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Eye health quarterly partnership meeting sees implementation of “momentous” plan
04th April 2025
On Tuesday 25 March, the Western NSW Eye Health Partnership (WEHP) held its quarterly meeting at the Western Plains Cultural Centre in Dubbo.
Funded by the Fred Hollows Foundation, through its Indigenous Australia Program, and administered by RDN, the WEHP brings together Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs), Local Health Districts (LHDs), Primary Health Networks (PHNs), and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs). This collaborative partnership aims to increase access to eye health services and improve vision and eye health outcomes for Aboriginal people across the Western NSW region.
Held as a hybrid meeting, Rural Doctors Network (RDN) was represented in-person by a number of its Health Access Services team, including Manager, Amanda Masset, Senior Project Officer Jessica Rae, Support Officer Tori Towney and Project Officers Melissa Russell and Fareeya Sakur (online).
The quarterly meeting provided an opportunity to discuss recent successes and challenges and showcased the beginning of the implementation of WEHP's Strategic Outcomes Roadmap (SOR) - a strategic plan to deliver improved Aboriginal eye health outcomes in Western NSW, which has been described as “momentous”.
The SOR was developed over two years through a consultative and research-driven process to create an Aboriginal co-designed plan which aligns with community needs. The SOR is balanced with current best practice and health data and the Partnership is considered to be one of only a few local groups to have ever implemented a localised, Aboriginal, co-designed plan such as this.
The SOR has been launched with new artwork designed for the SOR and the WEHP by local Aboriginal artist and graphic designer, Nathan Peckham from Yurana Creative.
RDN’s Senior Project Officer, Jessica Rae, said the artwork “represents the collaborative strategic direction of the group and the ongoing connection to Country as we move, grow and share knowledge.”
“The vivid colours are representative of the different lands and waters of Western NSW and serve as a reminder of what’s at stake – what people stand to lose if their vision is lost,” Jessica said.
WEHP aims to increase access and delivery of eye services to reduce the rate of avoidable vision loss in Aboriginal people in Western NSW and, by working together within an integrated framework, partners draw on local knowledge and work with stakeholders across the region to achieve more equitable support and culturally responsive pathways to eye health for Aboriginal people.
Partners and attendees at the meeting also included representatives from the Outback Eye Service, Western NSW PHN, Bila Muuji Aboriginal Corporation Health Service, Condobolin Aboriginal Health Service, Orange Aboriginal Medical Service, Wellington Aboriginal Corporation Health Service , Yoorana Gunya Family Healing Centre, Brien Holden Foundation, Vision Australia, Dubbo Regional Aboriginal Health Service, StEPS NSW, Western NSW Local Health District Aboriginal Health team, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, and Dubbo Public Eye Clinic.
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