The inpatient unit supports the care of patients with medical, acute, surgical, palliative and maternity related presentations. Aged care services are provided in MDHS’s residential care facilities at Maryborough, Avoca and Dunolly. MDHS provides a range of community services and allied health services. MDHS’s Centre of Inspired Learning (COIL) is a purpose-built training centre for nursing students including simulation and virtual facilities. 

Going Rural Health has partnered with MDHS since 2016, developing placements where students can contribute to allied health services through capacity building and project work. Student placements have expanded across disciplines including Exercise Physiology, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology and Dietetics.  

MDHS’s new student accommodation hub has 20 single bedrooms with ensuites, and communal living, dining and kitchen areas. 

Allied Health placement opportunities and settings vary depending on discipline-specific supervisor availability and capacity. Placement enquiries should be sent directly to MDHS. 

Placement contact: ?? Carolyn Taylor, Allied Health Educator, MDHS 

Allied Health Service Learning placements commenced in 2017 in Occupational Therapy, followed by Physiotherapy in 2018 and Social Work in 2021. Student placements have been developed to address BSHS’s need for increased allied health services across their programs, with a focus on dementia care and improving the wellbeing of older adults residing in long-term care. 

BSHS currently hosts several Physiotherapy placements throughout the year. Planning is underway to expand to other Allied Health disciplines from 2024.  

Allied Health placements at BSHS are well suited to students with prior clinical placement experience, strong communication skills, initiative and commitment to learning. Students are expected to work in pairs and at times without direct discipline-specific supervision. Students will need a car to travel between Beaufort and Skipton. 

Student accommodation is available in BSHS’s student house, a short walk from Beaufort Hospital and Beaufort’s town centre. Students book accommodation by contacting Beaufort Hospital directly. 

Physiotherapy placements at BSHS: 

Physiotherapy placements are well suited to Gerontology and Subacute subject areas. Students attend the Skipton and Beaufort campuses and experience a range of settings including outpatients, TCP, and aged care. Students attend placement in pairs to optimise peer-assisted learning opportunities and peer support while living away from home.  

A collaborative supervision model is led by an external Physiotherapy supervisor, with support from onsite Physiotherapists, onsite Exercise Physiologist, Nurse Unit Managers and the BSHS Education team. The collaborative supervision model opens numerous opportunities for interprofessional learning and collaboration. The external Physiotherapy supervisor coordinates students’ learning activities, ensuring these meet students’ learning needs, while boosting physiotherapy services in needed areas across the health service. 

Placement contact: Lauren Woodhart, Going Rural Health (Ballarat)