NEViHN – a local response to a critical healthcare challenge

The NEViHN program of work is a collaboration between the University of New England's Faculty of Medicine and Health, the Hunter New England Local Health District, and the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network. The program was created in response to findings from government reports, academic research, and articles that have shown how the health and well-being of people living in Australia's regional, rural, and remote areas are compromised by the lack of accessible health services, the shortage of healthcare professionals in these areas, and the need for patients to travel long distances to receive medical care. As a result, patients living in these areas generally have poorer health outcomes, higher rates of disease and injury, and a shorter lifespan compared to those living in urban areas (Australian Department of Health, 2021). Unfortunately, this situation is getting worse as more healthcare professionals continue to leave rural areas, leading to a national healthcare crisis that affects rural communities.

As NEViHN collaborators, we understand the vital role a sustainable healthcare workforce plays in the health of people in Australia's RRR communities. With this in mind, we recognise the importance of providing UNE students in medicine and health-related disciplines with opportunities that will prepare them to become the future RRR-ready health workforce. Additionally, we acknowledge that where it is clinically appropriate, digitally enabled healthcare tools, services, and models of care can provide healthcare services to RRR communities from a distance, promoting a more sustainable approach to healthcare service delivery. NEViHN is committed to building on this potential and making it a reality by:

  • Establishing a digitally-enabled healthcare clinic within the New England North West region of New South Wales and interconnected pilot site clinics to showcase integrated, patient-focused healthcare that supplements in-person consultations and extends to the delivery of healthcare services over distance throughout our region and potentially to other regional, rural and remote communities elsewhere in NSW and beyond;
  • Partnering with pilot site clinics as locations for UNE students enrolled in medicine and health-related disciplines to undertake extended clinical placement experiences (Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships) as members of a multidisciplinary student team; and
  • Continuing to work closely with our collaborators, local communities from across the region, healthcare professionals, industry representatives and UNE students and academics to drive our ongoing research into digitally enabled responses to regional, rural and remote healthcare issues.

We believe the opportunity to work with local communities, industry stakeholders and NEViHN collaborators in response to the RRR healthcare crisis has never been greater. As a cohesive team, we are excited to share NEViHN’s vision for the future of healthcare in our region with the potential for rollout at scale. We hope that it inspires others to join us in our endeavour to develop a more sustainable, connected, community-led healthcare solution.

If you have any NEViHN-related enquiries, please contact :

Leanne Nisbet
Project Manager, NEViHN
E: leanne.nisbet@une.edu.au)  

Our Collaborators

University of New England LogoNSW Government Logo

NEViHN is a collaborative program of work between the University of New England, the Hunter New England Local Health District, and the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network.

Enhancing Student Learning Experiences

Students will be exposed to a rich array of physical, virtual and simulated clinical experiences in the classroom as well as through extended clinical placements in rural towns. These experiences will provide students with a detailed understanding of regional, rural and remote health issues, including Aboriginal health, community leadership, telehealth, and the role of larger medical institutions. This combination of knowledge and practical experience will enable students to succeed in, and deliver, the future of healthcare.

Improving access to quality health care

Poor access to healthcare services is a leading cause of rural-urban health inequity and is a key contributor to the well-reported compromised health outcomes for populations in Australia's regional, rural and remote locations1.

NEViHN will facilitate the development of a sustainable regional, rural and remote (RRR) medicine and health workforce, equipping our emerging healthcare professionals to work within a digitally enabled and supported healthcare environment of the future.

1 Australian Department of Health (2021). About Australia's Rural Workforce.

Research

We aim to build a robust research presence focused on multidisciplinary, integrated healthcare delivery. Over time, we will explore how digitally enabled, interconnected models of healthcare practice can facilitate the delivery of healthcare services to patients over distance when it is clinically appropriate to do so. We will also research how this approach can augment existing services to reduce the health outcome differential between rural and urban communities. We will consider the opportunities presented through our research findings to enhance learning experiences for UNE students enrolled in medicine and health-related disciplines in the classroom and over distance.