Image: Trevor Pearce and Scott Chapman (left to right)
The Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) is the peak Aboriginal health body representing 100% of Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) in Victoria. On 19 March 2019, Scott Chapman, RFDS Victoria CE and Trevor Pearce, VACCHO Acting CEO, signed a Memorandum of Understanding to renew the RFDS’ commitment to providing Flying Doctor Telehealth to ACCOs in Victoria. A partnership to provide access to specialist care via telehealth to Aboriginal people.
Flying Doctor Telehealth partner with a number of ACCOs in Victoria and are committed to delivering a culturally safe service for patients. Since 2017, VACCHO and RFDS Victoria have worked together to provide improved access to specialist care in a culturally safe space; areas of specific need have been endocrinology and psychiatry.
Cultural safety is about providing quality health care that fits within the familiar cultural values and norms of the person accessing the service that may differ from your own and/or the dominant culture. RFDS are committed to providing a culturally safe service via telehealth therefore support telehealth specialists to complete the VACCHO Cultural Safety Training.
Following the signing, an afternoon tea to celebrate the partnership was attended by Mr Chapman and Mr Pearce, RFDS Australia CEO Martin Laverty and VACCHO and Flying Doctor staff.
Mr Chapman said of the partnership, “The past two years have been an opportunity to learn and contribute with the support of VACCHO. We thank VACCHO for the cultural safety training of our specialists and staff, and for facilitating face-to-face meetings with ACCOs across Victoria so we could understand and work with them on their specific needs.”
“As we move to our new MOU I would like to thank VACCHO and the ACCOs that have shown trust in us and we look forward to expanding our services with you in the future,” Mr Chapman said.
