George Institute and Rural Health collaboration

A proposed formal collaboration between the School of Rural Health and The George Institute for International Health would focus on the School of Rural Health's participation in two George Institute clinical trials, and the establishment of a multidisciplinary vascular clinic at the School of Rural Health, based on the model currently being established at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

The George Institute conducts epidemiological studies and large-scale clinical trials in the Asia-Pacific region in the areas of chronic non-communicable diseases and injury. The collaboration proposes immediate involvement of the School of Rural Health (Dubbo campus) in two such trials.

The vascular clinic would be based on an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to vascular risk management, achieved by the involvement of multiple specialty groups (cardiologists, neurologists, nephrologists) and allied health professionals (nutritionists, exercise specialists, smoking cessation specialists). In addition to providing a specialised clinical service, the vascular clinic would also provide training and research.

"We believe the need for a specialist integrated vascular risk management service is possibly even greater in regional centres such as Dubbo," says Professor Joe Canalese, Acting Associate Dean of the School of Rural Health, "and the establishment of such a facility would substantially enhance the training and clinical research capacity of the School for Rural Health."

The collaboration outlines activities initially proposed for the Dubbo campus of the School of Rural Health, with a view to possible future expansion to other rural campuses (Orange and Bathurst).