SARRMSAs four major program areas are:

Recruitment

The aims of the recruitment program are to develop a comprehensive planned approach to rural medical workforce problems, and to improve recruitment rates for rural medical practitioners through a range of strategies and initiatives. The activities in the recruitment program are:

Overseas Trained Doctor (OTD)

Recruitment involves coordination of all OTD placements in rural general practices in SA, and active recruitment of OTDs, including development of overseas recruitment networks in Canada and Europe.

New Doctor Program

Involves the promotion of rural general practice through activities such as: encouraging new doctors to consider rural medical careers and undertake their training in rural areas, supporting registrars to take and consider positions in rural areas.

Relocation Grants

Involves administering financial assistance to urban/rural doctors relocating to rural areas.

Retention

The aim of the retention program is to improve retention rates for rural medical practitioners through a range of strategies and initiatives. The activities in the retention program are:

Isolation Support Grants

Financial assistance to rural GPs in isolated areas of South Australia, as determined by RRMA and ARIA

Medical Officers in Aboriginal Controlled Communities Grants

Financial assistance to rural GPs working in Aboriginal Controlled communities

Regional partnership programs

Locum program -

Locam Programs involves:

• Monitoring existing locum service and provision through SARRMSAs Locum service, locum support adequate for identified needs of rural GPs.
• Developing and implementing a Locum Recruitment Strategy targeting Australian graduates and registrars.

Continuing Medical Education (CME) reimbursement scheme

Involves administering funds to cover travel, accommodation and course fees components of CM for GPs and specialists in rural and remote areas.

Flexible Payment System

Involves advising the Department of Health and Aged Care on suitable applicants for Flexible Payments System and administering payments.

Education

The aims of the education program are:

• To represent rural doctors in the coordination of vertically integrated training, at all stages of rural general practice education process
• To ensure adequate numbers of appropriately skilled and trained rural medical workforce
• To promote and support vertical integration of rural general practice at all levels of education

The activities in the education program are:

Upskilling for OTDs

Involves administering financial assistance to OTDs in rural areas for up-grading in skills relevant to the rural practice to which they may be relocating or in which they already practice

Training Grants

Involve administering financial assistance to rural GPs for up-grading in skills relevant to rural practice or increase the skills of GPs in order to provide services needed in the community

Undergraduates

The Division aims to coordinate and support a Teach the Teacher Program to optimise rural teaching placements, as well as providing support to NRHA in administration of JFSS, RAMUS.

Rural Clubs

Continue to support rural clubs to plan and implement education and social activities for undergraduates; and review the appropriateness of rural clubs participating in recruitment

High school programs

Continual involvement in the promotion of careers in rural practice to high school students

Rural medical input into education programs of others

• To develop and maintain formal links with the RACGP training program and ACCRM
• To support relevant colleges when requested on Regional Training in South
• Australia, as part of the New Doctor program
• To liaise with coordinators in general practice in teaching hospitals to promote rural practice

Support

The aim of the support program is to support the professional and personal lives of rural medical practitioners, their families and partners. Rural Medical Family Network activities involve:

• Providing secretariat support to the RMFN Sate Committee.
• Providing information to new GP families in rural areas.
• Organising and facilitating annual RMFN functions (AGM, state conference).
• Providing a state contact point for rural Divisions of General Practice and local RMFN branches.
• Building on existing programs, further develop support structures for families, in conjunction with ARWAG.
• One-stop shop for rural doctors.
• Accommodation projects for medical students and rural registrars.
• Assisting National Rural Health Alliance in administering the John Flynn
• Scholarship Scheme.

Others Programs

Research and Information Management relating to rural workforce

The aim of this program is to encourage and support research into any aspect of recruitment and retention of rural GPs and contribute to literature regarding rural workforce issues

Promotion of rural general practice and SARRMSA

The aims of this program are to ensure that SARRMSA remains an organisation controlled by, supportive of and response to rural GPs, and to implement promotional programs which will raise awareness in the South Australian public of rural medical workforce issues and opportunities in SA.

Stakeholder partnership, collaboration and communication -

The aim of this program is to collaborate and cooperate with other health professional bodies and all key stakeholders. SARRMSA has a contingency in the event of an underspend in its budget for 2000 - 2001:

• Reintroduction of Practice Management Grants
• Sustainable Models Grants