What we are doing now...
This page is updated to report about what we are currently working on as an organisation...
October 4, 2011
Top Springs Hotel to sell OPAL Fuel
As a result of a request from KWHB, Top Springs Roadhouse has agreed to swap from selling ordinary unleaded petrol to Opal. This will have a significant and permanent effect on lowering the incidence of petrol sniffing in our Communities on and around the Buntine Highway. It will now be only Opal petrol available at Top Springs, Yarralin, Kalkaringi and Lajamanu. Many thanks to Pauline and Top Springs, and well done to our Alcohol and Other Drugs Program Coordinator Peter Clottu for his tireless work in attaining this outcome.
 | September 2, 2011 Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation (AHAC) visit Katherine West Staff and Board Members from Anyinginyi HAC paid a visit to Katherine West on Friday September 2 to discuss some common health goals and remote service delivery models. It was great to see an organisation that shares many of our goals and challenges, and we wish them all the best. Please click through to view some photos from the day. (Photo 1 | Photo 2) |
 | September 1, 2011 Launch of the "Year of the Aboriginal Health Worker" with KWHB Patron Jack Little On September 1, 2011, Katherine West staff and board members attended the AMSANT Launch for the "Year of the Aboriginal Health Worker". We were proud that our Honorary Board Member, and the NT's first Aboriginal Health Worker, Jack Little from Bulla Community, was chosen to be a patron for the activities of the year ahead. Click here for more information |
August 28-30, 2011
KWHB Health Promotion in Kalkarindji for 45th Anniversary Celebrations of Wave Hill Walk-Off
Gurindji Freedom Day
KWHB staff members Carol Wynne, Emma Baunach, Matthew Moylan, Stewart Innes, Vicky Eastaway and Peter Clottu did some great work in Kalkarindji, working with the community to promote good health during the large Gurindji celebrations to commemorate the 45th Anniversary of the Wave Hill Walk-Off. Photos to come...
August 18, 2011
Dental Visits to Yarralin and Pigeon Hole in August
Yarralin has hasdental therapists visiting for the last few weeks. Almost every child underfifteen was seen, and the team were pleasantly surprised at the overall goodcondition of the teeth of the children at Yarralin and Pigeon Hole. Well done tothe team out there for getting all the kids in.
July 27, 2011
Trachoma Eye Health in Aboriginal Communities
(Rural Health Education Foundation)
A Clear View: Improving Indigenous Eye Health was a live, hour-long panel discussion that aired on both the Foundation's satellite television network and on National Indigenous Television (NITV) at 8pm (AEST) on Tuesday July 26th. The program was presented interactively over the web, enabling live participation by viewers. This program also featured a video documentary about KWHB's work in eliminating Trachoma in Bulla, starring our own Jack Little and Emma Buanach and shot with the assistance and expertise of the RHEF.
Click here to visit the RHEF website and to view the DVD in full.
July 19, 2011
Community Meetings - Myatt, Gilwi and Timber Creek
Great to have so many staff at the community meetings. Good attendance in Myatt, and thankyou to Gilwi people for travelling up to Myatt to speak with us. Good issues brought up around patient travel, health centre staff and getting more specialist services into the region. Thanks all. Photos to follow>>
July 15-16, 2011
Katherine West Health Board at the Katherine Show
Katherine West ran a stall over the weekend, focussing on making water your number one drink for good health. The message was designed and endorsed by our population health team, who provided the materials for the day, including a popular display that showed the different amounts of sugar that is found in common drinks such as soft drink, orange juice, sports drinks, vitamin water and iced coffee. Photos to follow >>
July 10-12, 2011
Trachoma Donors Visit Katherine West Health Board
KWHB welcomed Professor Hugh Taylor and a generous group of donors to Katherine West this week. These donors played a vital role in the development of our Trachoma Story Kits during 2010, in close consultation with our Ngumbin Reference Group. Our rates of Trachoma have improved significantly in recent years, and we share the ongoing passion of the trachoma donors in trying to eradicate this entirely preventable disease from our region. We hope the donors enjoyed Marksie's Bush Tucker Night, the trip to Kalkaringi and Daguragu with Dr Louise (with a great cameo from Jimmy Wavehill as tour guide) and morning tea with our staff members in our Katherine Office. See you all again soon. (Presentation 12/7/2011 on Trachoma by our Healthy Skin and Eyes Coordinator Emma Buanach)
July 8, 2011
Katherine West Staff attend NAIDOC Day march in Katherine
Well done to staff from our Katherine Office for getting down to the NAIDOC Day march in Katherine.
Photo (JPG 560Kb)
June 25, 2011
Yarralin "Drug Action Week/Live Longer" Music Concert
This is to congratulate our Alcohol and Drug Coordinator, Peter Clottu, and all town and health centres staff well as Board and other community members who supported him last Saturday at Yarralin for the Healthy Lifestyle Concert for Drug Action Week.
The event was a resounding success due to good organisation, commitment from KWHB and other agencies to work together and much hard work on the day. The representatives of the funding body (partial funding) who were present were very impressed.
Photos to follow >>
June 21-22, 2011
Open Community Meetings in Yarralin, Pigeon Hole
Community meetings with KWHB staff in Yarralin and Pigeon Hole. Issues focussed on the Yarralin Drug Action Program from the NT Government. Yarralin mob also asked for more men's health programs in the community. Some concern continues over patient travel by air during serious emergencies, which KWHB has fought for long and hard in 2011. Pigeon Hole mob had some concerns over housing, especially the ability by NTG to fix houses in a timely mannerm and also renal health issues. Thanks to everybody for coming out and speaking with us.
June 16, 2011
Trachoma Blitz makes our Katherine Times
During April and May, members of our Population Health Team undertook a Trachoma Blitz in all the Katherine West communities, which was reported on in the Katherine Times.
May 18, 2011
We're sorry, we don't know when the planes are coming
Katherine West Health Board Aboriginal Corporation (KWHB) is again calling for the Northern Territory Government to increase capacity with regard to patient air evacuation and to provide certainty around patient evacuation protocols, in the wake of another seriously injured patient being forced to wait overnight (18 hours) for evacuation from a remote community.
Click through to read our media release and for more details on this ongoing serious issue >>
May 17-19, 2011
Open Community Meetings in Lajamanu, Kalkaringi
This week we held community meetings in Lajamanu and Kalkaringi. Issues focussed on chronic disease, patient travel to the clinic and patient travel to Darwin/Katherine for hospital treatment, especially focussing on travel partners for chronically ill people. We are advertising in Lajamanu for Yapa outreach workers. Good feedback in Kalkaringi about introducing RANs to the community in a more formalised manner. Thanks to our board members, clinic and town staff for their efforts, and thatnks to everyone in Laj and Kalk for coming to speak with us.
May 12, 2011
Katherine West Health Board a model service for Aboriginal Health Delivery - Australian Medical Association
Aboriginal Corporation was specifically mentioned as a model for health service delivery for aboriginal Australians by the Australian Medical Association in their annual report into the state ofaboriginal health in Australia.
Click through to read the AMA Aboriginal Health Report Card 2010/2011, or go to our webpage on this announcement.
April 1, 2011
New Board for 2011 Confirmed
During last week's board meeting, we elected a new Board for 2011. Click here to see the new Board.