The aim of the Aboriginal Women's Health Associates Program at the Women's is to provide a direct link between Aboriginal Community Health Workers and the staff at the Women's from all patient service areas, building and supporting a more effective partnership between the hospital and Victorian Aboriginal Communities.
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All the associates are self-nominated and have expressed a strong commitment and interest in improving service provision to Aboriginal Women. The Aboriginal Women's Health Business Unit (AWHBU) is responsible for ongoing research, support and review of the program. Enhancement of service provisions to Aboriginal women using hospital services and continuity of care should follow, as a consequence of the program.
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AWHBU provides each of the Associates with resources for use in their unit or department. These include:
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- a directory of Aboriginal Community Health Services
- a reading resource package containing journal articles, reports and references to books and web sites relevant to Aboriginal Women's health.
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A current list of Aboriginal Women's Health Associates at the Women's, may be accessed by the following link: Aboriginal Women's Health Associates (AWHBU, Medical, Nursing / Midwifery and Allied Health staff) (intranet-only).
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Aims
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| The aims of Aboriginal Women's Health Associates Program are to: |
- improve service delivery to Aboriginal women and the services of the Royal Women's Hospital
- increase access to services for Aboriginal women and community based service providers.
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Objectives
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To establish a registrar of Aboriginal Women's Health Associates in order to:
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- facilitate effective partnerships between the hospital and Aboriginal Community Agencies by streamlining access to hospital services
- increase awareness of issues affecting Aboriginal Women's health amongst service providers across hospital departments.
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Role and responsibility of associates
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The specific responsibilities include:
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- acting as the first point of contact in relation to clarification of policy/protocol issues relevant to direct service provision
- providing a first point of contact for external service providers from Aboriginal community based services
- taking responsibility for the distribution of resources relevant to the health care needs of Aboriginal women
- providing feedback to the AWHBU regarding the needs of the department in relation to education and training
- attending regular meetings with the Health Associates to keep informed of the developments within the hospital in relation to Aboriginal Women's Health Business at the Network.
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