abstracts and bios cover_final.indd - LIME Network

Australian Indigenous Doctors’ AssociationOn behalf of the Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA) I have much pleasure in welcoming you toLIME Connection III. I would like to acknowledge the Kulin nations on whose land we are meeting. I would alsolike to pay my respects to Elders past and present.Under our Collaboration Agreement with the Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand, AIDA co-auspices theLIME Connection with the Medical Deans. We are very pleased to have Te Ohu Rata O Aotearoa (Te ORA) MāoriMedical Practitioners Association of Aotearoa join with us this year and look forward to continuing our strongpartnership into the future.This year’s theme Advancing Indigenous Health: Workforce Innovations is significant. If we are to Close theGap in Indigenous life expectancy, we must address workforce issues. Indigenous medical education is animportant step towards developing an Indigenous workforce as well as a competent non-Indigenous medicalworkforce. As a medical educator and a GP myself, I am looking forward to the LIME Connection III — thesharing of stories as well as the commitment to action.I particularly wish to welcome our international colleagues and I look forward to catching up with as manydelegates as possible while we’re here in Melbourne.Associate Professor Peter O’MaraPresident, Australian Indigenous Doctors’ AssociationTe Ohu Rata O Aotearoa, Māori MedicalPractitioners AssociationKotahi te kohao o te ngira e kuhuna ai te miro ma, te miro pango, te miro whero. I muri, kia mau ki te aroha, kite ture, ki te whakapono.There is but one eye of a needle, through which white, black and red cotton are threaded. The power of threeis considered the highest connection to the source. Using the power of three is a connection to the highestlevel of spiritual advancement and acceptance that we all need to achieve when we come together. But, it canonly be done by actual living and walking the path, in word, action and deeds. Hold fast forward with love, faithand truth.On behalf of Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa – Te ORA the Māori Medical Practitioners Association I bring greetingsfrom our nation Aotearoa to the Kulin nation, from our iwi to the people of each country of this land, from ourmarae and communities to the marae and communities of this land.Te ORA is a co-auspicing organisation for LIME Connection III 2009. The Connection provides the time for us tocritically reflect with our Indigenous and non-Indigenous colleagues. It is a time to find the threads that bindus and to strengthen those threads going forward.4Dr David JansenChair, Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa, Māori Medical Practitioners Association