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www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au
Speak Out
February 2015
31
BRANCH news
Western Australia
As active members
of our rural
health club, WAALHIIBE (a member
of the National Rural Health Students
Network (NRHSN)) we were offered the
opportunity to apply for the CARAH
Compass experience from 28 October
to 2 November 2014, provided by the
Northern Territory Medicare Local
(NTML). We were lucky enough to be
selected as two of the eight allied health
and medical students from across the
country to participate.
The CARAH Compass experience
aimed to introduce interested health
students to the natural beauty of
the Northern Territory as well as the
methods of healthcare delivery in rural
and remote Central Australia. These
experiences were provided in the
hope that we will seriously consider
undertaking a rural or remote practicum
during our degree and eventually
employment in the Northern Territory.
While in Alice Springs we visited some
remote Aboriginal communities in
order to explore their culture and gain
a firsthand view of the health delivery
services. In Santa Teresa (Ltyentye
Apurte), a community 80kms from
Alice Springs along an unsealed
road, we spoke to nurse Debbie
Star who has lived and served in the
community for four and a half years.
She gave us an insight into living
conditions in the community and the
prevalence of chronic disease, such
as kidney disease. A visit to the Ntaria
Clinic at Hermannsburg highlighted
the importance of improving health
services, with the community being
closely involved in the planning of a
new $5 million clinic to ensure cultural
appropriateness, such as separate male
and female entrances.
We were afforded the opportunity to
meet with speech pathologists, Libby
Coy, Anna Ritchie and Ha Young Lim
(Summer), at Alice Springs Hospital who
gave a perspective of speech pathology
services in remote communities and
in a hospital setting. They encouraged
us to consider how paediatric services
could be improved and built upon in
remote communities to improve future
outcomes, as well as gave us some
fantastic tips of areas to focus on
as we continue through our studies.
Meeting Libby, Anna and Summer was a
highlight of our trip as we had the unique
opportunity to discuss topics and ask
questions of specialists in our field living
in a town so different to home.
Another wonderful opportunity that
we were able to partake in was visiting
Alukura, a women’s only clinic that
provides a range of culturally appropriate
health services to Aboriginal women.
We met Dr Claire Jarvis and some of
her amazing staff and were impressed
with the cultural inclusivity and passion
for women’s health delivery in an often
difficult, environment.
Our week in Alice Springs provided
an excellent opportunity to not only
experience the magnificent scenery of
Central Australia, but to network with
other allied health and medical students
and qualified health professionals. We are
very grateful to NRSHN, NTML and Rural
Health Workforce Australia for providing
this wonderful opportunity and highly
encourage other students interested in
rural or remote health to get involved
within their own rural health club.
Paige Chewter
and
Nickee Priestman
First-year Speech Pathology,
Edith Cowan University
CARAH Compass experience in the Outback
Above: Paige (left) and Nickee (right) visited the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and the Alice Springs Hospital
(below) while in Alice Springs.