New van unveiled in Brisbane's north to achieve 'better together' outcomes

The Metro North Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership team have unveiled a new health van to share health advice with communities in Brisbane's north.

The team with the new 'Better Together' health van.

The team with the new 'Better Together' health van. Source: Facebook: Better Together health van

A new 'Better Together' health van will be making making the rounds to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Brisbane's north.

Metro North Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership team director Sherry Holzapfel said the team is keen to get out and about and share health advice with the community.

"It's a resource for access," she told NITV News.

"It takes the service out to our community. There was definitely a need. We needed a resource to go out into the community and that's vital for people like our Elders in our community who can't always come in to the service.

"Taking the van out is a choice that provides access to our community."

The van features artwork from artist Elaine Chambers-Hegarty.

Ms Holzapfel said the vibrant work means community members "can't miss it" as the van visits their community.

"She designed a beautiful artwork, which was designed for out 'Better Together' health plan," she said.

"We put it on the van so it's visual."
William Burn is leading the 'Better Together' health van project and said the van will focus on health promotion and community consultation in the Metro North region.

"We want a bit of input from the community as to how they want to see the van working," he said.

"Our plan is to increase screening for things like bowel cancer, cervical cancer, supporting strong start to life initiatives through education, antenatal care and co-ordination with some of our mothers.

"We're looking at a lot of content with expectant mothers about how we can get better health literacy, better education and how they're accessing our services.

"We're doing more early intervention and preventative work. We want to get more education campaigns out there about some of the things that we're doing like making healthy choices, promoting living well, promoting healthy wellbeing and living longer."

The van will be out and about over the next six months, attending community events around Brisbane's north.

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Published 20 March 2020 3:28pm
By Keira Jenkins
Source: NITV News


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