Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service Report

This report provides a detailed overview of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS) Mackay, a community-controlled organization serving the indigenous communities in the Mackay region of Queensland, Australia. The report covers the history of ATSICHS Mackay, its vision and objectives, and the range of healthcare services it provides, including immunizations, health promotion, nutrition advice, patient follow-up, cardiovascular disease management, minor surgeries, and health checks for various age groups. It highlights the organization's target population, which includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and the importance of community involvement in decision-making and program implementation. The report also discusses the challenges faced by ATSICHS Mackay, such as accessibility issues, the difficulty in finding indigenous healthcare providers, and the costs associated with outreach programs. Furthermore, it includes a reflection on the importance of participatory approaches and the need for services that comply with quality management standards, emphasizing the vital role of ATSICHS Mackay in addressing health disparities and improving health outcomes for indigenous Australians. The report concludes with a list of references, including academic journals and websites, used in the research.

Running Head: ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITY
HEALTH SERVICE (ATSICHS MACKAY)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service (ATSICHS Mackay)
Name:
Institutions and Affiliations:
Instructor:
Date:

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICE
(ATSICHS MACKAY)
a. Overview
ATSICHS Mackay is a self-governing, community-controlled and independent
indigenous organization which offers primary healthcare services mainly to the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islanders in the Mackay region, Queensland. The organization partners with
the community and different healthcare provider in providing services that are both accessible
and appropriate to indigenous groups in the Mackay region (Schluter et al, 2016). The service
areas include the indigenous communities in Isaac, Central Highlands, Mackay and
Whitsunday. The services on the other hand include dental care, podiatry, support and
education on drugs and alcohol use among others. It is considered as the leading indigenous
health service provider in Australia having been the first to be certified by the BSI Australia
after satisfying the NSQHS standards and the ISO 9001 Quality Management criteria
(Sivabalan et al, 2017).
b. History of ATSICHS-Mackay Limited
ATSICHS Mackay was founded in 1978 in Mackay Queensland to provide a holistic
health service to indigenous communities in the Mackay region in Australia. The community-
controlled organization therefore has served Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people for over 30 years. Since its humble beginning in 1978, the non-profit organization has
grown to a more than $2 million operational budget today with about 50 staff members. The

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICE
(ATSICHS MACKAY)
organization has also developed its capacity over the period to provide 2,500 client services
in 10 different program areas in its existing premises (Schluter et al, 2016). Today ATSICHS
Mackay offers comprehensive primary healthcare including medical services that are
culturally appropriate. These services are made accessible by the facility to over 6,000
indigenous Australians in Isaac, Central Highlands, Mackay and Whitsunday parts of
Queensland.
c. Vision and Objectives
ATSICHS-Mackay envisions a “Strong Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
communities managing their health to enjoy a long and quality life.” The organization’s
main objectives include first, provide appropriate and/or high quality tailor-made primary
healthcare services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the Mackay region. The
organizations other objective is to partner with the Mackay community members and other
healthcare providers in order to ensure that services offered not only appropriate but also
accessible to each and every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander in the region. The
organization ensures that its activities; are led and controlled by the community; respect the
cultures of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders; are honest and considers integrity and
further; supports; supports the community in Mackay region while recognising its own
achievements as a motivation to further its course.

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICE
(ATSICHS MACKAY)
d. Programs & Services
The organization offers clinical services through a team of multi-disciplinary
Registered Nurses, GPs and Indigenous Health Workers. First, the organization provides
immunisation services to the community on a weekly basis to people of different ages within
the region (Sivabalan et al, 2017). It is thus an immunization for the residents and those who
require vaccination clearances for travel purposes. Secondly, ATSICHS-Mackay runs a
rigorous health promotion and education program within the community focussing on
educating the community on different healthcare options, drugs and alcohol abuse, STI
prevention among others. In regard to nutrition, the ATSICHS-Mackay offers advice to
people of different ages on appropriate dietary requirements in line with their health
conditions (Mutch et al, 2017). The fourth program offered includes patient follow up and
home visits. The healthcare providers visit homes to offer postnatal care, for defaulter-tracing
purposes, and to just follow up patient welfare after hospital discharge.
In order to prevent and manage cardiovascular diseases, the organization provides
ECG heart checks and refers clients to specialised medical facilities in Australia. ATSICHS-

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICE
(ATSICHS MACKAY)
Mackay also offers Minor surgery services including stitching of cuts, removing moles and
sunspots and further the liquid-nitrogen-freezing therapy to the clientele. Generally, the
organization offers healthcare consultation through its highly motivated group of healthcare
providers and visiting specialists (Campbell et al, 2017). In regard to specific health checks
carried out by the organization offers health checks for the aged, adults, and children. Special
screening programs are done on hearing health, pregnancy, Sexually Transmitted Infections
(STIs), cervical cancer among others. The organization also runs a social support program
which comprises of organising social health units meetings on every weekday within the
communities in Mackay region. It also organizes Regional Outreach Community Screening
services during school holidays in areas like Proserpine, Bowen, Sarina and Clermont.
ATSICHS-Mackay organizes health screening days in schools in the Mackay region for
students and communities in the surrounding districts (Brigg et al, 2017). Further, the
organization avails mental health specialists to offer therapy to patients with mental problems
including guiding and counselling psychologists.

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICE
(ATSICHS MACKAY)
e. Membership: Community/Target Population
ATSICHS Mackay targets the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in
the Mackay region who are major stakeholders in the running of the institution. The
community members inform decision making procedures on management and
implementation of the different programs run by the institution (Stewart et al, 2012). They
form part of the board of directors who are chosen from the community. The board comprises
of 3 directors, a chairperson, treasurer and secretary. The organization thus relies on the
community needs feedback offered to them by the members of the communities in Mackay
and its neighbouring districts to align its program so as to suit them appropriately. The
community also decides on the most culturally appropriate healthcare procedures to be
offered to members by the healthcare teams. In according to Mutch et al (2017), particular the
organization serves over 6,000 indigenous Australians in Isaac, Central Highlands, Mackay
and Whitsunday parts of Queensland who participate in its programs.
f. Location & Contacts
ATSICHS Mackay is located at the Joan Seden Building on Victoria Street in Mackay,
Queensland.
Address
31-33 Victoria Street
Mackay QLD 4740
Contacts
Tel [phone]
Toll Free 1800 817 773
Fax(Admin) [phone]
Fax(Clinic) [phone]
Opening Hours
8.30am to 5.00pm (Monday-Friday)
Clinical Hours:
After Hours
Emergency Department,
Mackay Base Hospital [phone]

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICE
(ATSICHS MACKAY)
8:30am to 4:00pm (Monday-Friday)
8:30am to 11:30 (Saturday)
Emergencies hotline number: 000
g. Issues and challenges
One of the major issues concerning ATSICHS Mackay is accessibility of its services
to community members considering that it is centred away from the rural areas in
Queensland. A lot of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders with the Mackay region find it
difficult and costly to travel to the organization’s premises for services. They thus rely on
community outreach programs run by the organization which are however costly to the non-
profit institution. Secondly in the quest to offer culturally appropriate healthcare, the
organization needs indigenous healthcare providers from the region. However, it is difficult
to find medical specialists and healthcare providers who are from the indigenous
communities (Campbell et al, 2017). Even so, the organization ensures that majority of its
staff members understand the culture of the communities within and also gives priority to
qualified health professionals in terms of job opportunities. A further challenge to the
organization is the high cost of hiring visiting specialists and expensive community outreach
programs in schools and communities during holidays (Schluter et al, 2016). While the
organization relies on donations and grants from the state and national government, it has to
factor in its budget the successful implementation of such programs to ensure that services
reach the people within its area of jurisdiction.
h. Reflection
Having understood that the indigenous communities in Australia have poorer health
outcomes as compared to the non-indigenous people, I realised that institutions such
ATSICHS Mackay are quite instrumental in reducing this gap. The numerous chronic
diseases, effects of drugs and alcoholism, vulnerability to infectious diseases, inaccessibility
of culturally acceptable and appropriate services remain a heavy burden to indigenous

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICE
(ATSICHS MACKAY)
communities in Australia (Stewart et al, 2012). However I realized that the burden is even
heavier for institutions like ATSICHS Mackay which have to find strategies to mobilize
resources to enable them support these communities (Campbell et al, 2017). The increasing
competition between indigenous and non-indigenous organizations on state and national
government grants risks a cut on the funds intended for institutions as ATSICHS Mackay.
This can limit their operations and curtail the services they offer in the Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander communities.
My research on the membership and management of ATSICHS Mackay has made me
realize the importance of a participatory approach when planning and implementing
community-intended programs. This approach is effective as it ensures that all the
community health needs are all met/and or brought forward for consideration (Askew et al,
2017). The approach also ensures that the services offered are culturally appropriate and up
ethical. I have also understood the need to run services which comply with the NSQHS
standards and the ISO 9001 Quality Management criteria. These standards as met by
ATSICHS Mackay have seen the organization to be rated among the leading Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islanders community-controlled health institutions in Australia.

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICE
(ATSICHS MACKAY)
References
Askew, D., Lyall, V., Ewen, S., Paul, D., & Wheeler, M. (2017). Understanding practitioner
professionalism in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health: lessons from student
and registrar placements at an urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary
healthcare service. Australian Journal of Primary Health.
Bird, J., Rotumah, D., Bennett-Levy, J., & Singer, J. (2017). Diversity in eMental Health
Practice: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Service Providers. JMIR Mental Health, 4(2), e17.
Brigg, M., & Curth-Bibb, J. (2017). Recalibrating intercultural governance in Australian
Indigenous organizations: the case of Aboriginal community controlled
health. Australian Journal of Political Science, 52(2), 199-217.
Campbell, M., Hunt, J., Scrimgeour, D., Davey, M., & Jones, V. (2017). Contribution of
Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Services to improving Aboriginal health:
an evidence review. Australian Health Review.
McDermott, R., Schmidt, B., Preece, C., Owens, V., Taylor, S., Li, M., & Esterman, A.
(2015). Community health workers improve diabetes care in remote Australian
Indigenous communities: results of a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled
trial. BMC Health Services Research, 15(1).
Mutch, A., Lui, C., Dean, J., Mao, L., Lemoire, J., & Debattista, J. et al. (2017). Increasing
HIV testing among hard-to-reach groups: examination of RAPID, a community-based
testing service in Queensland, Australia. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1).
Schluter, P., Askew, D., Spurling, G., Lee, M., & Hayman, N. (2016). Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander oral health and its impact among adults: A cross-sectional
study. Australian Dental Journal, 62(1), 84-94.

ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICE
(ATSICHS MACKAY)
Sivabalan, P., Saboo, A., Yew, J., & Norton, R. (2017). Q fever in an endemic region of
North Queensland, Australia: A 10 year review. One Health, 3, 51-55.
Skerrett, D., Gibson, M., Darwin, L., Lewis, S., Rallah, R., & De Leo, D. (2017). Closing the
Gap in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Youth Suicide: A Social-Emotional
Wellbeing Service Innovation Project. Australian Psychologist.
Stewart, J., Sanson-Fisher, R., Eades, S., & Fitzgerald, M. (2012). The risk status, screening
history and health concerns of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people attending
an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service. Drug and Alcohol
Review, 31(5), 617-624.
Websites
http://www.atsichs.org.au
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Health Service, Mackay (Ltd)
https://www.truelocal.com.au/business/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-health-
service-mackay-ltd/mackay
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service - Mackay
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/australian-health-services/service/30279646/
mackay_south,4740/aboriginal-health-clinic/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-
community-health-service-mackay