Austin Health Celebrates Collaboration with Aboriginal People during NAIDOC Week in 2006

Abstract

Austin Health is one of Victoria's largest health care providers. It is a 950-bed major teaching and research hospital affiliated with the University of Melbourne. Austin Health employs more than 6,500 staff over three sites (the Repatriation Hospital, the Royal Talbot, and the Austin Hospital), and is renowned for providing high quality, comprehensive public health services. These services are provided to a significant number of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) population. Throughout Australia, Aboriginal people are dying at almost three times the rate of other Australians and have a life expectancy 17 years lower than the rest of the population. All State-funded hospitals are required to give special attention to the needs of ATSI people by ensuring services are provided in a culturally appropriate way and meet the needs of ATSI people.