MSOAP

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Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP)

The Medical Specialists Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP) is a Commonwealth Government funded program administered by Rural Health West in WA to improve access to specialist medical services for Australians living in rural, regional and remote areas by bringing specialist services to their communities.

The objectives of the MSOAP program are to:

• increase specialist services in areas of identified need;
  
• support medical specialists to provide outreach medical services in rural and remote areas;
  
• facilitate visiting specialist and local health professional communication about ongoing patient care; and
  
• To increase and maintain the skills of regional, rural and remote health professionals in accordance with local need.

Further information about the program can be found at the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing website.

MSOAP Assistance

Participating specialists and government health services may apply to receive assistance for:-

1.   Providing consulting and procedural services for rural and remote patients

Perth or regional centre-based private specialists can be reimbursed to cover some costs incurred when they leave a private practice to conduct visiting or outreach work in country towns or communities for the MSOAP program. Government-run health services can also receive financial assistance to enable their specialist employees to provide outreach services to nearby towns and communities.

2.   Providing upskilling for local health professionals

Private specialists may receive assistance to provide formal upskilling (seminars) to local health professionals that enables them to maintain and improve their skills and to maintain good shared care arrangements. This upskilling aims to maintain and expand the range of medical services available to rural and regional communities when specialist help is not directly available.

MSOAP in Western Australia

In WA, Rural Health West has the responsibility for implementing the program in collaboration with the WA Country Health Service.

Rural Health West is responsible for implementing and providing support for more than 250 identified priority need specialist services to towns and communities throughout rural and remote WA.

For information regarding any aspect of MSOAP in Western Australia, email Carol Muir or telephone (08) 6389 4518 or Rural Health West reception (08) 6389 4500.

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