Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services (WNAHCS)

Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services (WNAHCS) is an Aboriginal community controlled primary health care service operated by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community of the ACT. In Wiradjuri language, Winnunga Nimmityjah means Strong Health. The service logo is the Corroboree Frog which is significant to Aboriginal peoples in the ACT. Our aim is to provide a culturally safe, holistic health care service for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of the ACT and surrounding regions. The holistic health care provided by WNAHCS includes not only medical care, but a range of programs to promote good health and healthy lifestyles. We see around 5,000 clients per year and provide around 60,000 occasions of service (excluding transport, groups and administrative services) annually. Winnunga offers a range of clinical services and programs including:

• General Practitioners
• Practice Nurses
• Aboriginal Health Workers
• Social and emotional health services – social and emotional wellbeing, substance misuse counselling, Bringing Them
• Home counselling, child and adolescent mental health support, carer support, a needle syringe program, transport service, a home maintenance program, Youth diversion program, tobacco cessation services, healthy lifestyle advice and support, and exercise programs.
• Dental services
• Otitis Media Program and audiologist
• Aboriginal Midwifery Access Program
• Chronic Disease and the Patient Incentive Program
• Outreach for Aboriginal people in custody (Bimberi Youth Justice Centre and the Alexander Maconochie Centre);
• Allied Health Services – Podiatrist, Dietician, Psychiatrists, and Physiotherapist

Medical Student Education Program – ANU and The Canberra Hospital Winnunga also offers a range of regular programs such as:

• No More Boondah – Tobbaco Cessation Group
• Diabetes Group
• Healthy Weight Program
• Mum’s and Bub’s/Parenting Group
• Women’s Group
• Men’s Group
• Wellbeing Group

In addition, Winnunga runs a range of health promotion campaigns and community activities. Winnunga is regularly involved in research projects, and public health initiatives. Winnunga AHCS is strongly supportive of workforce capacity building, and strives to be an employer of choice. We are an Accredited Training facility, training medical students from the Australian National University from The Canberra Hospital and General Practice Registrars.