Rural Health Education Foundation appoints Tom Calma as Patron
June 1, 2010
The Honourable Warren Snowdon, Federal Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural Health & Regional Services Delivery, was among medical professionals, national health and medical organisations and senior public servants yesterday who came together to formally acknowledge the appointment of Tom Calma as Patron of the Rural Health Education Foundation.
Tom Calma, former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, has been involved in Indigenous affairs at a local, community, state and territory, national and international level and has worked in the public sector for 38 years. His extensive experience in public administration, policy development, education and training will provide the Foundation with tremendous scope to enhance its services and their delivery.
Commenting on Tom Calma’s appointment as Patron of the Rural Health Education Foundation, Dr Brian Bowring, Chairman said, “Tom Calma is a notable Australian who is passionate about redressing inequalities amongst Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. He is an exceptional communicator and has a great ability in building and maintaining strong relationships.
“We have no doubt that Tom will bring great value in assisting the Foundation deliver on its focus over the next year including the latest information and education to support the health needs of Indigenous Australians in particular and the application of health policies for the key national health priorities of mental health, aged care and chronic diseases.”
On accepting his appointment Mr Calma said, “From my extensive travels around Australia, I know the challenges faced by rural and remote Australians – both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. I am happy to lend my support and assistance to further the mission of the Rural Health Education Foundation in redressing the health inequality in rural and remote Australia.”
A key focus for the Foundation in 2010/2011 is to utilise the rapidly evolving technology and the switchover to digital television so that it can continue to deliver its critical service to the more than 50,000 medical and health professionals in rural and remote Australia.
“We have an unparalleled opportunity to maintain, improve and more importantly, extend our ability to connect effectively with rural and remote health professionals and their communities, in turn ensuring they can achieve better health outcomes. A planned pilot trialling the use of mobile phones for health education is just one of the exciting projects on the horizon, ” said Mr Don Perlgut, Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Health Education Foundation.
Another key focus in 2010 and 2011 is for the Foundation to continue to build on its successful community educational programs such as the international award-winning post-traumatic stress disorder program, which has now been viewed by tens of thousands of patients, the Strong series on Indigenous health, which has already featured Patron Tom Calma, and the Outback Healers & Heroines: Women in GP Practice program that will be appearing on SBS TV later this week.
With forty percent of young doctors taking up rural general practice being women, the latest documentary Outback Healers & Heroines: Women in GP Practice is a tribute to the unsung efforts of female GPs. It follows a group of women GPs from Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory as they share experiences working in rural Australia and how they have overcome the challenges in their areas. Partnering with the Rural Doctors’ Association of Australia to produce this documentary has illustrated the value, diversity and reach that can be achieved in forging strong partnerships.
About Tom Calma (see complete biography). For more pictures of the event, click here.