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RDN Health administers Outreach programs in New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). These programs are designed to increase access to medical, allied health and nursing services for people living in under-resourced communities, including remote, rural, regional and metropolitan areas, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing:
- Coordination of Indigenous Eye Health (CIEH)
- Eye and Ear Surgical Support (EESS)
- First Nations Health Outreach Services (FNHOS)
- Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF)
- Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS)
Funded through other pathways:
- Central West NSW Mental Health and Wellbeing Program (CW), with NSW Ministry of Health
- Western NSW Eye Health Partnership (WNSWEHP), with The Fred Hollows Foundation.
Note: On 1 July 2026, the Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program (MOICDP) and the Healthy Ears - Better Hearing, Better Listening (HEBHBL) Program were combined to form a single First Nations Chronic Disease Outreach Program, with RDN Health as administrator in NSW and ACT.
Scroll down for information on individual programs.
Coordination of Indigenous Eye Health (CIEH)
The Coordination of Indigenous Eye Health (CIEH) program is designed to improve the coordination of eye health services for First Nations people in NSW and the ACT. This is achieved by forming partnerships, identifying needs and implementing solutions.
Through the CIEH program, RDN Health has developed stakeholder groups in more than a dozen regions that comprise Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs), Local Health Districts (LHDs), Primary Health Networks (PHNs), Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and other eye health stakeholders.
These regional groups identify priority gaps in eye health pathways for First Nations people, and seek solutions that may include an Outreach service, negotiated referral arrangements with local providers, or other systems improvements.
A state-wide Advisory Group for First Nations Eye Health is part of the CIEH program which includes key state and national eye health stakeholders that inform policy through their respective networks, providing input to the program.
Eye and Ear Surgical Support (EESS)
The Eye and Ear Surgical Support (EESS) program aims to reduce the instances of avoidable blindness and deafness in First Nations populations through expediting access to eye and/or ear surgery. Patients who reside in MM3–MM7 locations are eligible for EESS services (find out the MM score of your town by searching the Health Workforce Locator).
First Nations Health Outreach Services (FNHOS)
The First Nations Health Outreach Services (FNHOS) program aims to increase access to multidisciplinary health services for Aboriginal people to prevent, detect and manage chronic disease and ear disease across NSW and the ACT. The FNHOS program supports the continuation and consolidation of two existing Outreach programs – Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program (MOICDP) and Healthy Ears – Better Hearing, Better Listening (HEBHBL) – into a single First Nations Chronic Disease Outreach Program.
Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF)
The aim of the Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF) is to improve health outcomes for people living in regional, rural and remote locations by supporting the delivery of Outreach health activities.
Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS)
First established in 1975, the Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS) supports optometrists to deliver Outreach optometric services to locations that would not otherwise have ready access to primary eye care in remote, rural and regional areas and in Aboriginal communities.
Central West NSW Mental Health and Wellbeing Program (CW)
The Central West NSW Mental Health and Wellbeing Program (CW) aims to increase access to psychiatry services for Aboriginal people in Central West NSW.
CW is funded by NSW Ministry of Health and administered by RDN Health.
Western NSW Eye Health Partnership (WNSWEHP)
The Western NSW Eye Health Partnership (WNSWEHP) is a collaborative initiative working to improve eye health outcomes for Aboriginal people across the Western NSW region.
Administered by RDN Health and funded by The Fred Hollows Foundation through its Indigenous Australia Program, the partnership brings together Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, Local Health Districts, Primary Health Networks and various Non-Government Organisations.
These partners work together within an integrated framework that draws on local knowledge and community priorities. By strengthening culturally responsive pathways to care, the partnership aims to increase access to eye health services and reduce the rate of avoidable vision loss in Aboriginal communities across Western NSW.