The Look Out Project has come to an end, and we want to say a big thank you to all who were involved. Since commencing in June 2019, the Indigenous Diabetes Eyes and Screening (IDEAS) Van has travelled across the country every month from Queensland, conducting a total of 24 visits across the five ACCO sites in Victoria, and providing over 180 patients with bulk-billed eye healthcare in a culturally safe environment.
The commitment of the ACCOs and the eye specialists who provided their services, has helped to build and strengthen local eye health pathways for ongoing patient care in the communities.
RWAV is committed to enhancing access to essential health services for rural communities. We will be progressing conversations with the five ACCOs that were involved in the project, the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO), Australian College of Optometry (ACO) and the three regional Primary Health Networks to discuss how we can continue supporting patient access to sustainable eye care services. A follow up project focused on eye health pathway training is also being undertaken, and further details will be provided as this develops.
RWAV wishes to thank all those involved in the project for their hard work and dedication in providing eye healthcare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Victoria.
