Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory

The Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT) is the peak body for Aboriginal community controlled primary health services in the Northern Territory of Australia. It has offices in Alice Springs and Darwin but works across the entire Northern Territory. AMSANT was formally established in October 1994 at a meeting of Aboriginal health services which was held in Central Australia.

It is an independent, not for profit organisation and receives funding from the Australian Government, the Northern Territory Government and from a range of charities and non government organisations, including the Fred Hollows Foundation. AMSANT is a partner in the Northern Territory Aboriginal Health Forum, which determines Aboriginal health policy in the Northern Territory in conjunction with the Australian and Northern Territory governments. AMSANT is an affiliate of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO).

In 1995 AMSANT successfully led the move take Australian Government funding of Aboriginal health from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) to direct funding through the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH), a division of the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA). AMSANT played a leading role in ensuring significantly increased funding to Aboriginal Comprehensive Primary Health Care as a consequence of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (the "Intervention").

Overview

AMSANT supports Aboriginal health services by advocating for the right of local Aboriginal communities to control their own primary health care services and to have those services funded adequately. As a peak body, AMSANT assists its member services through lobbying for improvements in the health status of Aboriginal people, promoting Aboriginal self-determination and community control and through representing its member services in meetings and negotiations.

AMSANT works with Aboriginal communities who wish to establish a community controlled Aboriginal health service, and with communities who do not control the existing local health service but wish to have greater input into determining the policies and priorities of the primary health services they do receive.

AMSANT’s focus is its work to support its members and assist them to provide high quality comprehensive primary health care services for Aboriginal communities.[1] Primary health care means essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technologies which address the main health problems in the community through preventative, curative, rehabilitative and promotional services. It involves the treatment and prevention of disease and injury and the creation of the circumstances for personal and social well-being.[2]

Structure and members

All of the AMSANT member services attend General Meetings which are held at least once every four months. The General Meeting is the main decision-making organ of AMSANT and it has full power to determine what action AMSANT will take on any issue. It is unusual for issues to come down to a vote, there being a strong emphasis on consensus decision-making. AMSANT also has a Board which is elected from the membership at the Annual General Meeting. The Board has authority to make decisions for AMSANT between the General Meetings.[3]

AMSANT's Chairperson is Marion Scrymgour, who is also the CEO of Wurli Wurlinjang Aboriginal Health Service. The Chief Executive Officer is John Paterson.

The community controlled Aboriginal health services that are members of AMSANT are:

  • Amoonguna Health Clinic
  • Ampilatwatja Health Centre Aboriginal
  • Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation
  • Balunu Foundation (Balunu)[4]
  • Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Program Unit (CAAAPU)
  • Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC)[5]
  • Council for Aboriginal Alcohol Program Services (CAAPS)[6]
  • Danila Dilba Health Service[7]
  • Ilpurla Aboriginal Corporation
  • Kakadu Health Service
  • Katherine West Health Board[8]
  • Laynhapuy Homelands Association
  • Ltyentye Apurte
  • Malabam Health Board
  • Marthakal Homeland
  • Miwatj Health[9]
  • Mutitjulu Health Service
  • Ngalkanbuy Health Service
  • Pintubi Homelands Health Service[10]
  • Sunrise Health Service[11]
  • Urapuntja Health Service, Utopia, Northern Territory
  • Utju Health Service
  • Western Aranda Health Aboriginal Corp (WAHAC)
  • Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjaku Tjutaku Aboriginal Corp (WDNWPT)[12]
  • Wurli Wurlinjang Aboriginal Health Service[13]

Activities

AMSANT has a range of programs and projects which all aim to improve the provision of comprehensive primary health care to Aboriginal communities by services controlled by the local community. They include:[14]

eHealth – AMSANT eHealth unit collaborates with key health care stakeholders to enhance the development and delivery of eHealth solutions.
Research and policy – AMSANT becomes involved in projects as a research partner and also conducts research of its own and assists member services involved in research projects. AMSANT also develops policies and makes submissions to government on a range of issues relevant to Aboriginal health services.
Health summits – AMSANT occasionally conducts large summits for Aboriginal community members to discuss health issues. Summits also incorporate service providers and NGO stakeholders.
Public health – AMSANT employs public health medical officers as well as running a public health network and a public health advisory group.
Leadership – AMSANT runs a number of leadership programs for the people who work in community controlled Aboriginal health services. In addition, a leadership and capacity building program that targets town camp communities is auspiced and supported by AMSANT.
General practice training and education – facilitating general practice training that takes place in the member services.
Media and advocacy – on behalf of the NT Aboriginal community controlled health care sector.
Workforce support – assisting services and advocating for improved training so that services can find and employ staff they need including doctors, nurses and Aboriginal health workers
Other support for member services – including developing information and communication technology, an online administration manual for Aboriginal medical services, accreditation support, electronic health projects and a continuous quality improvement program.
Year of the Aboriginal Health Worker, 2011 - 2012 - together with the Northern Territory's Senior Aboriginal Health Workers Network, AMSANT is promoting the Year of the Aboriginal Health Worker from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012, with events, information, conferences, the Aboriginal Health Worker Awards presentation ceremony and a new Aboriginal Health Worker Hall of Fame.

Vision

AMSANT's vision statement describes what AMSANT is working to achieve:[15]

Aboriginal community controlled health services in the Northern Territory will be independent and successful organisations, integrated into the NT health system, to provide high quality and effective primary health care services that are responsive to the needs of the community.

Community control

AMSANT membership is only for Aboriginal community controlled health services.[16] Services that are controlled by government or commercial companies are excluded. AMSANT believes that community control is essential to providing the best comprehensive primary health care to Aboriginal communities. All of the health services which are AMSANT members:

  • are incorporated as an independent legal entity;
  • have a constitution which guarantees that the control of the body will be by Aboriginal people and that the principle of self-determination will be applied; and
  • have compulsory accountability process which include general meetings open to all members of the local community and that the organisation's management committee are elected by the local Aboriginal community.

Notes
  1. AMSANT, 2010, 'Mission statement' in Annual Report 2009 - 2010, 3. Available on AMSANT website Archived March 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. AMSANT, 2009, AMSANT Rules as amended 2009 r 6.2(a).
  3. AMSANT, 2009, AMSANT Rules as amended 2009.
  4. Balunu Foundation website Archived February 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) website
  6. Council for Aboriginal Alcohol Program Services (CAAPS) website
  7. Danila Dilba website
  8. Katherine West Health Board website
  9. Mitwatj Health website
  10. Pintubi Homelands Health Service website Archived February 16, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  11. "Sunrise Health Service website". Archived from the original on 2011-02-20. Retrieved 2011-02-15.
  12. Western Desert Nganampa Walytja Palyantjakt Tjutaku Aboriginal Corporation website
  13. Wurli Wurlinjang Health Service website
  14. AMSANT, 2010, Annual Report 2009 - 2010. Available on AMSANT website Archived March 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  15. AMSANT 2010, Vision statement
  16. AMSANT, 2010, 'What is a community controlled health service?' in Annual Report 2009 - 2010, 11. Available on AMSANT website Archived March 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
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