Adj. Prof. Alanna Geary, Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer

Sherry Holzaphel, ED Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health

Adj Assoc Prof Jackie Hanson, Chief Executive, MN Health

Today is National Close the Gap Day, an important opportunity to reflect on our role in closing the health gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Metro North Health region have poorer self-assessed health, a higher prevalence of long-term conditions, and an increased burden of disease compared to non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In 2011, an eight-year health adjusted life expectancy gap existed between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of the Metro North Health region compared to the total Queensland population.

Metro North Health is committed to providing equity of access to high quality healthcare services and building relationships based on inclusion with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities. We remain committed to achieving life expectancy parity for Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples by 2031. We are well on our way to making meaningful impact through the Metro North Health Equity Strategy 2022-2025.

Our Health Equity Strategy outlines five key performance areas which will contribute to creating more culturally appropriate heathcare services and physical environments. The KPAs are:

• Actively eliminate racial discrimination and institutional racism within the service
• Increasing access to healthcare
• Delivering sustainable, culturally safe and responsive healthcare services
• Influencing the social, cultural and economic determinants of health
• Working with First Nations peoples, communities, and organisations to design, deliver, monitor and review health services.

In January 2019, Metro North Health partnered with Aboriginal artist Elaine Chambers-Hegarty to create an overarching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brand story for Metro North Health, supported by localised artworks for Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, The Prince Charles Hospital, Redcliffe Hospital, Caboolture and Kilcoy Hospitals, Community and Oral Health, and Mental Health. Additional artworks were created in 2022 for the Strong Start to Life program and STARS.

The artwork can now be found at various touch points of the hospitals and facilities as a visual display of providing a culturally welcoming and inclusive environment of care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Artwork featuring the sun, carpet snake and a Bunya tree is prominently displayed on the outside of the new Caboolture Clinical Services Building and carpark.

Uncle Alan Parsons was recently an inpatient at both Caboolture and Kilcoy Hospitals. He shared his appreciation for the efforts of the directorate to support First Nations patients by providing access to cultural liaison staff, wearing uniforms with easily identifiable artwork, and staff making the effort to understand cultural considerations, improving the experience for all patients.

This year’s Close the Gap Day theme “Strong Culture, Strong Youth: Our Legacy, Our Future” highlights the vital role of culture in achieving positive long-term health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

Metro North is committed to increasing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our workforce. The Deadly Start program, which this year went statewide, has had excellent results with students supported to gain professional skills and qualifications in healthcare while finishing high school.

As proud nurses and midwives, we are proud to launch the new nursing and midwifery scrubs across Metro North Health on this important day. Nursing and midwifery staff are invited to visually display their support to working towards improved health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, their families, and the wider community. Wear them with pride, in the knowledge that you are supporting the commitment to health equity and Metro North’s strong values.

The scrubs can be ordered directly from the supplier. If you would like to view a sample prior to purchasing the scrubs, contact your local Director of Nursing.

If you have the opportunity today, please take part in your local Close the Gap Day events and show your commitment to reducing the health gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Kind regards,

Jackie, Sherry and Alanna.