University of Melbourne launches Rural Health Academic Network in a major research boost for rural Victoria
Media Release, Tuesday 12 December 2006
The health of rural Victorians living in the State’s north-east will soon be improved as a result of a major health research initiative throughout the region.
The research program, called the Rural Health Academic Network or RHAN, is a network of people, information, research and education activities across north-east Victoria funded by the Commonwealth University Departments of Rural Health Program.
Dr Sharman Stone MP will launch the RHAN network at the University of Melbourne’s School of Rural Health during the 2006 Shepparton Research Conference, at 10.30am on Tuesdsay 12 December.
Experts from the University of Melbourne will be employed jointly with local rural health services as a part of a University and Commonwealth initiative to support rural health. Their health focus will include the areas of diabetes, asthma, falls prevention and community wide allergies.
A total of eight health services in rural communities have developed a partnership with the University of Melbourne’s School of Rural Health based in Shepparton. Health services in Alexandra, Corryong, Seymour, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Wodonga, Echuca and Moira Shire have developed a team approach to conducting research around key rural health issues and evaluating health programs.
“The RHAN program reflects the University’s commitment to regional Victoria, particularly in the development of close relationships, linking researchers with rural health services at the grass roots,” said Professor Siaw-Teng Liaw, Head of the University Department of Rural Health.
“One of the aims of RHAN is to create an improved system of recording health data to determine what the true health issues are facing rural people in local areas.”
Professor Siaw-Teng Liaw said the database would incorporate all the health and social data essential for understanding the key drivers of health problems in the region.
“For instance how relevant is the decline in the tobacco growing industry around Myrtleford linked to the health of the local community”, he said.
“There are enormous pressures on GPs and nurses. RHAN provides them with the tools to operate in a more efficient comprehensive way,” he said.
One of the first tasks is to profile the local area and identify significant areas of health needs. Ultimately the research will be applied across the entire region covered by the RHAN.
Another major objective of the network is to introduce information and communication technology (ICT) enabling data from local GP’s surgeries and hospitals – with total anonymity - to be accessed to support any research topics.
Through RHAN, future rural health practitioners and researchers will have a rich source of key information to develop health programs based on highly accurate regional information.
In addition RHAN will make a positive contribution to the retention of medical students and key medical staff to stay in rural areas.
“Building research capacity locally helps improve rural services which in turn achieves retention of qualified people and recruiting of capable clinicians to the rural environment, “he said.
The University was recently awarded 30 additional rural medical student places by the Commonwealth Government. The first intake will be in 2007.
“While the RHAN program is currently funded by the Commonwealth, the health services and local programs will depend on the mutual support and financing from state health organisations that are part of the Department of Human Services Victoria service delivery program,” he said.
“Without DHS infrastructure and staff input this research could not occur,” he said.
The network organisations and coordinators are:
Upper Hume Community Health Service, Wodonga
(TBC)
Upper Murray Community Health Service, Corryong
(Mary Hoodless)
NE Health, Wangaratta
(Helen Haines)
Seymour & Districts Health Service, Seymour
(Daniel Carbone)
Alexandra District Hospital, Alexandra
(Debbie Skinner-Louis)
Goulburn Valley Division of General Practice, Shepparton
(Jacinta Goodman)
Echuca Regional Health Service, Echuca
(Barbara Westwood)
Moira Health Alliance, incorporating Yarrawonga Hospital, Cobram Hospital, Nathalia Hospital, Numerkah DHS, Moira Shire Council Community Services
(Sarah Moor)
For Further Information on the RHAN Network:
Alan Guest Smith
Coordinator of RHAN
The University of Melbourne, Department of Rural Health
Phone: 03 5823 4505
Mobile: 0419 670 998
Media Enquiries:
Carmel Johnston
0408 579 199
Nerissa Hannink
Media Officer
Tel: 03 8344 8151
Mob: 0430 588 055
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