Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network Aboriginal Health

Acknowledgment of Country

We respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on this land and commit to building a brighter future together.

We acknowledge that ‘Aboriginal business is everyone’s business’ and we will work in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to improve their health and wellbeing. We will work collectively with consumers and the community to ensure Aboriginal people get to enjoy the same, or better, health outcomes than the broader population.

Traditional Custodians

The Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN) Aboriginal Health team have engaged with local First Nations community groups to consult and provide our staff and community with the appropriate names of Country that each of our health sites are located.

Ngawait

  • Waikerie Health Service and Country Health Connect.

 Erawirung

  • Barmera Health Service and Country Health Connect
  • Loxton Hospital Complex and Country Health Connect
  • Riverland General Hospital and Country Health Connect
  • Renmark Paringa District Hospital and Country Health Connect.

 Nganguruku and Ngaiwang

  • Mannum District Hospital.

 Ngarkat

  • Coonalpyn Country Health Connect
  • Karoonda and District Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital
  • Lameroo District Health Service
  • Mallee Medical Practice
  • Pinnaroo Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital
  • Tintinara Country Health Connect.

 Ngarrindjeri

  • Meningie and Districts Memorial Hospital and Health Service, and Country Health Connect
  • Tailem Bend District Hospital
  • Murray Bridge Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital and Country Health Connect.

You can also download and view a copy of our Traditional Custodians poster (PDF 2MB).

Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan

Aboriginal readers are advised that the RMCLHN Reflect RAP may contain images and names of deceased persons.

The Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN) launched its inaugural Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) during National Reconciliation Week on Friday 3 June 2022.

Our inaugural Reflect RAP is an important part of our larger strategic vision for health services and workplaces that value and affirm the cultures, beliefs, languages and histories of Aboriginal peoples and communities. It provides direction on how we achieve long term Aboriginal health goals with targeted priorities identified and measures of success including specific Aboriginal health criteria.

RMCLHN’s vision for reconciliation is to embrace unity between Aboriginal peoples and other Australians to ensure equal health outcomes for our Aboriginal stakeholders, and an inclusive and diverse workplace that is not just culturally safe, but culturally rich and proud. 

We recognise that an important aspect of working towards the goals of our RAP will be to commit to cultivating cultural safety for Aboriginal peoples and communities throughout our LHN – across our operational systems, governance structures and the environment at large.

We are committed to listening to the voices of Elders and community leaders, expanding our networks and partnerships, better understanding and implementing cultural protocols, exploring new opportunities, ensuring an organisational understanding of the context of history and to committing resources and time to achieving the goals of not only this RAP, but future ones.

Our Vision for Aboriginal Health

We will support Aboriginal people to have the best possible quality of life by providing high quality, culturally appropriate care that promotes dignity, respect, choice, independence and social connection.

Murray Bridge Hospital Aboriginal Artwork Launch

Supports and services

The Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network offers a range of health supports and services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  

Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officers

The Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Officer (AHLO) supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers, families, community members, visitors and staff.

They can provide advocacy, cultural, emotional, spiritual and clinical support.

They can also answer any questions you have, offer referrals and information about other services, or receive feedback from you about your experience at our hospital.

The AHLOs do not provide medical advice.

If you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, you can now self-refer to speak with an AHLO by scanning the QR Code on posters located throughout our hospitals, and filling in a short form. Alternatively, you can contact us by phone on (08) 8580 2614.

Once you have completed the form, an AHLO will call you back within 24 hours during Monday to Friday.

Riverland General Hospital (RGH) and Murray Bridge Soldiers' Memorial Hospital (MBSMH) also now have access to AHLO services on weekends.

Riverland Drop-in Paediatric Clinic

If you are concerned about your child’s growth and development, we invite you to drop-in for a yarn with us and other parents – no appointment required!

Located next to Barmera Health Service at Scott Avenue, Barmera in the Aboriginal Health Wellbeing Centre, this clinic supports Aboriginal children from birth to five years of age and their families.

Parents, grandparents and guardians are welcome to come along to yarn about any worries related to the health and development of their children.

The clinic is a culturally safe space where we can assess your child’s needs and provide you with referrals to paediatric specialists or other health providers if needed. The following services are available at the clinic:

Occupational Therapy (OT)

Occupational Therapists can help your child with:

  • understanding what they see, touch and hear
  • improving their self-help skills such as toileting, showering, dressing and feeding
  • playing (includes using their imagination)
  • problem solving
  • handwriting.

Speech Pathology (SP)

Speech Pathologists can help your child with:

  • speech sounds
  • language (talking and understanding)
  • voice
  • fluency (stuttering when talking)
  • feeding (including fussy eating)
  • swallowing.

Physiotherapy (Physio)

Physiotherapists can help with physical development, movement and coordination skills.

Dietitian

Dietitians can help your child with:

  • introducing solid food
  • fussy eating
  • low energy and recurrent health issues
  • weight concerns
  • allergies and reactions to foods
  • nutrition.

The next clinic dates will be announced soon.

For more information or assistance, please call the Aboriginal Health Team in Barmera on (08) 8588 0424.

This clinic is for non-urgent health concerns. If your concern is serious or urgent, please contact your local GP or visit your nearest Emergency Department. Always call Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.

Diabetes Clinic in Barmera

Have you recently been diagnosed with diabetes, or have been living with diabetes for a while?

Kristin Muller (RN Credentialled Diabetes Educator) is available for appointments on Tuesday afternoons from 1pm-4pm. We can provide education and support with:

  • Lifestyle modifications
  • Medications
  • Devices
  • Testing times and blood glucose level targets
  • Prevention and management of diabetes complications
  • Hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) and Hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose)
  • Sick day plans.

The clinic is located at the Aboriginal Health Wellbeing Centre next to Barmera Health Service on Scott Avenue in Barmera.

Call (08) 8588 0424 or 0403 639 576 to find out more.

Murray Bridge Tumake Tinyeri Birthing Program

The Tumake Tinyeri Birthing Program aims to provide culturally competent antenatal, labour and early postnatal care for Aboriginal families.

This includes access to a trained midwife and a specialty trained Aboriginal workers during their pregnancy, supporting women to access services for social health issues, support during labour and birth and support for woman and infant care including feeding for the first 6-8 weeks after birth.

To find out more please contact the Tumake Tinyeri Birthing Program at the Murray Bridge Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital on (08) 8535 6777

Strategic Planning

Aboriginal people experience more life risk factors, poorer health and less acceptable outcomes in a range of life areas when compared to the general population. As a result of these challenges, Aboriginal people are among the most disadvantaged population groups in our community.

The RMCLHN Strategic Plan 2021-2026 provides direction on how we achieve long term Aboriginal health goals with targeted priorities identified and measures of success including specific Aboriginal health criteria.