The Weekly Update

Dear CRANAplus Members,

The events of the past several days in Haiti have affected all those reading or seeing vision of the devastation and the affect on the local population. Our thoughts go out to all those caught up in this enormous tragedy and also to the relief workers faced with an extraordinary task ahead of them.

This week CRANAplus President, Christopher Cliffe was among the first Australians to be deployed to the relief effort. Chris will be the public health delegate within a Japanese Red Cross team. Additional CRANAplus staff and members are on stand-by, and are preparing to leave at a moment’s notice. CRANAplus has great pride and deep respect for the skill and calibre of the remote health professionals amongst our association members and we wish them a safe and speedy return.

Here at home FLEC courses are filling steadily. The upcoming Maternity Emergency Care course on Bruny Island is fully booked with participants excited about attending the course. CRANAplus strives to deliver courses to remote areas as we understand the logistical difficulties faced by those working in remote locations. Travel and staff coverage often prove hurdles to their ability to attend further education.

Holding courses in remote areas can offer some challenges as well. Please be aware that Bruny Island has no Public Transport or Taxi services. Should you wish to share a Hire Car from Hobart, or Accommodation on Bruny Island, please review our Forum Page under the "Courses" tab.

Registering for the forum is a simple step and then you can share your thoughts and ideas and post requests. Please look to utilise this facility at any time.
http://forum.crana.org.au/

Best wishes from the CRANAplus Team
 

back to top

Meetings & Conferences

Race, Culture, Indigeneity and the Politics of Public Health
February 17-19 2010 Melbourne, Victoria
This workshop will be presented by the McCaughey Centre and the Onemda Koori Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population Health, University of Melbourne. The course is designed for professionals, policy makers and researchers who work in Indigenous health, social work, education and related areas.


1st Global Conference - Making Sense Of: 'Care' in Health Care
15 to 17 February 2010 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
While health care systems are concerned with the provision of services, the broad social domain of health care practices involves, equally significantly, the consumption of such service and the beliefs and activities of the consumers (or ‘clients’, a more popular term recently). ‘Health Care’ is thus everyone’s concern. We all care about health care.
 

Austrauma Conference
11 to 13 February 2010 SYDNEY, NSW, Australia


Inaugural National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Conference 2010: Listening, Learning and Leading
June 16-18, 2010 Adelaide South Australia
The National Indigenous Drug and Alcohol Committee (NIDAC) is organising this event. The conference aims to assist and contribute to further develop the capacity of those working to address Indigenous alcohol and drug issues
 

back to top

Scholarships Available

CRANAplus / YNA Undergraduate Scholarships
Each year CRANAplus in partnership with Your Nursing Agency (YNA) offer a total of six $1000 scholarships.

These scholarships are available to students who as part of their undergraduate course of study in a health discipline at an Australian University, undertake a remote location placement

back to top

Articles of Interest

HEALTH SECTOR TO HELP COVER E-HEALTH COSTS
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says health professionals will be expected to help bear the cost of moving to an e-health system.

DROP RURAL SERVICE REQUIREMENT FOR OVERSEAS DOCTORS: AMA
Overseas trained doctors should not be forced to work in rural areas when they arrive in Australia and deserve access to publicly funded health care and other services, the Australian Medical Association says.

MENTALLY ILL OFFENDERS TOO OFTEN SENT TO JAIL
Up to 80 per cent of prisoners in Australia have a mental illness and health advocates say many of them should not be behind bars.

SMOKING RATE AMONG PREGNANT ABORIGINES ALARMS AUTHORITIES
More Aboriginal women are smoking while pregnant and more of their babies are dying in the first month of life, according to a government report that paints a sobering picture of indigenous maternal health.

FRACTURES IN THE HEALTH SYSTEM
Last year's report from the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission suggested the commonwealth should fund all aspects of primary health care. Putting a single level of government in charge of all primary care clearly appeals.

SCIENTISTS CRACK GENETIC CODE OF PLANT FOR MALARIA TREATMENT
The genetic code of the plant that provides the most effective treatment for malaria has been cracked by scientists, raising the prospect of cheaper and more plentiful drugs against a disease that kills about a million people each year.

OVERWHELMING' RESPONSE TO INDIGENOUS CULTURE WORKSHOPS
Planners and developers on the north coast of New South Wales are being encouraged to understand the importance of local Aboriginal sites.

PUSH FOR GOOGLE TO DEVELOP RACISM POLICY
The lawyer for an Aboriginal Alice Springs man says his client wants internet giant Google to attend mediation with him and produce a racism policy.

DOCTORS CHALLENGED TO PERFORM SURGERY IN THE FIELD
The Careflight Rescue Helicopter Service is training doctors to perform surgery outside of the hospital environment.

VACCINATIONS IN 'SERIOUS DECLINE'
Australia is facing the re-emergence of diseases not seen in wide circulation for decades, with childhood vaccination rates now in a serious decline.

back to top