Partners & Sponsors
The Fitzroy Valley Health Partnership began formally in the year 2000. It began as a partnership between the Fitzroy Valley Health Services (FVHS) and NCHS. At this time the Health Minister, Bob Kucera, was encouraging and endorsing partnerships between the Health Department and Aboriginal Health Services. This was a new approach for both organizations and the hard work and good will of all of those individuals involved in these formative years of the Partnership is recognized and acknowledged.
The Fitzroy Valley Health Service (FVHS) is part of the WA Country Health Service (WACHS) and includes services which come via Kimberley Health Region. This comprises a hospital, providing a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services, and Population Health Service. Outpatient services include appointment based General Practice, emergencies, specialist visits and allied health visits. The Population Health Service includes community clinics, child health, school health, community midwife, retinal photography, and diabetic educator. Clinical management of Population Health is provided by Kimberley Population Health Unit, based in Broome.
In 2004, the first Partnership Agreement was signed by the WACHS and NCHS. This Agreement formalized the intention of both parties to work in Partnership, so as to deliver, in a coordinated fashion, increasingly effective, efficient and culturally safe health care to the population of the Fitzroy Valley region. The Partnership became fully operational in July 2006. The principal mechanism for auspicing and operationalizing the Partnership Agreement is the Partnership Forum. The Partnership Forum membership includes equal representation from each service and provides an environment that allows each organisation to meet and discuss their roles, problems, plans and ideas. It continues to be the shared vision of the Fitzroy Valley Health Partnership to completely eliminate duplication and provide a continuum of care that is culturally appropriate, holistic and sustainable.