Bairnsdale Regional Health Service has used its Close the Gap Day community event to launch a practical new kit to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People to improve their heart health.

Around 200 residents and staff gathered at BRHS to mark Close the Gap Day on Thursday, 16 March, an annual event that aims to deliver health equality to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who have a lower life expectancy and greater prevalence of many health issues than other Australians.

Koori Heart Kits have been developed to support Koori people who are admitted to BRHS with a heart condition.

The kits include scales and a measuring jug to help patients monitor fluid intake and retention, culturally appropriate information on cardiac rehabilitation, chewing gum to counteract dry mouths for people on restricted fluid intake, Aboriginal Health Unit contacts and QR codes that connect patients to Aboriginal-specific videos on heart disease developed by Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital.

The kits will be available on BRHS wards shortly.

Aboriginal Health Unit Care Coordinator Carolyn Alkemade, who developed the kits with Cardiac Liaison Nurse Claire Chapman, said the kits respond to a clear need in East Gippsland.

“When talking about Closing the Gap, the Australian Bureau of Statistics health data from 2021 identified cardiovascular disease as a significant contributor to this difference in life expectancy,” she told those at the event.

“Aboriginal people living in the Orbost catchment area, which includes the Lake Tyers Trust, record concerning rates of heart disease at 6 per cent, which is way above the National rate of 3.7 per cent. This figure is equivalent to roughly 1 Aboriginal person in every 16 as having reported a heart condition.”

She said the team has now developed a new culturally-centred heart program focused on working with people out in the community, and is seeking support from local Aboriginal groups to co-design it.

CEO Vicki Farthing said she is pleased that BRHS plays a leading role in Aboriginal health in East Gippsland.

“BRHS is proud to hold this gathering to recognise the unacceptable gap between non-indigenous and indigenous people,” she said. “I also want to recognise the great work our health service, in particular our Aboriginal Health Unit do, to close the gap.”

This includes:

• creating a new cultural garden outside the Maddocks Gardens aged care facility and adding Aboriginal art at the Day Street campus to offer a safe space for Aboriginal people
• working with maternity services at the Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Cooperative (GEGAC) to better support Aboriginal mothers and babies, including creating a tote bag
• supporting local elders to ensure they remain as independent as possible at home, and
• collaborating with the BRHS education team to support Aboriginal health worker trainees to complete their placement hours and increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment at BRHS.

Aboriginal Health Unit Manager Ashleigh Munro, who MC-ed the community event and is the new chair of the Centre for Excellence for Aboriginal Health in East Gippsland (CEAHEG), said she is passionate about encouraging young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into health careers.

“I’d like to use it (my role at BRHS) as a platform to grow the Aboriginal workforce in the hospital. I was lucky enough to get this opportunity many years ago now (as an allied health worker trainee) and I still have close friendships from this,” she told the crowd.

“But it’s also given me skills, a foot in the door and confidence. There is untapped potential we have in the community that might not just go for things and hope for the best.”

Guests at the community event were treated to a display of Aboriginal dance from a group of teens from Bairnsdale Secondary College and led by Phillip Solomon. Their performance ended with an invitation to the audience to join in.

Gippsland Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation (GLaWAC) board member Lisa Giblin delivered a Welcome to Country in a traditional possum skin cloak in honour of her ancestors.

Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) were also invited to take part in the community event.

Lions Club volunteers put on a sausage sizzle, while members of the BRHS catering team provided afternoon tea and three celebratory cakes. Aboriginal Health Unit Koori Health Liaison Officer Narelle Bragg designed black and green t-shirts for staff at the event.