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RWAV wishes to congratulate Dr Suzanne Harrison who was recently appointed as Chair. Dr Harrison has been a rural GP in Echuca since 1984 with VMO rights in anaesthetics and emergency medicine.
The RWAV Board would also like to announce the appointment of Megan Cahill as RWAV's new Chief Executive Officer. Megan has a breadth of experience across the health system in Australia and overseas and will commence in her new role on Monday 9 February 2015. Ms Cahill is looking forward to working with the Board and staff of RWAV to meet the challenges of ensuring our rural communities have access to high quality primary healthcare services.
On behalf of the Board and staff, RWAV wishes everyone a happy and healthy Christmas and New Year. We're looking forward to an exciting 2015. Please note that RWAV will be closed from Wednesday 24 December and reopen on Monday 5 January 2015.
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Outreach Program Gets Results
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Be Deadly Get Healthy program participants taking part in their exercise group.
In July's issue of e-Blast we brought you a story about an exercise program funded through RWAV's VicOutreach Aboriginal Health that is improving the health of families and reducing chronic disease in Gippsland's Baw Baw Shire.
According to West Gippsland Healthcare Group, which developed and coordinates the Be Deadly Get Healthy program, the outreach program is making a real difference to people's lives. Since it started in May 2014, two people are now meeting the recommended exercise levels from the Australian physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines, one person has given up smoking, and one participant has lost 17kg! Regular participants have also expressed an increase in social support from other community members to exercise.
The Be Deadly Get Healthy program responds to both evidence of the need to improve Aboriginal health and support from the local community.
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RWAV is administering the Australian Government's Healthy Ears - Better Hearing, Better Listening program (known as VicOutreach Healthy Ears) for the next three years. The program is part of the Closing the Gap - Improving Eye and Ear Health Services for Indigenous Australians measure.
VicOutreach Healthy Ears supports multidisciplinary team-based outreach ear health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people (0-21 years) living in urban, regional and rural locations in Victoria. These teams aim to improve access to culturally-safe prevention, detection, management and follow-up ear health services.
RWAV recently completed a needs assessment, which involved consultation with Victoria's Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and a broad range of community health services. Through the consultations, RWAV identified service and workforce needs to improve ear health. Outreach services will now be developed and implemented annually.
RWAV continues to engage the Wimmera Hearing Society (WHS) to deliver outreach ear disease detection services under VicOutreach Healthy Ears. In 2014-15, WHS will undertake 39 visits across the state and will work closely with local Aboriginal health workers to conduct ear screens for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Care plans will be developed for follow up where there has been referral for further investigation by a GP or specialist. The WHS service builds on the screening activities conducted from January - June 2014.
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New GP in the Marong Community
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Dr Hadi Rafi is one of RWAV's recent GP placements, having relocated from Queensland to Victoria and transitioned from the hospital system to general practice. Working at the new Marong Medical Centre in central Victoria, Dr Rafi is one of two new GPs in the area and has received "nothing but kindness" from his patients and the community. Being the first medical clinic in the area, the community has shown great appreciation for easier access to health services without the travel to Bendigo.
Dr Rafi says he was overwhelmed with the welcome he received from the clinic and has developed many close friendships with his colleagues, making his relocation to central Victoria relatively smooth. Dr Rafi is extremely pleased with the assistance RWAV provided in managing his expectations and securing a GP placement that met his requirements.
Having worked mostly in emergency, Dr Rafi is used to seeing patients for a short period of time to diagnose their case, rule out serious health issues and refer them back to their GP. Now working in general practice, Dr Rafi says that the main difference is the opportunity to get to know his patients and their background, and be able to provide continuity of care.
Dr Rafi stated that this decision has been ideal for him and his young family as it suits their lifestyle and they are able to enjoy their weekends together.
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Dr Hadi Rafi working at Marong Medical Centre in central Victoria.
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Rural GP Dr Adrian Adams graduated in 1957 at Sydney Hospital and worked for many years as a GP in NSW as well as in farming. Since retiring, he now spends three months each year as a rural locum travelling the length and breadth of NSW in a motor home with his beloved companion, his dog Astra. Dr Adams works mainly in rural solo practices where patients and communities love his traditional approach and no-nonsense style.
One community that has benefited from Dr Adams is Ouyen. Mallee Track Medical Centre has worked with RWAV for the past six years accessing locums to cover holiday leave for their solo GP. When the GP recently moved on, the town was left without a doctor. Through RWAV, Dr Adams has offered some continuity while the practice searches for a permanent GP.
Director of Corporate Services, Andrea Dreher welcomed Dr Adams to the medical clinic following a short period without a GP. Comments from the community have been positive, with older members of the community enjoying the 'old style doctor' care provided. His open, straight to the point manner has been well received and the appointment schedules are well booked in advance. With his beautiful dog Astra quietly waiting at the front entrance, Dr Adams has been warmly accepted by the rural community as Ouyen now works towards a more permanent solution to general practice services in the area.
Although this is his first trip to Victoria, Dr Adams and Astra have become firm fixtures in town and will be missed when he moves after Christmas to his next locum position in the Murray region.
Ouyen's Mallee Track Medical Centre urgently needs locum cover from 1 February 2015 for three months. Doctors interested in locum work should contact Angela Phillips at RWAV on 03 9349 7800.
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Dr Adrian Adams with his friendly pet companion Astra.
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Changes to Workforce Support Areas
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RWAV has appointed a new Workforce Support Consultant to join the two existing consultants. As a result, there are some changes to the areas as follows.
Gavin Duckham - Major towns include Mildura, Swan Hill, Kerang, Donald, Bendigo, Maryborough, Castlemaine, Kyneton, Cobram, Numurkah, Shepparton, Seymour and Kilmore.
Sharon Hinton - Major towns include Geelong, Colac, Apollo Bay, Warrnambool, Portland, Hamilton, Heywood, Casterton, Edenhope, Nhill, Warracknabeal, Horsham, Stawell, Ararat and Ballarat.
Lexine Solomon - Major towns include Yea, Euroa, Yarrawonga, Wodonga, Corryong, Mallacoota, Orbost, Lakes Entrance, Paynesville, Sale, Yarram, Traralgon and Leongatha.
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Congratulations to the following doctors who recently passed their Fellowship exams:
Dr William Tassone
Dr Chris Clerigo
Dr Remi Kehinde
Dr Ali Sheaar
Dr Raviraj Kabrawala
Dr Himani Abeyrantne
Dr Nadia Iftikhar
Dr Fady Henry
Dr Fedwa Dakhil
Dr Markian Golets
Dr Anurakumaran Sivapiragasam
Dr Halima Satari
Dr Imalka Wettesinghe
Dr Edward Petrov
Dr Vani Peddi
Dr Champika Wijeratne
Dr Punya Sevvandi Rajapaksa
Dr Carina Catharina Joubert Hester |
Rural & Regional Community Stakeholder Forum
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RWAV is holding its annual Rural and Regional Community Stakeholder Forum in Bendigo next year in conjunction with the 2015 Victorian Rural Health Awards.
The forum provides an opportunity for RWAV to talk openly with rural health stakeholders within the Loddon Mallee Murray region and share ideas to strengthen Victoria's rural health workforce for the future. In previous years, community forums have been held in Mildura and Warrnambool. Alongside this Community Forum, RWAV will hold the February Board Meeting and Strategic Review planning session.
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Rural Health Awards Update
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Thanks to those who submitted nominations for the 2015 Victorian Rural Health Awards. Nominations will be considered by an external judging panel in the coming weeks, with successful recipients notified in late January. RWAV looks forward to celebrating with all involved in Bendigo in February at what will be RWAV's tenth Rural Health Awards event.
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GP Workforce and Medical Practice Surveys
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Each year RWAV undertakes a GP Workforce and Skills survey and a Medical Practice survey amongst rural and regional GPs and medical practices in Victoria. The information assists RWAV in identifying critical recruitment and support needs for GPs in rural Victoria and contributes to the National Minimum Data Set for the rural and remote medical workforce across Australia.
RWAV thanks all the GPs and medical practices that participated in this year's GP Workforce and Skills Update and Medical Practice Update. For completing the survey, participants were entered into the draw to win one of two $600 Flight Centre gift cards and we are happy to announce the winners:
Congratulations to Dr Essam Elsamman from Civic Park Medical Centre in Drouin and Fiona Oakley, Practice Manager at Lang Lang Community Family Medicine.
A snapshot of findings from both the GP Workforce and Skills Update and the Medical Practice Update will be available early next year.
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Social Media and Online Activity Survey
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RWAV recently surveyed past and current candidates about their online and social media use to inform our marketing plan. The survey gathered information about behaviour, views and type of professional information sought through online and social media channels, particularly in relation to job seeking.
RWAV thanks those who participated in the survey and is pleased to announce that Dr Anusha Chandika Jayasinghe is the winner of the 'Night at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne' survey prize.
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Rural and Regional Teaching Infrastructure Grants
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The Rural and Regional Teaching Infrastructure Grants provide $52.2 million for at least 175 infrastructure grants for existing rural and regional general practices in Australian Standard Geographical Classification Remoteness Areas 2-5. The grants are designed to provide additional space for supervision, teaching and training of medical students and general practice registrars. Each grant will be capped at $300,000 and successful funding recipients will be required to match the Commonwealth commitment. Funding is available over three years from 2014-15.
Visit the Australian Government Department of Health website for more details. Applications must be submitted by 2pm on Monday 23 February 2015.
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� Copyrights Rural Workforce Agency Victoria
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