{"id":567,"date":"2025-05-27T15:43:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T05:43:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ruralhealth.org.au\/stagingpartyline\/?p=567"},"modified":"2025-05-29T10:34:39","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T00:34:39","slug":"ensuring-rural-women-have-access-to-maternity-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ruralhealth.org.au\/partyline\/ensuring-rural-women-have-access-to-maternity-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Ensuring rural women have access to maternity care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For Dr Rebecca Devitt, providing high-quality maternity care in rural Australia is both a passion and a necessity. As a Rural Generalist (RG) with advanced skills in obstetrics and gynaecology, she plays a critical role in ensuring that women and their families can access safe and comprehensive maternity services close to home. However, she knows firsthand the challenges rural communities face in maintaining these essential services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing up in Mudgee, New South Wales, Dr Devitt developed a strong connection to rural communities. She initially completed an undergraduate degree in before deciding to pursue a medical degree at the University of Wollongong. Her interest in rural medicine and obstetrics was solidified during a placement in Forbes, New South Wales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe reason I chose ACRRM and rural generalism as a career path was because I just wanted to do everything,\u201d she says. \u201cI couldn’t necessarily narrow down a specialty that I wanted to do exclusively.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Training through the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) allowed Dr Devitt to develop a wide range of skills, building her confidence to deliver exceptional care across multiple healthcare settings. It gave her the ability to support her beloved rural community of Mudgee by working in both general practice and hospital environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn rural and remote medicine, you just don’t know what’s going to come through the door,\u201d she explains. \u201cSometimes you have to step up and manage something very emergent. \u201cOther times, you need to be a problem solver, figure out what\u2019s going on, and find the best way to help the patient.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While she thrives in the fast-paced, unpredictable world of emergency medicine, Dr Devitt\u2019s is equally comfortable working in maternity care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always really loved doing obstetrics. \u201cIt\u2019s a great combination – you do some medicine, you do some surgery, and you build long-term relationships with your patients,\u201d she says. \u201cBeing able to provide continuity of care throughout pregnancy and birth is incredibly rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now a staff specialist at Mudgee Hospital, Dr Devitt splits her time between emergency care and maternity services. Her dual role highlights the versatility and importance of Rural Generalists, particularly those with advanced skills in obstetrics, in sustaining healthcare services outside the urban footprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Devitt believes that Rural Generalist training equips doctors to provide truly holistic care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cACRRM training really equips you to have well-rounded rural skills so you can jump straight in and work in a hospital, in general practice, or other environments,\u201d she says. \u201cYou’re not narrowed down to one line of work, and I think that’s the real benefit of Rural Generalist training with ACRRM.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, she warns that without enough RGs trained in obstetrics, rural communities risk losing these vital maternity services. The shortage of doctors with these skills leads to fewer birth services being available locally, meaning more women are forced to travel significant distances for care, often at great emotional and financial cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Devitt\u2019s experience reflects her deep commitment to rural communities and her passion for comprehensive healthcare. She embraces the diverse challenges and opportunities that rural medicine presents, striving every day to make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When I look back on my career, I want to be able to say that I\u2019ve been a good mother, wife, daughter, and friend. \u201cI hope that the work I do every day makes a difference for people, and that I can continue to support and grow the medical community in Mudgee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Devitt\u2019s story is a testament to the indispensable role that Rural Generalists play in supporting maternity care in rural, remote and First Nations Australia. With appropriate investment in Rural Generalist training pathways, more doctors like her can continue to provide vital services, ensuring that women and families across rural Australia receive the care they deserve\u2014close to home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find out more about Rural Generalists making a difference where they are needed most, at acrrm.org.au<\/a><\/p>\n

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