Community members assist in identifying Temora’s Primary Health Care Needs

 The Murrumbidgee Medicare Local conducted a very successful Community Engagement Forum in Temora on Monday evening with the 23 attendees, representing a broad range of stakeholders, working in small groups to address three specific questions designed to gather input from members of the local community on local primary health care needs.

Dr Max Graffen, Deputy Chair of the Murrumbidgee Medicare Local Board, chaired the evening and expressed his appreciation to all who participated in the Forum, including Trevor Player Health Services Manager at Temora District Hospital, Samantha Dart and Dennis Slay from Temora Local Health Advisory Committee as well as representatives from many other organisations involved in providing or supporting Primary Health Services in the town.

Dr Graffen said the valuable information gathered from the Temora forum, together with that from forum’s already held in Young, Leeton, Wagga Wagga and Griffith as well as similar forums scheduled for communities across the Medicare Local area, will be used by the MML to prepare a comprehensive needs analysis which will inform and guide future primary health service planning.

Community input is needed to ensure we identify gaps in primary health care services, improve coordination and integration of existing health services and undertake the health promotion and preventative health activities needed to improve the health and lifestyle choices of the local community, Dr Graffen said.

Chief Executive Officer Nancye Piercy, said the feedback provided by the attendees was extremely valuable and it was encouraging that those present indicated a willingness to continue to engage with the Murrumbidgee Medicare Local as it works towards achieving one of its main objectives of being responsive to, and meeting local needs with a well-integrated primary health care service.