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Welcome to the Rural Health West ear health e-bulletin - July 2025
Rural Health West is the jurisdictional fundholder of the Outreach programs funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. The Healthy Ears - Better Hearing, Better Listening Outreach program aims to increase access to a range of ear health services, including expanding primary health to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and youth (0-21 years) for the diagnosis, treatment and management of ear and hearing health.
Rural Health West works collaboratively with the Aboriginal Health Council of WA (AHCWA) to provide the Ear Health Coordination Program in Western Australia (WA). The aim of the program is to work collaboratively with primary health care clinics and other stakeholders to identify and support activities needed to improve ear health across Western Australia.
The Ear Health Coordination Program e-bulletin provides quarterly updates where we reflect the wonderful work of the ear:
- the outer ear - where we collect sound waves in the form of good news stories to share experiences and learnings from stakeholders across WA;
- the middle ear - where we transmit vibrations via our ossicles: an update from Rural Health West, AHCWA and from ear health stakeholder groups; and
- the inner ear - transferring sound waves to nerve messages through our resources section where updated and new resources will be made available.
If you have a story, partnership or learning you would like us to feature in the next e-bulletin, please email outreach@ruralhealthwest.com.au.
WA Ear and Hearing Health Forum 2025
Registrations Now Open!
Wednesday 6 August: ACCHS only Forum
Thursday 7 and Friday 8 August: WA Ear and Hearing Health Forum
In collaboration with the WA Child Ear Health Strategy and the Aboriginal Health Council of WA, Rural Health West will be hosting the annual WA Ear and Hearing Health Forum on Thursday 7 and Friday 8 August 2025. This Forum will coincide with Rural Health West’s Aboriginal Health Conference. The two-day Forum will focus on regional ear health initiatives, successes and challenges, technologies and research in ear and hearing health through interactive discussions and practical upskilling.
AHCWA will be hosting an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) Members Only Forum on Wednesday 6 August. ACCHS Members are invited to register on the website. ACCHS Members can access a discounted registration fee for the WA Ear and Hearing Health Forum when specifying the ACCHS they represent.
If you would like to register to attend the 2025 Forum please visit the website. Travel, accommodation and funding support information is provided on the website.
The WA Ear and Hearing Health Forum is a CPD accredited activity through Royal Australian College of General Practice (RACGP) and the Australian College and Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
If you have any questions please contact the Regional Services team at outreach@ruralhw.com.au.
EarTrain is coming to Boorloo!
Registrations to attend the two-day workshop are open!
Delivered by TAFENSW, EarTrain is a free, online training program for primary healthcare professionals, to identify and manage otitis media and other hearing conditions, in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
EarTrain is delivering a free, two-day practical skills workshop in Perth on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5
August 2025.
In this workshop, the TAFENSW will provide practical skills in:
- Otoscopy
- Tympanometry
- Introduction to Hearing Screening
- Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs)
- Referral Pathways
Rural Health Outreach Services contract update
An update on Outreach contracts:
- All contracts funded through the Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program (MOICDP), Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS), Eye and Surgical Support and Healthy Ears – Better Hearing, Better Listening (HEBHBL) program will continue until 30 June 2026.
Rural Health West will provide further information on the review of Indigenous Australian Health Programs (MOICDP, EESS, HEBHBL and VOS) through the First Nations Health Funding Transition Program as it becomes available.
Through the administration of the Healthy Ears – Better Hearing, Better Listening (HEBHBL) Program, Rural Health West has supported 16 organisations to provide 600+ visits to Aboriginal children in regional and remote WA this financial year, providing access to multidisciplinary ear health teams, ensuring early intervention and care.
If you would like to see where your closest HEBHBL service is, please follow the link to a list of all Outreach services.
Kimberley Hearing Health Education Workshops - a recap
A regional initiative to embed strong ear health practices into everyday primary care.
Two audiology facilitated ear health workshops, and two ENT education workshops and networking sundowners were held in Broome and Kununurra in March and May 2025. 33 health professionals attended the education workshops.
Led by the Kimberley Aboriginal Health Planning Forum (KAHPF) and its Kimberley Ear Health Coordinating Panel (KEHCP), the initiative provided upskilling and refresher topics for local healthcare workers, ensuring timely diagnosis and management of ear health within community and ACCHSs.
Rural Health West, in collaboration with local and statewide partners, supported this regional initiative by coordinating a series of ear health training sessions and events. These workshops were developed to strengthen the skills already on the ground and complement previous training delivered in the region.
Rather than waiting for specialist outreach services or escalation to tertiary care, these efforts recognise the central role of community health services and ACCHSs in promoting good ear health every day. As the first point of contact for families and patients, local healthcare providers are best placed to integrate ear health care into their routine service delivery.
Training opportunities were delivered in partnership with Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services (KAMS), the Aboriginal Health Council of WA (AHCWA), Hearing Australia, Ord Valley Aboriginal Health Service (OVAHS), and EarTrain and were tailored to Aboriginal health workers and practitioners, child and school health nurses, and other clinicians involved in ear health.
As part of the initiative, the Kimberley Health Professionals Network also hosted after-hours education and networking events in Broome and Kununurra, connecting local healthcare workers with expert clinicians in ear, nose, and throat (ENT) care.
Aboriginal Health Conference - Registrations Open!
Perth/ Boorloo - Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 August 2025
The Aboriginal Health Conference 2025 will provide an opportunity to come together and learn from each other. Through presentations, panel sessions, case study discussions and workshops, we will deliver an engaging and informative conference program for delegates.
The 2025 theme Writing the Narrative – Telling Our Stories highlights the power of stories and how they shape identities, preserve culture and influence change. In Aboriginal health, storytelling is more than just sharing experiences, it is a tool for healing, advocacy and self-determination. This conference centres on the strength of Aboriginal voices in shaping health policies, services and outcomes. By reclaiming our narratives, we challenge outdated models, highlight community-led solutions, and ensure that Aboriginal ways of knowing and being are embedded in healthcare. Through shared stories, we empower individuals, strengthen communities, and create a future where Aboriginal-led health initiatives thrive.
The conference program features five streams, providing comprehensive insights into crucial aspects of Aboriginal health:
- Building trust and collaborating with community
- Chronic disease: Prevention, management, and community-led solutions
- Healing and wellbeing through storytelling
- Sexual health: Empowering communities with knowledge and access
- Supporting wellbeing from birth to eldership
To find out more and register to attend please visit the website
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare | data report released
Ear and hearing health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2024
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture has been passed down the generations for tens of thousands of years using language and storytelling. Having healthy ears and ability to hear well supports language development and transmission of culture through speech, as well as learning, employment and social and community connections.
Information about ear and hearing health among First Nations people and their access to ear and hearing health services helps develop health policy and plan health services. This is the third Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) national report on the ear and hearing health of First Nations children and adults.
This report is prepared with expert guidance from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ear and Hearing Health Data and Reporting Advisory Group, chaired by Professor Kelvin Kong.
To view report please visit Australian Institute of Health & Welfare website.
Simon Says...
AHCWA's Ear Health Program is working on health promotion initiatives to raise awareness about the impacts of ear disease and hearing loss. In July 2020, the program published the first volume of their new series Simon Says…, which aims to inform children, and their families, ways to care for after their ears and prevent the spread of illness in their community.
Simon Says animations
If Service Providers have feedback from using this animation within the community, please contact Lorraine Taui, AHCWA Ear Health Program Coordinator via Lorraine.Taui@ahcwa.org
A Child Ear Health Strategy 2017 - 2021
The WA Child Ear Health Strategy has been developed to tackle ear disease amongst children, particularly in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in WA. A number of stakeholders share responsibility for addressing and improving ear and hearing health conditions amongst children. It has been informed by, and is aligned with, a number of key national and State reports, frameworks, guidelines and principles. The Strategy aims to promote an agreed, evidence based and sustainable approach across government and non-government agencies and service providers.
Please note the WA Child Ear Health Strategy has expired. The WA Child Ear Health Strategy stakeholder group remains committed and is currently reviewing the future direction of the strategic priority areas to ensure WA children, families and their communities are best supported in improving ear and hearing health outcomes.
2020 Otitis Media Guidelines
Download a link to the 2020 Otitis Media Guidelines or the app here.
The First Nations Support Line
Hearing Australia provide a free First Nations Support Line which offers general information and help to increase access to culturally appropriate, timely and accurate ear and hearing health information for First Nations people and health professionals working with First Nations people and communities.
The First Nations Support Line is available Monday-Friday, 8.30am-5.00pm AEST on 1300 253 655.
Find out more by visiting the Hearing Australia website at hearing.com.au or email FirstNations@hearing.com.au or phone the Perth Hearing Centre on 08 9226 7100.
ASOHNS Patient Information Sheets
The Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery have developed patient information sheets. To download these resources, please click on the links below
Care for Kids Ears
Care for Kids Ears – This website aims to raise awareness of ear disease and hearing loss in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It provides free access to resources for parents and carers, teachers, early childhood groups, and health professionals.
My Health Record
My Health Record is a secure online summary of key patient health information. Healthcare providers can access the system to view and add information. My Health Record education and training resources can be accessed below:
- Webinars on the website and YouTube
- Request a presentation from the Australian Digital Health Agency Educator via the Agency website
Subscribe to the Ear Health Coordination E-Bulletin
As part of the Ear Health Coordination Program, a quarterly newsletter is distributed to provide new, important information and updates where we reflect the wonderful work of the ear health services across the state. If you wish to subscribe please email outreach@ruralhw.com.au
The Outreach programs are delivered by Rural Health West on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.
