RAHC celebrates 100th health professional placement in the NT
Significant milestone achieved in support of Close The Gap campaign
6 July 2009
The Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC) has announced the placement of its 100th urban-based health professional in support of primary healthcare services in the Northern Territory (NT) since beginning operations in late 2008.
General Manager Dr Lisa Studdert says this marks a great achievement for the RAHC team and its partners, and should be a sign of things to come. “RAHC reached this milestone because of the great response we’ve seen to the availability of this service and opportunity it presents. The health services in the Northern Territiry are using RAHC to bolster services, and health professionals from across Australia are responding enthusiastically to the opportunity to make a difference and be part of this effort to help close the gap. We are delighted with the interest the RAHC program has received so far".
“We hope that more urban-based health professionals around the country will be encouraged to take up the challenge and get involved in this rewarding program.”
As part of the Australian Government’s Expanding Health Service Delivery Initiative in the Northern Territory, Remote Area Health Corps works in partnership with the Aboriginal Medical Services of the Northern Territory and the Northern Territory Department of Health and Families. RAHC’s goal is to support the expansion and strengthening of primary health services in the Northern Territory through the recruitment of general practitioners, registered nurses, dental and allied health professionals into remote Indigenous communities, thereby assisting efforts to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health outcomes.
RAHC’s 100th placement is Ms Kym Bramberger, a Registered Nurse from South Australia’s Barossa Valley.
Kym, who began her RAHC assignment last week at the Uluru community of Mutitjulu, says, “I first heard about RAHC through friends of mine who are currently on other placements with RAHC.”
“I have worked in a number of remote Indigenous communities and small country hospitals in South Australia but I always wanted to work in the Northern Territory. I love working with Indigenous people, and getting paid to live and work right next to Uluru is such a bonus,” says Kym.
Kym is looking forward to getting to know the people and the health staff in the Mutitjulu community. “The staff can be such characters and it’s so great to learn from them – they have so much experience.”
Assignments are paid and run for periods of three weeks to three months. This enables health professionals to maintain their personal and professional obligations at home while participating in efforts to expand and strengthen primary health services in remote communities.
To find out more about RAHC click HERE.
