Care in the Heartlands

Rural and remote area health at work

The health of communities in rural and remote Australia will be boosted by a new research alliance between The University of Queensland and The University of Southern Queensland.

The jointly-badged Centre for Rural and Remote Area Health (CRRAH) was officially opened at USQ in July by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Trish Worth.

Ms Worth said the development of the Centre was testament to the dedication and commitment to rural and regional health of the two universities.

"The research work of the Centre will provide a valuable contribution to shaping the provision of health care services in rural and regional areas," Ms Worth said.

"The evidence base of such research allows the development of initiatives that address genuine community needs."

Director of CRRAH, Professor Desley Hegney, said the Centre was an exciting research venture.

She said the joint-badging demonstrated the benefits of universities, government and the health industry working together to improve community health care to disadvantaged communities. "CRRAH has been operating at USQ for two years, but UQ's entry will deliver high-level research collaboration as it combines USQ's rural and remote nursing expertise with UQ's expertise in medicine and rural clinical schools," Professor Hegney said.

She said the Centre aimed to improve access to, and the standard of health care for, rural and remote Australians and improve the education and training of the health workforce.

The Centre employs 12 staff including three at St Vincents Hospital in Toowoomba.

Professor Hegney said under the agreement, the Director of UQ's Rural Clinical Division based at Toowoomba Hospital, Associate Professor Peter Baker, had been appointed an Honorary Professor at USQ and Deputy Director of the Centre.

Executive Dean of Health Sciences at UQ, Professor Peter Brooks, said the new Centre demonstrated UQ's continuing commitment to development of regional health infrastructure and workforce recruitment, and the training of health professionals to work in regional and rural communities.

"It is anticipated that the new Centre will not only provide high quality research with relevance to these communities, but will also support the need to attract health professionals to work in regional areas," Professor Brooks said.

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