Moogji Aboriginal Council in Orbost is in the process of redeveloping its medical centre facility on Stanley Street, allowing it to expand the health services and cultural programs it provides for local Indigenous people.
“The Community is growing,” Interim Moogji CEO Christofer Beal said recently. “We have more demand for services than we can always accommodate. As the community grows, it’s clear that we need to grow with it.”
Work on the Stanley Street site is now underway, and is expected to be completed by the middle of next year.
Last Wednesday, Beal met with his counterpart at Orbost Regional Health (ORH), Acting CEO Mark Johnson, to discuss the expansion plans and to coordinate the ongoing partnership between the two organisations.
“Moogji and Orbost Regional Health have long worked together, not only in the provision of health services at Moogji, but also to make sure our own services are always welcoming and accessible for our local First Nations people,” Johnson said.
That partnership has strengthened in recent years.
Today, the two organisations share a GP, who works out of the ORH Medical Clinic most days, but provides a clinic at Moogji on Tuesdays.
“By continuing to work closely together we can make the most of the resources that we have, which, in the end, benefits everyone who lives in our community.”
Moogji is a key advisor to the hospital on cultural issues related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
ORH Aboriginal Health Liaison Officer, Nick Martin, works seamlessly across both organisations to help Indigenous people access the health services they need.
And earlier this year, a group of Moogji Elders and Martin met with the project team behind the redevelopment of ORH’s Lochiel House aged care facility to provide guidance and advice on how to make the proposed new facility culturally appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“This is an exciting time of growth and expansion for both of our organisations,” Beal said. “By continuing to work closely together we can make the most of the resources that we have, which, in the end, benefits everyone who lives in our community.”