PRESS RELEASE: Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA) invests in education and relational program with NT Health to close health gaps and support local NT Health workforce in specialist area.

The Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA) has launched the Regional, Remote and Indigenous Outreach program in Alice Springs. This program marks a significant stride in advancing gastroenterological and liver healthcare in remote areas of Australia.

In an unprecedented show of support and knowledge sharing, leading physicians, surgeons and nurses in the gastroenterology field are gathered in Alice Springs to provide direct, hands-on training to local health professionals.

The outreach program’s design is to foster an enduring relationship between NT Health and GESA, bridging the distance between Australia’s most renowned specialists.

GESA President, Professor Benedict Devereaux said, “The Outreach program in Alice Springs this week demonstrates GESA’s commitment to gastrointestinal and liver health in regional and remote Australia. By bringing Australia’s experts to Alice Springs we offer support to our medical and nursing colleagues who provide a great service to their patients. In addition to establishing enduring clinical and research links, our expectation is that over time more specialists will commit long-term to practise in regional and remote centres. One of our main focus points this week is endoscopic procedures. We are providing continued professional development for local gastroenterologist and surgeon proceduralists. This is essential as surgeons and gastroenterologists share a common goal of excellence in patient care.”

Melbourne based Colorectal Surgeon, Dr Iain Skinner said, “I am honoured to have been asked to join the combined Gastroenterological and Surgical taskforce that has been recruited to provide G.I. medical, surgical and endoscopic support to the team at Alice Springs Hospital. The opportunity to provide coaching and upskilling to colleagues in a remote setting, isolated from close supports, has given me a view of their unique challenges and the inequities of care delivery that exist in this community. That Australian characteristic, “mateship”, in the extended medical community has underpinned this initiative and will forge closer links between individuals and centres. This development can only benefit the equity and quality of care delivered to the people of central Australia.”

The program commenced in Darwin earlier this year with the induction of the first GESA gastroenterology fellowship at the Royal Darwin Hospital, awarded to Dr Bassem Ibrahim. The program also includes intensive training over the year at Royal Darwin Hospital by professors in the specialties of Endoscopy, Liver, IBD and general gastroenterology to provide ongoing onsite education and mentoring.

Associate Professor, Rebecca Burgell said, “The GESA rural, remote, and indigenous fellowship is a tremendous initiative that takes practical steps to address the inequality in healthcare, and healthcare training, found in Australia today. I was incredibly honoured to be asked to support the team in Darwin and contribute towards Dr Bassem Ibrahim’s clinical training. The Medical and Nursing team at Royal Darwin hospital were incredibly welcoming and we have established networks which I am confident will produce productive research and clinical collaborations going forwards.”

GESA Fellow, Bassem Ibrahim said, “I am excited to be undertaking the GESA Regional, Remote & Indigenous Fellowship in Darwin. It is an enormous privilege to be given this opportunity. This fellowship facilitates a unique experience to participate in gastroenterology with a focus on improving its delivery in regional and remote communities; a critical function in healthcare that I have been enthusiastic and passionate to explore and develop. I am excited to be working with incredible role models and mentors in the field and hope to use the experience to continue contributing to gastroenterology in regional areas.”

Chair of GESA’s Regional, Remote and Indigenous Network, Dr Kirsty Campbell said, “An initiative like this is imperative for staff practising in the NT, who can be geographically and professionally isolated. Having Australia’s leaders in gastroenterology and colonoscopy visit allows us to remain up to date with recent changes in practise styles and enhances our endoscopic skill set through enhanced diagnosis and intervention. These interactions only serve to strengthen our professional networks and allow greater ease when obtaining an expert opinion from interstate colleagues.
So far, this program has been incredibly well received by all involved – local providers and interstate faculty – I can see it having long-lasting impacts on healthcare delivery in the NT.”

This week, Alice Springs is buzzing with comprehensive, onsite practical and theory-based training sessions. The program’s focus is on education and mentoring, aiming to cultivate a symbiotic relationship that will elevate the standard of healthcare in this regional centre and the remote communities that it services.

The outreach program is committed to several key objectives including: increasing access to gastroenterologists and hepatologists; reducing the burden of gastroenterological and liver disease; decreasing preventable hospitalisations; and providing enhanced support for specialist nurses and allied health professionals for improved management of gastroenterological diseases. The initiatives are designed to enhance the healthcare of Territorians and improve gastrointestinal and liver care in the NT.

For a regional centre like Alice Springs, this program is a game-changer. Often required to seek specialist services from far-flung locations, the community will have greater access to home-grown expertise and treatment options.

GESA President, Ben Devereaux said, “The success and impact of GESA’s Regional, Remote and Indigenous initiative incorporating the RRI Fellowship, Visiting Professor and Outreach programs will be dependent on a sustained partnership to confront the healthcare challenges encountered in the Northern Territory. These challenges are the result of vast distances, climate events and a large Indigenous population which is impacted by cultural, linguistic and social barriers. The challenges are significant and affecting positive change will take time. In working together, GESA and NT Health will find solutions which can be adapted in regional and remote communities throughout the country.”

About GESA: The Gastroenterological Society of Australia (GESA) is the peak membership organisation for Australian healthcare professionals and researchers working in the fields of gastroenterology and hepatology.
As a society GESA sets, promotes, and continuously improves the standards of clinical practice in gastroenterology and hepatology throughout Australia.
GESA works closely with its members to provide training, drive research, and ensure the highest standards are set when it comes to patient care.