Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare

What does cultural safety look like when healthcare workers may only be in Central Australia for a few months? Learn why relationships still matter, even when staff are only passing through, and why coming in “as a half a glass” and being ready to learn can make a difference. Discover how healthcare workers can learn from Elders, community members and Aboriginal colleagues, and why supporting Aboriginal health workers and creating stronger pathways into the workforce is essential to improving healthcare.

This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podcast, the Specialists are Aboriginal leaders from Central Australia. In this episode, Aboriginal leaders answer questions from healthcare providers about maintaining culturally safe relationships in a transient healthcare workforce and working with Aboriginal communities, colleagues and health workers.

The Specialists are: Isobel Nampitjinpa Major, a Pintupi-Luritja woman from Warumpi / Papunya; Selina Napaltjarri Bob, a Pitjantjatjara woman from Utju / Areyonga; and Ken Lechleitner Pangarte, an Anmatjere and Western Aranda man living in Mparntwe / Alice Springs.

Co-hosts: Donna Lemon Napaltjarri, an Arrernte and Warumungu woman, and Mario Faggion, a non-Aboriginal intercultural communication educator with the Communicate Study Partnership at Menzies School of Health Research.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

Kinship is central to Aboriginal identity and shapes family responsibilities, relationships and decision-making. Learn how healthcare professionals can ask about kinship and find out who should be involved in decisions about a patient’s care. Discover why avoidance relationships matter in healthcare settings, why family members may need time to arrive before decisions can be made, and how healthcare workers can balance medical responsibilities with cultural and family priorities.

This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podcast, the Specialists are Aboriginal leaders from Central Australia. In this episode, Aboriginal leaders answer questions from healthcare providers about navigating kinship, family responsibilities and cultural expectations while providing healthcare to Aboriginal patients and families.

The Specialists are: Isobel Nampitjinpa Major, a Pintupi-Luritja woman from Warumpi / Papunya; Selina Napaltjarri Bob, a Pitjantjatjara woman from Utju / Areyonga; and Ken Lechleitner Pangarte, an Anmatjere and Western Aranda man living in Mparntwe / Alice Springs.

Co-hosts: Donna Lemon Napaltjarri, an Arrernte and Warumungu woman, and Mario Faggion, a non-Aboriginal intercultural communication educator with the Communicate Study Partnership at Menzies School of Health Research. 

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

Trust is not automatic; you have to earn it! Learn how healthcare professionals can build trust with Aboriginal patients who may already be carrying vulnerability from previous experiences with healthcare. Discover how to ask sensitive questions about food, money and living circumstances without causing embarrassment, why relationships matter, and how slowing down and paying attention to how you make people feel can change a healthcare experience.

This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podcast, the Specialists are Aboriginal leaders from Central Australia. In this episode, Aboriginal leaders answer questions from healthcare providers about building trust, communicating with Aboriginal patients and families, and creating relationships that support culturally safe care.

The Specialists are: Isobel Nampitjinpa Major, a Pintupi-Luritja woman from Warumpi / Papunya; Selina Napaltjarri Bob, a Pitjantjatjara woman from Utju / Areyonga; and Ken Lechleitner Pangarte, an Anmatjere and Western Aranda man living in Mparntwe / Alice Springs.

Co-hosts: Donna Lemon Napaltjarri, an Arrernte and Warumungu woman, and Mario Faggion, a non-Aboriginal intercultural communication educator with the Communicate Study Partnership at Menzies School of Health Research.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

What does it mean to make an effort to communicate across languages and cultures? Learn why even attempting a greeting in a local Aboriginal language can help build connection, why it is important to ask patients where they are from and what language they speak, and how interpreters and Aboriginal Liaison Officers can help provide safer care. Discover why something as simple as waking a patient from sleep can require cultural understanding and care.

This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podcast, the Specialists are Aboriginal leaders from Central Australia. In this episode, Aboriginal leaders answer questions from healthcare providers about communicating respectfully with Aboriginal patients and families and providing care that is both clinically and culturally safe.

The Specialists are: Isobel Nampitjinpa Major, a Pintupi-Luritja woman from Warumpi / Papunya; Selina Napaltjarri Bob, a Pitjantjatjara woman from Utju / Areyonga; and Ken Lechleitner Pangarte, an Anmatjere and Western Aranda man living in Mparntwe / Alice Springs.

Co-hosts: Donna Lemon Napaltjarri, an Arrernte and Warumungu woman, and Mario Faggion, a non-Aboriginal intercultural communication educator with the Communicate Study Partnership at Menzies School of Health Research.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

Learn how kinship roles shape who can visit a loved one—and why absence can be a sign of deep respect. Discover why some families might fear pain medication, and why the right setting for end-of-life care discussions isn’t always a hospital room. Providing care that is both clinically and culturally safe starts with understanding these perspectives.

This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podcast, the Specialists are First Nations leaders from across northern Australia. In this episode, Arrernte, Walpiri and Yolŋu leaders answer some of the burning questions from healthcare providers about how best to deliver culturally safe palliative care to First Nations peoples in the Northern Territory. 

The Specialists are: Rarrtjiwuy Melanie Herdman, Jimmy Langdon, Sabella Kngwarraye Turner and Amelia Kngwarraye Turner. 

Hosts: Kelly Clark from Danila Dilba Health Service and Christine Sanderson from NT Health.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

Have you ever wondered how to handle end-of-life talks with First Nations peoples? In this episode, the Specialists explore how "skin and kin" defines family roles and responsibilities—and why the decision-maker isn’t always the “next of kin” as described on a hospital form. 

This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podcast, the Specialists are First Nations leaders from across northern Australia. In this episode, Arrernte, Walpiri and Yolŋu leaders answer some of the burning questions from healthcare providers about how best to deliver culturally safe palliative care to First Nations peoples in the Northern Territory. 

The Specialists are: Rarrtjiwuy Melanie Herdman, Jimmy Langdon, Sabella Kngwarraye Turner and Amelia Kngwarraye Turner. 

Hosts: Kelly Clark from Danila Dilba Health Service and Christine Sanderson from NT Health.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

Discussing end-of-life care can be very challenging—what words should you use? Can you call someone by their name? In this episode, the Specialists discuss the language to use before and after someone passes away, and the policies and procedures regarding sorry business and smoking ceremonies.

This is Ask the Specialist, and in our podcast, the Specialists are First Nations leaders from across northern Australia. In this episode, Arrernte, Walpiri and Yolŋu leaders answer some of the burning questions from healthcare providers about how best to deliver culturally safe palliative care to First Nations peoples in the Northern Territory. 

The Specialists are: Rarrtjiwuy Melanie Herdman, Jimmy Langdon, Sabella Kngwarraye Turner and Amelia Kngwarraye Turner. 

Hosts: Kelly Clark from Danila Dilba Health Service and Christine Sanderson from NT Health.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

Some Aboriginal patients may have a different perspective on health compared to the western biomedical approach which underpins mainstream healthcare delivery. A culturally safe health professional has an awareness of differing worldviews and also reflects on their own culture and how they can change. In the final episode in this series, you’ll gain insights into Aboriginal perspectives on health and sickness.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

 "Hospitals aren’t a place that people really want to be, but is it that unpleasant for people that it's a horrible sort of racist place? What's it like being a patient there?”  In this podcast, the Specialists address doctors’ questions about racism. For many Aboriginal people, hospital has a lot of negative connotations and for some that means they will choose not to accept hospital treatment. The Specialists also talk about why Aboriginal people don’t like going to hospital and what you, as a health professional, can do to make patients feel safe. 

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.

As a health professional working in a hospital, gaining informed consent is critically important. Unfortunately, patients often sign the consent form without understanding the procedure and associated risks.  In this podcast, Tiwi Elder Pirrawayingi Puruntatameri shares his own hospital experience and the Specialists share tips on how to ensure your patient is fully informed.

Ask the Specialist: stories to inspire better healthcare was created by Vicki Kerrigan.