The past, present & future of community health in Bendigo

BCHS CEO Mandy Hutchinson and past CEO Sue Clarke cover the power of the people, meeting Gough Whitlam, homelessness, addiction, natural disasters, and a novel pap smear promo from the past! Plus more, in this first episode of our 50th anniversary podcast series.

Episode Transcript

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.0000000001Bring it to us and we will we will listen and do our very best to try and tackle it and. 3 00:00:07,125.0000000001 --> 00:00:12,255 And we'll use our influence and our advocacy and our passion and our expertise to make a change.
I think the story of community health has never been stronger.
I think that we're as relevant today as we were back in 1974. 6 00:00:21,38.2 --> 00:00:25,718.2 Welcome to the 50th Anniversary podcast of Bendigo Community Health Services. 7 00:00:26,348.2 --> 00:00:37,28.2 We are recording this podcast on Jaja Run Country and pay respect to elders past and present for their continued holding of memories, traditions, culture, and stories. 8 00:00:38,78.2 --> 00:00:45,278.2 We're celebrating half a century of care by catching up with some of our health heroes, as well as sharing bits and pieces from our past. 9 00:00:45,638.2 --> 00:00:47,318.2 Some of which you may not know about. 10 00:00:48,358.2 --> 00:00:55,968.2 I can remember Fran born from Eaglehawk, she still had this flyer that said come for a pap test, leave with a lettuce. 11 00:00:58,928.2 --> 00:01:01,953.2 And I was trying to work out how to build that because I still love that. 12 00:01:01,953.2 --> 00:01:04,373.2 Like I'm not sure that's, in lettuces were really expensive. 13 00:01:04,373.2 --> 00:01:05,993.2 Last year that could have been a real thing. 14 00:01:08,864.2 --> 00:01:10,184.2 My name is Lauren Mitchell. 15 00:01:10,214.2 --> 00:01:15,404.2 I'm a communications officer at BCHS, and I'm joined by my colleague Emma Satori. 16 00:01:15,584.2 --> 00:01:16,154.2 Hi em. 17 00:01:16,634.2 --> 00:01:17,54.2 Hi Laws. 18 00:01:17,54.2 --> 00:01:18,44.2 Thanks for having me on. 19 00:01:18,884.2 --> 00:01:28,34.2 Kicking off this podcast series, we have our current Bendigo Community Health Services, CEO, Mandy Hutchinson, and a former CEO Sue Clark. 20 00:01:28,844.2 --> 00:01:31,484.2 Sue is currently the chair of Bendigo Food Share. 21 00:01:31,734.2 --> 00:01:39,54.2 Among many other things, Sue and Mandy are two local superstars who go above and beyond the call to care for community. 22 00:01:39,414.2 --> 00:01:40,584.2 Welcome to you both. 23 00:01:41,214.2 --> 00:01:41,454.2 Thank you. 24 00:01:41,874.2 --> 00:01:42,234.2 Thank you. 25 00:01:42,234.2 --> 00:01:43,14.2 Thank you for being here. 26 00:01:43,384.2 --> 00:01:45,994.2 I know you've had a cup together this afternoon. 27 00:01:45,994.2 --> 00:01:46,659.2 It's the green olive. 28 00:01:48,84.2 --> 00:01:51,624.2 And you've no doubt ready to continue the conversations. 29 00:01:51,624.2 --> 00:02:02,544.2 I think it's been a little bit nostalgic for you today, Sue to be asked to come along and talk about the past and pull out some of those lovely mementos you have from your time with us. 30 00:02:02,924.2 --> 00:02:07,124.2 So really Emma and I could probably just sit back and enjoy listening to the two of you. 31 00:02:07,454.2 --> 00:02:09,794.2 Chat to one another, like flies on the wall. 32 00:02:10,74.2 --> 00:02:13,404.2 But we are going to guide the conversation a little bit. 33 00:02:13,524.2 --> 00:02:28,224.2 We're gonna ask you about the differing and continued health challenges of Bendigo over the past decades from accessing GPS to help after natural disasters, to minimizing the harms of drugs and homelessness. 34 00:02:28,704.2 --> 00:02:32,934.2 It's a lot, and I'm sure it'll be a really fascinating conversation. 35 00:02:33,894.2 --> 00:02:39,354.2 Emma, I think you have what could sometimes be a curly question for Mandy to start things off with. 36 00:02:39,719.2 --> 00:02:39,999.2 I do. 37 00:02:40,249.2 --> 00:02:40,489.2 I do. 38 00:02:40,729.2 --> 00:02:42,544.2 Oh, I love a curly question. 39 00:02:42,604.2 --> 00:02:43,504.2 Mandy. 40 00:02:43,564.2 --> 00:02:47,434.2 We know community health is vast and not easy to define. 41 00:02:47,644.2 --> 00:02:54,784.2 For anyone listening and wondering what community health today is all about, how would you describe it? Oh, it's such a great question. 42 00:02:54,784.2 --> 00:03:00,209.2 'cause it, and it's been a problem forever because community health should reflect the community in. 43 00:03:00,224.2 --> 00:03:01,574.2 In which it serves. 44 00:03:01,854.2 --> 00:03:08,604.2 And so therefore, the service mix of community health can be really varied across sites and places and towns. 45 00:03:08,604.2 --> 00:03:12,44.2 And, it's actually, it's amazing the breadth of services. 46 00:03:12,44.2 --> 00:03:22,94.2 Here at Bendigo Community Health, we offer over 50 different services from Family Day to GPS, to alcohol and other drugs, mental health. 47 00:03:22,194.2 --> 00:03:33,989.2 Beautiful children's services and of course our settlement and cultural diversity services, like they're just a snapshot of some of the things we offer here, and they have happened because over time that's what the community has needed. 48 00:03:34,359.2 --> 00:03:35,649.2 And so that's the beauty of. 49 00:03:36,494.2 --> 00:03:45,334.2 The story of community health is that it really reflects the community which it serves and that's what we're always fighting for, is to make sure that we've got something there. 50 00:03:45,364.2 --> 00:03:56,844.2 So that if something emerges we're agile enough to respond to that in a real way, in a way that makes a difference, that is very connected to the people who live here and is informed by them. 51 00:03:57,94.2 --> 00:04:06,764.2 So I would say that we're a place-based service that delivers what our community needs and particularly those people who find it hard to access some of those services. 52 00:04:06,814.2 --> 00:04:07,804.2 It's not meant to be. 53 00:04:08,499.2 --> 00:04:10,299.2 A completely mainstream service. 54 00:04:10,349.2 --> 00:04:16,159.2 It is meant to be serving people who for whatever reason have experienced some sort of. 55 00:04:16,634.2 --> 00:04:22,464.2 Trauma or they might be in a minority group that finds it hard to access mainstream services. 56 00:04:22,464.2 --> 00:04:35,54.2 And that's where we come into our own, that's where we should be a place where people can come and feel safe and feel that they can come with ev their backpack of things that are going on for them and bring it and unpack it with us and we'll walk. 57 00:04:35,354.2 --> 00:04:41,184.2 Walk with them and try and navigate the way forward is the way I would like to describe it, I think. 58 00:04:41,664.2 --> 00:04:41,724.2 Yeah. 59 00:04:41,934.2 --> 00:04:45,324.2 So what do you think, does that resonate with you? Oh, absolutely. 60 00:04:45,414.2 --> 00:04:54,744.2 And particularly I think the whole sense that community health is about community and it's not only just about community, it's with community. 61 00:04:55,414.2 --> 00:05:01,954.2 It's, it seems to me that once we lose that, if we ever lost that, then we've lost the whole ethos of community health. 62 00:05:02,194.2 --> 00:05:09,314.2 Because community is the one that can really give you the true story about what's needed in its community. 63 00:05:09,974.2 --> 00:05:15,674.2 It's easy to make an appointment and ring and see a dentist or a doctor if you've got the money. 64 00:05:15,714.2 --> 00:05:17,814.2 But that's not how it is for everybody. 65 00:05:18,92.16612022 --> 00:05:26,492.16612022 So I am gonna take you midway back through our history back to 1999 when you started in the role as CEO. 66 00:05:26,547.16612022 --> 00:05:39,897.16612022 What would you say Bendigo was like back then? The Eagle Haw community, which is where I was based at that time, was a really strong connected community who absolutely owned its community health center. 67 00:05:39,897.16612022 --> 00:05:48,492.16612022 And heaven forbid, we took some bows off a tree one day and I thought, honestly I didn't know if I was going to get home without going across the bridge because people were distressed. 68 00:05:48,492.16612022 --> 00:05:51,972.16612022 But it made me realize that they owned it well and truly. 69 00:05:52,332.16612022 --> 00:05:59,82.16612022 Whereas there are other parts of Bendigo, which probably had less energy around it because they didn't have a community health center in their space. 70 00:05:59,602.16612022 --> 00:06:03,982.16612022 I could draw drive from home in Strathfield sage to eagle walk without going through a traffic light. 71 00:06:03,982.16612022 --> 00:06:07,162.16612022 So there was certainly some changes in that time. 72 00:06:07,162.16612022 --> 00:06:12,612.16612022 But what are, what I think it, it was then that, it is now is its sense of community was still strong. 73 00:06:13,487.16612022 --> 00:06:18,437.16612022 It's probably slightly different now, and as it, in as much as the busier, I think we are busier. 74 00:06:18,897.16612022 --> 00:06:29,517.16612022 And there's more to see and more to do and if you like, from the point of view of it's not as local community, but it's still local area, so yeah. 75 00:06:30,87.16612022 --> 00:06:48,827.16612022 What about in terms of the health and wellbeing of Bendigo people back then? Access to doctors was incredibly difficult, and we were running the only bulk billing general practice and making quite a substantial loss in running in a gp center, but vitally important to because it was the connection. 76 00:06:48,827.16612022 --> 00:06:52,147.16612022 So access to health services was not easy. 77 00:06:52,147.16612022 --> 00:06:55,47.16612022 And particularly from the point of view of doctors. 78 00:06:55,707.16612022 --> 00:06:58,587.16612022 We were also a fairly large alcohol and drug service. 79 00:06:59,97.16612022 --> 00:07:06,787.16612022 And again, we were the only one that was really providing services to people who had very vulnerable traits. 80 00:07:06,787.16612022 --> 00:07:13,27.16612022 So they might have had mental health or it, there was certainly a lot of addiction that was happening at that stage. 81 00:07:13,27.16612022 --> 00:07:27,337.16612022 There were certainly areas and components within our community that were really struggling to, to provide access to mental health, to alcohol and drug services, to general practice in general, to a nursing service, to being able to access. 82 00:07:27,912.16612022 --> 00:07:36,742.16612022 I, I suppose those things that many people take for granted, then it's no different to now, except back then there were a lot less choices. 83 00:07:37,42.16612022 --> 00:07:45,382.16612022 And do you think there was a lot more stigma around some of those issues as well? That's a great question. 84 00:07:45,422.16612022 --> 00:08:00,117.16612022 As part of our journey around Avalon Drug Services, we realized that in fact those people who really wanted to make a difference in their lives and start to go after the formal withdrawal service were unable to do so really in a residential setting. 85 00:08:00,117.16612022 --> 00:08:01,167.16612022 In Central Victoria. 86 00:08:01,167.16612022 --> 00:08:12,487.16612022 In Victoria, per se, you had to go to Melbourne and so with a very strong group of family members who were prepared to be the legs and arms of really lobbying. 87 00:08:13,57.16612022 --> 00:08:20,127.16612022 And really building the knowledge about why something locally would be a much more beneficial service. 88 00:08:20,177.16612022 --> 00:08:27,17.16612022 We worked with the state government and put in some applications for funding to build an open Nova House. 89 00:08:27,67.16612022 --> 00:08:28,962.16612022 Which was a residential withdrawal service. 90 00:08:29,512.16612022 --> 00:08:37,972.16612022 So we bought this building and renovated My story is getting somewhere around that, that it was a different, I I was threatened personally. 91 00:08:37,972.16612022 --> 00:08:41,532.16612022 I was threatened about the fact that we were gonna open this facility in Bindigo. 92 00:08:41,532.16612022 --> 00:08:48,732.16612022 There was letterbox drops around the town saying that people were gonna be walking on the road with baseball bats. 93 00:08:48,812.16612022 --> 00:08:50,732.16612022 Who were alcohol or drug affected. 94 00:08:52,112.16612022 --> 00:09:02,102.16612022 Would it be any different today? It would be a really interesting thing to test because I think if you think of it, mental health now, or alcohol and drug, I'm not sure that we've come as far as we should. 95 00:09:02,372.16612022 --> 00:09:03,752.16612022 But we've probably come some way. 96 00:09:03,852.16612022 --> 00:09:10,692.16612022 The conversations are happening and I think that's the big difference isn't, whereas it was based on fright and it was based on ignorance. 97 00:09:10,692.16612022 --> 00:09:11,322.16612022 If I'm honest. 98 00:09:12,432.16612022 --> 00:09:22,712.16612022 And, nine, 10 months into that opening, the neighbors were bringing in tea and making scones and coming and having, having shared time with those people who were in that service. 99 00:09:22,762.16612022 --> 00:09:26,962.16612022 The exposure, the, the, keep talking, keep listening. 100 00:09:27,382.16612022 --> 00:09:43,702.16612022 Being involved was a really important part of what we were doing because I guess on the flip side of that, the stories that were coming out around that time was the stories of the families who were agitating for this service who had lost their young people to drug addiction. 101 00:09:43,702.16612022 --> 00:09:50,92.16612022 So that was the really, the first time it was in the general community that people were hearing those stories. 102 00:09:50,767.16612022 --> 00:09:55,927.16612022 But there was a lot of bureaucratic pushback from Melbourne because the, there was a sense about, this has never happened before. 103 00:09:55,927.16612022 --> 00:09:59,497.16612022 We've never had a residential community base withdrawal service in rural. 104 00:09:59,497.16612022 --> 00:10:03,987.16612022 And they're not gonna be able to do it because, they won't have all the specialty services. 105 00:10:03,987.16612022 --> 00:10:11,407.16612022 And I do remember we'd put our submission in and my call was, we were gonna invite the minister up to. 106 00:10:12,107.16612022 --> 00:10:16,997.16612022 Hear a bit about community health, it took a bit of negotiating, but we did get the ability to get the minister up. 107 00:10:17,497.16612022 --> 00:10:21,17.16612022 And also we got the deputy secretary happened to be Dan Andrews. 108 00:10:21,67.16612022 --> 00:10:34,77.16612022 And what we did was we invited those parents and those parents sat around with those two politicians and they told the story far better than we could ever tell them. 109 00:10:34,77.16612022 --> 00:10:38,277.16612022 Yeah, and the bureaucrats were just aghast. 110 00:10:38,337.16612022 --> 00:10:46,202.16612022 Aghast really that the parents were so articulate about what their needs were and what other parents' needs were, and young people and not so young people's needs. 111 00:10:47,72.16612022 --> 00:10:52,202.16612022 And even though as we left, they said, look, I, it's very unlikely you'll get funding. 112 00:10:52,622.16612022 --> 00:10:53,672.16612022 We did the funding. 113 00:10:53,752.16612022 --> 00:10:58,437.16612022 But the funding came because in my view, it came because of the power of community. 114 00:10:58,767.16612022 --> 00:10:58,917.16612022 Yeah. 115 00:10:59,547.16612022 --> 00:11:03,987.16612022 And Nova House celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. 116 00:11:04,347.16612022 --> 00:11:19,827.16612022 And as part of the storytelling we did around that anniversary, we caught up with some people who were around at that time and in particular a mom who was just amazed to hear how many people have been through that facility in 20 years and how many people it's helped. 117 00:11:20,517.16612022 --> 00:11:20,757.16612022 Yeah. 118 00:11:20,817.16612022 --> 00:11:21,927.16612022 So it's, it continues. 119 00:11:22,207.16612022 --> 00:11:42,37.16612022 There were other big achievements realized in your time and the merging of Bendigo early intervention services with BCHS in particular was very special to you, Sue, why was that? Indeed, it was, back in the, one of my previous lives, I trained as a kindergarten teacher did nursing first and then realized I should bump pediatric nursing. 120 00:11:42,37.16612022 --> 00:11:44,947.16612022 So I trained as a kindergarten teacher and then I did special education. 121 00:11:44,947.16612022 --> 00:12:05,617.16612022 And I became the early intervention worker in Echuca at that time, traveling on the road out of a car and working with families up along the river with children who were north to six who had been either diagnosed or undiagnosed, but still, on the journey of being identified as having either significant development today or disability. 122 00:12:05,712.16612022 --> 00:12:10,752.16612022 And what I understood in that journey over that period of time was. 123 00:12:11,697.16612022 --> 00:12:17,157.16612022 That they were so isolated because schools were not taking integration there was no real facility. 124 00:12:17,207.16612022 --> 00:12:22,937.16612022 those parents were totally captured by the fact that they had a child with a disability. 125 00:12:22,937.16612022 --> 00:12:24,597.16612022 And I saw marriages break up. 126 00:12:24,597.16612022 --> 00:12:30,487.16612022 I saw farms being sold off because you know the struggle of managing that on your own. 127 00:12:30,487.16612022 --> 00:12:37,507.16612022 We managed to get a fairly strong group of community people together to start making change in, up and around Echuca around that. 128 00:12:37,557.16612022 --> 00:12:46,317.16612022 And then I went to work as a bureaucrat and did other things, and then I was appointed as Community Health and the Early Intervention Service, Bendigo and early Intervention Services was. 129 00:12:47,157.16612022 --> 00:12:57,177.16612022 Approached us at that stage because the families were not only trying to access services, they were also trying to fundraise and manage and be on the committee of management. 130 00:12:57,177.16612022 --> 00:12:58,677.16612022 It all just became too much. 131 00:12:58,757.16612022 --> 00:13:04,647.16612022 And they were looking for, a space, a place where they could still be what they needed to be. 132 00:13:05,167.16612022 --> 00:13:12,87.16612022 I spoke with the families, listened to their stories, and spoke with the staff, and then spoke in house and then put a proposition to the board. 133 00:13:12,357.16612022 --> 00:13:20,637.16612022 To the board, and they agreed that it was a good thing for us to, to integrate that service into community health. 134 00:13:20,637.16612022 --> 00:13:26,877.16612022 So then I went to council, 'cause I knew the preschool across the road from where we were in Kangaroo Flat was empty. 135 00:13:27,732.16612022 --> 00:13:33,767.16612022 And managed to talk them into changing that facility and and moving it over to community health ownership. 136 00:13:34,352.16612022 --> 00:13:37,832.16612022 And although I think in latter years they've never been able to find the paperwork. 137 00:13:37,832.16612022 --> 00:13:40,172.16612022 But I'm here to tell you they voluntarily did it. 138 00:13:40,952.16612022 --> 00:13:43,712.16612022 And so that solves a conversation I've been having last week. 139 00:13:43,772.16612022 --> 00:13:44,222.16612022 Thanks, Sue. 140 00:13:44,582.16612022 --> 00:13:44,912.16612022 Oh yeah. 141 00:13:45,567.16612022 --> 00:13:45,787.16612022 No. 142 00:13:46,32.16612022 --> 00:13:48,972.16612022 And and occupation's 19th for the law, in my view. 143 00:13:49,22.16612022 --> 00:13:50,267.16612022 That's the way it is. 144 00:13:50,697.16612022 --> 00:13:57,327.16612022 And so we were able to integrate that service and build it, and we already had family daycare, which was also part of that. 145 00:13:57,327.16612022 --> 00:13:59,127.16612022 So we were starting to build this. 146 00:13:59,902.16612022 --> 00:14:13,487.16612022 New opportunity around children and not only children with disabilities, but their families feeling like they had a sense of connection and ownership and they could do as much as they could, but we would still keep going if they weren't Yeah, able to do that as well. 147 00:14:13,867.16612022 --> 00:14:19,410.49945355 And I think we should just briefly go back and touch on the origins of community health. 148 00:14:19,480.49945355 --> 00:14:28,960.49945355 Our listeners may or may not know that Bendigo was one of the first community health services to establish as the Eagle Hawkin Long Gully Community Health Center. 149 00:14:29,170.49945355 --> 00:14:29,560.49945355 That's true. 150 00:14:29,650.49945355 --> 00:14:29,890.49945355 Yeah. 151 00:14:29,890.49945355 --> 00:14:31,330.49945355 In a little Weatherboard house. 152 00:14:31,330.49945355 --> 00:14:32,595.49945355 In Bright Street, that's correct. 153 00:14:32,600.49945355 --> 00:14:33,880.49945355 In 1974. 154 00:14:33,930.49945355 --> 00:14:42,210.49945355 Goff Whitlam was rolling out his social reforms, which included free and accessible health services, and the people of Eagle Hawk mobilized. 155 00:14:42,690.49945355 --> 00:14:43,410.49945355 They lobbied. 156 00:14:43,440.49945355 --> 00:14:47,310.49945355 There were no GPS in the borough and people were sicker than elsewhere in Bendigo. 157 00:14:47,900.49945355 --> 00:14:56,690.49945355 So can you tell us a bit more about the beginning and about that legacy you inherited? So we ended up with five general practice clinics. 158 00:14:57,410.49945355 --> 00:15:05,120.49945355 All came out of that idea that the Committee of Abel Hawke and Long Gly head about there has to be a better way. 159 00:15:05,120.49945355 --> 00:15:07,370.49945355 We have to be able to access our health is worse. 160 00:15:07,690.49945355 --> 00:15:19,810.49945355 And with that being able to have a general practice in their own community, which they really owned, and I had a great pleasure to meet Goff Whitlam some years later which was an extraordinary opportunity. 161 00:15:20,140.49945355 --> 00:15:26,290.49945355 What was he like? Sue, am I allowed to say this? It was like three hours with God. 162 00:15:26,450.49945355 --> 00:15:27,440.49945355 That's what it felt like. 163 00:15:27,840.49945355 --> 00:15:40,483.49945355 It was the 30th birthday of community health and the amazing thing for me is all those years later, he could remember the date and the time and who he spoke with when he came into Eaglehawk and Long Gly and Groo Flat. 164 00:15:40,488.49945355 --> 00:15:40,735.49945355 Yeah. 165 00:15:40,735.49945355 --> 00:15:41,15.49945355 Amazing. 166 00:15:41,15.49945355 --> 00:15:47,100.49945355 And David Kennedy, who had been a local member here and is still a very active member of our community, came with us. 167 00:15:47,490.49945355 --> 00:15:56,250.49945355 Because he knew golf really well and they did proceed to discuss the conversation in Latin for a fair bit some of the time, but not the whole time. 168 00:15:56,250.49945355 --> 00:16:08,770.49945355 He was extremely generous and not only was he generous, he, his whole philosophy about, access to good quality healthcare, it was fundamental right of anyone. 169 00:16:09,295.49945355 --> 00:16:12,505.49945355 In this country was just music to my ears. 170 00:16:13,95.49945355 --> 00:16:21,735.49945355 And he felt a very strongly that the community health model was one which provided that integrated approach, which led by its community. 171 00:16:21,735.49945355 --> 00:16:25,165.49945355 And again, that was a, a something to be celebrated. 172 00:16:25,645.49945355 --> 00:16:29,185.49945355 You did in fact sign a It is time poster for me. 173 00:16:29,280.49945355 --> 00:16:31,460.49945355 It says to Sue we'd love golf. 174 00:16:32,140.49945355 --> 00:16:32,420.49945355 Amazing. 175 00:16:32,480.49945355 --> 00:16:34,500.49945355 Now holds quite a place in my house. 176 00:16:35,300.49945355 --> 00:16:35,340.49945355 Gorgeous. 177 00:16:37,10.49945355 --> 00:16:37,885.49945355 That is great. 178 00:16:37,885.49945355 --> 00:16:38,515.49945355 That is great. 179 00:16:38,755.49945355 --> 00:16:40,915.4994536 Mandy, let's go to you now. 180 00:16:41,105.4994536 --> 00:16:43,895.4994536 You started as the CEO 16 months ago. 181 00:16:44,205.4994536 --> 00:16:47,895.4994536 You were previously the CEO of Northern District Community Health for six years. 182 00:16:48,550.4994536 --> 00:16:57,130.4994536 You arrived with the January 20, 24 floods, which provided an immediate insight into this place and a conduit to many of our partnerships. 183 00:16:57,600.4994536 --> 00:17:03,590.4994536 What were the first days in the job like? Oh gosh it took us, I think three hours to get to Bendigo. 184 00:17:03,920.4994536 --> 00:17:05,300.4994536 We had to keep turning around. 185 00:17:05,300.4994536 --> 00:17:09,180.4994536 And is that from Kahuna? From Kahuna, yeah, from Kahuna. 186 00:17:09,180.4994536 --> 00:17:10,310.4994536 And yeah. 187 00:17:10,310.4994536 --> 00:17:12,290.4994536 So it was a long drive here and I've. 188 00:17:12,290.4994536 --> 00:17:18,100.4994536 Finally got here and I arrived and I rang the city of Greater Bendigo because I knew the director well. 189 00:17:18,130.4994536 --> 00:17:20,950.4994536 So I rang Stacy and said, rightio, I'm here. 190 00:17:21,550.4994536 --> 00:17:27,350.4994536 What do you want me to do? And she said, actually, I've got this big team at the city and we'll call on you if we need you. 191 00:17:27,380.4994536 --> 00:17:28,850.4994536 And thank you so much for calling. 192 00:17:28,850.4994536 --> 00:17:30,360.4994536 But you know where I can, I was like. 193 00:17:30,570.4994536 --> 00:17:31,350.4994536 Oh wow. 194 00:17:31,380.4994536 --> 00:17:35,756.4994536 'cause I was very used to a small rural community to be very hands-on and and involved. 195 00:17:35,756.4994536 --> 00:17:43,926.4994536 So it was a little, it's been a bit of a shift for me being quite at the center of everything, to step back a little bit and let people do their roles. 196 00:17:44,196.4994536 --> 00:17:46,536.4994536 But it was an, yeah, an incredible way to start. 197 00:17:46,536.4994536 --> 00:17:46,596.4994536 Yeah. 198 00:17:46,676.4994536 --> 00:17:52,196.4994536 And in fact, I think every, everyone had been told to stay home that day 'cause it might've been too dangerous to come to work. 199 00:17:52,196.4994536 --> 00:17:55,356.4994536 So I was by myself in our office going, oh, hello. 200 00:17:55,606.4994536 --> 00:18:06,836.4994536 But in a way, it was really good because as you said Emma, immediately had contact with people and making offers as community health does when things happen to our community, we try to respond in a really. 201 00:18:07,326.4994536 --> 00:18:08,316.4994536 Meaningful way. 202 00:18:09,36.4994536 --> 00:18:09,96.4994536 Yeah. 203 00:18:09,96.4994536 --> 00:18:10,80.4994536 And I think we did that. 204 00:18:10,80.4994536 --> 00:18:15,950.4994536 We were communicating with our community all the time and telling them, how they could access good support and yeah. 205 00:18:15,950.4994536 --> 00:18:18,670.4994536 And we are always, we're always in the tent helping out. 206 00:18:18,730.4994536 --> 00:18:19,240.4994536 Yeah. 207 00:18:19,240.4994536 --> 00:18:19,825.4994536 Yeah, we are. 208 00:18:20,80.4994536 --> 00:18:21,340.4994536 So you hit the ground running. 209 00:18:21,430.4994536 --> 00:18:21,580.4994536 Yeah. 210 00:18:21,820.4994536 --> 00:18:30,610.4994536 You swept in, you swept all of the staff up with your enthusiasm, your creativity and ideas, and it became a huge first year in the role for you. 211 00:18:30,615.4994536 --> 00:18:31,965.4994536 Tell us about that. 212 00:18:32,445.4994536 --> 00:18:33,375.4994536 'cause there's been many things. 213 00:18:33,375.4994536 --> 00:18:43,85.4994536 There was a great first year I look, first of all the thing about Bendigo Community Health Services is there are the community health believers in every corner. 214 00:18:43,325.4994536 --> 00:18:43,385.4994536 Yeah. 215 00:18:43,385.4994536 --> 00:18:55,875.4994536 And the people some people who have worked with Sue actually are still there, who completely believe about, the importance of working across the social determinants of health to try and make a change to people's lives. 216 00:18:55,875.4994536 --> 00:19:04,382.4994536 Realizing that you can just focus on one thing, but if you can focus on all things that will make the biggest impact on someone's life when they're ready to do it. 217 00:19:04,382.4994536 --> 00:19:04,620.4994536 As well. 218 00:19:04,620.4994536 --> 00:19:08,690.4994536 May I just say so those people were very evident straight away. 219 00:19:08,690.4994536 --> 00:19:18,950.4994536 And I also had great mentors like Sue and people like Tricia Curry and Eileen Brown List who came along and said, okay, it's great that you're here and let's get going. 220 00:19:19,50.4994536 --> 00:19:25,880.4994536 And, it'd been through a lot, like in most organizations through Covid it had been fairly bruised, I think after Covid. 221 00:19:25,880.4994536 --> 00:19:26,970.4994536 And I think. 222 00:19:27,430.4994536 --> 00:19:44,80.4994536 It, that was a challenging time to re revisit what we were there for and really we've just gone back to those values that Sue was just talking about with Goff, about being an accessible community led service that is, is meaningful to the people who live in that community. 223 00:19:44,290.4994536 --> 00:19:46,960.4994536 We've built on a lot of what Sue's brought in. 224 00:19:46,990.4994536 --> 00:19:47,200.4994536 Yeah. 225 00:19:47,200.4994536 --> 00:19:48,160.4994536 In your first year. 226 00:19:48,210.4994536 --> 00:19:50,880.4994536 We've had the Endo and Pelvic pain clinic launched. 227 00:19:50,880.4994536 --> 00:19:50,940.4994536 Yeah. 228 00:19:50,940.4994536 --> 00:19:56,170.4994536 So the sexual and reproductive health clinic has gone from strength to strength and so That's right. 229 00:19:56,170.4994536 --> 00:19:58,420.4994536 That was a very exciting, I loved being part of that. 230 00:19:58,420.4994536 --> 00:19:58,720.4994536 Yeah. 231 00:19:58,810.4994536 --> 00:20:00,790.4994536 And now we've got one in Nibi Wire one. 232 00:20:00,790.4994536 --> 00:20:01,60.4994536 Yeah. 233 00:20:01,60.4994536 --> 00:20:02,230.4994536 One in Nibi, wire one. 234 00:20:02,280.4994536 --> 00:20:10,730.4994536 And the opening of that compliments Nova House, which we were talking about before being a center of rediscovery finding yourself. 235 00:20:10,840.4994536 --> 00:20:23,360.4994536 In this very beautiful space and we do have big dreams sue around making that whole space a more contemporary inclusively safe bigger service for the city of Bendigo. 236 00:20:23,360.4994536 --> 00:20:30,590.4994536 And we are really interested in our partnership with Bendigo District, Aboriginal co-op in that space about making sure it's a culturally safe program. 237 00:20:30,590.4994536 --> 00:20:32,300.4994536 I was just talking about it yesterday saying. 238 00:20:32,430.4994536 --> 00:20:33,210.4994536 It would be great. 239 00:20:33,260.4994536 --> 00:20:47,880.4994536 One of the things we are really looking at is doing some research around what models are working well across the world that we could perhaps learn from to try and deliver something that really is bespoke to our community but also using the very best of evidence to drive it. 240 00:20:47,880.4994536 --> 00:20:51,360.4994536 So we are really excited about building a project like that, Emma. 241 00:20:51,365.4994536 --> 00:20:51,655.4994536 Yeah. 242 00:20:51,765.4994536 --> 00:20:52,55.4994536 Yeah. 243 00:20:52,60.4994536 --> 00:20:52,410.4994536 Yeah. 244 00:20:52,620.4994536 --> 00:20:55,830.4994536 So you've spent a lot of your time, like you've just mentioned, liaising. 245 00:20:56,30.4994536 --> 00:20:58,820.4994536 And collaborating with other local services and institutions. 246 00:20:58,820.4994536 --> 00:21:01,610.4994536 Yeah, we know the cost of living pressures. 247 00:21:02,30.4994536 --> 00:21:04,760.4994536 We've got housing issues, there's gross inequality. 248 00:21:05,100.4994536 --> 00:21:08,550.4994536 We've got difficulty accessing gps still to this day. 249 00:21:08,880.4994536 --> 00:21:11,820.4994536 These are social determinants of health and we know you love. 250 00:21:11,820.4994536 --> 00:21:12,895.4994536 To talk about these. 251 00:21:12,925.4994536 --> 00:21:14,245.4994536 'cause they're so important. 252 00:21:14,545.4994536 --> 00:21:19,355.4994536 They're very real issues for regional people and they take a huge toll on our health and wellbeing. 253 00:21:19,565.4994536 --> 00:21:29,395.4994536 So what's happening out in the community right now that our movers and shakers and our people on the ground are concerned about? Yeah, so housing's definitely a big one. 254 00:21:29,675.4994536 --> 00:21:33,395.4994536 And I think, we notice in Bendigo that people are sleeping rough now. 255 00:21:33,515.4994536 --> 00:21:33,665.4994536 Yeah. 256 00:21:33,715.4994536 --> 00:21:34,855.4994536 So combined. 257 00:21:34,900.4994536 --> 00:21:40,630.4994536 With that, and they're often touched with potentially mental health and alcohol and other drug sort of issues as well. 258 00:21:40,630.4994536 --> 00:21:41,680.4994536 So it's complex. 259 00:21:41,680.4994536 --> 00:21:51,760.4994536 We talk about intersectionality, just another nice jargon piece of word, but it means so much about, how things happen to people and the different traumas that get layered upon. 260 00:21:51,760.4994536 --> 00:21:56,350.4994536 And trying to find that spot where you can get in and try and affect change and understand. 261 00:21:56,735.4994536 --> 00:22:00,155.4994536 All those complexities and how it plays out in someone's life. 262 00:22:00,545.4994536 --> 00:22:07,465.4994536 I would say that, family violence, housing and and homelessness are probably the three things that I've been hearing a lot about. 263 00:22:07,735.4994536 --> 00:22:12,925.4994536 As well as, that inclusive piece about people feeling safe in our community too, around. 264 00:22:13,340.4994536 --> 00:22:15,710.4994536 Our refugee community and migrant communities. 265 00:22:15,710.4994536 --> 00:22:15,770.4994536 Yeah. 266 00:22:15,800.4994536 --> 00:22:19,700.4994536 And our LGBTQA plus, I think there're probably the five sort of things Yeah. 267 00:22:19,730.4994536 --> 00:22:21,600.4994536 That people are concerned about. 268 00:22:21,880.4994536 --> 00:22:27,30.4994536 And how we can, as a community health service be courageous in our messaging about. 269 00:22:27,385.4994536 --> 00:22:33,185.4994536 How it brings such greatness to be able to tackle these things with people and make a difference. 270 00:22:33,185.4994536 --> 00:22:38,125.4994536 And that the richness all of that brings to our lives is gold. 271 00:22:38,130.4994536 --> 00:22:44,160.4994536 And we are a city that's got a history of gold and it's important to find those silver linings there. 272 00:22:44,160.4994536 --> 00:22:47,490.4994536 There's some of the things I think we're trying to tackle and we have been trying to respond to those. 273 00:22:47,490.4994536 --> 00:22:47,730.4994536 So yeah. 274 00:22:47,925.4994536 --> 00:22:48,505.4994536 How can we. 275 00:22:48,635.4994536 --> 00:22:53,25.4994536 And how have we been joining forces? To help, we have been joining forces. 276 00:22:53,25.4994536 --> 00:22:56,445.4994536 So one of the beautiful programs we do is a community connector program. 277 00:22:56,450.4994536 --> 00:22:56,600.4994536 Cool. 278 00:22:56,715.4994536 --> 00:23:00,745.4994536 And that's a lovely program and it's a partnership with the City of Greater Bendigo. 279 00:23:01,55.4994536 --> 00:23:01,685.4994536 And. 280 00:23:02,175.4994536 --> 00:23:04,815.4994536 The library, goldfields library service. 281 00:23:05,85.4994536 --> 00:23:05,87.4994536 And ourselves. 282 00:23:05,115.4994536 --> 00:23:14,215.4994536 And we started off as a little pilot project supporting the library staff to understand some of the clients who were coming in to utilize their space. 283 00:23:14,245.4994536 --> 00:23:18,955.4994536 'cause it was either warm in winter or cool and summer and there's toilets and things like that. 284 00:23:18,955.4994536 --> 00:23:20,885.4994536 But were sleeping rough as well. 285 00:23:20,915.4994536 --> 00:23:21,975.4994536 And brought some of their. 286 00:23:22,305.4994536 --> 00:23:25,815.4994536 Very real life experiences into the library space. 287 00:23:25,820.4994536 --> 00:23:29,590.4994536 So trying to provide them with some education about trauma informed practice. 288 00:23:29,620.4994536 --> 00:23:29,680.4994536 Yeah. 289 00:23:29,780.4994536 --> 00:23:35,890.4994536 And also working with the people who are coming in to see if there was something we can do to connect with them and make a difference to their lives. 290 00:23:35,890.4994536 --> 00:23:38,710.4994536 And we found that's been quite a successful program. 291 00:23:39,110.4994536 --> 00:23:45,230.4994536 The library staff feel so much better supported and understand so much better how to support people who come in. 292 00:23:45,480.4994536 --> 00:24:00,580.4994536 And there's some beautiful stories about what Carl, our social worker has been able to do to facilitate, some changes to their lives and one of them is with one of the boards Sue's now on is with the US pharmacy, where there was somebody who needed to access insulin, Yeah. 293 00:24:00,640.4994536 --> 00:24:04,960.4994536 And had nowhere to store insulin 'cause they don't have a fridge when you're leaving, living on the street. 294 00:24:04,960.4994536 --> 00:24:12,650.4994536 So we're able to, we organize for the UFS farmers to hold the insulin so that person can access cinch insulin while whilst the chemist is open. 295 00:24:12,650.4994536 --> 00:24:15,170.4994536 It's open until 11 o'clock at night and seven in the morning. 296 00:24:15,170.4994536 --> 00:24:16,860.4994536 And so what a great, it's a big thing. 297 00:24:16,860.4994536 --> 00:24:32,10.4994536 Partnership with that is but there's countless stories like that about making a difference to people's lives and perhaps rebuilding hope in the system again, because of a one-on-one, careful, trusted, nurtured relationship rather than. 298 00:24:32,710.4994536 --> 00:24:34,540.4994536 You meeting a target? Yeah. 299 00:24:34,600.4994536 --> 00:24:39,770.4994536 It's about developing the relationship and the trust and then and then making people come to that person. 300 00:24:40,370.4994536 --> 00:24:41,895.4994536 We've got Carl coming on the podcast. 301 00:24:42,265.4994536 --> 00:24:43,415.4994536 We're very excited about that. 302 00:24:43,465.4994536 --> 00:24:44,875.4994536 It'll be fantastic chat. 303 00:24:44,905.4994536 --> 00:24:53,525.4994536 Yeah, because he's doing some extraordinary work and we've actually been able to build on that program now with some funding from the Murray PHN to add in some primary care elements to it and. 304 00:24:53,950.4994536 --> 00:24:57,270.4994536 We, we are hopeful, and I've gotta say that we are not doing this alone. 305 00:24:57,270.4994536 --> 00:25:03,410.4994536 It's lovely to be doing it in a partnership approach with a city who have been extraordinary and the library service. 306 00:25:03,410.4994536 --> 00:25:06,740.4994536 So it's, it feels great because you're doing something that touches. 307 00:25:07,315.4994536 --> 00:25:10,975.4994536 All our services and about how we can have those conversations. 308 00:25:11,185.4994536 --> 00:25:25,865.4994536 And from that, we've actually had a wider conversation too with other partners like Bendigo Health and Haven and the departments getting all of us together, b Dak to talk about, what can we do together to tackle this in a more real way. 309 00:25:26,25.4994536 --> 00:25:30,405.4994536 And we've come up with some different groups are gonna work on different things to try and start. 310 00:25:30,690.4994536 --> 00:25:43,465.4994536 Unpacking this a little bit more and making sure that, when needed these people who are so vulnerable can get the support they need in a more timely way in a way that they feel safe and that they're still in control. 311 00:25:43,715.4994536 --> 00:25:45,305.4994536 So it's exciting times. 312 00:25:45,545.4994536 --> 00:25:49,205.4994536 It sounds like it needs to be much more than a pilot program, Mandy. 313 00:25:49,475.4994536 --> 00:25:50,225.4994536 It does indeed. 314 00:25:50,255.4994536 --> 00:25:50,315.4994536 Yeah. 315 00:25:50,315.4994536 --> 00:25:53,755.4994536 We would love to attract some funding for that program ongoing. 316 00:25:54,35.4994536 --> 00:25:55,685.4994536 We think it would make a huge difference. 317 00:25:55,685.4994536 --> 00:26:04,655.4994536 And, when we say huge difference, sometimes it can, some people who have experienced that sort of trauma, they, it's very hard for them to engage or have faith in a system. 318 00:26:04,835.4994536 --> 00:26:04,895.4994536 Yeah. 319 00:26:04,950.4994536 --> 00:26:06,480.4994536 When sometimes a system's done. 320 00:26:07,145.4994536 --> 00:26:07,865.4994536 Done the trauma. 321 00:26:07,895.4994536 --> 00:26:17,730.4994536 It really does take time and sometimes the way we fund things is all about episodes of care and things like that, which is very difficult to do in a situation like this. 322 00:26:18,30.4994536 --> 00:26:21,970.4994536 So to have this flexibility and to develop the relationship is the. 323 00:26:22,240.4994536 --> 00:26:25,820.4994536 Is the quintessential hope this program brings. 324 00:26:25,880.4994536 --> 00:26:26,510.4994536 Yeah. 325 00:26:26,630.4994536 --> 00:26:26,870.4994536 Yeah. 326 00:26:26,870.4994536 --> 00:26:31,880.4994536 And Carla's just one of 280 plus staff now at BCHS. 327 00:26:31,970.4994536 --> 00:26:32,30.4994536 Yeah. 328 00:26:32,220.4994536 --> 00:26:35,120.4994536 And the breadth of experience is huge. 329 00:26:35,120.4994536 --> 00:26:37,490.4994536 How lucky are we in a regional city to have. 330 00:26:37,895.4994536 --> 00:26:39,605.4994536 The staff that we do extraordinary. 331 00:26:39,605.4994536 --> 00:26:47,595.4994536 And that program's such a great example of it because you can pull in, Men's Health we've got a men's health nurse practitioner who's Sue, employed who's still with us now. 332 00:26:47,595.4994536 --> 00:26:49,665.4994536 Peter Strange, he comes and helps. 333 00:26:49,875.4994536 --> 00:26:56,230.4994536 Or we have Louise Holland, who's an extraordinary nurse practitioner, and she can come and help some of these people with their women's health. 334 00:26:56,420.4994536 --> 00:26:59,210.4994536 So you know, it, this is where the goodness of. 335 00:26:59,400.4994536 --> 00:27:12,950.4994536 Community health comes to its fore because we have these incredible, passionate experts who are able to be with people where they are at, and then provide them with such wisdom and access to. 336 00:27:13,525.4994536 --> 00:27:14,785.4994536 Quality care. 337 00:27:15,295.4994536 --> 00:27:16,765.4994536 It makes such a difference. 338 00:27:16,825.4994536 --> 00:27:17,245.4994536 Yeah. 339 00:27:17,665.4994536 --> 00:27:17,995.4994536 Yep. 340 00:27:18,475.4994536 --> 00:27:29,255.4994536 At BCHS, we are looking closely at forecasting at the future, at what the future holds, but do you think we can also benefit from looking back at what's been achieved, say, in Sue's time? Completely. 341 00:27:29,255.4994536 --> 00:27:34,125.4994536 I've loved spending the last year reflecting on the last 50 years of community health. 342 00:27:34,465.4994536 --> 00:27:36,925.4994536 I, it really pioneered such an approach. 343 00:27:36,925.4994536 --> 00:27:37,780.4994536 A lot of our work is. 344 00:27:37,835.4994536 --> 00:27:39,305.4994536 Nurse led, for example. 345 00:27:39,585.4994536 --> 00:27:48,725.4994536 And we've talked a lot about gps, our sexual and reproductive health hub is a nurse led hub which makes so much sense to have that time with a nurse before you see a gp and that's happening in our. 346 00:27:49,335.4994536 --> 00:27:51,625.4994536 In all our clinics to different degrees. 347 00:27:51,625.4994536 --> 00:27:52,635.4994536 But I love that. 348 00:27:52,635.4994536 --> 00:27:55,165.4994536 And also, the method of working with people. 349 00:27:55,165.4994536 --> 00:28:04,675.4994536 It could be one-on-one, it could be group I speaking to someone today in our mental health services, who's saying, oh, I can just see we've got, this, the elements of a group session happening here. 350 00:28:04,675.4994536 --> 00:28:10,205.4994536 We can do things one-on-one, we can do them in a group, we can do it with a community one of the. 351 00:28:10,625.4994536 --> 00:28:21,65.4994536 The ideas of that conversation we had around people sleeping rough is to do education across the community about how to manage people who are experiencing distress. 352 00:28:21,315.4994536 --> 00:28:25,445.4994536 One of the things I found fascinating is I visited one in Big W one recently. 353 00:28:25,445.4994536 --> 00:28:31,615.4994536 I was saying to them, oh, have you noticed an increase in people being a bit more aggressive? 'cause we've been noticing a lot of that. 354 00:28:31,695.4994536 --> 00:28:32,805.4994536 In our central site. 355 00:28:33,35.4994536 --> 00:28:33,995.4994536 And they said no. 356 00:28:34,305.4994536 --> 00:28:35,955.4994536 Because they're just so skilled. 357 00:28:36,415.4994536 --> 00:28:47,135.4994536 When people walk in they're training and their ability to, to just absolutely deescalate people and to make them feel safe nearly immediately is it's an art. 358 00:28:47,385.4994536 --> 00:28:49,635.4994536 There's science, but it is such an art. 359 00:28:49,665.4994536 --> 00:28:56,480.4994536 So if we could perhaps pass some of that knowledge on to people so that, that those incidents become less would be amazing. 360 00:28:56,930.4994536 --> 00:29:02,960.4994536 Do you think that the environment has something to do with it? We were talking about one and in Vic Y one and how beautiful it is. 361 00:29:02,960.4994536 --> 00:29:06,900.4994536 It's peaceful, light filled full of natural light. 362 00:29:06,950.4994536 --> 00:29:10,70.4994536 I think it's such a lovely place to go to and to work every day. 363 00:29:10,70.4994536 --> 00:29:14,570.4994536 I know that, we'll be bringing some of that into our Eagle Hawk site when it relaunches. 364 00:29:15,150.4994536 --> 00:29:17,700.4994536 This year after the big refurbishment. 365 00:29:18,210.4994536 --> 00:29:19,170.4994536 Yeah, I agree, Lauren. 366 00:29:19,170.4994536 --> 00:29:20,760.4994536 The spaces are so important. 367 00:29:21,40.4994536 --> 00:29:27,650.4994536 And in fact, some of the comments the team there tell us that the community feel so honored also to be in that space. 368 00:29:27,650.4994536 --> 00:29:28,580.4994536 They cannot believe. 369 00:29:28,850.4994536 --> 00:29:38,500.4994536 That our first renovated space in a very long time has been for them as perhaps being dependent on alcohol or other drugs that this space has been for them. 370 00:29:38,800.4994536 --> 00:29:40,660.4994536 They respect it greatly. 371 00:29:40,660.4994536 --> 00:29:42,370.4994536 They love being there. 372 00:29:42,370.4994536 --> 00:29:43,600.4994536 They feel safe. 373 00:29:43,880.4994536 --> 00:29:47,0.4994536 And that's the sort of space we would like to be able to offer. 374 00:29:47,215.4994536 --> 00:29:49,645.4994536 All our clients across community health. 375 00:29:49,695.4994536 --> 00:29:53,205.4994536 And so it's wonderful that Eagle Hawk will be of the same caliber. 376 00:29:53,275.4994536 --> 00:30:00,725.4994536 And now we're putting our minds to the rest of our sites to create the same sort of beautiful space that people feel valued and respected in. 377 00:30:00,945.4994536 --> 00:30:02,535.4994536 It does make a huge difference. 378 00:30:02,535.4994536 --> 00:30:03,165.4994536 I think you're right. 379 00:30:03,220.4994536 --> 00:30:05,230.4994536 So thinking about this as this. 380 00:30:05,585.4994536 --> 00:30:06,755.4994536 A lot that's happened. 381 00:30:06,755.4994536 --> 00:30:08,105.4994536 There's a lot to be done. 382 00:30:08,345.4994536 --> 00:30:10,475.4994536 There's a lot that's carried on through the decades. 383 00:30:10,475.4994536 --> 00:30:16,395.4994536 We talk about those social determinants of health and the lingering pain points for people. 384 00:30:16,965.4994536 --> 00:30:32,545.4994536 Are there any kind of sticky things, any lasting or even growing health challenges that you would've loved to have seen successfully alleviated or solved by now? Fundamentally it's really about policy and government policy particularly. 385 00:30:32,980.4994536 --> 00:30:55,790.4994536 About realizing that the value of investing earlier and funding longer term, not one year, but longer term health systems and services will, make such a difference to people's, not only to their health and wellbeing, but to our, basically to our cost of health services. 386 00:30:55,790.4994536 --> 00:30:56,870.4994536 At a national level. 387 00:30:57,860.4994536 --> 00:31:00,80.4994536 Would I have liked to see a change? Yes, I would. 388 00:31:00,170.4994536 --> 00:31:11,64.4994536 I think one of the things is that the economic climate for people the cost of living, no matter where you sit in this community, has having an impact on families. 389 00:31:11,64.4994536 --> 00:31:13,104.4994536 It's having an impact on health and wellbeing. 390 00:31:13,674.4994536 --> 00:31:25,129.4994536 And and economics goes up and down, but if we could shift the way we're investing in longer term personally, that's what I feel should make and will make the greatest difference. 391 00:31:25,179.4994536 --> 00:31:25,989.4994536 Completely agree. 392 00:31:25,989.4994536 --> 00:31:30,474.4994536 And I, that's the message, I've been getting from our team as well is the cost of living is huge. 393 00:31:30,564.4994536 --> 00:31:40,694.4994536 And having partnerships like with food share and places like that at, we now have a pantry that we get support from food share and it's glorious. 394 00:31:40,774.4994536 --> 00:31:41,674.4994536 It's beautiful. 395 00:31:41,674.4994536 --> 00:31:45,944.4994536 It looks beautiful, and the clients are just valuing it so highly. 396 00:31:45,944.4994536 --> 00:31:50,289.4994536 And we've had other teams go and have a look and I can imagine we'll be having them popping up everywhere. 397 00:31:50,769.4994536 --> 00:31:53,769.4994536 But I love also that our staff said, oh, the bananas looked a bit off. 398 00:31:53,769.4994536 --> 00:31:56,159.4994536 So I took them home and brought it back in a cake, yeah. 399 00:31:56,159.4994536 --> 00:31:58,829.4994536 There's those little bits that you go, ah, yeah, of course. 400 00:31:58,829.4994536 --> 00:32:03,329.4994536 I think that the magic of something like food share and then the magic of community health coming together and. 401 00:32:03,569.4994536 --> 00:32:08,684.4994536 Creating these little moments of generosity and kindness is pretty special. 402 00:32:08,784.4994536 --> 00:32:08,934.4994536 I agree. 403 00:32:09,544.4994536 --> 00:32:24,679.4994536 What message would you like to leave for the next 50 years of community health? What would you love to see community health achieve for the future in Bendigo? My perspective is just make sure you keep community in the middle of everything you do. 404 00:32:25,129.4994536 --> 00:32:37,289.4994536 Not on the edge, not consulted, three years down the track, but listen to your community and listen to your families and society in general, because nobody really wants to end up being sicker. 405 00:32:37,769.4994536 --> 00:32:44,329.4994536 Really keep the individual, the community in the middle of your thinking when you are planning. 406 00:32:45,169.4994536 --> 00:32:49,219.4994536 Working with and developing and delivering services in the community. 407 00:32:49,489.4994536 --> 00:32:49,969.4994536 Yeah. 408 00:32:50,59.4994536 --> 00:32:58,319.4994536 And Mandy, if we had a bottomless bucket of money what would be on the wishlist? I love, like I went to a conference last year and I. 409 00:32:58,479.4994536 --> 00:33:00,99.4994536 Been, it's stuck with me ever since. 410 00:33:00,99.4994536 --> 00:33:01,779.4994536 And it's the elements of community health. 411 00:33:01,779.4994536 --> 00:33:05,139.4994536 It was the Newa model that's in Alaska and it's a traditional owner model. 412 00:33:05,679.4994536 --> 00:33:12,159.4994536 And every family has a team that looks after them and that team then navigates the system with you. 413 00:33:12,439.4994536 --> 00:33:16,459.4994536 I keep talking about it with our executive and with my community health colleagues. 414 00:33:16,669.4994536 --> 00:33:18,479.4994536 So if I had a bottomless. 415 00:33:18,679.4994536 --> 00:33:19,189.4994536 Bucket. 416 00:33:19,469.4994536 --> 00:33:30,534.4994536 I would love to have a model like that where, you had somebody who knew you or a team who knew you and then brought things in when you were ready and helped navigate the system for you. 417 00:33:30,584.4994536 --> 00:33:32,34.4994536 I would love something like that. 418 00:33:32,64.4994536 --> 00:33:34,424.4994536 'cause I think, and then, and we just always there. 419 00:33:34,494.4994536 --> 00:33:34,944.4994536 Just there. 420 00:33:34,944.4994536 --> 00:33:43,644.4994536 If you need like a good netballer there, if you need we, they're there if you need part of the team here in Bendigo and we're up for the challenge. 421 00:33:43,644.4994536 --> 00:33:45,864.4994536 Like we, nothing's too complex or too hard. 422 00:33:45,864.4994536 --> 00:33:50,694.4994536 Bring it to us and we will we will listen and do our very best to try and tackle it and. 423 00:33:51,159.4994536 --> 00:33:56,289.4994536 And we'll use our influence and our advocacy and our passion and our expertise to make a change. 424 00:33:56,339.4994536 --> 00:34:01,809.4994536 Can I also just say I would love to I'd love to, build on the legacy that Sue started around those early years. 425 00:34:01,924.4994536 --> 00:34:05,984.4994536 That's our opportunity to change the next generation. 426 00:34:05,984.4994536 --> 00:34:12,964.4994536 And the other thing I think is a real support for us is, partnering with researchers and using the evidence. 427 00:34:12,964.4994536 --> 00:34:20,434.4994536 One of the things we're really focusing on at the moment is that data and analytics and that lived and living experience informing what we do. 428 00:34:20,714.4994536 --> 00:34:23,944.4994536 And I think, partnering with universities to ensure that we've got. 429 00:34:24,184.4994536 --> 00:34:26,184.4994536 Some robust data about it. 430 00:34:26,647.8327869 --> 00:34:29,497.8327869 I think the story of community health has never been stronger. 431 00:34:29,657.8327869 --> 00:34:33,527.8327869 I think that we're as relevant today as we were back in 1974. 432 00:34:33,537.8327869 --> 00:34:35,187.8327869 We are a diamond in the rough. 433 00:34:35,217.8327869 --> 00:34:37,727.8327869 And we don't mind a bit of rough edges. 434 00:34:37,727.8327869 --> 00:34:38,222.8327869 They're good. 435 00:34:38,222.8327869 --> 00:34:39,212.8327869 They keep us real. 436 00:34:39,432.8327869 --> 00:34:43,842.8327869 But gee, if we did have better investment in what we do, we could really shine. 437 00:34:43,842.8327869 --> 00:34:47,592.8327869 And so much of the health dollar goes to that acute space. 438 00:34:47,592.8327869 --> 00:34:48,882.8327869 And I agree with Sue. 439 00:34:48,882.8327869 --> 00:34:49,512.8327869 I want them like. 440 00:34:49,627.8327869 --> 00:34:50,937.8327869 And sirens. 441 00:34:50,937.8327869 --> 00:34:59,567.8327869 When, something happens to one I love, but if we could only invest a little bit more, a smaller percentage into that prevention space, wow. 442 00:34:59,642.8327869 --> 00:35:01,518.8327869 I want more than you. 443 00:35:01,518.8327869 --> 00:35:02,207.8327869 I want more than a little bit more. 444 00:35:02,207.8327869 --> 00:35:02,297.8327869 Yeah. 445 00:35:03,947.8327869 --> 00:35:11,197.8327869 So what can we, and what are we affording to do? You for people right now? I think we are better than we've, better placed than we've. 446 00:35:11,587.8327869 --> 00:35:12,637.8327869 Been for a long time. 447 00:35:12,687.8327869 --> 00:35:17,967.8327869 We're open for business and we are ready right now to do what we can, but we could do so much more if there was a bit more investment. 448 00:35:17,967.8327869 --> 00:35:18,12.8327869 Yeah. 449 00:35:18,707.8327869 --> 00:35:18,997.8327869 Yeah. 450 00:35:19,52.8327869 --> 00:35:19,592.8327869 Said Mandy. 451 00:35:19,592.8327869 --> 00:35:21,62.8327869 We could so keep chatting. 452 00:35:21,482.8327869 --> 00:35:31,172.8327869 There's just so much to talk about and we know that these sorts of conversations are happening all over Bendigo, between those who have the power to enact change, and we are really grateful for that. 453 00:35:31,512.8327869 --> 00:35:37,677.8327869 Before we wrap up, Sue, you've tell us about this lovely book that you've dug out and brought in with you today. 454 00:35:37,927.8327869 --> 00:35:39,847.8327869 Okay, thank you. 455 00:35:39,847.8327869 --> 00:35:48,187.8327869 When I left community Health just over almost 12 years ago the staff gave me this booklet, which is called a tribute book. 456 00:35:48,532.8327869 --> 00:35:59,937.8327869 And I was so overwhelmed when I left Community Health because I felt the generosity was just amazing of people's spirit, that I actually put it away in a box and it. 457 00:36:00,372.8327869 --> 00:36:03,912.8327869 11 years down the track Miller, 12 years, and I've read it for the first time today. 458 00:36:03,912.8327869 --> 00:36:05,382.8327869 Some of the stories in here were. 459 00:36:05,397.8327869 --> 00:36:07,377.8327869 We were just very touching. 460 00:36:07,377.8327869 --> 00:36:33,667.8327869 One of them talked about the fact that they were in the staff room having a cup of tea or coffee, or they were starting to, and I must have wandered in, and I turned around and said, who else wants a coffee? Now, I don't see that as being extraordinary, but the story in here talks about that this young woman said she was a receptionist and she never expected the CEO to make her a coffee. 461 00:36:34,202.8327869 --> 00:36:38,992.8327869 Made a big impact on me and just reading through some of the lovely stories that were in here today. 462 00:36:39,262.8327869 --> 00:36:39,382.8327869 Yeah. 463 00:36:40,462.8327869 --> 00:36:44,512.8327869 Thank you so much, Sue and Mandy, thank you for your time and insights and stories. 464 00:36:45,206.0827869 --> 00:36:49,346.0827869 It's been a real gift to get you both in for the first episode of our podcast. 465 00:36:49,856.0827869 --> 00:36:51,686.0827869 To our listeners, thank you for joining us. 466 00:36:52,316.0827869 --> 00:37:06,236.0827869 Please stick with us over the coming series as we address some hot health and wellbeing topics such as trauma informed practice, youth mental health, GP access and care, alcohol and drug services in Bendigo, refugee services and more. 467 00:37:06,626.0827869 --> 00:37:12,926.0827869 Plus, how to respond to what the health forecasting is telling us so that we can plan for the next 50 years of community health. 468 00:37:12,971.0827869 --> 00:37:14,711.0827869 Okay, stay well. 469 00:37:14,741.0827869 --> 00:37:19,631.0827869 Take care of yourself and others, and if you need assistance, jump onto bchs.com 470 00:37:20,231.0827869 --> 00:37:25,481.0827869 au to discover how our more than 50 health and wellbeing services can help you and your loved ones. 471 00:37:26,801.0827869 --> 00:37:33,551.0827869 We've touched on some sensitive topics here, so if you need to talk to someone about the issues raised in this episode, help is available. 472 00:37:33,911.0827869 --> 00:37:37,781.0827869 Call Lifeline on thirteen eleven fourteen or beyond. 473 00:37:37,781.0827869 --> 00:37:42,16.0827869 Blue on 1 322 46 36.