Remember this one four letter word

"We had the opportunity to start the programs that we felt would provide a much better range of healthcare for community,” Marion explains. “Previously, we were working out of the community health centre, where we were constantly competing for space.”

Since opening, the centre has become a hub for accessible, community-led care. Through key partnerships, the team now delivers four-year-old school readiness assessments, a monthly women’s health clinic, the Aboriginal ENT clinic, and the Healthy Ears, Better Hearing, Better Listening (HEBHBL) Speech Clinic, as well as supporting a weekly child and parent group that meets every Friday.

“These are all programs that people weren’t accessing before,” Marion says.

Each year, the team partners with BreastScreen New South Wales across Murrumbidgee and Southern regions, alongside Grand Pacific Health. This collaboration has grown into a strong, sustained model delivering leading outcomes for Aboriginal women.

“For the past three years, Southern has recorded the highest breast screening rates in the state,” Marion explains. “Here in Goulburn, we now have the highest participation rate for Aboriginal women aged 40 to 74, which is almost double the national average. Our participation for women in that age group is 65%, compared to a state average of 38%.”

She is quick to credit the people behind the numbers. “Our health workers and the community engagement worker from Grand Pacific Health have worked extremely hard to achieve this.”

At the heart of this success is a deeply patient-centred approach.

This level of care reflects what patient-centred practice looks like on the ground: personalised, proactive, and built on trust. “It’s about giving each person the attention they need,” Marion says. “Making sure they have the right information, and that they feel supported every step of the way, including on the day of the appointment.”

Advocacy from within

An advocate like Marion plays a critical role in bridging the gap between Aboriginal communities and the mainstream health system. For many Aboriginal people, past experiences of discrimination can shape how safe – or unsafe – they feel when seeking care. These barriers can lead to hesitation, delayed treatment, or disengagement altogether.

“A lot of Aboriginal people are put off when they come to hospitals,” Marion explains. “The minute they walk in the door, they feel that they’re judged – and quite often they’re right.” She points to the persistence of assumptions within the system, where people presenting with pain can be quickly labelled. “It doesn’t matter whether they’re disadvantaged or a working Aboriginal person who owns their own home. If they come in seeking help, the first thing that can happen is they’re marked as displaying drug-seeking behaviour.” Experiences like this reinforce distrust and make it harder for people to return when they need care.

Working from within the system, Marion advocates directly for her community, challenging these biases and pushing for a more human-centred approach. At a recent managers’ meeting, her message was simple and direct: “There’s just one four-letter word that I want your staff to remember when they’re dealing with my people – and the word is kind.”

For Marion, advocacy isn’t only about addressing structural barriers; it’s about shifting everyday interactions.

“Care, empathy and understanding goes a long way,” she says. “All we need to do is be kind. Treat them like people, not like numbers.” It’s a reminder that patient-centred care begins with respect, and that meaningful change can start with how people are seen, heard and treated in each moment of care.

Through this work, Marion is not only improving access to services, but helping to reshape the experience of care itself. Her approach to patient-centred care makes it safer, more respectful, and more responsive to the needs of Aboriginal people and community.

Story by Brooke Boland