The Central West Aboriginal Mental Health and Wellbeing Program (CWAMH) was established in 2023 through a strong partnership between the NSW Ministry of Health’s Centre for Aboriginal Health, Western NSW Local Health District, and Central West Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs), including Condobolin Aboriginal Health Service, Orange Aboriginal Medical Service, Weigelli Centre Aboriginal Corporation, and Yoorana Gunya Family Healing Centre Aboriginal Corporation.

On 22 October, RDN’s Health Access Services Manager, Amanda Masset, Senior Project Officer, Jessica Dunworth, and Program Support Officer, Tori Towney, were honoured to attend the Fred Hollows Foundation’s inaugural “Friends of Fred” event at Bangarra Dance Theatre in Sydney. This landmark gathering brought together the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye-health sector, uniting community-controlled health organisations, national representatives, sector partners, and supporters.

Last month, RDN Health’s Health Access Services Manager, Amanda Masset, had the privilege of attending the 50-year celebration of the Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS) in Canberra — a milestone that marks half a century of dedicated Outreach eye care across Australia.

For many women, being able to seek out, and have access to, a ‘female’ General Practitioner for their health and wellbeing, or to discuss gender-specific health issues, is highly valued and can play a significant part in a patient’s willingness to seek medical or preventative care.

The Western NSW Eye Health Partnership, administered by RDN and funded by the Fred Hollows Foundation, was recently invited by the Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service to participate in a wellbeing camp held at the Wellington Caves.

Professor Jane Bleasel had been working as Head of the Department of Rheumatology at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney when she first saw there was a need for specialist rheumatology services in Wagga Wagga.

A new resource developed by the National Association of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers and Practitioners (NAATSIHWP) is available for download which aims to improve access for Aboriginal Health Workers and Practitioners working in non-ACCHO settings, such as general practice.

The community of Quirindi, on the fertile Liverpool Plains of NSW, is celebrating the arrival of new doctors, following a successful recruitment drive supported by RDN Health through the Collaborative Care Program.

The Outreach community witnessed a significant retirement earlier in the year, as optometrist Tony Lord stepped away from the practice in which he has helped generations of central western NSW locals maintain the clarity of their eyesight so they could continue to appreciate the “vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended”, as Banjo Paterson once wrote in conveying something of the beauty of the region.