Significant role for MUDRIH
MUDRIH is based in Moe in the very building where the Monash School of Rural Health started more than 20 years ago.
The story is now part of the school’s history; the first office was in the cleaner’s cupboard of the old Moe Hospital. Today, the Monash University Department of Rural and Indigenous Health (MUDRIH) occupies a large section of the former hospital building.
MUDRIH has been involved in education prior to, and since becoming a Federal Government funded University Department of Rural Health. Teaching and learning remain a critical focus of the school’s activities.
Its teaching strengths include research methods; program evaluation; rural health practice; Indigenous health and cultural awareness; interprofessional collaboration; mental health; alcohol and other drugs; counselling; public health; and rural pharmacy.
Research also plays a significant role in MUDRIH’s activities. The school is responsible for supervising students throughout the school undertaking higher degrees by research including research masters and PhDs.
Research strengths are in: pharmacy; interprofessional education; simulation; cancer; Indigenous health; health services; aged care and carers; mental health; health workforce; and health and medical education.
The Indigenous Health team is focussed on improving the health of Indigenous Australians through a partnership approach across multiple programs. MUDRIH encourages Indigenous Australians to undertake careers in the health sector and works in co-operation with other services and organisations toward this outcome. The collaboration between medical, nursing and allied health professionals is vital for good client/patient care. Interprofessional education at MUDRIH brings these professions together as students and practitioners to learn how to work as teams through the delivery of workshops, training and ongoing research
The Rural Pharmacy Program, funded by the Pharmacy Guild ofAustralia, is another of MUDRIH’s many effective collaborations, this one being between Monash University and the University of Melbourne. Its primary aims are to maintain and improve access to quality pharmacy services for rural and remote communities as well as increasing the total pharmacy workforce starting and staying in practice.
MUDRIH is committed to improving access to mental health services. Its work in this area aims to improve the capacity of non-mental health workers and other professionals to deal with mental health issues among clients and patients while also increasing awareness in the general community and mentoring and supervising students and practitioners. It runs a well-supported Gippsland Mental Health Vacation School each year. Staff also focus on research and evaluation in this area.
The Chronic Diseases Management (CDM) Node is one of more than 50 affiliates with the Joanna Briggs Institute at the University of Adelaide. CDM sees MUDRIH and the School of Nursing and Midwifery partner with Latrobe Regional Hospital and Latrobe Community Health Service to collaborate in chronic disease management research and clinical experience.
MUDRIH has worked in partnership with a number of Victorian Integrated Cancer Services to implement and evaluate supportive care into routine patient care and clinical practice.
It has also developed several partnerships to provide research and education that supports elderly Australians with positive ageing, supporting frail aged people to remain in their own homes as long as possible.