I am the Marketing & Communications Manager at Hunter Primary care and a member of the RAP Working Group. I have been with the organisation since early 2021 and joined the group later that year.
My favourite thing about working with Hunter Primary Care is the autonomy I have in my role and being able to feel like I am somewhat making a difference to the lives of vulnerable people in the community. Marketers typically do not have the opportunity to feel this sense of giving back, however, I provide support to clinicians and support coordinators who are directly working with those vulnerable people. It is so refreshing to see their passion and drive to advocate for their clients and provide innovative person-centred care.
I joined the RAP Working Group as Hunter Primary Care's reconciliation initiatives require quite a bit of input from marketing and communications in terms of events and engaging with the community and stakeholders. I felt it would be very beneficial to my role to be included. What I didn't realise was just how unaware and misinformed I was about the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and particularly the barriers they experience to accessing healthcare. Joining the group provided access to training and resources and the ability to hear firsthand from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff at Hunter Primary Care and people from the community I have met along the way, about their experiences. It has been eye opening and I now find myself teaching family and friends the things I have learnt.
To me, reconciliation means both indigenous and non-indigenous people having open conversations about trauma and discrimination experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the years and collectively working out the best way to move forward. I honestly feel that through Hunter Primary Care's RAP initiatives and being a member of the group, that I can actively contribute to this journey.