General News
6 November, 2025
Health partnership wins national award for reducing RHD
A collaboration between Mount Isa, Doomadgee and Mornington Island has paid dividends.
A groundbreaking North West health partnership that has slashed rheumatic heart disease (RHD) rates in remote First Nations communities has been nationally recognised, taking out a National Rural and Remote Health Award for its life-changing impact.
The "All In!!" initiative, led by the North West Hospital and Health Service, won the award for Rural/Remote Multidisciplinary Health Collaboration of the Year after it achieved a remarkable 57 per cent reduction in RHD prevalence in just a short time.
Bringing together NWHHS, Orange Sky, Mornington Shire Council, Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council, and the North West Queensland Indigenous Community Social Services (NWQICSS), the project has redefined what’s possible when communities and agencies unite to tackle deeply rooted health issues.
The secret to its success has been a willingness to look beyond traditional models of care.
The All In!! partners have increased health screening and treatment access, expanded multidisciplinary home visits, and even introduced mobile laundry facilities to improve living conditions.
They’ve also delivered locally tailored health campaigns and implemented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander models of care to ensure cultural safety and community ownership.
“Providing laundry services is not the core business of a hospital and health service, however we know that addressing social determinants and root causes to disease is a must if we are going to have any success in changing the trajectory of RHD cases,” said Christine Mann, executive director of First Nations Health at NWHHS.
The relationship with Orange Sky, an Australian charity that connects people through free laundry, showers and conversation, has been pivotal.
“The partnership with Orange Sky was carefully considered as what they do involves more than just clean clothes and sheets,” Ms Mann said.
“The Orange Sky laundry attendants in the community are facilitating critical laundry facilities as well as health education and social yarns to combat this chronic issue.
"They are a platform for building trust and engaging meaningful conversations about health and wellbeing and connecting to our wrap-around health services like the Healthy Skin Team.”
Co-designed with Elders and local leaders, All In!! reflected a deep understanding of the cultural and social determinants of health that drive RHD.
The community-led approach helped build trust and encouraged greater engagement with health services, allowing teams to reach families that might otherwise have been left behind.
“Once we came together as a targeted team, the principles of strong partnerships, communication, shared goals, and joint problem-solving were always part of how we operate collectively,” Ms Mann said.
“Each agency partner has similar organisational values and is community-focused, which has made it easier and been an important ingredient to the success.”
The initiative’s results go far beyond statistics. It has improved healthcare access, strengthened coordination across services, and built the skills and confidence of Aboriginal Health Practitioners and community-based staff who now play a vital role in monitoring and supporting patients.
“National recognition for us means more than accolades. This has been a very personal and emotional journey for staff, partners and the community,” Ms Mann said.
“In response to the tragic deaths in the community of Doomadgee from severe Rheumatic Heart Disease ... NWHHS is committed to improving the clinical and cultural safety of care provided to our community and changing how we deliver care so that every person feels valued and respected.”
Professor Jenny May, chair of the National Rural Health Alliance, said the All In!! partnership was a model for the rest of Australia.
“This initiative is a testament to what can be achieved through shared vision, cultural humility, and collective impact,” she said.
“This team partnership exemplifies how innovative collaborations can create lasting impacts in remote regions.”
The National Rural and Remote Health Awards, launched by Rural Health Pro in 2023, celebrate the extraordinary efforts of health professionals and organisations serving rural and remote communities across the nation.
Held each November as part of Rural Health Month, the awards honour those whose commitment and collaboration continue to make a difference – just as All In!! is doing across Queensland’s North West.
