Our Reconciliation Action Plan has been the roadmap for Vanguard Health to take meaningful action to provide tangible and substantive benefits for First Nations Peoples. In the first year of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) journey, we are very proud to announce the successful completion of our Reflect RAP as of June 2024. We will be launching the next step in our reconciliation journey through the launch of our Innovate RAP by the end of the year.
Some of the highlights of our journey from our Reflect RAP include:
• Appointment of InTravel and Indigenous owned and operated travel company for all of our travel and accommodation bookings;
• Sponsorship of a young female student from remote Australia who is now successfully undertaking year 7 at a boarding school a result of our scholarship through the Yalari Foundation;
• Developed culturally appropriate and safe resources for the IRIS program for patients in remote communities. These posters provide information in local language including Kriol and Yoglnu;
• Completed a surgical cataract list with Adjunct Professor Dr Kris Rallah-Baker who is the first Aboriginal Ophthalmologist in Australia;
• Providing education on cataract surgeries and the IRIS program to a number of Aboriginal Controlled Health Organisations within the Northern Territory;
• Partnered with Deadly Vision Optometry in Darwin to provide culturally safe and sensitive care to Aboriginal Elders in communities across Darwin;
• Provided nurses to Aboriginal Controlled Health Organisations;
• Providing opportunities for staff to attend NAIDOC and Reconciliation Week events;
• Successfully implemented all actions in our REFLECT Reconciliation Action Plan.
Vanguard Health is proud to have achieved our Reflect RAP deliverables within the 12 month framework and are delighted to have started working towards our Innovate RAP, the next stage in our reconciliation journey. Reconciliation Australia states the goal over a 24 month period of an Innovate RAP is for organisations to further deepen their understanding of their sphere of influence and determine their best approach to advance reconciliation.
As an organisation, Vanguard Health will continue to build on the foundations set during our Reflect RAP under the guidance of our Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group led by myself.
I look forward to continuing our journey of reconciliation and being able to share positive stories of our achievements.
Tim Gallagher
CEO, Vanguard Health
