The Council’s executive leadership team and Board Directors recently visited Larrakia Country (Darwin) to learn more about their healthcare services and the incredible work being carried out by NT healthcare professionals.

We are committed to our reconciliation journey through growing our cultural understanding and its ongoing focus to positively impact the well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through quality healthcare.

We chose Northern Territory to build connections, listen and learn, and are grateful for the opportunity to meet with several organisations to gain insights about improving health outcomes.

Q & A

We asked Board Director Belinda Lange and GM of Corporate Services Megan West to share some of their highlights.

What was a key highlight for you from the NT Immersion trip?

Belinda: The visit to the Royal Darwin Hospital was a highlight of the trip for me. We met with Amanda O’Keefe, the Director of Allied Health. We had the opportunity to tour the hospital and speak with physiotherapy and allied health assistant staff. The staff were very generous with their time and shared their experiences of working within the Northern Territory healthcare system. The highlight of the visit to the Royal Darwin Hospital was having the opportunity to meet an allied health assistant who had trained with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Academy at Indigenous Allied Health Australia. The program provides an innovative approach to support the training and education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students. It was a valuable opportunity to hear about the training program from someone who graduated and has experience working in the healthcare setting. We heard about how the program provides opportunities for young people in high school to gain real world skills in a supportive environment with professional and peer mentors. We heard firsthand about how the program can improve confidence and empower young people to gain employment in a role that provides an important connection for patients navigating the healthcare system. The allied health staff recognised the value of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Academy program to contribute to the current workforce challenges and as a pathway to further study to support and grow allied health professionals in the future.

Megan: I visited the Remote Laundries Project, and was impressed with the effort, and skill of the people in identifying a problem, getting to the root cause, and finding a pragmatic solution. Then their patience and perseverance in working out a way to implement the solution, their connection with the communities that will benefit, and making sure that those communities value their new laundry and what it does for them. Outstanding.

What did you learn about NT healthcare?

Belinda: Walking into the front entrance of the hospital, the area was open, bright, and inviting. The first area that is visible is the Aboriginal Liaison office. The layout, colour scheme, artwork, signage, and navigation markers have been carefully considered and implemented. Beyond the look and feel, conversations with staff highlighted the importance of strong communication and understanding of cultural practices to care for patients and their families. This was highlighted as a challenge for onboarding and supporting new or temporary staff but also a rewarding aspect of working in the Northern Territory.

Megan: The distances involved in delivering care to the people of NT and the challenges it creates with time and people. Also, the cultural issues in delivering healthcare to remote communities, building trust, and communication. Learning languages and considering the past experiences of people and why they might be reticent to receive care.

How does this experience inform or help the Council’s work in healthcare?

Megan: Opens our eyes to some of the issues and how there needs to be multiple different ways to work with communities to engage in their own health.

Belinda: This experience helped to highlight a significant workforce and healthcare delivery challenges in locations with an expansive service area, such as the Northern Territory. The learnings from the visit provides the Council with a deeper understanding of the complexity of the healthcare landscape in which graduates from Australian university programs and overseas trained physiotherapists may work within. Overall, the trip has reinforced the approach that the Council is undertaking in the development of the Reconciliation Framework and demonstrated the strong commitment the Council has in building and maintaining authentic and transparent connections.

How has this NT immersion trip with the Council impacted you?

Megan: It has increased my awareness of the vastly different experiences that we have living in Australia. Living in an urban area with all of the amenities that we have is very different to life in a remote area, where accessing basic healthcare is a struggle.

Belinda: I valued the opportunity to engage with a diverse range of individuals from various sectors, including education, healthcare, and community organisations. Coming together as a group at the end of the day to share our experiences led to insightful conversations about our learnings, deepening our understanding of the Northern Territory's education and healthcare landscape. I was particularly struck by the openness and generosity of those we spoke with in sharing their own stories to help us better understand their experiences and perspectives.

Why is a learning experience like an “immersion trip” valuable for leaders in healthcare?

Megan: Creates greater empathy for others living in different circumstances, and reminds us that what might work in an urban area may not be appropriate in a remote community, and that we need to learn from each other.

Belinda: A learning experience like an immersion trip could also be valuable for other leaders in healthcare. For us, it was an invaluable opportunity to hear about healthcare from different perspectives and connect with people who shared their experiences to help us understand the broader impact of the work that we do at the Council. Taking time to step out of the direct focus on our own activities to understand the bigger picture from the perspective of people who work across different areas that are connected to our organisation was an opportunity that we don’t often have. Everyone we met communicated their appreciation for us taking the time to visit and willingness to learn from them. I believe that the connections we made during this trip will continue to strengthen over time. This is a small but important step in our ongoing learning process.