Closing the gap at SALHN

Aboriginal Health Services

SALHN’s Aboriginal Family Clinics are the clinical service delivery arm of the Aboriginal Health Service and provides comprehensive health care in the community, tailored meaningfully for the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumer’s needs.

The Clinic now has three general practitioners, Dr Kali Hayward and Dr Matthew Bourke and Dr Annapurna Nori and also offers access to Traditional Healers (or Ngangkari) to consumers.

Karpa Ngarrattendi 

The Aboriginal Hospital Liaison Unit (Karpa Ngarrattendi) began operating at Flinders Medical Centre in November 1997, and was officially opened and given the traditional Kaurna name Karpa Ngarrattendi in February 1999.

Karpa provides a range of culturally sensitive services including ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients, their escorts and family understand medical procedures and hospital routines.

Please contact Karpa Ngarrattendi by calling (08) 8204 6359 or email karpa@.sa.gov.au for more information

Have your say: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reconciliation journey

We want you – our community – to contribute to Southern Adelaide Local Health Network’s (SALHN’s) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reconciliation journey.

At SALHN, we aspire to a future where all Australians are united by our shared past, present and future. Driven by our purpose of “providing reliable and respectful health care”, our focus for reconciliation is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples share the same health outcomes, rights, respect and access to health services, opportunities and benefits as all Australians.

We want to hear about your experiences, ideas and visions for reconciliation at SALHN, and how we can improve reconciliation.

Please email your reconciliation ideas to health.salhncommunityengagement@sa.gov.au.

Key themes for consideration include:

  • Relationships
    We are committed to developing strong, genuine and meaningful partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, organisations and community members, to achieve best health outcomes for individuals, families and communities. Our aim is for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to drive the decisions that affect their health and wellbeing by embracing 'the voice' of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and community members, to ensure that our services are culturally respectful and welcoming.
  • Respect
    Respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures, land and histories is critically important to us as it is fundamental to the health, social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and our ability to provide quality, culturally-sensitive health care and services. We acknowledge that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples need and should be partners in determining their own healthcare, and recognise how cultural respect has a positive effect on patient care delivery.
  • Opportunities
    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, organisations, and communities are vital partners of ours. We will 'listen, act, make better, together' with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients and stakeholders to progress the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander South Australians. We believe that Closing the Gap in life expectancy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is a priority for our health service.
  • Governance
    It is equally important we have the right systems in place to build accountability and transparency to report reconciliation achievements, challenges, learnings and improvements.

    Your valuable feedback will help inform our next Reconciliation Action Plan.

SALHN Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consumer Group

SALHN’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Consumer Group was established in February 2019. 

This new consumer group is a very exciting initiative that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to partner with SALHN to form genuine formal partnership and provide a forum for ongoing engagement.

There are 13 Members from both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background who will have a significant role in:

  • Providing advice, feedback and improvement suggestions relating to the healthcare needs and issues of Aboriginal people to enable SALHN to achieve better health and wellbeing outcomes for our community.
  • Identifying, promoting and reflecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and culture within SALHN Buildings and spaces.
  • Providing feedback and input to SALHN on its services, planning and performance in relation to the care and support provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait people.

Tappa Purruna

Tappa Purruna at Flinders Medical Centre is the space between the Rehabilitation Building and the main FMC Building. This particular site was selected to connect the cleansing waters of the nearby creek with the hospital building. 

The underlying theme of Tappa Purruna ‘The Journey of Life’ is symbolic of the cycle of birth, life and death and acknowledges the Kaurna people’s custodianship of the land and their continuing presence, in a place of healing.