General Practice and Rural Medicine Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Culturally appropriate healthcare

Culturally appropriate healthcare

Cultural Education  Requirements

James Cook University (JCU) General Practice and Rural Medicine provides registrars with a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health educational activities including:

College Online Cultural Awareness Module - RACGP or ACRRM online Cultural Awareness modules must be satisfactorily completed within the first two months of commencing the term.

Cultural Awareness Training Workshops - Cultural Awareness Training Workshops are delivered locally within the JCU General Practice and Rural Medicine regions by our Cultural Educator and in partnership with local community members.

Training Opportunities

JCU General Practice and Rural Medicine offers registrars the opportunity to undertake training in a range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service settings. Find out more about the training opportunities.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Workshops

JCU General Practice and Rural Medicine delivers two Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander registrar workshops a year to provide peer support and the opportunity to form connections, eldership and professional development to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander registrars. These are held in Townsville and Cairns and include our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team of Dr Louis Peachey, senior fellow, Dr Jacinta Power, Indigenous Medical Educator, A/Prof Catrina Felton-Busch, Academic Lead, Henry Neill, Cultural Educator, Marcy Holdsworth, Manager, and Raphael Rial, Project Officer. Also in attendance is Olivia O’Donoghue, RACGP Aboriginal Censor and IGPRN representative.

Cultural Educators and Cultural Mentors

The Cultural Educator for JCU General Practice and Rural Medicine is Henry Neill and is responsible for delivering the Cultural Awareness Training Workshops to registrars which is a compulsory part of your training.

If you are a registrar that does not have access to a Cultural Mentor, please contact gprm.atsih@jcu.edu.au

They will be able to provide some advice and if applicable, provide you with a local contact in the area that will support you.

A cultural mentor is a specific role created to support general practice registrars training in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health training posts.   JCU General Practice and Rural Medicine partners with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health training posts who allocate one of their staff members to have a role as a cultural mentor within their health service.

Cultural mentors are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons who have detailed local knowledge of their region and are acknowledged in this role by the local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community. They guide registrars and staff to feel safe, comfortable and confident as they interact with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities.  Cultural Mentoring provides clarity around the cultural context of the local community and helps the registrar develop culturally safe clinical practice.

If you have a placement at an AMS/ACCHS, the cultural mentor is there to support you, the patients and their community.

  • ATSICHS Mackay - Veronica Ah Wang
  • Charleville & Western Area Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health (CWAATSICH) - Ellaine Wingate, Sandra Collins
  • Cooktown Multi-Purpose Health Centre - James Tapau
  • Gidgee Healing Mount Isa - Melissa Nathan
  • Galangoor Duwalami Primary Health Care Service - Sharly Murdoch
  • Goondir Health Services - Floyd Leedie
  • Gurriny Yealamucka Health Service - Darryll Murgha
  • Joyce Palmer and Palm Island Primary Health Care - Maisee James
  • Mamu Health Services - Brett Ambrum
  • North Ward Health Campus - Leah Lanoy
  • NPA Family and Community Services Primary Healthcare - Harriett Phineasa
  • Palm Island Community Company (PICC) - Jennifer Ketchell, Dyella Morgan
  • Townsville Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Service (TAIHS) - Heather Lee
  • Torres and Cape Health and Hospital Service Bamaga - Elizabeth Bond
  • Torres and Cape Health and Hospital Service Thursday Island - Olsen Sailor, Jessie Sailor
  • Wuchopperen Health Service - Kevin Busch, George Akee, Genevieve Meldrum

JCU General Practice and Rural Medicine: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee

This committee is comprised of key individuals with diverse experience in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health training space. The committee meets regularly to provide direction and oversight of the various Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activities in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategic Plan.