Year in Review 2021

OUR SPECIALITY SERVICES WSLHD YEAR IN REVIEW 4

Aboriginal Health and Strategy

2020/2021 KEY STATS

The 2022 Aboriginal Workforce Strategy will encompass fantastic programs such as The Aboriginal Health Academy for Greater Western Sydney (GWS), Aboriginal Population Health Training Initiatives (APHTI), cadets and more. Respecting the Difference (RtD) training continues to deliver good results for providing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural awareness. Asking the Question training continues across the district and focuses on ensuring that we ask and record if consumers attending a service are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. ‘Just Ask It’ won an AQUA, Quality Award, and was highly commended at the Quality Improvement Awards. WSLHD has successfully created the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner Program Lead - the first of its kind in NSW. The role was created with a specific aim to improve the numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners. An Aboriginal Traineeship Coordinator role has also been established in the Research and Education Network to oversee Aboriginal traineeships, apprenticeships, and cadetships. This will include professional, social, and emotional wellbeing support to students while they undergo their study and when they are on placement. The Aboriginal Health Academy for GWS is now recruiting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in this first cohort for the Academy, which will launch in 2022. WSLHD is taking a lead role in this initiative, in collaboration with Indigenous Allied Health Australia, Department of Education, TAFE NSW and SWSLHD. WSLHD has committed to having 10 students in January 2022.

Three of five cadets finalised their degrees this year and were employed into the Allied Health workforce in Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Speech Therapy. Two remaining cadets in Speech Therapy and Radiography should finish their degrees next year. Two second year nursing cadets are working at Westmead, and two Midwifery students will complete work placement at Blacktown. The Aboriginal Health Informatics Improvement Program (AHIIP) will be one of the critical strategic initiatives working towards Closing the Gap. The program will develop a validated set of key performance indicators (KPIs) with WSLHD data. The AHIIP will also have the capability and intelligence to report on clinical metrics, a continuation of care, follow up of care, State and local KPI’s. The number of Aboriginal children vaccinations increased, with equipment resourcing making this possible. COVID-19 has impacted service delivery for services like playgroup and the clinic at flourish, however, there has been increasing demand for the clinic to run at the Aboriginal Health Hub. 227 patients were referred to Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service (AMIHS). High-risk women were provided with services and support through AMIHS. Many of these women have subsequently been referred to hospital-based high-risk clinics. However, a significant proportion have chosen to remain connected with AMIHS for support from the Aboriginal Midwife and Aboriginal Health Worker. This has enhanced relationships with the high- risk clinics and supported Aboriginal women to continue to attend mainstream services while receiving cultural support through AMIHS.

250 ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIGHT ISLANDERS WORKING IN WSLHD

132 IMMUNISATIONS COMPLETED

227 PATIENTS REFERRED

TO ABORIGINAL MATERNAL AND INFANT HEALTH SERVICE

Above, from left WSLHD new Allied Health cadets and executive team Jacquie Domaish, Adam Doyle, WSLHD CE Graeme Loy, Mariah Reynolds, Eliza Woollett, Louise Edwards, Braiden Abala.

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