AMC’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan to drive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

The core business of the AMC includes a focus on promoting Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori Health by ensuring culturally safe practice to improve health outcomes.

Through its 2018-2028 Strategic Plan, the AMC has committed to implementing and measuring practical actions that build respectful relationships, create opportunities and improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The AMC’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), developed over 2018/19 and launched at AMC’s Council Meeting in Canberra in June 2019, provides the roadmap for turning these intentions into real actions. As a business plan, the RAP uses a holistic approach to create meaningful relationships, enhance respect and promote sustainable opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The AMC acknowledges that it has a responsibility to address the inequalities that relate to the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Since 2006 the AMC has worked to privilege the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by embedding the delivery of culturally responsive education and clinical care and services into its work. The AMC has been a global leader in including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health as part of its accreditation standards for medical education and training. The AMC’s accreditation standards ensure medical education programs have learning outcomes for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori health – including First Nations peoples’ perspectives, and support targeted, evidence-based action.

Key outcomes for the 2018-19 year include:

• Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan completed
• over 10% of AMC staff completed training to ensure AMC is a culturally safe and respectful workplace
• establishment of an Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori Committee under Article 12.1 (h) of the AMC Constitution adopted by Council on 14 June 2019
• amendment of AMC’s Constitution to include an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander registered medical practitioner
• Sponsorship of and attendance at the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association 2018 Conference.

Key outcomes to be progressed for 2019-20 year include:

• all AMC staff to undertake training to ensure AMC is a culturally safe and respectful workplace and to better understand how to embed cultural safety and respect in all aspects of the AMC’s operations, including Standards and Committees
• progressing membership of, and operationalising, the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori Committee
• appointment of a Reconciliation Manager to implement the AMC’s Pillar 3 Strategic Initiatives, including the Reconciliation Action Plan and the Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori Committee, and
• input into the review of Accreditation Standards.

The AMC’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan is available on its website.

AMC launches its Reconciliation Action Plan at its Council Meeting, 14 June 2019

(l-r) Ms Karin Oldfield (AMC), Professor Lisa Jackson Pulver AM (AMC Director), Jay Daley (Ngunnawal Aboriginal Corporation), Ms Donnella Mills (National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation), and Warren Daley (Ngunnawal Elder)

AMC Māori Member, Professor Papaarangi Reid, participating in the smoking ceremony with Jay Daley

RAP Outcome 1.2: Relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians are enhanced through celebrating and participating in significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander events, particularly National Reconciliation Week

AMC was pleased to be able to have the services of local artist, Linda Huddleston Nungjingi of the Wiradjuri, Ngandi and Gurindji tribes, who ran an Aboriginal Collaborative Hands Workshop in the Canberra Office on Monday 8 July. Canberra staff were joined by many of their colleagues from the Melbourne Office to place their painted hands on three canvases representing The 1976 Referendum, The Stolen Generation and Reconciliation while hearing stories from Linda. The three completed canvases are displayed in the AMC’s offices.