Eden's Djing.gi Gudjaagalali clinic is being recognised for their exceptional work at the National Rural and Remote Health Awards

The Djing.gii Gudjaagalali Kids Clinic and its doctor Corin Miller said they were excited to be finalists in the 2023 National Rural and Remote Health Awards, something Dr Miller confirmed was quite a "surreal experience".

"It's incredible news and we're very humbled to have been listed among other finalists," she said.

The categories the clinic was nominated for included rural remote health innovator of the year and rural remote multidisciplinary collaboration of the year.

Meanwhile, Dr Miller was nominated for two awards including rural remote health advocate of the year, as well as rural and remote health professional of the year.

"It's incredible to know that all of our hard work and all of the effort we've put in to get to this stage where we are looking at being able to improve access to health care, and improve the educational trajectory of so many children is being recognised," Dr Miller said.

"It's really humbling and it has been a privilege to work alongside these families and even if we don't win these awards it has helped us get attention on the problem and in doing so we've been able to create positive change."

Dr Miller explained the idea for the clinic had been brought about by Eden Marine High School's principal Viv Chelin in response to community need for more accessible paediatric services and early intervention in the Bega Valley Shire.

The clinic was kick-started as a pilot model in 2019, through collaborative efforts between the health and education sectors, with local general practitioner Dr Miller banding together with Eden Marine High School to provide timely, multidisciplinary care to children in school.

"We've helped over 70 families so far," she said.

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Dr Miller said the clinic had been going from "strength to strength", especially this year where they had received extra funding and been able to extend their services to more local schools.

"This year we extended the reach of the clinic to include students from surrounding schools like Towamba, Wyndham, Pambula and Merimbula," she said.

Dr Miller said referrals would be generated by the school rather than a GP, with learning and behavioural difficulties or anxiety likely to be picked up on more readily.

Dr Miller said that access to care had improved drastically since 2019 when the region secured its first permanent paediatrician, but further work was needed to help ensure young people on the Far South Coast had access to adequate support and services.

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"The local health district has really come strides in meeting the needs of the young people in this area however children with developmental behavioural learning or mental health concerns are deemed to be non urgent in comparison to medical issues," she said.

"These children can wait more than two years to be seen, with families having to travel great distances sometimes to get that care."

By bringing specialised care to the clinic, Dr Miller said they were able to "break down those access barriers by providing culturally appropriate care within the school grounds".

Dr Miller added that the role of the clinic's well being in-reach nurse Nicole Bax had been "absolutely essential" in how the model of care worked.

"She's doing amazing work with the children and by having a coordinator like that the children that normally slipped through the cracks are being identified and supported to get the care they need which can then help transform their educational and life trajectory," she said.

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"I've had families break down in grateful tears when they hear we can get their child help so quickly and it's just a very humbling experience."

Services on offer at Eden Kids Clinic include a GP, occupational therapy, speech pathology, psychology, oral health, audiology and other specialists as needed.

Dr Miller said she believed the recognition gained from being listed as finalists in the National Rural and Remote Health Awards, meant that the clinic's work could be used as a model for surrounding communities.

"We hope it will help us gain momentum to be able to spread this model of care further afield, I would love to roll this model out across our region and improve access to care for all the children," she said.

Dr Miller said she was grateful to all the people who had been involved in supporting the clinic.

"The success of this clinic wouldn't be possible without local allied health and medical professionals dedicating their time, often working at discounted rates and giving up their lunch times to make this a reality," she said.

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