22 October 2024
Melbourne – Hands-on Health Australia (HoHA) today announced a significant expansion of its services to improve health outcomes for disadvantaged and Indigenous people.
The initiative reflects HoHA’s commitment to addressing health disparities and ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare and wellbeing services.
Over the past 18 months, HoHA has experienced a 30 per cent increase in its services, and more than 50 per cent of the staff are women.
“There are many individuals in disadvantaged and Indigenous communities facing significant barriers to accessing healthcare,” said HoHA CEO Franca Smarrelli.
“Our mission is to break down those barriers and provide holistic health services that are respectful of cultural identities and responsive to community needs.”
As part of the expansion, HoHA today unveiled new branding that symbolizes its dedication to serving these communities.
“The new logo represents our core values of inclusivity, respect, and cultural sensitivity. We aim to foster a sense of belonging among all individuals we serve,” said Ms Smarrelli.
“In addition to the new branding, we are proud to launch our redesigned website, www.hoha.org.au, which features an array of expanded health services tailored to meet the unique needs of our communities.”
The website will offer:
• Comprehensive Health Services: Access to primary care, mental health support, preventive screenings, and wellness programs specifically designed for disadvantaged and Indigenous individuals.
• Educational Resources: Culturally relevant health education materials to empower communities with knowledge about their health and wellbeing and legal and financial referral services.
• Community Engagement Opportunities: This is a platform for community members to participate in health initiatives, share feedback, and connect with HoHA’s team.
HoHA’s Chair Robert Masters AM said today the charity’s vision was to expand its allied health and wellbeing services to address the ‘growing gap’ in physical, mental, legal, and financial services to the disadvantaged on a no-cost or donation basis.
“HoHA has done this for the past 35 years without federal or state government assistance, while the demand for its services has increased by 40 per cent,” he said.
“We are focused on providing a social prescription model, based on the RACGP’s Social Prescribing Report and Recommendations, which highlighted between 40 and 50per per cent of socially disadvantaged people do not visit GPs for issues such as social services, low engagement, loneliness and marginalization.
“HoHA’s approach helps break down the silos within and around medical and community health services, especially where many disadvantaged people do not seek consultation from medical clinics.”
HoHA’s services have provided more than 2.3 million non-medical treatments and services (Victoria only) over the last three decades, an estimated saving the government $150 million in healthcare and clinical training costs.
Its services cover approximately 600,000 patients, delivering 90,000 treatments per annum to 25,0001 clients. The services are provided by qualified health professionals and fully supervised final-year graduates in allied health from tertiary institutions and Vocational education. More than 400 volunteers support the clinics with a holistic approach to health and wellbeing.
Of the 774,000 Victorians living in poverty, almost 70,000 (8.6%)2 frequent HoHA clinics, new clients have risen by 30% over 18 months, and more than 50% are women. Between 10-20% of clients have disabilities, and approx. 10% are Indigenous, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD or LGBQTI+).
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BACKGROUND: About Hands-on Health Australia
Hands-on Health Australia (HoHA) is a small to medium-sized charity based in Victoria that seeks to fill the gap between allied health and wellbeing, focusing on the public health system for the disadvantaged in the community. For the past 35 years, the charity has been dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of disadvantaged and Indigenous populations through accessible, culturally competent healthcare services. The clinics’ dedicated professionals work tirelessly to ensure that every individual has the opportunity to achieve
1 Note that treatments do not equate to visits.
2 Note that visits do not equate to treatments
for optimal health. HoHA’s Wellbeing Hubs are in Victoria, NSW, and Queensland and will soon be operational in South Australia.
HoHA operates under the regulations of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
3. Its services include counselling for mental health, osteopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy, exercise science, Chinese medicine, yoga, massage and myotherapy, nutrition, and other services as needed, including financial and legal counselling, GP referrals, and mental health counselling.
Media Contact:
Name: HoHA CEO Franca Smerrelli
Telephone 0403529737
Email: franca@hoha.org.au
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