NAIDOC Week celebrations Staff, patients, and their families were treated to a number of NAIDOC Week events, as the district continues its commitment to strengthening and supporting the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This year’s theme chosen by the National NAIDOC Committee, is ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud’. The theme honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The events were held at Royal North Shore, Ryde, Hornsby, Mona Vale and Macquarie hospitals to mark the special week.
There were performances from First Nations Education, NSLHD Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service Peter Shine and the Kiris An Thara Torres Strait Islander dance troupe to celebrate, along with stalls set up for guests to learn more about the special week. In the lead up to the week, there was a pre- NAIDOC Week activity conducted across the district, where NSLHD’s ‘Ask the Question’ animation video was relaunched at emergency departments across the district. The video was released in 2019 and aims to encourage all staff across NSLHD to understand the importance of identification of consumers and clients of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander origin.
Mona Vale Hospital’s celebrations
Innovative musculoskeletal program heads to the bush In a further sign of the strength of the district’s clinical and research capabilities, Professor
are experiencing chronic musculoskeletal conditions like back, neck pain and arthritis, but few people in rural and regional areas are being offered evidence-informed care involving good advice and an exercise plan. “Instead, they are quickly stepping up to higher-cost and often unnecessary care such as imaging, surgery and preventable hospitalisations,” she said. “We know that people in these communities have poorer access to appropriate care and ultimately poorer musculoskeletal health. “Our large-scale program, named PACE RURAL, will be offered across the country for the first time, providing a high quality yet low- cost solution.”
Trudy Rebbeck has been awarded a $2.5 million grant to offer a musculoskeletal care program in rural and remote parts of Australia.
As a professor of allied health and a physiotherapist, Trudy will lead the
collaborative project involving University of Sydney, NSLHD and Kolling Institute researchers Michael Nicholas, Ian Cameron, Annette Kifley and Claire Ashton-James. She is excited to launch the initiative which has been funded as part of a $20 million boost for improved primary care and chronic pain treatment. Trudy said an increasing number of people
NSLHDNEWS | ISSUE 13| 12 JULY 2024
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