NRHA eforum 21 January 2005 - National Rural Health Alliance

Eforum Newsletter: NRHA eforum 21 January 2005
National Rural Health Alliance E-forum – 21 January 2005
In this issue:
* The NRHA begins 2005 with some revised priorities and a refreshed Executive
* 8th National Rural Health Conference
* 2005 CROCCS Events
* Rural Health on the Web
* ACHSE 2005 Annaul State Conference 7 and 8 April 2005
* $4m e-health software trashed
* Contribution and subscription information and disclaimer
* Full text of NRHA begins 2005 with some revised priorities and a refreshed Executive
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The NRHA begins 2005 with some revised priorities and a refreshed Executive
It is proposing a major new initiative to support the allied health and nursing workforce in rural and remote areas. Without taking away
from the importance or value of the rural GP strategies, the Alliance is more-than-ever determined to help support the work of nurses and
allied health professionals. The full text of the NRHA statement is reproduced below.
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8th NATIONAL RURAL HEALTH CONFERENCE
Alice Springs, 10-13 March 2005
It's a pleasure for me to invite you to Alice Springs for the 8th National Rural Health Conference. Since 1991, National Rural Health
Conferences have played a major part in creating a coherent rural and remote health community, and have significantly contributed to a
number of major policy and program developments. Alice Springs will be no different.
We will welcome professionals from all disciplines whose work impacts on health - as well as consumers and others involved. There will be
keynote addresses, over 80 concurrent session papers, an arts-in-health stream and still plenty of time for networking.
So think about joining us in Alice Springs to meet with new and old friends and tell us how your own work is contributing to the health of
remote and rural Australians.
Sue McAlpin
Chairperson, National Rural Health Alliance
Mission Statement
The Conference will showcase success stories and discuss emerging challenges in the remote and rural health sector, with a view to
building and sustaining a healthy future. It will be a meeting place for people concerned with the health of Australia's remote and rural
communities, and an advertisement for the vitality and challenge of remote and rural health practice. It will have a special focus on remote
and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues, with an emphasis on inter-sectoral and multi-professional solutions. Participants from all
backgrounds will be welcome, from first-time consumer advocates to experienced health researchers. There will be a range of formats
including contributed papers, workshops, posters and sharing yarns in less formal settings.
Themes
Keynote and contributed papers will be clustered around the five themes listed below. Papers will deal with issues around both policy and
practice. They will have a strong multi-disciplinary flavour, and contributions from health service managers, allied health professionals,
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workers and nurses will be particularly welcome.
1. What are the demonstrated means of successfully strengthening the multidisciplinary remote and rural health workforce?
2. What lessons can we share about improving the health of Indigenous people and other populations in remote areas?
3. What do we know about the connections between land and health for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in rural and remote Australia?
4. In what ways do sectors such as education, transport, the environment, economic development and communications intersect with each
other and the health of people in remote and rural Australia?
5. What are the key emerging issues in clinical practice for remote and rural Australia?
Conference Recommendations Process
The Conference will result in some useful recommendations for policy makers, researchers and community leaders. Those presenting
papers will be encouraged to draw out their take-home messages; other Conference delegates will have opportunities to propose
recommendations. The Alliance will ensure that recommendations are circulated and promoted. Organisations involved in remote and rural
health will be encouraged to pick up recommendations in their areas of interest.
Venue
The 8th National Rural Health Conference is being held at the Alice Springs Convention Centre located in Barrett Drive, Alice Springs.
http://www.alicespringsconventioncentre.com.au
Arts in Health
The biennial National Rural Health Conferences have consistently promoted the use of arts for communication of health messages (eg
through theatre, painting and drawing) and as a health-promoting activity and a means for building social capital in remote and rural
communities. The Alliance is investing again in arts in health at the Alice Springs Conference. The featured performers will be from Central
Australia and will include Drum Atweme, Circus Us, Franky Janganpa and the Janganpa Dancers, Al Bethune, the Alexandria Quartet, the
Desert Rose Dancers and the Ntaria Ladies Choir. The Warren H Williams band will play for the Dinner-Dance.
Pre- and Post-Conference events
Much is expected of the eight pre-Conference meetings and the two (so far) post-Conference ones. On Thursday 10 March are events of
the National Health and Medical
Research Council, Rural Pharmacy Australia, Services for Rural and Remote Allied Health, the Alcohol and other Drugs Council of Australia,

the Rural Doctors’ Association of Australia and ACRRM, the Australian College of Health Service Executives, the Australian Rural and
Remote Workforce Agency Group (Weds. 9) and Rural Education Forum Australia (Weds. 9). The Alliance itself is holding a smaller Ways to
the Future meeting on Monday 11 March, and the Australian Society for HIV Medicine is holding an Update Seminar for General
Practitioners and Health Care Providers on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections the same day.
Travel and Accommodation
Book your travel and accommodation early to take advantage of the specially discounted Conference airfares being offered by Travel
Makers – anthony@travelmakers.com.au or http://www.travelmakers.com.au
Full Conference Program
The full Conference Program is on the website and includes the concurrent papers,
keynote speakers and workshops. There is also information there about the
pre-Conference meetings. We hope you can join us in Alice Springs.
Conference website: http://www.ruralhealth.org.au/nrhapublic/publicdocs/conferences/8thNRHC/home.htm
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From: croccs@bigpond.net.au
Subject: 2005 CROCCS Events
1st March ~ Developing Cultural Competence in Child & Family Welfare Practice.
Keynote speaker: Professor June Thoburn UK
6th–8th August ~ Challenging Practices Conference.
Keynote speakers: Dr. Brid Featherstone, Dr Frank Ainsworth & Wayne Daly.
Call for papers at http://www.croccs.org.au/downloads/CROCCS_2005_CD_conf_call.pdf
Mackay Centre for Research on Community & Children’s Services
9-11 Downie Avenue
(PO Box 146)
Bucasia Queensland 4750
Phone: (07) 4954 7890
Fax: (07) 4954 7899
Email: croccs@bigpond.net.au
http://www.croccs.org.au
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The Australian Journal of Rural Health invites you to contribute to the ongoing development of rural health in Australia, and submit your
manuscripts for publication. Send your papers to AJRH@newcastle.edu.au and be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can be in print.
Author guidelines and sample issues of the AJRH are available at http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/submit.asp?ref=1038-5282, or email
ajrh@newcastle.edu.au for further information. The December 2004 issue of the journal is available online now at http://www.blackwellsynergy.com/links/toc/ajr
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LIFELINE’S JUST ASK - 1 300 13 11 14
Your Rural Mental Health Information Service
Lifeline’s Just ask is a rural mental health information service. Information provided includes: referral to services and web sites, printed
material and a range of self help resources. The self-help resources focus on practical steps to help promote mental health in a range of
areas. For information and copies of resources call or visit http://www.justask.org.au
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BUSH CRISIS LINE - 1800 805 391
Bush Crisis Line is a twenty-four hour confidential telephone support and debriefing service for multi-disciplinary remote and rural health
practitioners and their families. It is staffed by qualified psychologists with remote and cross-cultural experience, is toll free and available
from anywhere in Australia. For more information http://www.bushcrisisline.org.au
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RURAL HEALTH ON THE WEB
(From Google Alert at http://www.googlealert.com/tell.php)
Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative
Health Cooperative intends to be a catalyst for regional collaboration, an aggressive and creative force on behalf of rural communities and
rural health. ... http://www.rwhc.com/home/home.aspx
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Interested in becoming a “friend” of the Alliance? Become more involved with the work of the Alliance by becoming a “friend”. “friends”
support the Alliance by being an integral part of the Alliance’s policy and evaluation process. They also receive other benefits. For more
information on membership see http://www.ruralhealth.org.au
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PARTYline Issue No.19 - OUT NOW. PARTYline is the official newsletter of the National Rural Health Alliance. Keep up to date with rural
health policy information and good news stories on living and working in the rural health community. Available online on
http://www.ruralhealth.org.au or receive a hard copy by emailing michele@ruralhealth.org.au

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$4m e-health software trashed
(Extract from "The Australian", January 11, 2005)
THE decision to scrap MediConnect as a standalone medication records system has cost taxpayers $4 million, as the Health Insurance
Commission has written down the value of the project's software. MediConnect was intended to cut drug errors and adverse reactions by
creating a pharmacy-based single record of all medicines prescribed to a consumer by different doctors, hospitals or pharmacists. As a
result of changes to government policy in relation to e-health initiatives, "a decision was made that MediConnect will not be implemented
as a separate system," the HIC said, "rather, some components will be integrated within the Government's HealthConnect system." The full
article is at http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11903556%255E15306,00.html
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CONTRIBUTION AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION AND DISCLAIMER
The NRHA e-forum is edited by a third party moderator, Jim Groves. Contributions are sought on any topic relevant to rural health
concerns. Please send contributions to the moderator at grovesc@winshop.com.au.
As such, the Alliance does not control postings and the contents do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Alliance. Nor do postings
necessarily reflect the view of Jim Groves or any organisation he is associated with. Jim Groves can be contacted at
grovesc@winshop.com.au.
This issue is going to 2,082 email addresses. Please forward a copy to any colleague you think may be interested.
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The NRHA begins 2005 with some revised priorities and a refreshed Executive.
It is proposing a major new initiative to support the allied health and nursing workforce in rural and remote areas. Without taking away
from the importance or value of the rural GP strategies, the Alliance is more-than-ever determined to help support the work of nurses and
allied health professionals. Doctors will not and cannot work on their own, particularly in more remote areas where their scope of practice
has to be so much broader.
The Alliance is developing a proposal that would see support provided for rural and remote placements for undergraduate nurses and allied
health students, and undergraduate scholarships for students of allied health.
As the new year begins, the main focus of its work is the 8th National Rural Health Conference (Alice Springs, 10-13 March). The
Conference will be another major event in rural and remote health, and all the more special for taking place in Central Australia. There are
no fewer than eight pre-conference events and two after the Conference. The Conference itself provides a guarantee of informative and
wide-ranging papers in Keynote and concurrent sessions.
There is also a substantial stream in the Conference on rural and remote aspects of alcohol and other drugs, and workshops on cancer,
aged care, and strengthening Indigenous communities.
It is a vital year for the Alliance, with much policy work in train, including birthing in the bush, health reform, regional development, and a
range of health workforce issues. The Alliance will also be seeking to renew its partnership with the Department of Health and Ageing, its
core supporter.
In preparation for this work, it has this week confirmed its new Executive. Ms Sue McAlpin has been re-elected Chairperson. Sue teaches
nutrition and dietetics at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. New Deputy Chairperson is Ms Lynne Sheehan , CEO of Mater
Misericordiae Hospitals based in Rockhampton.
Other office bearers are Dr Jane Greacen (Treasurer), Dr Jenny May (Secretary) and Dr Nigel Stewart (Immediate Past Chaiperson). The
Executive is completed with Alison Aylott (Rural Pharmacists Australia), Leanne Chandler (AARN), Liz Mattock (CRANA), Myra Pincott
(CWAA) and John Wakerman (ARHEN).
Further information: Sue McAlpin, Chairperson 02 6933 2684
G
ordon Gregory, Executive Director 02 6285 4660