The North Coast Committee is pleased to welcome you all to the 2005 Annual General Meeting. This completes yet another year of non-government Indigenous health service provision. NCACCH has had a positive year with a great deal on interest shown from governments and community organisations in the Brokerage Model. We have just returned from Hobart in Tasmania where we were the guests of an Aboriginal Women's Corporation who wish to implement the model down there. We met with their board, with OATSIH and the local Division of General Practice. Everyone was very interested and we'll wait and see where that goes from here.

Health Statistics for 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005

Referrals: 619 clients made 839 referrals.

GP visits: 428 clients made 3244 visits to a Doctor.

Oral health: 371 people went to a Dentist.

Mental health: 106 to Counselling.

Podiatry: 45

HAC applications: 254 with 401 dependents

Number of GP's: 131

We now have 3033 ( including 151 non-Indigenous) individual clients on our database. This is an extremely high number considering that in the 2001 census there were approximately 3100 Indigenous people identified. This equates to 93% of the reported population at that time but NCACCH has been informed that people are migrating in from other areas eg; Caboolture etc in order to access the services.

A submission has been put in to the funding body for additional funds to cope with a substantial increase in the services this year (especially in visits to a GP) as well as a general increase in the re-current base allocation of funds to NCACCH. We will keep you informed of the outcome of this request in the next newsletter.

Health Outcomes Conference

NCACCH presented a paper at the 2005 Health Outcomes conference in Canberra in August. This was very beneficial because the audience was made up of people from all around Australia who are extremely interested in Indigenous health data of which NCACCH has a great deal.

Some of the Outcomes from the NCACCH Brokerage Model reported to this conference were;

•  Queensland Health managers and Indigenous Health Workers report that there has been a significant reduction in Aboriginal people accessing health care through the Emergency Department at the local hospitals.

•  Physicians and health care workers report increased early intervention and prevention health care.

•  The Division of General Practice reports that more physicians are taking an active interest in Indigenous health issues.

•  Indigenous clients report feeling a sense of equality with mainstream society in being able to choose health care providers that suit their circumstances.

•  Service providers report that clients are now more likely to identify as Indigenous in accessing services which will improve data collection and validity.

•  Clients report that support staff in service delivery offices are becoming more culturally aware and sensitive in client interactions.

•  Access to primary health care is usually ensured within less than 24 hours.

•  The Division of General Practice reports that GPs are now able to establish long term relationships with Indigenous clients making health care more efficient and effective.

•  The partnership between NCACCH, the Division of General Practice, and the 2 Queensland Health Districts has focussed attention on Indigenous health for planning and decision making at all levels of the respective organisations. For example, Qld Health has made being a NCACCH Referrer a component of the position description for all Indigenous health workers.

•  Reducing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals ability to access primary health care has been seen as a positive step in community reconciliation.

•  NCACCH was selected as one of the 8 finalists in the Reconciliation Australia/BHP Indigenous Governance Awards.

Partnership Agreements & Strategic Plan

NCACCH has established partnerships with Queensland Health both in Gympie and the Sunshine Coast as well as with the local Sunshine Coast Division of General Practice. This partnership has been named the Sunshine Coast & Gympie Districts Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Planning & Co-ordination Committee which I am sure you would have heard of before in our reporting to members. We have just completed a combined Strategic Plan for Indigenous Health in the regions which will see a co-ordinated and co-operative approach to improving the general health & well-being of Indigenous health by all stakeholders. If you wish a copy of this plan please ring the office during business hours.

We will also keep members informed on the progress of this agreement.

Capacity Building Workshops

NCACCH has held a number of workshops for the board in the last 12 months. These workshops have focussed on governance training, policy development and strategic planning. Funding for the workshops has kindly been approved by our funding body, the Office of Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) which is part of the Australian Government's Department of Health & Ageing. One of the outcomes from the workshops is the development of the NCACCH Strategic Plan which was sent out to all members a few weeks ago. If you require additional copies please call the office.

This and the new Planning Committee Strategic Plan will give you some idea on the directions Indigenous health will take in the future. The newly elected 2005/06 NCACCH Committee will be revisiting our own document for review and further development before Xmas this year.

NCACCH Indigenous Sexual Health School Program

The Hope, Identity & Purpose (HIP) program has been held in a number of schools during the last 12 months. This has been delivered by Lyn Baird along with two other presenters. This consists of 1-2 hours once a week for 8 weeks for high school students. The program covers self-identity, decision-making, self-esteem, confidence etc all with a sexual health focus. The program was presented this year in Cairns at the annual "Deadly Sex Congress" and was received extremely well. Received well enough for our state body to purchase some of the visual and educational aids which we use and make them available to all other Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS) in Queensland.

Unfortunately this program had to be cut back this year to just one term instead of four due to budgetary constraints. Hopefully we will receive additional funding and then we can resume this rather interesting and informative program

Men's & Women's Health Groups

As some of you will know NCACCH hosted a number of men's breakfasts and women's lunches during the first part of this year. These proved to be an excellent way to get people together and "have a yarn" about some of the things that people face in their daily lives. We have had a few months break now and are just getting back on track. Flyers are currently being sent out about the next ones to be held and the information is published in your newsletter.

District Health Councils

Auntie Olive Bennet and our CEO John Spink have both been appointed by the Minister to the Gympie & Sunshine Coast District Health Councils respectively. This is an interesting forum that reports directly to the QLD Health Minister. These appointments should ensure that whenever discussions take place on people's health Indigenous health will be included.

Adult Health Checks

Last year the Australian Government rolled out a new program in Medicare for Indigenous people aged between 15-55 to access a full adult health check at any doctor of their choosing. This means that every year people may get a full check up at no cost to them. This should be taken up by all those eligible as it will go towards improving our general health. When making an appointment with your doctor tell the receptionist that you want the Adult Health Check so she can allocate enough time for the doctor to see you. The government has now extended this program to include people outside of this age range so the current NCACCH Board emphasises and stresses that as many people as possible should take up this very important opportunity.

World Person's Health Check Day

A health check day was held in Gympie in April this year with over 100 people attending. People had the opportunity to have tests and receive information about a range of issues. We had excellent co-operation from Pattie Scott, the Gympie District Health Manager, who arranged for all the pathology tests free of charge. We had food, clowns, dancers, rides, face painting etc with everyone having a good time. A large 68cm TV was given away as a lucky door prize to those people who registered to access the services as well as $100 food vouchers. We will be holding another one here on the Sunshine Coast in March next year so keep your eyes and ears open.

NCACCH Membership

Membership for this year stands at 151 members including associate members. This is a very large number of people as members of an organisation as small as this one.

You will see by the slide that people come from all over the regions which gives NCACCH a very good coverage of the Indigenous populations living here.

Sexual Health Poster Competition

NCACCH is hosting a poster competition titled "Sexual Health Through the Eyes of an Indigenous Teenager". As you will see from the flyer there are some excellent prizes to be won. This competition was decided on by the current board because it will generate a great deal of interest from teenagers all around the coast and Gympie. This is a very good way of getting some ideas for future direction in the rather delicate and sensitive area of sexual health. NCACCH hopes to have the finalists entries developed into a 2006 NCACCH Calendar which we will be able to distribute nationwide.

Governance Awards

The above governance awards were hosted by Reconciliation Australia and BHP Billiton. This was the very first time they were held with 57 entries from Indigenous organisations around the nation. Entrants were judged on their board governance capabilities and eight made it to the finals. NCACCH was one of the lucky eight! A DVD was made on the 8 finalists and judging took place after site visits were made by Professor Mick Dodson and some of his panel. BHP flew 2 representatives from each finalist organisation to Melbourne to BHP House where the awards ceremony took place. NCACCH was not lucky enough to be a winner but just to be nominated was exciting and recognition enough. There are a few books around the room with write-ups on the finalists.

Wide bay health Forum

This forum has just got off the ground with its first meeting being held last month in Hervey Bay. It is made up of representatives from Indigenous organisations, QH, local divisions of general practice, QAIHC and OATSIH and covers the area from Bundaberg out to Monto, to Cherburg, Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Gympie and here in the Sunshine Coast. This forum is about developing partnerships with all stakeholders involved in delivering health to Indigenous people and working on a more co-ordinated basis to improve what is being done already and determine what is needed for the future. I have been elected as the first Chairperson of the forum and feel very privileged to be so. I will do my best to represent all Indigenous people residing in the area.

The NCACCH Committee

Finally, the Committee has met formally for board meetings on 11 occasions as well as attending the numerous workshops. This has ensured the good running and management of North Coast and shows the high level of commitment from the people you elected. I would like to thank my fellow board members Auntie Lorraine Harvey, Auntie Olive Bennet, Auntie Merle Tilbrook, Jill Hogarth, Helen Felstead and Gordon Browning for the support and dedication they have shown during the last term or two. We all feel that this organisation has come a very long way since the late 90's and are very proud to be associated with it.

This could not have been achieved without the hard work, dedication and perseverance shown by this and previous committees. I wish the nominees for the election following all the best.

I would also like to thank the staff Jackie, Lorraine, Lyndelle, Sharelle and John for the work they have done in the administration of the day to day workings and helping to make NCACCH so successful.

Thank you

Tom Cleary, Chairperson on behalf of

the NCACCH Committee.