P.O.Box 433
Nedlands
Western Australia 6909
10 Stirling Highway
Nedlands
Western Australia 6009
Outreach in the Outback
Bringing health services closer to home for Western Australians living in rural and remote towns and communities.
What is Outreach in the Outback?
Outreach in the Outback encompasses several measures funded by the Australian Government through the Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program (MSOAP) and administered by Rural Health West in collaboration with its key partners and stakeholders.
Outreach in the Outback aims to improve the access of rural and remote communities to medical specialist outreach services by;
- increasing visiting specialist services in areas of identified need;
- supporting medical specialists to provide outreach medical services in rural and remote communities;
- facilitating visiting specialist and local health professional communication about ongoing patient care; and
- increasing and maintaining the skills od regional, rural and remote health professionals.
Outreach in the Outback started in Western Australia in 2001 and currently provides much needed specialist medical services to more than 50 locations across Western Australia.
Guidelines
What is Outreach in the Outback – Indigenous Chronic Disease ?
This a newly funded Australian Government program that expands on the original Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program through MSOAP-ICD (Indigenous Chronic Disease).
This new measure is designed to support teams of health professionals to manage complex and chronic diseases within rural and remote Indigenous communities. As well as medical specialists, Outreach in the Outback – Indigenous Chronic Disease supports General Practitioners, Nurses and Allied Health professionals to provide stable and ongoing multidisciplinary services.
Outreach in the Outback – Indigenous Chronic Disease focuses on five nationally identified chronic conditions:
- Diabetes
- Cardiovascular disease
- Chronic Respiratory disease
- Chronic Renal (kidney) disease
- Cancer
Financial assistance
Rural Health West can provide the following financial support for participating health professionals:
- Travel, accommodation and meals
- Daily workforce payment where MBS payments cannot be claimed or are not assured
- Absence from Practice Allowance for private providers for travel time to rural and remote locations
- Administrative support
- Facility and equipment hire, including telemedicine
- Cultural training and familiarization
Service Planning / Funding Round
Outreach in the Outback services are funded and reviewed on an annual basis.
Rural Health West will soon be inviting service proposals from all current and potential providers to deliver Outreach in the Outback and Outreach in the Outback - Indigenous Chronic Disease services in 2010/2011.
A funding round will commence on 15 March 2010 and close on 16 April 2010. Resource / Funding Packs will be mailed to all current providers and identified potential providers. The Resource Pack will also be posted on this webpage.
Would you like to be part of Outreach in the Outback?
Many rural and remote towns and communities need better access to specialised medical services closer to where people live. As we all know, there is a significant shortage of health providers in our rural and remote areas to treat a wide range of conditions.
With outreach visits ranging from one day to two weeks, a relatively small amount of your time can relieve this shortage and provide a profoundly positive impact in these communities. Health professionals involved in these programs will make a significant contribution to the health of rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
The benefits to you of being part of Outreach in the Outback include:
- Be a part of making a difference in rural and remote Western Australian communities
- Expand your experiential base and encounter different medical conditions to those seen in metro areas
- Travel to some beautiful locations across Western Australia
- Bring accessible health care to all Western Australians
- Contribute to the detection, prevention and treatment of chronic diseases
- Help generations of Western Australians to develop beneficial attitudes towards health and lifestyle
- Upskill the local area
- Funding provided to assist your visits
If you are interested in taking part in Outreach in the Outback or would like more information about any aspect of Outreach in the Outback in Western Australia, email MSOAP Officers or telephone (08) 6389 4540.
