Professor Jenny Reath

Jenny Reath Photo

 

 

 

Biography

Jenny Reath is the Foundation Peter Brennan Chair of General Practice at the University of Western Sydney. Professor Reath has worked for most of her career in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health including as a general practitioner in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services in both urban and rural Australia for almost 30 years. She continues as a part time General Practitioner at the Aboriginal Medical Service Western Sydney where she has worked for about 17 years.

Professor Reath has held a number of intersecting roles across General Practice and Indigenous Health. Prior to her appointment at UWS she was Associate Professor of Indigenous Primary Health Care at the Poche Centre for Indigenous Health at the University of Sydney as well as GP Manager of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners' Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Unit.

Professor Reath is the Deputy Chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Faculty. She is also a member of the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District Board and the GP Synergy Board and of the International Advisory Board of Patan Academy of Health Sciences in Nepal.

Areas of Research/Teaching Expertise

  • Aboriginal health
  • Women’s health
  • Health service development and evaluation
  • Educational policy
  • Curriculum development and implementation
  • Medical education in a third world context

Key Achievements

2010 – Selected as a member of the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health Network Governing Council

2010 – Elected to the GP Synergy Board of Directors

2010 - Invited to join the Foundation Board of the RACGP National Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and elected as Deputy Chair.

2009 - Invited to join International Advisory Board of Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Nepal.

2007 - Invited to join the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council Human Research Ethics Committee.

2006 - Appointed GP Manager RACGP Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Unit.

2005 - Oversighted work by the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia on a national program of Cultural Safety Training.

2002 - With the GPET Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reference Group developed the General Practice Education and Training Framework for GP Training in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. In 2005 led a national evaluation of the implementation of the Framework.

1997 - Employed by Nganampa Health Council to develop a women’s health program on the Anangu-Pitjantjatjara Lands of South Australia.

1996 - Worked with a team of Cultural and Medical Educators to implement the newly developed RACGP curriculum in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health in NSW.

1994 - Developed evaluation plan for Primary Care Physicians Training Program for Harvard Community Health Plan.

1987 - Assisting current CEO, Mr Frank Vincent and the original Board of Directors to establish a new Aboriginal Medical Service in Mt Druitt (Daruk AMS, now AMS Western Sydney).

1983 - Establishment of a model for shared Antenatal Care with the Aboriginal and Islander Community Health Service, Brisbane.


Current Grants/Research Projects

2011 Assisted in successful submission to Health Workforce Authority - Including $M2.182 to enhance clinical training capacity in Primary Health Care at UWS School of Medicine

2010 Chief Investigator on GP and STI Research Grant - $120,000 to conduct an evaluation of the GP STIPU program

2010 Successful application for Knowledge Infrastructure Enhancement Grant - $49,606 to enhance General Practice research

2010   Member of UWS Panel (waiting  project allocation) in a successful bid to Department  of Health and Ageing to Provide a Panel to provide health services evaluation  related to the MBS Quality Framework

2010    Chief Investigator on project developing an Evaluation of an exercise and nutrition program with Macarthur Division of General Practice ($10,000)

2010 School of Medicine Research Funding -  $69,000 for Otitis Media research and GP supervisor research training

2010  Joint Submission with University of Sydney to Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing (approx $800,000) to support clinical training in General Practice in West of Sydney

2010 Co-author for RACGP on Submission for funding to revise RACGP/ NACCHO Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Preventive Health Guide ($343,000 approximately from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing)

2010 -  Associate Investigator with Kanyini Vascular Collaboration
A randomised controlled trial of a polypill-based strategy versus usual care among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at high risk of a cardiovascular event
NHMRC, $2.3M over five years

2009 - Co-Chief Investigator
Evaluation of Blacktown Australian Better Health Initiative Integration Project
WentWest Ltd, $94,000

2009 - Member of Advisory Group
Professional development modules for the Aboriginal Maternal and Infant Health Service Training and Support Unit
NSW Department of Health  $30,000

Selected Publications

Martin M and Reath J. (2011) GP Training in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. MJA 194 (11):S67-70.

Reath J and Brown N. (2010) Managing Cardiovascular Disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. Australian Prescriber. 33:3: 70-73.

Reath J, Carey M. (2008) Breast and cervical cancer in Indigenous women Overcoming barriers to early detection. Australian Family Physician. 37:3:178-182.

Reath J. (2006) Assessing the health needs of women in a remote Aboriginal community. M Med Thesis, University of Sydney.

Reath J and Doolan G. (2005) Progress in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health training An evaluation of the implementation of the GPET framework. Australian Family Physician 34: 12: 23-26.

Reath J. (2005) The RACGP Supporting GPs to work better in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Australian Family Physician 34;10: 845-847.

Curtis P, Reath J. (2004) Review of Cultural Training for GPs working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. National Rural Faculty RACGP, Adelaide.

Death E, Reath J, Curtis P. (2002)The Needs of General Practitioners  and General Practice Registrars Working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health. RACGP Rural Faculty, Sydney.

Reath J, Curtis P, Death E. (2002) A role worthy of support. The General Practitioner in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Australian Family Physician 31;7:611-615.

Reath J. (1999) Preventing Cervical Cancer: Strategies for a remote Aboriginal Community. Aboriginal and Islander Healthworker Journal 23; 3: 7-10.

Reath J, Usherwood T. (1998) Improving cervical screening in a remote Aboriginal community. Aust NZ J Public Health 22:659-63.

Reath JS. (1998) Reflections on working in Aboriginal Health. Australian Family Physician 27; 3: 133-134.

Reath, J. (1997) Nganampa Health Council Women’s Health Program and Appendices. Nganampa Health Council, Alice Springs.

Reath J. (1997) Nganampa Health Council Women’s Health Program A Report to the Health Committee. Nganampa Health Council, Alice Springs.

Close GR, Murphy EP, Goodwin A, Sherwood JM, Blunden SV, Carter PR, Caswell J, Dillon HC, Eagles GM, Harvey CE, Reath J, Stoddart KE, Stuart JE. (1996) Guidelines on the prevention and control of otitis media and its sequelae in Aboriginal children. MJA 164(S):S1-S17.

Reath JS, Moodie R, Patel M. (1991) Cervical Cytology in Central Australian Aboriginal Women. Australian Family Physician  20:600-606.