MOUNT ISA CENTRE FOR RURAL
AND REMOTE HEALTH
University Department of Rural Health
Progress Report against Key Performance
Indicators:
1st July to 31st December 2006
UDRH Progress Report
UDRH Name Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health
Reporting Period 1st July – 31st December 2006
Summary of the progress of the UDRH (clause 5.4)
The second half of 2006 has seen continued growth of medical student numbers
attending remote health attachments in NW Qld. To an extent there has been a cost to
allied health numbers complicated by a lack of ability to recruit Pharmacists in
collaboration with Queensland Health. This has been progressed in the hope of finally
placing conjoint clinical/academic within the Health Service District before June 2007.
Despite this there has been an increase in Pharmacy students in the second half of the
year but the data is missing for other allied health students as they have been
completing their attachments with NWQ Allied Health Service and have little contact
with the UDRH save access to their accommodation.
The end result of providing over a thousand weeks of student attachments for the
Calender year of 2006 is extraordinary considering there is only one community of
24,000 in an area containing less than 40,000 in population. The communities of NW
Queensland and their health professionals have taken a disproportionate load
considering the underserved nature of the communities and the onerous workload of
these professionals.
The population health, research and workforce programs of MICRRH have expanded
their activities enormously and provided significant policy contribution and leadership
for rural and remote health in Queensland and Australia. This has been a long term
strategy of the Director and the Faculty of Medicine Health and Molecular Science from
JCU. The growth in research related activities has been a stand out after significant
investment in time and effort by the Research Manager. Program expansion for 2007 is
well under way with additional intent to look at mental health, community capacity
building and workforce.
Closer ties between the School of Medicine Rural Clinical School of JCU have taken
advantage of MICRRH’s multidisciplinary focus and remote experience to support the
remote expansion portfolio of the Faculty and School of Medicine. The allocation of
“Portfolios” and a “Cabinet” for the School of Medicine has allowed MICRRH to have a
greater role in the planning and activities of the School of Medicine and integrate the
medical aspect of MICRRH into the Rural Clinical School activities.
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Key Result Area 1 - Increase and improve rural experiences for health science
students
Key Performance Indicator 1a:
State the number of Australian (and international) undergraduate students undertaking clinical
placements or other educational activities of one week or longer in rural or remote sites organised or
facilitated by the UDRH, by discipline, course, Indigenous status, numbers of students and student
weeks. Student satisfaction with placements, and students’ exposure to cultural awareness training
relating to Indigenous issues, are also included in this reporting form. (International students need only
be noted in columns 2 and 3)
Discipline/ Number of Number of Number of Number Students Number of
Course (remove students students student of reporting high student
or add as provided provided weeks Indigen level of receiving
necessary) with with ous satisfaction cultural
placements placements student with their awareness
Note: Only of one week of two s placement (No. training as
undergraduate to less than weeks or of placements part of their
health disciplines two weeks longer completed/no. placement
are to be reported (including (including of surveys (placement
international international return)(% s of 2
students) students) satisfaction) weeks or
longer)
1-2 >2 weeks Return rate Satisfactio
weeks n
Aboriginal Health 1 4 1/1 0% 1
Audiology
Dentistry
Dietetics
Health Promotion
Medical Radiation
Medicine 30 (1) 210 2 30/23 87% 30
Nursing 45 8 334 4 31/5* 60% 0
Occupational Therapy
Optometry
Orthoptics
Orthotics/Prosthetics
Pharmacy 9 40 0 9/7 57% 9
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Psychiatry
Social work
Speech Therapy
TOTAL 85 8 588 6 71/36 40
* The nursing figures reported above include 14 students undertaking their entire degree through MICRRH [formerly listed as
Nursing (teaching)]. The usual Student Placement Evaluation Survey is not provided to these students because it is specifically
aimed at students visiting Mount Isa on placement not resident students. As such the figures for reported level of satisfaction are
only provided for 31 nursing students who came to Mount Isa on placement [previously reported as Nursing (placement)]. We
are currently investigating a way to gather similar satisfaction data from resident students.
Definitions:
A student placement is defined as a one week or longer undergraduate Australian health
professional student placement. The placement activities may include attending orientation, formal
lectures, tutorials, clinical placements, clinical skills labs, and/or partaking in specific rural projects
(including those items in the KPI 2 undergraduate section which should be regarded as a subset of KPI
1). It is to form part of the student’s assessment and experience. An undergraduate placement is for
students whose placement is for an undergraduate course. For example a postgraduate entry
undergraduate medical degree will be logged as an undergraduate placement and not a post graduate
placement. Students who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents ("international students")
should be noted adjacent to these numbers. For example, if 20 Australian citizens/permanent residents
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attend and 5 students who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents attend, the entry should be
"20 (5)"
A one week student placement is defined as a minimum of 5 consecutive (not cumulative) days in the
rural or remote site.
A two week student placement is defined as a minimum period of 12 consecutive (not cumulative) days
in the rural and remote site.
Student satisfaction is to be reported for those students undertaking placements of two weeks or longer.
The number of placements over two weeks completed during the period against the number of
completed returned surveys will be expressed as a percentage. For example 52 placements (ie over two
weeks) completed with 32 surveys being completed and returned is a satisfaction rate of 100% if all of
the surveys are positive should be expressed as 52/32 (100%).
Cultural awareness training is training relevant to Indigenous issues. It may take a variety of formats;
and may be delivered by the UDRH, by local organisations or by the university in consultation with the
UDRH or site. Cultural awareness training relates to those students who undertake placements of two
weeks or longer.
Key Performance Indicator 1b:
State the number of Australian (and international) postgraduate students undertaking placements
involving educational or research activities of one week or longer in rural or remote sites organised or
facilitated by the UDRH, by discipline, course, Indigenous status, numbers of students and student
weeks. Student satisfaction with placements, and students’ exposure to cultural awareness training
relating to Indigenous issues, are also included in this reporting form. (International students need only
be noted in columns 2 and 3).
Discipline/ Number of Number of Number Number of Students Number of
Course (remove students students of Indigenous reporting high student
or add as provided provided student students level of receiving
necessary) with with weeks satisfaction cultural
placements placements with their awareness
Note: Only of one week of two placement training as
postgraduate to less than weeks or (No. of part of their
health disciplines two weeks longer placements placement
are to be reported (including (including completed/no. (placement
international international of surveys s of 2
students) students) return)(% weeks or
satisfaction) longer)
1-2 >2 Return rate Satisfactio
weeks weeks n
Aboriginal Health 1 21 1
Audiology
Dentistry
Dietetics
Health Promotion
Medical Radiation
Medicine
Nursing
Occupational Therapy
Optometry
Orthoptics
Orthotics/Prosthetics
Pharmacy
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Psychiatry
Social work
Speech Therapy
TOTAL
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Definitions:
A student placement is defined as a one week or longer postgraduate Australian health professional
student placement. The placement must be organised or facilitated by the UDRH to be included. Post
graduate entry into undergraduate course will be recorded as an undergraduate placement under KPIa1.
Students who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents ("international students") should be
noted adjacent to these numbers. For example, if 20 Australian citizens/permanent residents attend and
5 students who are not Australian citizens or permanent residents attend, the entry should be "20 (5)"
Postgraduate is defined as study or research subsequent to the completion of a Bachelor Degree (the
basic (first) undergraduate degree), including Graduate Certificate or Diploma, Masters or higher level.
Definitions for the remaining columns are the same as for KPI 1a.
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Key Result Area 2 - Expand educational opportunities that are relevant for rural
and remote practice.
Key Performance Indicator 2:
State the number of enrolments in undergraduate and postgraduate units and courses delivered by or in
association with the UDRH, where the UDRH is responsible for 50% or more of teaching. Include the
number of indigenous students and students who are existing rural or remote health professionals and
EFTSU. (Please note that the undergraduate student numbers may be a sub-set of those reported under
KRA1)
Unit/Course and Total number Number of Number of students Number of either:
University course code of students Indigenous who are existing rural
students or remote health OR
(subset of total professionals (subset EFTSU Participant
hours
number of of total number of
students) students)
Vocational
Undergraduate
Bachelor of Nursing 14 3 4 10
Science, JCU (78110)
Postgraduate and research students
Masters of Public health and 2 1 2 0.6
Tropical Medicine (2 staff
enrolled in JCU SPHTM)
Doctor of Philosophy 1 0 1 49
Rural and Remote 47 0 47 9400*
Paramedic Practice
Definitions:
All students to be included where the UDRH is responsible for 50% or more of teaching.
Courses can be defined as a course of study, unit, subject or topic. These may be delivered externally.
Vocational courses means accredited vocational training courses.
Postgraduate course numbers include both course-based postgraduate students and research students affiliated
with the UDRH. GP Registrars may also be included in this category. Affiliated means that substantial formal
support is provided to the student by the UDRH, such as formal supervision by a UDRH academic, use of UDRH
facilities for three or more months or student participation in a UDRH research or development activity.
Numbers to be reported are those enrolled at the beginning of the year or semester.
Existing rural and remote health professionals are health professionals living and working in RRMA 3 to RRMA 7
areas.
EFTSU means Equivalent Full Time Student Units, that is, an estimation of the proportion of what the auspicing body
considers a full-time load for a student in that program.
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Key Result Area 3 - Undertake research and related activities in rural and remote
health issues
Key Performance Indicator 3a:
Report on the number of new research and development grants and consultancies (including specific-
funded consultancies) awarded in the reporting period including the lead agency, funding source and
period and value.
Title of project Lead agency Funding source/s Funding Value to Total value
period UDRH
Mount Isa Lead Queensland Health QH 11 weeks $3913 Unknown
Surveillance (QH)
Program
The expanding role Australian College of Australian Primary 12 $24,146 $218,509
of generalists in Rural and Remote Health Care months
rural and remote Medicine Research Institute
health: A (Stream 6)
systematic review.
Primary Health MICRRH Xstrata Community Up to 3 $135,000 $135,000
Care Research Partnership Program years
Fellowships – North Queensland
KPI 3a Definitions:
Only grants awarded during the reporting period are to be listed here. Funds received, or activity undertaken against
grants previously awarded, are not to be listed here.
Both grants administered by the UDRH (ie where the UDRH is the lead agency), and grants in which the UDRH is
not the lead agency but still performing an active role, are to be included. This reflects and encourages collaborative
research activity.
Value to UDRH means the monetary value which is administered by the individual UDRH.
Key Performance Indicator 3b:
Report on the number of publications and publicly available reports produced by UDRH staff and
affiliated students during the reporting period.
Name of Publication Publication date Peer-reviewed/non-peer
Paper/article/report (anticipated/if known) reviewed
Evaluation of the Health Promotion Journal 17(3), 2006 Peer Reviewed
outreach school garden of Australia
project: Building the
capacity of two
Indigenous remote school
communities to integrate
nutrition into the core
curriculum.
KPI 3b Definitions:
Publications which have been accepted for publication during the reporting period, are to be reported.
Reporting is on papers which were accepted for publication during the reporting period. The list will include full
reference, anticipated publication date/publication date (if known) and be separated into peer reviewed publications,
non-peer reviewed publications, and reports produced (eg on a consultancy basis) which are not published in
journals, but which are publicly available/in the public domain. Conference presentations that are not published in
proceedings are not included.
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Key Result Area 4 - Support for rural health professionals, consumer, and
communities.
Key Performance Indicator 4:
Report on the development activities for health professionals, consumers, and communities, conducted
during the reporting period, by numbers of participants, duration and type.
Type of activity Number of Number of indigenous Total number of
participants participants participant-hours
Training for effective clinical support (ie preceptor training)
Journal clubs/ seminars/grand rounds
Christel van der Donk presentation regarding 18 6 18
Diabetes Audit at WuChopperen (MIATSIHS),
25th October
Suzzy Munns lecture from JCU Biomedical 2 0 3
Sciences
Formal mentoring
Support with research related skills provided to 7 3 12
miscellaneous health professionals
Assistance with a planning and implementing an Up to 4 1 19.5
evaluation framework for the Green Label
Nutrition Project by QH nutritionists
One-on-one assistance with a research project 1 0 7.5
being implemented by QH Mental Health
Promotion staff member aimed at assessing the
sense of community connectedness in Mount
Isa
Clinical updates & other continuing education
Tropical Medical Training Registrar Workshops 25 Unknown 1062.5
held at MICRRH
SimMan Emergency Medicine Training 8 0 32
Online training
Other training
How to critically review a paper’ – 1 Session 8 0 16
with North and West Queensland Primary
th
Health Care, 24 July.
‘Program planning and evaluation using the 3 3 15
LogFrame approach’ – 2 sessions, Mount Isa
Community Health, QH, Mount Isa, 14th and 17th
August
Training consultancy for Wide Bay Division of 13 0 138
th
General Practice, Bundaberg, 25 August and
th th
25 /26 September
PHCRED Roadshow I (Longreach, Charleville 60 Unknown Approx 180
and Roma) with State PHCRED Collaboration, (6 x 3 hour
28th August to 1st September. Program sessions)
planning and evaluation and grant writing
workshops delivered by MICRRH staff.
Searching the Literature with Oxfam Staff, 10th 3 2 9
October
Planning and evaluation training with Oxfam 3 3 9
Staff, Mount Isa, 12th October.
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PHCRED Roadshow II (Gladstone, Bundaberg 46 Unknown 171
and Maryborough) with State PHCRED
Collaboration, 27th November to 1st December.
Program planning and evaluation and grant
writing workshops delivered by MICRRH staff.
Introductory data management training with 3 3 9
th
Oxfam staff, Mount Isa, 9 November
‘Medical Delegation Myth Busting’ Workshop, Up to 40 4 340
Mount Isa, 13th and 14th December (in
collaboration with University of Queensland and
JCU School of Medicine)
Attendance at 2 x Careers Days to raise high 386 Approx 77 Approx 32
school student awareness of health careers
Definitions:
Training for effective clinical support means training for persons to undertake clinical supervision of students, as
mentors, preceptors or supervisors. All forms of training aimed specifically at clinical support for students or recent
graduates are to be listed here.
As many of the professional activities are also of benefit to participating UDRH staff, their participation is included.
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Key Result Area 5 - Contribute to innovation in education, research and service
development through collaborations with universities, health services and
professional and community organisations.
Key Performance Indicator 5:
Report on the number and type of UDRH collaborations with other organisations, including a description
of the project/activity. (Note: Where collaborations take place over more than one category ie University-based and State
Health Services please report as a joint collaboration ie list all collaborators in ‘Other partners’).
Collaborators Description of joint projects/activities
University-based
JCU- School of Medicine • Coordination of medical student
placements
• Medical Delegation Myth Busting
workshop
• Submission of an APHCRI Stream 6
proposal
JCU School of Nursing Local delivery of Bachelor of Nursing Science
University of Queensland, School of Medicine Medical Delegation Myth Busting workshop
State PHCRED Collaboration including JCU Rural Coordination and collaboration on the delivery of
Health Research Unit (SOM), Griffith University, various PHCRED initiatives such as Research
Bond University, and University of Queensland. Roadshows, state forum, and collaborative
research activities.
Queensland University of Technology Collaboration to expand dietetic placement
opportunities
University of Texas, South-western Medical Establishment of a placement program for
Centre, Department of Physician Assistant Studies Physician Assistant students.
State health services
Queensland Health Several projects including:
• Mount Isa Lead Surveillance Program
• Reference group membership for the
local implementation of the ‘Be Kind to
Your Mind’ program
• Green Label Healthy food program,
assistance with evaluation of this
initiative.
• Council Member, State Health Minister’s
Rural Health Advisory Council and
Medical Advisory Committee of the
Council. (Director)
• QMEC Membership (Director)
• Workforce Innovation Working Group
• Working group QH, on Physician’s
Assistants
• Workforce Development Unit’s
workshops on alternate and innovative
models of delivery.
• Rural Generalist Working Group
• Emergency Medicine Working Group
(Rural sub-committee)
• Northern Zone Health Service and
Clinical Service Planning Committees.
Aboriginal community controlled organisations
Wuchopperen Health Service (Mount Isa • Australian undergraduate student
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health placements
Service) • Diabetes audit undertaken by an
International student
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Professional bodies (eg Divisions of General Practice)
North and West Queensland Primary Health Care •
Community Panel NWQ Allied Health
Service (Catrina Felton Busch)
• Board Membership (Director)
Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine • National Censor and subsequently Vice
President (Director)
• Board Member (Dr Louis Peachey)
• Submission of a APHCRI Stream 6
proposal
Medical Training Review Panel Director is the ADGP nominee on this panel which
is the national medical training review body for
Australia.
Australian General Practice Training (GPET) Membership of a number of Committees and
working groups.
• Academic and Research Registrar
Committee
• Tripartite Committee for GP Training
(Membership includes RACGP, ACRRM
and GPET)
Other partners (eg community groups, local government, business)
Spinifex State Secondary College “Working together for Indigenous Youth” health
careers program. Work experience Program.
Mount Isa NAIDOC Committee Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander cultural
activities including providing secretarial support for
the group.
Xstrata Community Partnership Program funding of
Simulation Mannequins for Clinical Skills
Laboratory and Research Fellowships.
Joint collaboration with Mount Isa Volatile Evaluation of ‘Family Healing’ project and
Substance Misuse Action Group which includes a involvement in project management team
wide range of government and non-government
groups
Joint collaboration with Kalkadoon Tribal Council Evaluation of ‘Mount Isa Community Partnerships’
Night Patrol, Authus Petersen’s Special Care project and involvement in management team.
Centre Inc., KASH Aboriginal Corporation and
Jimaylya Topsy Harry Centre.
Tropical Medical Training Vocational Training of GP Registrars, Paediatrics
online module development.
Laura Johnson Home Nursing student placements
Mount Isa Safe Community Advisory Team Ongoing support of the Committee responsible for
Mount Isa’s application to be accredited as a safe
community under the World Health Organisation
Safe Community program.
Definitions:
Collaborations include only organisations with whom the UDRH has a signed Memorandum of Understanding or has
formally agreed to work together on a defined project/activity, and where collaborative activities were undertaken
during the reporting period.
University-based collaborators include both other Departments, Schools and Faculties within the partner (auspicing)
University/ies, as well as collaborations with non-partner Universities.
Description of projects are to be brief, consisting of a simple title which conveys the nature of the project to a lay
reader.
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Key Result Area 6 - Embrace a strong population or public health focus; and
contribute to the development of innovative service delivery models in rural and
remote health.
Key Performance Indicator 6a:
Report on the population or public health focus underpinning UDRH activity.
(A paragraph of approximately half a page describing one or two initiatives which demonstrate the UDRH’s
population or public health focus during the reporting period)
MICRRH has hosted a Population Health Registrar (Carole Reeve), who is undergoing joint GP
and Population Health training within MICRRH and Mount Isa Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Health Service. Primary roles undertaken by Dr Reeve include:
• Review and update of the Population Health Education for Clinicians (PHEC) Curriculum.
• Review the Practice Analysis Kit for ACRRM. This will provide the population health
component for all ACRRM Registrars in training.
The update of the PHEC curriculum has been timely as it will provide population health
component for the Rural and Remote Paramedic Practice (RRPP) curriculum currently being
introduced by MICRRH in collaboration with the Queensland Ambulance Service. We
anticipate that Dr Reeve will also have an ongoing role in the delivery of the RRPP program in
2007.
The revision of the PAK for ACRRM has supported the adoption of a 40 hour component of this
package as a core requirement for all Registrars as part of their Fellowship training. This
component of the PAK requires students to develop a profile of their community and it’s public
health needs. They must then conduction a self audit to match their clinical practice to the
requirements of their community. This initiative makes ACRRM the first international
professional college to ensure all of its trainees to have intimate public health knowledge of
their community and an awareness of how to structure their practice in response to these
needs.
The PAK also provides additional population health tasks (approximately 200 hours) for an
advanced population health post which is provided at a University certificate level.
Key Performance Indicator 6b:
Report on UDRH activities which have contributed to the development of innovative service delivery
models in rural and remote health.
(A paragraph of approximately half a page describing one or two initiatives which demonstrate the UDRH’s
contributed to the development of innovative service delivery models in rural and remote health during the reporting
period.)
MICRRH has been intimately involved in policy development and advocacy for the introduction
of a number of workforce initiatives:
1. Expanded scope of practice for rural and remote Queensland Ambulance Service
Paramedics through the Rural and Remote Paramedic Practice (RRPP) Curriculum.
This is currently underway with 47 enrolees completing the first 2 subjects in a graduate
certificate of RRPP. In total there will be initially 60 rural and remote staff of QAS
completing this course which will take advantage of the low utilization within their
communities. This program will also be mapped towards a Physician Assistant
curriculum as a means of developing career pathways for rural and remote Paramedics.
2. Advocacy for the adoption of a mid-level practitioner within a delegated role (similar to
that of the successful Physician Assistant (PA) role in America) to supplement the
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medical workforce, particularly in rural and remote areas. This has been undertaken
through several approaches:
a. The delivery of the ‘Medical Delegation Myth Busting workshop’ in December
which provided stakeholders with an opportunity to discuss possible barriers to
the uptake of this type of role within the Australian health care system. See our
website for more information:
http://www.micrrh.jcu.edu.au/conferences-workshops/medical-delegation/
This workshop was run in conjunction with the JCU School of Medicine and the
University of Queensland.
b. Preliminary discussions with several American Physician Assistant training
programs regarding a PA student placement program within the Mount Isa
region
c. Ongoing advocacy for a trial of PAs within the Queensland Health system.
While these paragraphs may repeat information reported elsewhere, they should not simply refer to other
information in the report (eg by stating “see above”), as the aim is to provide stand-alone information that
can be easily collated by the Department into a digestible program-wide report on these areas of activity.
ATTACH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (ANNUAL QUALIFIED
ACCOUNTANT’S REPORT) AND ANY OTHER DOCUMENTATION
REQUIRED UNDER YOUR CONTRACT
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