Closing the Gap for our First Nations people
The PHN is dedicated to achieving improved access to primary healthcare and better health outcomes for First Nations communities. Primary health is a fundamental cornerstone of wellness and wellbeing for First Nations people which contributes greatly to achieving Australia’s Closing the Gap targets. Over the past year, the PHN strived to close this gap through grants, evaluations and health literacy projects.
715 Health and Wellness Check Campaign
The PHN ran a highly successful 715 Health and Wellness Check Campaign.
The campaign provided general practice with printed collateral alongside a social campaign and in-practice video. The aim of the campaign was to increase the number of 715 Health and Wellness Checks across the region by 5-10 per cent.
The video, featuring PHN First Nations Health Access team members Josh Fuller and Robbie Watson, was viewed on Facebook more than 70 000 times and the 715s have already seen an increase of 8.1 per cent across the region.
The PHN launches First Nations health podcast, Coffee on Country
The PHN First Nations Health Access Team launched Coffee on Country, a podcast aimed at raising health literacy among our indigenous community.
Coffee on Country has been launched with an initial six episodes, many featuring notable indigenous and non-indigenous health professionals and community members discussing topical health concerns and general health awareness.
The PHN’s First Nations Health Community Engagement Officer and Coffee on Country co-host, Josh Fuller, said “The gap is only getting wider, so it's time we start to increase health literacy. The podcast gives us a platform to reach our communities across the Hunter, New England and Central Coast especially our mob from rural or remote areas who we wouldn’t cross paths with every day.”
“The podcast provides us with a platform to yarn about the health programs available, interview guests, have a laugh and to educate people on our health care system. We want our communities to understand who the PHN is, what we do, and how they can access services to be proactive about their health care.”
"Voice is a powerful tool that can reach far and wide. My co-host, Robbie and I are feeling very grateful to have this platform to be able share these conversations and people’s stories. The podcast will provide a better understanding of First Nations health in a holistic approach which incorporates telling peoples stories and health journeys in our communities."
The podcast was launched at a morning tea held across two PHN locations, Newcastle and Tamworth, where co-hosts, Josh Fuller and Robbie Watson shared their inspiration behind the development of the podcast, technical tips and what lies ahead.
The Hunter New England Central Coast PHN Chief Executive Officer, Richard Nankervis, said “The podcast is a great example of how the PHN’s dedicated First Nations Health Access team are working closely with local First Nations organisations and service providers, forming strong relationships that help identify regional needs and in turn close the service gap.”
NAIDOC Week Grants - A celebration
The PHN was pleased to offer the NAIDOC Week grant round designed to support the primary care sector to celebrate NAIDOC week by undertaking cultural safety and awareness capacity building activities and/or NAIDOC week celebration activities.
This year NAIDOC week was celebrated between 3-10 July with a theme of For Our Elders https://www.naidoc.org.au/
The grants were targeted to all primary care providers including General Practice, Allied Health, Commissioned Service providers as well as Aboriginal Medical Services. The grants were used for activities that promote and celebrate First Nations culture or increase cultural safety within non-First Nations primary care providers.
Below is one of the community events funded through the grant round.
Gloucester Worimi First Peoples Aboriginal Corporation
Gloucester Worimi First Peoples Aboriginal Corporation organised an Elders lunch, to bring local Elders together who were not previously connected. During the day the Elders spoke about local sites that are relatively unknown, and their plans to protect them.
From this gathering, they determined that Elders gatherings need to be held more often. The lunch was very much appreciated by all and something that will continue into the future.
ITC approach boosting health outcomes for First Nations people
Since 2015 the HNECC PHN has commissioned the Integrated Team Care (ITC) program to provide services to First Nations people with complex chronic health conditions.
An evaluation of a key health initiative underpinned by the National Agreement on Closing the Gap has found the program is achieving its desired outcome of improving life outcomes experienced by Indigenous Australians.
The program aims to:
- Contribute to improving health outcomes through access to care coordination, multidisciplinary care, and support for self-management.
- Improve access to culturally appropriate mainstream primary care providers (including but not limited to general practice, allied health and specialists) for First Nations people.
Key findings of the evaluation undertaken by Nama Jalu Consulting show the ITC program is highly regarded by all stakeholders. Clients overwhelmingly reported the importance of the program and the multifaceted impact it had on their lives.
The evaluation found clients highly valued the program and reported having their medical, physical, social, emotional, and cultural needs met. Stakeholders reported the program supported clients to increase their ability to treat and manage their health conditions with clients experiencing increases in overall health, wellbeing, and quality of life as a result.
The program was seen to be especially effective for clients living with diabetes, a chronic health condition common to many First Nations people, that was often successfully managed and even reversed for some participants.
Clients who were living with multiple chronic health conditions also extracted maximal benefits from the ITC program as they are a cohort with critical need for care coordination and support.
Strong relationships marked by clear and flowing communication between all stakeholders involved in program delivery were identified as the key enablers for optimal client experience and outcomes.
Community of Practice developed for First Nations Mental Health workers
With COVID-19 creating social isolation and increasing pressure on the social and emotional wellbeing of health professionals, a need was identified to provide support to retain staff within commissioned services and build stronger relationships with and between service providers. The Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) began this process by completing a review, redesign and tender exercise of the Indigenous Mental Health program. This process saw several new First Nations Mental Health service providers commissioned.
To provide an effective means of communication between the new service providers and the PHN, a Community of Practice and Cultural Immersion program were established. This enabled the service providers to engage with each other and the PHN in order to build partnerships and strengthen their capacity to work with the community.
Following the development of the Community of Practice there was greater engagement among commissioned service providers supporting increased referral pathways between services, and creating a community of grass roots staff who could rely on each other and offer peer support and problem solving.
The Community of Practice also included an element of Cultural Immersion. This consisted of a day of activities and education on country with a local elder or knowledge holder. These immersion experiences have increased employee retention, cultural rejuvenation and connection to others through the grounding and reflective activities undertaken whilst being on country. The key concept of this cultural experience was to allow all staff of the service providers to attend so that they could gain an understanding of the different region’s cultural experiences, impacts of colonisation and their community’s connections to culture. This exercise supported the goals of increasing the capability and capacity of our service providers and connecting them with country and healing.
The cultural immersions were built around sessions on self-care, innovative thinking and skills development. Not only did this environment build a network of support and opportunities for our service providers, but also supported employee retention and improved service delivery and sustainability amongst the First Nations communities within our region.
One participant observed that “I came away from the day feeling very enlightened like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I don't know how to say it but to me it was like a healing, relaxed and refreshed”.
Providing opportunities to engage with service providers in an informal way has led to many changes in the way the PHN works with its service providers. These are reflected in how it commissions programs and new projects, co-designs service contracts and provides education and upskilling to staff. The Community of Practice has assisted the PHN to work with providers to develop tools that are culturally appropriate for both assessment and evaluation, and provided opportunities to work closely with communities, to support local First Nations businesses and to develop targeted grant opportunities for smaller organisations.