La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University’s Post

Dr Corina Modderman has evaluated a new area-based intervention model to improve health outcomes for children in out-of-home care (OOHC). “In Australia, children and young people may be placed in OOHC when they cannot safely remain at home due to child abuse, neglect, or parents' inability to provide adequate protection,” Dr Modderman explains. Dr Modderman says the health needs of children in OOHC are often not prioritised, leading to long-term health conditions. “This issue is even more present in rural and regional communities, where healthcare inequalities persist due to limited access to primary healthcare services," she says.   Dr Modderman’s project, based in Mildura, explored how collaborative processes could improve health outcomes for children in OOHC. “A key factor was the co-location of a health navigator, which is someone who helps people access the right support. In our study, the health navigator was a registered nurse and we found that having them integrated into the Maternal and Child Health Service and Child Protection Program improved health access and outcomes for children in OOHC.” “Key infrastructure improvements also took place, such as forming a specialist paediatric OOHC clinic at the Mildura Base Public Hospital and identifying children in OOHC on Sunraysia Community Health Services and Maternal and Child Health referral documents.” Dr Modderman says the results are promising, demonstrating that improved health system integration is beneficial for children in OOHC. “At the heart of our recommendations is the spirit of collaboration, mutual support and a shared drive for the rights of children in OOHC to have quality and priority access to health and wellbeing services.” Read more: https://bit.ly/45OK2PH #LaTrobeRuralHealthSchool #LaTrobeUniversity #SocialWork

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Giselle Pike

Senior Advisor, Engagement, Office of the Provost at La Trobe University

4mo

Fantastic work, Corina. Congratulations.

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