Rural Health On The Agenda At GP10 - Cairns, Northern Queensland, 6-9 October

Main Category: Conferences
Also Included In: Primary Care / General Practice
Article Date: 15 Sep 2010 - 7:00 PDT


Rural health outcomes will be a key focus at GP10 - the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and Australian Association of Practice Managers (AAPM) combined annual conference. This year, GP10 - Shape Our Future - will be held in Cairns, northern Queensland from 6-9 October at the Cairns Convention Centre.

A number of presentations at GP10 will have a strong emphasis on rural health, including these peer reviewed papers:

- New approaches to medical service delivery in remote areas of the Northern Territory Jo Wright

- What is the impact of rural and remoteness on life expectancy in Australia? The current situation today and a student perspective on ways forward Teena Downton

- The retention of rural practice nurses Kathy Godwin

Another important presentation by Dr Ayman Shenouda - RACGP GP of the Year 2009 - will focus on the RACGP's International Medical Graduate (IMG) Peer Mentor Project. Following the development of a proposal by the National Rural Faculty, the RACGP secured funding in 2009 from the Department of Health and Ageing to establish a pilot International Medical Graduate Peer Mentor Network. The project funding was used to train 62 experienced IMG Fellows of the College as mentors to IMG doctors new to the Australian health care system. The project delivered on the proposed outcome by giving participants a greater understanding of Australia's healthcare system. It is hoped understanding of the health care system will translate to improved patient outcomes.

The College is currently waiting to hear from the Department of Health and Ageing whether the project will be given further funding. If secured, the funding will enable recruitment to the project of new mentors and mentees in a greater geographic area.

The RACGP acknowledges the grant by the Federal Government AusAID International Seminar Support Scheme (ISSS) to allow it to assist three GPs from near Pacific nations to attend GP10.

Professor John Vince, a lecturer in the Masters of Medicine (Rural Health) program at the University of Papua New Guinea and two young GPs, Dr Shaikh Hasan and Dr Emi Mataitoga, from Fiji will be able to attend the conference as a result of the grant.

The ISSS is an Australian Government small grants scheme administered by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). The ISSS grant provides assistance to people from developing countries who are in a position to use the conference experience to influence positive change and/or implement development activities in their countries of origin.

RACGP National Rural Faculty Chair Dr Kathryn Kirkpatrick said that it was wonderful that the overseas GPs would be able to attend GP10.

"As rural health is a key theme at GP10, the perspective of all three GPs will be welcomed and appreciated. We also hope the information from the conference will be relevant to their work in their home countries. The RACGP thanks AusAID for their generous grant," she said.

The full conference program, as well as registration, accommodation and social program details are available here.

Source:
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners

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