The position was developed to further support Aboriginal patients through their pregnancy and birthing journey, and provides an exciting opportunity for improvements in our care for both Aboriginal mothers and their babies.
“There is nothing more gratifying than working within community, especially with our mums and babies. These babies are our community, our future leaders,” Tammy said.
Tammy has entered this new space with an existing passion for advocacy within the healthcare sector. Her career started as an Aboriginal Health Worker at Bendigo & District Aboriginal Co-operative (BDAC) before pursuing her nursing degree.
When she came across this position after enjoying previous employment at Bendigo Health, she couldn’t resist returning to the service.
“When this opportunity arose, I thought it would be a privilege to walk along side community during the journey of pregnancy and welcoming baby to earth side” she said.
“I am excited to see the women and babies receive the healthcare that they deserve, to be able to trust that the service is there to support them, enabling better outcomes for our community.”
Tammy is motivated to reduce barriers to accessing healthcare faced by Aboriginal people.
She works closely with the Aboriginal Health Liaison Officers (AHLOs) ensuring that community are supported throughout their healthcare journey.
“I am just there to make sure that community can access the care they require, so that they’re healthy, and their babies are healthy,” Tammy said.
The scope of Tammy’s role is quite fluid based on the needs of the community. Her role has enough flexibility to be able to meet the nuanced requirements of each Aboriginal patient.
In order to access the service, patients must self-identify and opt-in for assistance from the Culturally Safe Birthing Coordinator.