Abstract
The aim of Health Alliances is to work collaboratively to improve coordination and effectiveness of health services in the community to support healthier neighbourhoods.
Our Fairfield City Health Alliance (FCHA) consists of three key partners representing all levels of Government: South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD), South Western Sydney Primary Health Network (SWSPHN) and Fairfield City Council (FCC). Fairfield City is one of the most culturally diverse cities in Australia; over 50% of residents were born overseas in a non-English speaking country. Nearly 70% of residents speak a language other than English at home and about 20% report difficulty speaking English.
The migration history and the economic profile of the Fairfield LGA have resulted in a range of health issues and needs which are not evident in other areas of Sydney or NSW. In Fairfield, health is further complicated by social determinants of health such as income, housing affordability, education levels and social inclusion. The SEIFA index for Fairfield City (856) makes it the most disadvantaged in metropolitan Sydney and the fourth most disadvantaged in NSW.
FCHA aims to get the whole community to work together to improve health services in Fairfield.
The community remain at the centre of the Alliance approach; they are engaged in designing, planning and evaluating local health initiatives. Shared health priorities are established through needs assessment and extensive stakeholder consultation.
The FCHA priority areas are:
•Health literacy in vulnerable refugees and migrants and disadvantaged Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) population groups
•Wellbeing, with a particular focus on the health and social impact of gambling
•General Practice quality improvement
Key partners utilise shared knowledge and expertise to develop local health priorities. Working collaboratively in a holistic approach presents strengths and opportunities to solve the complexities and large scope of our health system. Each partner brings unique strengths to the Alliance. The collaboration between partners from a range of primary care and non-government organisations has enabled the Health Alliance to leverage health knowledge, expertise and relationships to develop innovative ways to connect local health services and improve the health of the local community.
In recent years, the local council has transformed themselves beyond a focus on ‘roads, rates and rubbish’ to deliver broad social, environmental and community wellbeing objectives.
The implementation of place-based projects such as the diabetes Bilingual Community Education (BCE) program, the implementation and evaluation of a gambling harm screening tool, the mental health literacy BCE program and the antimicrobial research project have all demonstrated extensive health outcomes with improvements in diabetes self- management, increased knowledge of mental health literacy, improvements in lifestyle choices and behaviours resulting in overall improvements to wellbeing.
The level of integration and collaboration across the three levels of government, non-government agencies and the community has largely reduced the fragmented approach and has enhanced a well-co-ordinated and holistic approach in addressing health issues in a local context.