APA COMMITTEES & COUNCILS
Indigenous Health Committee (IHC)
- About the Indigenous Health Committee
- Committee members
- Links to APA Indigenous health documents and articles
- Bibliography on Physiotherapy and Indigenous health
- Visit the e-community
- Contact us
- External links
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About the Indigenous Health Committee
The vision of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is that all Australians will have access to quality physiotherapy, when and where required, to optimise health and wellbeing. As part of this vision, the Indigenous Health Committee (IHC) advocates for equitable access to physiotherapy for those Australians who experience the greatest health inequalities – Indigenous Australians.
The IHC was established as a standing committee of the Board of Directors of the APA in July 2005. The committee started in 1996 as a small group of interested Darwin-based physiotherapists and has now broadened its scope and membership to include physiotherapists from around Australia with knowledge and experience of Indigenous health issues.
The role of the IHC is to develop policy and provide advice to the Board on Indigenous health issues. The IHC also works to raise awareness of these issues within the Association and promote information sharing. To guide its work, the committee has developed the APA Indigenous Health Action Plan which is aligned with national Indigenous health strategy.
(Left to Right: Shayna Gavin, Kayla McKinnon, Joanne Symons, Rob Curry, Philippa Cotter, Patrick Maher and Paul Gerken)
Philippa Cotter
Philippa Cotter graduated in 1992 and completed a Master of Public Health at the University of New South Wales in 2003. Until 2001 Philippa worked in acute, rehabilitation and community settings in Sydney and Darwin. More recently she has worked in aged care and disability policy and program development for the Northern Territory government and currently works as a consultant/writer on various Indigenous health projects. Philippa has a particular interest in Indigenous ageing issues and has served on the Northern Territory Branch Council and the National Rural Issues Committee of the APA. Philippa was one of the founding members of the APA Indigenous Health Committee and is the current chairperson.
Rob Curry
After graduating in Melbourne in 1980, Rob Curry heard the call of the bush and eventually settled in Darwin in 1984. Through his initial work at Royal Darwin Hospital, he came to know many Aboriginal clients and their families. A growing interest in Indigenous health eventually led him to the outreach job, the flying physiotherapist, a unique post he enjoyed for many years. To improve his skills, Rob gained a Graduate Diploma in Aboriginal Studies and a Masters in Primary Health Care. His interest continues to be the development of remote physiotherapy and allied health models of service delivery and the establishment of workforce benchmarks for remote practice.
An APA member for over 20 years, Rob Curry became a more active contributor in the mid-90s when asked to establish the National Rural Working Party. He has since chaired the Rural Issues Committee and is an inaugural member of the Indigenous Health Subcommittee. Rob is the current Rural Representative on the APA National Advisory Committee. An APA member for over 20 years, Rob became a more active contributor in the mid-90s when asked to establish the National Rural Working Party. He has since chaired the Rural Issues Committee and is an inaugural member of the Indigenous Health Committee. Rob is the current Rural Representative on the APA National Advisory Committee. Rob's greater commitment is to furthering the physiotherapy profession as a key provider of essential health services in Australia. In particular, Rob contributes to the ongoing work of building physiotherapy workforce levels to better meet community needs, and in gearing APA policy to more closely match the needs and voice of the consumer.
Ray Gates
Ray Gates is an Aboriginal physiotherapist who graduated in 2003 and is currently working through his Masters in Pain Management. Prior to changing career Ray worked as a project officer for the (then) Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services. Since becoming a physiotherapist he has primarily worked as a community service provider for both community health services and as a private practitioner. Ray has been actively involved in a variety of Indigenous issues over the past years, both in his workplaces and on a personal level, including Indigenous health, employment, education, cultural awareness training, and youth issues. While recognising the need for specific and culturally appropriate services for Indigenous peoples, Ray is an advocate for mainstream service providers taking responsibility for the provision of services to Indigenous communities.
Shayna Gavin
Shayna Gavin graduated in 2002 and is currently completing a Graduate Diploma in Health Promotion through Curtin University. Shayna has worked in acute, outpatient, private practice and community settings. For the last two years Shayna has worked in Darwin with an urban and regional community based position in aged care and with people with disabilities. Shayna has served on the Northern Territory APA Branch Council as manager of professional development, is the current Branch President, and has been involved in the Indigenous Health Committee over the past year.
Paul Gerken
Paul Gerken graduated in 1992 and worked in Alice Springs for two years where he first encountered and became interested in Indigenous Health issues. Paul moved to Darwin in 1994 and spent a year on the acute wards at Royal Darwin Hospital (RDH) before moving to the Rehabilitation Unit where he currently works. Paul achieved the title of APA Neurological Physiotherapist in 2005, is the past president of the APA Northern Territory Branch, and has served on the APA House of Delegates and the APA National Advisory Committee. Paul was one of the founding members of the APA Indigenous Health Committee.
Pat Maher
Pat Maher has worked as a physiotherapist in acute care, rehabilitation and rural settings, as a manager of multidisciplinary work units and as a government policy adviser in aged care, disability and acute care. He has been involved in the APA at both branch and national levels for many years and has an interest and knowledge of issues related to rural, remote and Indigenous physiotherapy practice. Pat has a Bachelor of Science (Honours), Bachelor of Physiotherapy, Master of Physiotherapy (Rural & Remote Health), and a Graduate Diploma of Public Sector Executive Management.
Kayla McKinnon
Since graduating in 2002, Kayla has worked in Broome in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Subsequently Kayla worked for the public health service and as a private practitioner. Kayla has completed postgraduate education in the areas of musculoskeletal and continence physiotherapy. Currently she works for Broome Health Service and provides services within Broome and surrounding Aboriginal communities. Kayla has been a member of the APA Indigenous Health Committee since 2005.
Jo Symons
Jo Symons graduated in 1994 and completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Manipulative Physiotherapy at the University of Otago in New Zealnd in 1997. Jo worked in private practice in New Zealand and Townsville, before moving to Mt Isa, North West Queensland, in 2002. Jo played a part in helping to develop the North West Queensland Allied Health Service which delivers outreach allied health services to remote communities in North West and Central West Queensland. She was initially employed on the team as the first physiotherapist, has had several roles on the team and now holds the position of Executive Officer for Health Services for the auspicing organization, North & West Queensland Primary Health Care. Jo has a particular interest in remote health and the role of physiotherapy in the delivery of primary health care, seeing a priority in increasing access to services for Indigenous Australians.
- AJP editorial: ‘Why the silence on Indigenous Health?’ Australian Journal of Physiotherapy 2005 Vol. 51.
- APA Indigenous Health Position Statement
- IHC Activity Plan 2008
- IHC Terms of Reference
- Physiotherapy Practice Issues in Indigenous Contexts
- InMotion articles: April 2006, Working with Indigenous Australians
- 'IHC Plans of Action', July 2006, p. 4
- Physiotherapy in Indigenous communities: a student perspective, April 2006, p. 12
- Outback adventure', March 2006, p. 18
- Insight into Indigenous cultures', November 2005, p. 8
- Indigenous health role expands', October 2005, p. 2
- 'Go Tigers!', October 2005, p. 10-11
- 'Indigenous people lack access', September 2005, p. 13
- 'New health check for Indigenous children', August 2005, p. 9
- 'Time to increase Indigenous health content', August 2005, p. 6
- 'Metabolic Syndrome and Indigenous Australians', April 2005 p. 24
- 'First Intake at James Cook', March 2005, p. 27
- 'Developing Indigenous Health Policy', December 2004, p. 20-21
- 'Preventing Injuries in Indigenous Communities' Nov/Dec 2004, p. 8
- 'Remote Physiotherapy: A story from the Top End', Sept/Oct 2004, p. 34
- Physiotherapy for Indigenous Australians in rural and remote areas: a survey report, APA 2005
- The perceived relevance of physiotherapy in Indigenous Health: a qualitative study, Natasha Amery 2005
More information about Indigenous health and physiotherapy can be found in the e-community document library including:
The purpose of the attached bibliography is to increase understanding of the issues involved in providing physiotherapy treatment for Indigenous people and to facilitate evidence-based practice.
The bibliography covers topics such as: children with disabilities, gender related health issues, rehabilitation, care for older people, culturally appropriate evaluation of health projects, primary health care, arthritis, compliance and allied health service delivery models.
The bibliography will be updated as new information is made available and the IHC welcomes suggestions for additional documents to be added.
Subscribing to the Indigenous e-community allows you to join in electronic conversation with other physiotherapists and health professionals from around Australia who are interested in Indigenous health. You can create your own discussion forum, reply to a discussion topic, share information and resources or read the latest news from the Indigenous Health Committee.
http://apa.advsol.com.au/source/communities/communityHomePage.cfm?section=members&CmtyId=44
Please don’t hesitate to contact the Indigenous Health Committee.
Ms Philippa Cotter
IHC Chairperson
prcotter@bigpond.net.au
Ian Hazeldine
Research and Policy Officer, APA
ian.hazeldine@physiotherapy.asn.au
- Australian Government Indigenous Portal
www.indigenous.gov.au - Australian Indigenous Doctors Association
www.aida.org.au - Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au - Australian Indigenous Health Promotion Network
www.indigenoushealth.med.usyd.edu.au - Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
www.aiatsis.gov.au - Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
www.aihw.gov.au/indigenous - Australian Medical Journal articles on Indigenous Health
www.mja.com.au/Topics/Aboriginal%20health.html - Centre for Remote Health in Alice Springs
crh.flinders.edu.au - Cooperative Research Centre for Indigenous Health
www.crcah.org.au - Department of Families, Communities and Indigenous Affairs
www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/indigenous - National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organsiation
www.naccho.org.au - Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health
www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/
Content/Office+for+Aboriginal+and+Torres+Strait+Islander+Health+%28OATSIH%29-1 - Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination
www.oipc.gov.au - Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme
www.rcna.org.au/pages/puggy.php - Working with Indigenous Peoples with a Disability
www.wired.org.au
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