Message from the Executive Director

Glynis Schultz, Executive Director

It’s been an exciting start to the year for Community and Oral Health. I’ve had the pleasure of getting on the road and visiting our various community facilities and hearing what we have planned for 2024.

One of the big advantages we have at COH is our regular engagement with the local community in which we operate. I love watching these interactions develop into great ideas that further serve our catchment.

Women’s Health Expo

A great example of this was our first Women’s Health Expo held earlier this week. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Team within COH, in partnership with the Women’s Business Shared Pathway team, identified a need in the community for an event such as this and pulled together this educational Expo.

The purpose of the Women’s Health Expo is to provide the opportunity for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women to be empowered in their health journey, creating an ideal environment for screening and education about Women’s Business. Through opportunistic screening, there is the potential for health gains for the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women in our community.

Group photo at the Women's Health expo Manager, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, COH, Paul Drahm, said the Women’s Health Expo provided opportunities to strengthen relationships and partnerships across Metro North Health and external partners delivering services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women that support improved care coordination, collaboration and engagement.

“It is equally important for men to ensure our daughters, sisters, mothers, cousin sisters, Aunties, Grandmothers and women in our community are supported and cared for in their health journey,” he said.

Community and Oral Health look forward to hosting another Women’s Health Expo in the future with plans to host a Men’s Business Expo.

For those who attended, we would like your feedback and insights from the day. Please fill out the survey so we can continue to expand on this type of event in the future.

Well done on this fantastic event, team!

Community and Oral Health’s first Medical Interns

COH celebrated a big milestone this year, accepting our first rotation of medical interns!

The interns are part of the Redcliffe Hospital intake, but will complete 10 weeks at Brighton, which will give them a holistic approach to their medical career.

Welcome to all of you! It is our absolute pleasure to have you.

I hope you all learn a lot through our very unique facilities and enjoy your time with us. I’m sure we will learn much from you, as you will from us.

To our existing team, if you see the interns around, please give them a warm welcome.

Shout out – COH research team

I am very proud to share that our very own COH research team now have an article published in the Australian Health Review.

I would encourage you to read the article, Exploring strengths and weaknesses in health services research culture and capacity via the CSIRO website if you can.

Congratulations to these clever people, this is great to see.

New equipment loan library opens at Caboolture

Caboolture Community Health Centre and Caboolture Post Acute Care Service have a new equipment storage shed!

Located on the ground floor, immediately beside QH car/van car parks, staff can now more easily load client loan equipment into fleet vans with much greater ease.

As many of you are aware, the previous demountable was difficult to access and less than desirable so this is a welcome addition for the team.

Thank you to Facility Manager, Tania Stewart, and PACS Team Leader, Justine Keir, for making this happen and for inviting me along to see the space and have some cake!

Glynis.