Abstract
The SWSLHD Aboriginal Chronic Care Program (ACCP) has been operating out of Budyari Aboriginal Community Health Centre (CHC) in Miller, in premises leased from Liverpool Council, since 2002. Over the past 16 years it has grown and evolved: from small team providing a largely local service with a focus on cardiovascular health to a much larger program with multiple components and multidisciplinary staff providing a range of services to Aboriginal people with chronic disease living across South Western Sydney. The expanded list of target conditions includes diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, kidney disease and mental health (ACCP brochure). In 2014, Muru Marri, an Indigenous Health Unit attached to UNSW Sydney) looking at the service model, referral pathways, staffing structure, data collection and clinical governance. At that time the workforce comprised the Budyari Service Manager, two Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs), a Dietitian, a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and a part-time Renal Clinical Nurse Consultant (CNC)., completed a service review of ACCP–Budyari (known as ‘marrin-geen’ A series of recommendations were made as part of the review, many of which have been progressed and others that still require further work. Since the 2014 review, there have been significant changes to the ACCP, most significantly its amalgamation with the Integrated Team Care Program (ITC) previously run by SWSPHN. The incorporation of ITC into the ACCP has resulted in a number of significant of changes: Refinement of the model of care to increase the focus on GP engagement and care coordination; Inclusion of brokerage funds to improve access specialist, allied health services and medical aids/equipment; Creation of new positons for an ACCP Manager, a Senior AHW, three Care Coordinators and two more AHWs in addition to the existing establishment; A substantial increase in the number of program clients to approximately 500. Given that four years have elapsed there was a need to revisit the original review recommendations, look at progress, and consider the new context for the ACCP and the governance and support structures required.
Original language | English |
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Place of Publication | Penrith, N.S.W. |
Publisher | Western Sydney University |
Number of pages | 24 |
Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Keywords
- Aboriginal Australians
- chronic diseases
- medical care
- South Western Sydney Local Health District (N.S.W.)