A new virtual Centre for Rural Health cements the University of Otago's place as a leader in rural health education and research.
Opened at an event in Ashburton today, the virtual Centre brings the highly dispersed rural staff and students of the Department of General Practice and Rural Health and the Rural Health Academic Centre, Ashburton (RHACA) under one umbrella.
Professor Garry Nixon
Centre Director Professor Garry Nixon is thrilled it has officially launched and with the opportunities it will bring to strengthen the rural health workforce.
"Rural health programmes have been taught at Otago for about 20 years – we are the pioneers and national leaders in rural health medical education and research.
"Part of our success is thanks to our large geographic footprint, with staff and students living and working in communities across New Zealand – it is fantastic to be able to unify everyone under one entity."
The current rural section of the Department of General Practice and Rural Health has 46 staff, who straddle clinical and academic roles, based in 21 rural communities from the Hokianga to Balclutha. Undergraduate students are undertaking their studies in rural sites between Wairoa and Queenstown.
"Otago is lucky to have the support of so many rural communities and we see this development as a natural evolution of the partnerships we have.
"Not only will a dedicated Centre make it easier for us to support our rurally based students, teachers and researchers, it will make us more visible, and it will be easier for us to engage with rural communities," Professor Nixon says.
The Centre will act as the University's rural health unit, with the primary purpose of supporting teaching and research across rural New Zealand.
Professor Tim Wilkinson
Professor Nixon, a rural doctor at Dunstan Hospital in Clyde and Professor in Rural Health, will oversee the virtual centre, which does not have a dedicated physical site. The Centre brings into its fold the University's rural postgraduate and continuing medical education programmes, the Rural Medical Immersion Programme, Clinician-Performed Ultrasound Programme, rural research network, and RHACA.
RHACA is a collaboration between the University of Otago, Health New Zealand |Te Whatu Ora, and Advance Ashburton Community Foundation.
Based in Ashburton Hospital, it is a hub for inter-professional rural health training and research. It includes the Rural Inter-professional Simulation Course (RiSC), many rural postgraduate programme papers, as well as the students and trainees from a range of health professional groups undertaking placements at Ashburton Hospital.
A new memorandum of understanding has been signed between the three parties and $645,000, over three years, has been donated by the Foundation and the Mackenzie Charitable Foundation to help support academic posts and student training within RHACA.
Acting Dean of Otago Medical School Professor Tim Wilkinson says concerns about the sustainability of the rural healthcare workforce have been raised for several decades, both internationally and in New Zealand.
"We've got a declining rural health workforce, yet face increasing rural healthcare needs. Integration is needed in rural New Zealand to ensure good health outcomes for all communities.
"Improving the connectedness and visibility of training opportunities, such as the Centre, is key to correcting this imbalance and it is heartening to see it supported so generously," he says.
Associate Professor Megan Gibbons
Pro Vice-Chancellor, Health Sciences Associate Professor Megan Gibbons (Ngāpuhi) agrees, noting the positive increase in students wanting to undertake rural health training.
"Otago's Rural Medical Immersion Programme is one of these courses which has benefited from an increase in government funding. The highly successful programme is popular because of its hands-on approach and the relationships it fosters between students and patients and professional staff. It has also proven effective in attracting graduates to careers in rural health.
"The Centre for Rural Health, and the full suite of rural healthcare initiatives at Otago – ranging from undergraduate and postgraduate teaching to research and equity pathways – truly cements our place at the heart of rural healthcare in Aotearoa," she says.
Health New Zealand's National Clinical Director for Primary and Community Care Dr Sarah Clarke says the Rural Health Academic Centre brings benefits for students and healthcare professionals across the motu.
"The launch of the University's new Centre for Rural Health is an exciting opportunity to grow our partnership as RHACA joins a collective program of rural health development and delivery. Overseas research confirms that training rural people, in rural areas using rural health professionals, produces graduates that are more likely to continue practicing in rural areas.
"Programmes like RMIP and RiSC are specifically designed to attract more students to rural work and to upskill interprofessional rural hospital teams to provide emergency medical and trauma care. Scaling training initiatives to grow our current and future rural health workforce is an important step to achieving better health access for our rural communities.
"Our vision is for all people living in rural communities to live long and healthy lives – supported by a health system that meets the varied needs of these communities."
