Community-governed health services in Cape York: does the evidence point to a model of service delivery?

Health service delivery model reforms are currently underway in Cape York in an effort to improve health outcomes for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. These reforms include the transition of the Apunipima Cape York Health Council from an advocacy agency to a community-controlled health service provider. This paper investigates the literature on existing community governance models and community-controlled health service delivery models, to guide the choice of the most appropriate model for the Cape York health reforms. The evidence collected suggests a new innovative health service delivery model is emerging that will not only improve Indigenous health status, but may also present a more appropriate model for the health care sector than the existing mainstream health service delivery model provided for other sections of the collective Australian population.