This year to mark Close the Gap Day, St Vincent’s showcased our dedicated teams who are working with Aboriginal communities to better understand the needs of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to deliver the most culturally appropriate and respectful care.
As an organisation we are united in our commitment to addressing the disparity in health and employment outcomes of our Nation’s First Peoples, and it was encouraging to hear from St Vincent’s teams including Pharmacy, Heart Lung, Stimulant Treatment Services, the Arts Committee, Pain Management, Social Work, Homeless Health and Aboriginal employment – who shared their strategies, learnings and successes in engaging with Aboriginal patients to ensure their physical, social and spiritual needs are met when they’re in our care.
It was also an opportunity to launch the SVHA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Protocols document. As one of the first health care organisations to develop such a protocol, it provides a guide on how to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and residents so that they feel welcome, respected and valued within our services. This, in addition to the cultural awareness and training that to date, 87% of our staff have completed, will help to ensure cultural recognition and respect are always on display at St Vincent’s.
