About Us
| Current Activities and projects | Committees | Special Interest Groups |
RDASA’s vision is to act as an advocate to improve the health of rural communities by ensuring that there is a workforce of highly skilled and motivated rural medical practitioners who have received appropriate training and the necessary incentives, remuneration and support to work in rural communities to achieve the best health outcomes for their communities.
RDASA Activities
Representatives from different regions of rural South Australia link up via teleconference on a six-weekly basis to discuss important issues facing rural doctors and health issues in their communities.
RDASA has two representatives, Dr Peter Rischbieth (past National President and current National Vice President) and Dr Graham Morris (current National Treasurer) who meet with the RDAA Committee of Management on a regular basis to discuss many of the national issues that are facing rural doctors and participate in decision making and formulating policy at a National level.
RDASA lobbies actively on a wide range of issues which are important to rural medical practitioners and their communities and is involved in a number of collaborative efforts with both State and Federal Departments of Health and interacts with the Minister of Health and a number of other medico-political organisations in South Australia.
RDASA has a small secretariat and executive consisting of the President, Vice President and Treasurer and welcomes feedback from all country doctors regarding issues that face them in their working life.
RDASA has formed a number of special interest groups including:
- Anaesthetics
- Surgery
- Obstetrics
- Mental Health
- Female Doctors
- International Medical Graduates
Members of the RDASA Committee represent RDASA on a number of other committees including the GP Forum Group, Industrial Contracts Group, CHSA IT/IM committee and Retrieval committee. A number of RDASA members are on the Clinical Networks groups advocating for rural health services.
RDASA has representation as RDAA nominees in a number of National committees involving issues such as Medicare item number, telehealth and item numbers, NEHTA and electronic health issues, Medicare Locals and health reform and education and workforce planning groups.
RDASA has a strong relationship with the Rural Doctors Workforce Agency. We have 3 members elected to the RDWA Board by the members of RDASA. These are Richard Mackinnon, David Senior and David Rosenthal. RDASA and RDWA hold a joint annual conference which has received enormous support from our members.
RDASA also has strong input into the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine with a number of its executive management involved in ACRRM policy and decision making.
Senior members of RDASA accompanied senior executives of CHSA on a statewide tour of rural SA early in 2005 to look at important issues facing rural doctors and at ways to support doctors and retain them working in rural communities. This lead to the formation of the Rural Doctors Reference Group which, in April 2005, announced the package “Recognising the Past – Rewriting the Future – a New Partnership with Rural Doctors”.
This outlined the package of proposals which represents the first steps in an on going program designed to address important issues impacting on the medical workforce in country South Australia. In excess of $27.2 million was committed over the next four years by CHSA to implement these proposals. This was an innovative package based on a consultation process with doctors practicing in 38 different locations in country South Australia. This has been widely recognised all over the Nation.
RDASA industrial negotiators constructed a significant package for support for rural doctors providing VMO services in 2010 and is currently negotiating the 2011-2014 agreement with CHSA.
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