This innovative program in the Riverland is for Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy students with a focus on interprofessional paediatric practice based at the Barmera Aboriginal Health Wellbeing Centre. Not only do students learn in the clinic but spend time at nearby Calperum Station for a two day cultural immersion with local indigenous rangers and staff, learning about their culture, the importance of their relationship with the land and their people.

Students from a range of disciplines and our Nurse Practitioners partner with some of South Australia’s larger early learning centres such as Goodstart, Nido, Brightside and Montessori and attend these centres to provide early developmental screening for pre-school children. This service aims to identify kids that are developmentally vulnerable and help parents access services and interventions that that can deliver better outcomes for their children.

Health2Go partners with COTA to deliver their “Strength for Life” program designed to provide an affordable way for older South Australians to gain strength and stay fit. Strength for Life is a popular way for older South Australians aged 50+ (40+ for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders and people from refugee backgrounds) to keep active, maintain their physical and mental wellbeing.

An innovative student led interprofessional service with students from a range of disciplines including Speech pathology, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy.  Students provide a range of services for existing inpatients on Bangka Strait ward and ViTA.

This clinic operates every Thursday morning with third year or final year Nutrition & Dietetics students providing nutrition assessment for community clients attending this assessment service. The service is aimed at establishing the appropriate intervention for clients to prevent further fractures.  

The Noarlunga Aboriginal Family Clinic offers a valuable outreach eye care service, operating on one Thursday each month. This initiative is brilliantly supported by final year optometry students and a supervising optometrist, combining education with essential health service. This collaborative effort involves the Southern Aboriginal Family Clinic, the Flinders Medical Centre Ophthalmology Department, and Flinders University. It not only provides comprehensive eye examinations but also includes fast-tracked referrals to ophthalmology for urgent cases, ensuring that community members receive prompt, thorough, and accessible eye care. This initiative is a shining example of how educational institutions and healthcare providers can work together to bring specialized health services to underserved communities.

Since October 2023, we have been running an outreach eye clinic at Nunkuwarrin Yunti, in collaboration with Flinders University every second and last Tuesday of the month. We have two final year optometry students attend each clinic, with them running the consults under a supervisor's guidance. 

Nunkuwarrin Yunti is an Indigenous Community Controlled Organisation on Wakefield Street. It provides a diverse range of health service providers, such as doctors, nurses, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists and many more, accessible for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Our outreach clinic provides quality patient-centred eye care for people within this community as well as providing the opportunity for clinical education for students. 

Every Wednesday at Baptist Care, optometry students, in partnership with Sight for All, provide critical eye examinations to the organisation's clients, including the homeless or those at risk of homelessness, refugees, students, and migrants. This service is part of a compassionate Endeavor to offer high-quality eye care to populations who often face significant barriers to accessing such services. The clinic is equipped with advanced imaging technologies like optical coherence tomography, visual field tests, and fundus photography, ensuring a high standard of care. Additionally, thanks to the generous support from Bailey Nelson and Zeiss, clients can receive glasses at no cost. This initiative not only addresses the immediate eye care needs but also contributes to the overall health and well-being of some of the community’s most vulnerable groups.

Every Monday, final year optometry students provide eye examinations to clients attending the Aboriginal Primary Health Care services at the Muna Paiendi and Maringga Turtpandi sites. The students gain experience providing culturally appropriate services to the clients of these Aboriginal Primary Health Care Services, and in working closely with an on-site primary health care team that includes Aboriginal Health Practitioners (AHP), General Practitioners, Nurses, Dietitians, Diabetes Educators, etc.  Subsidised glasses are available for same day ordering on-site for those who need them, and internal referrals to GPs or external referrals to ophthalmologist or community optometrists can be made.

Our final year Optometry students partner with VRASS (Vinnies Refugee and Asylum Seeker Service) as part of their pop-up health clinics service to provide vision assessment, screening services and glasses if required for migrants, refugees and their families at the Vinnies House of Welcome in Kilburn.

Final year optometry students visit schools to conduct vision screening for year 1 & 2 students. Children who fail the screening will either be referred to their local optometrist for a full comprehensive examination or be provided glasses for free through the program. Schools are welcome to get in contact with us via email (childrenseyescreeningsa@gmail.com) should they wish to book their school in for a screening. All children will require consent forms to be completed by a parent/guardian prior to our visit.

Hearing screenings

For the last fifteen years our Audiology team and students have also partnered with the Department of Education to deliver hearing screenings for aboriginal students in schools across South Australia every Wednesday.

Flinders University Health2Go audiology also offers low-cost hearing screenings to local primary schools. The screenings are run by final year Master of Audiology students under the supervision of a fully accredited Audiology Australia clinical audiologist / Flinders University Clinical Educator. This collaborative initiative provides invaluable hands-on experience for budding audiologists. These screenings are offered onsite at primary schools, enhancing accessibility to audiological services, and ensuring early detection of hearing and ear health issues that could impact a child's ability to learn and engage at school. Through this endeavour, audiology students not only hone their skills but also cultivate a sense of social responsibility, embodying the ethos of healthcare professionals dedicated to making a tangible difference in the lives of others. 

Please contact Health2Go if you are interested in having the hearing screening team visit your school.