Program Areas

Regional Services

RWAV has three Rural Health Support Managers and an Aboriginal Health Support Manager who facilitate the delivery of all RWAV Support and Retention programs and services to rural doctors recruited by RWAV and to the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services. In addition, they provide a rural presence and point of contact for local people.


Policy and Outreach Services


Outreach Services

RWAV manages a range of Outreach Service programs designed to improve access for rural, regional, remote and aboriginal communities to medical specialists and chronic disease teams. This includes:

  • 255 medical specialist visiting services throughout rural and remote Victoria in a wide range of specialties under the Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program.
  • 9 Paediatric surgical services to Victoria and Southern New South Wales under the Paediatric Surgical Outreach Program.
  • Introduction of Chronic Disease teams to Aboriginal communities under the Medical Specialist Outreach Assistance Program – Indigenous Chronic Disease Initiative, which is part of the Closing The Gap programs.
  • Introduction of the Urban Specialist Outreach Assistance Program to support the expansion of medical specialist services for urban Aboriginal communities.

Financial support is available to specialists for travel costs, travel time, accommodation, meals, facility fees, administration costs, backfilling, upskilling and professional support.


Policy and Research

RWAV also provides policy, workforce and service planning, research and advocacy on health workforce issues for Victorian rural, regional, remote and Aboriginal communities.

Our services include:

  • Coordination of Victorian Minimum Data Set and annual survey of rural GPs and general practices, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services and Community Health Services that have GP services.
  • Needs analyses for service and workforce planning purposes.
  • Community planning activities involving research, consultations, needs analysis, community engagement and workshop processes to support rural communities develop sustainable health workforce solutions for their communities.
  • High quality customised workforce analysis and data queries based on information collected from the Minimum Data Set study and range of other sources.
  • Health workforce research projects included developing evidence on needs based approaches to planning.


Candidate Marketing

RWAV sources doctors suitable for placement into rural and regional general practice from domestic and overseas markets through a variety of methods that include conference and trade show participation, referral marketing, on-line marketing and targeted promotions.

We use a case management approach to recruitment that involves the thorough screening of all doctor candidates to assess eligibility and suitability for rural general practice. We also identify the most appropriate employment pathway that best meets the needs of the candidate and his/her family.


Recruitment

In order to address the shortage of doctors in rural Victoria, RWAV provides a not-for-profit end to end recruitment service.

RWAV recruitment programs include:

  • Rural Locum Relief Program (RLRP)
  • Victorian Overseas Trained Doctors Rural Recruitment Scheme (VORRS)
  • Temporary Resident Doctors (Area of Need)
  • Australian Trained Doctors


Support Services

The RWAV Rural Health Support Managers and the Aboriginal Health Support Manager provide ongoing support, advice and assistance through:

  • A series of support contacts and face-to-face visits.
  • Ensuring the practice and community provide orientation to recruited doctors.
  • Locum subsidies.
  • Locum support.
  • Family and Spouse Employment Assistance.
  • Facilitating access to mentoring for RWAV recruited doctors.


Training

RWAV facilitates access to training for RWAV recruited doctors including emergency medicine and Women’s Health. RWAV administers the Department of Human Services Continuing Professional Development for Rural General Practitioners Subsidy Program.

RWAV also offers:

  • Additional Assistance Scheme (exam support) for eligible doctors.
  • Delivery in conjunction with Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) Cultural Awareness Training.
  • RWAV's annual conference.


Partnership

RWAV has developed a Memorandum of Understanding with rural General Practice Divisions, General Practice Victoria (GPV) and VACCHO.

RWAV is a member of Rural Health Workforce Australia (RHWA) and works in collaboration with:

  • Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO)
  • Rural Doctors Association of Victoria (RDAV)
  • Victorian Hospitals Association (VHA)
  • Victorian Universities Rural Health Consortuim (VURHC)
  • University rural departments of health
  • Government bodies
  • Colleges of General Practice
  • Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM)
  • Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
  • General Practice Education Australia Ltd (GPEA); and
  • Other academic bodies