Strengthening Clinical Care and Pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people at Ballarat Health Services
Partnership agreement
Ballarat Health Services and Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative have developed a fourteen year partnership.
The journey:
The Project:
• Identify barriers to accessing hospital services.
• Develop referral pathways that link the patient with the right services for their care needs.
• Collaborate with regional partners improve attendance and address identified issues.
• To provide client centered services.
• Aboriginal data used to inform and direct service change.
Initial Challenges:
Support, and engagement from BHS board
and executive
Improve staff understanding and education.
Merging holistic
healthcare into BHS practice
Making ATSI health everyone’s
business.
Identifying key components of
healthcare
Engaging ATSI community to
be consumer liaisons.
Strengths:
Providing a culturally safe and supportive
environment
Improved communication
pathways.
Email alerts of ATSI inpatient presentations
Promote client informed decision
making and choice.
Staff engaging AHT in the care of ATSI patients
Approximately 75% of BHS staff
have received Cultural Training
378 388
479 549
486 555
698 635 704
1063
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016 2016/2017 2017/2018
Increase 281%
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Inpatient Separations
Outpatient Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander Attendances.
558
797 933
1238 1302
1729
2021 2064 2219
2619
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016 2016/2017 2017/2018
Increase 469%
945
1172 1239 1319 1318
1539 1600
1673
1442
989
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800
2008/2009 2009/2010 2010/2011 2011/2012 2012/2013 2013/2014 2014/2015 2015/2016 2016/2017 2017/2018 Increase 4.69%
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
ED Attendances
Case Study
Patient:
53 year old male, dialysis patient with end of stage renal failure and co-morbities.
Medical:
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Renal Failure
• Hypertension
• Hyperlipidaemia
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Insomnia
• Asthma
Psychosocial situation:
• Stolen generation survivor
• Lives alone with a pet
• Strained family relationships
• No drivers license
Case Study
Future work
Increase employment opportunities
for ATSI community Develop a
wellbeing center for patients and
family
Increase ATSI cultural
activities at BHS
Involved ATSI community in discussions to
improve service delivery
Develop BHS as a
culturally safe
environment
