Issue 17, March 2012
Welcome
Welcome to the March CEO Communique. It has been an extremely busy time for AHCSA staff and Council of Members as we move forward into 2012.
AHCSA held its first Executive Committee meeting for 2012 on Wednesday 15 February at Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority, Murray Bridge East. Members tackled a full agenda and are looking forward to another challenging year as they provide ongoing strategic direction to AHCSA. I am so pleased to congratulate Anna Caponi as she takes on the role of CEO at Pika Wiya Health Service. AHCSA continues to work closely with both Pika Wiya and Ceduna Koonibba Aboriginal Health Services and is also looking forward to supporting Nunyara during its own transition from the current auspicing arrangement towards Aboriginal community control.
13 February 2012 marked the fourth anniversary of Kevin Rudd’s apology to the stolen generation. AHCSA staff and Council Members attended a breakfast to commemorate the apology and listened to a stirring speech by Pat Anderson, co-author of the ‘Little Children Are Sacred’ report. Attendees were reminded about the importance of Aboriginal input into policy development and implementation and how this can impact on the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people. This is a philosophy that we strongly uphold here at AHCSA.
It was wonderful to note that over 60 Aboriginal Health Workers from across Australia attended the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker Association (NATSIHWA) Annual General Meeting on 31 January 2012 in Adelaide. Please visit their new website www.natsihwa.org.au for more information about NATSIHWA.
I would like to draw your attention to a recently released University of Melbourne report ‘The Roadmap to Close the Gap for Vision’, which calls for a $70 million investment in Aboriginal eye health over 5 years to bring Aboriginal eye health in line with other Australians. The ‘Roadmap’ builds on community consultation and control and aligns with our experience that best results occur when programs are run collaboratively with communities and adequate follow-up care is available. Please visit the AHCSA website for Media Release.
Finally, it is with great sadness that I acknowledge the tragic passing of well-respected Ngangkari Mr Kunmanara Peter. The staff and Council of AHCSA pay respect to his significant contributions over the years and offer condolences to his family and community.
Kind regards
Mary Buckskin
Chief Executive Officer
Tackling Smoking
An inaugural 3 day Quitskills course ‘Smoking Cessation Training for Aboriginal Health Workers’ was held at AHCSA on 14-16 February 2012. The nationally accredited course was delivered by a team of Quit SA and AHCSA staff, and was attended by all 12 members of the South Australian Tackling Smoking Workforce. Initial evaluation of the training was positive and participants felt that is was very relevant to their work. There are a further two courses planned for 2012 and all interested Aboriginal Health Workers are welcome to attend. Please contact Harold Stewart, AHCSA Tackling Smoking Coordinator, at harold.stewart@ahcsa.org.au for further information.
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Workforce - Aboriginal Health Practitioner Registration
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia recently announced that registration applications are now open for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health practice profession which is joining the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme on 1 July this year.
It is important to remember that not all Aboriginal Health Workers need to be registered by 1 July 2012. It is really only urgent for AHWs who will be required by their employers to use the protected title of Aboriginal Health Practitioner. We have time to prepare and plan for our workforce in SA. To find out more about registration requirements and eligibility please visit www.atsihealthpracticeboard.gov.au. You can also contact Michael Larkin, AHCSA Workforce Information Policy Officer, at michael.larkin@ahcsa.org.au for information and support.
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Sexual Health Program
Each year the AHCSA sexual health team supports and assists our member services to participate in a state-wide sexual health community screening program. The planned dates for the annual screening program this year are 10 April to 18 May 2012. By doing an intensive screening program the team aims to build community awareness around sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and facilitate the reduction of STI prevalence in Aboriginal communities in SA. For more information about this program, please contact Amy Kerr, Manager Sexual Health Program, at amy.kerr@ahcsa.org.au.
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AHCSA News
The next edition of AHCSA News will be out soon. If you would like to be added to the distribution list, please call Amanda Mitchell on (08) 8273 7200.
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Disclaimer
CEO Communiqué is copyright to the Aboriginal Health Council of SA Inc. (AHCSA). No part may be reproduced without the prior written permission of the Chief Executive Officer of AHCSA. Whilst every care is taken to ensure that the information contained in this newsletter is accurate, errors and omissions may occur. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, we apologise for any inconvenience caused and ask that you click the unsubscribe link in the menu.
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