Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences Department of Rural Health ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Department of Rural Health Annual Report 2019 | 1 Contents Strategic Goals 4 Report from the Head of Department - Department of Rural Health 5 DRH 20 Year Celebrations 6 Department of Rural Health Update 10 People and Culture 10 Staff Recognition 11 Engagement 13 Facilities and Infrastructure 15 Financial Sustainability and Department Operations 15 Rural Clinical School Report 16 2019 RCS Student Numbers 16 Extended Rural Cohort Report 18 Student Awards 18 2019 RCS Graduating Students 19 Postgraduate Workforce Outcomes 20 RCS Alumni 22 Doctor of Medicine (Rural Stream) Project 22 Rural Health Club 24 Report from the Director of the University Department of Rural Health (UDRH) 26 Going Rural Health 27 Aboriginal Health 29 Research at the Department of Rural Health 30 Rural Pharmacy Liaison Officer Program 32 Rural Dental Program 33 Centre for Excellence in Rural Sexual Health 34 Goulburn Valley Regional Training Hub 35 Murray to the Mountains Intern Training Program 36 Appendix 1 2019 Department of Rural Health Timeline Summary of Activity 37 Appendix 2 2019 Staff 39 Appendix 3 2019 Department of Rural Health Publications 44 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. Front Cover: Ms Rebecca Atkinson ‘Empowering our People’, 2019 Strategic Goals Report from the Head of Department - Department of Rural Health Excellence and equity in Rural Health through education, research The Department of Rural Health is funded by the Australian In addition to meeting the target for placement weeks, the team and engagement. Government to provide both a Rural Health Multidisciplinary also achieved an average placement length of over 5 weeks. Training (RHMT) Program and an Integrated Rural Training Program • The Department of Rural Health has established a set of • The continued success of the RCS and M2M programs in (IRTP) for postgraduate Medical Training, by the Moira Health stimulating interest in rural health careers for our students. 2019 indicators of rural health workforce outcomes* for its students, to Alliance to provide training and supervision to the Murray to evaluate its health workforce programs and activities saw several of our graduating students take up internships in the Mountain (M2M) Intern Training Program, the Victorian Government M2M program, as well as others who took up intern positions in • The Department of Rural Health aims to increase the duration to host a Centre of Excellence in Rural Sexual Health (CERSH), by the hospitals in which they have studied medicine in Ballarat, and quality of supported nursing and allied health placements. grants from external research funding bodies, and by other rural Bendigo, Shepparton and Wangaratta. Interdisciplinary training is established and is an important health related consultancies. element of teaching and learning at the Department of Rural • 2019 saw the commencement of detailed planning to host Health The RHMT program consists of the ‘Rural Clinical School’ (RCS), the four-year rural stream of the Doctor of Medicine degree in which educates medical students in three years of their four- Shepparton and across Northeast Victoria from 2022. • A communication and partnership strategy will be developed, year postgraduate Doctor of Medicine course and a ‘University and implemented, to efficiently engage° with our staff, Department of Rural Health Program’ encompassing rural training These achievements reflect the hard work and dedication of communities and organisational partners and experience for dental, nursing and allied health students, our staff, and also the support of the Head of the Melbourne • The Department of Rural Health will promote greater excellence health promotion, rural research, and Indigenous Health. More Medical School, Professor John Prins, and staff of the University of in rural medical education through enhanced teacher skill details of the substantial achievements in all these activities are Melbourne’s Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. development and accreditation of clinical teachers detailed in separate reports. Highlights for 2019 include: For a timeline summary of the year’s activity, please see appendix 1 • An all-inclusive program of cultural safety training and • The continuing success in nursing and allied health placement included on page number 37. development for the Department of Rural Health staff will be support, exceeding our targets with approximately 7000 implemented placement weeks in 2019. The Going Rural Health Team Professor Julian Wright • There will be 15 Aboriginal graduates in health sciences from, or under the leadership of Keryn Bolte consolidated current and supported by, the Department of Rural Health in 15 years developed new partnerships with local health services and other Head of Department, Department of Rural Health Victorian universities to achieve a high level of student support. • A program of research into rural chronic ill-health will be undertaken • A program of research into culturally inclusive rural health will be undertaken *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. °Engagement includes sustaining good working relationships, appropriate information transfer and maximising the benefits to all parties of effective collaboration. Professor Julian Wright, Head of Department, Department of Rural Health 4 | Department of Rural Health Annual Report 2019 Department of Rural Health Annual Report 2019 | 5 DRH 20 Year Celebrations The University of Melbourne, Department of Rural Health was established on the 1st February 1999 and held their 20th Anniversary celebrations on the 1st February 2019 marking the twentieth anniversary of a successful partnership with our community. For 20 years the Department of Rural health has been working to teach, train and retain members of the rural health workforce. We have graduated nearly 800 doctors, treated thousands of local people and pursued world-class health research. Pictures (top to bottom): Mr Corey Walker provided the crowd with a smoking ceremony The Department of Rural Health in Shepparton has come a long way in the past 20 years Professor John Prins, Professor Lisa Bourke, Professor David Simmons, Professor Julian Wright, Professor Duncan Maskell and Professor Shitij Kapur at the Department of Rural Health 20-year celebration 6 | Department of Rural Health Annual Report 2019 Department of Rural Health Annual Report 2019 | 7 8 | Department of Rural Health Annual Report 2019 Department of Rural Health Annual Report 2019 | 9 Jan was seconded to work with Wangaratta medical students in 2008 by the then Department of Rural Health update Sub-Dean Ed Poliness – an inspired decision. Immediately Jan transmitted her enthusiasm for clinical learning, in particular simulation-based (she held a Master’s in Clinical Simulation from Flinders University), to the student cohort. In both day-to- day procedural and clinical learning and through her marquee simulation events, she consolidated lifelong skills for those she encountered. The presentation of the 2011 Excellence in Clinical Teaching award for the Wangaratta campus was testament to her abilities. People and Culture As a colleague Jan inspired the most from her peers in a gentle, encouraging way but Linda Ladd with a will of steel when necessary. She was the glue which held together students, professional administrative university staff, consultant teaching staff and Northeast The achievements outlined in the various Health nursing & hospital medical staff in the teaching environment, always with the sections of this report are the best reflection best interests of the students and University at heart. Her crop-growing, lamb-raising of the essential role of our staff to the Vale Jan Garvey and food-production skills were legendary. department activities. In October 2019 our respected colleague Jan Garvey passed The campus is a less-complete environment in her absence; she will be greatly missed Staff Action Day October 2019 away unexpectedly at work. but never forgotten. The Value Statement of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, was the theme for the day. The day also provided an opportunity for staff from all campuses to meet to better get to know each other. The Department of Rural Health (DRH) staff at the 2019 DRH Action Day People Dr Steven Bismire Dr Bev Ferres with Associate Professor Leslie Fisher and Dr Mary Holland Dr Alwin Hoelzl - Shepparton Deputy Mr David Chew - Shepparton Deputy Ms Linda Ladd – Human Resources Staff Recognition Director of Medical Education Director of Medical Education Business Partner, MDHS (Rural) Congratulations to the 2019 winners of The Rural Clinical School are privileged the AMSA Excellence in Teaching Awards, to have such excellent teachers of our Dr Alwin Hoelzl was a valued teacher of Mr David Chew was appointed as the Ms Linda Ladd joined the Faculty in April celebrating great teachers in medical future doctors and really appreciate the Rural Clinical School medical students Shepparton Deputy Director of Medical 2019 as a member of the People and schools and hospitals around Australia.