Building a regional health ecosystem: a case study of the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health and its System of Care
Lyle Turner A , Tim Albers A C , Adrian Carson A , Carmel Nelson A B , Renee Brown A and Marianna Serghi A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A The Institute for Urban Indigenous Health Ltd, 22 Cox Road, Windsor, Qld 4030, Australia.
B The University of Queensland, Poche Centre for Indigenous Health, 31 Upland Road, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: Tim.Albers@iuih.org.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 25(5) 424-429 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY19038
Submitted: 6 February 2019 Accepted: 27 August 2019 Published: 14 October 2019
Abstract
Efforts to address Indigenous health disadvantage require a refocus on urban settings, where a rapidly increasing majority (79%) of Indigenous Australians live. Proximity to mainstream primary care has not translated into health equity, with the majority of the Indigenous burden of disease (73%) remaining in urban areas and urban Indigenous people continuing to face significant barriers in accessing comprehensive and culturally appropriate care. This paper presents a case study of how the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health (IUIH) has strategically responded to these challenges in South East Queensland – home to Australia’s largest and equal fastest growing Indigenous population. The IUIH has developed a new regional and systematised model – a regional health ‘ecosystem’ – for how primary care is delivered and intersects with the broader health system. Through intentional action, which strengthens the self-efficacy of community, the IUIH System of Care has delivered real gains for the Indigenous population of the region and has the capacity to deliver similar improvements in health access and outcomes in other regions.
Additional keywords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Closing the Gap, community control, self-determination.
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