Our approach
We actively engage with Aboriginal people in our region, associated organisations (including NIKERI Institute) and local health services to continue developing a research agenda that has community needs at its heart. We support the cultural identity of Aboriginal people in our region through respectful dialogue, documented feedback and response to action ideas; encouraging health education and self-determination among Community members.
A selection of our key projects is listed below.
Budja Budja – mobile health clinic
This is a community-driven initiative, delivering outreach services via a mobile clinic across the Grampian region of western Victoria to improve access to culturally appropriate care for Aboriginal communities. It is the result of our collaborative partnership with Budja Budja Aboriginal Cooperative (ACCHO), based in Halls Gap.
In 2018 a formal agreement was reached to co-fund a mobile clinic to deliver outreach services to outlying areas of the Grampians. Deakin Rural Health has provided support for the development of this service, an evaluation (one of the initial barriers to having the van funded), and facilitates clinical placements for undergraduate health disciplines. The project involves other regional stakeholders such as East Grampians Health Services and Stawell Regional Health.
Period: 2019–ongoing
Funding: Deakin University, Indigenous Affairs (Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet) and Budja Budja Aboriginal Cooperative
DRH team members: Associate Professor Vincent Versace, Professor James Dunbar, Mrs Hannah Beks, Associate Professor Kevin Mc Namara, Mrs Fiona Mitchell
Evaluation of the Tulku wan Wininn mobile clinic
This project aims to evaluate the implementation and impacts of a primary health mobile clinic for Aboriginal people in collaboration with Budja Budja Aboriginal Cooperative (Halls Gap, Victoria). The mobile clinic provides holistic health care for Aboriginal people in the region, and includes social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) services, optometry, audiology and diabetes education. Research involves interviewing health professionals, local stakeholders and Aboriginal community members.
Period: 2020–2022
Funding: Nurses Board Victoria Legacy Limited
DRH team members: Mrs Hannah Beks, Associate Professor Vincent Versace, Dr Andrea Hernan, Associate Professor Kevin Mc Namara, Mrs Fiona Mitchell, Associate Professor Anna Wong Shee
Evaluation of telehealth services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in the primary health care setting
Due to COVID-19, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) rapidly adopted telehealth (including telephone and videoconferencing) to continue delivering primary health care services to Aboriginal people. In collaboration with Budja Budja Aboriginal Cooperative (Halls Gap, Victoria), this research evaluates the acceptability of telehealth for Aboriginal people.
Period: 2020–2021
Funding: Western Alliance Academic Health Science Centre
DRH team members: Mrs Hannah Beks, Associate Professor Vincent Versace, Mrs Fiona Mitchell, Dr Andrea Hernan, Associate Professor Kevin Mc Namara, Associate Professor Anna Wong Shee
Let’s have a yarn about chronic disease
A collaborative multidisciplinary participatory action research approach to addressing Aboriginal health issues most prevalent in south-west Victoria
The aim of this project was to develop community-driven strategies to improve the management of chronic disease in Gunditjmara country and subsequently, improve health outcomes. This project built upon a partnership between Dhauwurd Wurrung Elderly and Community Health Service (DWECHS) and Deakin Rural Health (DRH) for the purpose of establishing community-driven methods to increase the uptake of structured care planning and chronic condition management for Aboriginal people in South West Victoria (Gunditjmara country). Building local research and clinical capacity were central objectives of this project.
Period: 2018–2019
Funding type: Western Alliance
DRH team members: Mrs Hannah Beks, Associate Professor Vincent Versace
Contact us
For more information about this research, please contact theme leads Associate Professor Vincent Versace and Mrs Hannah Beks.
Associate Professor Vincent Versace
Director, Deakin Rural Health
Email A/Prof Versace
Hannah Beks
Associate Research Fellow
Faculty of Health
Email Hannah Beks