For all Division enquiries and further information visit our website, email or phone: 04 550
2829
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At the recent face to face meeting in Wellington the division BOS and Council had some time to discuss registrar funding issues. Essentially it’s the status quo with no change likely to facilitate private rural general practices or ‘non-DHB’ rural hospitals to access funding from the DHB.
However Tania Grieve (HWFNZ) was able to supply the college with the names of the contract managers at the various DHB ’s that have Rural Hospital Registrars. We are hoping that by contacting these people directly we may be able to educate them about the requirements of the programme and thus make it possible for the funding to be passed on to the relevant people who are training the registrar. The training programme is also unlikely to be funded for more than the current 4 years allocated. An important job of the
Educational Facilitators and Clinical leaders will be to plan carefully with new registrars how they may best use these funds especially if they are planning to do a Fellowship in
General Practice also.
Financially the division is operating within its allocated budget.
Further progress was made regarding developing a local Structured Assessment using
Multiple Patient Scenarios (StAMPS) exam for our RHM registrars. This needs now to be validated and reviewed by ACCRM assessors and our NZ College staff.
With the grand parenting process coming to an end next year it is time for the division to put some thought into what will replace this as an experiential pathway to Fellowship.
The Board of studies also approved some variations to the ways that the MOPs requirement for ‘base hospital time’ can be filled. These have been detailed in an earlier emails but are repeated in the newsletter below for your information. The Board of Studies was in majority agreement that this attachment is very important for those practicing in
Rural Hospitals and hopefully these changes will make it easier for practitioners to complete this requirement
As you will likely have seen in the newsletter and Epulse, momentum is gathering for the establishment of a training post in Rarotonga hospital. Funding for the registrar salary is still ‘a work in progress’ as HWFNZ will not allocate funding to training outside NZ. Various other avenues are currently being explored but if you have any ideas regarding this (or any feedback whatsoever on other matters) we are very happy to receive them.
Dr Nina Stupples
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We have just awarded Fellowship of the Division of Rural Hospital Medicine (FDRHMNZ) to:
Dr Howard Kelvin Wilson - Akaroa
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Start blocking off these dates – we hope to see as many of you in Queenstown as possible.
More info about the conference itself, including registration details can be found on www.rgpn.org.nz
Registrar / Education facilitator workshop
As usual we will run a DRHM training programme workshop for the registrars and education facilitators.
When: Thursday 8 March 2012 – approx. 10.30am start
Where: Copthorne Hotel, Queenstown.
The programme for this workshop is still in draft from – so if you wish to contribute agenda items, papers or your time – please contact our clinical leaders Patrick McHugh mchugh@tdh.org.nz
, Pragati Guatama pragspall@world-net.co.nz
or Helene Keating helene.keating@rnzcgp.org.nz
Annual AGM and Dinner
The annual AGM and Dinner will follow the workshop.
We will publish the programme for this day as soon as possible.
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Update from Policy Team for the Division of Rural Hospital Medicine
10 th November 2011
Any comments welcome – please contact alice.jarratt@rnzcgp.org.nz
Policy Position Statement – Reducing Health Inequities
A draft position statement on reducing health inequities is currently under development. It has been sent to Te Akoranga a Maui and relevant professionals interests groups for comment.
Policy Position Statement – Pacific Peoples Health
The College’s 2002 Pacific People’s Health policy position has been updated to include the latest literature and has been sent to the Pacific professional interest group for comment. An opportunity has also been provided in ePulse for any member to request a copy and provide comment if they choose.
IFHC Guidance for Members
The policy team is developing guidance for practices and healthcare professionals on integrated family health centres and systems of care. We aim to understand the lessons practices and professionals have learned and what they have found helpful so far. We will use this information to develop case studies and a resource with advice and information for GPs and general practices. There is potential for ongoing guidance to be available through social media forums which enable professionals to share ideas and comment on developments. Alice Jarratt has visited a range of practices throughout New Zealand and is now writing the guidance. If you know of a centre / practice that would be a good example Alice welcomes suggestions.
Strategy development
Felicity Curtis in the policy team is developing a first draft Māori strategy. It is based on discussion with Te Akoranga a Maui and will be further refined in response to the Te
Akoranga a Maui hui on 12 November. At this stage the Māori strategy is likely to provide a high level framework for how the College can better support the needs of Maori.
Discussion Paper – Developing a career pathway for General Practice
A draft discussion document is being finalised on developing a career pathway for General
Practice. The discussion document proposes a multi-faceted approach to develop a career pathway for general practice. This involves establishing:
 a ‘portfolio’ career structure

an advanced general practice national credentialing framework; and

a structured salary with recognition of special skills
The discussion document was drafted by the College with input from Dr Kate Baddock,
GP Chair, NZMA. The policy team is planning to consult members on the proposals in the paper in coming weeks.
Submissions we are working on include: the Green paper for vulnerable children and the Ministry of Health’s
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A very warm welcome to our new Registrar Representative Dr Mark Smith .
If you wish to contact Mark, please email on markos_smithos@hotmail.co
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We have had a great response from Fellows (or nearly Fellows) to spend 1-2 months working in Rural Hospital Medicine at Rarotonga Hospital
We still have a gap for 1 month from mid Feb – mid March, mid April to mid May as well as
November /December: if there is a doctor out there who is interested and for whom these dates fit we would love to hear from you. The work is Rural Hospital generalist covering
OPCs, ED and wards. (There is 24/7 back up for surgery anaesthetics and obstetrics.)
The idea of sending Fellows, prior to trainees is threefold:

A chance to experience some rural/remote RHM for ourselves

To get some of our doctors on the ground over there to see what things our registrars may come up against and work these through with the local staff.

A service component : providing an experienced generalist doctor to the hospital there , which will free up the local docs to take some time out/do some
CME/ get some systems and processes up and running
Plus some time out on a beautiful island experiencing pacific culture!
Whilst funding for accommodation and travel is available, this is not salaried work. Most doctors have been able to tap into some of their CME and sabbatical leave time for this.
The time will be recognized by the Division as meeting the annual requirement for
‘Clinical attachment’ for time spent in a different rural hospital for RHM MOPS.
We have had some interest from registrars but we would still like to hear from anyone else who is interested in spending some time doing Rural Hospital Medicine at Rarotonga hospital or just wanting to find out more about it. We are continuing to work at securing funding for this run.
If you are interested, please contact DRHM administrator Helene Keating
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We still have a small selection of logoed Division of Rural Hospital Medicine Scrubs available in various sizes (S/M/L). Colour is Charcoal.
One DRHM Scrubs top or one pair of pants cost $22.50 inclusive GST
If you are interested, please contact DRHM administrator Helene Keating
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For all doctors considering grandparenting (experiential assessment) for vocational registration as Rural Hospital Doctors please be aware that the last opportunity to do so will be in May 2013 .
We recommend that all applications for the experiential pathway be sent to the Divisions administrator Helene Keating (helene.keating@rnzcgp.org.nz) by November 2012.
The DRHMNZ Board of Studies welcomes enquiries from doctors working in rural hospitals, who may not necessarily fit all the criteria. We can advise you on the best course of action.
Why become vocationally registered as a Rural Hospital Doctor?

Rural Hospital doctors are an energetic, eclectic group of people. By ‘joining the gang’ you will have access to ongoing CME and quality collegiality.

Better pay and conditions: vocational registration will enable transition to the
SMO pay scale.

Vocational registration enables you to practice independently, without the need for collegial relationships.

Vocational registration enables you to have a say about your scope of practice.

Vocationally-registered doctors may have their work environment enhanced by being involved with training rural hospital registrars.

Being vocationally-registered enables a Rural Hospital Doctor to have a great career and still live in their community of choice, close to wonderful natural environments.

New Zealand Medical Council is planning to phase out general medical registrants over time.
The ‘Experiential Pathway to Fellowship Criteria’ can be downloaded here.
For more information please contact, Helene Keating on 04 550 2829 or by email helene.keating@rnzcgp.org.nz
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From the MOPS desk - DRHM: Clinical attachment in a base hospital
Division of Rural Hospital Medicine (DRHM) Fellows are currently required to spend 120 hours per triennium (or 40 hours per annum when the period being considered is less than a full triennium) in a clinical attachment at a Base Hospital. This requirement is intended to prevent the professional isolation that is often a feature of rural hospital practice.
In order to make the process of achieving this requirement easier for DRHM Fellows, the
DRHM Board of Studies has approved the following alternate arrangements:
1. Equivalent time at another rural hospital.
2. Equivalent time spent as a locum in another hospital e.g. Australian Outback.
3. Equivalent time in Outpatients Clinics at Outreach Clinics or Base Hospital.
4. Supervision of a registrar of rural hospital medicine.
5. Supervision of other junior doctors.
6. Supervision of medical students (should be more than one month per year).
7. Relevant University papers e.g. Diploma of Rural Hospital Medicine, ultrasound paper.
Other options will be considered on their merits if they meet ‘professional interaction’ criteria. If you wish to have another arrangement approved, the form is available on the website here, or please contact your MOPS coordinator.
If you have any queries regarding MOPS please contact Jeanette Satterthwaite 04 550
2848
From the CME desk:
The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) endorses appropriate continuing medical education (CME) activities for its members as part of its
Maintenance of Professional Standards (MOPS) programme. In order to be recognised as credits towards CME, courses need to be endorsed prior to the running of the event. The
‘endorsed’ status indicates that the event has been reviewed by the College, or has had
College input during its development, to ensure that certain RNZCGP criteria are met.
In order to apply for endorsed status for your events, please see the CME Guide and applications forms available here on the RNZCGP website.
Completed application forms, or any queries, can be emailed to Margaret Needham or posted to:
Margaret Needham
Professional Development Coordinator
RNZCGP
PO Box 10-440
Wellington
New Zealand
Thank you for your interest in, and support for, continuing education for general practitioners
QUICK LINK TO MOPS BOOK 2011 – 2013
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Advanced Paediatric Life Support – Courses 2012
- Christchurch - 15-17 March (Course already fully subscribed - waiting list possible)
- Dunedin 29-31 March
- Auckland - 8-10 May (Course already fully subscribed - waiting list possible)
- Wellington - 24-26 May
- Wellington - 23-25 August
- Waikato (Hamilton) - 24-26 October
There will be two courses in Auckland in November, but Jo has yet to confirm the availability of the venue.
To sign up for a course please contact:
Jo Jones
NZ Executive Officer
APLS NZ
Phone: 07 312 9574
E-mail: jo@apls.org.nz
Web: http://www.apls.org.nz/
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Rural Hospital Medicine CME Workshop held at Rarotonga Hospital, Cooks Island
( Click for Brochure )
For graduates of the DipPRHM, Fellows of RHM or those on the experiential pathway to
Fellowship or any doctor with an interest in rural hospital medicine.
Approximate cost $1,900 to cover tuition lunches and dinners.
Updated topics from the Diploma of Rural & Provincial & Hospital Practice with a focus on rural hospital medicine.
This will run parallel with the local Cook Islands Health Conference so there is the great opportunity to also attend sessions at this conference.
Limited to first 20 participants.
Please indicate expressions of interest by 31 January 2012 to:
Raelene Abernethy
Rural Postgraduate Administrator
Department of General Practice and Rural Health
University of Otago
PO Box 913
Dunedin
Email: raelene.abernethy@otago.ac.nz
Ph 021 263 2635
Confirmation will depend on sufficient numbers.
Travel and accommodation are not included in the fee.
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You will need to organize your own accommodation.
CME points 1 per hour (ie. 18 hours)
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38th Annual Tutorial at Jackson Lake Lodge in the Grand Tetons – 10-13 August
2012.
Great update in Cardiology for the Generalist.
Contact: dgordon@sjha.org
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Postgraduate Certificate/Diploma in Rural and Provincial Hospital Practice
(PGCert/DipRPHP)
The following papers will be offered in 2012.
The structure of the diploma changed in
2010. If you completed papers in 2009 or earlier you should talk to the course administrator about exclusions.
GENX 724 Context in Rural Hospital Medicine 15 points Semester One
Residential workshop: Mon 27 - Wed 29 February 2012, Hokianga
GENX 725 Communication in Rural Hospital Medicine 15 points Semester One
Residential workshop: Thur 1 - Sat 3 March 2012, Hokianga
GENX 726 Obstetrics & Paediatrics in Rural Hospital Medicine 15 points Semester
Two
Residential Workshop: Mon 23 - Fri 27 July, Wellington
GENX 727 Surgical Specialties in Rural Hospitals 15 points Semester Two
Residential Workshop: Mon 19 - Fri 23 November, Dunedin
Postgraduate Certificate in Clinician-Performed Ultrasound (PGCertCPU)
Designed for rural doctors who wish to pick up ultrasound and ECHO skills.
GENX 717 Generalist Medical Echocardiography 30 points (full year)
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This paper is co-requisitely studied with GENX 718 Generalist Medical Ultrasound for generalist medical practitioners who wish to gain basic skills in procedural and diagnostic echocardiography and ultrasound. Taught from Dunedin. Limited to nine participants in each stream.
GENX 718 Generalist Medical Ultrasound 30 points (full year)
This paper is co-requisitely studied with GENX 717 Generalist Medical Echocardiography for generalist medical practitioners who wish to gain basic skills in procedural and diagnostic ultrasound and echocardiography. Taught from Dunedin. Limited to nine participants in each stream.
Both residential workshops for GENX 717/718 of 3 x 3 days are taught together. Dates to be confirmed.
For more information on PGCert/DipRPHP or PGCertCPU please contact:
Raelene Abernethy
Rural Postgraduate Administrator
Otago University (Wed, Thurs and Fridays)
Department of General Practice and Rural Health
PO Box 913
Dunedin
Phone: 03 479 9186 or Mobile: 021 263 2635
Email: raelene.abernethy@otago.ac.nz
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The Division of The Division of Rural Hospital Medicine wishes all of you a very Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year
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