Collegiality and learning at “big finish” to Rural Health Month 2025

All rural health roads led to Sydney last week and over the weekend for a big finish to the sixth annual series of Rural Health Month conferences. While streets below bustled with big city Christmas shoppers, inside the conference venue at the Hilton, 750 practice managers, General Practitioners (GPs) and medical students enjoyed re-connecting with each other for a series of training and networking events aimed at improving rural health outcomes for the community.

This year, in a significant act of recognition for the work of the rural health community and RDN members, RDN’s Patron, Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of NSW, held a welcome reception for around 100 guests at Government House on Wednesday ahead of the Conferences, offering her opening remarks in Gadigal language in acknowledgement of the historic setting, before speaking of her admiration and support for the efforts of rural doctors. 

The packed schedule of events commenced with an ADHD Masterclass and Advanced Life Support and New GP Orientation workshops and carried through with the Rural Practice Managers Conference and Medical Student Rural Inspiration Conference, plus the longest running conference of all, the Rural GPs Conference.

Amongst the distinguished participants at this year’s GP Conference was National Rural Health Commissioner, Professor Jenny May AM, who told WIN News that the series of events represented a great opportunity for rural GPs, together with the support staff that surround general practice and rural medicine. “It’s the collegiality, it’s the networking and it’s the continuing professional development, where people who’ve got really important roles in our rural communities can get together and share stories,” Professor May said.

The concept of Rural Health Month 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. This year’s formal events kicked off with the National Rural and Remote Health Awards in Canberra on 5 November and concluded on Sunday with the wrapping up of the Rural GPs Conference.

Rural Health Pro Manager, Jessica Rostas said these events remind us that collaboration and connection are essential for sustaining rural health services.

“Rural Health Month is about connection, capability, and inspiration —whether celebrating excellence at the National Rural and Remote Health Awards, inspiring current and future doctors, supporting nurse and midwife wellbeing, or sharing innovation at allied health events—all for better health outcomes in rural Australia,” Jessica said.