What is RHeaNA?
The Refugee Health Network of Australia (RHeaNA) is a network of health and community professionals who share an interest and/or expertise in refugee health. The Network draws members from every Australian State and Territory. RHeaNA was formed in 2009 in recognition that the health needs of people of refugee backgrounds are complex, and cut across all disciplines of medicine. The Network has a multidisciplinary focus and includes clinicians (medical practitioners, nurses and mental health workers), policy experts, health service managers and researchers. Many RHeaNA members work in primary health care, however, the Network draws on the expertise of specialists in the field of mental health, infectious disease, paediatrics and public health. For more information about RHeaNA see: C. Phillips, M. M. Smith, M. Kay and S. Casey (2011). The Refugee Health Network of Australia: towards national collaboration on health care for refugees. Medical Journal of Australia, August, 195(4) 185:186.
RHeaNA aims to:
• inform and support quality holistic health care for refugees in Australia
• provide informed advice on current and emerging issues in refugee health in Australia; including to policy-makers at Commonwealth and State/Territory level
• support the exchange of information between providers of refugee health care across Australia and other relevant stakeholders,
• develop a national research agenda for refugee health, promote and facilitate research in this field and help disseminate research findings.
RHeaNA contact in your State/Territory:
ACT: act@refugeehealthaustralia.org
New South Wales: nsw@refugeehealthaustralia.org
Northern Territory: nt@refugeehealthaustralia.org
Queensland: queensland@refugeehealthaustralia.org
South Australia: sa@refugeehealthaustralia.org
Tasmania: tasmania@refugeehealthaustralia.org
Victoria: victoria@refugeehealthaustralia.org
Western Australia: wa@refugeehealthaustralia.org
Links
Links to local refugee health network websites
ACT — Companion House: www.companionhouse.org.au/cms/
NSW — Refugee Health Service: www.refugeehealth.org.au
SA — Refugee Health Network: www.sarhn.org.au
Queensland — Refugee Health Network Queensland: www.refugeehealthnetworkqld.org.au
Victorian — Refugee Health Network: www.refugeehealthnetwork.org.au
WA — Humanitarian Entrant Health Service: www.health.wa.gov.au/acc/hehs/index.cfm
WA — Child and Adolescent Refugee Health Clinic: http://refugeehealthnetwork.org.au/refugee-health-paediatric-clinic-in-wa-brochure
Other articles and information about refugee health
Immigrant Health Service, Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne:
www.rch.org.au/immigranthealth/
Refugee health research clearinghouse:
www.rch.org.au/immigranthealth/research/Research_resources/