News & Events
Providing kindy care with healthy bears
Young people in rural communities across Far North Queensland can have limited access to vital healthcare resources and education. Designed, created and implemented by JCU students for the communities in which they live, work and complete placements, the Happy Healthy Teddies Program is an engaging and educational experience for young learners. A group of dedicated James Cook University (JCU) medical students recently brought smiles, laughter, and important health lessons to the children of C&K Innisfail Community Kindergarten and Preschool through the Happy Healthy Teddies program. Year 6 medical students Elne Bezuidenhout, Shannon Wong, and Jasmin Banwait, along with Year 4 students Ravi-Pascal Balasingam and Anthony Goweid, joined with Tracy Darveniza, JCU Clinical Support Training Officer, to deliver hands-on (and paws-on) learning to some enthusiastic students. The Happy Healthy Teddies Program is a child-friendly initiative that aims to instil vital primary healthcare lessons from an early age. JCU medical students visit childcare centres and primary schools in rural Queensland communities, offering a free and interactive health program designed to raise awareness and educate children about essential health practices. This program was conceptualised by JCU medical student Mitee Parekh, who drew inspiration from the Teddy Bear Hospital program developed by the Ashintosh Foundation and the University of Queensland.
Breaking barriers in rural pharmacy care
A bold project aiming for real impact Jai-ann Eastaughffe was first introduced to health care through the first aid and emergency care training she received as a volunteer surf lifesaver. The experience sparked an interest in health, which led Jai-ann to study pharmacy. Now in the final year of her degree, Jai-ann is preparing to make a real-world difference through her professional honours project. JCU’s Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) gives students the option of completing a professional Honours project or a research Honours project. Those who choose the professional project get to work with a team of academic advisors and fellow students to investigate a problem in pharmacy care. Jai-ann and her team are collaborating to find solutions to some of the health bottlenecks experienced in West Queensland’s remote towns and cities. To do so, Jai-ann and her group are looking at ways pharmacists can streamline some of the demands on the health system. “We want to expand the services offered by rural and remote pharmacies to improve the health of their communities,” Jai-ann says. Rural and remote areas have a shortage of healthcare professionals, especially doctors and specialists, so pharmacies play a vital role in these local health networks. LEARN MORE
Providing speech pathology in hard-to-reach places
A fire in the belly for speech pathology Growing up in Ayr with family members who needed to access speech pathology services, JCU Alumni Jenna Mottin knew that she wanted to make a difference. “I had a few younger cousins needing speech pathology and I just couldn't get my head around why my auntie and uncle and the kids would have to take a whole day off to travel to another town to get the help they needed. “So, from a young age, I became passionate about having speech pathology services in rural and remote towns like Ayr. It was what I had my head and my heart set on, and I followed that.” After graduating from JCU in 2010 with a Bachelor of Speech Pathology, Jenna chose Mount Isa as her first destination, taking up a position as a school-based speech pathologist. “I was the speech pathologist for 13 schools in the region, and I would also travel out to the Aboriginal communities around there, too. In Mount Isa, I discovered that I was one of only two speech pathologists, which just didn’t make sense to me as there was so much demand for our services. That experience just put more fuel in my fire to bring more speech pathology services to where they’re needed most.” Jenna’s next role saw her in Charters Towers with a position shared between the Department of Health and Department of Education. During this time, she worked on a project that involved trialling telehealth speech pathology services for families who were unable to access speech pathology services due to remote living. Learn More
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