Stories

Closing the health gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was first published in Partyline on 21 March 2022. Access the full magazine here.

The Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC) was formed to increase the pool of urban-based Health Professionals (HPs) available for work in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Several dedicated individuals recruit, orientate and deploy HPs to these communities, one of whom is Administration and Credentialing Officer Ceah David.

RAHC works with an incredible team of General Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Dentists, Dental Therapists, Dental Assistants and Audiologists, one of whom is Dental Therapist Lynne Gruell.

“I have been working with RAHC as a Dental Therapist for eight years now and after stumbling across an article I wrote in 2016, I felt it was time to put pen to paper once again, so to speak.

Celine brings wide-ranging experience to the role having previously worked in a variety of roles in social justice and human connection. Her extensive background in customer service in rural and remote communities ensure RAHC delivers a professional placement experience for all health professionals coming to work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

‘There’s a lot of chronic ear disease. I’ve seen surgeries that I’ve never heard of down south, and I work in disadvantaged areas’

Victorian-based Audiologist Bridget Gale shares her experience working within remote indigenous communities and how Audiologist can “make quite a big difference” to the lives of Indigenous Australians. 

Registered Nurse Anna Curtin's RAHC story featured in the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal - March 2018 issue.

Victorian dental therapist Natalie Bright is enjoying a 12-month contract with the Northern Territory Department of Health (NT DoH) after completing two three-week placements with the Australian Government-funded Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC).

Feature in The Health Advocate on Dr Margaret Niemann recipient of the Annette Walker Award 2016.

Dr Bruce Barker and Dr Jennifer Barker's RAHC Story featured in Health Advocate Magazine - April 2017 issue

A General Practitioner truly passionate about Indigenous health outcomes, Dr Margaret Niemann, from Bairnsdale, Victoria, is the recipient of the 2016 Annette Walker Award. Dr Niemann has been on placements with RAHC since 2011 and completed her 56th placement at the beginning of March 2017.

We received some wonderful pictures from one of our Senior Dental Therapists, Angela Rankin, who recently had her first placement in Galiwin'ku (Arnhem Region). “It was a fantastic experience working remote for the first time and I will be definitely doing more!” says Angela.

In 2009, I was part of a team volunteering in Vietnam as a dental therapist when one of the dental assistants told me about her work in Alice Springs. Her passion for this work was evident and she inspired me to also look to se­­­­ek work in this area upon our return.