What's On News April 2017 Mater’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Service turns 20

News

Mater’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Service turns 20

Tuesday 18 April 2017

It’s been 20 years since Mater’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Service was introduced and the service is going from strength to strength.

The liaison service was established to provide cultural support, advocacy and healthcare information to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community accessing care at Mater. 

The service works closely with hospital multidisciplinary teams, encourages empowerment and self-determination, provides culturally appropriate information to our patients and families, enables patients to make informed healthcare decisions, accompanies patients to appointments when requested and provides a culturally safe environment for patients to wait for their appointments. It provides links between patients, families, external referral agencies, community organisations and Mater people.

The liaison service also supports the Mater Mothers’ Hospital Birthing in Our Community health care program, which aims to ‘close the gap’ in maternal and infant health outcomes in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. The program works in collaboration with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service.

The Birthing in Our Community program offers specialist services, group antenatal care and direct access to health care workers. It also addresses cultural needs and provides Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers and familes with more equitable health services.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Service is integral to a multidisciplinary approach to patient and family care. The team assists patients with telehealth to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, transportation to attend appointments and the organisation of appropriate accommodation to suit patient and family needs, where approved.

The service provides continuity of care while in hospital and refers to culturally appropriate community organisations on discharge, where needed.

GPs play an important part in the care of patients at Mater. To ensure your patient is seen by the liaison service simply acknowledge them as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander on their referral.

Current team members include Gwen Ibarra, Shannon Watego and Beck Thomson. For further information, please contact the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Service on 07 3163 1853 or 0404 821 831.