Sharing knowledge, friendship and support at the 2024 Regional, Rural and Remote Emergency Medicine Conference
““I think this has been the best conference I’ve been to in a very long time.””
FACEM Dr Bridget Honan said her motivation to attend ACEM’s inaugural Regional, Rural and Remote Emergency Medicine Conference in Darwin/Gulumerrdgen – where proud Larrakia people have lived and cared for the land for more than 60,000 years – was to “connect with other rural emergency clinicians about what’s happening in other places and learn what’s happening across rural Australia”.
When asked if the three-day conference (7-9 July 2024) met her expectations, Dr Honan, who works at the Grafton Base Hospital in New South Wales, said, “Absolutely. I think this has been the best conference I’ve been to in a very long time.”
“I just wish there was time to see everyone – and I’m looking forward to listening to the recordings.”
Welcome to Darwin/Gulumerrdgen
The opening ceremony welcomed all conference attendees and was the starting point of a packed three-day program of workshops, plenary sessions, networking opportunities and keynote presentations.
From day one’s pre-conference workshop exploring essential procedures in emergency medicine, to the New Fellows Workshop and the Master the Unpredictable session that tapped into the essence of what it means to work with the ‘endless surprises’ of Australasian EDs, the program aimed to offer something for everyone. ACEM President FACEM Dr Stephen Gourley and fellow co-convenor of the RRR conference FACEM Dr Karly Field said the program’s content was designed to inform, engage and support - as well as spark meaningful conversations.
Sessions included:
Rural Emergency Medicine Across the Globe featured speakers from Tanzania, Alaska and the Scottish Highlands sharing what rural emergency care means to them, and how they have built systems to shape the healthcare landscape around them
Celebrating Diversity & Inclusion in Rural Emergency Medicine explored how a diverse workforce can shape the culture of rural emergency departments
The Power of Community asked attendees ‘How can you harness the power of community to support your department?’
‘In defence of the bush’: why local people stay local, and metro people go bush showcased the lived experiences of loyal defenders of the rural lifestyle – sharing personal stories about going or staying bush.
Shaping our Landscape | First Nations Perspectives featured a panel of Emergency Medicine Practitioners from Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand as they explored the ways the Australasian healthcare landscape is shaped by First Nations Peoples.
“You know it is a good session if everyone is laughing … and crying,” Dr Gourley said.
Conference attendees were welcomed to the lands and waters of the Larrakia people.
Navigating an evolving landscape
Guided by the theme of Shaping Our Landscape, the RRR conference aimed to bring emergency medicine professionals together with other medical professionals from Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia and beyond – to not only share their expertise and experiences, but also celebrate the landscapes that are the backdrop to the way people work, live and thrive.
Celebration
Fun with friends and colleagues at the ‘Hoedown Throwdown’-themed Gala event in the Darwin Botanic Gardens.
The entertainment-focused highlight of the program was the ‘Hoedown Throwdown’ Gala Event that saw ACEM members mingling (and dancing) with FACEMs and other health sector colleagues over music from The Hillbilly Goats bluegrass band.
The night was described by Dr Gourley as a perfect celebration of life, love, and also pure passion – something that he said is an important part of dealing with the unique challenges of RRR emergency medicine, and something that both attendees and organisers say was evident in each of the sessions and keynote addresses.
Rejuvenation
For those who travelled from the nation’s far-flung RRR areas and metropolitan EDs, the trip to Darwin aimed to provide an opportunity to feel replenished and renewed. Simply being together and making deeper connections with people who “get it” was, said Dr Gourley “a wonderful experience”.
Toe-tapping tunes from The Hillbilly Goats bluegrass band entertained the hoedown crowd.
“ “I think you learn more from people who’ve lived through it and worked it and can tell you about the emotion attached to the knowledge, rather than just the knowledge itself.””
Enhancing rural healthcare - one small hospital at a time
Professor Richard Fleet’s keynote address saw him share reflections on life as an emergency physician in Quebec, Canada, and showcase what he described as the creativity and unwavering dedication he believes are essential ingredients in emergency departments.
As a Full Professor at Université Laval in Québec City, Canada, his work highlights the disparities in emergency care accessibility across Canada, particularly focusing on the crucial differences between rural and urban areas.
Networking and sharing knowledge
FACEM Dr Bec Day acted as the event’s MC and said she wanted to “hear about the lived experience of people who work more remotely than I do”.
“That was the bit that was going to be most enriching,” she said. “I think you learn more from people who’ve lived through it and worked it and can tell you about the emotion attached to the knowledge, rather than just the knowledge itself.”
The Queer EM Networking Event: Celebrating our future! was another program inclusion and invited LGBTQIA+ members, trainees and allies to foster connections and promote inclusivity within the emergency medicine profession.
FACEM Dr Bec Day with ACEM President and conference co-convenor FACEM Dr Stephen Gourley.
FACEM Dr Sarah Goddard was a crowd favourite.
Listening and learning
Picking a favourite speaker was easy, Dr Day said. “Sarah Goddard – all the way. I’m almost crying just talking about it. She was a med student and intern with us, and I watched her struggle, and I watched her succeed, and I watched her pick herself up and just get on with it whenever it didn’t work – and she’s just fantastic and fabulous. She’s just doing amazing things in the Barkly (region) and I’m so proud of her.”
Attendees travelled from across Australia to share stories of lived experience and learn from others.
““I really wanted to network with friends both old and new and to collaborate for the future – it’s been such a fantastic space.””
FACEM Dr Bridget Honan with FACEM Dr Tahnee Dunlop.
FACEM Dr Ryan Dashwood from the regional ED at Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital said he came to the conference “to see my friends and catch up with my ACEM family”.
“To be regenerated, renewed, pick up some new innovative ways of thinking and just be there and represent my college that I’m so proud of.”
Dr Goddard’s presentation was also his personal “stand-out” session.
“She’s been an inspiration. I’ve known her since I was a medical student,” Dr Dashwood said. “She’s an educator, she’s a leader, she’s a mum … she’s just an amazing powerhouse.”
FACEM Dr Tahnee Dunlop came to Darwin from a rural ED in the Victorian town of Warrnambool.
“I had the opportunity to speak and share some of the research I’m doing,” she said. “I really wanted to network with friends both old and new and to collaborate for the future – it’s been such a fantastic space.”
If she had to pin down what she considered the highest scientific yield from the RRR conference, Dr Dunlop named the cardiology sessions.
Networking and educational opportunities were an integral part of the inaugural conference.
“Angus Bowman’s talk, in particular, was a fantastic insight into current cardiology practice and rural cardiology specifically.”
When it came to uplifting presentations, though, Dr Dunlop said she “loved” Dr Goddard’s talk too.
“It’s great to hear lots of inspiring stories, in addition to the science,” she said.
A diverse range of sessions presented valuable information and invited emergency medicine professionals to share stories of their lives in Australasian EDs.
“FACEM Dr Ryan Dashwood’s reasons for coming to the RRR Conference included “to be regenerated, renewed, pick up some new innovative ways of thinking and just be there and represent my college that I’m so proud of”.”
It All Adds Up: Dr Liz Mowatt delivers the closing lecture
Another “ACEM powerhouse”, FACEM Dr Liz Mowatt was chosen to give the closing lecture for about “a million reasons”, said Dr Day.
Dr Mowatt's presentation, It All Adds Up, ended with a standing ovation from the audience.
“We are the sum of our experiences” she told the crowd, adding that “learning is accelerated by exposure”, and reminding people that “when somebody asks for help, how you respond to that request is crucial”.
FACEM Dr Liz Mowatt received a standing ovation for her talk that closed the inaugural Regional, Rural and Remote Emergency Medicine Conference.
“I was not born with a rural heart but rural medicine just made sense in so many ways,” Dr Mowatt said.
It’s a passion, she said, that laid the foundations of who she is today.
“It is in the resource-limited environment that we learn how to get through, to make the most of what we have – and those seeds of innovation grow best when they are nurtured. With the right support, challenges become opportunities for growth. People find their strength and their stride,” Dr Mowatt said.
“Teams become greater than the sum of their parts.”
“ “I was not born with a rural heart but rural medicine just made sense in so many ways.””
Dr Mowatt called on emergency medicine professionals in RRR settings to “remember how important the work you do is” and “remember how connected you are to the community that you care for and the people that you work with – that is really special”.
“If you are working rurally, then I hope you still love it dearly,” she said.
Success in what can be a uniquely challenging and, at times, isolating professional pathway, can be achieved when people remember to “keep being there for each other,” Dr Mowatt said, adding that staying committed to the beliefs that motivated your decision to choose regional rural and remote medicine are vital – no matter where the future may eventually lead.
“You are exactly where you are supposed to be right now.”
The ambitious conference undertaking was a collaborative team effort of FACEMs, ACEM members and staff.
All good things must come to an end
As the final day ended on 9 July, Dr Gourley thanked everyone for being part of the landmark event, and said, “When we were designing the conference, the three words we used were innovation, celebration and rejuvenation. How did we do?”
What’s next?
Dr Gourley also outlined the immediate post-conference future.
“Now that we have made the remarkable achievements and pressing needs of RRR emergency medicine so visible – now what?”
State of Emergency (SOE) in RRR
His conviction that this was the first of future RRR conferences was a welcome commitment. The release of the State of Emergency report later in 2024, Dr Gourley said, will also help highlight the (predominantly workforce-related) inequities in RRR and draw careful public attention to the issue.
Expanding ACEM’s RRR family
Next, he said, ACEM wants to see its family grow.
“We know outside the cities, the majority of the people working in EDs are not FACEMs,” said Dr Gourley. He said that, by working together to recognise the value FACEMs add, “we can continue to use our collective and individual skills to train them and celebrate the vital skillset of other staff too”.
Emergency Medicine Education and Training (EMET)
ACEM will also be campaigning for federal funding to see the ongoing funding of EMET, Dr Gourley said, promising that he would continue to visit ACEM members in RRR areas to learn more about what the most critical needs are and how to further raise the profile of RRR emergency medicine.
The smoking ceremony ended the official events of the three-day conference.
For those who missed attending the conference, recordings are now available to purchase on-demand. Register here. Registrations close 20 September 2024 and recordings are available to watch until 28 February 2025.
