Recently, Mafi Kailahi, the Ear & Eye Health Programs Officer from AH&MRC, and Rebecca Stone, the Outreach Project Officer from Rural Doctors Network (RDN), conducted site visits to various locations. These included Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service (TAMS), Werin Aboriginal Corporation Medical Centre, and Durri Aboriginal Corporation Medical Service. During the visits, they met with the Practice Managers and clinical teams to discuss Ear Health Initiatives.
The discussions covered a range of topics, including internal mapping of Ear Health services and programs, identifying gaps and barriers in the community’s access to quality ear health care, and exploring the services provided through RDN’s outreach services. They also discussed upcoming training opportunities, such as an Ear Irrigation workshop with the Benchmarque group on July 24th. Expressions of Interest (EOI) details for the workshop will be shared soon, and efforts were made to provide more localized training opportunities for clinical staff, Aboriginal Health Practitioners (AHPs), and Aboriginal Health Workers (AHWs).
The discussions also touched upon community events, such as TAMS Cultural Day, where support was provided for conducting ear health screening checks and sharing relevant resources. Additionally, there was a focus on providing Ear Health equipment to members who have received ear health training. The Practice Managers and clinical staff expressed their commitment to prioritizing Ear Health within the community and their interest in upskilling the workforce, potentially through opportunities like the Cert IV in Audiometry offered by TAFE NSW.
The visit to Tamworth Aboriginal Medical Service (TAMS) took place on Monday, March 29th, while the visits to Werin Aboriginal Corporation Medical Centre and Durri Aboriginal Corporation Medical Service occurred on Thursday, June 8th, 2023.
