Healthy for Life

The Healthy for Life program at Nggangganawili Aboriginal Health Service aims to improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers, babies and children; improve the quality of life for people with a chronic condition; and, over time, reduce the incidence of adult chronic disease. The Program is strongly supported by the Australian Government through the Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health.

Health for Life is a systematic, systemic and integrated response to improving health outcomes of the service population. The program acknowledges social and environmental determinants of health and takes an evidence-based approach to working across the spectrum of primary health care to systematise data collection and evaluation, patient screening and monitoring, disease prevention and health promotion.

Through Healthy for Life, Nggangganawili Aboriginal Health Service has built stronger systems for ensuring better responses to client needs and conditions. Key activities since the program commenced in 2006 include:

• Mapping current activities and service systems supporting child and maternal health and the prevention, early detection and management of chronic diseases both within the service and including linkages to other relevant service providers in their region.
• Using quality improvement tools (eg. process mapping) to describe the client care processes and develop a shared understanding throughout the organisation of the clients’ experience when they enter the health service. Click here for a sample process map.
• Conducting clinical audits through reviewing medical records to determine the key child and maternal health and chronic disease issues affecting the service.
• Collecting measurements of 10 – 15 specific Healthy for Life performance indicators. . Click here to view the NAHS Healthy for Life indicators.