MEDIA RELEASE

New funding for rural and remote health education in Western Australia welcomed.

The Australian Rural Health Education Network (ARHEN) today welcomed the announcement by the Australian Government that two new University Departments of Rural Health would be funded in Western Australia.

The Prime Minister, the Hon. Scott Morrison MP and the Minister for Regional Health, the Hon. Dr David Gillespie MP, announced that funding will be provided to establish a new centre in the Goldfields region, as well as in the South-West region.

This brings to 19 the total number of University Departments of Rural Health across the country and builds on the Government’s recent announcement to establish a new site in Emerald in Central Queensland.

ARHEN Chair, Christine Howard, welcomed today’s further investment in the rural and remote health training system for nurses and allied health students.

“The University Departments of Rural Health are on the ground in rural and remote Australia helping to grow and support the health workforce in these regions.

We work closely with our local healthcare, aged care, disability, mental health and Indigenous health services to train the next generation of health workers as well as support the current workforce with professional development and research.

Our health students work closely with our community partners to provide much needed services in areas such as nursing, psychology, podiatry, speech pathology, social work, occupational therapy, dentistry and oral health.

This expansion into the Goldfields and South-West regions of Western Australia will help to grow the future health workforce and improve access to a wider range of health services for people in these regions.

ARHEN thanks the Australian Government for its ongoing support for the University Departments of Rural Health and its commitment to growing the rural and remote health workforce” Mrs Howard said.

Background

ARHEN is the national association and peak body for the University Department of Rural Health based in rural and remote locations across Australia. ARHEN’s purpose is to improve rural and remote health outcomes by delivering high quality health education, research and advocacy.

The University Departments of Rural Health are funded by the Australian Government under the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training Program to provide training opportunities for health students, support the local rural and remote health workforce and undertake research on rural and remote health priorities.

The ARHEN Chair, Christine Howard is available for interview.

Media contact: Joanne Hutchinson, ARHEN National Director, 0404 822 421.