Helping rural communities in Western Australia

After working in rural Western Australia for several years, rural physiotherapist Karen Rodgers-Smart has taken the next step in her career and opened her own physiotherapy business, MoveSmart Physiotherapy, in Lake Grace and Newdegate.

Working out of local medical centres, Karen shares her time between the two communities. Although the business has only been operating for a few months, Karen has received positive feedback from patients about the value of her physiotherapy services.

“The people that come through my door tell me they are now receiving treatment for some long-term conditions and lingering injuries they’ve left untreated as they’ve been reluctant to travel long distances or have been unable to travel due to work commitments.

“It’s rewarding to see that I am able to provide a service that they wouldn’t have been able to otherwise access.”

Originally a country girl, Karen always knew that she wanted to return to rural Western Australia after completing her studies at Curtin University. She was recruited through Rural Health West and worked in Albany for several years after graduating.

“The community’s response has been amazing and overwhelming. They have all been very excited to have a regular physiotherapy service in town.

Dr Raj Ramakrishna, well known in Corrigin as Dr Raj, has cared for the Corrigin community since 2014.

Dr Raj was originally recruited as part of the Eastern Wheatbelt Primary Care Project; an initiative aimed at providing greater support to small general practices in the eastern Wheatbelt to make them more sustainable.

The practices involved are given extensive administrative and practice support, so that the GPs and practice staff can concentrate on caring for their patients. The support provided ranges from practice management, human resources, IT and maintenance, accounting and bookkeeping, recruitment, clinical management and service coordination.

“My family and I were delighted to move to Corrigin," stated Dr Ramakrishna.

“We would like to thank the Shire of Corrigin, Southern Regional Medical Group and Rural Health West for their kind assistance in setting up the practice in Corrigin.

“I would recommend this service to all the doctors in eastern Wheatbelt.”

The Eastern Wheatbelt Primary Care Project was initiated in 2010, after the Shires of Corrigin, Lake Grace, Kondinin and Kulin each lost general practitioners following the departure of corporate medical services.

The shires worked together and with Rural Health West to explore sustainable and innovative models of service that would ensure the communities had reliable access to primary care.

Dr Raj is also one of the doctors being supported through the Strengthening Solo General Practice project, which has made it easier for him to attend training and networking events in Perth. 

Practice managers from the Wheatbelt have been awarded back-to-back wins in annual the Rural General Practice Manager Award.

2017 winner Debra Stacey (pictured right) from the Quairading Medical Practice was recognised for her leadership and management skills, her focus on staff education and her commitment to patient health and safety,

2016 winner Samantha Aurisch from Bruce Rock Health Centre was acknowledged for her professionalism and work ethic, which have made a lasting impact on the wider community.

The state-wide annual awards acknowledge and reward the integral role that practice managers play in ensuring rural general practices provide a sustainable service for their communities.

Rural Health West Chief Executive Officer Tim Shackleton said general practice managers play a vital role in the health and well-being of rural patients.

“Practice managers are the lynch-pin of many small rural general practices. We work with many of them very closely and want to acknowledge the valuable work they do through these annual awards.

“It’s wonderful to see practice managers from the Wheatbelt win back to back awards. Many of them work in small practices isolated from their peers, which can be very challenging. It’s an honour to acknowledge the work of these managers and their contribution to keeping the community healthy.”

Rural Health West’s Strengthening Solo General Practice is supporting solo GPs practitioners in the Wheatbelt to create a more stable and sustainable medical service in small country towns.

More than half of all general practices in the Wheatbelt (17 out of 33 practices) are run by solo general practitioners, making it one of the most ‘at risk’ regions in Australia.

Support provided to Dr Brian Walker, who works as solo GP in Kununoppin, enabled him to attend the GPCE conference in 2016 which provided extensive upskilling and the recent Rural Health West dinner so he could network with fellow rural doctors.

Our recruitment and practice support teams have also provided support to help him recruit a new doctor to the town.

“Having the time to attend professional development is a challenge and can leave the local community without a doctor. Attending GPCE in Perth meant I could cram a great deal into a short time.”

This SSGP project builds on existing support systems for solo GPs and is identifying new strategies to avoid them becoming fatigued and isolated, and to better support their spouses and families. In turn, this will encourage solo GPs to stay in their current practice for longer and improve continuity of care for patients.

In March 2017, a plague of medical emergencies including snakebites, near drownings, motorbike and equipment accidents, befell the residents of the usually quiet town of Moora. It wasn’t a series of unfortunate events, it was the annual Go Rural event.

Go Rural gives final year university medical, nursing and allied health students the opportunity to experience the diversity of a rural lifestyle and the benefits of a rural career.

During the three day rural immersion weekend, the students toured the Moora Hospital, participated in medical emergency scenarios, learnt suturing skills, visited a local farm and met members of the Moora community during a sundowner at the Council Chambers.

With only one of the students coming from a rural background, the weekend was a unique opportunity to showcase country life.

Final year physiotherapy student, Maeve O’Shaughnessy said she had spent her entire live in the city, so had limited experiences of country life.

"Go Rural exposed me to both country health services and to country life,” Maeve said.

“It made me realise the opportunities which exist to develop both professionally and personally in regional, rural and remote Western Australia."

Rural Health West is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health through Rural Health Workforce Australia to administer the Go Rural program in Western Australia.

Regional dietitian and farmer’s daughter, Sally Taylor, always intended on returning to the country to work after completing her degree in Perth.

Finding local connections with her patients through her rural upbringing has been an advantage for Sally, who is developing her career in Dietetics in her home town of Esperance.

Funded through the Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program (MOICDP), Sally works alongside Perth-based Nephrologist Dr Thomas, who visits the region six times per financial year.

“Dr Thomas is very supportive of nutrition to prevent the progression of chronic kidney disease. I find that running my clinic just after he has visited is fantastic because he gives the patients encouragement to keep trying.”

At each visit, Sally sees the positive impact her service is having on her patients. Many of her patients suffer renal health complications resulting from uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension, so following up with them on a regular basis means she can check they are making the necessary changes to their lifestyle.

“After seeing patients two or three times, their blood results reveal that their potassium and phosphate levels have dropped between appointments; so you can see the changes really quickly.”

Without the support of her health service, patients would be required to travel to Perth to manage their chronic disease, costing them time and money.

“The locals who are very ill with chronic disease are able to stay in their own community, so they receive the full benefit from the service rather than seeing a dietitian only if they happen to be in Perth,” says Sally.

“We have no dialysis chairs here in Esperance, so patients would have to travel to Perth if they weren’t supported here to manage their renal disease. Maintaining their quality of life is heavily related to nutrition, and it is something to aim for; to keep them off dialysis for as long as possible.”

In 2016, we played a part in expanding the range of psychology and counselling services available for people living in Esperance when we helped psychologists Vanessa Rowell and Campbell Townsend relocate from Victoria to Esperance.

The couple (and their two children) moved to join Esperance Psychology, which was established and run by psychologist Helen Devenish. The expanded practice is now able to offer a broader range of services to the local community, including couples counselling, medico-legal reports for compensation, and corporate profiling services.

The expansion also means that patients with anxiety, depression, grief, loss, or post-traumatic stress disorder can access the services they need when they need them, closer to home.

For Vanessa and Campbell, the move has been really positive.

“We are loving it here and still feel like we are on holiday. It’s hard to believe this is winter – 19 degrees and sunny today.

“We have met some lovely people and are making our house a home. Today we got a lamb to mow out lawn!

“The practice is busy and we’ve also been doing lots of professional development to upskill ourselves to meet the needs of the local community.”

Kalgoorlie-Boulder’s overseas-trained doctors have been supported to settle into Australian general practice over the past three years through a unique program offered only in the Goldfields.

The Forward to Fellowship program has provided 20 doctors with extensive personal, professional and training support, which in turn has delivered better medical care for people living in the region.

F2F was developed following a successful recruitment drive to address the low number of doctors in the community. Most of the new recruits were new to Australia and so the program provided a range of supports to help them adapt to the Australia medical system.

Rural Health West Chief Executive Officer Tim Shackleton said the program also encouraged many of the doctors to remain working in the community, which has provided greater continuity of care for patients.

“By supporting our overseas trained doctors we are helping to create a sustainable and stable workforce, which will mean that patients can have a lasting relationship with their doctor,” he said.

Forward to Fellowship is a true community-led response to support International Medical Graduates in the region. It is supported by the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Chamber of Minerals and Energy, Goldfields Esperance GP Network, the Shire of Coolgardie, WA Country Health Service, Western Australian General Practice Education and Training, and the Goldfields Esperance Development Commission, Nationals WA and Rural Health West.

Goldfields doctors and medical students learnt from some of the State’s leading specialists during 2016 through Goldfields Continuing Professional Development Program.

The program delivered monthly workshops to local medical professionals covering topics such as ophthalmology, exam preparation, women’s health and suturing skills.

Guest specialist, prominent ophthalmologist and McCusker Director of Lions Outback Vision, Associate Professor Angus Turner discussed how to better identify eye conditions in their patients and determine appropriate treatment plans.

Originally offered to doctors on the Forward to Fellowship program, the workshops were run free-of-charge to all Goldfields medical professionals with additional funding from Royalties for Regions funding.

Rural Health West CEO Tim Shackleton said that the remoteness of the Goldfields meant that medical professionals have greater challenges accessing regular professional development.

“These regular workshops to address these difficulties and encourage collegiate style learning and relationship building between doctors in the region.”

Dr Jackie Scurlock (pictured right) is a long-time provider of rural paediatric services to Esperance, commencing in 1984.

“It was just after I had finished breastfeeding my second son. A local general practitioner, Dr Chris Friend had contacted Dr Rex Henderson to ask that he provide an outreach service to the area. However, he was too busy and recommended me.”

Dr Scurlock has devoted herself to helping Western Australian families, focusing particularly on the issues of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Her visits to Esperance were self-funded until the introduction of the outreach funding by the Australian Government Department of Health in 2001, and she now receives outreach this funding through Rural Health West.

A rural visit once involved departing Perth airport at 6.00am, flying in a ‘sardine tin’ and returning the same night at 9.00pm. But she soon learnt to arrive a day earlier to take advantage of the lovely Esperance scenery.

“The best part of my job is I never have to grow up,” she said.

Today, Dr Scurlock continues to provide her paediatric outreach services to the area five times a year, reducing the need for her young patients to travel to Perth.

Relocating to a new place for work is a daunting prospect – even more so when you are considering a shift to some of the most isolated communities in the world!

So we’ve been working closely with the Ngaanyatjarra Health Service to help prepare new health workers for living and work in the Lands.

We work with the Ngaanyatjarra Health Service (NHS) to recruit and attract health professionals to the Lands, but a common stumbling block is the fear of the unknown.

“Most people relocating for work like to check out a new place before they commit to a role, but the Lands are so remote that it’s often not possible for someone to ‘try before they buy’,” said Sam Ireland, CEO of Ngaanyatjarra Health Service .

To fill this gap, we worked with the NHS to develop a comprehensive information kit that provides in-depth information about living and working on the Lands, which is now circulated to everyone considering a role in the communities.

“The resource helps paint a realistic picture of living and working in the Lands communities – so people can better decide whether or not the role may be for them,” Sam said.

“Having greater continuity of care is important for health outcomes, particularly in Aboriginal communities, where people may be slow to develop trust and warm to a new health professional.

“We are really pleased to work with Rural Health West on this initiative,” he said.

When Genkin Gunasekaran secured his role working as a dialysis nurse at Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service in October 2015, he packed his bags and made the cross-country journey from Melbourne – by car!

Although a brief break-down saw him abandon his car and his travelling companion (his mother in law) to seek help, he made it safely to Broome, ready and able to start work helping people with renal disease get the care they need.

“The Kimberley has one of the highest rates of chronic kidney disease and dialysis is an important service for the community,” Genkin said.

“The team here is very good and I feel I am contributing a lot to caring for people in the region.”

Genkin was eligible for a grant through Rural Health West under the Rural Health Professionals Program, which helped to pay his relocation costs and helped him to access some professional development.

Genkin’s wife, Ephzibah, joined him several months later – by plane – and his newborn baby daughter joined them sooner after – by birth. They have settled into the Broome life very well.

“Rural Health West has been a great support, professionally and financially. Relocating across the country is very expensive and the grant I was given was greatly appreciated,” Genkin said.

For the past seven years, we’ve brought a unique brand of medical training to iconic sites in the Kimberley and Pilbara.

The Rural and Remote Retrieval weekend provides local medical professionals, paramedics and acute care nurses exposure and training to deal with potentially life-threatening medical emergencies in bush and outback settings.

Rural doctors and nurses are often on the frontline when it comes to caring for seriously ill and injured patients in remote areas. However, treating patients in a wilderness location is vastly different than practicing medicine on a flat surface with a range of equipment close to hand.

During RRR, participants abseil, cave and hike their way through the gorges at El Questro or Karijini National Park, attending to various simulated medical emergencies such as hypothermia, a punctured lung, broken limbs and snake bites along the way.

Dr Catherine Engelke from Kununurra Hospital attended RRR at El Questro in May 2015 and said it was an amazing learning opportunity set in a stunning environment.

“With Kununurra Hospital often the first port of call for people who are injured while travelling in the region, I found it really valuable to see the terrain as it helps understand the mechanism of injuries that often occur. Having that knowledge helps when treating the patient when they arrive into Kununurra,” said Catherine.

“The conference also gave me clearer picture of the limitations faced by first responders and bystanders providing first aid. We were given only a basic first aid kit during the conference and often had to think outside the box when splinting or relocating our patients. Going through that situation myself, I can now give more insightful advice when contacted by phone for help.”

Rural Health West is the leading provider of emergency wilderness training in Western Australia running events in the South West, Pilbara, Kimberley and the Perth metropolitan area. 

In 2016, we provided 750 sports balls to community organisations involved in promoting sport and exercise to children in rural and remote communities.

150 netballs, footballs, basketballs, soccer balls and rugby balls were given to Fair Game for children in the Kimberley and Pilbara, 150 given to Nyoongar Wellbeing and Sports, and 450 to Ngurra Kujungka Inc for children in the Western Desert.

“The sports balls will be used to assist our programs in the Kimberley to promote healthy activity amongst young children in underserviced communities, including Indigenous Australians and migrants groups,” said Dr Robert Henderson, Fair Game Recycle and Donate Coordinator.

In June 2017, we ran a pilot program with the Kimberley Population Health Unit from the WA Country Health Service to help young Aboriginal mothers and pregnant women make better food and nutrition choices.

A dietitian and paediatric nutritionist from the Population Health Unit provided a mix of individual and group education sessions to the young Aboriginal women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Rural Health West General Manager, Regional Services Vivienne Duggin said the aim was to help the women to understand the importance of healthy eating for themselves and their children.

“The young women had individual health care sessions and home visits from the dietitian and came together with other young women for group cooking sessions,” said Vivienne.

“We hope these sessions would also help to create a support network between the young mothers.”

The nutrition program was funded through the Australian Government Department of Health’s Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program, which delivers chronic disease care to people living in rural and remote locations.

40 Aboriginal people across the Kimberley received crucial eye surgery and 30 more received ear surgery during 2017, as part of a program to reduce surgical waiting times for people living in rural and remote areas.

The patients, predominantly Senior Lore people, were treated by a team of visiting specialists at Derby and Kununurra Hospitals as part of the Eye and Ear Surgical Support Service, which is run by Rural Health West with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health.

“Traditional patient referral systems can mean that a patient with limited sight may have to navigate public transport to Broome or air travel to Perth on their own to access surgical care. That’s very daunting if you’re suffering significant loss of vision,” said Rural Health West General Manager Regional Services, Vivienne Duggin.

Under the EESS program, a number of flights were chartered to collect patients from the more remote communities and bring them to surgery as a group. This provided greater comfort to the patients who were also able to bring a carer or family member.

“Restoring sight and hearing to these patients means they are able to become more actively involved in their community. They can participate in cultural business again. Some have been able to find work.

“Many of the children who received ENT surgery are now better able to learn. And many are now able to participate in everyday activities which they haven’t been able to do for many years,” Vivienne said.

Psychologist Simon Dann has had a varied 18-year career working in private practice, mental health rehabilitation, autism services, Indigenous mental health and with asylum seekers.

He’s now brought that breadth of experience to Kununurra and other small communities in the East Kimberley.

Although he’s had an extremely diverse career, he’s had some new experiences since he started work at Boab Health in mid-2016.

“I’m really enjoying the work here. Last year, I flew out to Kalumburu on a light plane and organised a men’s health and fishing group. I haven’t done that before and you definitely couldn’t do something like that in the city!” said Simon.

Simon was recruited by Rural Health West and was supported to relocate with a Rural Health Professionals Program grant. The grant has also helped him pursue additional training to further support the local community.

“Kununurra offers a great outdoor lifestyle. It’s all about the might barra up here right now and I caught three without even having a boat,” said Simon.

The sunny beaches of Geraldton are a far cry from Dr Shaun Millns Sizer’s former view from his practice window in the United Kingdom.

Dr Millns Sizer made the big shift in 2015 and says he hasn’t looked back since.

“I found myself working 60 hours per week and becoming more and more stressed. We had visited WA many years ago and even back then I thought I could be happy living and working here.

“The work/life balance was why I came and we haven’t been disappointed by the opportunities provided to us since we arrived. Once we arrived in Australia, my Rural Health West case manager arranged meetings and a training week at a medical centre to introduce and prepare me for the Australian health care system.

“Learning about the Medicare system is still a work in progress, but I have lots of support from the team here at the Panaceum Medical Group.

“The people in Geraldton are so friendly and there is a real sense of community. We are outside every weekend and my boys are involved in sport. I love the barbeque areas on the foreshore in Geraldton and the coffee shops.

“I’m really pleased to be part of this wonderful community.”

Growing up in Bindi Bindi, Rhianne Elliott has known she wanted to be a physiotherapist from age 12.

After graduating with First Class Honours from Notre Dame University in 2014, Rhianne turned to the Rural Health West website to look for a role working in rural WA.

“Coming from the country I feel really strongly about people living in rural and remote WA having access to excellent allied health care and so I wanted to pursue a rural career,” Rhianne said.

“I saw a role with Central West Health and Rehabilitation in Geraldton that seemed ideal and I started work with them in November 2014.

“Rural Health West advised that I was eligible for a Rural Health Professionals Program grant and this has meant I have been able to pursue additional studies in Pilates, acupuncture, strength and conditioning and sports physiotherapy.

“That training has extended the range of services I can provide to my clients, both in Geraldton and those at the minesite I visit weekly. I’m now also providing services to the MS Society of WA for clients in Geraldton.

“The grant meant I was also able to purchase some specialist equipment to assist with rehabilitation clients and start running some new programs that I’m passionate about.

“I’m working with such a diverse group of clients with a variety of conditions and really enjoy giving something back to country WA,” Rhianne said.

Rural Health West’s Strengthening Solo General Practice is supporting solo GPs in the Midwest to create a more stable and sustainable medical service in small country towns.

Nearly one third of general practices (7 out of 23 practices) in the Midwest region are operated by solo general practitioners.

Support to Dr Syed Shah, who works as a solo GP in Northampton, enabled him to attend the recent Rural Health West conference and dinner – which provided opportunity to upskill, network and catch-up with fellow rural doctors.

“Professional isolation is one of the biggest challenges of working as a solo GP, so having support to attend the conference and dinner was greatly appreciated. We also appreciated Rural Health West arranging a baby-sitter for our children.

“I was able to catch up with colleagues, access some professional development and feel recharged and ready to return to Northampton,” said Dr Shah.

The SSGP project builds on existing support systems for solo GPs and is identifying new strategies to avoid them become fatigued and isolated, and to better support their spouses and families. In turn, this will encouraged solo GPs to stay in their current practice for longer and improve continuity of care for patients.

In June 2017, we ran a pilot program with the Geraldton Aboriginal Medical Service, the Carnarvon Medical Service Aboriginal Corporation and Durlacher Dietetics to help young Aboriginal people make better food and nutrition choices.

Twelve dietetic education workshops were held in Carnarvon, Cue, Geraldton, Meekatharra, Mungullah Village, Shark Bay and Yalgoo with Aboriginal people at risk of developing chronic disease and young Aboriginal mothers.

Dietitian Dr Cynthia Porter said the workshops were very hands-on and gave practice advice about healthy eating.

“In some locations we were able to do a walk-through of the local supermarket to discuss food labelling and if in doubt, you can locate most of the healthy food around the perimeter of the shop,” Dr Porter said.

“It’s great to run these workshops focused on preventing disease through nutrition.

“It would be so rewarding if this proves to be a turning point for preventative measures, such as education, to run parallel with clinical services. It could make a massive difference in health outcomes for people.”

The nutrition program was funded through the Australian Government Department of Health’s Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program, which delivers chronic disease care to people living in rural and remote locations.

This was the first time preventative dietetic services were delivered through the program, and was funded in response to a Rural Health West submission to the Australian Government.

Leigh Black has dedicated her career to keeping remote communities healthy.

As an experienced chronic disease nurse, she was working in the black opal mining town of Lightning Ridge in New South Wales before a holiday to the beautiful Kimberley region made her want to head West.

“I contacted Rural Health West to see what opportunities were available. Hannah, my case manager at Rural Health West told me there was a five-month contract in Pemberton. I took the job and shifted myself across the country for my ‘working holiday’, aged 64!”

When her contract in Pemberton was up, we helped find Leigh was offered a role in Roebourne working with the Mawarnkara Aboriginal Health Service.

“Moving to another state is daunting as you don’t have the contacts and networks to find work or to help you find your feet in a new community. Not only did Rural Health West find me work, they also gave me a really comprehensive orientation so that I felt very comfortable about settling into a new town and provided financial support to relocate.”

Leigh hit the ground running when she arrived at her new post in March 2016.

"I work in a very busy clinic and my role is hands-on, which I am really enjoying. I’m loving the work, the location, and feel that I’ve really landed on my feet.”

Jacob Hill’s move to Karratha has paid dividends, not just for the outdoorsy physiotherapist, but also the local community.

Jacob joined Pilbara Physiotherapy in 2016, which has enabled the team to provide an increased services to Karratha, Wickham, Pannawonica and Tom Price.

“My work is quite varied – and in Karratha I take a weekly mental health hydrotherapy group, run some clinical Pilates classes and occasional manual handling workshop.

“I head out to Wickham three times a week and also provide an outreach service to Pannawonica.

“I’ve settled in really well. I love playing football and cricket, camping and boating so Karratha is great lifestyle fit for me,” said Jacob.

“I’m interested in chronic pain, orthopaedic and sports physiotherapy, so it’s also a good professional fit here. Not long after I joined the team, they opened their clinical Pilates room and I think that will offer a great service to people here too.”

Rural Health West helped Jacob to find his new role and were also able to provide a grant through the Rural Health Professionals Program to help him relocate to the Pilbara.

Rural Health West’s Strengthening Solo General Practice is supporting solo GPs practitioners in the Pilbara to create a more stable and sustainable medical service in small country towns.

Twenty per cent of general practices in the Pilbara are operated by solo general practitioners.

Support provided to Dr Steven Gann, who works as solo GP at Puntukurnu AMS, enabled him to attend the recent Rural Health West conference and dinner – which provided opportunity to network and catch-up with fellow rural doctors.

“Professional isolation is one of the biggest challenges of working as solo GP, so having support to attend the conference and dinner was greatly appreciated. I was able to catch up with colleagues, access some professional development and feel recharged and ready to return to the Pilbara,” said Dr Gann.

This SSGP project builds on existing support systems for solo GPs and is identifying new strategies to avoid them becoming fatigued and isolated, and to better support their spouses and families. In turn, this will encourage solo GPs to stay in their current practice for longer and improve continuity of care for patients.

For the past seven years, we’ve brought a unique brand of medical training to iconic sites in the Kimberley and Pilbara.

The Rural and Remote Retrieval weekend provides local medical professionals, paramedics and acute care nurses exposure and training to deal with potentially life-threatening medical emergencies in bush and outback settings.

Rural doctors and nurses are often on the frontline when it comes to caring for seriously ill and injured patients in remote areas. However, treating patients in a wilderness location is vastly different than practicing medicine on a flat surface with a range of equipment close to hand.

During RRR, participants abseil, cave and hike their way through the gorges at Karijini National Park or El Questro, attending to various simulated medical emergencies such as hypothermia, a punctured lung, broken limbs and snake bites along the way.

Dr Nicolette Van Zyl from Nickol Bay Hospital attended the most recent RRR at Karijini National Park in May 2017 and said it was an amazing learning opportunity set in a stunning environment.

“The trainers were very knowledgeable and it was great to learn some new ‘tricks’ for dealing with emergencies.

“Each of the scenarios provided a valuable learning opportunity and I know it will benefit my practice when treating ill and injured patients who present to Nickol Bay Hospital,” Dr Van Zyl said.

Rural Health West is the leading provider of emergency wilderness training in Western Australia running events in the South West, Pilbara, Kimberley and the Perth metropolitan area.

In 2016, Rural Health West and the WA Primary Health Alliance, which operates Country WA Primary Health Network brought together peak bodies and agencies representing Pilbara health, education, police and community with the aim of collectively tackling some of the region’s most entrenched health and social issues.

The Pilbara Collaborative Health Forum was a day-long workshop aimed at looking at how a more holistic, cross-agency approach can tackle some of the region’s key health issues.

Rural Health West Regional Advisor Chris Pickett said as part of the workshop, participants were asked to identify priority areas where a joint response could help to improve outcomes.

Key examples include police requesting input from schools, health providers and child protection agencies to engage with vulnerable children and their families.

Similarly, education representatives sought support from child protection, health and housing agencies to implement early intervention programs for children at risk to ensure that have appropriate housing, access to healthy food and school readiness programs.

A draft proposal relating to how workshop discussions and findings can integrate with existing forums and committees throughout the region will be considered in the near future.

A new research project in the Pilbara is taking an innovative approach to tackling smoking amongst Aboriginal women.

The project, funded through the Australian Government’s Tackling Indigenous Smoking program, is working with Aboriginal women living in Port Hedland and Western Desert communities to understand the role smoking plays in their lives and use this knowledge to refine existing smoking cessation programs.

“Many of the current ‘quit’ programs for women focus on the impact of smoking on their unborn or newborn babies,” said Rural Health West General Manager Regional Services Vivienne Duggin.

“This can mean that the mother returns to smoking once baby is born, or can cause mothers to feel guilty if they are unable to quit during pregnancy.

“Through the Tackling Indigenous Smoking grant, we will be working in partnership with researchers from Telethon Kids Institute and local health staff from Wirraka Maya Aboriginal Health Service Corporation and Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service to develop a women’s-centred approach to smoking cessation,” she said.

“The aim is to create a positive experience of smoking cessation and provide the women with an opportunity to discuss their smoking in a supportive environment.”

The project will commence in the near future and run through to June 2018.

Paediatric speech pathologist Jackie Jenkins returned to Albany in late 2016 after 15 years working across a range of roles in Perth.

We helped Jackie to find her role and were able to provide financial support through the Rural Health Professionals Program to help her relocate to Albany.

Now employed by Amity Health, Jackie supports many Albany children who have speech and language challenges.

“I mainly work with school-aged children, helping them develop their pre-literacy and literacy skills. We’ve recently been doing school screenings locally and right up to Jerramungup and Walpole to identify children who need speech or occupational therapy interventions.

“I also act as a panel member for children undergoing assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

“Early diagnosis and treatment is so important for children with speech delay and for children with ASD to ensure they can access services to support their development.”

“I’m really finding my groove being back in Albany. I recently went to Perth for a weekend and arriving back in Albany felt like ‘home’ on Sunday afternoon.”

In June 2017, we ran a pilot program with Amity Health to help Aboriginal people make better food and nutrition choices.

Throughout the month, an Amity Health dietitian and Aboriginal health worker visited Jerramungup, Tambellup, Kojonup and Gnowangerup, holding nutrition education workshops with groups of Aboriginal people in each of the towns.

Rural Health West General Manager, Regional Services Vivienne Duggin said the workshops were very hands-on and gave practical advice about improving nutrition.

“In some locations, participants did a walk-through of the local supermarket to discuss food labelling and if in doubt, how to find most of the healthy food located around the perimeter of the shop,” Vivienne said.

The nutrition program was funded through the Australian Government Department of Health’s Medical Outreach Indigenous Chronic Disease Program, which delivers chronic disease care to people living in rural and remote locations.

150 Aboriginal people across the Great Southern received crucial eye surgery during 2017, as part of a program to reduce surgical waiting times for people living in rural and remote areas.

The patients were treated by a team of visiting specialists at the Albany Health Campus as part of the Eye and Ear Surgical Support Service, which is run by Rural Health West with funding from the Australian Government Department of Health.

“Many Aboriginal patients are reluctant to travel away from their communities and traditional patient referrals often mean navigating public transport to Perth. This can be extremely daunting for patients with poor vision.

“Bringing this specialised care closer to the patients means more people are able to access the care they need,” said Rural Health West General Manager Regional Services, Vivienne Duggin.

“Restoring sight and hearing to these patients means they are able to become more actively involved in their community. They can participate in cultural business again. Some have been able to find work and many are now able to participate in everyday activities which they haven’t been able to do for many years.”

In mid-2017, we brought our Remote Emergency Medicine workshop to Denmark for the first time to give local doctors and health professionals a chance to brush up on their emergency skills.

30 local health professionals spent a weekend in May covering techniques they may need to use to treat adult and child patients suffering a range of medical emergencies.

Denmark GP Dr Jane James said the training was marvellous.

“The workshop got local doctors and nurses working as a team to make best use of local resources,” Dr James said.

The REM workshop has previously been run only in Kununurra, in recognition of its extremely remote location, which means medical and health professionals must be skilled in a broad range of emergency medical procedures which they may encounter in the hospital ED setting.

This training ensures that local health staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to respond to critical care situations which has the potential to save lives and improve the health outcomes of patients who are critically ill or injured.

Our business and practice support services helps many rural general practices to save countless hours of administration, which means they can focus more on providing outstanding care and service to their patients.

Jeni Anning from Pioneer Health in Albany is one of the many practice managers we support across the State.

“The webinars and Practice Management Business Support Tool provided by Rural Health West are such valuable resources,” said Jeni.

“Sonia from Rural Health West also spent half a day with us recently to help us prepare for our accreditation and talked us through various processes, software updates and Medicare changes.

“It meant we could focus our efforts when preparing for accreditation and get back to caring for our patients.

Every year Rural Health West works with up to approximately 250 general practices across rural Western Australia.

In 2015, we helped newly graduated physiotherapist Kate FitzSimons land her first professional role in Bunbury.

During her final year at university, Kate took a placement in Geraldton which sparked her interest in rural practice and so she started to keep an eye on the Rural Health West vacancies.

After being offered a job at Brecken Health, Kate became eligible for a Rural Health Professionals Program grant, which provided financial assistance for her to relocate to Bunbury and to access professional development to help her settle into her new role.

“As a new graduate, it was a privilege to take additional courses without having to worry about the cost. That additional training has helped me to develop my skills and provide the best possible service to my clients,” said Kate.

In addition to her role at Brecken Health, Kate is now working in a pilot program for the Ability Centre providing community-based care to children with disabilities.

“Providing this service locally saves these families regular trips to Perth, so it’s incredibly rewarding work,” said Kate.

Since February, Kate has been mentoring two newly graduated physiotherapists recruited to Brecken Health by Rural Health West.

In 2016, we provided assistance to 25 nurses and midwives and 34 allied health professionals; 55 of whom had never worked previously in rural Western Australia.

Pemberton’s Dr Lukas Vesely, and his practice manager wife Lara (pictured right), use Rural Health West’s locum placement service to ensure their community has access to care when they take leave.

“We both have family overseas and it’s really important that our children have a relationship with their relatives,” Lara said.

“We plan our trips a long way in advance, and Rural Health West often help find a locum to cover Lukas, or if we find someone ourselves, Rural Health West manages the administration for us.

Our policy and procedure practice manual saves rural practices hours of administration when preparing for general practice accreditation, which means they can focus more on providing outstanding care and service to their patients.

“The policy and procedure practice manual was invaluable in preparing both our practices for re-accreditation," said Tanya Wutchak, Business Manager for Collie River Valley Medical Centre and Southern Forests Medical Centre.

“It was very user friendly and saved me hours of work,” 

“Smaller practices don’t always have enough admin staff to keep across all of the changes in health policy, so this really is a time saver for us and helps us run two efficient and sustainable rural general practices.”

The policy and procedure practice manual was developed by Rural Health West to provide a series of template best practice policies and procedures which can be used to enhance a practice’s preparation for accreditation against the RACGP Standards for General Practices – Fourth edition.

For the past three years, we’ve brought a unique brand of medical training to iconic sites throughout the South West with our AWESoME conference.

AWESoME provides local medical professionals, paramedics and acute care nurses exposure and training to deal with potentially life-threatening medical emergencies in bush and outback settings.

Participants abseil, cave, canoe and hike their way through locations such as Brides Cave, Wilyabrup Sea Cliffs and the 

Blackwood River, attending to various simulated medical emergencies such as hypothermia, a punctured lung, broken limbs and snake bites along the way.

Margaret River nurse Jillian said the conference is a great refresher if you haven’t been involved in an emergency scenario for some time.

“The scenarios are definitely an extended level, especially from a nursing perspective. They were definitely relevant for those working in small country hospitals where you don’t have many staff and are often one of the first responders in emergency situations,” said Jillian.

Rural Health West is the leading provider of emergency wilderness training in Western Australia running events in the South West, Pilbara, Kimberley and the Perth metropolitan area.

In 2016, we took a group of medical, nursing and allied health students to Harvey to showcase the lifestyle and professional benefits of working in the South West region.

The Go Rural weekend aims to encourage students to consider a rural career by touring them through a country town’s community, health facilities and recreation opportunities.

Speech pathology student Abigail Ong said it was an amazing experience and a privilege to be part of it.

“I learnt invaluable skills and knowledge from the activities and interactions with other students.”

Student nurse Celeste Beresford said she would highly recommend Go Rural as a chance to experience life in a country town.

Go Rural is part of a national program funded by the Department of Health.

With one of the highest rates of melanoma diagnoses in Australia, the Kimberley region relies on its medical and health professionals to be well-educated about early detection and diagnosis of skin cancers.

In June 2017, we partnered with melanomaWA and Skin Check WA to deliver a unique skin cancer workshop to 25 medical and health professionals in the region.

The workshop aimed to educate local doctors and health professionals, such as physiotherapists, nurses and occupational therapists, to detect lesions or suspicious spots on their skin of their patients, enhance their excision skills and provide information about the use of dermascopy.

Dr Chevaun Howard from the Broome Regional Aboriginal Medical Service said the workshop was fantastic.

“The speakers were excellent and knowledgeable. I now feel more confident in retrieving and managing skin lesions.”

Clinton Heal (pictured right), CEO of melanomaWA, who lived in Derby as a child, was diagnosed with melanoma at just 22. He was very pleased to be able to return to the region to share his personal journey living with melanoma.

“It’s important for health professionals to see things from a patient perspective and appreciate the impact that skin cancer has on a person and their loved ones," Clinton said.

“I hope that hearing my story will help them provide quality clinical and patient care.”