• National guide to preventive health assessment – The National Guide is a practical resource intended for all health professionals delivering primary healthcare to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples. Its purpose is to provide health professionals with an accessible, user friendly guide to best practice in preventive healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
• Your guide to Medicare for Indigenous Health Services
• Flowchart for completing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health check
• Supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients – 715 health checks
• RACGP MBS Item 715 health check resources (including templates)
• Annual health checks for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians
• Follow-up Allied Health services for people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent 
• Education guide – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessments and follow-up services

The Integrated Team Care (ITC) program is provided by an Indigenous Health Project Officer, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Outreach Workers and Care Coordinators.

The aims of the ITC Activity are to:

• contribute to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic health conditions through better access to coordinated and multidisciplinary care; and
• contribute to closing the gap in life expectancy by improved access to culturally appropriate mainstream primary care services (including but not limited to general practice, allied health and specialists) for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The team works in the Gold Coast Primary Health Network region, across the Indigenous and mainstream primary care sectors, to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to access culturally appropriate primary health care and increase the cultural competency of primary health care providers through training and education.

They also provide care coordination services to eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with chronic disease/s who require coordinated, multidisciplinary care.

To find out more about the Integrated Team Care service delivered in the Gold Coast region click here.

Gold Coast Health Services

• Gold Coast Health Mungulli Clinic Factsheet – The Mungulli Clinic offers a holistic approach to managing chronic conditions. The clinic is run by a multidisciplinary team, depending on need, three times a year in a group setting.
• Nurse Navigator Factsheet – Nurse Navigators are experienced nurses who understand the healthcare system. If you have a chronic disease or complex medical concerns, they can help you navigate your health journey.
• Gold Coast Health Yan-Coorara Factsheet – The Yan-Coorara Mental Health team work alongside treating teams to provide advocacy and culturally capable care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with a social and emotional wellbeing issue.
• Hospital Liaison Officers Factsheet – Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officers act as a cultural link between health professionals, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, and their families.

• Kalwun outreach workers – Providing transport/support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients who have a chronic illness to attend health assessments, GP follow up, specialist, allied health appointments, to and from being admitted to hospital or community pharmacies and delivery of Webster packs.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander discussion starter
• Protocols for use of ‘Aboriginal’ and ‘Torres Strait Islander’
• Working with Stolen Generations | Healing Foundation

Chronic Disease Management

• Chronic Disease Management Gold Coast Health
• Gold Coast Health Mungulli Clinic Factsheet – The Mungulli Clinic offers a holistic approach tomanaging chronic conditions. The clinic is run by a multidisciplinary team, depending on need, three times a year in a group setting.
• Indigenous Chronic Disease Type 2 Diabetes Service brochure
• Indigenous Chronic Disease Wellness Program brochure
• Indigenous Heart Failure Service brochure

Cancer Resources

• Cancer Australia resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Cancer – what to expect
• Checking for cancer – what to expect
• Chronic Disease Management Gold Coast Health
• Gold Coast Health Mungulli Clinic Factsheet – The Mungulli Clinic offers a holistic approach tomanaging chronic conditions. The clinic is run by a multidisciplinary team, depending on need, three times a year in a group setting.

• Webinar: Gold Coast Childhood development delays and health assessments for children in care and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children  | Thursday 22 October 2020
  • Webinar recording 
  • Presentation slides 
• Indigenous Health
  • Indigenous Health Services eLearning Program

The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet is a massive evidence based free to access web resource providing up to date, relevant content to support the work of health practitioners and policy makers and has been providing this for over 21 years. It has been funded by The Australian Department of Health since it began as well as and other funders and is located at Edith Cowan University.

You can search by health topic or by health promotion or health practice resources. The HealthInfoNet also provides narrative reviews about many health topics saving you time We also run webinars and you can watch the recordings of this at a time that suits you

There is also a separate website for Alcohol and Other Drugs including tobacco and you can search by drug from the home page under the ‘learn’ tab or for health promotion and health practice resources under the ‘practice’ tab.

• Closing the Gap 
• Overview of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health status 2020
• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health plan 2013-2023

National Close the Gap Day in Australia

National Close the Gap Day (NCTGD) is an annual awareness event that aims to close the health and life expectancy gap between the indigenous and the non-indigenous communities in Australia.

NCTGD is usually held on the third Thursday in March. It was first observed in 2007 as a joint venture between Australia’s top public and health organisations. Olympic sprinter Cathy Freeman and swimmer Ian Thorpe launched the campaign from the Olympic Stadium in Sydney.

Unequal health outcomes

The campaign was a response to the poor health outcomes among indigenous groups in Australia. Studies have shown that the life expectancy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is 10-17 years lower than that of non-Indigenous Australians.

The main aim of National Close the Gap Day is to make people from both indigenous and non-indigenous backgrounds aware of this problem and work towards finding ways to solve it.

A human rights issue

High life expectancy is not just a health issue, but it is also a human rights issue. Poverty, education, and employment levels all have a long-lasting impact on the health of a community. The Close the Gap campaign recognises this and emphasises that closing the gap in early childhood development, schooling, housing, and employment is the key to also closing the health gap.

What happens on National Close the Gap Day

National Close the Gap Day is not an official holiday, so businesses, schools, and government offices are open. Community health groups, educators, medical professionals, and policy-makers organise outreach drives, conferences, and workshops to bring attention to the problem of low life expectancy among indigenous groups.