blah blah blah | July 31

acting HSCE, and I’m delighted to be here. So far, I’ve had the opportunity to hear from senior clinicians and I’m interested in doing more of that engagement in the coming weeks. It’s always both interesting and educative hearing from people on the frontline not just about the pain points and challenges of working in a large, tertiary hospital but also about the great work that is happening every day.

Yesterday was Brighter Day and it was amazing to see the entire hospital and the local community get behind the cause. I could tell from the long lines at the bake sale and sausage sizzle yesterday that the passion for your local health service and communities runs deep. With the money raised, Townsville University Hospital is a step closer to having life-saving stem cell transplant services and bringing care closer to home for people in the north.

Speaking of the great work being done in north Queensland, this is my first column in the blah blah blah and I’m looking forward to reading all the stories in today’s edition. From the physios who are about to kick off Active August to improve health outcomes during the inpatient stay experience to the consumer engagement that has been happening as part of the North Block expansion project, these stories are testament to the commitment you share for delivering great healthcare to your patients and communities. I’m particularly interested in reading about Brady Young, who was diagnosed with infant botulism and how our staff worked together in a race against time to ensure life-saving medication and treatment was available for him. What a harrowing time it must have been for his parents and siblings. The coming together of clinical, administration and leadership teams saved a baby’s life and made me really proud, as I hope it does you, to work in the public healthcare system.

I’ve been in Brisbane this week for the Estimates hearings and am quick to admit that the warmth of Townsville was a nice welcome back; the Brisbane weather was bitter. I’m looking forward to using some of my downtime this weekend to scoping out the bike trails at Pallarenda. I’ve heard some great things about the trails around Townsville, and I’d welcome any suggestions for where I should take the bike while I’m here.

Enjoy the weekend and week ahead and thank you all for the very warm welcome.

Peta Bryant Acting Health Service Chief Executive

Baby Brady survives rare illness after international race for lifesaving treatment

An extraordinary international effort to source a lifesaving antitoxin from California has helped save the life of a young PICU patient after he developed one of the rarest conditions clinicians are ever likely to encounter.

At just seven weeks old Brady Young was a happy, healthy baby boy.

But while visiting Townsville from Cloncurry, Brady suddenly became critically unwell.

What began as a day of fussiness and poor feeding quickly escalated into a medical emergency that saw him rushed to Townsville University Hospital, placed on a ventilator and diagnosed with infant botulism, one of the rarest conditions clinicians are ever likely to encounter.

Brady’s mum Cheyenne Gamble said the warning signs weren’t obvious at first.

“He wouldn’t feed and he just continually kept crying from when he woke up,” Cheyenne said.

“As the day went on, he became lethargic, still wouldn’t eat, and his cry got weaker.

“When I tried to put him to sleep in the swing, he wasn’t really moving, he was just staring blankly and had stopped producing tears, but at the time I thought he was just getting exhausted.”

Brady was first taken to Mater Hospital Townsville before being transferred by ambulance to TUH, where his condition rapidly deteriorated.

As specialists worked urgently to determine the cause of his sudden paralysis, veteran paediatrician Dr Pat Ryan suspected infant botulism and, working alongside PICU clinical director Dr Andrew Clift and the wider clinical team, began the process of confirming the rare diagnosis.

Because the condition can progress rapidly, the clinical team made the decision to begin treatment before the diagnosis was confirmed.

The only available antitoxin was stored in California, triggering an extraordinary international effort involving Townsville clinicians, Queensland Health, the Australian Government and US health authorities.

Helping coordinate that effort was TUH registrar Dr Cathy Duan.

“The moment botulism became a possibility, we knew every minute mattered and our focus immediately shifted to getting the antitoxin to Brady as quickly as possible,” Cathy said.

“Fortunately, the laboratory was able to confirm the diagnosis before the antitoxin arrived, with samples sent to Brisbane for highly specialised confirmatory testing for infant botulism.

“This was a true team effort, from the clinicians who first suspected botulism and the pathology team that confirmed the diagnosis to the leadership team who fast-tracked the approvals, the pharmacists, nurses, and everyone who worked together to get the antitoxin to Brady as quickly as possible.”

After spending 91 days in hospital, Brady was finally able to return home to Cloncurry.

While he remains on home oxygen and continues to receive nutrition through an NG tube, Brady is making encouraging progress.

“He’s getting stronger all over, and the more we do the exercises and build that muscle strength the more he’s starting to regain all of those typical developmental milestones,” Cheyenne said.

Looking back, Cheyenne believes one unexpected twist of fate made all the difference.

“We were meant to be back in Cloncurry when Brady got sick, but the floods meant we were stranded in Townsville and I truly believe that gave him the best chance of surviving.”

She also had one final message for the staff who cared for her son.

“From the bottom of my heart, I just want to thank every single person who cared for Brady, from the ambulance officers and emergency department staff to the doctors, nurses, allied health teams and everyone in the PICU and paediatric ward because we were never treated like just another patient, we were treated like family.”

Small-town beginnings and nursing wisdom led Peta to healthcare

The seeds for a lifelong interest in regional healthcare were sown early for acting HSCE Peta Bryant.

The granddaughter of a shearer and daughter of a nurse, Peta was raised in Cootamundra, a Riverina town in New South Wales, birthplace of Donald Bradman, and home to fewer than 6,000 people.

“My mum was a nurse, and we always talked about healthcare in one way or another,” Peta said.

Peta first studied arts at university in Canberra followed by a degree in economics from the University of Sydney, working in local art galleries to pay her way.

“I worked at a commercial gallery and at the Art Gallery of New South Wales; it was interesting work and taught me about how to manage very loud, impassioned, influential clients,” she said.

“And it also made me clearer about what it means to truly leverage a full range of resources to create something; to make sure a person receives great care takes many minds and skills.”

Peta’s first job in government was at the Commonwealth Department of Finance working, ironically, on the health budget.

After three years overseeing the national health budget and developing the first National Health Reform Agreement, Peta moved to Banlung in remote eastern Cambodia to work with an NGO, before returning to Canberra only to find the place “far too cold to endure”.

An initial stint with Queensland Health was followed by seven years with KPMG, working on health and social service policy and program evaluations.

“In 2016, I went to one of the partners and asked if I could go to Darwin and establish a market for health and human services consulting there,” she said.

“So they let me go to Darwin for two years, just enough time see Cyclone Marcus come through and decide that cyclones aren’t fun.

“It was fantastic, though, and I did a lot of work around services for rough sleepers and culturally safe healthcare before coming back to Brisbane.”

Peta said she jumped at the chance to work in the Townsville HHS.

“The health service is such a system leader, not just Townsville itself but across the region,” she said.

When Peta is not at work, you can find her on the ‘unbeaten path’ cycling on one of her five bikes.

“I’m also huge yogi fan and swimmer, so I’ve already found Tobruk which is fantastic.”

Peta will soon be joined in Townsville by her husband, Manolo, a graphic designer.

“He told me he’d follow me anywhere, just not to Ipswich,” she said.

Peta and Manolo have a long list of bushwalks and are planning a trip to Magnetic Island.

“I’ve never been there and I’m told it’s beautiful,” she said.

Welcome, Peta!

Physios safari into Active August

Lions and tigers and giraffes (oh my!) will feature on the walls of Townsville University Hospital from tomorrow as an African safarithemed Active August kicks off.

Physiotherapist team leader Eve Miller said the initiative was a major campaign that began as a way to create awareness about the negative effects of inactivity.

“We involve all the acute wards in the hospital with the initiative, put posters up to let them know it’s happening, and facilitate all the activities,” Eve said.

“This year we have a safari theme and one of the activities we have is an animal ‘Who Am I?’ and patients will need to identify the animal paws that will be on the walls and then go on a hunt to find the corresponding animal somewhere else around the ward.

“We’ll also have tokens for the wards and every time an activity is completed, they can submit their token and the most active ward at the end of August will win a prize.”

There will be a lot at stake for each ward with an air fryer and pizza party up for grabs.

Eve said the initiative’s aim was to make a qualifying activity as accessible as possible for patients.

“Any form of activity that’s outside of their normal routine that gets them dressed and out of bed is encouraged,” she said.

“If people need to go to the toilet, incorporate a short walk or take the long way to the toilet or if they would normally stay in bed to eat, we’ll encourage them to eat at the table if it’s possible for them to do so.

“One of the main initiatives we’re encouraging is how we can all work together to get out patients to 500 steps a day, the minimum steps required to prevent hospital associated deconditioning.”

Over the years, Active August has become a positive fixture across the hospital.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase of awareness about the positive effects of patients getting out of bed and moving,” Eve said.

“We’ve also seen it translate beyond the month of August with staff displaying increased awareness about the positive benefits of getting their patients to be more active during their stay.”

Active August kicks off tomorrow and hospital staff can expect to see the physio team popping up safari animals and encouraging movement throughout the month.

Celebrating a year of life-changing kidney transplants in north Queensland

The North Queensland Kidney Transplant Service (NQKTS) has transformed the lives of 29 patients across the state’s north in its first year, bringing life-changing kidney transplant surgery closer to home and reducing the need for some of the state’s most vulnerable patients to relocate to Brisbane for treatment.

Among those to benefit are Townsville residents

Vicki Bayly and David Smith, and Mackay farmer Paul Vassallo, who each received a kidney transplant through regional Australia’s only kidney transplant service.

After more than two years on dialysis, former paediatric intensive care nurse Vicki Bayly said the transplant had given her a new lease on life.

“The fact I didn’t have to go to Brisbane made such a huge difference because it saved us time, money and stress, and meant I could recover at home surrounded by my family and support network,” Vicki said.

“I feel so much better now because I’m baking again, doing the things I love and, best of all, I can travel again after missing out on visiting my daughter and grandchildren in New Zealand while I was on dialysis.”

For Townsville local David Smith, his transplant marked a second chance after spending more than six years on dialysis.

“When I got the call, I couldn’t believe it because I’d waited so long,” David said.

“I’ve got my independence back because I can drive again, go fishing and spend time with my family without planning my life around dialysis.”

Mackay farmer Paul Vassallo said his transplant had given him valuable time back with his family after years of dialysis.

“Driving a few hours from Mackay is nothing compared to having to relocate to Brisbane. It’s made the whole experience so much easier for my family,” Paul said.

“The transplant has given me my life back. Dialysis was taking around 18 hours out of every week. Now I’ve got that time back and things are starting to feel normal again.”

NQKTS clinical director Dr Michelle Harfield said the experiences of patients like Vicki, David and Paul showed what the service was all about.

“A kidney transplant is much more than a medical procedure; it’s an opportunity for people living with kidney failure to reclaim their health, independence and quality of life,” Michelle said.

“Our patients show incredible resilience throughout their transplant journey. Seeing them come off dialysis, return to their families and get back to the lives they enjoy is the greatest reward for our team.”

The service has supported patients from across the Mackay, Townsville and Cairns regions, as well as Mount Isa, Cape York, the Torres Strait and the Gulf of Carpentaria, with around 40 per cent of transplant recipients in it the first year identifying as First Nations.

The service’s first anniversary coincides with DonateLife Week, recognising the extraordinary generosity of organ and tissue donors and their families whose selfless decisions have changed the lives of Australians through the gift of organ donation.

Find out more about DonateLife Week here.

Seventh annual Soup for the Soul warms hearts and raises record funds

Empty bowls and full hearts were the order of the day as Townsville University Hospital oncology dietitians and speech pathologists dished up their seventh Soup for the Soul fundraiser.

The team offered eight soups this year, each cooked from scratch by the dietitians and speech pathologists themselves.

Senior oncology dietitian Sarah Deacon said this year’s event raised $1,695, the team’s best result to date, with funds going directly to Head and Neck Cancer Australia (HANCA), the national charity behind the Soup for the Soul campaign.

“The fundraiser fell on World Head and Neck Cancer Day on 27 July, a day dedicated to raising awareness of a cancer type that receives comparatively little national attention despite its significant impact,” Sarah said.

“Every day in Australia, 15 people are diagnosed with head and neck cancer, and more than 18,000 people are living with the long-term impacts of treatment from the past five years alone.”

Sarah said it was wonderful to see everyone get behind the event every year.

“It’s a lot of preparation but it’s so worth it,” she said.

“One of the oncology day unit nurses Lauren even added a fresh touch with home-baked sourdough.

“We had a patient make a special trip to find us on the day wearing maroon - the ribbon colour for head and neck cancer.

“She wanted to know if we were doing anything for World Head and Neck Cancer Day and was so glad when she found out that we were.”

Sarah said she was grateful for the support and opportunity to raise awareness of head and neck cancer.

Funds raised will go toward HANCA’s free information and support services, including Australia’s first Head and Neck Cancer Helpline, for patients and families navigating a diagnosis.

Missed out on soup? Try RecipeTin Eats smokey roasted tomato soup recipe on page 21. (Nagi and Jaffle also made a generous donation upon finding out her recipes were used!)

Hyperbaric medicine’s so high school

More than 10 years after a school excursion to Townsville University Hospital’s hyperbaric medicine unit, two staff members have serendipitously ended up becoming trainees in hyperbaric medicine.

Back in 2015, hyperbaric registrar Dr Hailey Smith and intensive care unit (ICU) registered nurse Erica Nielsen were grade 11 students at Ryan Catholic College and visited Townsville University Hospital’s hyperbaric chamber as part of their studies in chemistry.

“We were learning about all the gas and pressure laws and came here for a practical demonstration of them,” Hailey said.

“The hyperbaric team used balloons to demonstrate pressure volume changes, which gave us a visual representation of the concepts we were learning about.”

Hailey admitted that while she had an interest in studying medicine at the time, she didn’t know then she would end up working back in the hyperbaric unit.

“It’s nice to look back at that time and appreciate how it’s come full circle,” she said.

“I want to do anaesthetics and hyperbarics is a branch of that; the fellowship for hyperbarics comes under ANZCA (Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists).

“There’s some crossover with the physiology between hyperbarics and anaesthetics and continuing that relationship between theatre and here has been nice.”

For Erica, being able to provide continuity of care for her ICU patients was what led her to undertaking further training in hyperbaric nursing.

“There’s a handful of ICU nurses who are trained to come down here with some of our critically unwell patients for conditions such as necrotising fasciitis wounds,” Erica said.

“It’s nice to bring them down here without having to hand off to another nurse but also personally, it’s another skill to learn and a further step in my nursing career.

“It’s funny because I did not love chemistry very much at the time and after the excursion, I didn’t see this in my future and now to also see Hailey down here was a nice surprise.”

The burning question of course: did they ace their grade 11 chemistry test?

“Hailey probably aced hers, I probably did not, and that’s why she’s the doctor,” Erica said.

Shark attack survivor meets NRL heroes

The Sydney Roosters have thrown their support behind one of their biggest supporters, inviting shark attack survivor and massive Roosters fan Sam Nai to a closed training session ahead of their annihilation of the Cowboys last night.

Sam was savagely bitten by a shark while swimming at Thursday Island in October last year, requiring him to have more than 20 surgeries at Townsville University Hospital.

Back in Townsville for some follow-up appointments, the 15-year-old had the opportunity to meet the players and take part in their training session.

Sam said it was an incredible experience to meet some of the players.

“Mark Nawaqanitawase is one of my favourite players and being able to meet him and talk to him was a dream come true,” Sam said.

“The club gave me a jersey and all the players signed it which was really special.

“The coach then invited me to have a run in the training session and pass the ball to Sam Walker as part of his kicking practice.”

Sam’s mum Shanna Mosby said you couldn’t wipe the smile off Sam’s face when the players arrived.

“He loves his footy and he loves the Roosters and this was a really special moment for him,” Shanna said.

“He has been through so much and to see that bit of joy from being able to meet some of his heroes brought a tear to my eye.

“I am so proud of him and all that he has come through.

“I really want to thank the Sydney Roosters and the Townsville Hospital and Health Service for making all this possible.

“While Sam does support the Roosters, I also want to thank the Cowboys for getting us tickets to the game and helping to make some special memories for him.”

Director of paediatric surgery Dr Harry Stalewski said the recovery Sam made was testament to his drive and the care of the people around him.

“Sam survived one of the most significant shark bites that has been recorded and to see him out on the field throwing passes to NRL players is an incredible achievement,” Harry said.

“It is all possible because of Sam’s spirit and the expertise and care of the whole team at Townsville University Hospital.”

Patients go for gold in oncology games

Patients from Townsville University Hospital’s oncology ward recently took on each other and staff in a series of mini games to mark the start of the Commonwealth Games.

They competed in everything from ring toss, bean bag toss, balloon tables tennis, bowling, and mini golf.

Patricia Jeffrey, who is being treated for adrenal cancer, said the games were a fun way to get out of bed and interact with other people.

“It has been really marvellous to see all other patients out of their beds and even some family come along to cheer on their loved ones in the games,” Patricia said.

“Cancer is serious business and is quite heavy so to get out of the rooms and have some fun with each other is a much needed reprieve.

“This is one of many events the staff at the oncology ward put on to try encourage us to keep moving and it is just incredible.

“The staff are just so committed to their jobs and patient care; they’re really worth their weight in gold.”

Physiotherapist Sarah Hultgren helped to organise the event and said getting patients moving was one of the best ways to help with their recovery.

“It was great to see so many patients come out and either take part in the games or watch and cheer on other patients,” Sarah said.

“Putting on the event was a collaborative effort between the allied health, nursing staff, and our Eat Walk Engage team with the equipment being donated by the Calvary Church group.

“Research shows us that by getting patients to stay active while they are in hospital can significantly help in their recovery.

“Getting out of bed and their rooms also benefits them cognitively which can help to prevent conditions like delirium and confusion.”

Sarah said events like this also helped put a smile on patients’ faces.

“A lot of these patients are dealing with bad diagnosis or life-changing conditions,” she said.

“Doing something like these games allows them to switch off from thinking about what they’re going through or why they’re in hospital and just focus on having some fun.”

Friday 28 August 2026

Robert Douglas Auditorium 12-2pm Food Music Performances Connection

Enjoy live performances, delicious food and music while exploring the diverse cultures that make up our health service community

Kirwan nurses drive donations for families

Townsville community health staff at Kirwan Health Campus have started a donation drive to support refugee families, cared for by the hospital, after noticing many arriving in Australia with next to nothing.

The refugee health team works with newly arrived families to help them settle into the Australian healthcare system, connecting them with GPs, dentists and specialists, and managing immunisations, and health screening.

Refugee health clinical nurse Lauren McMillan said the donation drive began small with a welcome pack to help families feel safe in an unfamiliar place.

“We found when we were meeting people for the first time, and they’ve just landed in the country, a new, unfamiliar place, that things were very overwhelming,” Lauren said.

“The kids don’t have pencil cases, and they don’t have just basics like menstrual products or anything really.

“They get a single bag per person when they arrive in the country, and that’s how they start their lives.”

Lauren said word spread among Kirwan staff, who began bringing in toys, clothing, shoes and baby items from home with the donations taken to a hub at Aitkenvale State School, which distributes items to the families who need them most.

“It was actually overwhelming seeing the scale of donations, we thought we’d get a pencil case here and there,” Lauren said.

“The impact on families has really stuck with us as a team because although the items being donated are such small things for us, they mean the world to these families.

“We had one little girl who was given a pair of donated boots, and she told staff she hadn’t had shoes that had fitted her in two years.

“We gave a jar of coffee to a mum, and she was just hugging it like it was golden; she was so overwhelmed and said it was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

“Those stories are the reason we are doing this.”

Lauren said staff wanting to help can drop donations to the refugee health team at Kirwan Health Campus, or to the blue ‘refugee health donation’ bin at Brighter Lives in the Townsville University Hospital foyer.

Items most needed include small toys, baby items, nappies, hygiene products and school supplies.

Contact the team: TCHSrefugeenurse@health.qld.gov.au for the full list of donatable items or with any questions.

Janelle closes the book on 30 years of caring for families

After more than 30 years with Queensland Health, child development service senior occupational therapist Janelle Kent is preparing to farewell colleagues and step into retirement.

Janelle joined Queensland Health in January 1993 and has spent her entire career in community health, watching the service evolve through several name changes before it became the child development service, based at Kirwan.

Her work has taken her well beyond Townsville, delivering outreach to Julia Creek, Ingham and Bowen, with the service now extended to Palm Island, as well as working for specialty clinics, including the juvenile idiopathic arthritis clinic.

Asked what she’s most proud of, Janelle said there was not one single achievement.

“I’m proud of the body of work as a whole and everything I’ve done, I’ve enjoyed really,” Janelle said.

Janelle said she wanted to acknowledge her colleagues broadly, including the service’s longserving physiotherapists and speech pathologists.

“The people I’ve worked alongside made my career what it was,” she said

“I’ve just been very, very blessed to have lots of really lovely people to work with, and it’s been a privilege to help families.”

Child development service program director Carly Hislop said Janelle’s impact was marked by her steady presence, quiet competence, and genuine care for children, families, and colleagues.

“Janelle was a trusted clinician, a supportive teammate and a calming influence, always willing to help and never seeking recognition for her efforts,” Carly said.

“Her contribution to the child development service has been significant and enduring and, while she will be greatly missed, we wish her every happiness as she begins this next chapter.”

Janelle said while she’ll miss the social side of the job, she was looking forward to more time with her grandchildren in Townsville and down south.

“I’m going to miss the skills and the friendship of the teams I worked with,” she said.

“But I am looking forward to a little bit of travel, house renovation, gardening and spending a little bit more time with the grandkids.”

Sky’s the limit for Lynette’s rocketing healthcare career

Lynette ‘Rocket’ Baker has swapped pots and pans for mobility aids and resistance bands after making the switch from the Hughenden Mulitpurpose Health Service’s kitchen to its allied health team.

Rocket, a nickname she earned during her previous career shearing sheep, is the region’s new allied health assistant and she said her recipe for success had been an interest in learning and caring for patients.

“My journey started in the kitchen at Hughenden, where I worked for more than a year preparing meals for patients,” Rocket said.

“I wanted to learn more about how I could improve their nutrition and help with meal preparation for aged-care residents.

“I started to do a Certificate IV in dietetics and nutrition and learnt more about the supporting roles things like food and exercise can play in improving health outcomes.

“A local allied health assistant position came up and I thought ‘why not give it a try?’ and threw my hat into the ring and I got it.”

Rocket’s days are now taken up with supporting physio, occupational therapy, and speech therapy for Hughenden residents.

“I am always out and about and no one day is ever the same,” she said.

“One day I could be out at a school helping with hearing screenings and the next I could be coordinating multi-disciplinary care calendars or doing home visits for the local aged-care community.

“Having been in the Hughenden area for more than 30 years I know a lot of the people that I am caring for.

“Patients’ faces just light up when see someone they know and trust.

“I am very proud of myself that I have learnt these new skills and I am very grateful to be in an environment where upskilling has been encouraged.

“There is a strong work ethic and teamwork dynamic across the nursing, administration, support, and allied health staff at our health service.

I am writing to express my appreciation for the care, kindness and dignity you showed my mother during her time with you. Every area played a role in making her feel at home. Thank you.

PARKLANDS AGED CARE FACILITY

To the Caring Staff of Medical Ward 5. Thank you for your tireless care of our family member, given with professionalism and patience. You gave him respect and dignity and it was very much appreciated.

MEDICAL WARD 5

I would like to thank the allied health staff who helped me through my recent brain tumor removal procedure. I do not remember much from my stay but truly appreciate everyone who helped me through.

PHYSIOTHERAPY

A Note...Brighter

Donor stem cell transplant coming to Townsville

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community and a landmark $200,000 contribution from Glencore, Brighter Lives’ Brighter Day successfully raised the funds needed to bring a donor stem cell transplant service to Townsville University Hospital.

The successful campaign raised $355,000 to purchase a vital Total Body Irradiation (TBI) machine, essential equipment that will allow eligible patients requiring donor stem cell transplantation to receive more of their treatment closer to home.

Glencore’s extraordinary support provided the foundation for this year’s Brighter Day campaign, with their $200,000 donation taking the appeal beyond the halfway mark before community fundraising goal reached the final goal.

Social Performance Manager for Glencore Coal Australia Craig Strudwick said the company was proud to support Brighter Lives and Townsville University Hospital.

“This vital equipment will help bring life-saving stem cell transplant treatment closer to home for patients across regional Queensland, reducing the need for families to relocate to Brisbane for extended periods,” Craig said.

“This support forms part of Glencore’s longstanding partnership with Brighter Lives and reflects our shared commitment to improving healthcare outcomes and creating lasting benefits for regional communities.”

Brighter Lives CEO Stephanie Naunton said the success of Brighter Day was a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when north Queenslanders came together.

“We are incredibly grateful to Glencore and our entire north Queensland community for getting behind this important project,” Stephanie said.

“Glencore’s extraordinary generosity gave us the momentum we needed, and the support of our community helped us cross the finish line.

“We know the impact that travelling away for treatment can have on patients and families. Bringing this capability to Townsville will make a life-changing difference for people across our region for many years to come.”

Stephanie extended a huge heartfelt thank you to those who have contributed.

“Thank you to everyone who donated, fundraised, shared the message and helped make this milestone possible,” she said.

“Together, we are bringing life-saving care closer to home.”

Capital works update

Consumers help shape future hospital expansion

Consumers are helping shape key elements of Townsville University Hospital’s major expansion by contributing their insights through focus groups for the North Block emergency department expansion and the new 112-bed eastern campus facility.

Seventeen consumers attended the workshops this week, sharing their experiences and perspectives to help inform the planning and design of the projects.

The groups represented a broad cross-section of the community, including First Nations peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, people living with disability, parents and carers, and people with firsthand experience of emergency, rehabilitation and outpatient care.

Person-centred care coordinator Alisha Dicton said engaging consumers early helped ensure future facilities reflected the needs of the people who would use them.

“Consumers bring perspectives that simply can’t be captured in plans or drawings; their lived experience helps us better understand what works well and where we can improve,” she said.

“These conversations are about giving our community a genuine voice in projects that will support patient care for decades to come.”

Senior project manager Lesley-Claire Howard said the workshops highlighted how much consumers valued being included in the process.

“It was fantastic to see people so engaged and willing to share their perspectives, with many telling us they were excited to have the opportunity to help shape the future of the hospital,” she said.

“Providing consumers with a seat at the table helps ensure these projects are informed by the people who will ultimately use our facilities and services.”

More information about upcoming works and project milestones will be shared with staff and the community as the Townsville University Hospital expansion progresses over the coming months.

Capital works update

Works currently underway

Project: eHealth Infrastructure Maintenance Program

Work location: Various locations in TUH

Project: Kirwan Health Communty Campus expansion

Work location: Kirwan Health Campus

Works on the way

Project: Multi-storey car park

Work location: Townsville University Hospital

Project: TUH Transit Lounge

Work location: DDU and Social Work Area

Project: Charters Towers Staff Accommodation

Work location: Charters Towers Health Service

Project: Ingham CT Scanner

Work location: Ingham Health Service

Project: Carpark 17 expansion

Work location: Adjacent TecNQ

Project: Palm Island Staff Accommodation

Work location: Palm Island Health Service

Project: Ingham Staff Accommodation

Work location: Ingham Health Service

Project: Ayr CT Scanner

Work location: Ayr Health Service

Have any questions?

TUH’s significant capital works program will deliver substantial future benefits; however, some disruption, inconvenience and workplace changes will be unavoidable as works progress.

Affected Service Groups and Work Units will be engaged and consulted throughout the planning and delivery process. Any required operational change management activities, including Business Cases for Significant Change, will be led by the relevant operational areas under the direction of the Chief Operating Officer.

For enquiries regarding operational impacts, please enquire through the Chief Operating Officer’s office.

For enquiries relating to infrastructure works, planning, or facility functionality, please contact the Infrastructure Office at THHS-InfrastructureOffice@health.qld.gov.au.

Recipe of the week Smokey roasted tomato soup

Laugh of the week

From recipetineats.com

Ingredients

SMOKEY ROASTED TOMATOES:

• 1.5kg tomatoes , halved, cut a “V” out of the top to remove the core

• 5 garlic cloves , NOT peeled

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

• 1 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

SOUP:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced

• 1 onion , diced

• 4 cups vegetable stock/broth, low sodium

• 1/2 tsp+ white sugar , only if needed

• 1/2 cup cream , optional, plus extra for drizzling

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves (optional)

Method

Roast tomatoes:

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced).

2. Place the tomatoes and unpeeled garlic cloves on a tray. Drizzle/sprinkle with the oil, paprika, salt and pepper. Toss to coat, squidging the cut face of the tomato in the oil on the tray to thoroughly coat. Arrange tomatoes cut face up.

3. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes or until there is some charring on the tomatoes

Soup:

1. Sauté - Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Sauté the garlic and onion for 3 minutes or until the onion is translucent.

2. Tomatoes - Remove the garlic cloves from the baking tray. Scrape all the tomatoes and juices into the pot. Squeeze garlic flesh into the pot. Add vegetable stock.

3. Blitz with a stick blender until smooth (or do this in a food processor or blender).

4. Simmer - Bring to a simmer then lower heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cream.

5. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with cream and garnish with basil.

Classifieds

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ANNANDALE - 4 bedrooms fully aircon home. 2 huge living areas, very large covered outdoor area. Walking /bike ride to TUH, uni, Lavarack Army Barracks. Swimming pool, lock up shed out back, double carport that can be closed in. All enq pls call Monique on 0450955736

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