ORANGE health workers will have better access to education and training following the announcement of the Greater Western area as a new centre for rural health education.
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The Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) plans to establish the Greater Western Centre for Rural and Remote Education, which it will run in partnership with Sydney South West Area Health Service.
The centre will run out of existing health facilities in Orange, Dubbo, Broken Hill and across Western NSW, rather than a single location.
GWAHS says the centre will streamline its education programs across the region and increase the number of trainers and courses available locally, rather than forcing staff to travel to Sydney or other locations as they have done previously.
GWAHS also plans to introduce an online learning program, similar to the e2 program running in schools, which will use video conferencing and web technology to share education resources across the region.
The online program should be up and running by March 2010.
GWAHS workforce development director Jenny McParlane said the restructure of its training programs would allow staff to be trained on site and would lead to better trained staff in all areas of Orange’s health workforce, including nursing, allied health and administration.
“It’s about bringing more education to rural and remote areas,” she said.
“It will lead to better access to education, a more highly skilled workforce, better education and recruitment and better care.”
