Centre for Kidney Research team members

Rita Williams

Research Education Officer, ARDAC
Tel: + 612 9845 1472
Email: RitaW@chw.edu.au

Rita Williams completed a Bachelor of Arts at Macquarie University graduating with a double major in Aboriginal studies and Anthropology in 1995. In 1997, Rita completed a graduate certificate in Population Health at Newcastle University. In 1988 Rita was appointed State co-ordinator for Drug and Alcohol with the Aboriginal Health Branch.

From her insight into drug and alcohol problem among the Aboriginal adults, Rita discovered that the problem was common among Aboriginal children as well. Therefore Rita was motivated to seek a position with the Life Education Centre where she was then appointed Aboriginal Program Co-ordinator in 1989. Rita was successful in implementation of life education programs into the Far West education system, where the programs aimed at reducing the number of Aboriginal young children (as young as 5 years old) sniffing petrol in the town of Wilcannia The tour commenced from Sydney through to the Mid North Coast, and also covered some of the most remote areas of the Northern Territory such as Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, and Ulura before heading back to Sydney via South Australia.

In 1989 Rita commenced at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children [now The Children's Hospital at Westmead], where she was employed as an Aboriginal Health Education Officer. During her working years at the Hospital, in 1996 Rita made two recommendations in an article titled "Aboriginal Children in Hospital". The recommendations were strongly supported by the Hospital. Below is a brief capture of the two recommendations: 1. to encourage and to ensure the hospital is actively involved in the implementation of setting up Outreach Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Services to Aboriginal Medical Services (AMS) 2. to encourage and to ensure the Children's Hospital at Westmead to be actively involved in research into Aboriginal child health.

The Hospital has also implemented substantial services based on the above two recommendations. These include the Outreach ENT Services at Thawaral Aboriginal Medical Service, Campbelltown. In February 2001 an outreach service was launched at Southern Area Health Services, Goulburn. Discussions will take place in early December 2000 for the possibility of implementation of Outreach ENT services at Daruk Aboriginal Mount Druitt. In early November 2000 Rita was seconded to the Centre for Kidney Research. Rita has been appointed Aboriginal Health Education Office and one of the investigators in a new survey calledAntecedents of Renal Disease in Aboriginal Children within NSW.