The Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC) was formed to increase the pool of urban-based Health Professionals (HPs) available for work in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Several dedicated individuals recruit, orientate and deploy HPs to these communities, one of whom is Administration and Credentialing Officer Ceah David.
Ceah is a proud Wuthathi and Torres Strait Islander woman, born and raised in the Darwin region.
"I was actually studying nursing when I first heard about the RAHC programme and because I was really interested in rural nursing and remote health, the programme had always been in the back of my mind," Ceah says.
"Ultimately, I had decided that nursing wasn't for me and then I heard that RAHC was hiring. It was an opportunity for me to still contribute to healthcare in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, just in a different way."
Ceah joined the RAHC team in March of 2021 and is responsible for coordinating the credentialing and re-credentialing applications of HPs wanting to go on placement.
"My job is to ensure that each HP going on placement has the right credentials and experience to be in community," she says.
The credentialing process is about verifying the qualifications and experience of a HP. This ensures the individual can provide safe and quality services in their specified role. RAHC coordinates placements for Registered Nurses (RNs), General Practitioners (GPs), Audiologists and Oral HPs, and each of these craft groups has its own sets of credentialing criteria.
"It's important to meet the programme requirements so that those going to community are equipped with the right skills. If they don't have the necessary skills, neither the HP nor the community will have a good experience."
Ceah is usually the first point of contact for interested HPs. She enjoys helping them start their RAHC journey and establishing relationships with the individuals. In her short time with RAHC, Ceah has worked with feedback and the wider team to improve credentialing processes.
"I know that getting credentialed with RAHC can take some time, it is a detailed process. So, I want to ensure I make the process as seamless as possible for new and existing HPs," says Ceah.
Once credentialed, individuals join a pool of health professionals available for placement in remote locations. RAHC then works with health services to identify appropriate placements that suit the individual’s skills, experience and availability.
"RAHC is such an important programme and it is great to be able to assist HPs in becoming a part of the team."
If you're interested in becoming credentialed with RAHC, visit https://bit.ly/3IVAsyE.
Please note - applying with RAHC does not mean you will be credentialed or offered placements. Your application allows RAHC to credential you, so when successful, we can contact health services and identify appropriate placements that suit your skills, experience and availability.