63 Extra Health Workers for WA
An extra 63 health workers are being provided to health services across Western Australia to help close the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
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13 April 2011
During a visit to Western Australia today, the Minister for Indigenous Health, Warren Snowdon, announced an extra 63 health workers are being provided to health services across the state to help close the gap in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
The Australian Government is providing almost $8 million for the additional staff, which will be placed in 27 WA health services, including a large number of Aboriginal Health Services.
Mr Snowdon made the announcement at the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia annual conference in Perth where he also met with new health workers who are funded from the Indigenous Chronic Disease Package.
“The funding for the new positions will significantly boost the Western Australian Indigenous health workforce and help local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people get timely access to the health services they need,” Mr Snowdon said.
“Here in Perth, the Aboriginal Health Council has been funded for and recruited a Practice Manager and a Project officer. Derribal Yerrigan Health Service will take on two new outreach workers. Across WA already 42 of the 63 workers have been recruited, with more to follow.”
The 63 positions funded for WA are: (see full list of locations of workers attached)
- 22 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers
- 4 Regional Tobacco Coordinators, 4 Tobacco Action Workers and 8 Healthy Lifestyle Workers (Tackling Smoking and Healthy Lifestyle teams)
- 13 Project Officers
- 3 Practice Managers, 3 additional health professionals, 6 Care Coordinators
The events are part of the Australian Government’s Live Longer campaign announced this week to promote healthy lifestyle messages and to help extend the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Mr Snowdon said the campaign and the workforce have been funded by the Australian Government’s $805 million Indigenous Chronic Disease Package.
“This package is boosting the WA health workforce with the new outreach workers who will work with local communities to help them obtain access to health services and follow-up care, specialist services and community pharmacies.
“Tackling Smoking and Healthy Lifestyle teams across Western Australia will work to raise awareness of the impact on health from tobacco smoking and chronic disease in Indigenous communities and to promote and encourage positive and healthy lifestyles, quitting and smoke-free environments,” Mr Snowdon said.
A new Government grants program, which has been developed to enable local Indigenous organisations to arrange healthy living activities, would be advertised nationally in May and would be open between June and September.
For more information, contact Mr Snowdon’s office (02) 6277 7820
Editor’s note: A table of the location of the new workers is attached, as is a table with information on the Health Community Days.
NEW INDIGENOUS HEALTH WORKFORCE - WA - as at 28 February 2011
Please note - positions funded for 1 position are full time, and those funded for less than 1 position (i.e. 08. or 0.75) mean they have been funded for a part time position.
| Location | Organisation | Type of Position | Total Funded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | Great Southern GP Network | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 0.75 | ||
| Bentley | Canning Division of General Practice Ltd | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 1.00 | ||
| WA General Practice Network | Project Officer | 1.00 | |
| Broome | Kimberley Division of General Practice | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 1.00 | ||
| Bunbury | Greater Bunbury Division of General Practice Inc | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 0.75 | ||
| Bunbury | South West Aboriginal Medical Service | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Additional Health Staff | 0.70 | ||
| Derby | Derby Aboriginal Health Service | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Derby | Jurrugk Aboriginal Health Service | Additional Health Staff | 1.00 |
| Kimberley East Region | Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services Inc | Healthy Lifestyle Worker | 2.00 |
| Healthy Lifestyle Worker | 2.00 | ||
| Regional Tobacco Coordinator | 1.00 | ||
| Regional Tobacco Coordinator | 1.00 | ||
| Tobacco Action Worker | 1.00 | ||
| Tobacco Action Worker | 1.00 | ||
| Geraldton | Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Service | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Mid West General Practice Network | ATSIOW | 1.00 | |
| Project Officer | 1.00 | ||
| Care Coordinator | 1.00 | ||
| Guildford | Perth Primary Care Network Limited | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 1.00 | ||
| Halls Creek | Yura Yungi Aboriginal Medical Service | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Goldfields region | Bega Garnbirringu Health Services Aboriginal Corp | Additional Health Staff | 1.00 |
| Healthy Lifestyle Worker | 2.00 | ||
| Practice Manager | 1.00 | ||
| Regional Tobacco Coordinator | 1.00 | ||
| Tobacco Action Worker | 1.00 | ||
| Kalgoorlie | Goldfields Esperance GP Network | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 1.00 | ||
| Care Coordinator | 1.00 | ||
| Karratha | Pilbara Health Network | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 1.00 | ||
| Kwinana | Rockingham Kwinana Division of General Practice | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 0.75 | ||
| Care Coordinator | 1.00 | ||
| Mandurah East | GP Down South General Practice Network | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 0.75 | ||
| Myaree BC | Fremantle GP Network | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 0.75 | ||
| Care Coordinator | 1.00 | ||
| Northam | Wheatbelt GP Network | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 0.75 | ||
| Care Coordinator | 1.00 | ||
| Osborne Park | Osborne GP Network | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 1.00 | ||
| Care Coordinator | 1.00 | ||
| Perth | Aboriginal Health Council of WA | Practice Manager | 1.00 |
| Project Officer | 1.00 | ||
| Perth | Derbal Yerrigan Health Service | ATSIOW | 2.00 |
| Pilbara region | Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| Healthy Lifestyle Worker | 2.00 | ||
| Regional Tobacco Coordinator | 1.00 | ||
| Tobacco Action Worker | 1.00 | ||
| Roebourne | Mawarnkarra Health Service Aboriginal Corp | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| South Hedland | Wirraka Maya Health Service | Practice Manager | 0.70 |
| Warburton | Ngaanyatjarra Health Service | ATSIOW | 1.00 |
| WA Total: | 62.90 | ||
| ATSIOW | 22.00 | ||
| Practice Manager | 2.70 | ||
| Project Officer | 13.50 | ||
| Health Staff | 2.70 | ||
| Regional Tobacco Coordinator | 4.00 | ||
| Tobacco Action Worker | 4.00 | ||
| Healthy Lifestyle Worker | 8.00 | ||
| Care Coordinator | 6.00 | ||
| 62.90 |
Healthy Community Days in Western Australia
| Date | Location | Event | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 April | Katanning, WA | Smoke Free Days | Southern Aboriginal Corporation will run a ‘Smoke Free Day’ with community participants during a day’s outing. Participants will be encouraged not to bring cigarettes on the bus and during the day will receive information on the dangers of tobacco smoking to themselves and their families. Healthy meals will be served and a diabetes educator will provide advice about healthy and nutritional eating to combat diabetes. |
| 25-27 April | Midland Perth, WA | Live Longer! Aboriginal Junior Basketball Carnival | Three day carnival for Aboriginal youth to engage in a positive way in physical activities and to reinforce messages about the importance of exercise and sport in contributing to a healthy future. |
| 11 May | Gnowangerup, WA | Smoke Free Days | Southern Aboriginal Corporation will run a ‘Smoke Free Day’ with community participants. Participants will be encouraged not to bring cigarettes on the bus for the day and will receive more information on the dangers of tobacco smoking to themselves and their families. Healthy meals will be served and a diabetes educator will provide advice about healthy and nutritional eating to combat diabetes. |
| 18 May | Tambellup, WA | ||
| 8 June | Albany, WA | Smoke Free Days | Southern Aboriginal Corporation will run a ‘Smoke Free Day’ with community participants. Participants will be encouraged not to bring cigarettes on the bus for the day and will receive more information on the dangers of tobacco smoking to themselves and their families. Healthy meals will be served and a diabetes educator will provide advice about healthy and nutritional eating to combat diabetes. |
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