If you are working in one of our remote communities, you must make contact with our local teams upon arrival as a matter of priority.

Our local contacts will provide key information about the community and health operations that will support your work with us.

Head Office

• Katherine Head Office, phc.ops@kwhb.com.au and (08) 8971 9300

Main Health Centres

• Kalkaringi Health Centre, kalk@kwhb.com.au and (08) 8975 0785
• Lajamanu Health Centre, Laj@kwhb.com.au and (08) 8975 0870
• Timber Creek Health Centre, timber@kwhb.com.au and (08) 8975 0727
• Yarralin Health Centre, yarralin@kwhb.com.au and (08) 8975 0893

Smaller Health Centres

• Bulla Health Centre (via Timber Creek), timber@kwhb.com.au and (08) 9168 7303
• Mialuni Health Centre (via Timber Creek), timber@kwhb.com.au and (08) 9167 8842
• Lingara Health Centre (via Yarralin), yarralin@kwhb.com.au and (08) 89750893
• Pigeon Hole Health Centre (via Kalkaringi), kalk@kwhb.com.au and (08) 8975 0910

If you need to book KWHB clinic accommodation, please contact the Primary Health Care Operations team on PHC.Ops@kwhb.com.au

If you are staying in KWHB provided accommodation, please ensure that:

• You protect and look after KWHB equipment, facilities and resources.
• You are mindful not to waste KWHB resources, including power and water.
• You ensure that accommodation is left in the same condition as it is found.
• You maintain high personal standards while staying in KWHB accommodation, including respect for neighbours and local community.

If you have any problems with your accommodation, please speak to your local KWHB contact.

This fact sheet from Queensland Health provides basic information about communicating effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The below strategies may assist in developing cross cultural communications skills while working in remote Aboriginal communities.

• Use communication skills that reflect the particular needs of the people in remote areas, based on gender, culture, age, first language, social status, level of education, and health status.
• Speak to the patient in a culturally appropriate way that considers their traditional values, so that they feel comfortable to raise their health concerns.
• Interact respectfully as part of a cross cultural health care team through understanding traditional beliefs, emotional state, state of health social disadvantage, traditional health beliefs and cultural background, the advanced role of the Aboriginal health practitioner, and other team members.
• Know where to and how to find an appropriate interpreter, if required.

If you are working in one of our region’s Community Health Centres, or working with clients in our clinical environment, please ensure the confidentiality and privacy of clients.

• Don’t ask personal or health questions in front of family.
• Don’t talk to people about anything health related in public places, including in waiting rooms.
• Don’t sing out to people – go up to the individual and talk privately.
• Talk quietly to ensure privacy, even if you are behind closed doors. This is especially important when talking about embarrassing or difficult health matters and procedures.
• Be careful when using language to communicate. Make sure you know what is the polite language word and way of speaking with people, especially older people. Use the KWHB Cultural Information Handbook as a reference guide.

If you are working with or treating KWHB clients in the Health Centre, you will most likely be required to use KWHB’s Communicare System, which is our electronic clinical information system.

If you require training to use Communicare, please contact our Primary Health Operations team on (08) 8971 9300 or email phc.ops@kwhb.com.au

Please ensure that you follow KWHB’s Communicare confidentiality requirements and procedures, as outlined by our Communicare External Use Agreement. All policies and agreements must be signed and sent through to our Health Operations team before you work in our region. You will find them all at the bottom of this page.

If you are driving in a KWHB vehicle, the following guidelines apply:

• Seat belts must be worn by all passengers at all times when driving in a KWHB vehicle. The number of passengers may not exceed the number of seatbelts available.
• Any children under 12 months must be placed in an appropriate child restraint.
• The person who has been given control of the vehicle for a specified period is responsible for keys to the vehicle.
• Cars must be locked when unoccupied.
• Fuel is to be added and oil and water levels checked at the appropriate times or when gauges register low levels; the driver of the vehicle will be responsible for these routine checks.
• Ensure that all rubbish has been removed and that the car is left clean and tidy after use.
• The driver of the vehicle will pay for all traffic fines, including parking and speeding fines.
• If KWHB vehicles are damaged or have mechanical problems at any time, you must notify KWHB’s Assets Coordinator (08 8971 9300) as soon as possible.
• Drivers should check road conditions prior to a journey at this website - http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/roadreport/
• When travelling in a KWHB vehicle, please provide your KWHB contact with an approximate departure and arrival time. When traveling in remote and isolated areas, the driver should provide a contact person at the destination with approximate arrival time. If they have not arrived within two hours of the specified time, the contact person should ring any Senior Manager.
• People traveling more than 300km are encouraged to arrange to be accompanied by a second driver.
• Drivers must at all times allow enough time for safe travel between destinations when making appointments. All driving to and from a destination should occur within daylight hours, preferably between 9am – 5pm. Driving at night, as well as driving at sunrise and sunset hours, is not encouraged. - Under no circumstances should a vehicle engine be run if it has been involved in a rollover or tipped onto its side. If the engine is still running it is to be shut down immediately. The battery charge should be sufficient for satellite phone usage for several minutes.
• A speed limit of no more than 120km/h should be observed on the Stuart and Victoria Highways. A 110 km/h speed limit is in force for the Buntine Highway. Please note some dirt roads in our region are dangerous and you are strongly advised to exercise caution and travel at reduced speeds wherever necessary.
• Drivers in KWHB vehicles are not encouraged to cross water obstructions where it is visibly over the road or path of travel. If the road is closed, you must turn around and go back.
• No alcohol is to be consumed in KWHB vehicles. There is to be no carrying of alcohol in KWHB vehicles.

We discourage health professionals and visiting specialists from taking photos or posting photos or videos to social media accounts while working in KWHB communities.

If you are required to take photos as part of your work with KWHB, please keep in mind that the KWHB Board of Directors ask staff and contractors to keep the taking of photo/video images in our communities to a minimum.

It is best to check in with a local member of the community or health professional who will be able to advise you if there are any concerns with the images you are taking. Concerns may include community members not providing informed consent, or sacred sites not permitted to be photographed.

Photographs taken for clinical purposes must de-identify the client by removing any recognisable features or information that may result in the patient’s identity being revealed. This includes facial features, distinguishing tattoos or birthmarks, and screens or documents that may contain patient information.

Images should not be stored on personal devices. They must only be stored on secure KWHB systems, such as client files or the private KWHB storage drives. It is understandable that some images may be taken on mobile phones, given the widespread use of the mobile camera function. However, images must be transferred to the KWHB cloud-based drive for storage within one week and deleted from all personal devices.

Please be mindful that once images or videos are posted online, it is challenging to fully remove them and they may be shared or saved by third parties.

Please respect the wishes of community members at all times when it comes to taking photo/video images.