Consumers and community
Working together for Aboriginal health
Two key initiatives were launched this year to further advance Aboriginal health services.
Partnerships between EMHS and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) were bolstered through a new Aboriginal Health Joint Committee.
The committee is made up of key EMHS executive staff and representatives from the major ACCHS’ Derbarl Yerrigan Health Service and Moorditj Koort Aboriginal Corporation.
It provides an open forum for members to raise and discuss issues, challenges and opportunities for partnerships in Aboriginal health within the EMHS catchment area.
Work is currently focused on investigating ways to improve patient journeys through cooperative approaches, supporting specialist services that go to the community and creating opportunities for staff to work across different teams.
It includes improved referral pathways between Moorditj Koort Aboriginal Corporation and St John of God Midland Public Hospital and Armadale Health Service.
The committee meets quarterly and held its first meeting in November.
Royal Perth Bentley Group (RPBG) also has a fresh focus on Aboriginal health with a new RPBG Aboriginal Health department.
Inaugural Manager of Aboriginal Health, Ken Nicholls, is aiming to further develop RPBG’s Aboriginal health workforce and advance support and services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Simon Rosser, Area Director Allied Health & Health Sciences
Warm welcome, big impact with our new greeting service
A volunteer service to help patients settle into their surroundings is winning hearts at Royal Perth Hospital (RPH).
The Volunteer Greeting Service, run by the Friends of RPH, offers a friendly point of contact for the small things that can make a big difference – a warm welcome, help setting up the television, a magazine or newspaper to read, or a comforting chat.
The service was first trialed on Wards 8A and 6H but later expanded to 10A, 9A, 9C, 5G, 5H and 6G, and introduced on an ongoing basis with a core group of 5 volunteers providing daily visits.
During their visits, the volunteers also remind patients about Aishwarya’s CARE Call and other escalation pathways they may need.
In a 5-month evaluation period, volunteers spent more than 437 hours with 1457 patients – an average of 291 patient visits per month.
A similar service has also been introduced for palliative care patients, with our amazing volunteers including a retired palliative care consultant, retired director of nursing and retired nurses.
