South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS)

Honoured and humbled to have been named "2024 Leader of the Year in the Not-for-Profit Sector" at the Institute of Public Administration Australia WA (IPAA WA) Awards last Thursday. This recognition is a reflection of the collective dedication and passion of the Aboriginal Community and the team at SWAMS, whose commitment to improving health outcomes for Aboriginal communities inspires me every day. Thank you to IPAA WA for this acknowledgment, and for highlighting the importance of culturally responsive leadership in our public sector. Congratulations to all nominees and winners who are making a difference in their fields. Here’s to driving positive change and building stronger futures, together. #Leadership #NotForProfit #AboriginalHealth #SWAMS #WomeninLeadership

I was delighted to welcome Senator Louise Pratt to our SWAMS Bunbury Clinic on Tuesday. It was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our ongoing Digital Transformation initiatives, which have been a major focus across our organisation. By embracing innovation and digital solutions, we have strengthened the connection between our clinics, clinical care functions and administrative functions, ensuring better quality of care, real-time data access, and improved communication for more efficient service delivery across our entire 40,000+sq km footprint. We were able to highlight our brand-new Optometry Services to Senator Pratt, a collaboration between SWAMS, The University of Western Australia Optometry, and ECU South West UDRH South West. In just 20 weeks, the clinic has already provided eye care to 210 clients within a culturally responsive setting. Senator Pratt even stepped into the role of student optometrist, trying out some of our state-of-the-art equipment. The tour also included a demo of our Vision Flex Telehealth device, connecting with our Katanning Clinic in real-time. This equipment enhances remote care by connecting isolated patients with medical professionals. Vision Flex enables remote clients to seek care with specialised monitoring and testing devices. Importantly, we also shared an update on the HealthHUB project. The HealthHUB is designed with technology at its core as part of our Master Technology Plan. The HealthHUB will be delivered thanks to a significant and on-going commitment from the Australian Labor Party so we thank Senator Pratt for visiting to see the important work we are doing. #DigitalTransformation #InnovationInHealthcare #OptometryServices #SWAMS #AboriginalHealth #HealthHUB #Telehealth #CommunityCare #Leadership #Collaboration #BetterHealthOutcomes

Proud to partner with ECU South West to plan, facilitate and launch the University Department of Rural Health South West (UDRHSW). Partnerships like this are crucial in ensuring that our healthcare frameworks are designed with a cultural lens. The UDRHSW will facilitate student placements in a variety of healthcare settings. This initiative will be a game changer here in the South West, where health workforce shortages are deeply felt. I want to also acknowledge Aunty Melba Wallam, for a beautiful Welcome to Country at the launch and my staff, two moorditj yorgas, Portia and Ellie who have played a key role in this partnership. Thank you to Cobie Rudd, ECU and the UDRHSW Team for a deadly launch this week and the meaningful, on-going partnership. #Healthcare #AboriginalHealth #WomeninLeadership #ECU #UDRHSW #Education #Training #SouthWest

Last week in Perth, SWAMS Manager Executive Services Cassandra Budge and I had the opportunity to meet with Senator Sue Lines. We provided updates on the HealthHub project, discussed key issues surrounding women's and community health, and explored collaboration opportunities to enhance health services in the regions.

Trimester 2 has been full of new experiences and memories that I will cherish for my optometry journey and beyond. I’d like to thank Eric Cheng for giving me a tour of his hobby clinic WA Eye Care, which focuses on myopia control, fitting orthokeratology lenses, keratoconus and binocular vision disorders. Eric provided thorough demo’s of how each equipment works and I wish him all the best with his hobby clinic. I’d like to thank Nisha, Mike, Derek Fails and Kris for all their mentorship at OPSM Halls Head. Over my six weeks here, I tested over 60 patients and witnessed rare conditions such as Retinitis Pigmentosa. It was lovely to be reunited with Kate Brasic at the OD3 Specsavers Dinner between rotation one and two. Kate organised a wonderful dinner at The Stables Bar and it was lovely catching up with familiar faces. I’d like to thank Justine Challender for extending a warm welcome to students’ to attend Alcon’s South West product launch of their new monthly contact lens. A huge congratulations to Justine and her team! I’d like to thank Mark and Kallen Williams at Specsavers Eaton for all their mentorship, along with Phil at Bunbury And Busselton Eye Doctors. You guys have really sold me the rural lifestyle and I hope it’s something I can experience in my career. I’d like to thank Wilfred T. and Norman Brandon for their mentorship at South West Aboriginal Medical Service (SWAMS). Optometry within SWAMS is a wonderful initiative and I can’t wait to see the clinic modernise through it’s ZEISS Vision fit out in the future. Finally, I’d like to thank Yolanda and Mario Basso for providing an opportunity to be involved in the Perth clinics run by OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation. The five day clinic in collaboration with The Salvation Army Australia conducted eye tests on 580 patients and 567 pairs of glasses were issued. It was a highly rewarding experience to utilise my skill set to serve local Perth communities. I’d like to give a massive shoutout to the fellow OD2 students’ (Ruby Horn, David Zhou, Benjamin Anderson, Emily Martin, Dana Ghosheh, Theresa Joji and Najma Abdullahi) who graciously volunteered their time in their break, testing public patients’ for the very first time.