2020-DRH-Annual-Report.Pdf
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Department of Rural Health Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Health Sciences Annual Report 2020 Contents Department of Rural Health 3 Strategic Goals 4 Report from the Head of Department 7 Report from the Manager of the Department of Rural Health 8 People and Culture 9 People 10 Engagement 11 Facilities and Infrastructure 14 Financial Management 16 Rural Clinical School 18 Report from the Director, University Department of Rural Health 34 Going Rural Health 36 Aboriginal Health 38 Research at the Department of Rural Health 40 Rural Dental Program 42 Murray to the Mountains Hume Region Rural Generalist Intern Training Program 43 Goulburn Valley Regional Training Hub 44 Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health 46 Appendix 1 - 2020 Department of Rural Health Timeline Summary of Activity 48 Appendix 2 - Staff 50 Appendix 3 - DRH Publications 2020 58 FRONT COVER: Mr Chris Thorne, Going Home, 2010, Acrylic on canvas Funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health through the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program. This report may contain the names and images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people now deceased. We apologise for any distress that may occur. 2 | DRH - Annual Report 2020 Department of Rural Health The Rural Clinical School (RCS): Centre for Excellence in Rural Goulburn Valley Regional Providing students with an excellent Sexual Health (CERSH): Training Hub (GVRTH): medical education and a rewarding Improving sexual and reproductive Providing support and education to medical students, interns and trainees rural experience. health in the regions that we serve. to help create a sustainable future rural medical workforce. Mildura Swan Hill Campuses Shepparton, Ballarat, Bendigo and Wangaratta. Yarriambiack Gannawarra Buloke Hindmarsh Moira Wodonga Campaspe Loddon Greater Indigo Shepparton Towong Wangaratta Northern Greater Benalla Bendigo Strathbogie West Horsham Grampians Alpine Wimmera Central Goldfields Mount Alexander Mitchell Mansfield HepburnMacedon Murrindindi Ranges Ballarat East Gippsland Southern Ararat Grampians Pyrenees Moorabool Golden Glenelg Plains Wellington Greater Geelong Baw Baw Moyne Corangamite Surf Coast Latrobe Colac Otway Bass Coast South Gippsland University Department of Rural Health (UDRH): • Going Rural Health (GRH): Supporting allied health, nursing and health science WORKING IN THESE AREAS students to complete rural clinical placements. TO SUPPORT LOCAL HEALTH • Aboriginal Health: Providing education and research in Aboriginal Health with SERVICES AND WORKFORCE Aboriginal people. • Research: Undertaking research with impact for rural communities in our Note: not all programs cover all areas highlighted region. DRH - Annual Report 2020 | 3 Strategic Goals The mission of the University of Melbourne Department of Rural Health is excellence and equity in Rural Health through education, research and engagement. • The Department of Rural Health has established a set of indicators of rural health workforce outcomes1 for its students, to evaluate its health workforce programs and activities • The Department of Rural Health aims to increase the duration and quality of supported nursing and allied health placements. Interdisciplinary training is established and is an important element of teaching and learning at the Department of Rural Health • A communication and partnership strategy will be developed, and implemented, to efficiently engage2 with our staff, communities and organisational partners • The Department of Rural Health will promote greater excellence in rural medical education through enhanced teacher skill development and accreditation of clinical teachers • An all-inclusive program of cultural safety training and development for the Department of Rural Health staff will be implemented • There will be 15 Aboriginal graduates in health sciences from, or supported by, the Department of Rural Health in 15 years • A program of research into rural chronic ill-health will be undertaken • A program of research into culturally inclusive rural health will be undertaken 1 These will include, to the extent possible, location of practice of former students and short-term assessment of impact of placements on the student intent in regard to rural practice. 2 Engagement includes sustaining good working relationships, appropriate information transfer and maximising the benefits to all parties of effective collaboration. 4 | DRH - Annual Report 2020 Department of Rural Health Executive Team L-R: Professor Julian Wright – Head of the Department of Rural Health, Ms Linda Ladd – People and Culture Business Partner, Professor Jane Tomnay – Director of the Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health (CERSH), Ms Andreia Marques – Department of Rural Health Manager and Professor Lisa Bourke – Director of the University Department of Rural Health (UDRH) DRH - Annual Report 2020 | 5 6 | DRH - Annual Report 2020 Report from the Head of Department DEPARTMENT OF RURAL HEALTH The Department of Rural Health (DRH) is funded by the • The continued success of the Rural Clinical School and M2M Australian Government to provide both a Rural Health programs in stimulating interest in rural health careers for our Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) Program and an students. 2020 saw several of our graduating students take up internships in the M2M program, as well as others who took Integrated Rural Training Program (IRTP) for postgraduate up intern positions in the hospitals in which they have studied Medical Training, by the Moira Health Alliance to provide medicine in Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton and Wangaratta. training and supervision to the Murray to Mountains (M2M) • 2020 saw the continuation of detailed planning to host the four- Intern Training Program, the Victorian Government to host year rural stream of the Doctor of Medicine degree in Shepparton a Centre of Excellence in Rural Sexual Health (CERSH), by and across Northeast Victoria from 2022. We look forward grants from external research funding bodies, and by other to the commencement of the building of new teaching and rural health related consultancies. accommodation facilities to support this initiative in early 2021. The work of the department was significantly affected by the • The department’s research team continued to produce research coronavirus pandemic which required the closure of department publications despite the disruption caused by the pandemic. campuses, adapting to working from home for most the year, These achievements reflect the hard work and dedication of and adapting non-clinical teaching to an online format. Whilst our staff, and also the support of the Head of the Melbourne doing this, the department continued supporting students both in Medical School, Professor John Prins, and staff of the University of Department of Rural Health accommodation and those at home. Melbourne’s Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. I thank all those who left the department in 2020 for their work and For a timeline summary of the year’s activity, commitment to our rural training mission. We welcomed many new please see appendix 1 appointees to the department in 2020 and I am grateful to all new department staff for commencing their work in unusual working circumstances. Professor Julian Wright Head of Department, Department of Rural Health The RHMT program consists of the ‘Rural Clinical School’ (RCS), which educates medical students in three years of their four- year postgraduate Doctor of Medicine course and a ‘University Department of Rural Health Program’ encompassing rural training and experience for dental, nursing and allied health students, health promotion, rural research, and Indigenous Health. More details of the substantial achievements in all these activities are detailed in separate reports. Highlights for 2020 include: • The continued success in nursing and allied health placement support, including many novel placements in 2020. The Going Rural Health Team consolidated current partnerships with local health services and other Victorian universities to achieve a high level of student support. DRH - Annual Report 2020 | 7 Report from the Manager of the Department of Rural Health 2020 was a year like no other. With the unexpected arrival In 2020 there were a number of new staff that commenced in the of the coronavirus pandemic, almost overnight staff had to department who were recruited and inducted virtually. Existing staff adopt new ways of working from home including learning did what they could to make these team members feel as welcome as possible, including friendly welcome messages and pictures on how to effectively collaborate using technology. The way the new department Microsoft Teams chat room or introducing staff that staff delivered day to day work changed dramatically to the broader team at the monthly Staff Communication Forums. including; lecture delivery, tutorials, clinical skills training and celebratory events such as graduations! At the end of the year staff came together at the Staff Connect Day to reflect on the year that was and plan for the coming year. Although there was non-stop change occurring, it was wonderful to To make this virtual get together as interesting and engaging as observe how committed staff were to making things run smoothly. possible, the day included video presentations, a panel discussion, Many professional staff and academics put in extra hours to make keynote speaker and social activities. sure that students could continue to have a positive learning experience.