Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

The Indigenous Primary Health Care Service

The Indigenous Primary Health Care (IPHC) team provide a range of culturally sensitive education and health care services to Mount Isa Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. IPHC delivers services whilst remaining aware of specific health needs and cultural perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The team focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are vulnerable due to health literacy, consequently requiring help to access health care.

In collaboration with partner organisations and community groups, IPHC deliver the following services:

• Educate non-indigenous health staff to provide culturally appropriate healthcare services
• Engage with external providers
• Establish and implement community-based programmes
• Facilitate community and health professional students engagement
• Home visits
• IPHC traineeship program
• Men’s health
• Mentoring program
• Ongoing consumer engagement
• Organise health education and health promotion activities
• Develop partnerships and networks with the community
• Patient facilitation group coordination
• Support patients and their families to address health related issues

The IPHC health care workers ensure a service delivery strategy that encompasses cultural considerations and safety. The team works in partnerships with patients and their families. The health care workers establish a relationship based on trust, acceptance and transparency and treat patients as individuals in a way they consider to be culturally safe.

The IPHC team engage and educate the community, patients and families to enable and promote self-care that is culturally appropriate through the age continuum.