West Moreton Health marks Reconciliation Week

WMH Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander liaison and community workers
West Moreton Health Indigenous Hospital Liaison Service team (from left) Cassandra Tratt, Lesley Robinson, Kristal West, Cindy Tyson, Sarah Fraser, Don Pickwick, Gwen Blom and Maurice Woodley.

West Moreton Health has been wrapping around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health consumers and families, very much in keeping with the theme of Reconciliation Week which is “In This Together”.

West Moreton Health Chief Executive Kerrie Freeman said that in 2020 the West Moreton community had seen “how much we can achieve as a community if we stand together”.

“On National Sorry Day on Tuesday, we reflected on the Stolen Generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples,” Dr Freeman said.

“Our commitment to improving health outcomes for First Nations peoples in the West Moreton area is unwavering.

“We are working to close the gap in health outcomes, engaging with staff and the community to deliver co-designed, culturally safe and secure services that support holistic wellbeing,” she said.

Dr Freeman said Reconciliation Week each year was an opportunity for West Moreton Health to rededicate the health service to improve the health outcomes of the region’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers.

“We cannot undo the past, but we can work together now to ensure the future is one of equity, including the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to live healthy lives,” she said.

“The life expectancy of First Nations peoples is seven to eight years less than other Australians. This is completely unacceptable, and we remain committed to Closing the Gap.

This year, Queensland-wide commemoration events have moved online, and West Moreton Health staff have been remembering last year’s event when a sea of 800 hands with personal messages of support spilled out of the Yarning Circle at the East Street entrance of Ipswich Hospital and on to the grounds.

These messages of hope and support now line the walls of the Indigenous Hospital Liaison Service Office in Ipswich Hospital.

In the absence of physical events this year, Reconciliation Australia has come up with 20 ways to mark the occasion. West Moreton Health encourages community to join in by visiting Reconciliation Australia’s website here.