Welcome to Rural Health Month 2025

November 2025 marks the start of the sixth annual Rural Health Month. The celebration was launched by RDN's Rural Health Pro back in 2020 as an opportunity for a ‘coming together’ of the rural health community for a series of educational and networking events with a ‘rural positive’ focus.

RDN supports a series of events throughout November for Rural Health Month, including the National Rural and Remote Health Awards and ever popular multi-disciplinary conferences such as the Rural Allied Health Conference, Medical Student Rural Inspiration Conference, Rural Practice Managers Conference and Rural GPs Conference, which includes the Rural Medical Service Awards.

“Back in 2019, RDN conceptualised the development of a celebration for rural health and thought ‘why shouldn’t the month of November be the time to celebrate and think positively about all the great attributes of working and living in rural and remote Australia?” Rural Doctors Network (RDN) CEO Richard Colbran said.

“It’s fantastic to see how many organisations are now supporting and celebrating the idea of Rural Health Month, but also the notion of ‘rural positive’”.

National Rural Health Commissioner welcomes Rural Health Month 2025

National Rural Health Commissioner, Professor Jenny May AM, has welcomed the start of another Rural Health Month, and embraces the spirit of connectedness it represents:

“It is so important that rural health professionals are able to access the professional support they need. Rural Health Month is one such opportunity,” she said.

“I also very much look forward to attending the National Rural and Remote Health Awards in Canberra on 5 November, and to joining others in celebrating rural, remote and Indigenous health professionals and their organisations on a national stage.

“The power of connectedness is a vital ingredient in bringing our rural health community together,” she said.

Professor May will address Rural Health Pro's National Rural and Remote Health Awards on 5 November. With over 230 nominations from all across rural and remote Australia, and 30 finalists in ten categories now 'headed for Canberra' for the Award ceremony, the event promises to once again be a highlight of the rural health calendar and can be viewed live via Rural Health Pro from 6pm on Wednesday. Read all about the finalists here.

'Rural positive' community spirit

Amongst the other highlights will be the Rural GPs Refresher Conference, hosted annually by Rural Doctors Network with the Rural Doctors' Association of NSW and support of NSW Health; and RDN's Rural Practice Managers Conference, both taking place at the Hilton in Sydney.

After attending last year's Rural Practice Manager's Conference, practice owner Courtney Hodges of Forbes, reflected on the community spirit of the event. “It’s a great opportunity to come and meet people” she said. “There’s so much information sharing and exchanging that happens outside the conferences… Every time we took a break we’d have these really wonderful conversations because everyone has the same sort of challenges and so it’s just really nice to know you are not alone.”

It's a sentiment that will please Rural Health Pro Manager Jessica Rostas.

“Rural Health Pro was founded by RDN to help connect and support a national community of rural health professionals, and Rural Health Month embodies that sense of community,” she says.

“Community and connectedness are vital ingredients to the success of any national endeavour and working rurally - and especially remotely – presents unique challenges of distance and isolation. Having a month dedicated to celebration, networking, and training is our way of supporting the people who rise to these challenges and make a difference in communities where it matters most,” she said.

“November now sits as a permanent reminder that no matter what challenges you may be facing as a rural health care professional, you need never feel alone”.