Who we are
Established in 2018 to represent rural paediatricians and paediatricians
who provide rural outreach services, the WA Rural Paediatricians Network
is independent of WA Country Health Service (WACHS)
and Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS).
The Rural Clinical School of Western Australia provides administrative support
to the Network through WA Regional Training Hubs - a Commonwealth-funded program to support post-graduate medical training in rural areas.
The Network's role includes:
- providing independent advocacy on issues relevant to rural paediatricians
- being a forum for discussing shared issues in service delivery and clinical care
- supporting rural training networks
- networking and peer support for rural paediatricians and
- providing peer review opportunities
Current team
Dr Rebecca Cresp - Chairperson
I trained in paediatrics in both WA and the NT completing my qualifications in 2010. After a brief few months at Princess Margaret Hospital for Children (PMH), I then spent my next 12 months as a newly minted consultant working on Groote Eylandt in the Northern Territory. I returned to WA in 2012 and commenced work at PMH as a general paediatrician. I was able to maintain my interest in and focus on Aboriginal health by working with the Aboriginal Ambulatory Care Co-ordination team which subsequently became Koorliny Moort Aboriginal Ambulatory care and remained with that service until 2020 including being the clinical lead from 2018.
I have always maintained a focus and commitment to rural health services even whilst working in Perth. I commenced the first general paediatric outreach service to Albany visiting every 6 weeks from 2012 - 2018 funded through the Rural Health Network and then recommenced visiting services from 2020 through Albany Health Campus. I have been the visiting specialist to Christmas and Cocos Islands since 2018 and continue to visit the Islands every 6 months.
In 2022 I took the plunge and left Perth to live in Albany where I have been working with our dynamic team to focus on growing and creating a paediatric service. I spend my down time counting cows and chickens on my farm whilst growing up my 2 beautiful children.
My focus within the WARP network will be to promote networking and ensuring that we all remain connected across this vast state.
Dr Andrew Tandy - Deputy Chairperson
Qualifying from UCL(UK) in 1981, I have been around awhile. As a Consultant Paediatrician in Taunton Somerset UK for 21 years, I was committed to integration of community and hospital care for children. Working in Australia since 2013, I have always worked in rural and remote Paediatrics. Working for WACHS in Port Hedland for the past 8 years I remain committed to rural Aboriginal Child Health.
Currently I’m RACP work-census classified as ‘part-time considering retirement’. As such, I am proud to be affectionately referred to as an Old Fella Whitefella by my Aboriginal families and asked not to retire yet.
A member of WARP network since instigation, I value networking with Paediatric colleagues in rural WA. My role as deputy to Rebecca Cresp, Chairperson will be focused on post-graduate education and facilitating all members to fulfil RACP CPD requirements.