Henry Nona
Henry Nona has a passion for culture. For the last eight years, Henry has been a Cultural Capability Officer, focussed on building vital connections between the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community and health services at TPCH and across Metro North in an effort to improve their health outcomes.
Prior to this, the father of four nurtured his enthusiasm for Indigenous culture through various roles including as a professional Aboriginal dance performer working in Australia and overseas.
Henry runs TPCH’s Cultural Capability Program, designed to provide staff with the necessary tools to support Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander patients throughout their healthcare journey.
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have unique cultural beliefs and ideas that need to be understood and acknowledged by healthcare practitioners in order to be able to support them to have an effective and comfortable hospital stay,” Henry said.
Born on Thursday Island and brought up on Badu Island, Henry is personally familiar with how the cultural differences of Indigenous people can adversely impact on health outcomes.
“Growing up, I attended countless funerals of family and friends, many only in their 40s and 50s who passed away because of chronic health problems that they never sought help for,” he said.
“Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are fearful about coming to hospital so they often avoid it completely. In Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander custom, hospital is a place of death and a spiritual environment.
“The Cultural Capability Program is about educating staff to recognise and respect these customs and differences, communicate appropriately, build effective partnerships and then create capacity to care for more patients.
“But my role is also about engaging with members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities support them to come to hospital to get the care they need. It’s about breaking down the barriers for better health outcomes through respect and compassion.”
It is no surprise that Henry, who well known for his larrikin demeanour and infectious laugh, has made an impact with many TPCH staff.
“I have had good feedback from staff about the program. They tell me the training has made their jobs much easier to work with and support Indigenous patients,” he said.
“It’s about building personal relationships before business.”
The Cultural Capability Program is open to all Metro North staff via TMS. For more information about Cultural Capability Training, contact Henry Nona on 3139 6623 or email: henry.nona2@health.qld.gov.au