In 2009, the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) established the Aboriginal Health Improvement Unit (AHIU) to manage the statewide delivery of WA’s Council of Australian Government commitment to Close the Gap in Aboriginal Health Outcomes.
The AHIU coordinates and leads the implementation of Closing the Gap and the Indigenous Early Childhood Development National Partnership Agreements, in addition to providing a secondary role of delivering the WACHS Aboriginal health agenda to country WA.
The AHIU provides the following functions:
Service Planning and Development
- Management of 100 Aboriginal health initiatives that employ over 400 staff across the health sector in the following key areas:
- tackling smoking
- transition to Adulthood
- making Indigenous health everyone’s business
- primary health care that delivers
- fixing the gaps and improving patient journey
- Aboriginal early childhood development programs
- Statewide Governance - management of the WA network of Statewide, Metropolitan and Regional Aboriginal Health Planning Forums
- Liaison and support to key stakeholders, including the Aboriginal Community Controlled sector, not-for-profit organisations and State Government agencies
Performance Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation
- Provide performance monitoring and reporting information on Closing the Gap in Aboriginal health
- Evaluate Aboriginal health initiatives and programs
- Provide regional Aboriginal health profiles covering a range of epidemiological and demographic information biennially for all health regions in WA.
Contract Management
- Management and support of Aboriginal health contracts with Government, non-Government Organisations and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health services across WA.
Workforce Development
- Facilitate opportunities for the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal people to the health workforce
- Promote a culturally supportive and respectful workplace environment.