Track 1-1b
Management

Beyond Rhetoric: Developing a Strategic Management and Marketing Agenda in Multicultural Health - An Australian Case Study

While the multicultural health agenda has the legislative endorsement of the New South Wales (Australia) state government, that endorsement does not say how improvements in the health of non-English speaking background communities are to be achieved at the local level. In addition, the local level involves a wide range of communities and health service providers. With limited resources available, some providers have been hesitant to reallocate staff, budgets and resources needed to achieve measurable changes in the health of resident non-English speaking communities. The Multicultural Health Unit, whose task it is to oversee this change, is a small Unit with a limited human and financial resources - how then to achieve change and accountability in an Area health Service with a resident population of over 700,000 and a workforce of 12,000? The answer lies in a strategic management and marketing approach to multicultural health development.
  In the South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service (SESAHS) of New South Wales, Australia the Multicultural Health Strategic Plan (entitled Ethnic Affairs Priorities Statement under the NSW Ethnic Affairs Commission Act 1979 as amended) is the end result of a community consultation process involving over 800 participants from government departments, mainstream and ethno-specific community organizations, health service providers and key informants. Two key strategies have been adopted as a consequence of the consultation process (a) a strategic management and (b) a strategic marketing approach. Together these two strategies will enhance the acceptance of and action on multicultural health issues and the development of measurable outcomes. A management approach is important to ensure the support and resourcing of initiatives in the Plan. This includes a number of initiatives in cross-cultural education and training and the recruitment of a culturally and linguistically diverse workforce. The marketing strategy is essential to ensure that communications and promotional initiatives are established to support and underpin the planned improvements. This includes the direct promotion of the internal consultancy services of the Unit such as research, demographic analysis, ethnic community media access and service reviews on a cost-recovery basis. Together, these strategies are designed to bring a professional business approach to the delivery of health care to a linguistically and culturally diverse population.

Sam Choucair
Director of Multicultural Health
South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service
2nd Floor, Esme Cahill Building
Royal South Sydney Community Health Complex
Joynton Avenue
Zetland NSW 2017 AUSTRALIA
Telephone No. 61 2 9382 8366
Mobile No. 61 2 0412 252 797
Fax No. 61 2 9382 8289
ChoucairS@SESAHS.NSW.GOV.AU

Sam Choucair migrated to Australia from Lebanon in February, 1969. His career in Health Services and Multicultural Affairs spans a period of 27 years. Currently, Sam holds the position of Convener of the Health Committee, Ethnic Communities Council of NSW, Australia. Previously, Sam served as the Policy Advisor to the Federation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia where he represented the Council on a number of committees hospiced by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services. Sam was the principal organizer and director of the second Australian National Conference on Multicultural Health held in Sydney November 1993. In South Eastern Sydney Area Health Service, Sam’s role is primarily to direct multicultural health, policy and service planning. He is a strong advocate for cultural diversity being a positive force in health services development and in stimulating new initiatives and opportunities.  NEXT >

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