Announced on Wednesday, the RAP is a strategic document that includes practical actions to drive the organisation's contribution to reconciliation both internally and in the community.

Bendigo Health chief executive Peter Faulkner said creating the plan was an important move to make.

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"This is a significant milestone in our history and in our journey," he said.

"Bendigo Health has been providing services to our community for over 160 years and we've never really had this kind of formal recognition of our responsibility and our relationship with First Nations people.

"This plan at its core aims to make a difference and close the gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

"Our health service has not always done the best we think we can for those people and this is an opportunity for us to reboot, restart and really focus our attentions on providing a truly excellent service that is culturally sensitive and appropriate."

The plan also demonstrates the organisation's commitment to closing the health and mortality gap between indigenous and non-indigenous people.

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"Part of it is not challenging or denying their identity, it's ensuring they feel safe and comfortable to come to the hospital and identify themselves as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person," Bendigo Health Aboriginal Services manager Dave Kerr said.

"It's about understanding the trauma that has happened in hospitals for a long period of time, what that represents and how that flows on to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today."

Mr Kerr said the RAP was worked on extensively and put together with direction from many members of the Aboriginal community.

"A decision was made to official start a RAP by the steering group that was made up of Aboriginal staff, community members including Dja Dja Wurrung Traditional custodians and other members," he said.

"Reconciliation plans shouldn't be rushed and it's important we listen and engage with the Aboriginal community before we then rush out and create a RAP.

"I think the process we've gone through is exhaustive and we've got the right result. It's about engaging meaningfully and I think we've done that."

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Mr Faukner said the plan would allow the hospital to change the way staff work and create more opportunities around the health service.

"One of the key points is to build cultural awareness and sensitivity in everybody we employ including all of our staff, volunteers and everybody who works with us," he said.

"There's also recognition of the importance of land and water, the environment and the spiritual connection that Aboriginal people have to country, we want to respect that in how we engage and interact.

"We will be able to create more opportunities for employment, development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within our health service.

"We are one of the biggest employers in the area and we think we've got the biggest responsibility."

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