Oriel Chambers spends her work week driving hundreds of kilometres across the country she was born on.
She is a Wakka Wakka and Koa woman who was born in Eidsvold and raised in Mundubbera.
For the past six years she has been working on Wakka Wakka country first as a Health Worker and now as a Health Practitioner.
Oriel said many of her consultations are spent helping community members manage chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and poor mental health.
“The complexity of navigating healthcare systems can be a barrier for many Aboriginal patients, especially when accessing specialist services outside their communities,” she said.
“By not understanding how or where to access care and having additional travel burden we are seeing delayed diagnoses, reduced follow-up, and poorer health outcomes,” Oriel said. “My role contributes significantly to bridging these gaps and supporting clients through this process.”
Oriel said while as a health service we continue to work to make improvements for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients there is still more work to be done.
“I would love to see more outreach services provided in the rurals from our main hospitals,” she said.
“This might mean Health Practitioners supporting patients face-to-face, while linking with specialists via telehealth to ensure timely and expert input,” Oriel said.
“By combining on-the-ground knowledge with virtual care options, we can deliver more coordinated, efficient, and culturally appropriate services.”
Oriel said she has been seeing wins in her role around the trusting relationships that have been built.
“We had a fantastic turnout for our rural NAIDOC events, which really reflects the strong, positive relationships we’ve built with the community,” she said.
“It’s clear that trust is growing and people are engaging with us not just when clinical care is needed, but because they genuinely feel connected and supported.
“What’s especially encouraging is that many community members now feel comfortable reaching out when they need something, whether it’s a blood test, help managing their sugar levels, or just a health check.
“They know who to call and where to go and that’s a powerful sign that we’re making healthcare more accessible, more familiar, and more culturally safe.”
