Aboriginal voices to guide Rural Health West
Rural Health West has established its inaugural Aboriginal Advisory Committee (AAC), to support genuine partnership with Aboriginal people and ensuring Aboriginal voices and lived experience inform work to improve health outcomes across Western Australia.
Improving health outcomes for Aboriginal peoples is a key part of Rural Health West’s mission. The organisation delivers a range of programs that prioritise Aboriginal communities – including outreach services delivered specifically for Aboriginal patients, recruitment and locum support for Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), and the annual Aboriginal Health Conference.
The newly established Committee will provide cultural expertise and strategic advice to the Rural Health West Board and staff to ensure these programs and future initiatives are informed by Aboriginal knowledge, perspectives and lived experience.
The inaugural Committee is chaired by Dr Stephanie Trust, a Gidja and Walmajarri woman, who is Clinical Director of the Wunan Health and Well-Being Centre in Kununurra and a former Rural Health West Board member. Adjunct Professor Tuguy Esgin, Ashley Councillor, Mitchell Walley, Jessica Curnuck, Dr Christine Clinch and Stephen Morrison are also members of the Committee and come from all over WA.
Rural Health West Chief Executive Officer Professor Catherine Elliott said the Aboriginal Advisory Committee represents an important step in ensuring Aboriginal voice shape the organisation’s work at every level to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people.
“Closing the gap in health between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people cannot be achieved without genuine partnership with Aboriginal peoples,” Professor Elliott said.
“For Rural Health West, this means more than consultation – it means ensuring Aboriginal voices help guide our priorities, our programs and the way we work with communities.
“Aboriginal self-determination and leadership are a critical step in reconciliation and partnering with Aboriginal peoples and organisations is a priority for Rural Health West.
“The Aboriginal Advisory Committee will play an important role in establishing and strengthening those partnerships and ensuring our work is informed by cultural
knowledge, lived experience and community leadership.”
Aboriginal Advisory Committee inaugural Chair Dr Stephanie Trust said the Committee will create an opportunity to ensure Aboriginal perspectives shape how Rural Health West’s programs and services are designed and delivered.
“Aboriginal people understand the realities our communities face and the importance of care that respects culture, connection and community,” Dr Trust said.
“We need Aboriginal voices influencing every part of the health system – from the way services are delivered to how programs are designed and decisions are made.
“This Committee creates a space for that influence. It allows Aboriginal leaders to share their knowledge and lived experience so Rural Health West can work in ways that genuinely support our communities.”
Dr Trust said strengthening Aboriginal leadership in health was critical to creating sustainable change in rural and remote Australia.
“Our communities have the knowledge and the capability to shape solutions. When Aboriginal people are part of the leadership and decision-making, it strengthens
the whole system and helps ensure the services being delivered truly meet community needs.”
The Committee will meet four times each year and provide ongoing strategic advice to help ensure Rural Health West’s work continues to support culturally appropriate services and improved health outcomes for Aboriginal people across Western Australia.
