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Wheatbelt Speech Pathologist awarded Australia’s Rural Clinical Educator for 2019 07 January 2020 WA Country Health Service Western Wheatbelt speech pathologist Georgina Farrimond was crowned Rural Clinical Educator of the year at the 2019 Speech Pathology Australia WA Branch awards night last November. As a Rural Clinical Educator, Georgina is required to supervise speech pathology students, fostering their development in the field by allowing them to practise their clinical skills in a supportive environment under her guidance and experience. It was her first student Holly Howard, who Georgina had overseen during Holly’s paediatrics placement at the Western Wheatbelt Primary Health Service in Moora, who felt compelled to nominate Georgina for the prestigious award. “Georgina provided outstanding support and supervision throughout my placement, she took the time to teach me many new things and expand my learning,” fourth year university Speech Pathology student ...
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Local students attend P.A.R.T.Y. aimed at reducing risk taking behaviour 12 December 2019 Albany Health Campus recently welcomed local high school students in the process of obtaining their driver’s licence to take part in an interactive reality education program called P.A.R.T.Y (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth). According to the WA Country Health Service’s Regional Director, Geraldine Ennis PSM, the program aims to positively influence the decision making of young people by highlighting the consequences of risk taking behaviour. “Regional areas statistically have a higher rate of road trauma so educating young people before they get on the road is a positive way to prevent trauma,” Ms Ennis said. Ms Ennis said students go behind the scenes with paramedics, doctors and allied health therapists for insight to the experience of a patient with major trauma such as head and spinal injuries. “Positive feedback from students and t...
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Broome doctor named Australian Clinical Educator of the year 09 December 2019 A long-term WA Country Health Service clinician has won the Australian Clinical Educator of the Year award for his work in training remote doctors. Based at Broome Health Campus, district medical officer Dr David Forster was honoured with the award at the Annual Prevocational Medical Education Forum. Nominated by Junior Medical Officers (JMOs), the award demonstrates the high calibre of training that Dr Forster and his team provide to country physicians. With the support of Senior Medical Officer Dr Sue Phillips and the WACHS Medical Education Unit, Dr Forster has been able to conduct training in remote centres, saying he was most proud of his training achievements. “When it began the training group was only small. “Now it is much larger and involves hospital nurses, doctors and allied health, the local paramedics, RFDS, Careflight and university medical students,”...
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Public Health specialist appointed to new Director role 09 December 2019 Dr Marisa Gilles is providing leadership in public health and disease prevention for country communities across the State in a newly created role as Director of Public Health Medicine with WA Country Health Service (WACHS). Dr Gilles brings extensive experience and understanding of population health issues to the role, from her time as Consultant in Public Health Medicine with WACHS Midwest over the past 10 years. Dr Gilles has also been appointed as Public Health Physician for WACHS South West and Wheatbelt regions which involves on the ground monitoring of infectious and communicable disease transmission in regional communities. WACHS A/Director Population Health Karine Miller said Dr Gilles was a passionate advocate for improving health outcomes for country people. Ms Miller said the new position will help achieve greater representation of regional communities at public health for...
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Research shows screen time can be good for country health 09 December 2019 WA Country Health Service research has proven that patients living in regional and remote areas of Western Australia who access specialist geriatrician services via videoconference experience improved health outcomes. The research shows that TeleGeriatrics, a service which allows patients to access a metropolitan based geriatrician via videoconferencing without having to leave their region, is highly effective, resulting in the reduction of avoidable hospitalisations and considerable cost savings to both the health service and the patient. In October 2017 a TeleGeriatrics service was added to the current visiting geriatrician model in the Midwest as part of a commitment from the WA Country Health Service to improve access and quality of health services for people in country WA. Jeff Calver, WA Country Health Service Regional Director (Midwest), said the TeleGeriatrics service and visitin...
Last Updated:
24/01/2024