Rural Support Service

Welcome to our newest team member 📣

Penny Thyer joined the Rural Support Service recently as Manager of Regional Cancer and Palliative Care Services. In this role, she will work collaboratively with the doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and others across our regional Local Health Networks who deliver cancer and palliative care every day to South Australian regional patients and their families.

Penny’s deep and varied experience across SA Health, from frontline clinician to system-wide leadership, will be a strong foundation as she listens to, partners with, and supports clinicians and consumers across country SA throughout the cancer and palliative care in aged care journeys to ensure compassionate, coordinated care for people in some of life’s most vulnerable and challenging times.

Pictured here, left to right, are Dr David Misan, Chair, Regional LHN Medical Credentialing Committee; Penny Thyer; and Julianne O’Connor, Chief Clinical Advisor, Rural Support Service.

Great to have you on board, Penny.

👀 Applications for the 2026 Regional Health Scholarship Program are open!

👍 The program supports regional South Australians studying or working in health by providing financial assistance for the 2026 academic year. Eligible applicants include those enrolled at universities, TAFEs, or registered training organisations.

👩‍🎓 Recipients include school leavers, students and SA Health employees pursuing a wide range of study areas including Aboriginal Primary Health Care, Allied Health, Human Resource Management, Medicine, Nursing and Midwifery.

✅ Last year, 60 scholarships were awarded to support healthcare professionals throughout all six regional Local Health Networks.

👇 The program offers seven categories of scholarships:

• Regional Bonding
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Employee
• Regional Employee
• Regional School Leaver
• Professor Margaret Tobin Scholarship
• Student Placement Grant

👉 For details, please visit the SA Health website: https://tinyurl.com/2vy4mycj or contact the RSS Scholarships Team via: [email protected]

⏳ Applications close on Monday 9 March 2026 (midnight).

The big night is here!

We're cheering on our SA Health Awards finalists:

📶 Regional Care Connect Pilot Program (a collaboration between the CEIH and the RSS) – Dr Phil Tideman Award for Improving Access and Equity category

💻 John Denton (iCCnet, RSS) – Young Professional of the Year category

We’re so proud of the innovation, leadership, and collaboration they bring to rural health every day.

To our finalists: Good luck and remember, you’re already winners in our eyes!