Notre Dame Broome marks 30th anniversary with new medical centre, honorary doctorate and inaugural award
Almost 40 students also graduated from the university at a ceremony held on August 15 where Sister Patricia Rhatigan was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters for her decades of service to education and reconciliation in the Kimberley.
Sister Rhatigan joined the Sisters of St John of God in 1958 and went on to shape education in the Kimberley as a teacher, curriculum consultant and inaugural director of Notre Dame's Broome Campus.
Her 2006 doctoral thesis documented the stories of Aboriginal women from the Holy Child Orphanage — a chapter of the Stolen Generations — helping acknowledge past injustices and support reconciliation.
She was named WA Senior of the Year in 2007 and awarded an Order of Australia in 2008.
Notre Dame chancellor Christopher Ellison said Sister Pat's service to the Catholic Church and commitment to advancing education for Aboriginal students would leave a lasting legacy.
'Sister Pat stands as a remarkable example of what it means to serve with purpose and with faith,' he said.
'Her ongoing commitment to reconciliation and cultural inclusion has changed the lives of people in the Kimberley.
'She ensured Aboriginal culture, history and religion were incorporated into the university curriculum during the establishment of our Broome Campus and played a key role in in building our connections with communities across the Kimberley.
'May her example continue to inspire us all to live with faith, purpose and service to others.'
At the same ceremony, graduating nurse Ellen Bermingham was named the inaugural winner of the Robin Miller-Dicks Sugarbird Lady Award.
The award, funded by the Royal Australian Airforce Association of WA, honours the pioneering nurse and aviator who delivered polio vaccines to remote communities in the Kimberley and Pilbara 1960s and 70s.
Notre Dame rural nursing and midwifery program lead Scott Stokes said Ms Miller-Dicks was a true pioneer, both in the skies and in the service of humanity.
'Robin's courage, compassion and unwavering commitment to rural health access continue to inspire generations of nurses,' he said.
'The Sugarbird Lady award honours her trailblazing contribution to public health and encourages our students to carry forward her mission of increasing access to health care for those in rural and remote areas.'
RAAFA chief customer and community officer Aaron Crowther said: 'RAAFA is proud to honour Robin Miller's legacy by inspiring nursing students to apply their skills and passion in the Kimberley and Pilbara, helping these communities thrive with better access to care.'
The ceremony also coincided with the opening of the Kimberley Centre for Remote Medical Training at the campus with Kimberely Minister Stephen Dawson in attendance on August 15.
The centre is said to be one of the most remote full medical programs in the world and the first fully rural-based medical school in WA.
'Built and refurbished by local contractors, with the help of an Albanese Government investment, this facility is a commitment to health, resilience, and the future of the Kimberley,' Mr Dawson said.
'With new Commonwealth supported places and purpose-built facilities, students can now complete their entire medical degree on country, embedded in local communities.
'Locally trained doctors are more likely to stay, helping reduce workforce shortages and deliver culturally understanding, community-aligned care.
'This centre is a game changer for regional health care, offering pathways for First Nations students and serving as a hub for innovation and leadership in rural medicine.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
21 hours ago
- ABC News
Hard Quiz: S10 Episode 17 Battle of the Fuddy Duds
ABC iview Home Watch all your favourite ABC programs on ABC iview. More from ABC We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn and work.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Travelling medical service now available in Mandurah weekly
Freo Street Doctors have extended their partnership with Mandurah charity Bridge Builders to visit every Monday, excluding public holidays, from 1.30pm to 4.30pm. Bridge Builders connected with Black Swan Health earlier this year, who were seeking to expand the Fremantle Street Doctors service into Mandurah, through its involvement in the City of Mandurah's Homeless and Street Present Network. Recognising the need for accessible healthcare for people experiencing homelessness or financial hardship, Bridge Builders offered their site as a potential service location. Black Swan Street Doctor services are entirely free and staffed by medical professionals who provide immediate, comprehensive care or refer patients to other services. They conduct more than 4500 consultations annually, with more than 35 per cent of patients identifying as homeless and 38 per cent identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. More than 80 per cent of their clients present with multiple medical conditions, and for more than 90 per cent, the Black Swan Health Street Doctor serves as their primary healthcare provider. The Street Doctors began operating at Bridge Builders onsite in March on a fortnightly basis, with the plan to become a weekly service as staffing and volunteer capacity grew. Bridge Builders CEO Kelly Hinder said the centre was excited the service had finally been able to offer help weekly. 'This collaboration is a perfect example of what happens when local organisations work together for the good of the community,' she said. 'Fremantle Street Doctors bring vital healthcare directly to people who often face the biggest barriers in accessing it. Having them alongside our other support services makes a huge difference.' Ms Hinder said Bridge Builders aimed to break down barriers so people could get the help they need in one safe, welcoming place. 'For almost 20 years, Bridge Builders has been part of the Mandurah community, running entirely without government funding. Every program we deliver is shaped by what we see happening locally and by listening to the people experiencing these challenges first-hand,' she said. 'Collaborations like this are only possible because our community believes in us, and we hope that support continues so we can keep delivering for those who need it most.'
The Age
a day ago
- The Age
Psychedelics are helping people face death with peace in breakthrough trial
Ross said that being in an altered state allowed patients to access the depths of their terror and despair. 'From a therapeutic point of view, that is really valuable,' she said. 'It's intensely challenging and very different [in a clinical setting] to taking it at a doof [music festival].' Participants took part in two treatment sessions over several weeks. In the first, they were randomly given either a dose of synthetic psilocybin – the psychoactive ingredient in magic mushrooms – or a placebo. During the second session, all participants received psilocybin. During the eight-hour dosing process, patients lay on a bed in a softly lit room scented with essential oil at the Caritas Christi Hospice in Kew, in Melbourne's east. After taking their capsule of psilocybin, participants put on eye masks and headphones and tuned into their choice of music while being monitored by two trained clinicians. 'We had access to a large library of music that we actively used to intensify their experience,' Dwyer said. 'Some of that music was world music, some of it was indigenous music, some of it was modern electronic stuff.' Participants completed questionnaires about their mental health before and after their treatment. Those in the psilocybin group went from having moderately severe depression to not qualifying for a diagnosis of depression. Those in the placebo group experienced a small improvement in their symptoms, but remained moderately to severely depressed. Participants had nine psychotherapy sessions, both before and after dosing, to help them prepare for and process their experience. Michael Quinn took part in the trial in 2023 after enduring two years of gruelling, and ultimately unsuccessful, treatments for prostate cancer. The keen sailor, who died last year, had heard about how psilocybin had helped US pro surfer Koa Smith overcome depression and trauma, and wanted to give it a shot. 'It softened the edges for him,' said Quinn's wife, Pat. 'He became more empathetic and more emotional. It really improved his ability to cope with the prognosis he had. 'Michael had never taken any psychedelic or any recreational drugs. He couldn't understand why anybody would ever take magic mushrooms or any psychedelics for pleasure because he didn't find it pleasurable.' But while he did not enjoy the dosing process, he found it incredibly beneficial when combined with the psychotherapy sessions. 'It helped rework his brain,' Pat said. 'Death became a reality that he was at peace with.' In February 2023, Australia became the first country in the world to formally recognise psychedelics as medicines. That followed the Therapeutic Goods Administration rescheduling psilocybin and MDMA for the treatment of chronic depression and PTSD – under the care of a psychiatrist. Loading But psychedelic-assisted therapy is still in its early stages as a medical treatment, and difficult to access due to cost. Ross said some clinics offering the treatment for drug-resistant depression charge upwards of $27,000. While 7000 people applied to be part of the St Vincent's trial, the researchers were only able to include 35 patients. Ross and Dwyer are hopeful that private health insurers will one day fund the treatment, with group sessions making it more affordable. It's not known exactly why psychedelics improve the mental health of patients. But, as Dwyer points out, no one knows why antidepressants work either. Loading 'It alters different parts of the brain and the way they communicate with one another,' he said. 'But how people go from despairing, disconnected and fearful to feeling they can embrace their life – no one has an explanation for that.' The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists says the evidence base for psilocybin and MDMA therapy is 'limited and emerging'.
