Community

Our communities are the reason we are here. We are the greatest advocates for rural health outcomes and could not operate without the support of our communities. We build and strengthen our partnerships and connections to ensure that we deliver the best health outcomes for all.

Through our connections with primary and high schools, local hospitals, health and GP services, we aim to spread our reach far and wide.

In 2021, Community Advisory Groups and our Indigenous Advisory Groups helped us keep a pulse on what was happening in our communities. They are key to the establishment of strong community connections and support for students and junior doctors learning or working in our footprints, helping them to gain a sense of belonging and connection to place.

We attended career expos and advice nights, and instigated community dinners in some rural and remote locations to share insights into how we are contributing to building a stronger medical workforce for the future.

The following are examples of projects our staff and students participated in:

• Provided free health checks at the 2021 Beef Australia Expo in Rockhampton. RDAQ invited qualified staff and students to undertake the checks, which resulted in sending three people to hospital.

• The Toowoomba Regional Clinical Unit partnered with the Toowoomba Golf Club to provide Basic Life Support (BLS) and defibrillation training to patrons and community members.
• The Hervey Bay Regional Clinical Unit and Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre simplified teaching basic first aid skills to local youth by designing a Virtual Reality (VR) First Aid course that teaches basic skills required for handling emergency situations.
• Sponsored regional, rural and remote medical events including the RDAQ Annual Conference held on the Gold Coast and the Red Ant Roundup at Kingaroy.