The agreement will increase professional education and research opportunities for those working in the health sector in rural areas, which, its backers say, should encourage more professionals to work in those communities.
Otago University, Otago Polytechnic and Central Otago Health Services have signed a memorandum on rural health care practice, service, education and research.
University health sciences pro-vice-chancellor Professor Paul Brunton said the agreement will extend existing collaboration on clinical placements, rural health research, postgraduate education, vocational training and professional development.
A new taskforce of representatives from the three entities will identify areas for future collaboration.
“We believe that a lot more health professional education and research should be undertaken in rural areas and we see this memorandum as a logical step towards that greater goal.”
The signatories cover virtually every health discipline.
The concept could extend to other rural areas by what they hope will be the creation of a larger virtual health entity that will be connected across New Zealand’s rural health sector.
“While this project begins with Otago-based partners the aim is to contribute to the development of capability and capacity within the rural sector nationally as it evolves and develops,” Brunton said.
“Several of the programmes that will be part of this initiative already have national and international rural health connections.”
The university’s rural postgraduate director and Central Otago doctor Garry Nixon said by having the support of better training and research, rural practice could become a more popular career choice.
“The more contact they have with training and the longer periods spent working with rural health professionals who can be identified as role models and mentors, it will influence career choices.”
Nixon said the initiative has been talked about at a national level but the Otago signatories decided to roll it out earlier in what is effectively a pilot scheme.
“It’s going to need a local solution and a big national strategic approach to solve the big health professional employment issues in rural areas.”
The move creates for the first time an entity in the university with a sole focus on rural health.
Until now rural health has been a part of several medical training schools at the university but the new structure now puts it in the health science department, which sits alongside pharmacy and other health disciplines.
