WA Country Health Service (WACHS) and Curtin University have joined forces to further support the transformation of the way health care is delivered for people living in rural, remote and regional Western Australia.
The WACHS-Curtin University Research and Innovation Alliance will work to ensure better health outcomes for regional and remote communities, guided by leading research and innovation and more targeted training for the next generation of country health workers.
The partnership aims to positively impact health outcomes for those living in regional and remote areas, with a particular focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in WA and throughout Australia.
In a move to further cement this new relationship with Curtin, the WACHS Research and Innovation team will relocate next year to be on-site at the University's new Exchange precinct, Curtin's first dedicated industry-connected innovation district.
Working alongside will allow the teams easy access to data analytics capability and innovative new technologies including virtual reality and 3D imaging - tools that will help facilitate research to address the unique health care needs of regional Western Australians.
Important research under the new alliance is already well underway. This includes a key project to help better identify and manage chronic kidney disease - a condition that affects people living in rural and remote areas at almost twice the rate of city dwellers and Indigenous Australians at more than four times the rate.
The Alliance is also working to quickly upskill frontline workers who deliver telehealth services, noting how demand significantly increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As stated by Health Minister Roger Cook:
"The WA Country Health Service and Curtin University Research and Innovation Alliance is built on the premise that no one should be disadvantaged based on where they live.
"Co-locating will allow Curtin University researchers, students and WA Country Health Service teams to foster a two-way learning culture while utilising the available academic resources, innovative tools and technologies.
"A key focus of the Alliance will be developing training for country health frontline employees, to ensure their skillset is tailored to meet the specific needs of the communities they serve.
"The McGowan Government recognises the value of innovative research to deliver tangible health outcomes for a wide range of conditions and bringing care closer to home."
