An innovative new program specifically designed to develop the leadership skills of rural and remote doctors in Queensland was launched in Toowoomba recently.
The Queensland Rural Generalist Leader Program is an initiative of the Queensland Rural Generalist Program (QRGP), which forms part of the Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service (DDHHS).
The program will enable rural generalist doctors working in remote, rural and regional areas and who find themselves required to lead, to formalise these skills through a 12-month program, which has been developed in partnership with the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA), the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Rural.
Darling Downs Hospital and Health Board Chair Mike Horan thanked each of the colleges for their collaboration which will enable the leadership program to get off to a good start.
“Working in medicine is rarely just about providing direct patient care. Doctors, particularly those who demonstrate leadership skills, can be called upon for matters relating to clinical governance, workforce management and engagement change management and service design.
“This program will engender great leaders for Queensland, not just in medicine but in their communities as well, ” Mr Horan said.
As part of the program, participants will work closely with mentors from RACMA during face-to-face workshops and online learning sessions to equip them with both the knowledge and skills to enhance their medical leadership and management. Participants will also learn more about themselves and grow to understand their style as a leader and manager.
South West Hospital and Health Service Executive Director Medical Services Dr Christopher Buck will be part of the first cohort of 20 participants to commence the program in March next year.
“I was always planning to do some kind of leadership training but the difficulty was finding something that was tailored to my role.
“I trained with the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway and then went to work for the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Western Australia. Three months ago I was appointed to the role of managing the medical services of one of the largest hospital and health services in the state.
“This program really fits the bill of what I need to formalise what I’m already doing in my current position.
“I think all rural generalist doctors innately display some form of leadership abilities, otherwise they wouldn’t be drawn to that kind of role.
“It will be reassuring for me and for my staff to formally develop my leadership skills to RACMA standards,” Dr Buck said.
Co-Executive Director Rural and Remote Medical Support Dr Denis Lennox said the program would train good leaders not just in the public health system but also in private health, aged care, small rural towns and indigenous communities.
“I look forward in the future to seeing the Queensland health system with a significant cohort of rural generalists exercising strong leadership skills,” he said.
The QRGP aims to provide medical graduates with a supported training pathway to a career in rural generalist medicine, and rural and remote communities with a skilled medical workforce.
From its start in 2007 with 18 interns, the QRGP has grown rapidly, averaging around 40 interns a year from 2008 to 2014. This year, 77 interns joined the Pathway with a further 72 commencing in 2017.
The QRGP was recently recognised as the winner of the leadership category at the Premier’s awards for Excellence in Brisbane.
For more information on the Queensland Rural Generalist Pathway visit https://www.health.qld.gov.au/ruralgeneralist/
