Drawing on her experiences growing up in regional Victoria and working across rural healthcare, Dr Manning will examine how communities, health professionals and policymakers can work together to address workforce challenges and improve health outcomes across rural and regional Australia.
While governments and health services have a critical role to play, Dr Manning believes lasting change is most effective when communities themselves are empowered to identify priorities and advocate for the support they need.
"When communities themselves take the initiative and feel empowered to advocate for themselves, this is where solutions are best found," she said.
Her address will explore how local knowledge, partnerships and collective action can help communities influence decision-makers and develop solutions that reflect their unique needs and circumstances.
Dr Manning will also examine one of the most significant challenges facing rural healthcare: workforce retention.
While attracting healthcare professionals to regional communities remains important, Louise believes supporting them to stay is equally critical. Housing availability, childcare, professional isolation and sustainable workloads all influence whether practitioners remain in rural practice long term.
"Recruitment is only part of the picture. Retention is the main issue," she said.
Dr Manning also sees significant opportunities in multidisciplinary healthcare models that bring medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy professionals together.
"Actual team-based, integrated multidisciplinary teams are going to be useful where we're getting everybody doing what they can for the patient together rather than as individual silos," she said.
Ultimately, Dr Manning hopes the oration will encourage communities, health professionals and decision-makers to work together to create practical, locally led solutions.
Hosted by the Violet Vines Centre for Rural Health Research at La Trobe Rural Health School, the Oration will provide an opportunity to explore how communities can champion change and help shape the future of rural healthcare.
The Oration will offer valuable insights for health professionals, researchers, students, community members and anyone interested in the future of rural health and wellbeing.
Join us for what promises to be a thought-provoking discussion on leadership, collaboration and the power of advocacy to drive meaningful change in rural communities.
Register for the event: 2026 Violet Vines Marshman Oration
