SMICS and HRICS partner to improve culturally safe cancer care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
The Southern Melbourne Integrated Cancer Service (SMICS) and Hume Regional Integrated Cancer Service (HRICS) have partnered to deliver an education initiative supporting better cancer care and outcomes for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Throughout February, SMICS in partnership with HRICS, delivered two workshops in north-east Victoria as part of the Optimal Cancer Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People learning program (OCCAP).
These workshops support improvements in culturally safe cancer care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by taking the learnings from the OCCAP learning package and applying these within a local context.
The workshops, which were held in Wodonga, brought together Aboriginal Health Workers and cancer care providers to share knowledge and understanding.
The workshops also supported those in attendance to;
- explore individual beliefs and understanding, and how these influence culturally appropriate care
- establish a safe, non-judgmental environment for health workers to learn about the needs of Aboriginal people with cancer and the local resources available
- facilitate networking across health care teams to support seamless, high‑quality care
- provide a forum to discuss service gaps, barriers, and opportunities for improvement
- and identify strategies that empower staff to champion positive change within their health service.
While the workshops were bespoke to the local context of north-east Victoria, health professionals can access the OCCAP learning package at anytime.
About the OCCAP
First developed in 2022 by a team from SMICS and Gippsland Regional Integrated Cancer Service (GRICS), in collaboration with Aboriginal health and cancer services, and the VCCC Alliance, the Optimal Cancer Care for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander People learning package (OCCAP) aligns with the Optimal Care Pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People with cancer (Cancer Australia).
