Sunraysia Collaboration launched, promoting future health workforce in Sunraysia region
The Sunraysia Collaboration – a collaboration between Monash Rural Health Mildura and the Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health (BHUDRH) – was officially launched on Tuesday 14 June in Wentworth.
The event, held in the Wentworth Shire Council Memorial Room, celebrated the achievements of the Sunraysia Collaboration to date, and future opportunities for partnership and impact.
“It was wonderful to bring together our staff, students and stakeholders from across the Sunraysia region to reflect on our shared successes and explore how we can work together to help address healthcare needs across the region”, said Danielle White, Director of the Sunraysia Collaboration.
Both Monash Rural Health Mildura and Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health have supported medical, nursing and allied health student placements for the past two decades. Bringing together a shared experience with the challenges of geographical location and cross-border healthcare access, the Sunraysia Collaboration was formally established in 2018 to best support Sunraysia communities and to address health care needs across the region.
The Sunraysia Collaboration works within the local community to co-design multi-disciplinary health and workforce solutions aimed at being responsive and sustainable, whilst positioning students as the regions’ future health care leaders.
Through the work of the Sunraysia Collaboration, student placement activity in the region has increased from 150 weeks in 2018 to more than 400 weeks planned for 2022. This growth includes an increased breadth of disciplines, with new placements enabling speech pathology and pharmacy students to experience the region, as well as an increase of student placements in smaller towns, such as Robinvale and Balranald.
Through the Sunraysia Collaboration, the students make a big difference to these communities by helping to provide important services and gain experience in diverse settings, such as primary schools, aged care facilities, community services and Aboriginal medical services.
“Being able to provide innovative, service-led placements that immerse students in communities within the Sunraysia region has been a strength of the Sunraysia Collaboration - and one we are excited to build on going forwards”, noted Associate Professor Fiona Wright, Director of Monash Rural Health Mildura.
