In any given week, Canberra-based Dr Vimbai Kapuya can see patients face to face at Yass District Hospital’s Emergency Department, provide care to patients virtually anywhere across the state from Bourke to Bega as part of the award-winning NSW Virtual Rural Generalist Service or be in NT training a new generation of rural generalist doctors.
Add to that her additional duties as a Fellow of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM), where she sits on multiple committees, it’s clear that Dr Kapuya runs a busy schedule. And that’s exactly how she likes it!
Dr Vimbai Kapuya at Yass District Hospital’s Emergency Department.
"I feel privileged to have created a flexible career where I can work in different locations and focus on so many aspects of rural and remote medicine, while sharing my skills and knowledge in meaningful way.
"No day is the same – but they are all very fulfilling. I feel that I benefit from playing a variety of roles, including a rural generalist providing care, an educator, and a member of a tight knit Hospital ED team on the ground here in Yass. It offers me great variety and professional satisfaction," said Dr Kapuya.
In June 2024, Dr Kapuya received the Patient Safety Award at Southern’s 2024 Excellence Awards, which honours an extraordinary individual who consistently creates a culture of patient safety within their team.
Her award nomination stated, "Dr Vimbai Kapuya’s dedication to patient safety is evident in every aspect of her work at Yass Hospital. Her active listening, clear communication, and open dialogue create a supportive environment where patients and staff feel empowered to speak up about safety concerns. Her leadership in addressing potential safety issues and her commitment to improving teamwork and communication during safety huddles and handovers contribute to a safer and more effective healthcare environment. Dr Kapuya is a dedicated and highly skilled physician at Yass Hospital who excels in fostering a culture of patient safety within her team."
Dr Vimbai Kapuya was the winner of the Patient Safety Award at Southern’s 2024 Excellence Awards.
Having trained as a Rural Generalist in the Northern Territory, Dr Kapuya did her medical degree in South Africa before moving to Australia. She also holds a diploma in Child Health and completed her Advanced Skills Training in paediatrics. She has a keen interest in medical education and has a post graduate certificate in Medical Education obtained through Flinders University. She is currently the ACRRM regional director of training in the Northern Territory.
Dr Kapuya is passionate about bringing better health care to people living in rural and remote areas, and her experience as both a physician and an educator gives her a unique perspective on the very real challenges and opportunities in rural generalist medicine.
"There are some very significant challenges rural medical officers face, including burnout, fatigue and at times professional isolation. Through my roles I see how important programs such as the Virtual Rural Generalist Service can be in alleviating some of these pressures, whilst ensuring that communities have access to high quality 24/7 medical coverage."
"Working both as part of the team of VRGS doctors, onsite in Yass and in my educator role in the NT I find that I’m in a good position to share knowledge with colleagues, especially about changes in medicine and practices, and also share professional experiences and case studies from other unique rural settings. This is so beneficial and important that we are always learning and always upskilling."
"As a rural generalist you really do need to be confident and comfortable in your own abilities and know what you are doing – working in relative isolation can be challenging because you can’t just refer to another colleague in the hospital. But we develop amazing skills of resilience and problem solving and an ability to do what we can with the resources available."
During her eight years working in the Yass Valley, Dr Kapuya has become a much valued and respected part of the hospital community, as evidence by the message of support shared publicly when she won her award.
"I feel very blessed to be part of this team at Yass. I enjoy providing care and getting to form relationships with our patients and families. I work in a environment with nurses, doctors, allied health professionals and support staff who work very hard every day to maintain a safe and satisfying patient experience … and that’s why I stay!"
A growing Nurse Practitioner (NP) workforce in Southern is working to improve outcomes for our rural communities. Emma Turner is a Transitional Rural Generalist Nurse Practitioner based in Moruya, and a full-time student in the Master of Nurse Practitioner Course. Her specialty is emergency and acute care.
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