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General News

27 August, 2024

New health service training program is a little RIPPAH

The North West is becoming a nursery for allied health students and graduates.

By North West Weekly

Allied Health Services acting executive director Elyse Mugridge with clinical educator Courtney Heal, Dr Selina Taylor, Sophie Tucker, Nicholas Versic, Rahni Cotterill, Sally Pether and Andrew Quabba.
Allied Health Services acting executive director Elyse Mugridge with clinical educator Courtney Heal, Dr Selina Taylor, Sophie Tucker, Nicholas Versic, Rahni Cotterill, Sally Pether and Andrew Quabba.

A new program is underway in Mount Isa to build our future medical workforce, with allied health university students offered an immersive experience of working in a rural and remote setting.

The first participants to join the North West-based Rural Immersion Placement Program: Allied Health (RIPPAH) began working in the city last month.

They include four speech pathologists from the Southern Cross, Griffith and Australian Catholic universities, along with two pharmacy students from Griffith.

The immersion program is a collaborative effort between North West Hospital and Health Service (NWHHS) and James Cook University Murtupuni Centre for Rural and Remote Health (MCRRH).

All students will undertake 10 weeks or more of placement based in Mount Isa with visits to outreach communities in collaboration with RIPPAH partners, including North West Remote Health and Gidgee Healing.

Previous NWHHS student placements have been generally limited to two to six weeks.

The early success of the program means the number of students expected to participate in the program next year should expand to sixteen.

Allied Health Services acting executive director Elyse Mugridge said the RIPPAH initiative addressed the barriers allied health students experienced when seeking to develop their skills in rural and remote areas.

“RIPPAH is about attracting those passionate about rural and remote health to be immersed in the North West region and experience the supportive community atmosphere rather than only participating in clinical practice placement,” Ms Mugridge said.

“This program aims to remove barriers and provide comprehensive support, enabling students to complete clinical placements and pursue careers in remote Queensland after graduation.”

MCRRH provided free accommodation to RIPPAH students along with student bursary.

The RIPPAH program is available to Allied Health students who specifically expressed a desire and a passion for pursuing a rural health career.

“Through the program, students are fully immersed in the community where they are offered placement; including social activities, part-time paid employment, and links to social teams to highlight the social and personal benefits of living in our rural and remote communities,” Ms Mugridge said.

Griffith University speech pathology student Sophie Tucker said she had been raised on a farm and appreciated working in a rural community.

“It is my intention to work rurally following my graduation, the opportunities provided by RIPPAH will be beneficial to my professional development,” she said.

“I relish the opportunity to work across different settings (hospital and education), with a variety of multidisciplinary team members and various clients.

“I believe this will be an aspect of placement experience which I would not be afforded within a city-based placement and will be advantageous to my future practice.”

Applications for 2025 RIPPAH placements across various rural and remote regions in Queensland are open now via the RIPPAH website.

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