Kisha Neville

"Preventing Rheumatic Heart Disease: Keisha's Mission in Mount Isa"

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In the heart of Mount Isa, Keisha Neville, an Aboriginal health worker practitioner, is leading a crucial fight against rheumatic heart disease (RHD) through the Healthy Skin Project. Her work illustrates the vital importance of community-based healthcare and the power of collaboration in addressing complex health issues.

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Keisha's role in the Healthy Skin Project focuses on a often-overlooked aspect of heart health: skin infections. "Rheumatic heart disease is a disease that's been caused a lot of the time from skin infections," Keisha explains. "Scabies and those infections lead to a strep-ache infection, which causes the valves to leak. And when they have leaky valves, that's when they have rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease."

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Understanding the unique challenges faced by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Mount Isa, Keisha emphasizes the importance of addressing social determinants of health. "Mount Isa has a large population of Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander people," she notes. "The social determinants, I suppose, in health are some of the causes of some of the house disparities amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."

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Keisha's approach to healthcare is holistic and community-centered. She finds that working in the community is more effective than in a hospital setting. "You're not just looking at that one person, you're looking at them holistically and also their whole family," she explains. This approach is crucial when dealing with highly contagious infections that can spread rapidly through families.

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One of the key strategies in preventing RHD is maintaining good hygiene and cleanliness. Keisha and her team provide practical support, such as laundry powders and disinfectants, to help families maintain a healthy environment. However, recognizing the need for more comprehensive support, they've partnered with Orange Sky to provide free laundry services in the community.

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"Linking in with Orange Sky, we got them to go around to clients' homes and some of the other places that they access in community," Keisha says. "We let the clients know there was free access to washing of clothes and linen and stuff because that helps with the prevention of scabies and those sort of things to prevent them from getting acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease."

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The collaboration with Orange Sky has been a success, not just in terms of providing practical support, but also in building trust within the community. Keisha notes that the Orange Sky team was friendly and culturally appropriate, making clients feel comfortable and reducing stigma.

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Keisha's work underscores the importance of trust and relationship-building in community health. "If you don't have trust you don't have the people," she states. Her approach emphasizes empowering clients with knowledge and education, enabling them to take control of their own healthcare.

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As Keisha continues her mission in Mount Isa, her work serves as a powerful example of how community-based, culturally sensitive healthcare can make a real difference in preventing serious health conditions like RHD. Through education, prevention, and collaboration, Keisha and her team are not just treating diseases – they're building a healthier, more empowered community.