The new Board of Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC) visited communities in Central Australia to gain a firsthand understanding of the impact of RAHC health professionals (HPs) on healthcare delivery in remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. The visit took place between 20 – 22 May 2018.
Longstanding Board members, Glenn Keys AO, Louise Clark and Annette Owttrim were joined by new Chair or RAHC, Pat Anderson AO and new Directors, Janine Mohamed and Erin Lew Fatt.
The Board visited clinics in Hermannsburg and Santa Teresa where they were given guided tours and met with members of the teams including Aboriginal Health Workers (AHW). The Hermannsburg clinic is run by the Northern Territory Department of Health (NTDoH) whilst the clinic in Santa Teresa is run by the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Aboriginal Corporation. The Board were delighted to hear about the quality of the HPs placed by RAHC and the increasing number of those HPs who have made or are considering making a more permanent move to the NT to help improve health outcomes for the remote Indigenous population.
RAHC – General Manger, Tanya Brunt, who accompanied the Board on the familiarity visit said, “On behalf of the Board I would like to thank the teams at Hermannsburg and Santa Teresa for their time and hospitality.
“In particular I would like to thank Mr. Stephen McIntyre, Primary Health Care Manager at Hermannsburg and Ms Donna Ah Chee, CEO of Congress and Dr John Boffa at Santa Teresa. There was plenty of great discussion with the clinic teams, whose passion and commitment to closing the gap is an inspiration to all of us.”
Pictured (L – R): Glenn Keys AO, Louise Clark, Annette Owttrim, Pat Anderson AO (Chair), Erin Lew Fatt, Janine Mohamed.