Poche Centre for Indigenous Health is launched

On 23 September, the Chancellor Marie Bashir joined the Dean of Medicine, Bruce Robinson, in launching the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, which has been set up to address the inequities and barriers in access to healthcare for Indigenous Australians.

The Centre will work closely with Aboriginal communities, health services and individuals. Developing strategies to improve communication and encourage shared decision making, is one of the priority tasks.

"When healthcare for Indigenous patients is built around trust, reciprocity and shared decision making, health programs and interventions are more effective," said Professor Alan Cass, who was appointed this month as co-director of the Poche Centre.

The establishment of the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health follows a donation of $10 million in February this year by philanthropist Mr Greg Poche.

The Centre has three primary aims:

to work with local and community health services to improve Indigenous health in western NSW and the Northern Territory;
to conduct essential research into critical aspects of Indigenous health;
to educate medical and health students in matters concerning the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

"The development of the Poche Centre represents a fantastic opportunity to promote change and reduce disparities in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and social justice outcomes," said Associate Professor Ngiare Brown, a co-director with Professor Cass.

"It is very much a cross sectoral collaboration - it brings together a philanthropic donation from the private sector with the medical and academic expertise of Australia's leading universities, and links that with Aboriginal communities and health services. The aim is to address priorities and gaps in health services and capacity," she said.