• nangnak warr bagora is a new cancer clinic at Eastern Health Healesville, providing culturally appropriate care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples battling the disease.
• nangnak warr bagora was officially launched by was officially launched by Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for Health Infrastructure, Tim Richardson at a ceremony on Thursday afternoon.
• Engagement with the Eastern Health Aboriginal Health Team and their Social and Emotional Wellbeing coordinator will be a key element of the Clinic to provide culturally appropriate care.
• This Clinic aims to address the gap in cancer outcomes and to address the health needs of our local Community in the catchment.
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AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW: Eastern Health Director Cancer Services, Adjunct Clinical Professor Phillip Parente PHOTOS: Available for download here --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for Health Infrastructure, Tim Richardson launched nangnak warr bagora; a new cancer clinic at our Healesville campus, providing culturally appropriate care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples battling the disease. “This new First Nations Cancer Clinic in Healesville will help us deliver equitable access to cancer treatment, therapies and clinical trials in a culturally sensitive setting,” Mr Richardson said. Chenile Chandler performed a Call to Country followed by a smoking ceremony conducted by Craig Murphy-Wandin. Members of the local community were on-hand for the official opening. The Clinic’s main aim is to address the gap in cancer outcomes and specifically address the health of the local Community. The Aboriginal Health Advisory Committee and Aboriginal volunteers will help inform the clinic’s development and ongoing success. Eastern Health Director Cancer Services, Adjunct Clinical Professor Phillip Parente led the project. “It was clear in the initial community engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Isalnder people that Healesville has significant cultutral meaning and high connection to country, culture, and family. We will continue to work and consult with the community and our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers to enhance the cultural sensitivity of the clinic and surroundings,” he said. The high proportion of the Victorian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people population resides in the Yarra Ranges area (including Healesville). The clinic provides medical oncologists who have specific skills and experience treating the types of cancer reflected in the incidence patterns of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, along with a Social and Emotional Wellbeing Clinician from the Aboriginal Health Team. “The team has been drawn from the current workforce and are representative to ensure comfort in discussing men’s business and women’s business. “In the last few years, cancer has overtaken cardiovascular diseases to become the leading cause of death among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are 14 per cent more likely to be diagnosed with cancer and 20 per cent less likely to survive at least five years after diagnosis compared with non-Aboriginal Australians. This disparity continues to increase on a yearly basis,” Prof Parente said. Along with philanthropic support, the Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium (MPCCC) also awarded the Clinic the Precision Treatment Accelerator Grant. The grant will fund an oncologist for 12 months with respect to improvement of First Nations Cancer Research and involvement in Clinical Trials. “This oncologist will enhance the recruitment of Aboriginal cancer patients into clinical trials which is a main aim in the recently released Victorian Cancer Action Plan.” The official naming of the clinic, nangnak warr bagora, was decided by the Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, aligning with the Victorian Government’s commitment to Aboriginal self-determination. nangnak warr bagora translates to caring for you centre. Contact details:Marianna Alepidis
Media Officer
marianthe.alepidis@easternhealth.org.au
0437 875 825
