Published on 16 March 2023

At Western Health we care for one of the most diverse communities in the country, including a growing population of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The strength, health and wellbeing of our First Nations community is crucial.

We recognise that the gap between health outcomes and life expectancy for our First Nation people and non-Indigenous population is still too wide.

It’s why we are continuing to innovate when it comes to delivering culturally safe care. We are also dedicated to growing and supporting our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce.

The National Agreement on Closing the Gap has 17 targets to improve the life outcomes of our First Nations people. There are four we are particularly focusing on at Western Health:

  • Everyone has the right to enjoy a long and healthy life
  • Children should be born healthy and strong
  • Strong economic participation and development of people and their communities
  • Youth are engaged in employment or education.

Here are some of the ways we are supporting these targets.

Boosting Wilim Berrbang (Aboriginal Health Unit)

Six months ago Jordan Casey joined us as the Manager of Aboriginal Health, Policy and Planning. If you haven’t already met him, please take a moment to read his profile.

Western Health has a busy and thriving Aboriginal Health Unit with Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officers (AHLOs) at Footscray and Sunshine hospitals.  In addition, there are other excellent Aboriginal health and wellbeing programs at Bacchus Marsh and Melton.

There are also plans to further expand our services, which I look forward to sharing with you soon.

Working together to provide best care and support our staff

One of the most powerful ways to deliver real change is to partner with our First Nations community to help design and deliver culturally appropriate services.

We are also working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to understand how we can support them to thrive in the workplace, as well as increasing cultural awareness across the organisation.

We do this via an active and passionate Aboriginal Health Steering Committee that includes membership from the Aboriginal community, Aboriginal-led organisations and other organisations and programs.

Translational research reaps rewards

Our efforts to use research to inform and improve our health service were recognised with a 2022 Victorian Public Healthcare Awards for our Aboriginal Outpatient Clinic delivered by our General Medicine team in partnership with Wilim Berrbang.

The weekly clinic at Sunshine Hospital was shaped by Western Health and Deakin University research. It provides tailored care, emotional and cultural supports, help scheduling appointments, and transport assistance.

Since opening in 2021, the clinic is better attended than the general outpatient appointments, which is a positive indicator that patients feel this innovative and culturally safe service is meeting their needs and that access to care is improving.

We also continue to work with our academic partners and peers on the award-winning Baggarrook Yurrongi program, read a recent publication highlighting the importance of early and accurate identification of First Nations families.

You can read more about the progress we have made over the past year and what lays ahead in the Cultural Safety Plan 2022-2025.

I’d like to recognise everyone’s efforts to date and I’m looking forward to seeing the momentum continue as Western Health continues to grow.

As our health service expands, so too will our efforts to provide best care to our First Nations patients, and our ambitions of becoming a workplace of choice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.