Riverland Academy of Clinical Excellence
About RACE
The Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network (RMCLHN) has established RACE – the Riverland Academy of Clinical Excellence.
The newly formed Academy aims to boost clinical training and employment across the Riverland Mallee Coorong region and will create exciting new opportunities for research and innovation. RACE will also enable RMCLHN to further develop its culture of quality improvement and deliver on its commitment to excellence in clinical care.
RACE is a multidisciplinary division within RMCLHN, that has been created to deliver on our commitment to take responsibility for training our own clinical workforce, creating and improving relevant evidence bases for our clinical practice, and bringing the benefits of integrated teaching, research and clinical care to the communities in our region.
RACE articulates RMCLHN’s ambition to be a centre of excellence in rural health and highlights our commitment to medical education in our region and counteracting medical workforce shortages in line with the South Australian (SA) Rural Health Workforce Strategy, SA Rural Rural Medical Workforce Plan the National Rural Generalist Pathway.
Our vision for RACE is that RMCLHN is a highly sought-after training region for medical graduates. Our projected outcome is that Trainee Medical Officer (TMO) positions are consistently filled with high quality graduates who progress to Fellowship training, through to consultant positions in RMCLHN. RACE has two functions – Research and Education.
Research
Through the research function, RMCLHN via RACE will collaborate with various universities, medical research institutes and organisations.
RACE research programs will enable Riverland residents to benefit earlier from the latest treatments as they are being developed. it will attract investment into our region and assist us in recruiting the very best clinician scientists to our hospitals and practices.
Research will be funded through various grants and organisations, such as through the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF).
Regional JEV Serosurvey
The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) is undertaking a national human JEV Serosurveillance Program and has asked the Riverland Academy of Clinical Excellence (RACE) Public Health Unit to coordinate South Australia’s response.
Japanese Encephalitis is a rare but serious disease caused by JEV, which can be transmitted to humans through bites from mosquitoes carrying JEV. Anyone can catch JEV, but those who spend time in areas where JEV has been detected such as people who live and work along the River Murray are most at risk.
A serosurvey is a survey of blood samples collected from the population. Serosurveillance provides estimates of antibody levels against infectious diseases and is considered the gold standard for measuring population immunity due to past infection or vaccination and determining how many people have already been exposed to this virus.
The RACE JEV Serosurvey will provide insight into how long ago the virus was introduced and how far and fast the virus may have spread. It may help to inform which communities should be provided with early access to future vaccination programs.
Everyone living in the Riverland Mallee Coorong region is being invited to participate in this medical research. Blood collection by SA Pathology is being offered at their sites in Murray Bridge, Tailem Bend, Mannum, Berri, Loxton, Barmera, Waikerie and Renmark.
If you live locally in the target areas, we encourage you to participate. If you are having a blood test for other reasons, you can also consent to allow a small amount of extra blood to be taken at the same time for this serosurvey.
To find out more, please visit Take part in the South Australian JEV Serosurvey
Education and Training
The medical education program offered by RACE is called The Academy Pathway. The Academy Pathway will enable medical graduates to undertake all the required postgraduate training to achieve a Rural Generalist Fellowship based in RMCLHN.
Rural Generalism is a sub-speciality of General Practice that provides comprehensive general practice, emergency care and additional care that would ordinarily be referred to another specialist in the city, for example, obstetrics and emergency care.
Rural Generalists are recognised by a Fellowship of either the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) or the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
To gain this Fellowship, a person must complete:
- A university medical degree (4-6 years)
- Employment and training as a junior doctor (2 years)
- Training as a Registrar, including successful completion of a national examinations (4+ years)
Additional education programs, including programs for nursing, allied health and others professional groups will be added over time.
Find out more and apply
- To find out more about training positions in RMCLHN, Rural Generalist Program South Australia website.
- Apply through SA MET for intern and PGY2 positions for 2022.
- For further information about collaborating on research and training with RACE, contact our Executive Director of Clinical Innovation, Professor Paul Worley.