Beyond the Referral: WONCA World Rural Health Conference 2026
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WONCA World Rural Health Conference · NZ · 2026

Beyond
the Referral

Seeing the Whole Person to Strengthen Rural Care, Workforce and Community Outcomes

Thanks for joining us at the workshop. Register below and we'll send you a curated pack of resources: research, commentary, and tools to keep the conversation going.

  • Blog posts and commentary from the team
  • Research publications and other important information
  • Links to our websites and upcoming events
Dr Anna Moran
Dr Jane George
Dr Veronika Rasic
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Get the resource pack

Register your
interest

Takes 60 seconds. We'll send you everything directly.

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The Workshop

When the referral
isn't an option,
what do you do next?

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This 60-minute interactive workshop is built around real-world rural clinical scenarios. In small groups, participants work through structured discussion prompts that challenge them to think beyond the referral: to map what actually exists in their communities, identify unmet needs, and identify one concrete next step.

The workshop reflects a core belief shared by all three facilitators: rural practitioners already hold deep knowledge of their communities. What's needed is shared language, structured approaches, and the confidence to look beyond the referral.

"In rural practice, the 'right' professional is often unavailable. The goal is not to identify the perfect referral. It is to think creatively about what IS available, and how it could help."
Case 01

Medically Stable, Functionally Stuck

Elderly woman · Regional town · Living alone. The medical plan is sound. But she's getting worse.

Case 02

A Good Bloke Having a Hard Time

Middle-aged man · Farming community · Alcohol dependency. He came in for a script. He needs something else.

Case 03

Everyone Is Trying. Nothing Is Working.

Child with autism · Rural school · Family under pressure. No specialist for 200km. Funding not yet in place. A family at breaking point.

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Your Facilitators

Three practitioners.
Complementary lenses.

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Dr Anna Moran
unplex · UNPLEXi

Physiotherapist, researcher, and founder of unplex and UNPLEXi. Twenty-four years across Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the UK working at the intersection of workforce reform, service redesign, and implementation science. Her needs intelligence platform makes the full picture of a person's health and social care needs visible so that organisations can plan care around the person.

Dr Veronika Rasic
Rural Health Compass

Rural GP and founder of Rural Health Compass, whose work centres on rural health equity and the intersection of health systems and policy. Through her podcast The Rural Road to Health and her work with Rural Seeds, EURIPA and Rural WONCA, she has been a consistent international voice for rural health, creating pathways for colleagues building meaningful rural careers.

Dr Jane George
Aotearoa New Zealand

Working at the intersection of rural health equity and workforce sustainability in Aotearoa New Zealand. With roots in social work and a doctorate focused on Allied Health recruitment and retention, her time as Director of Allied Health for Te Tai o Poutini West Coast shaped her understanding that rural communities need health professionals who feel valued, connected, and professionally fulfilled.

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