National Regional Cancer Forum Series
Developing a rural and remote optimal care pathway
This webinar was held on 18 September 2025. Please see the webinar recording below.
The National Regional Cancer Forums aim to address the educational needs of Australia's regional and rural cancer workforce by facilitating reciprocal learning between metropolitan and regional cancer colleagues.
This initiative recognises the imperative that we all must work together towards equitable cancer care. An individual’s postcode shouldn’t influence their outcomes.
Our fourth installment of the National Regional Cancer Forum webinar series explored the Rural and Remote Optimal Care Pathway (OCP), developed by Deakin University's ECORRA group.
Discover how the OCP aims to revolutionise cancer care for rural and remote Australians, addressing unique challenges and reducing inequities. Gain valuable insights into the development and consultation process of the OCP, and an understanding of why it's critically needed.
Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the conversation shaping better cancer outcomes for all Australians, regardless of location. If you work in or are passionate about regional, rural or remote cancer care, this webinar is for you!
Topics covered include:
- An introduction to rural and remote cancer care challenges in Australia
- The comprehensive process followed to create an Optimal Care Pathway for this demographic, including the seven steps
- Special considerations for rural and remote settings including teleoncology, travel schemes, and confidentiality
- Current progress update and draft pathway status
- Public consultation details and how to participate
We welcome your feedback on this webinar here -
Chair
Victoria Turner
Consumer Advocate
Victoria is a registered nurse, midwife, university lecturer, and TAFE teacher of Nursing and Aged Care. She is also a National Assessor for the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council (ANMAC). She has held many voluntary, community engagement, and advisory positions within her local health district and is currently a member of The Daffodil Centre Consumer Involvement in Research Panel. Currently, Victoria is a consumer representative/research affiliate on five cancer-related research projects.
In 2020, Victoria was diagnosed with Stage 3C high-grade serous ovarian cancer. She had chemotherapy before, and after, major debulking surgery. Victoria is an active ovarian cancer advocate and has the voluntary role of the Northern NSW Regional Coordinator, facilitator & presenter for the ANZGOG Survivors Teaching Students program.
Speakers
Professor Anna Ugalde
Principal Investigator, ECORRA Program
Prof Anna Ugalde is the principal investigator of the ECORRA Program (Equitable Cancer Outcomes across Rural and Remote Australia), which consists of a series of projects aiming to reduce cancer inequities. This includes a Medical Research Future Fund Early-Mid Career Researcher Grant, Stream 2, $4.9M, for a project to embed best practice cancer care into rural health services. Over the course of her career, she has been awarded more than $27M in grant income and published more than 110 papers.
Her research implements new programs and performs evaluations of existing models and programs, encompassing the fields of implementation science, behavioural science, supportive care, digital health and health services research. This program is characterised by partnerships across the sector with government, academics, health services, consumers and community, driving direct health impact.
Dr. Florian Honeyball
Medical Oncologist, Dubbo NSW and the University of Sydney
Dr Honeyball is passionate about rural-based translational and health service research and has won local and national awards for improving equity of access to cancer treatments. He has subspecialty interests in genitourinary and breast cancers, serves on the Western NSW district medical staff executive council, and is currently appointed to the advisory council of Cancer Australia.
Kate Whittaker
Acting Director, Cancer Care Policy, Cancer Council Australia
Kate Whittaker has spent over 10 years in cancer-related roles. She has overseen the development of national policies across the cancer continuum to influence health and social support systems, and the social determinants on equitable cancer outcomes. She has published and presented on the topics of the financial costs of cancer, and socioeconomic cancer disparities, and is currently involved in the development of three population based Optimal Care Pathways.
Resource details
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