Jim McGowan AM, Board Chair
Dear colleagues,This week is National Reconciliation Week. The 2022 theme is “Be Brave. Make Change.” According to Reconciliation Australia, the theme “is a challenge to all Australians— individuals, families, communities, organisations and government—to Be Brave and tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation so we can Make Change for the benefit of all Australians”.“Be Brave. Make Change” is an apt descriptor of the intention of Metro North’s Health Equity Strategy. The Health Equity Strategy will be presented to our June Board meeting for final endorsement. Through that strategy we acknowledge the need to actively work to create a healthcare system which provides care that is tailored to the individual needs of First Nations people. Equitable care must recognise that a person’s physical health outcomes are inextricably linked to their cultural and spiritual needs. If we want to close the gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, we need to provide care that actually meets their needs and is not compromised by assumptions about their needs or values.The Health Equity Strategy has been developed though an extensive consultative process with our First Nations Elders, Community and staff members, our non-Indigenous staff and our health providers including the Institute of Urban Indigenous Health and the Brisbane North PHN. The first step in that process involves listening. Genuine consultation and co-design must be the cornerstone of our actions under the Strategy.The Metro North Health Equity Strategy will be formally launched during NAIDOC week on 4 July.The Board is very enthusiastic around the contribution that Metro North can make to Queensland Health Reform program. To that end, the Board will devote a considerable time during its June meeting to discuss with clinical leaders in Metro North the opportunities which could result in improved models of care and clinical practice. Metro North has provided consistent commitment to reform which has benefitted the broader health system. We will continue to lead the innovations for the benefit of our patients and consumers.Quotes for reflection:“In the end, reconciliation is a spiritual process, which requires more than just a legal framework. It has to happen in the hearts and minds of people.” Nelson Mandela (1918-2013), Anti-apartheid campaigner and first President of a united South Africa, 1994-1999.“We should begin by reminding ourselves that reconciliation is not optional but necessary for our national future.” Former PM Kevin Rudd, 2015 Reconciliation Lecture at the ANU.
Kind regards,
Jim McGowan AM, Board Chair