The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) is proud to be Gold Partner of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia (RDAA) Practice Owners’ Conference on the Gold Coast this weekend (7–8 March), with ACRRM President Dr Rod Martin presenting on the sustainability of rural medical practices.
Leading into the conference, Dr Martin says the event provides an important opportunity to highlight how the Rural Generalist model strengthens healthcare access and secures the future of rural, remote, and First Nations communities.
He says sustainable rural healthcare requires more than short-term recruitment incentives.
“Across rural and remote Australia, practice owners are facing significant workforce instability, financial pressure and increasing community need,” he says.
“The Rural Generalist model keeps care close to home.
“It supports doctors to work across primary care, hospital, and advanced skill settings, ensuring communities can access comprehensive care locally.
“When care stays local, communities are stronger, health outcomes improve and practices are more stable.”
Dr Martin says training is central to securing the future of rural healthcare, with ACRRM the only college fully focused on Rural Generalist training.
“The most reliable workforce strategy outside metropolitan areas is to grow your own.
“When practices partner with ACRRM as training sites, they strengthen their workforce pipeline, create clear succession pathways and protect continuity of care for their communities.
“Our training model is designed around broad scope, hospital integration and long-term rural commitment — exactly the elements that underpin sustainable rural practice and arguably medical care more broadly.
Dr Martin says retention is a critical part of the Rural Generalist workforce story.
“ACRRM-trained Rural Generalists have strong retention rates in rural and remote communities because they are trained for the realities of rural medicine and supported to build long-term careers outside metropolitan areas,” he says.
“Retention matters just as much as recruitment. “Communities need doctors who stay, build relationships and provide continuity of care over time.”
Dr Martin says with many rural practice owners approaching retirement, developing ownership pathways for the next generation of Rural Generalists is critical to maintaining community-based healthcare.
ACRRM and RDAA share a longstanding partnership focused on strengthening rural and remote medical workforce policy and supporting doctors who live and work outside the urban corridor.
The organisations will again co-host the Rural Medicine Australia (RMA) conference in October, continuing their joint commitment to healthy rural, remote, and First Nations communities.
Leading into the conference, Dr Martin says the event provides an important opportunity to highlight how the Rural Generalist model strengthens healthcare access and secures the future of rural, remote, and First Nations communities.
He says sustainable rural healthcare requires more than short-term recruitment incentives.
“Across rural and remote Australia, practice owners are facing significant workforce instability, financial pressure and increasing community need,” he says.
“The Rural Generalist model keeps care close to home.
“It supports doctors to work across primary care, hospital, and advanced skill settings, ensuring communities can access comprehensive care locally.
“When care stays local, communities are stronger, health outcomes improve and practices are more stable.”
Dr Martin says training is central to securing the future of rural healthcare, with ACRRM the only college fully focused on Rural Generalist training.
“The most reliable workforce strategy outside metropolitan areas is to grow your own.
“When practices partner with ACRRM as training sites, they strengthen their workforce pipeline, create clear succession pathways and protect continuity of care for their communities.
“Our training model is designed around broad scope, hospital integration and long-term rural commitment — exactly the elements that underpin sustainable rural practice and arguably medical care more broadly.
Dr Martin says retention is a critical part of the Rural Generalist workforce story.
“ACRRM-trained Rural Generalists have strong retention rates in rural and remote communities because they are trained for the realities of rural medicine and supported to build long-term careers outside metropolitan areas,” he says.
“Retention matters just as much as recruitment. “Communities need doctors who stay, build relationships and provide continuity of care over time.”
Dr Martin says with many rural practice owners approaching retirement, developing ownership pathways for the next generation of Rural Generalists is critical to maintaining community-based healthcare.
ACRRM and RDAA share a longstanding partnership focused on strengthening rural and remote medical workforce policy and supporting doctors who live and work outside the urban corridor.
The organisations will again co-host the Rural Medicine Australia (RMA) conference in October, continuing their joint commitment to healthy rural, remote, and First Nations communities.