Outback Queensland health centre celebrates 20 yea...

Outback Queensland health centre celebrates 20 years of training — and keeping — future professionals

Posted July 24, 2018 13:18:58

Flying or driving thousands of kilometres to get to healthcare appointments is nothing new for those living in some of Australia's far-flung communities.

But thanks to the work of Mount Isa's Centre for Rural and Remote Health (CRRH) at James Cook University, that is no longer the only option.

The Centre is celebrating 20 years of educating and training future health professionals who are not only learning in the regions but staying there too.

During that time, 60 nursing graduates have passed through their doors and headed out to small communities in the region.

In addition, allied health and medical students from metropolitan areas have completed placements in the bush, with some deciding to stay on or to return.

Growing region's intellectual capital

The centre's director, Professor Sabina Knight, said it was extraordinary how much had been achieved in two decades.

"We've not only brought intellectual and human capital into the region, we've also been able to retain them in the region," she said.

"We've got our own academics and we've been able to grow some locally here [in Mount Isa] and in other places we are operating."

Their presence also encompasses Cloncurry, Normanton, Boulia, Karumba, Barcaldine, Weipa, and Richmond.

A facility is being built in Burketown and the group has a 10-bed accommodation unit in Longreach.

"We're now a destination where students are dying to come to and that's forcing us to change some of our models," Professor Knight said.

"[We need] to keep up with that enthusiasm and optimism of young future health professionals who want to live and work in regions like this.

"We've fostered and grown people into medical leadership roles and positions and that's terribly important for regions to have an opportunity to grow."

Providing holistic approach

Former student Jessica Taylor, who completed her Bachelor of Speech Pathology in 2014 and is studying for a Masters degree, was drawn to Mount Isa from Townsville on a CRRH placement.

Four years on, she is still in the mining city and now working at CRRH as an academic, teaching and supervising future health professionals.

Ms Taylor said the centre aimed to provide students on placements a holistic approach to life in outback communities.

Allied health students from anywhere in Queensland who are doing both undergraduate or post-graduated study can opt to do an eight-week placement in the region.

Tom Currie, who is from an orchard in Barooga, News South Wales, recently finished his medical degree with JCU after placements with CRRH at Mount Isa, Karumba, and Longreach.

He now works at Mount Isa Base Hospital after applying to do his internship there and said he would look back on his placements as "the best years of my life".

"I wouldn't be an intern here now if it wasn't for them and I'll probably work here for many years to come," Dr Currie said.

Kassandra Garner is about to graduate from her speech pathology degree and has already had placements in Townsville and in Timor Leste.

She is originally from Giru, a tiny town just south of Townsville with a population of about 350.

"I'd like to remain in a regional area and I'd really like to do outreach in remote communities," Ms Garner said.

"Speech pathology is underrepresented in a lot of health services and it can provide a lot of opportunity in terms of literacy and engagement with community."

From a student perspective, she said getting remote placements where she could work as though she was in an actual job was valuable preparation for life after university.

"We're working from the rehab centre, managing our own diaries, working with patients, and working as an interdisciplinary team," she said.

"I think it's important to get those skills because working as a clinician is not just anatomical and physiological.

"We're definitely getting a holistic approach to the clinical experience and the support we have received has been incredible and really contributed to our development."

Future challenges identified

As part of a larger Commonwealth workforce strategy, the CRRH is looking towards their next challenge.

"We're trying to really look at addressing the areas of maldistribution [of the health workforce] and change our programs so we're tucking into those difficult corners," Professor Knight said.

"It might take us another 20 years to solve that but we're well on the way."

Topics: university-and-further-education, education, health, healthcare-facilities, rural-youth, community-and-society, mount-isa-4825, james-cook-university-townsville-4811, normanton-4890, weipa-4874, boulia-4829, longreach-4730, burketown-4830, richmond-4740, barcaldine-4725, karumba-4891, cloncurry-4824