 PHCRED Tri-State Conference
24-25 September 2009, Alice Springs
Attended by Elena DiBez,
Tri-State Administrator and
Nova Reinfeld-Kirkman, PHC RIS
 Around 60 people attended the PHCRED Tri-State Conference. Participants included researchers, health practitioners, administrators, policy makers and students. Delegates from three states (SA, NT, & GGT Victoria), New Zealand guests (Dr Mary Finlayson and Ann McKillop) and the six PHCRED Statewide Coordinators (Denise Shultz, Jacqueline Schroeder, Anna Chapman, Candice Lai, Elena DiBez and Lyn Brun) enjoyed a BBQ at Ooraminna Homestead and the chance to talk about their work. The Homestead provided a unique setting for the evening under an outback sky.
The Conference was opened the next day by the Honorable Warren Snowdon Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health & Regional Services Delivery. The Minister talked about his own experience as a researcher in the Northern Territory in the 1970s, working with social reformer Nugget Coombs. This experience fitted well with later conference presentations which reiterated the importance of establishing sincere and trusted relations between researchers and Aboriginal communities in order to conduct meaningful research with these communities.
Twenty one research presentations were delivered; topics were very varied and included: eHealth and health literacy; medical student placements in remote communities; indigenous health; chronic disease management; adolescent depression; and many others. A particular highlight was the Indigenous Minds presentation by John Binda Reid and Colleen Hayes from the Centre for Remote Health.
The pre-conference workshop on Primary Health Care Evaluation, delivered by Gwyn Jolley from the South Australian Community Health Research Unit (SACHRU), was well received and provided a focus on the fundamentals of evaluation theory.
The key speaker talks were also popular. Professor John Wakerman outlined the considerable achievement and role of PHCRED funding in building the Centre for Remote Health over the past 10 years. Professor Barclay from the Northern Rivers University Department of Rural Health, Sydney University presented a passionate case for ‘listening’ to patients and recipients of health care.
Presentations from the conference can be viewed on the PHCRED Tri-State web site <www.phcredtristate.org.au/conference/2009.html>
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