Wheatbelt health news

Health professionals from Northam and surrounds are invited to a midweek networking sundowner to connect and catch up with colleagues and friends.

Wednesday 26 July 2023 | 5.30pm–7.30pm
The Temperance Bar, Farmers’ Home Hotel, 112 Fitzgerald Street East, Northam
Canapés and some refreshments provided!

This event is FREE for all members of the Wheatbelt Health Professionals Network – visit the website to join as a member (membership is free).

Registrations for this event are essential; please click here to register.

Please contact WBHPN Program Officer Sally Beer with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

Nominations now open!

Do you know an outstanding rural health professional who deserves recognition for their hard work and commitment to the community? Here's your chance to acknowledge their efforts and contributions! The WA Rural Health Excellence Awards celebrate health professionals who have dedicated their careers to caring for rural communities, and showcase the achievements of health professionals who have enhanced healthcare across country WA.

Nominate a peer, colleague or health team to help shine a spotlight on the health professionals making a difference for country communities.

We are inviting nominations across nine categories, including the newly introduced Aboriginal Health Professional of the Year:
•   Aboriginal Health Professional of the Year
•   Allied Health Professional of the Year
•   Clinical Leader of the Year
•   Community Health Professional of the Year
•   GP of the Year
•   Health Team of the Year
•   Nurse or Midwife of the Year
•   Specialist of the Year (non-GP)
•   Young Professional of the Year

Additional information on each of the award categories and the criteria can be found on the 2024 WA Rural Health Excellence Awards website.

Nominations close 4 September 2023.

Call for abstracts now open!

Rural Health West is seeking abstracts for the 2023 Aboriginal Health Conference to be held at the Esplanade Hotel by Rydges in Walyalup, Fremantle on the 18 and 19 November 2023.

The theme for the Aboriginal Health Conference 2023 is: Dedication: the Story of our Elders. The conference will bring together health professionals from across rural WA, and provide the opportunity to learn from those who came before us. We will hear their stories and reflect on how we can move through the challenges faced by so many, and find a way forward together.

We are now calling for abstracts for oral presentations and e-posters under the following streams:

Social and emotional wellbeing
Sexual health
Culturally competent care
Caring for Elders
Health across the life course

Abstract submission deadline is Monday 7 August 2023.

For more information visit the conference website or contact the Events Team on 08 6389 4500 or ahc@ruralhealthwest.com.au.

RACGP Early Career GP Conference

Saturday 29 July 2023
Conference 9.00am–4.00pm | Sundowner 4.00pm–6.30pm
QT Hotel, 133 Murray Street Perth

The RACGP WA New Fellows Committee present the 2023 Early Career GP Conference. This must-attend one-day conference explores:

Control your money… or your money will control you – My Millennial Money podcast host Dr Dev Raga (via Zoom)
Top tips for New Fellows – Dr Mary Wyatt
The art of consulting – Dr Sean Stevens
Bill like a pro + avoiding Medicare pitfalls – Dr Jags Krishnan
Sole trader 101: BAS and Tax – Rosa Murray
Financial planning – Shaun Clements
New Fellows panel
Networking with fellow new GPs and speakers

Designed by GPs for GPs, the conference offers relevant topics in a relaxed setting, followed by a sundowner to unwind afterwards. Partners are welcome to join the sundowner complimentary from 4.00pm.

Are you a rural GP attending the conference?
Rural Health West are offering 10 partial travel subsidies for attendees working in rural locations. Travel subsidies of up to $500 (depending on the Modified Monash (MM) location) will be reimbursed by Rural Health West upon receipt of satisfactory travel/airline invoices or fuel receipts. To apply for a subsidy, contact hwsp@ruralhw.com.au

Register for the conference now.

Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) practitioner training workshop

Friday 11 August 2023
Fiona Stanley Hospital, Education building

This workshop will be facilitated by the VAD Coordinator for South Metropolitan Health Service, John Robinson. This is a full day training workshop during which participants will complete the 6-hour WA Department of Health mandatory training package together, with the opportunity for discussion and reflection during the session of any issues raised.

Regional practitioners that wish to attend can request Regional Access Support Scheme funding.

If you would like to register for the workshop, or for more information, please email smhs.vadprogrammanager@health.wa.gov.au by 21 July 2023.

Kidsafe WA Child Injury Prevention Symposium – Growing Up Safely on Farms

The countdown is on until Kidsafe WA’s Farm Safety Symposium, bringing together injury prevention practitioners, regional health professionals and farming families to share their experience and knowledge of raising children safely in farming environments.

Tickets are $30, including morning tea and lunch, are available here.

When: 9.30am–3.30pm, Wednesday 9 August 2023

Where: Northam Country Club, 15 Wood Drive, Ballardong Noongar Country.

Hear from a range of speakers with vast experiences in farm safety research, injury prevention programs, WHS practices, and real-life experiences of growing up on a farm:

Dr. Richard Franklin – Kidsafe Australia (Keynote Presentation)
Dr. Neil Ballard – Ballard Cleaning Co.
Julli Gaunt – WorkSafe
Royal Life Saving Society of WA – Keep Watch Program
Danielle McNamee – ProcessWorx
More announcements to come…

Did you know our Wheatbelt Health Professionals Network events calendar is a one-stop-shop for health-related training and events happening in the region?

We do our best to ensure our calendar features relevant upskilling, training, webinars and social networking events that are coming to your town or your tablet. Make sure you visit the calendar to check out the education and activities delivered in the Wheatbelt.

Do you have something you would like published on the WBHPN events calendar and promoted via our socials? Email Program Officer Sally Beer to get in touch.

Practice support

Practice Assist is a free service that coordinates and delivers end-to-end practice support services for not only general practice teams, but all health professionals across Western Australia.

The Practice Assist team can help enhance the efficiency, capacity and sustainability of your practice with a comprehensive suite of practice management resources and support services:

A toll-free help desk between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Email the helpful team for advice regarding practice management queries.
Assistance with Quality Improvement in your practice from Quality Improvement Coaches.
Visit the dedicated wesbite for the latest news, information, resources, COVID-19 information and more.

Receive support and information about digital health technologies.
Educational webinars, networking events and regional workshops.
Stay up to date by subscribing to Practice Connect, our fortnightly newsletter.
Contact the Practice Assist team to connect with Primary Care Navigators and Quality Improvement Coaches.

If you require assistance, please contact Practice Assist on 1800 227 7478 or email. For more information visit the Practice Assist website.

Practice assist is a joint initiative of Rural Health West and WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA).

The Wheatbelt Health Professionals Network is brought to you by the following stakeholder partnership: