Queensland Health

Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) Director, Professor Fraser, was named as an Officer of the Order of Australia last weekend! 🌟 This prestigious recognition celebrates his unwavering dedication to medicine, his impactful role at The Prince Charles Hospital, and his trailblazing work in critical care research. Professor Fraser said he was both humbled and honoured by the accolade. 🥰 'This represents not just my efforts, but the efforts of my many mentors, collaborators and team members I have had the good fortune to work with and learn from,' Professor Fraser said. Under his leadership, the CCRG has been behind some groundbreaking projects like The Living Heart Project, ICU of the Future, and COVID Critical. A huge thank you to Professor Fraser and his dedicated team for their tireless commitment to advancing critical care research and improving lives. Professor Fraser was one of the many Queensland Health and Queensland Ambulance Service workers recognised for their outstanding work. Congratulations to everyone that was honoured! 👏 Via: Metro North Health #HealthHeroes

Friendly reminder to sit up straight ... did we get you? 🪑 We're sure you've heard it all before, that slouching is bad for your back. Did you know it's not just your back that struggles when you slouch? Poor posture can actually increase your risk of incontinence, constipation and heartburn 😰 If you've been hunched over at your desk, whether you're sitting or standing, give these posture perfecting tips a try: 🪑 When sitting, lean back into the backrest and use a lumbar cushion for support. 🪑 Keep your knees level with feet comfortably flat on the ground. 🪑 Make sure your computer screen is at eye level—not too high, and not too low. 🪑 When standing, relax your shoulders down and back, tucking in your stomach to engage those core muscles. 🪑 Switch between sitting and standing to avoid being in the same position for too long. Your spine does a lot of heavy lifting, day in day out—so a little extra support goes a long way when it comes to your posture! ℹ Sources: Harvard Medical School. Healthdirect. Healthline.

If you were born on the Gold Coast after 1982, there’s a good chance Dr Charters played an important role in your birth! 💙👶 After 43 years of exceptional service and around 20,000 births, this exceptional doctor is retiring from Gold Coast Health, leaving behind a profound legacy. ❤ Throughout his career, Dr Charters prided himself on his close connections with colleagues, especially midwives, and said those relationships shone most strongly in the tough moments. 'We work together as a very strong, very close group of maternity providers, and I think that is so important,' he said. Dr Charters said it was a 'privilege' to spend his career looking after women. 'They are so import to our whole society; they’re mothers, they’re sisters, they’re grandmothers, they’re friends, partners, whatever – women are such a positive to all of our lives.' As the Women, Newborn and Children’s Services first specialist obstetrician/gynaecologist, Dr Charters has been instrumental in growing the department into the world-class service it is today. 'Being involved in the origin of this department and seeing it develop and become what it is today is the most satisfying part of my career,' he said. Dr Charters spent 25 years as Director of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and his legacy includes the prestigious President’s Medal from The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), the first for a Queenslander. Thank you, Dr Charters, for your remarkable contributions to women’s health. Your legacy will continue to inspire for generations to come. ✨ Via: Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service #HealthHero

'I love being part of the neonatal team and watching tiny patients grow stronger each day. The smallest moments of comfort can make all the difference to them and their families.' Meet Ashtyn. For almost three years, Ashtyn has been a dedicated Assistant in Nursing (AIN) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Logan Hospital, bringing care and compassion to some of our most vulnerable patients. ✨ Ashtyn plays a crucial role in the daily operations of the unit. Whether it's assisting with admissions and discharges or ensuring the nursery is stocked with essential supplies, she's always there to support the NICU and keep everything running smoothly. 🍼 The NICU is a fast-paced environment that provides specialised care for sick premature babies, including life support, respiratory aid, and constant monitoring. 'What I love most is meeting all the new faces and their families. It’s so rewarding to help them feel at ease during what can be a very emotional time,' Ashtyn said. Whether she's caring for babies in long-term care or jumping in to help the nurses during critical moments, Ashtyn's always ready to lend a hand where it’s needed most. 'It’s inspiring to watch the nurses and midwives work in high-pressure situations every day,' she said. 'It motivates me to continue my studies in nursing and midwifery, so one day I can do the incredible work they do.' Thank you, Ashtyn, and your team in the NICU for all that you do. Your compassion and care make a real difference in the lives of the families and babies you care for every day. ❤ #HealthHero

Meet Gwen, a graduate registered nurse who has started her nursing career at Thursday Island Hospital. 🏥✨ Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS) is continuing its commitment to 'grow our own' by creating more opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and graduates, with Gwen’s story being a true highlight of this initiative. Her passion for rural nursing and community care led her to this beautiful part of Queensland, where she quickly felt a true sense of belonging. 'I feel like I'm part of the community,' she said. Gwen's journey began during a rural placement in the Northern Territory, where she first learned about the TCHHS graduate program and discovered her interest in rural and remote healthcare. 'I loved the people and the experience. During my cadetship with the Deadly Ears program, I had the chance to visit Thursday Island, and that really reinforced my decision that rural nursing is what I want to do,' she said. Through partnerships with James Cook University and other institutions, TCHHS continues to highlight the diverse health career opportunities available across the Torres and Cape region. 🌿🤝 We’re so excited for you, Gwen, and all the new starters in the Torres and Cape region! Your dedication to community health will make a lasting impact on families across the region. 💖 Interested in making a difference in remote and rural health? Explore career opportunities with Queensland Health and start your own journey today at https://bit.ly/3AFB9wN Via Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service #HealthHero

By day, Barbara is on the move as a patient transport driver, and by night, she’s a passionate soccer player. ⚽✨ For the last 10 years, Barbara has been a driving force (pun intended) within the Patient Transport Services Unit at Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH). The small but dedicated team operates 24/7, ensuring patients are safely transported across hospitals, discharged home, or taken to appointments. 🚑 With up to 11 transfers booked a day, Barbara makes sure every patient is looked after with care and attention. 'I always make sure the patients I transport are settled safely at home, with a call pendant or mobile phone near and readily available for them,' she said. Originally from Glasgow, Barbara is now a proud Australian citizen who’s passionate about making a difference in people’s lives. Outside of work, she’s still kicking goals—literally! 'I’m still playing [soccer] at the ripe old age of 58. I absolutely love this beautiful game,' she said. Thank you, Barbara, for your hard work, dedication, and for passionately caring about each patient. You truly make a difference every day. 🙌💙 Inspired by Barbara's story? Explore career opportunities with Queensland Health and start your own journey today at https://bit.ly/3AFB9wN Via: Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service #HealthHero

The Princess Alexandra Hospital’s (PAH) Stroke Unit has achieved a major milestone, earning certification as a Comprehensive Stroke Unit (CSU) by the Australian Stroke Coalition. 🙌 Dr Devlin (pictured front right), the stroke unit medical lead, explained that the achievement was a testament to the power of teamwork and the team's unwavering dedication to providing exceptional care. 'This accreditation recognises and endorses our stroke processes, clinical standards, clear documentation and our audit of stroke patients coming to the PAH,' Dr Devlin said. 'It also highlights the significant progress we've made in delivering timely treatment for stroke patients.' The PAH is now the second Queensland site to achieve CSU accreditation, following the Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH), and one of only seven sites named nationally. 👏 From admission to discharge, a dedicated team of medical, nursing, and allied health professionals work collaboratively to provide high-quality, timely care for every patient. 🥰 'Delivering care to someone having a stroke is certainly a team effort,' Dr Devlin said. 'We're supported by multiple units in the hospital who have invested time and effort and processes into making that patient journey from hospital, from door to discharge door as safe and as efficient as possible.' A huge congratulations to the entire team at the PAH for this outstanding achievement and thank you for your continued commitment to excellence in stroke care. ❤ Via: Metro South Health #HealthHeros

Lady Lamington may have inspired the delicious chocolatey, coconutty goodness that is the lamington — but that wasn't her only claim to fame. 🤩 Born Annabella Elizabeth Mary Houghton Hozier, she married the second Baron Lamington in June 1895, shortly before his appointment as Queensland’s eighth Governor in April 1896. Lady Lamington quickly established a reputation as congenial and hard-working. Shortly after her marriage, she opened a new cookery school at the Brisbane Technical College and became patron of the Braille Society. She was also instrumental in establishing the Lady Lamington Hospital for the Diseases of Women and the Lady Lamington Nurses’ Home at the Brisbane General Hospital. 🏥 The Lady Lamington Hospital was part of the Brisbane General Hospital precinct in Herston, where the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (RBWH) is now. The Lady Lamington Nurses' Home was the social epicentre of life as a resident nurse at the RBWH. Generations of nurses lived here during their years of training. These buildings are the oldest surviving nurses’ quarters in Queensland. Lady Lamington was so committed to her work that she trained with St John's as a nurse, and made time to volunteer at the general hospital. She did this all while raising her two children. After her time in Queensland, she served in the volunteer ambulance brigade in France during World War I. 🚑 In 1901, Lord and Lady Lamington left for Bombay, India where he served until 1907. On their retirement, the Lamingtons returned to Lanarkshire in Scotland. Lady Lamington died in 1944 at the age of 75, four years after her husband. She is remembered as 'a most loveable woman'. 🥰 ℹ️ Sources: State Library of Queensland, Metro North Health, QLD Governor (Facebook)

Meet Dr Altmann. Recently making the exciting transition from neonatal nurse to junior doctor, she begins her internship alongside 73 junior doctors at Townsville University Hospital this month. 🩺 After five years of caring for pre-term and critically unwell babies in the neonatal unit, Dr Altmann felt the calling to take her passion for helping others to the next level. Her extensive nursing experience took her to locations like Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Sierra Leone, Libya, Laos, and Papua New Guinea, where she worked in challenging environments to provide care to those in need. 🌍 'I wanted to do more to help people, and becoming a doctor is the next step in that journey,' she said. Over the next 12 months, Dr Altmann will be working across several areas of the health service, gaining experience in general medicine, emergency care, cardiology, surgery, paediatrics, rural health care, and cancer care. 'I'm excited to learn more about being a doctor and am looking forward to training my eight-month-old Labradoodle, Lucy, to become a therapy dog.' New medical interns across Queensland will gain clinical experience in areas like emergency, cardiology, orthopaedics, anaesthetics, obstetrics, paediatrics, ICU, mental health, and surgery. 881 new medical interns will start their internships across Queensland hospitals in 2025. 👏 We’re thrilled for you, Dr Altmann, and for all of the incredible junior doctors starting their internships this year! Your diverse experience and commitment to helping others will undoubtedly make a significant impact on the lives of patients and families. 🌟 #HealthHeros

After nearly 40 years of groundbreaking work, Dr Walpole is retiring from the Princess Alexandra (PA) Hospital, leaving a lasting legacy that’s transformed cancer care in Australia and worldwide. 💙 From his early days as an intern in 1981 to his return to the PA Hospital in 1990, Dr Walpole’s career has been defined by his unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for cancer patients. As Medical Director of Cancer Services, he has not only advanced medical oncology for countless Australians but also inspired generations of medical professionals and researchers, raising evidence-based practice and research to world-leading standards. 'The change in perspective of cancer treatment today compared to the 1990s, and having the data to support that alongside our research, has been key in reshaping how we treat and understand cancer.' While we’re saddened to see him retire, we celebrate the extraordinary impact Dr Walpole has had on the field. His commitment to excellence in research and patient care has created a legacy that will inspire future generations of doctors and researchers for years to come. ✨ Thank you, Dr Walpole, for your profound contributions to oncology and the countless lives you’ve touched. Your work will continue to inspire the fight against cancer. 🧬💙 Via Metro South Health #HealthHero