On August 6th, 2013, The Hon. Warren Snowdon, former Minister for Indigenous Health, celebrated RAHC’s 2000th health professional placement in remote Northern Territory Indigenous communities. Media Release below:

Media Release - RAHC achieves 2000 placements

August 6th, 2013

·         Minister Snowdon celebrates Indigenous health project’s 2000th health professional placement

·         80% of Health Professionals return to do another placement.

The Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC) has now delivered over 2,000 health professional placements into remote Indigenous communities across the Northern Territory (NT) since beginning operations in 2008. This is the equivalent of 186 years of service.

Dr Diana Richards, a GP from Sydney with over 30 years’ experience is the 2000th placement and was presented with a commemorative certificate by the Hon. Warren Snowdon, Member for Lingiari and Minister for Indigenous Health, at the Centre for Remote Health in Alice Springs on Tuesday, 6th August 2013.  Following her cultural and clinical orientation training, Dr Richards will be heading to Tennant Creek for a three week placement.

“RAHC are providing a fantastic service to Aboriginal communities ensuring that people outside the cities and towns have access to quality health care. It is a positive step towards closing the gap in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the broader Australian population.” said the Minister.

RAHC was established to recruit urban-based health professionals, including general practitioners, registered nurses, midwives, oral and allied health professionals to provide primary health care on short-term paid placements in remote Indigenous health centres in the NT. RAHC health professionals have been providing significant support to the hard working permanent staff in the remote health centres as well as expanding the health workforce in remote Indigenous communities throughout the NT.

RAHC supports health professionals throughout their placements. Beginning with high quality cultural and clinical orientation programs before their placement and orientation and ongoing support from RAHC staff while they are on placement in the community.

According to Philip Roberts, General Manager of RAHC: “The team is proud to celebrate this milestone of 2,000 placements. We are equally proud of our repeat rate of 80 per cent.  This really shows that the RAHC model works and that health professionals are returning for placements and providing continuity of care.  The range of support provided to the health professional before and during the placement is crucial to its success along with the support of our stakeholders and the hard working permanent team on the ground.”