A Familiar Face, A Vital Service
Dr Anita Moss describes Robinvale as her “home away from home”.
Every seven weeks, Dr Moss journeys to the town of Robinvale, nestled beside the Murray River and the New South Wales border. For more than eight years, she has returned consistently building meaningful relationships with patients who now know her not just as a visiting GP, but as a trusted and familiar face in their community.
In remote communities access to healthcare services can be limited, and considering some patients only feel comfortable consulting with a female physician, Dr Moss’s work through the Flying Doctor GP service has lifesaving implications.
Rural Australians are 2.6 times more likely to die from preventable causes, making early intervention and trusted, high-quality care essential. Thanks to you, people are no longer travelling long distances or going without care altogether. Instead, they are seen early, at no cost, and by a doctor they know and trust.
“Improving health literacy is something I feel very passionate about and it’s that regular contact and rapport and trust building that facilitates that,” Dr Moss explains.
Longer appointment times and continuity of care allow Dr Moss to go beyond the immediate reason for a visit and explore the bigger picture of a patient’s health.
“I actually get to sit down and get to the heart of the matter, which is rarely what they walk in the door with. And to be able to approach it in a holistic, comprehensive way.”
A Familiar Face, A Vital Service
Dr Anita Moss describes Robinvale as her “home away from home”.
Every seven weeks, Dr Moss journeys to the town of Robinvale, nestled beside the Murray River and the New South Wales border. For more than eight years, she has returned consistently building meaningful relationships with patients who now know her not just as a visiting GP, but as a trusted and familiar face in their community.
In remote communities access to healthcare services can be limited, and considering some patients only feel comfortable consulting with a female physician, Dr Moss’s work through the Flying Doctor GP service has lifesaving implications.
Rural Australians are 2.6 times more likely to die from preventable causes, making early intervention and trusted, high-quality care essential. Thanks to you, people are no longer travelling long distances or going without care altogether. Instead, they are seen early, at no cost, and by a doctor they know and trust.
“Improving health literacy is something I feel very passionate about and it’s that regular contact and rapport and trust building that facilitates that,” Dr Moss explains.
Longer appointment times and continuity of care allow Dr Moss to go beyond the immediate reason for a visit and explore the bigger picture of a patient’s health.
“I actually get to sit down and get to the heart of the matter, which is rarely what they walk in the door with. And to be able to approach it in a holistic, comprehensive way.”
Whether it’s a cholesterol check or a conversation about breast imaging, cervical screening or mental or reproductive health, every moment matters.
Locum GPs like Dr Moss aren’t just providing a critical alternative for patients who prefer to see a female doctor – they’re also strengthening the local health workforce.
By bringing additional skills and experience, they’re able to work alongside the doctors and healthcare professionals who live and work in the community full-time, relieving pressure on the system and delivering more collaborative care.
“The work is deeply rewarding because it connects to people’s lives in a meaningful way and allows us to support the local clinicians and allied health workers,” she says.
Thanks to you, in the past year, Flying Doctor GP patients have accessed 1,377 appointments and saved more than 2,119 hours of travel time – time that could instead be spent with family, at work, or simply resting and recovering.
Dr Moss says your investment into communities like Robinvale, “gives hope”.
“It is such a gift to those communities to have that regular visit, that regular touch point, that same face.”
Because of your ongoing support, men and women in Robinvale and surrounding communities have gender choice when it comes to seeing a doctor close to home. Instead of missing out on a diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening condition, they are listened to and cared for.
“I want donors to know, your support helps us prevent primary illnesses becoming more serious,” Dr Moss says.
“It’s been a great privilege to be of service in this community over the last eight years. Thank you.”
Whether it’s a cholesterol check or a conversation about breast imaging, cervical screening or mental or reproductive health, every moment matters.
Locum GPs like Dr Moss aren’t just providing a critical alternative for patients who prefer to see a female doctor – they’re also strengthening the local health workforce.
By bringing additional skills and experience, they’re able to work alongside the doctors and healthcare professionals who live and work in the community full-time, relieving pressure on the system and delivering more collaborative care.
“The work is deeply rewarding because it connects to people’s lives in a meaningful way and allows us to support the local clinicians and allied health workers,” she says.
Thanks to you, in the past year, Flying Doctor GP patients have accessed 1,377 appointments and saved more than 2,119 hours of travel time – time that could instead be spent with family, at work, or simply resting and recovering.
Dr Moss says your investment into communities like Robinvale, “gives hope”.
“It is such a gift to those communities to have that regular visit, that regular touch point, that same face.”
Because of your ongoing support, men and women in Robinvale and surrounding communities have gender choice when it comes to seeing a doctor close to home. Instead of missing out on a diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening condition, they are listened to and cared for.
“I want donors to know, your support helps us prevent primary illnesses becoming more serious,” Dr Moss says.
“It’s been a great privilege to be of service in this community over the last eight years. Thank you.”
Flying Doctor GP service in Robinvale
The Flying Doctor GP service is delivered in a number of small rural communities across Victoria. The service is 100% bulk-billed, leaving the patients with no out-of-pocket expenses. The service is highly valued by both women in men in communities we visit.
The clinics are run every six to eight weeks and are hosted in partnership with a local GP clinic in the area. Currently the service is run in Robinvale, Yarram, Hopetoun, Charlton, Harrow, Balmoral and Ouyen, with clinics also at the Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-Op (MVAC) and Robinvale District Health Service (RDHS).