• To promote professional education and development for rural, regional and remote ACHSE members
• To develop networks and procedures to assist the extension of existing State based continuing professional development activities for rural members in other States and territories
• To develop and promote the particular continuing professional development needs of rural, regional and remote members
• A wider membership of ACHSE from potential members living and working in rural, regional and remote areas
• To encourage policy debate amongst rural, regional and remote members to assist in they're continuing professional development
• To develop and comment on rural, regional and remote health issues and policy as they relate to the improved health outcomes of Australians living in these areas
• To develop a strategy to target employees to promote the value of health management programs for new managers
• To facilitate the establishment of an employer recognised management mentor program
• To investigate and determine support mechanisms for indigenous management initiatives.
• The National Rural Health Special Interest Group is an advisory committee to Federal Council and as such has no authority apart from that delegated by Federal Council

Current Membership of the ACHSE National Rural Health Special Interest Group

NSW Chair Sue McAlpin current ACHSE representative on National Rural Health Alliance

Contact Details:
Present Position: Senior Lecturer Nutriton and Dietetic Charles Sturt University
Phone: 02 69332684
Email: smcalpin@csu.edu.au

WA	Trevor Canning
VIC	John Lawrence
SA	Rick Brandon
ACT	Jacinta George
QLD	Glynda Summers
NT	Glenn Hoffman
TAS	Grant Lennox
NSW	Stuart Schneider

The group meets bimonthly by teleconference, with a face to face meeting held annually at the Congress with the National Director and the President of Federal Council.

The Rural Health Special Interest Group members would welcome items for consideration at their meeting from the College membership though contacting any of the members directly or though the National Office of the College.

ACHSE Membership on the National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA)

The Alliance is the peak non- - government rural and remote health organisation working for the good health and well being in rural and remote Australia. It is comprised of twenty-two member bodies representing consumer and health provider organisations. Each member is a national organisation in its own right and its affiliation to the alliance is regularly accredited.

The College has had a formal involvement with national rural health initiatives since the foundation of the peak rural health body in Australia the National Rural Health Alliance. The rural members of ACHSE became one of the inaugural members of the Alliance in 1992 with the College being represented by John Lawrence during the period 1992 to 2001. During that period John held the position of Chairman and Deputy Chairman during his time representing the College on the NRHA.

The ACHSE representative on NRHA appointed in July 2001 by Federal Council is the current Chair of the Rural Health Special Interest Group Sue McAlpin. The Council of the Alliance meets on a bimonthly basis with annual four-day meeting of all member of the Alliance in Canberra. The Alliance develops an annual series of position papers on current issues of relevance to rural health.

In Alliance has over time developed a series of position papers which are within the context of the Alliances general priorities, these may be viewed on the NHRA website http://www.ruralhealth.org.au.

In 2002 the Alliance is developing a series of draft position papers which are available for comment. The ACHSE representative on the Alliance and other members of the ACHSE Rural Special Interest Group would welcome input from the ACHSE membership into these documents.

There presently are draft position paper s on the following :-

Mental Health
Medicare in the Bush
Scholarship Policy
Indigenous Matters
Flexible Education
Nursing Workforce