Bila Muuji, meaning ‘river friends’ was formed in 1995 as a strategic approach by a group of CEO’s to offer support to regional CEO’s in rural and remote NSW. The Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS) CEO’s felt that a regional body could identify and address shared issues impacting the health and social needs of Aboriginal communities and that a unified voice in western NSW would be strengthened through the development of Bila Muuji.
The Bila Muuji Aboriginal Corporation Health Services Incorporated comprises Aboriginal Community Controlled Medical Services from Coomealla, Coonamble, Dubbo, Forbes, Gilgandra, Orana Haven and Orange and we are very active in trying to address the health inequality in each of our local communities. Our approach is to “provide health services addressing not just the physical well-being of the individual but also the social, emotional and cultural well-being of the whole community”.
The members of Bila Muuji are fully accredited medical services. Members of Bila Muuji meet quarterly with most meetings held in Dubbo. Bila Muuji has a relationship with our State and National Affiliates, AH&MRC and NACCHO, the NSW Western LHD and Western NSW PHN and other major funding agencies such as NSW Ministry of Health, Department of Health National Indigenous Australians Agency. The collegiate relationships developed as a member of Bila Muuji are valuable in sharing common concerns of our business.
In addition membership of the Bila Muuji offers strength in numbers when lobbying for programs or submitting for a regional proposal. Members are also available to offer advice and support to those communities wishing to establish an Aboriginal Health and/or Medical Service or for member’s service that require clinical and operational accreditation and governance advice.