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COOEE! April 2007
I n t h i s I s s u e :
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Welcome to the NRHN – get involved!
We are so excited to welcome YOU as a 2007 member
of the NRHN. You join another 5500 multidisciplinary
health students from rural health clubs all around
Australia, in a network that is passionate and committed
to promoting rural and remote health. As a member of
your university’s rural health club, you become a member
of the NRHN. Through the work of the rural health clubs
and the dedication of NRHN members, the network is
steam-rolling ahead and we want you to get involved in
2007.
The year has already kicked off with a flurry of activity
and enthusiasm. In early February, the 2006 & 2007
NRHN exec team spent some long hours in Melbourne
at the official exec handover. Many strategies were
concocted although there was still plenty of time for
sampling Melbourne’s culinary delights! We would like
to thank the 2006 Co-Chairs, Angela Titmuss (RAHMS)
and Craig Smith (FURHS), as well as Litsa Kane (NRHN
• Co-Chairs Report
• Executive Support Officer Update
• Rural Health Club Reports
• 2007 Forum Summary
• ARRWAG CEO Update
• Portfolio Reports
• Mental Health Guide Launch
Co-Chairs Report
Photo: Courtesy of SHARP Rural Health
Club, at the NRHN Forum
C o o e e ! A p r i l 2 0 0 7
Co-Chair’s Report
Welcometo Cooee!
Executive Support Officer), and Linda Nink
(NRHN Project Support Officer), for their
leadership and dedication to the network as
well as their amazing productivity!
The 2007 NRHN exec team is truly
multidisciplinary. Having previously been the
NRHN Secretary, 2007 Co-Chair Nick Moore
(RAHMS), is studying 5th Year Medicine at
UNSW and spending the year at the rural
clinical school at Albury. Claire Seiffert (ARMS),
2007 Co-Chair, is a qualified Physiotherapist
and is now studying 3rd year medicine at the
ANU. Our 2007 Secretary is Felix Ho (RUSTICA)
who is in his 2nd year of Paramedical Science
at the University of Tasmania. Finally, we are
fortunate enough to have Litsa Kane from
ARRWAG on board again as our ESO for 2007.
March saw the inaugural and successful 2
day NRHN forum in Albury which over 300
student delegates attended. The passion,
ideas and experiences that were shared was
overwhelming and we hope that every club
will benefit from their members’ attendance.
The enthusiasm carried over into the National
Rural Health Conference held later in the week
at which there were over 1200 delegates. We
thank the Department of Health and Ageing
for funding our forum and attending the NRHC.
A major aim of 2007 will be to determine a
successful future conference model and to
determine the potential for future conference
funding.
Prior to the forum, NRHN representatives from
each rural health club met with the exec in
Albury for our 2007 NRHN Council Face to Face
meeting. It is always nice to put a face to a
name which is difficult when our vast spread
means we rely on teleconferences! It was a
fantastic meeting with many solid directions
for 2007 NRHN activities developed. We were
impressed by each representative’s input
and genuine commitment to the NRHN and
their clubs. Plenty of passionate ideas flowed
throughout the day which bodes well for the
next 12 months. We look forward with much
anticipation to working with this year’s brilliant
NRHN council!
Finally, we encourage you to get involved
in the NRHN and your rural health club’s
activities. Go on a rural high school visit, take
part in Croc Fest, attend speaker evenings or
join your club’s committee. You will make so
many new networks and undoubtedly broaden
your understanding of rural and remote health
issues. You’ll also have some fun and find a
friend or two - perhaps even more!!!
We work for you and want you to thrive in
your rural health endeavours. If there is
anything we can help you out with or if you
have any fantastic ideas please feel free to
contact anyone on the exec or your club’s
NRHN Council member. We love to chat (and
drink coffee!) and look forward to meeting you
throughout 2007!
Nick Moore and Claire Seiffert
The National Rural Health Network
is supported by financial assistance
from the Australian Government.
Although we both love being called students
and would love this to continue we thought we
should put an end to the lie and let you know
what we really do...
We’re employed by ARRWAG (Australian Rural
and Remote Workforce Agencies Group), Litsa
as the Executive Support Officer (ESO) and Linda
as the Project Support Officer (PSO). ARRWAG
is the organisation that holds the contract from
DoHA (Department of Health and Ageing) to
run the NRHN and fund 7 of our 19 rural health
clubs (soon to become 12 of 24 clubs!). We’re
based in ARRWAG’s Melbourne office, and we
work full time to ensure the NRHN meets its
objectives. We provide a high level of support
to you all. We work closely with ARRWAG
and DoHA to make sure that our contractual
obligations are met while also providing
support to the NRHN exec and council.
It’s often forgotten that all of our members are
full time students and part time (or for some
full time!) volunteers that share an amazing
passion for health in the bush. Our role is to
help you harness this passion and support
you however we can to make sure you have
wonderful rural health experiences whilst
studying. So… if your club needs some help
planning an activity, or you just don’t know
where to begin and need some guidance, or
you want to get your message out to fellow
NRHN-ers… we’re here to help you! So
give us a buzz (03 8825 4500) or drop us an
email [email protected] or [email protected]
– we’re both always up for a chat (in particular
we welcome those that come with lots of
compliments …)
Plus, we’d love to meet you in person. So if
you have a club activity or need another pair
of hands for a CrocFest or RHSV let us know as
we’d love to be there… yet another opportunity
for us to be young and dynamic students (well
sort of!).
Supporting you to study, live and work
in rural practice
A while ago, Tony Abbott, the Minister for
Health and Ageing, mentioned that he was
bewildered by the myriad of programs available
to support rural doctors - he called it ‘the
jigsaw’. We thought if he didn’t know about all
the supports available, then it was unlikely that
doctors did!
So we were determined to put the jigsaw
together. We have developed an easy
reference guide that outlines the supports
available to high school students, university
students, registrars and interns. For example,
we’ve covered scholarships, post-graduate
training opportunities, mental health and
wellbeing initiatives, accommodation support
and financial incentives. We provide an
overview of schemes for rural GPs, urban
GPs interested in rural practice, and Overseas
Trained Doctors in rural and remote areas of
Australia. Check out the Supports Guide on our
website www.arrwag.com.au. Once you know
what help is available, you can actually access
the support that you need!
Make your voice heard
Some days, do you feel like a little cog in a
big wheel that is rolling in a state of perpetual
motion? We can all feel overwhelmed
sometimes by the size and complexity of the
health sector - particularly in environments
like big city hospitals. Yet as students and
the future rural health workforce, you have a
unique opportunity to influence the direction
of the health system. As the baby boomer
health workforce nears retirement age, they are
starting to see the health system reform that
needs to happen.
They know they must offer more appealing
work environments to attract and retain
young professionals to rural areas - or they
won’t be able to retire. They know temporary
sweeteners won’t work to keep you living and
working in the bush - so we know a major
cultural shift is coming with your generation.
You can effectively voice your opinion and
the Australian Rural and Remote Workforce
Agencies Group (ARRWAG)can help ensure your
voice is heard by the key decision makers and
influencers. You have the ability to negotiate
for a better healthcare system that can address
the needs of coming generations of the rural
health workforce. So keep in touch through the
National Rural Health Network and let us know
what you think.
ARRWAG: Australian Rural and Remote
Workforce Agencies Group
Dr Kim Webber, CEO
NRHN Office - What do our ESO & PSO really get up to?
Litsa Kane, ESO & Linda Nink, PSO
C o o e e ! A p r i l 2 0 0 7
ARMS:AustralianNational University, ACT
AURHA:AdelaideUniversity, SA
ARMS Show Visits Program - The
Yass Show and Rodeo.
Having recently returned from
Albury (NRHN Forum and NRHA
Conference) with a renewed sense
of commitment to rural health,
members of ARMS immediately
put into practice their enthusiasm.
On 17 March a committed team
from the ANU Rural Medical
Society visited the Yass Show and
Rodeo. Yass is an historic town
and centre of fine wool growing
in Australia. Located 60km north
of Canberra, it has a population
of around 5000. Despite its close
proximity to the Capital, Yass
maintains a colourful country
atmosphere, and like many other
country towns shares in challenges
to healthcare delivery.
The purpose of the visit was two-
fold, to run a free community
blood pressure assessment and
to provide students with further
experiences of rural Australia.
Under the supervision of local
doctors we were able to screen
some 150 patrons, many of whom
had not visited a GP in over two
years! Throughout the course of
the day we were able to visit the
local hospital, meet members of
the local community and local
political candidates.
Not only a great learning
experience, but an opportunity
to relax and enjoy the festivities.
From giant pumpkins to
woodchopping to bare back bronc
riding, the show offered a variety
of experiences which are an iconic
part of country towns and country
living. The visit achieved several
things - it allowed students to
contribute towards increased
public awareness of hypertension,
provided an opportunity to learn
about the country lifestyle and
finally, marked the first time ARMS
members had visited Yass.
The start of 2007 has been
eventful for AURHA. We began the
year with a successful membership
drive - our annual Welcome
BBQ where the freshers met our
committee.
Events held include the Royal
Flying Doctors Service BBQ
at Adelaide Airport, RHSV
Recruitment Night, attending the
NRHN Student Forum and NRHA
Conference, and lastly the
inaugural AURHA Dinner Under
The Stars.
This event saw a group of AURHA
students and guests from the uni,
sponsors and UniSA students travel
to the lovely Howard Vineyard in
the Adelaide Hills for a night of
fantastic food and wine, and great
company. This event sold out and
everyone who attended very much
enjoyed the speech from Kris
Bascomb, a rural GP trainee. She
spoke about the pathway she has
taken during and since medical
school as a rurally focused doctor.
Other events coming up for our
club include Getaways Night,
Quorn Clinical Skills Trip for the
fourth year med students, a Clinical
Skills trip in Victor Harbor for the
first years and a couple of RHSVs
– everyone attending Kangaroo
Island on 1 May is very excited
about the trip away!
Thanks must also go to the
NRHN for the amazing job they
did at organising the forum and
student attendance at the NRHA
conference, which has helped
increase enthusiasm amongst our
members!
A very keen planning committee
has already started work towards
sending AURHA members to
CrocFest in Port Augusta and Alice
Springs later in the year along with
ROUSTAH and FURHS. Watch this
space for more news on this great
event!
BREAATHHE:University ofNewcastle, NSW
CARAH: Charles Darwin University, NT in assoc. with Flinders Uni, SA
BREAATHHE has been having an
exciting few months. In many
ways we are refinding our feet
and getting our club going again.
With an almost entirely new
executive, we have a fresh outlook
on the direction of the club and
our future. The NRHN and NRHA
conferences in Albury linked us
with other students and infused
us all with ideas and passions
concerning rural health. In
particular, how we as students can
influence change and encourage
rural health issues in our uni and
later in our careers.
Hence, since coming back from
Albury, we have had meetings
almost fortnightly to discuss
and process everything we have
learnt. We opted for regular short
meetings to make sure our plans
and passions are kept on the
ball and in the forefront of our
minds. They have been exciting:
getting to know each other we
have decided is an important
part of working as a team. We
held an appreciative enquiry
- brainstorming on no budget,
time, or difficulty limitations
about anything and everything
concerning our club. The exciting
thing - everything is doable -
maybe not now but it is something
that we can work towards. We
want everyone on campus to hear
about BREAATHHE - we want to
get our face out there. We want
our club members to know what is
happening and our communication
has improved. We want to have
fun, and we want to get educated
NOW. We have planned 2 skills
nights, a first aid course, a mental
first aid course and information
evenings. We want to have a road
trip to Tamworth where many
people have placements. We
want to touch base with them
and let them know they are still
supported by us even when (or
perhaps especially when) they
are on placement. We have
socials planned: a bush dance,
a dinner cruise, a relaxation
session during STUVAC. We are
getting club members involved
in club decisions. Until now our
planning has been from executive
involvement to help get some
general directions and passions
down on paper. We will call for
all members to help us plan,
organise, and be passionate
about BREAATHHE, but also most
importantly rural health. It’s
exciting stuff. At the moment it
is hard to see everything that is
happening, but it is there. Our
passion for rural health after the
conference is still growing as we
realise the potential we, as a club,
have to make an impact. It will be
a long process but we are excited
about it.
LARHC:La TrobeUniversity, VIC
CARAH members attended the
NRHN Forum and NRHA
Conference in Albury in March.
This was a great opportunity for
CARAH members to get together
and also meet members from
across Australia.
This has injected some new
enthusiasm into CARAH and we
are very excited about the
possibilities in 2007.
LARHC started 2007 with an
increase in members and
enthusiasm through our first year
students at La Trobe. Our first
event in 2007 was participation in
the annual Relay for Life, which
was well attended by our mem-
bers and definitely enjoyed!
Planning is underway for some
of our upcoming events which
include an African cultural night
amongst other social activities.
Several club meetings have been
held so far, and we look forward
to some new executive members
taking on more senior roles. We
also look to continue to increase
our membership and further
strengthen LARHC!
C o o e e ! A p r i l 2 0 0 7
FURHS:FlindersUniversity, SA
MARHS:Charles SturtUnivers-ity, Albury, NSW
FURHS is now up and running for 2007! Orientation days were again a
successful venture this year – gaining 123 new members.
The RFDS (Royal Flying Doctors Service) orientation BBQ was held
earlier this year, with approximately 60 FURHS members attending,
mainly med students. This BBQ included bacon and egg breakfast, some
information about the importance of rural health and the opportunity for
the attendees to sit in the plane and look at the equipment. This was
a worthwhile event for students to attend as they will now have the
opportunity to fly with the RFDS some time throughout the year.
14 FURHS members were lucky enough to attend the NRHN forum and
NRHA conference. Everyone was greatly inspired from this trip and have
all come back energetic and full of fresh ideas.
Our first official event for the year was the “Shindig”! It was held on the
16th of March. There were approximately 150 students that attended
the event; however there wasn’t as much diversity among disciplines as
would’ve been liked. The features of this event included a rural photo
competition, a hay-bale stacking game & yummy yiros, snags & veggie
patties to feed the hungry mouths! The opportunity was also taken to
elect new reps for our committee, with majority of positions being filled.
NRHN/NRHA Conference – A
Wonderful Week In Albury
Ten lucky students from MARHS
had the good fortune to be able
to attend the NRHN and NRHA
conferences in our hometown
of Albury. There was a lot of
excitement and expectation
leading up to the conferences and
they did not disappoint. The whole
week had a great atmosphere
about it which was conducive to
the sharing of knowledge and new
ideas and also conducive to having
a lot of fun.
One of the most beneficial things
to come out of the conferences
was the chance to network. At
the NRHN conference MARHS
members were able to meet
Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry and
Allied Health students from as
far away as Broome and Hobart.
It was interesting to hear about
some of their differing experiences
and views of rural placements and
current rural health practices. And,
at the NRHA conference we were
able to meet health professionals
who are presently “out there and
doing it”. It was an invaluable
learning experience to be able
to listen to and speak with these
people and some lucky MARHS
members were even fortunate
enough to receive job offers whilst
attending the conference.
Another highlight was the
keynote speakers that attended
during the week. The calibre of
these speakers was outstanding,
each one inspirational in
different ways. Working with
the underlying themes of health
in rural and remote Australia
and mental health issues, these
speakers conveyed a mountain of
knowledge that was pertinent to
all the students who were present.
However, it’s arguable the event
that stole the show for the whole
week was the unveiling of the
fantastic NRHN produced mental
health guide, ‘When The Cowpat
Hits The Windmill’. The release of
this guide was made additionally
impressive by an entertaining
and informative speech by the
chairman of Beyond Blue, the Hon.
Jeff Kennett.
For such a jam packed week to
have run so smoothly a lot of
organisation and planning must
have, and did, go in. With regard
to this, the MARHS club would
like to thank all those people
who worked tirelessly to make
the conferences as good as they
were for us. It was agreed by all
that the week was a fantastic
experience on both a personal and
a professional level. Thanks.
MIRAGE:University of Sydney, NSW
It’s another great start to another
great year for MIRAGE. As usual
the year starts in mid January
with the 3rd year medical students
going back, including around 30
students who started at our rural
clinical schools in Orange, Dubbo
and Broken Hill campuses. For
the first time since the inception
of the RCS there was an over
subscription of students. The
RCS has done an excellent job in
developing and promoting the
program and we at MIRAGE can
take pride in our small role in
this result, originating from our
promotion of rural health and the
rural lifestyle.
The official MIRAGE year starts off
at Orientation week on the front
lawns of the university in front
of the historic Main Quadrangle.
We had another successful week
despite protesters speaking out
about our Army reserve members.
The next week saw a number
of our members head down to
Albury for the NRHN and NRHA
conferences - this included the
10 sponsored places by the NRHN
and a number of MRB scholars
making their way down through
the conference program. It
is a gruelling week with two
conferences back to back, but
those lucky enough to go came
back with a new invigoration
and commitment to rural health.
People were inspired by speakers
and presenters and encouraged by
the number of passionate people
from all around the country.
The year then moved on to our
annual Welcome dinner, a chance
to relax and enjoy the few
moments where there are no
exams on the horizon. This year
we had it at the Marlborough
Hotel (the Marly) in Newtown,
just down the road from the
main campus. This is a chance for
people who didn’t sign up during
O-week to join and a chance
for all our members to come
together, and a chance for people
to share their experiences from
Albury.
The following week we had our
annual scholarship information
day where the plethora of rural
scholarships are explained to
students and time is given to
ask questions. This is part of our
promotion of the opportunities
available to students who wish to
“go bush”
MIRAGE enters April with many
great events on the Horizon. We
are looking forward to our first
Rural High School Visit and our
great annual tradition - when the
bush hits the harbour - something
uniquely Sydney, a Harbour Cruise.
Looking forward to a great year
ahead.
OUTLOOK:University ofMelbourne, VIC
We welcome our newly elected
committee and farewell with
gratitude the 2006/07 committee.
Being seen and heard! We are the
font of all knowledge or at least
willing to provide lunch while we
answer all member’s questions!
Getting pretty It can’t be all hard
work so we sat down to a civilised
meal and enjoyed the Apollo jazz
band. For those with more pretty
things than they could possibly
wear we held “Rags for Snags” to
raise $$$ and collect clothes for St
Vincent De Paul.
Learning Lots Dr Margaret Garde
from Portland had many things to
share about her work in Aboriginal
health and to feed the body as
well as the brain we had a bush
tucker inspired BBQ which was
for many their first experience of
kangaroo and emu!
Getting Going Trek 4 Timor:
Inspired some months ago, at
a presentation given by Desley
Beechy, about the appalling health
situation in East Timor, a team of
med students entered the 50km
“Trek for Timor” event. Although
sore and tired, it was great to
have stepped up to the challenge,
and raised $25,000 towards East
Timor’s Health Services!
Hitting the Bush
We continued to REEP (Rural Early
Elective Placements) the benefits
of time hanging out and learning
in the bush with experience
ranging from surgery to
immunisations, home assessments
to the town nightlife! Rural
Clinical School Open Days continue
to be a great opportunity for
students to not only check out the
Clinical Schools but also to have a
great time.
Outlook and Moovin’ Health got to
get nice and dirty at Croc Fest with
painted injuries, glitter bug hand
wash, fantastic questions and
thankfully no serious injuries with
a tendon hammer (little respect
for the notion of gentle!).
Getting friendly
We are looking forward in the
coming year to getting friendlier
with our allied health students, as
well as RWAV, Moovin Health and
the NRHN. Check out our beautiful
newsletters at
www.outlook.asn.au to hear many
more tales!
C o o e e ! A p r i l 2 0 0 7
RAHMS:University of NSW, NSW
End of phase, clinical, science
practical and end of phase exams
are nothing compared to the
rollercoaster that has become the
Rural Allied Health and Medical
Society of UNSW. To start 2007 off
we have had a massive reshuffle
of our executive; an action packed
week of rural health in Albury; and
a night of festivities at our local
– the Royal.
The energy that has come into the
club this year has been amazing.
Our aim to promote RAHMS to
the new contingent of 1st year
medical students saw the largest
enrolment of medical students
into RAHMS in many years.
Many new faces including 1st
years have joined the executive.
Our revitalised executive have
flourished in their new roles,
taking what our predecessors have
done in the past, looking to build
and improve the standing of our
club.
Credit for this reinvigorated
excitement of rural health must
also go to the NRHN/NRHA
conferences held earlier in the
year. Every RAHMS member that
attended came back to UNSW
enthused about rural health and
felt that they had learnt a lot.
This conference was an incredibly
valuable experience for us as a
club as it gave our members the
opportunity to network with many
health students and professionals
across the country.
The week after the return from the
conference and our 3rd week of the
year, the party atmosphere was
still kicking on as RAHMS held our
first social event of 2007. Many
RAHMmers hit the Royal – a short
stroll from our beloved Prince of
Wales hospital, for drinks, nibblies
and best of all some good old
chit-chat. It was impressive again
to see our newest members join
the RAHMS veterans during the
course of the night. RAHMS has
also run a John Flynn Scholarship
information session to highlight
the experiences of some of our JFS
scholars and application process.
In closing, RAHMS want all
you NRHN addicts out there,
especially those in NSW, to keep
an eye out for us in the future
– we’re planning something BIG!!!
Something filled with fun and of
course a lot of ruralness! Oh…
and in this process we plan on
including our neighbours in the
NRHN as well!
Sign-on BBQ
RHINO is off to a brilliant start
in 2007 with the sign on BBQ
bringing in over 90 new members
– most of whom joined for life-
long membership to receive their
well used RHINO stubby cooler.
Snags quickly disappeared into
impoverished students hands
after an excruciatingly competitive
electoral meeting of the RHINO
executive committee following the
distressing loss of our first ever
allied health president. With a
now jam-packed and enthusiastic
exec there are many upcoming
events in the works and our
first ever co-chair presidents are
inundated!
NRHN conference
In March RHINO students ventured
out of Far North Queensland to
attend the NRHN conference in
Albury, NSW. Inspirational guest
speakers and an exceptional
academic program kept our
minds busy during the day before
being entertained by grown men
running around with stockings on
their heads by night. Education
didn’t cease at nightfall with the
Queensland boys teaching us how
to really do the “Eagle Rock”!
Many a student left the conference
motivated to one day practice in
rural health and enthused to make
the “Chicky-Chicky” a national
dance.
Upcoming Events
The upcoming joint RHINO and
TROPHIQ weekend in Rockhampton
will be even bigger and better
this year with the smooth
amalgamation of GUMS into the
annual event.
The Rural High School Visit
program is also up and running
with Richard Brown and Francine
Riley from Health Workforce
Queensland offering strong
support and advice for the
continuation of this valuable
event. Also, planning for CrocFest
on Thursday Island is well
underway with our enthusiastic
ATSI rep, Jane Theodore, taking
on this massive task. Further, in
the works is the implementation
of our new skills-nights being
coordinated by Andrew Scott, our
Junior NRHN rep. Combined with
St John’s Ambulance these events
are aimed at training students to
work together and acknowledge
the individual skills each discipline
provides to effective health care.
The usual infamous events will
still take place including Trivia
Night, the Cocktail Party and the
Semester II Trip. But with fresh
minds come fresh ideas and
the RHINO exec is committed to
breaking all the records in 2007!
We’re off to a good start!
RHINO:James CookUniversity, QLD
ROUSTAH:University of South Australia
It’s been all hands on deck around ROUSTAH
of late. Some of our Nursing students (plus a
Physio student BBQ chef) took part in the RFDS’
barbecue breakfast and information session at the
RFDS hangar (Adelaide Airport) - some flipping
eggs and bacon, some lucky enough to score a
plane ride with patients around the skies over
Port Lincoln and Mildura. A few ROUSTAH jocks
and cheer leaders were invited to make fools of
themselves whilst having an absolute ball and
sharing knowledge with like minded people at the
recent NRHN forum & NRHA conference in Albury-
Wodonga.
Planning nights for 2007’s RHSVs, as well as initial
planning meetings for Croc Fest Port Augusta
(and Campfire to follow Croc Fest) and Croc Fest
Alice Springs are well in progress, generating
much excitement and enthusiasm. ROUSTAH
members are also looking forward with much
anticipation to sharing an evening of dinner, wine
and entertainment at the Howard Winery in the
Adelaide Hills with AURHA members. The club will
wholeheartedly be supporting members as they
embark on rural, and for some, very remote field
placements throughout the year and we anticipate
hearing about their experiences. Coming soon,
we expect a welcome night for members will
invigorate all with the prospect of some exciting
opportunities to ‘Getaway’ from the city and get
involved in Rural Health through ROUSTAH. There
has also been much thinking and jotting of ideas
for publicity of ROUSTAH aimed at new Allied
Health Students. We’re all looking forward to the
‘doing’ part of this with much anticipation.
RUSTICA:University ofTasmania,
We’ve been busy little beavers down under
down under. Here’s the highlights:
23 February – Med 1 Orientation Day: With
UTAS having its largest ever MBBS intake this
year, we saw O’Day as a great opportunity
to swell our membership lists – which we
did during an absurdly over catered BBQ that
yours-truly (Matt VZ) cooked on a beautiful
Hobart day.
28 February – Societies Day: Well VSU
certainly didn’t seem to dampen the
massiveness of Societies Day this year. In
a chaotic 3 hours we managed to sign up
another 200 plus members and serve many
drinks resulting in lots of fun.
6-10 March – NRHN Forum/NRHC: I’m sure
somewhere in this newsletter there’ll be
ample reporting on the academic aspects
of the week, so I’ll stick to what I liked
best, the social events. The evenings were
fantastically organised – kudos to the social
committee, I only hope the next NRHN forum
can be as good. So what did I learn in my
week on the big Island? Many things:
• The Chicky-Chicky dance rocks – check it
out on you tube, relive the memories.
• Kiwi’s suck at poker.
• Albury’s 1:30 lockout policy sucks.
• Health professionals/students need to
be more inter-disciplinary – it can be
beneficial for everyone.
15 March – Scholarships Night: A great info
session for Med and Pharmacy students to
get the low down on all the money people
are willing to give us as an incentive to
undertake rural placements.
23 March – Rustica Welcome: This year’s
welcome was one of our biggest ever, with
over 65 people attending a subsidised $5
dinner at our local pub. Don’t tell anyone
but we gave a free drink to everyone too,
not sure how Andrew (treasurer) wrote that
one off. A large number of first year students
attended, which is very promising for the
future of the club, especially with most of
the executive undergoing a Diaspora from
Hobart in the next 3-9 months.
28 March – Rustica/IMPACT Medical Electives
Night: Another very well attended event
– especially by first years, who seem very
keen to find out all their options early,
still 3 and a half years away from their
elective period. While a lot of the evening
was related to overseas, there were some
interesting presentations on rural/remote
Australian placements, such as the NTGPE
program run by RUSC.
C o o e e ! A p r i l 2 0 0 7
SHARP:University of Wollongong
SHARP started 2007 with a lot of
momentum after a bit of planning
over the holidays so we were well
prepared to project SHARP within
our university this year…and,
ready to welcome students at the
new graduate school of medicine.
Visit to Shoalhaven Medical
Campus: There’s nothing that a bit
of chocolate and cake (complete
with plastic cows and coconut
grass) can’t fix! This proved to
be the case, to some degree,
on Valentine’s Day when SHARP
presented itself and the NRHN to
the med students at the Nowra
Campus. Shannon from RAHMS
came down to lend a hand and we
managed to sign up every student
as new members. Everyone had
a chance to chat and we even
had a live video link to the main
Wollongong campus.
Orientation Week Membership
Drive: SHARP had a busy O-week,
with a presentation to all first year
students studying a health degree.
This was followed by a faculty BBQ
run by SHARP members. Clubs
and Societies Day was also a big
success for SHARP with over 100
members recruited.
Albury - NRHN and NRHA:
Firstly…it was great to finally put
a face to the name for everyone
on the NRHN council/executive
and was equally great to meet so
many students with a common
motivation. SHARP delegates
had an awesome time. We were
energised by all the keynotes
speeches, presentations and skills
sessions. Thanks to the NRHN for
organising a brilliant forum!
The experiences, info and ideas
shared taught members of
SHARP about how important a
preventative and holistic model of
health care is in the area of Rural
and Remote Health.
SHARP BBQ- Meet and Greet:
The SHARP Albury Mob put its new
knowledge to good practice at the
SHARP BBQ and membership drive
with information and anecdotes
from Albury being shared with
all members. We had about 150
people turn up to the BBQ and it
marked SHARP’s first gathering of
all its members in 2007.
We have a busy calendar set for
07 with UOW hosting the Tertiary
Indigenous Games. First up
however: our own bush dance at
the Yallah Roadhouse...
SPINRPHEX:University of WA
SPINRPHEX has had a fantastic
start to the year with 28 members
attending the NRHN Forum and
NRHA Conference in Albury,
NSW, and coming home with the
coveted crystal windmill trophy
for their Superhero performance
to Mariah Carey’s ‘Hero’.
The Monday after the NRHN
Forum and NRHA Conference
was SPINRPHEX’s first meeting
of the year which was held in
co-operation with WAALHIIBE at
the Perth Dinghy Club. SPINRPHEX
has signed up more than 300
members for this year and they
listened to presentations about
the NRHN and mentoring program
True Blue Dreaming while
enjoying their dinner and then
chilled out to the beats of African
Drumming Band, Shangara Jive. A
fundraising raffle was held during
the evening for a free ticket to
our annual conference, which will
be held from Friday the 4th until
Sunday the 6th of May at Nanga
Bush Camp, Dwellingup.
Our second meeting was held
on Monday 16 April at FJ Clark
Theatre at the University of WA.
More than 170 students attended
to learn about Aboriginal Health
and Culture and also to take the
red hot opportunity to get their
hands on a ticket to our annual
camp which is our most awaited
event of the year.
A Multi-Disciplinary Night is
being held on Monday 23 April
as a combined event between
SPINRPHEX and WAAHLIIBE and
will be held at Curtin University.
The night has the theme of
‘Wobbly Boots in an Outback Town
– A Rural Community in Need’
and focuses on lifestyle disorders
such as diabetes and other
social problems such as financial
hardship.
Our Mental Health Night is also
coming up on Monday 14 May at
Notre Dame University, so there
is lots on the horizon for both the
SPINRPHEX Executive and their
enthusiastic members!
TROHPIQ:University of Queensland, QLD
It’s been a very busy couple of months to begin 2007 for TROHPIQ. New
executive members have begun in the tradition of trohpiq, filling the void
left by the other executives who have gone to rural clinical school nodes
and then can’t manage most of their executive tasks remotely. A new
management committee embraced their jobs organising the events that
fill the 2007 calendar.
So far in 2007, there was the great time for all the 20 or so students
from SE Qld in Albury, thanks to all those who had an organising role. The
annual Fraser and Coral Coast trip to Bundaberg and Hervey Bay was held
the weekend after the Albury conference, a record turnout of 40 students
enjoyed central Queensland hospitality, hospitals and beaches. Skills
sessions, the cell block bbq and pool, and the RFDS were highlights. A
combined UQ/Griffith trip to Roma for the Roma Race meeting occurred
the same weekend substituting horses to extend the alliteration above.
Then the next weekend a skills day and bbq in Brisbane was very well
attended and students practiced suturing, plastering and more airway
management skills.
In the next month, there will be another trip to Toowoomba and Oakey.
Planning for the annual Rural Health Student Conference in Rockhampton
and Great Keppel Island is well underway, expanding this year to include
health students from many universities in Queensland.
WAALHIIBE:Curtin Uni & Edith Cowan, WA
There we were, in the middle of nowhere. We needed
to reach the other side of the river. We had some
rope, some plastic drums, some planks of wood and
some oars. No one was coming to help us. We would
have to work as a team!
We were at Lake leschenaultia, just outside of
Chidlow, on the annual WAALHIIBE and SPINRPHEX
team building weekend. It was an amazing weekend,
filled with a variety of problem solving tasks, group
discussions of the year to come and formidable
massages. Most importantly it was a weekend when
friendships were forged. With the fun had, and the
friendships forged we set about to planning the year.
With more and newer events than ever before, this
year promises to be full of great experiences and
opportunities for all members.
Many thanks extended to Mike, our camp leader, Phip,
for busing us all up there, and Sue for all her help
in organising the weekend and getting all that food
ready!
C o o e e ! A p r i l 2 0 0 7
WARRIAHS:Charles SturtUniversity, NSW
What a terrific start to 2007! Right from the
word go an almost fully new exec team have
come up with some great plans and initiatives
for our best ever year. Our first success came
in week 1 of the semester, when we almost
doubled our membership at clubs sign up day.
Our second achievement was our WARRIAHS
commencement dinner, with heaps of people,
a great feed, new friends and great games
we had a ball! Another event which requires
a mention is the recent NRHN conference
in Albury, which seven WARRIAHS members
attended. Four dietetic students presented
in the “Nutrition-feast for some, famine for
others” section of student presentations. It was
a fabulous experience which we have managed
to share with the rest of our club through
stories and the odd hilarious photo. A significant
benefit from the conference was learning about
the need for an increased multi-disciplinary
approach to health care, which particularly
affected WARRIAHS as we have purely allied
health members, and are almost lost in a sea
of medical students. The social events were an
excellent way to meet people from different
clubs and many friendships were formed.
Next on the agenda is the health expo in May.
We are anticipating a big turn out, with high
school students from all over the Wagga area
coming to the uni to find out about CSU health
courses, while we promote rural health. We
will also be running one of the popular cadaver
trips to CSU in Albury. This offers students
an educationally unique experience and a
great opportunity to meet and socialise with
WARRIAHS sister club MARHS.
Now to exciting future plans for this year - a
new logo design, a new banner to replace
the last one that mysteriously disappeared,
RHSV road trips, Crocfest (which everyone is
very keen about) and of course a number of
excellent social events such as a trivia night,
mid-year formal dinner and a cocktail AGM.
WILDFIRE:MonashUniversity, VIC
The 2007 exec for WILDFIRE are very excited
to report the successful and enjoyable start to
the year that we’ve shared with all our new
and existing members. After an impressive
lead from the committee of 2006, the club is
looking forward to continuing and building on
the activities WILDFIRE takes pride in.
The new committee elected at the end of
2006, include: Co-Chairs: Annie Kilpatrick
and Meg Hardy, Secretary: Dave Humphreys,
Treasurer: Megan Farmer, ATSI Rep: Anneliese
Willems, Rural High Schools Rep: Claire Foster,
NRHN Rep: Anna Galligan, International Health
Rep: Nadine Ata, IT/Publicity Reps: Pete Taylor
and Caitlin Cheshire, Allied Health Rep: Alison
Facey, Members Without Portfolio: Dujon
Fuzzard and Adam Suttan. The committee is
also happy to announce the recent elections
for 4 first year reps. The number of first
year students who attended the AGM was
outstanding, including over 80 nominees
for the 4 positions. This number was a very
positive indication of the future for WILDFIRE,
in particular the number of students from allied
health departments showing interest. The reps
include: First Year Rep: Rachelle, ERC (extended
rural cohort) Rep: Scott, NRHN Rep: Bella, Allied
Health Rep: Samara.
So far in 2007, WILDFIRE activities include:
Beach day – 20 first year students joined the
exec for swimming, games, fish and chips and
soccer on St Kilda beach.
“Get Plastered” – A night out at the pub; first
year students enjoyed the “meet and greet’
environment while receiving plaster casts from
the committee.
Dairy Day – Many new members were signed
up over ice cream and soft drinks at the annual
WILDFIRE dairy day.
Matthew Campbell Memorial Evening – A very
enjoyable and well received night honoring the
success of previous years. The afternoon began
with a relaxed and sociable BBQ, followed
by the Memorial Evening; including 4 guest
speakers and intermission entertainment
provided by Kinja – a duo of the didgeridoo
and violin. The speakers were from the medical
field with direct experiences in Aboriginal
Health Care.
WILDFIRE are currently planning for the annual
Careers and Cocktails evening, including
guest speakers from areas of rural health. The
committee are also brainstorming for new ideas
and activities to continue to raise the profile of
WILDFIRE throughout the university.
Going west…. and
questioning what you know. I was lucky enough to undertake two elective
placements in remote communities in late 2006
– and had a small glimpse into the diversity of
Aboriginal communities and the challenges and
richness of health care in such a setting.
I undertook the first half of my elective at
Nganmarriyanga Health Centre, a remote
Aboriginal community 500km south west of
Darwin. The clinic was the only health facility
in the community and was staffed by two
remote area nurses and one Aboriginal health
worker. A doctor visited weekly and during
my time in the community we also had visits
from an obstetrician, women’s health nurse,
paediatrician, psychiatrist, mental health nurse,
child welfare workers, dietician, audiologist,
and dentist. So the clinic was obviously
quite busy and had a very large range of
presentations – from a 5 year old with a broken
arm (whose cast I had to frequently replace
when she got it wet whilst swimming!), to
a woman in early labour, to chronic disease
checks, skin infections, rheumatic fever, a
spider bite and pneumonia.
As in many communities, poor living conditions,
few education and employment opportunities,
relationship issues and substance use are very
evident and have a direct impact on people’s
health. The placement helped me see health
in a wider context than our usual hospital
placements and to see the links to land, history,
disenfranchisement, present marginalisation,
and generational losses. However, I have
come away questioning whether there is a
misconception of a problem that needs to be
‘solved’ - is it instead a journey that needs
to be shared, voices to be strengthened and
listened to?
I undertook the second half of my elective
at One Arm Point Health Centre, a remote
Aboriginal community 260km north of Broome
on the Dampier Peninsula (West Kimberley
region). One Arm Point is surrounded on three
sides by water so differed significantly in
terms of culture, with people going on daily
fishing trips, swimming, and spending much of
their time near the beach and mud flats (also
creating some of the most amazing scenery
and snorkeling opportunities!). Another key
difference was the influence of the area’s
pearling history, with many local people having
Japanese and Indonesian cultural heritage.
The clinic had a strong focus on health
promotion, with excellent recall systems and
lots of well person’s checks. I was able to
participate in community ‘bootscootin’ classes
run by the clinic, walking groups and undertook
several nutrition classes and workshops for
classes at the school, talking about the healthy
food pyramid and making good choices at the
local shop – as well as a very funny surgical
dress / food pyramid relay!
The staff and people at both One Arm Point and
Nganmarriyanga were extremely friendly and
welcoming and definitely made me feel part of
their communities. I learnt many new skills and
have come away feeling invigorated for remote
work! I would say, take every opportunity to
go on a rural and remote placement – you
never know what you might discover – from
wild horses on your verandah to a crocodile
on the boat ramp during your morning run,
hidden bootscootin’ talents, or a donkey getting
loose and causing havoc in the Christmas
nativity play! Whatever you find, it will be an
experience you will not forget!
A remote placement experienceAngela Titmuss, 2006 NRHN Co-Chair
C o o e e ! A p r i l 2 0 0 7
Cowpats May Hit the Windmill but We’ve Got Cover!
The 2007 NRHN Forum offered the perfect opportunity to launch the NRHN’s mental health guide
– When the Cowpat Hits the Windmill: A guide for staying mentally fit written by students for students.
We were very privileged to have The Hon. Jeff Kennett come to our Forum to both launch the guide
and give some of his insights into depression particularly among the health professions.
It has been almost 3 years since the idea of a mental health guide was coined at the last National
Undergraduate Rural Health Conference in Tanunda, SA in 2004. Since then many hours have been
spent planning, writing, editing and collating the guide, to produce the most helpful (and fantastic
looking!!) resource that we could muster.
Massive thanks must go to the team of students that helped put it all together. An extra special thanks
to Amy Camplin who was the chair of the Mental Health Steering Committee. The amount and quality
of work that you all have done is simply amazing and potentially life-saving. Guides are available
from the NRHN and an electronic version is available through the NRHN website www.nrhn.org.au.
Hardcopies will be distributed to clubs in the coming weeks – look out for your copy.
Mental Health Guide
Have you heard the latest goss?The grapevine has it that there is money around to send students to health conferences.
Now we’re always told never to believe gossip, but this time the sources are solid! In fact word has it
that there are only 4 easy steps to apply to attend a conference that has been ear-marked as having
national significance to student members of the NRHN. If you are a member of your university’s rural
health club - that’s you!!!
The image of the cowpat and the windmill is to remind you that you too can be resilient, even
when everything seems to be hitting the fan… Before you get to the stage where you feel like
throwing cowpats, or anything else at a windmill, remember this book!!
Conferences of National Significance Funding
Why not also consider presenting at the conference?! You will be
representing the NRHN whilst you are there and the NRHN has a
standard presentation that can be modified to suit. The NRHN executive
will also be happy to help you out! (TIP: a willingness to try presenting
will look good on your application!)
So why not put in an application? It can’t hurt!
If you have any questions, check out the NRHN website or chat to your
club’s NRHN council member. The CoNS calendar (over page), Guidelines
and Application Proforma’s are all available at www.nrhn.org.au (and
we’ve inserted a copy in this newsletter too!)
How to apply for Conferences of National Significance (CoNS) funding
from the NRHN:
Step 1: Check out the CoNS calendar for 2007 and choose your
destination.
Step 2: Read the CoNS guidelines document.
Step 3: Using the CoNS guidelines, fill out the CoNS Proforma.
Step 4: Email your completed CoNS proforma to your club executive
or NRHN rep who will then submit your application to the NRHN CoNS
committee.
Conferences of National Significance Calendar
Dates Discipline Conference Where Website / ContactMay 2007 Nursing Australian Conference for Maternal and Child Health
Nurses
Sydney www.corporatecommunique.com.
au/partners
1-2 May 2007 All National Youth Conference- Are we there yet? Melbourne www.yacvic.org.au
1-4 May 2007 All Health Promotion National Conference - “Grass roots to
global action”
Adelaide www.healthpromotion.org.au
8-12 May 2007 Podiatry Australasian Podiatry Conference Hobart www.apodc.com.au
20-22 May 2007 Social Work,
Psychology
Australian College for Child and Family Protection
Practitioners Association Conference: Borders & Bridges
Melbourne www.relatehumanservices.com.au
23-25 May 2007 Medicine and
Nursing
GP & Primary Health Care Research Conference Sydney www.phcris.org.au
24-26 May 2007 Dietitians Dietitians Association of Australia Conference Hobart www.tourhots.com.au
27-31 May 2007 Speech
Pathology
National Conference Sydney www.speechpathologyaustralia.
org.au
11-14 July 2007 Nursing Royal College of Nurses Australia (RCNA) National
Conference
Sydney www.rcna.org.au
12-13 July 2007 All 8th National Rural and Remote Social Work /
Community Health Conference
Echuca www.aasw.asn.au
18-20 July 2007 Allied Health 7th National Allied Health Conference Hobart
23-25 July 2007 All Children and Young People are Key Stakeholders Perth www.caypaks.com
6-8 August 2007 All 5th Australasian Conference on Safety and Quality in
Health Care
Brisbane www.aaqhc.org.au
17-18 August 2007 Mental
Health
8th International Mental Health Conference Gold Coast www.gcimh.com.au
24-25 August 2007 Nursing,
Paramedics,
Medicine
Rural Critical Care Conference Ballina, NSW 08 8080 1497
24-26 August 2007 Pharmacy Pharmacy Australia Congress Melbourne www.psa.org.au
31 August All ARRWAG National Policy Forum on Indigenous Health
Workforce Issues
Fremantle, WA www.arrwag.com.au
4-7 September Psychology The Mental Health Services Annual Conference Melbourne www.themhs.org
13-16 September Nursing CRANA Conference Broken Hill, NSW www.crana.org.au
19-21 September Nursing 9th National Conference of the Congress of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Nurses Conference
Alice Springs www.indiginet.com.au
19-21 September All Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child
Care conference “For our Children”
Adelaide www.snaicc.asn.au
Below is a copy of the CoNS calendar up until September 2007. Be sure to check www.nrhn.org.au
for the complete calendar. Also, don’t forget to still apply for a conference that isn’t on our list if you
think it will enhance your future in rural and remote health. Please just include a brief outline of the
rural/remote component of the conference.
Application forms can be downloaded from the NRHN website or by emailing [email protected].
C o o e e ! A p r i l 2 0 0 7
Staying Strong – Well and truly thriving in the
Bush!Unless you have been living under a rock somewhere you have probably
heard about the 2007 NRHN Forum in March featuring over 300 health
students from around Australia!
The theme of the forum was “Staying Strong: Thriving in the Bush” and it
focused on building up all our skills in self care and resilience so we can
truly thrive in the rural and remote workforce when we graduate.
We can hardly believe that after the many months of planning,
excitement, nervous worry, hundreds of emails and phone calls it is
finally over! There are so many people to thank for making the forum a
reality – the Department of Health and Ageing for funding the forum, the
hard working forum committee (Felix, Dave, Claire, Brent, Craig, Lana,
Luke and Kyra), our amazingly committed NRHN staff Litsa and Linda, all
of the keynote speakers and workshop presenters, ARRWAG, the NRHN’s
auspicing body, and the staff from the Commercial Club and Mirambeena
Hall who were happy to do all they could for us.
The forum itself seemed to fly past but here are some of our highlights….
We heard from some fantastic keynote speakers – brought into touch
with the history and past achievements of the NRHN by James Fitzpatrick,
along with a challenge for the future (and being a past Cleo Bachelor of
the year finalist certainly helped
his cause amongst the female
delegates!). Sarah Chunys invited
us to share our stories and consider
the mental health needs of rural
patients. Sabina Knight shared her
experiences and insight into the
skills and strategies needed to
make a real difference and to be
sustainable in remote communities.
Janie Dade Smith discussed the
workforce issues that will face us
when we graduate and inspired
us to practice a more holistic
type of health care. And finally,
John Hogg spoke about how the
medical school at the University
of Wollongong became a reality
and the challenges of preparing a
medical school for the 21st century.
The skills sessions seemed to be
taken up with gusto, with great
attendance even late into Tuesday
afternoon. While some got to know their fellow delegates a little (or a
lot) better with the ‘clowning’ workshop and learnt the value of a good
hug, others chose to learn new ideas and strategies to run their rural
health club. We were much amused by the intensity of the massage
session (and having been the recipients of some massages later on we
can vouch for its effectiveness!) and are now completely sure of the new
CPR guidelines thanks to the first aid session. We learnt how to defuse
a crisis situation with a mentally ill patient; deal with the ‘startle’, or
the daily stresses and grief that can eventually cause burn out; watched
a whole group of extroverted students meditate and become still; and
learnt how to write effective media releases.
One of the most memorable sessions at the Forum was the panel session
facilitated by Julie McCrossin. We were extremely lucky to have Julie at
the Forum and are still in shock at how quickly she could move around
the auditorium or get to the heart of an issue! This was a real opportunity
for NRHN members to raise issues, hear from the panel’s experiences
and create new directions for the NRHN. The main objectives were the
need for interdisciplinary learning as undergraduates, continuing a strong
multidisciplinary focus to the NRHN, creating an NRHN Alumni group, and
increasing the focus on Indigenous health issues.
2007 NRHN Forum
Angela Titmuss & Nick Moore, Forum Co-Convenors
The launch of the NRHN Mental Health Guide by Jeff Kennett was a true highlight and you can
read all about it elsewhere in the newsletter! We were also lucky to have the Health Minister,
The Hon Tony Abbott, present at the close of the Forum, discussing the place of the NRHN
within the rural health strategy. Student presentations demonstrated the huge diversity of
experiences and perspectives within the NRHN, from community health projects in rural India,
RHSVs in the NT, reestablishing a rural health club, to organising Croc Fests…. and many more.
And of course, no conference would be complete without great social events – from a trivia
night where some teams pulled out all stops to win (N.B using your PDA does count as
cheating!), to a club performance night ‘idol’ style (we still aren’t sure exactly which celebrity
judge was Dicko! - but Gordon, Peter and Kim you provided some great entertainment!).
Where we certainly got to see some hidden talents, very entertaining costumes, and the MC
talents of Craig Smith. Romeo and Juliet was brought to life, ‘Hero’ by Mariah Carey now has
a whole new meaning, Grease Lightning got everyone off their seats, and the fairy boys from
RAHMS definitely made an impact! The bush dance got everyone into the true rural spirit and
we are sure these new skills will be useful in settling into a rural town somewhere! We were
also lucky to attend the NRHA conference formal dinner – and see 87 year old Elva, a retired
rural nurse, go crowd surfing for the first time!
We were extremely lucky to also attend the NRHA conference and thank them for their
support– 300 students certainly made a noticeable presence! Being able to be a part of a
professional conference gave new perspectives to the issues we had discussed at a student
level, as well as allowing us to see the reality of the rural and remote workforce beyond our
universities. Participating in workshops, attending concurrent sessions, watching the ‘deal
or no deal’ spectacular (and learning about the realities of the budget!), and meeting with
professional organisations were all opportunities for skills development. The ‘Arts in Health’
component made this conference so much more powerful and made us see that health can be
approached in many ways – we can all think of innovative ways to meet the needs of patients.
While we all learnt new skills, and were inspired by the speakers and presenters, probably
the greatest benefit of the NRHN forum and NRHA conference was that students were
able to come together from all health disciplines, become friends and build networks with
professional organisations. The evaluations demonstrated that NRHN members
highly valued the opportunity to have a NRHN national meeting again. We
have realised that the NRHN is quite a unique organisation and that we need
to continually value and strengthen our multidisciplinary focus – as so often
students can graduate and forget these skills. If we are able to link with other
rural health clubs and challenge the perspectives of health we learn from our
particular disciplines, then maybe we can help to create a truly thriving future
rural health workforce!
Check out more photos and presentations at ww.nrhn.org.au.
C o o e e ! A p r i l 2 0 0 7
The National Heart Foundation of Australia (NHFA) and the Cardiac
Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) have released
Australia’s first national evidence-based review for the diagnosis and
management of Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) and Rheumatic Heart
Disease (RHD).
RHD remains a significant cause of cardiac disability and death
amongst Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with
incidence rates among the highest in the world. Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples are up to eight times more likely than non-
Indigenous Australians to be hospitalised for ARF and RHD and are
nearly 20 times more likely to die from these conditions.
The NHFA and CSANZ have jointly developed this evidence-based
review to assist policy makers and health professionals, including
medical, nursing, allied health and Aboriginal Health Workers address
the diagnosis and management needs of ARF and RHD in Australia.
The purposes of the review were to:
• Identify the standard of care, including preventative care, that
should be available to all people
• Identify areas where current management strategies may not be in
line with available evidence, and
• In the interests of equity, ensure that high risk populations receive
the same standard of care as that available to all other Australians.
A series of quick reference guides for health professionals and the
full evidence-based review is available for downloading from the
National Heart Foundation website www.heartfoundation.com.au.
Printed copies can also be ordered through Heartline on
1300 36 27 87 (local call cost) or
A quick word from the
National Heart Foundation
Placements Guide: How to make the most of your rural placement
The NRHN’s Rural Placements Guide, ‘How to make the most of your rural
placement’ has just been printed and will be delivered to all rural health
clubs in the coming weeks. This guide which has been put together by our
members covers a wide range of questions that you have probably asked
yourself in relation to rural placements. The Guide is aimed at improving
your experience on a rural or remote placement by better preparing you for
your placement, along with offering some advice on how to organise it,
who to contact, what to take and even what clothes to wear!
Sections include:
Why should I consider a rural or remote placement?; How do I organise my
rural or remote placement?; Cultural awareness, Keeping safe, Managing
disclosures and an Essential placement checklist. There are also helpful
hints and contact details if you require further information.
An electronic version of the Guide is available on www.nrhn.org.au or you
can order a hardcopy version from the NRHN office.
Rural Education Foundation of Australia Felix Ho, REFA Representative
Allied Health Portfolio
Mary-Jessimine Beale, Allied Health Portfolio holder
It has been a quiet start to the year for the
allied health portfolio. We are currently
involved in the RAHUS (rural allied health
undergraduate scholarship) appeals round
selecting the final six places for what is a
highly competitive and worthwhile scholarship.
The primary goal of the scholarship is akin
with the goals of NRHN, which is to address
the shortage of allied health professionals in
rural and remote areas. The scholarship is in
its second year of allocation and received over
700 participants this year from allied health
university students across Australia.
The following weeks should see two new
members join the allied health portfolio
position, with nominations currently open.
REFA has been progressing steadily since
last year. REFA completed and submitted a
“Costings Research Report on Pre-service
country teaching placements” to the DEST
Minister. It appears that a recent increase of
30 scholarships for country placements to SA
universities by the SA government resulted
from this research and lobbying by REFA.
Another exciting development from REFA is the
proposed development of pre-service teacher
education contact group / network tentatively
named “Rural Teaching First”; based on the
NRHN model. By the time you’ve read this
article, a decision should have been made by
REFA on the direction of this project… watch
this space!
The annual REFA Roundtable has also been
tentatively set as a pre-conference to the
SPERA conference, to be held in late August in
Merredin, WA.
Congratulations goes to Lana Prout for being
elected as the 2007 REFA senior. In the
upcoming few weeks, I will be handing over to
Lana and the soon-to-be-elected REFA Junior.
For more information on REFA, visit
www.refa.edu.au.
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National Rural Health Network c/o ARRWAG PO Box 6244 South Yarra Vic 3141 Australia
www.nrhn.org.au
Telephone 03 8825 4500 Facsimile 03 9804 7370 Email [email protected]