AKction Key Stakeholder Meeting 2024

In June 2024, AKction and COMPASS (Connecting Our Mob: Patient navigators As Sustainable Supports) held a joint Kidney Care in South Australia Key Stakeholder Workshop.

This Workshop brought together Kidney Warriors (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People with lived experience of kidney disease), kidney health, oral health and allied health professionals, executives, researchers, educators, politicians and other key stakeholders.

This gathering discussed progress being made on improving kidney health experiences and outcomes with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and plans going forward for achieving cultural safety and equity in kidney health.

Smoking ceremony Kelli Owen - Key Stakeholder 2024 — Kelli Owen performing the smoking ceremony

Diverse speakers and topics included

Kim O'Donnell & Janet Kelly: The AKction2 project its history, current progress, collaborations and proposed direction moving forward.

Kelli Owen, Isabelle Haklar & Katie Cundale: The Compass project and progress with establishing and evaluating the Patient Peer Navigator Project in Darwin, Alice Springs, Port Augusta and Adelaide.

Rhanee Lester, Janet Kelly, Penny Clough & Kate Tyrell: Journey Mapping in community settings and health services.

Margie Steffens: Increasing access to oral health through the AKction/TAFE SA/ Kanggawodli collaboration with dental hygienist students learning and practicing clinical yarning and culturally safe oral health promotion.

Michelle Sweet from the Menzies School of Health Research spreading the word about the 'Stay Strong' app - a tool designed for the management and betterment of the mental health of First Nations people.

Shilpa Jesudason & Nishanta Tangirala on emerging research focusing on pregnancy and kidney health and Aboriginal women’s experiences, another collaboration with AKction.

Eden Smith and Rhanee Lester, sharing their powerful experiences and lessons from taking part in the 2023 Yalata Kidney Festival. This is organised by AURHA – Adelaide University Rural Health Alliance, with AKction expanding collaborations in 2023.

Honours nursing students: Veda Mitra, Millicent Baker, and Ayleen Castro who have been working alongside AKction and the AKction Reference Team. This dynamic trio shared their research methods and results through fantastic and informative posters.

AKction key stakeholder meeting 2024 — Jared K, Rhanee L, Christine F, Kelli O

Two Panel Discussions were held throughout the day.

To begin a range of perspectives were shared by Sonia Waters, Executive manager, Workforce, Lowitja Institute, Andrew Zannettino, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Adelaide, Trish Laccos, Director Aboriginal Health and Research Translation, CALHN and Samantha Bateman, Nephrologist and Chief Investigator on behalf of CALHN, CNARTS & AKction. The panel discussed what has already been accomplished in relation to cultural safety and increasing support and awareness, what still needs to be done and strategies to overcome challenges moving forward.

Kelli Owen and Kim O'Donnell at AKction's Key Stakeholder — Kelli Owen & Kim O'Donnell

Later in the day we head from deadly AKction Reference Team members Jared Kartinyeri, Rhanee Lester, Auntie Christine Franks and Kelli Owen on their lived experiences and what is needed to improve support, care and prevention of chronic kidney disease (CKD).

In the afternoon we held a group activity using the World Café method. Each table discussed a specific topic including: Transport and accommodation, Reference groups, Return to Country, Journey mapping and education, Interpreting and communicating and Increasing and Supporting the Aboriginal workforce.

Each group recorded their discussions on butchers paper and shared back with the large group. Following this, the butchers paper was brought to the front of the room and each person voted their priorities going forward using their allocated 3 sticky dots. This feedback is invaluable for providing a clear indication of what barriers are most important to tackle.