Creating pathways to a future in health

Danila Dilba Health Service (DDHS) staff continue to excel in their chosen career pathways, and it was all smiles last week when DDHS celebrated the milestone achievements of 11 staff members who have been with DDHS for 25 years, 20 years, 15 years and 10 years.

They include GPs, Aboriginal Health Practitioners, support workers and other long term staff working across clinics, in Community Services and Corporate Services. One GP who started at the very beginning of Danila Dilba, has been with us for 27 years.

“Long serving staff are a great asset to the organisation,” said CEO, Olga Havnen. “Their dedication is reflected in the way we provide quality care for our clients and there is a shared passion and sense of purpose, together with pride to work with this dynamic organisation.”

As an Aboriginal community controlled organisation which continues to expand clinics and services in the greater Darwin region, DDHS is growing its workforce and invests heavily in staff and their professional development.

As Deputy CEO Rodger Williams says, ‘We aim to make Danila Dilba an employer of choice, attract and retain talented staff and increase professionalism and capability of staff at every level of the organisation.”

At Danila Dilba, professional development and a strong learning culture are central strategies for strengthening staff, offering career development and providing high quality services.

Malcolm Darling, who has worked with Danila Dilba for thirteen years, began as an Aboriginal Health Practitioner (AHP) trainee. “After graduating, I started as Aboriginal Health Practitioner at Darwin clinic, then progressed to become Men’s Clinic Coordinator, and today I am General Manager. I wanted to make a difference in the community and the organisation I work with,” he said.

Emma Fitzsimons is a GP who has worked with DDHS for 17 years, where she found a fulfilling and diverse career. “I was a newly qualified GP when I started. I’m still working as a GP, but the job of GP here is so varied. I have done lots of specialised clinics within Danila Dilba over the years – children’s clinic, aged care, renal, women’s clinic – and of course the general clinics encompass all of these,” Emma said.

“What keeps me here first of all is the clients, so diverse, with different life stories. So many have complex health needs, so the work is always interesting and challenging. There are great teams to work with and I like the team approach, working alongside AHPs especially, RNs, pharmacists and others. There’s two-way learning here. I might be passing on knowledge to students, but also learning all the time about Aboriginal culture and experiences,” she said.

DDHS is growing as a dynamic health service that respects Aboriginal cultures, is committed to the world’s best practice and has a passion to make a difference to the wellbeing of Aboriginal people. DDHS is dedicated to providing accessible, holistic healthcare and are always seeking professionals who have the skills, work ethic and personality to help us deliver the highest standard of care.