Honouring the enduring flame of Aboriginal traditions, achievements and voices. |
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This week we celebrate NAIDOC week (7 – 14 July), which is a terrific opportunity for us all to recognise and celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The theme for NAIDOC Week 2024 is Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud, honouring the enduring strength and vitality of Aboriginal culture. I encourage everyone to find NAIDOC events near you, or make use of the free downloadable resources and share them with colleagues.
This year, I am especially delighted to see Aunty Dulcie Flower receive the National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award. |
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Aunty Dulcie has made an incredible contribution to the NSW Health system today by driving groundbreaking changes across government and non-government health services, health care delivery, and health workforces. She was a nurse and a midwife at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. As a community member, she was instrumental in establishing the first Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern in 1971, along with helping build the original framework for the Aboriginal Health Worker workforce. Celebrating NAIDOC Week also helps build a more inclusive and respectful workplace. It creates greater awareness, understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal culture, history and achievements. It strengthens our partnership with Aboriginal colleagues and the wider Aboriginal communities we serve, and ultimately will help us to Close the Gap.
I would also like to express a special thanks to the Centre for Aboriginal Health and all Aboriginal health focused teams across our system who are striving for a future where all Aboriginal people have excellent health care experiences and outcomes. This is being progressed daily in many ways, including through building effective partnerships, delivering culturally safe care, and driving system-wide accountability.
Finally, I want to mention our new careers site on the NSW Health website. Working in the largest public health system in Australia provides a unique experience. There are a variety of roles and endless opportunities for professional growth – from the city to regional and rural NSW. It’s no surprise that there are many people (including me) who choose a lifelong career with NSW Health.
To help understand what makes NSW Health unique, staff from across the state were asked why they work for NSW Health. Working for the greater good and delivering health services that matter were especially highlighted. So whether you’re in front of a patient, computer, or hands on in a facility, please know you are a vital member of the team enriching health in millions of ways every day. |
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Kind regards,
Susan Pearce AM
Secretary, NSW Health
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Birthing on Country supports Aboriginal women and babies by providing culturally safe care including antenatal, birthing and postnatal support.
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) and the Ministry of Health have been proud to work closely with Waminda – South Coast Women’s Health and Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation, an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander organisation in Nowra to support the Birthing on Country initiative.
United by a shared commitment to addressing the maternity and perinatal gaps in health outcomes for Aboriginal women and their babies, the collaboration aims to provide culturally safe maternity care. |
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"It means bridging gaps, it means being supported, it means having my spiritual needs met," said Ms Ardler, one of the program’s participants.
Birthing on Country is a key action under the NSW Government 2022-2024 NSW Implementation Plan for Closing the Gap and aligns with NSW Health’s Future Health Strategy. It has been shown to improve maternal and perinatal outcomes including women attending more antenatal visits and being less likely to have a premature birth.
"You have reduced interventions, better outcomes for women, improvements in birth weights, improvements in breastfeeding and psychosocial wellbeing.” said Angela Jones, Co-Director of Maternity and Women’s Health at ISLHD.
Phase one of the project is now complete, which involves a collaborative arrangement to enable endorsed midwives employed by Waminda to carry out culturally safe care for Aboriginal women birthing at Shoalhaven hospital. Since launching in May, there have been 13 babies born at Shoalhaven Hospital under the Waminda model of care. |
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Nikinpa art connects and commemorates |
Arts programs help enable NSW Health’s vision of delivering outcomes that matter to patients, carers, families and the community. Art creates welcoming, healing environments. It nourishes the soul, sparks connection, and can enhance cultural safety. Art therapy helps improve self-awareness, social connection and emotional regulation. It also lowers distress, anxiety and even pain scores. In Lake Macquarie, a group of Aboriginal women have formed The Nikinpa Art group at NSW Health Pathology’s forensic medicine facility. They come together to mourn, heal and remember their loved ones by painting on gum leaves. “It’s a safe place for all women and it’s just been amazing to see how much the women have grown, and to give them a purpose,” said Aunty Jill Jessop, one of the program’s participants. There’s no right or wrong way, there’s no story to our leaves. It’s the purpose of why we do them. That’s our story.”
See the beautiful work the Nikinpa group has made and how it helps them heal in the video below. |
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When culture meets cancer care |
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Emma Hickey, an Aboriginal Cancer Care Coordinator at Murrumbidgee Local Health District is part of a pilot program funded by Cancer Institute NSW to improve cultural safety and treatment outcomes for Aboriginal people with cancer.
“I realised how hesitant people can be to speak up when something is not right with them, and I started thinking about all the people out there who may not be accessing the health care they need,” Emma said. “We know that with cancer the earlier people can be diagnosed the better their outcomes can be. I want those people sitting at home to come and see me, because I can help.”
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The program seeks to reduce challenges that Aboriginal people may experience in accessing and engaging with cancer treatment services. This includes cultural, social, and practical barriers that often impede access to the healthcare system.
“I want people to know that someone is here who will listen to you and help you. Come and see me, we can have a yarn, and I can point you in the right direction or come to an appointment with you.” |
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Building strength on the Central Coast | Jainarri Lake |
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"My name originates from the Wiradjuri tribe, it means strong woman."
Jainarri Lake is a proud Gamilaroi and Wiradjuri woman working as an Aboriginal Health Worker at Ngiyang in the Central Coast Local Health District. Watch the video below to see what Jainarri loves most about her role.
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Big dreams from a small town |
Maddie Johnson is a proud Gamilaraay woman, and a recipient of the Health Education and Training Institute’s $1,500 scholarship for rural NSW first year students pursuing a career in medicine. |
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| Hailing from Moree, a small town in North West New South Wales, Maddie dreams of a future in healthcare where she can give back to the community she grew up in.
“One of my biggest passions is health in small rural or regional towns - in particular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Working in a small town in healthcare highlights the need for more doctors in rural and remote Australia,” Maddie said. “I knew when I grew up that I wanted to provide holistic and culturally safe care in communities where it is needed most.” As an Aboriginal woman, Maddie is passionate about delivering quality healthcare to rural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities where it’s less available.
“I want to be a role model for young kids in small towns, especially Aboriginal kids. I want them to know that there’s no limit to what they can be.” “Whatever pathway I choose, I know it will lead me back to Country and giving back to Mob.” |
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Culturally safe virtual care from the comfort of home |
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Michael Donovan is a Gumbaynggirr and Dhanggati man originally from the north coast of New South Wales, but who now calls Wiradjuri Country (Dubbo) home. He never saw himself using virtual care but has become a strong advocate.
When it comes to providing health services for Aboriginal communities, culturally safe care is an important consideration. Virtual care helps in several ways.
Virtual care helps in several ways – from avoiding long distance travel, to, allowing Aboriginal people to receive culturally safe medical care in the comfort of their own home.
“I think virtual care is a great initiative for Aboriginal people, for them being culturally safe within their own home and not having to venture out to see a doctor or nurse.” Watch the video below on Michael's story about virtual care. |
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Making a difference to regional health |
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Dr Kay Leen Choo is the resident Junior Medical Officer (JMO) for psychiatry at Broken Hill Base Hospital. For Kay Leen, working in a regional community has been so rewarding.
“There is so much potential for the improvement of healthcare outcome in these regional areas where it’s needed most, I love being able to make a difference.”
Watch the video below to hear more about how Kay Leen is a part of the team enriching health in millions of ways every day.
Interested in becoming a JMO with NSW Health? The first round of applications open from 16 July 2024 to 6 August 2024 for positions in 2025. Learn more about applying on the NSW Health website. |
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Get medical advice anytime day or night from healthdirect |
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Did you know healthdirect is available to everyone for free health advice anytime, day or night? It’s a simple call on 1800 022 222 where a registered nurse will ask questions and connect a person to the right care. They can: - Find them a nearby doctor or pharmacist
- Find them a suitable local urgent care service
- Connect them to a virtual care service by phone or video
- Call an ambulance or direct them to the nearest emergency department if the situation is an emergency.
There is also an online healthdirect Symptom Checker and healthdirect Service Finder available to help when people are feeling unwell and need advice. |
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Applications open soon to become a Junior Medical Officer
The 2025 Junior Medical Officer (JMO) recruitment campaign is starting soon with the first round of applications open from 16 July to 6 August 2024.
Take advantage of the opportunities across the state and the wide range of specialties, including paediatrics, emergency medicine, psychiatry, geriatrics, and general medicine. Some regional roles also offer an incentive of up to $20,000 to those who are eligible. Find out more about applying to become a JMO on the NSW Health website. |
| The Time for Care pulse survey has now closed Thank you to the thousands of staff who responded to the recent Time for Care pulse survey.
Your feedback is important to us and will help us understand the impact of work to date, and what needs to be done to reduce the amount of time spent on administrative tasks.
Keep an eye out for further information and updates on Time for Care which will be shared soon. |
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From the Critical Intelligence Unit
The Critical Intelligence Unit (CIU) Evidence Digest highlights transformative clinical innovations. Recent features include: - Personalised bacteriophage therapy, walking and education to reduce low back pain and lateral episiotomy to reduce obstetric anal sphincter injury
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Ketamine for depression, combined COVID-flu vaccines and revised criteria for diagnosis and staging of Alzheimer's disease
Subscribe for Wednesday morning updates or explore the CIU's living evidence table on AI in healthcare. |
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We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and work and pay respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We also acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff working with the NSW Government. |
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Feeling social? Follow NSW Health |
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