the parasite.
“Our project will develop and validate new diagnostics including inexpensive and rapid diagnostic tests which can be conducted and assessed in the field,” she said.
While locations have not been revealed, the team will pilot the program at two sites focusing on treatment, improved sanitation and hygiene, community engagement, education, veterinary management and surveillance.
Premier Steven Miles welcomed five fresh faces to his Ministry, after taking the reins from former Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on December 15, 2023.
The new Ministry, announced on 18 December, includes: Nikki Boyd (Pine Rivers) as Minister for Fire and Disaster Recovery and Corrective Services; Bart Mellish (Aspley) as Minister for Digital Services and Transport and Main Roads; Lance McCallum (Bundamba) as Minister for Employment and Small Business and Training and Skills Development; Charis Mullen (Jordan) as Minister for Seniors and Disability Services, Child Safety and Multicultural Affairs; and Michael Healy (Cairns) stepping up to Minister for Tourism and Sport.
Housing Minister Megan Scanlon (Gaven) was also promoted, with an expanded portfolio including Housing, Local Government and Planning as well as Public Works.
The Quandamooka people regained use of almost 62,000 megalitres of water on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) in December 2023.
Representatives of Traditional Owners, Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC) have earmarked half the water for commercial use and the rest for environmental and cultural use.
QYAC CEO Stephen Wright said he was pleased the Queensland government recognised the Quandamooka People as Traditional Custodians of the land and waters of Minjerribah.
“We believe the successful implementation of this proposal will enhance and safeguard the globally significant cultural landscapes of Minjerribah while fostering a management regime which can nurture the social and economic aspirations of the Quandamooka people and the broader community,” he said. The water became available after sand mining ended on the island in 2019, as the miners’ water licences gradually expired.
Gilead Sciences, the Lowitja Institute and The University of Queensland (UQ) Poche Centre for Indigenous Health have unveiled the GLOWS Indigenous Health Grant Program, a new $4.4M, 3-year initiative to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in their efforts toward elimination of HIV and viral hepatitis.
The Guiding Local Opportunities for Wellbeing (GLOWS) initiative will enable Indigenous-led solutions to be designed that address the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities affected by, or at risk of, HIV and viral hepatitis. The aim of the initiative is to increase health equity and address disparities that continue to drive disease transmission.
Despite advancements in HIV and viral hepatitis treatment and prevention, the rates of diagnosis are disproportionately higher in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities compared with the non-Indigenous population.
In 2022, rates of hepatitis C notifications were seven times greater among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities compared with the non-Indigenous population (156.2 compared to 21.7 per 100,000).1 Additionally, the HIV notification rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities was 1.3 times the rate for the non-Indigenous population (4.9 compared to 3.8 per 100,000).2
In year one of the program, five different grant types will be offered which will focus on large and medium projects: providing opportunities for research and community programs for community needs, incubator, seed or demonstration grants, scholarships and education grants. Funding tiers will range from $800,000 over two years, to seeding grants and scholarships of $30,000 and $25,000.
For more information about the program or to apply visit: lowitja.org.au/research/funding-opportunities
1. Kirby Institute. 2023. Progress towards hepatitis C elimination among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia. https://www.kirby.unsw.edu.au/ research/reports/progress-towards-hepatitis-celimination-among-aboriginaland-torres-strait-islander-people-australia Accessed January 2024.
2. National Indigenous Australians Agency. February 2023. 1.12 HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and sexually transmissible infections. https://www.indigenoushpf.gov.au/measures/1-12hiv-aids-hepatitis-sex-transmissibleinfect#:~:text=In%202016%E2%80%932018%2C%20 there%20were,compared%20to%203.8%20per%20100%2C000). Accessed January 2024.
The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is investing $2.2 million for research focused on strategies to reduce the use and harms associated with vaping and the use of e-cigarettes in Australia.
E-cigarettes are filled with liquids including nicotine, artificial flavourings and various chemicals, some of which have been shown to be toxic.
While the long-term health effects are unclear, vaping is still a fairly new activity and some diseases, such as cancer, can take many years to develop.
More than 26% of Australians aged between 18 to 24 have used e-cigarettes—the highest usage rate across all age groups, according to recent studies.
Dr Emily Stockings from the University of Sydney will receive nearly $1.6m in funding to develop a program to directly
reduce the use and harms associated with e-cigarettes. Dr Stockings and her team have created a program, called the VAPE program, which proposes three streams of research:
Trends: detailed monitoring of e-cigarette use and engaging young people to develop preventive resources for use in schools and community settings
Resource development: a new evidence-based suite of prevention resources.
Implementation: translating resources into real-life practice in existing health and education services.
There are also concerns pro-vaping messaging on social media blatantly targets younger audiences through influencer advertisements, trendy flavours, and the use of familiar cartoons on company logos.
Research has shown that young people who view social media content featuring e-cigarettes are more likely to vape and to view e-cigarettes in a positive light.
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Dr Carmen Lim from the University of Queensland will receive nearly $660,000 to develop a program to understand how pro-vaping campaigns on social media influence young people’s attitudes towards the use of e-cigarettes.
This funding is part of the $379 million awarded through the NHMRC Investigator Grant scheme. The Investigator Grant scheme is NHMRC’s largest funding scheme and a major investment in Australia’s health and medical research workforce, providing a five-year fellowship and research support for outstanding researchers at all career stages.
A new review of autoimmune rheumatic disease (AIRD) in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples reports significant gaps in medical knowledge regarding how common these illnesses are, phenotype (what symptoms or illness characteristics patients have) and disease outcomes among Indigenous Australians.
The review, led by Dr Fabien Vincent of the Rheumatology Research Group at Monash University, is the first step in a long-term research program aiming to ensure management of AIRD can be optimised for all Australians, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Dr Vincent said there were multiple targeted therapies for AIRD approved for use in Australia, which could significantly improve treatment outcomes and that it was important to ensure all patients with AIRD could benefit from treatment advances in the future.
“Therefore, it’s important to understand the prevalence and potential phenotypic variations of AIRD across the Australian population,” he said.
AIRD is a collective term which comprises a group of multisystem inflammatory autoimmune illnesses, including connective tissue disease, such as lupus; chronic inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis; sarcoidosis and systemic vasculitis.
Some AIRD are prevalent in the general population, and all can cause significant morbidity and reduced quality of life. Some increase the risk of premature mortality such as lupus, a connective tissue disease that is more prevalent and severe in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Project researcher Dr Laura Eades said some of these illnesses were quite rare, and there were not many published studies compared to other fields of research such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease.
“When it comes to illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, is it more or less common in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, or are there particular outcomes that are worse or better?” she asked.
“We don’t have enough information on how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are affected or what the characteristics of their illness are. We want to know if there are any areas where we can be doing better.”
The researchers conducted a review of published literature on databases MEDLINE and EMBASE; Google Scholar; the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare; and the Australian Bureau of Statistics websites.
The research found:
Very little is known about AIRD other than lupus in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. There are no longitudinal studies of AIRD other than lupus in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Further research into AIRD in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is needed to ensure that health needs are being met, and to optimise future management strategies.
Dr Eades said the scarcity of published studies could be attributed to a number of factors such as the lack of rheumatologists in regional Australia, the reduced ability for some patients in rural or remote areas to travel to a specialist and a lack of government reporting on AIRD in Australia.
Dr Vincent is hoping to commence a retrospective study, looking at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients suffering from AIRD, starting in hospitals in the Northern Territory.
The researchers would look at the notes of rheumatologists for various AIRD patients and try to determine if there were any illness characteristics that were different to the general population.
To read the published article visit: https://www.sciencedirect.com
National timeline for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children immunisation coverage rates1 1
Qld timeline for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children immunisation coverage rates1
References
1. Immunisation coverage rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, last updated 14 December 2023
https://www.health.gov.au/topics/immunisation/immunisation-data/childhood-immunisation-coverage/immunisation-coverage-rates-foraboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-children
2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander specific primary health care: results from the OSR and nKPI collections, Last updated 30 January 2024.
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/indigenous-australians/indigenous-primary-health-care-results-osr-nkpi/contents/nkpi-preventative-healthindicators/immunised-against-influenza-pi14
Lead clinicians from across Queensland discussed a range of issues impacting the ACCHO sector at QAIHC’s Clinical Leaders Forum (CLF) face-to-face meeting in December.
The CLF is a network of staff with a clinical interest from QAIHC and Member services, with the goal of informing and influencing QAIHC, NACCHO and government policy.
Chaired by QAIHC Public Health Registrar, Dr Shamila Ginige, the Forum addressed seven key sector challenges including workforce recruitment and MyMedicare.
Other topics discussed were:
Medication shortages
Point-of-Care testing for Group A Strep
Cancer screening programs
Utilisation of Aboriginal Health Workers/Practitioners
Burnout and isolation.
Dr. Ginige emphasised the importance of the CLF in addressing the challenges, highlighting how the Forum’s discussions directly contributed to QAIHC’s mission to represent Member interests and address remote community needs.
The Forum honed in on the MyMedicare program’s
administrative challenges and restrictive patient registration policies, seeking solutions to these pressing issues.
The 2023 QAIHC Members’ Conference similarly spotlighted the MyMedicare program’s administrative hurdles, underscoring the need for streamlined patient registration processes. Using Practice Incentive Program (PIP) sign-ups as a registration for the program was touted as a possible solution.
Clinical leaders agreed upon the following action item: QAIHC to draft letter to request MyMedicare registration paperwork be linked with the: Indigenous PIP registration paperwork to minimise the administrative burden.
The other major topic of discussion was the current Bicillin LA shortage. Bicillin LA is an antibiotic which is important in the prevention and treatment of syphilis, acute rheumatic fever (ARF), and rheumatic heart disease (RHD).
NACCHO clinical pharmacist Alice Nugent, in her discussion of the Bicillin LA shortage, outlined the systemic issues around getting medicines into Australia and increased global demand for the product.
A continued shortage would negatively affect the lives of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
QAIHC Members have deepened their understanding of the aged care space and how it could enhance their health care offerings at the first QAIHC Aged Care Workshop at Rydges South Bank on 20 February.
Triggered by a commitment set down at the QAIHC State Members’ Conference in December, the workshop was held to explore the history, challenges and opportunities for ACCHOs looking to explore new opportunities in the aged care space.
Member representatives made their way from Far North Queensland, the Northern Peninsula and the Torres Strait to take part in discussions on implementing aged care services in a post-royal commission world.
Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement’s Nathan Gaulton was an engaging facilitator, keeping the topics moving while also eliciting more information when needed.
Attendees were taken through all facets of the Australian aged care sector and how it intersects with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, patients, families, communities and ACCHOs.
South West AMS CEO Lesley Nelson travelled from Western Australia to discuss the practical considerations for other ACCHOs to make a transition into aged care.
QAIHC Acting CEO Paula Arnol said the workshop was a great way to connect with QAIHC’s Members and to help the ACCHO sector branch out past primary health.
It’s all about making sure our Elders can live long, happy and healthy lives in a way that suits them culturally, socially and spiritually,” Ms Arnol said.
“Mainstream aged care is rarely culturally safe and respectful, so if our Members can contribute to ensuring our Elders get the best possible care, then that is something we should do.
As we’ve seen from our health equity research, a big reason people don’t get care is the lack of cultural safety.
“Our Members are community controlled entities with the experience and local/cultural knowledge needed to provide effective aged care solutions where they’re needed most.
“So, it makes sense we would be exploring options for ACCHOs to enter the aged care space, and it makes sense for us to help out as the peak.”
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More than 50 Members from across Queensland enjoyed comprehensive training in accreditation and human resources at QAIHC’s Strength in Connection Members Workshops at Stamford Plaza in late February.
The Members’ Accreditation Workshop and the Human Resources Training Workshop were coordinated over a two-day period and covered a range of topics, including the development of the ACCHO sector and its workforce.
The event attracted Members from areas including Far North Queensland, Mackay, Rockhampton, Charleville, Fraser Coast South East Queensland, and the Sunshine Coast.
The Members Accreditation Workshop focused on how to coordinate and deliver a high-quality, professional and fully compliant health service.
Facilitated by QAIHC Compliance and Quality Manager Melita Parker and Senior Quality and Compliance Officer Tamara Dix, the workshop discussed
the importance of forward planning, barriers and opportunities, building an accreditation plan as well as a wideranging question-and-answer session.
Melita said the workshop was important not just for accreditation but building a community of practice where administrators could network and share information.
“Accreditation and compliance are incredibly important, but we also wanted to provide a safe space where Members could connect with other Members,” she said.
If people in our Membership can talk to each other and share that knowledge, that’s how we build a strong and resilient ACCHO sector.”
The Human Resources Workshop focused on the complexities of human resources delivery in the ACCHO landscape and was delivered by HR Specialist Ron Nelson.
Topics included workforce planning, recruitment and onboarding; industrial relations and workplace investigations; and legislation, best practice and general administration.
Ron was on his feet facilitating the whole day, keeping the audience entertained, informed and interested.
“Workforce planning is an integral piece of work which drives the success of an organisation driven and supported by the organisations’ strategic plan and goals. It is inextricably linked to recruitment, retention and ultimately service provision which impacts the ongoing reputation and viability of the organisation. There is no place for complacency,” he said.
More workshops are planned for 2024.
Meet Whitney Cobbo and Jonathan Walsh, Youth Hub workers at Cherbourg Regional Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Services (CRAICCHS).
CRAICCHS’ Youth Hub provides an important service for youth, providing a safe place for young people to catch up, enjoy some meals and some fun, culturally appropriate activities. During school holidays, the Youth Hub provides scheduled activities like football, fishing, arts and crafts and swimming.
Thank you, Whitney and Jonathan, for talking to
Where are your family from?
Cherbourg.
How did you get involved in the sector?
I just wanted a change.
What’s the best part of your job?
Hanging out with all the youth and supporting them.
Do you think there are any barriers to youth visiting Aboriginal medical services?
Where are your family from?
Cherbourg.
Tell us about your job.
I’m at the Youth Hub, so I’m with the young people. They keep me on my toes. We have kids from the age of 10-16 come (to the Youth Hub). We play touch footy with them, and on the holidays we had swimming, touch footy and arts and crafts. The kids really loved it.
How did you get involved in the sector?
I was really shamed growing up. I didn’t get out that much. I’m pushing past my barriers, trying to experience life a bit more.
Some of the youth get embarrassed by using services. Who inspires you?
Community elders. They have more experience within the community and with culture.
Favourite TV?
I watch anything really.
What do you like to do on a weekend to relax?
Hang out with my family and friends.
What’s your favourite music?
Beyonce.
What’s the best part about your job?
Some of the kids come down here, even when they’re not at Youth Hub, we give them meals and fruit. When you see the smiles’ on the kid’s faces… It’s really big to see them not out in the Community and not getting up to mischief.
Do you think there are any barriers to youth visiting Aboriginal medical services?
Shame. It’s a really big thing in the Community. Having a medical centre in our community is a real big step. You get a free T-shirt, and you get to check up on your health.
What do you like to do on a weekend to relax?
I play footy and I catch up with the boys. I play for the Murgon Mustangs. After work, I go to training, maybe go up to the gym with the boys.
What’s your favourite music?
R ‘n’ B. I like to listen to all of them, but I do like Chris Brown.
From health worker to chief executive officer, Noeleen Selke’s career is interwoven with one common thread — the holistic wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities.
The wellbeing and struggle for equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been my constant throughout my career,” she said. “I’ve always held positions that provided me with the capacity to establish comparable opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: federally, state, local and in the corporate world.”
Noeleen’s new role as the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Alliance (NATSIHA) is the pinnacle of a fascinating and varied career.
A proud Kaurareg woman with an ambitious outlook for First Nations’ peoples, Noeleen brings with her a wealth of experience and knowledge. Noeleen is well versed in the challenges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people face, having leadership roles in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, housing, child protection and human services sectors over her career.
As the new CEO of NATSIHA, my goal is to grow the organisation through strong regional representation at a state and federal level,” she said.
“I also aim to enhance and build on the existing structural foundation for the organisation so we can efficiently and sustainably help our members coordinate, plan and deliver primary care services for their communities and the people who live there.”
Born and raised in Cairns, Noeleen grew up with her mother, father and three brothers. Her life was centred around family and community. Noeleen’s family connections are from the village of Kubin on Mua Island with extended family connections across Cairns, The Torres Strait Islands and Cape York. She is proud of coming from a long line of social justice and community control advocates.
Noeleen’s parents were instrumental in the establishment of the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander housing cooperative in Cairns, which continues to operate to this day. Her grandmother Jumula Dubbins helped find shelter for the homeless both before and after World War II for the people of the Torres Strait Islands. Jumula vocally opposed discrimination in the church, community and in the courts. In recognition of her tireless work for her community, the Jumula Dubbins Hostel on Thursday Island was named in her honour.
“My family were passionate about advocating for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people — it’s something that has been instilled in me from a very young age,” she said.
“I didn’t know any different. I’ve always believed that we all deserve absolute fairness and equality.”
As a young woman, Noeleen discovered she had an aptitude and passion for sports. She played soccer, squash, indoor cricket and AFL in her later years. Her first love, however, was basketball.
When I was young, I was too busy playing basketball and having fun to be overly concerned with a working career,” she said. “I represented Queensland over several years at national titles.”
After school finished, Noeleen’s first job was as one of the first Aboriginal Health Workers at Wuchopperen Health Service in Cairns in the early 1980s. She has fond memories of the time.
“We worked out of a house, a two-storey Queenslander, which was slightly modified for the provision of clinical services” she recalled.
“The medical service was located a few blocks from town back then, it was the epitome of a community-controlled organisation. People would come up the driveway and stroll in, generally with a cake or scones in hand, for a cuppa and a yarn and always the biggest laugh would come from the back area. When the doctor was ready, they would come out to call their patients, and at times would join in on the banter.
We had some good times back then; we provided services to all community members from young to old, we also provided outreach services to Mossman Gorge where we would visit people in their homes and at Innisfail where we provided services from a makeshift clinic at the Chjowai Hall.
“We had impromptu aerobics classes on a Friday morning which was provided by one of our more colourful patients, both young and old joined in. We also had kids from the boarding school come for check-ups and screening and I recall also monitoring babies’ Apgar score.”
Basketball came calling again and Noeleen landed a contract with the South Adelaide Panthers. She played with the Panthers for several seasons before returning to Cairns to start a family.
Her family have been the driving force in her life. “I have been blessed with four wonderful children whom I am extremely proud of, plus three grandchildren and another grandchild gracing us with her presence this year in June. I also have some remarkable nephews and nieces who I keep close to my heart,” she said.
Noeleen then took on roles at Manager and Director level across Child Safety, DATSIP, Housing and Public Works; before stepping back into the ACCHO sector with CEO roles at Apunipima Cape York Health Council, and the Mamu Health Service.
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On her return to the workforce, Noeleen took up a role at Social Security/Centrelink, now known as Services Australia. Noeleen said that she “absolutely enjoyed” every minute of working there.
I was in a fortunate position to help community and those less fortunate,” she recalled. “I thrived during my time at Centrelink as it was very customer-focussed, I had some customers who followed me across the region. I even had kids named after me!”
Noeleen remained with Centrelink for 15 years. During this time, she developed her managerial skills which provided her with the basis to perform in leadership roles. Those roles included managing the FNQ Foster and Kinship Care service, which she later transitioned back to the community sector, now known as Culturally Appropriate Foster and Kinship Care Service (CAFAKCS), located at Wuchopperen.
Noeleen also delivered the National Partnership Agreement for Remote Indigenous Housing (NPARIH) and was involved in the development of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Housing Action Plan in Queensland.
After a brief stint as Manager of First Nations and Diversity at North Queensland Airports and Executive Director, Corporate Services — Torres Strait Island Regional Council, Noeleen made the decision to return to the communitycontrolled health sector.
Being appointed CEO of NATSIHA has reignited my passion for community-controlled health” she said.
“..of the people, by the people, for the people….”
– Abraham Lincoln
Growing up in a two-and-a-half bedroom house with six siblings and no electricity, water or a fridge isn’t the easiest start in life, nor is it the easiest route to medicine.
The one thing it did provide Gurriny-Yealamucka Health Service GP Registrar Dr Carli “CJ” Westmore is an understanding of some of the challenges, especially the social determinants of health, experienced by people living in Yarrabah.
“Sometimes patients I see, you know, can’t keep medicine in a refrigerator,” she said.
“They’re like, ‘I’m sorry, doctor, I don’t have a fridge, I’ve got a hole in the ground,’ or, ‘I’ve got a pot in the creek and it stays cool, but not as cold as a fridge.’
“You’ve got to ask the questions, you’ve got to think outside the box, you’ve got to find ways.”
CJ has been a member of the Gurriny Yealamucka team since July 2023, working mostly out of the Bukki Road clinic, with an interest in paediatrics, obstetrics, women’s heath, Indigenous health and dental health.
She said she loved the collegial environment of the public health community and being surrounded by people who were passionate about helping improve outcomes in Yarrabah and the surrounding communities.
However, the journey to a medical career was not a straightforward one.
CJ remembers a simple childhood on the south coast of New South Wales.
The proud Eora and Awabakal woman and her siblings were mostly home-schooled, completing schoolwork in the morning or taking their books as they roamed the bush and played from sun-up to sunset.
The kids would sometimes rescue animals and had many animals as pets, including CJ’s beloved echidna.
“Echidnas are really special to me; it’s my animal,” CJ said.
“I don’t know whether it’s like a ‘totem’. But, you know, it’s an animal that I don’t eat, and I’d protect and take care of it.”
CJ’s childhood wasn’t all climbing trees and riding pushbikes though. She had to quit homeschooling in Year 10 after her elder sister fell ill and the job of taking care of her three nieces and nephews largely fell to CJ.
It wasn’t until she was 17 years old that she finished her Year 10 studies at TAFE.
CJ was then accepted into the University of Newcastle’s Open Foundation intensive tertiary preparation program, a very rigorous six-month primer for university.
From there, CJ studied a Bachelor of Oral Health at Newcastle, quickly graduating from the oral health program in 2008. She is currently a fully qualified, registered and practicing dental hygienist.
While CJ’s homeschooling psychologically prepared her for tertiary studies, there was cultural adjustment interacting with a cohort that often came from the leafier suburbs.
“Homeschooling and uni are very similar. No one’s pushing you around, you’ve got to make yourself do the work,” she said.
“But it is nerve wracking.
After completing her dental training, she went on to study a Bachelor of Medicine.
“Coming from not a very financially well-off background, I didn’t have all the bells and whistles 98 per cent of medical students had, who’ve come from a wealthy family, usually multi-generational doctors.
“They had fancy laptops and smartphones and I had an old Nokia and no laptop.”
However, CJ found solace in the company and support of other Indigenous medical students on campus.
There is strength in getting together with other Indigenous medical students and doctors, that was really, really helpful,” CJ said.
One of CJ’s recurring mantras is, “you can’t be what you can’t see”, and she places a lot of importance on showing people that despite obstacles, despite growing up without family wealth, careers like medicine are still possible.
“I always encourage patients, even at med school, even if they don’t feel particularly academic, if they don’t think there’s a way into uni, usually there is,” she said.
“So, I think it’s nice to know that, you know, as a doctor it’s possible to not necessarily come from a wealthy background or a family of doctors.”
CJ came to Yarrabah through the work of her stepdad, Alan Cummings, who has been coming to the region for half a century and is considered a friend to the Elders in Yarrie.
One day when CJ was visiting her mum and stepdad, Alan asked if she wanted to go on a mini road trip to Yarrabah so he could meet with some community Elders.
While there, she stopped in at Gurriny Yealamucka and introduced herself.
After a chat with Director of Medical Services, Dr Jason King, she asked if there were any GP Registrar positions available. It just so happened that there was an open position and CJ had her interview then and there.
And it really is a team effort. According to CJ, much of the success of Gurriny Yealamucka is due to combining clinician-based knowledge with local-based knowledge.
“Gurriny has some really good health staff, particularly the health workers in the community,” she said.
They might not have the kind of level of medical knowledge as the doctors and nurses, but they have the local knowledge; and marrying that together, that’s where you get the wins.”
CJ describes their interrelationships like a fishing net, everyone linking together in the effort to keep the people of Yarrabah safe, healthy and happy.
“It’s almost like forming a fishing net, you’re wanting to not let anything slip through the cracks, and you’re only specialised in one little bit,” she said.
CJ’s start at Gurriny Yealamucka was delayed due to a nasty bout of COVID-19, which caused some anxiety about disappointing her new employer.
“It’s nerve wracking at first because you want to be just the top of your best when you come into Community,” she said.
“You don’t want to be in any way getting back on your feet or facing illness — just because it is more difficult medicine, and you’ve got so much riding on it.
“There are so many more chronic diseases and many (patients) are a lot sicker than everyday GP patients in cities.
“So, it’s like, am I going to be good enough for this?”
In the end, CJ’s transition to community control has been smooth, thanks to the support of the team at Gurriny-Yealamucka.
“So, it’s kind of, you know, learning everyone’s place in that fishing net and how to use each other, not in a negative way, but using everyone’s skills across the board.
“I think their strength is in how they link people together, rather than being a pyramid structure.
The structure is that no one’s more or less important than each other. We really work in tandem all together, shoulder to shoulder.”
Health services and accommodation provider Mookai Rosie Bi-Bayan is celebrating the official opening of a new clinic location for its medical service in Earlville, Cairns, referred to as Mookai Family Health.
Mookai Family Health will provide a new, fit-for-purpose home for Mookai Rosie’s medical service, which commenced operations 18 months ago. The service is available to all Torres Strait and Cape York clients including women and children, and now men.
The renovated Earlville facility features two doctors’ rooms, a treatment room, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker rooms. There are also plans for an antenatal service including a birthing centre for the future.
Mookai Rosie has expanded its team to support the medical clinic, with new midwives, registered nurses, a nurse practitioner, and an additional GP.
Mookai Rose Chief Executive Officer Theresa Simpson, who was awarded the Leader of the Year at the QAIHC Awards for Excellence in 2022, said the new facility responded to an identified need for a culturally safe medical service for Torres Strait and Cape York clients.
We pride ourselves on the relationships we build with our clients,” she said. “The clinic in Earlville will provide a culturally safe space for our clients where we can sit down and have a yarn about all sorts of things.
“We do not provide 10-minute consults. Our people really need to sit down and have a conversation, so they can open up. Our meetings might be an hour, so we can get down to the root of our clients’ health problems. It’s a very different environment.”
Until now, Ms Simpson said the medical service had been operating from Mookai Rosie’s Edmonton facility where its accommodation services are located. The accommodation service is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children attending medical treatment in Cairns.
Ms Simpson said the organisation started looking for new premises when the Edmonton office reached capacity.
We had received funding from the Queensland Health Growing Deadly Families Program to lease a new property, but after looking at local commercial leases, we realised the answer was right in front of us,” she said.
The organisation had operated from the Earlville facility for many years before its current location, but had been under used as an office space and venue for ad hoc service provision.
The Mookai Rosie team is looking forward to continuing its commitment to quality health services for clients who live in the Torres Strait and Cape York region.
“Many of our clients come to Cairns for medical treatment and they are expected to navigate the medical system, including finding accommodation and transport, by themselves,” said Mookai Rosie Quality and Compliance Officer Lavinia Coyle.
“It can be a very overwhelming experience, particularly for some clients who are away from home for long periods of time. We are here to help them navigate the system.”
As Mookai Rosie moves forward with the birthing centre, the service will a provide an alternative arrangement to the HHS/ hospital in provision of midwifery services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
This includes comprehensive and collaborative practice in culturally safe space, offering 7-10 day postnatal checks, postnatal and breastfeeding support, and a transportation service. Services will work in collaboration with the Cape Hospital and Health Service diabetes educator, endocrine team, and other key partners to ensure clients are linked with the right supports.
Mookai Rosie will also be introducing its very own Indigenous birth support (doulas) who will provide advocacy, and liaise for women birthing at the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service.
This in turn, will increase support for the provision of primary health and complex care, where community and government health providers are integrated through proximity relationships.
Mookai Rosie offers health services and accommodation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families from
Queensland’s Cape York, NPA and Torres Strait regions while they are in Cairns.
Mookai Rosie also has medical, nurse practitioner and midwife clinics, a social and emotional wellbeing team, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers to support clients’ health needs.
For more information, visit mookairosie.org.au
After a 30-year career in government and research in New South Wales, Carmen Parter is finally returning to her roots as the new Chief Executive Officer of Girudala Community Cooperative Society in Bowen.
“Country has finally called me home“, she said.
Carmen’s appointment will see her working at Girudala, which runs a range of initiatives including a medical centre, health programs, aged-care, family wellbeing and young people projects and an affordable housing program.
She will continue working part-time as the Lead at Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Education and Health Research, based in New South Wales.
Carmen said she was thrilled to be moving back to her mum’s Country, the Juru clan of the Birra Gubba Nation, which encompasses her birthplace, Bowen.
I’m proud to go back and work on Country to be a steward for local families and community,” she said.
“I’m excited to be moving into the ACCHO sector and being able to use the skillset that I acquired through government and education to help the people of Bowen. I’m at a point in my life where I really want to give back to my community.”
Carmen was born in Bowen, but her family moved to Orange in NSW for work opportunities when she was three. She remembers her mother being a significant influence in her life.
“I had a strong role model with my mum who was activist,” she said.
As a result, her drive to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people has been a central force throughout her life.
After leaving school, Carmen became a registered nurse, midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner. It soon became obvious to her that health policy wasn’t “meeting community’s needs.”
Keen to make a difference, she trained as a policy maker in health for the NSW Government, before moving into law and justice with a role at the Aboriginal Justice Advisory Council. After a short stint with the child protection system, Carmen went back to health. She moved up the ranks, ultimately becoming the statewide Director for Aboriginal Health in NSW.
“Despite doing some good work nationally and at a state level, I felt it still wasn’t responding to our needs and policy making wasn’t the answer,” she said.
“I felt like the evidence base wasn’t there for our community. I also felt that our culture wasn’t translated into policies. There’s a gap between government and western ways of doing things, and our people’s way of doing things.
“I thought I would try another way to influence change.”
Knuckling down, Carmen completed a Doctor of Philosophy, with her thesis focusing on a subject that was close to her heart, Decolonising Public Health Policy.
Carmen’s move into the research sector culminated with her appointment as Lead of Djurali, which is part of the Heart Research Institute in Sydney. At Djurali, the team turns research into impactful tangible change in community, healthcare, and in public policy aimed at improving the quality of life of Aboriginal people.
One of the Centre’s most successful programs has been the Atrial Fibrillation (AF) program. The program focuses on the early detection and better management of AF, the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Indigenous people are more likely to have untreated AF and are consequently exposed to an increased risk of AF-related stroke.
What we’re most proud of at Djurali is our impact, we’re proud of the fact that we have long-standing relationships with Community, going back 10 to 20 years, and we have a good credibility in our communities that we’ve partnered and collaborated with,” Carmen said.
Looking back, Carmen said the decision to return home to Country was partly triggered by the outcome of the Voice to Parliament referendum last October.
“I just felt that if the broader Australian community wasn’t going to look after us, who was? Who’s going to look after our
future generations? Who’s going to look after our kids and our grandkids?” she said.
“Our stories are invisible, and they aren’t being heard. Only we can look after ourselves!
“The skillset I have developed over the years will only contribute to doing something really deadly that will be sustainable for families in Bowen, Proserpine and Collinsville.” With her eyes on the future, Carmen is determined to tackle institutional racism in the health sector.
“Racism is the biggest impediment for our mob,” she said.
“Institutional racism should be a clinical safety and quality issue; the evidence is now strong enough to say (that it should be). Racism is the biggest challenge for a system like Queensland Health — they have all the right policy tools to eliminate racism, but they don’t know how to do it.
“If policy makers really want to understand our issues like racism, they need to have an open heart and an open mind and deeply listen to the issues of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and walk alongside of us and do things with us and not to us”.
For more information on Girudala visit girudala.com.au
For more information on Djurali Centre for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research and Education visit hri.org.au
As a response to the December 2023 flooding event in Wujal Wujal and surrounds, Apunipima Cape York Health Council has been working with Cape York Partnerships (CYP), Torres & Cape Hospital & Health Service (TCHHS), Wuchopperen, Centacare and other organisations to provide assistance to community members at this difficult time.
Along with the nearby community of Degarra, Wujal Wujal residents were forced to leave everything behind as they were evacuated by helicopter to escape the rising flood waters. Community members are currently spread out across Cairns, Cooktown and Mossman — many in hotels and other temporary shelters — facing a long wait before they can go home.
“The situation is changing regularly so for us it’s about making ourselves available and ensuring we are flexible to meet the needs of the people of Wujal as they arise,” said Apunipima’s Primary Health Care Executive Frankie Clive.
Ordinarily in Wujal Wujal, Apunipima operates in a social and emotional wellbeing capacity mainly providing services like counselling, therapy and support programs; however, Ms Clive said Apunipima had a strong footprint in Wujal Wujal with great relationships.
“While we don’t have a primary health care centre in Wujal, our Community-Controlled Health Care model means we have built strong relationships with community members that are invaluable at a time like this, when some community members may be feeling vulnerable and require support,” she said.
Apart from regular wellbeing programs like men’s and women’s groups, Apunipima’s core services currently being delivered to community members include referrals, transport and Integrated Team Care (ITC), which is a program that helps manage chronic disease. In addition to these core services, Ms Clive said Apunipima was providing assistance as required in collaboration with all the organisations involved.
“There are lots of other areas we’re helping, for example our pharmacists provided support for access to medications in partnership with TCHHS, we’re assisting CYP and DIYDG (Deadly Inspiring Youth Doing Good) with community events designed to maintain connections for the displaced residents and we’re working alongside Wuchopperen to support their pop-up clinics to help Wujal residents address their health needs. There’s lots of work being done in the key areas of housing, food and education so we’re assisting other organisations in those areas across a broad spectrum of projects.”
In late January, Apunipima staff escorted a group of Elders from Wujal Wujal who wished to return to the community to see the impacts of the flood firsthand. Apunipima team member Raeleen Veivers, who lives and works in the region, said it was an emotional experience.
“Seeing the sadness in their eyes was heartbreaking, it was an emotional experience as it dawned on them that their community would never be the same again. The damage is devastating,” Mrs Veivers said.
Reports suggest up to four metres of rain fell in the Wujal Wujal area in just a few days during the flooding event, and the recovery and rebuild effort is expected to take many months. With their building being destroyed by floodwaters, Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council staff have set up a temporary workplace at Apunipima’s Head Office in Cairns for the next three months.
“Our whole building went under and we lost everything including our computers and all our records but we are very grateful to Apunipima for providing us with this office. We’ve been able to make great strides since we arrived because we have this dedicated space,” said Corporate and Commercial Manager, Micah Nkiwane.
Mr Nkiwane said that the overall health of community members was quite good but they were very eager to return home. However, the fact that it could be months until they can was causing some stress and anxiety.
“Water, sewage and electricity are progressing nicely, but there is still lots of work to do on the roads. We also need to get the clinic open, get the school and the shop open, so there’s a lot to think about.
“We have 35 houses that are uninhabitable, so do we rebuild those destroyed houses in the same spot or do we plan something different? There’s a lot to work out and we want to move quickly because it’s likely the longer the community members are away from home the worse their mental health will get,” he said.
Ms Clive said Apunipima was available to help for as long as it was needed.
“We will continue to provide support for the Wujal Wujal community for as long as the community recovery effort lasts, and regular community support services will recommence once residents return to their community,” she said.
Apunipima’s Florida Getawan is set to become a Registered Nurse, after achieving her long-term goal to complete a Degree of Nursing.
“When I started at Apunipima (in 2015) I had a 10-year goal. I wanted to complete my Cert 3 in Health Work, my Cert 4 in Health Practitioner and finish with Nursing. It’s been a long hard road.”
Not only has Florida hit all of the goals in her 10-year plan, but she has done it with three years to spare. She completed her nursing degree while working as a full-time FIFO Health Practitioner, servicing all of Apunipima’s communities.
Florida is now hoping to commence a post-graduate course in midwifery in 2025.
“You don’t need anything to do this, I didn’t finish high school and I have seven kids, but I wanted to be a good role model for my children and for my people,” she said.
You just need to set your mind to it and keep learning. Education is knowledge and knowledge is power!”
Goondir Health Services has partnered with Origin Energy to deliver an innovative project that combines traditional barber experiences with counselling services.
The Wunna Yarn, Wunna Cut Barber Shop program was officially launched at Tara Hospital on 28 February, accompanied by stalls, lunch, coffee and Rugby League legend Steve Renouf.
Goondir Health Services’ Wunna Yarn, Wunna Cut Barber Shop has been supported thanks to $115,000 in funding from Origin — the upstream operator of Australia Pacific LNG.
The funded program provides a novel approach to supporting clients, lowering barriers to services by taking them to Community
to deliver social and emotional wellbeing and mental health counselling via a mobile barber with counselling expertise. Goondir Health Services CEO Floyd Leedie said the service would help make the region’s menfolk feel good on the inside, while looking good on the outside.
We’re trying to lower the barriers to essential services for young men, not only are we bringing counselling and referral services to our youth, we’re doing it in an environment which encourages their engagement.”
Mr Leedie said the initiative had already been successfully piloted in the region with an external contractor, which demonstrated demand for the program.
The program aims to empower clients to feel good on the outside as well as the inside,” he said.
“At its core, this program is a trauma recovery and suicide prevention service, offering males of all ages the opportunity to sit in a chair, get a fresh cut, and open up conversations with their barber, followed by two group counselling sessions to those that want to attend after each half day of hair cutting sessions.
It also provides an opportunity to support and link clients, who may not usually be inclined to access support, in with other referral pathways and services.”
Mr Leedie was quick to praise Wunna Yarn, Wunna Cut Barber Shop’s Chris Cole in his role as counsellor, and giver of fresh fades.
All the young men loved it,” Mr Leedie said.
“They were all saying that they would tell other young men in the community about Wunna Yarn, Wunna Cut Barber Shop, so when Chris begins visiting the towns of the region, I’m sure he’s going to be a busy man.”
The funding for the program was used to purchase a fully fitted out mobile barber cabin and the annual lease of a Dodge Ram truck to transport it.
Origin General Manager Asset East Steve Thatcher said Origin was proud to support initiatives that assist in the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander communities.
“We aim to work responsibly and respectfully with our local communities and to identify opportunities for Origin and our employees to make a positive difference.”
QAIHC and Central Queensland University will lead a firstof-its-kind healthcare pilot aimed at improving access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to clinical genetics services.
Led by QAIHC Principal Research Advisor, Greg Pratt, a proud Quandamooka man, the three-year project will implement an integrated healthcare model and referral pathway for better access to genetic health services for patients of Aboriginal community controlled health organisations (ACCHOs).
The healthcare model will be introduced in five communities in Queensland in consultation with the ACCHO sector and two communities in Western Australia.
Work is underway on the project, funded by the Medical Research Future Fund and Genomic Health Futures Mission.
Mr Pratt said Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples had the right to equitable access to quality health services.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience significant health inequality and a greater burden of disease compared with non-Indigenous Australians, and this is reflected in the difference in the median age of death compared with non-Indigenous Australians,” he said.
“Efforts to integrate genomic research into clinical services must be prioritised to ensure the gap in life expectancy does not widen through inequitable implementation of genomics.
“Genetic health can deliver improved diagnostics, precise prescription, informed disease prevention, sensitive and dynamic healthcare, and an improved understanding of the risk of illness.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have the right to access quality genetic health care services that are culturally appropriate and sensitive to their needs.”
Mr Pratt said the pilot program is based on a 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.
The project will involve three stages:
Stakeholder consultation with ACCHO communities in Queensland and WA to determine appetite, capacity and capability for the delivery of the pilot program. Co-design of the healthcare model, focusing on three implementation principles – health promotion, coordinated healthcare and workforce development. Implementation of the healthcare model in ACCHO communities.
“What’s exciting is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will have the opportunity to co-design the model and delivery of this pilot program, enabling them to increase control over their health and the health needs of their families and communities,” Mr Pratt said.
This pilot program will also make a significant contribution to understanding integrated care, and enablers and barriers to sensitive, quality genetic health care. It will also inform health service, policy, and research practice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”
The project partnership includes: the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia, Queensland Health, Genetic Services WA, Australian National University, Department of Health WA, Australian Genomics and North Metropolitan Health Service in WA.
Mr Pratt’s work in genomics has also included the development of a suite of genomic health literacy resources for First Nations peoples of Queensland in 2019, and the
development of GenetiQs, a set of guidelines for genomic research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in 2018.
Author: Jeanine Leane (University of Queensland Press)
Gawimarra Gathering is a superb collection of poetry from award-winning writer, Jeanine Leane, seamlessly weaving the personal and the political. This collection of poems moves from deeply tender mediations on Country, culture and kinship to experimental archive poems dissecting the violence and destruction of the settler-colony.
More information: uqp.com.au
Author: Katherena Vermette (University of Queensland Press)
From the award-winning and #1 bestselling author of The Break and The Strangers comes the final instalment in this heart-rending, utterly immersive Indigenous family saga.
The day that Cedar-Sage Stranger has been both dreading and longing for has finally come: her sister Phoenix is getting out of prison. The effect of Phoenix’s release cascades through the community. When Phoenix is seen lingering outside the school to catch a glimpse of her son, Sparrow, the police get a call to file a report — but the next thing they know, Phoenix has disappeared.
The Circle considers what it means to be abandoned by the very systems that claim to offer support.
More information: uqp.com.au
Author: Alexis Wright (New Directions)
In a small town in the north of Australia, a mysterious cloud heralds both an ecological catastrophe and a gathering of their ancestors.
A crazed visionary looks to donkeys to solve the global climate crisis and the economic dependency of the Aboriginal people. His wife, seeking solace from his madness, follows the dance of butterflies and scours the internet to find out how her Aboriginal/Chinese family could be repatriated to China.
More information: ndbooks.com
Bille Brown Theatre, 11 April-4 May
The Cuttaway Currawongs are the laughing stock of their small coastal town. They’ve spent so long at the bottom of the footy ladder, they’re basically rusted on. But some WD-40 arrives in the form of Jayma and Sonny — two Marngrook cousins named after the Aboriginal game that inspired AFL. It’s not long before the team realises that these two have what it takes to help them capture the flag for the first time in, well, forever… but turns out not everyone’s a fan.
For tickets: queenslandtheatre.com.au
LEGEN D
QAIHC Member
QAIHC Associate Member
QAIHC Regional Member Mulungu Mamu
Apunipima
Gurriny Yealamucka Gindaja
Wuchopperen
Mookai Rosie Bi-Bayan Ngoonbi Yoonthalla
Ferdy’s Haven
Palm Island Community Company
Hospital and Health Services*
Cairns and Hinterland
Central Queensland
Central West
Darling Downs
Gold Coast
Mackay
Metro North
Metro South
North West
South West
Sunshine Coast
Torres and Cape
Townsville
West Moreton
Wide Bay
*Children’s Health Queensland is not depicted on the map as it is a statewide specialist HHS
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
Carbal Medical Services
Charleville and Western Areas
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Limited
Cherbourg Regional Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Service
Cunnamulla Aboriginal Corporation for Health
Galangoor Duwalami Primary Healthcare Service
Gidgee Healing
Gindaja Treatment and Healing Indigenous Corporation
Girudala Community Co-Operative Society Limited
Gladstone Region Aboriginal and Islander Community Controlled Health Service t/a
Nhulundu Health Service
Goolburri Aboriginal Health Advancement Co Limited
Goondir Health Services
Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service Aboriginal Corporation
Injilinji Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Children and Youth Services
Kalwun Health Service
Kambu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health
Mamu Health Service Limited
Mookai Rosie Bi-Bayan
Mudth-Niyleta Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation
Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation
Primary Health Care Service
North Coast Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health
NPA Family and Community Services
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation
Palm Island Community Company
Torres Health Indigenous Corporation
Townsville Aboriginal and Islander Health Services
Wuchopperen Health Service Limited
Yoonthalla Services Pty Ltd
Yulu-Burri-Ba Aboriginal Corporation for Community Health
Regional Members
Institute for Urban Indigenous Health
Northern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Alliance
Matthew Cooke Chairperson Rachel Atkinson Deputy Chairperson