Andrea Muller

Program Manager, Northern Queensland Regional Training Hubs

Home Town/City: Grew up in Brisbane and moved to Townsville in 2012.

Qualifications/Education:
Bachelor of Business, Accounting, QUT.

Tell us about your role:
I work with Regional Training Hubs staff and Hospitals and Health Services across the North Queensland region to promote the training opportunities available across the training continuum in this region. Our collaborative relationship with JCU and the Hospitals and Health Services allows us to support medical students and junior doctors to access unique training placements and opportunities. We support mentoring, career advice and planning, professional development and linking student groups with Registrars and Consultants.

What do you find most rewarding part of your role?
Working with professionals who are all so passionate about regional and remote health and wanting to give back to the community. The North offers such complex and unique caseloads which provides doctors and students with unparalleled learning opportunities. It is rewarding to see our students graduate, complete junior doctor years either in the region or away but then come back to complete their specialty training and become consultants in the region.

Christine Bell

Team Leader Regional Medical Training, Central West and North West

Home Town/City: Mount Isa

Qualifications/Education: /Experience:
I have been working with JCU for just over 3 years, I moved here from Sydney to be near my family and thought it was a great time for a “sea change” (minus the Sea). I hold a Masters of Business Administration – Leadership and Innovation. I also hold Certificates in Human Resources Management, Project Management, Industrial Relations and Commerce.

Tell us about your role:
I work out of the Centre for Rural and Remote Health which is based on the premises of the Mount Isa Base Hospital. In conjunction with the Hospital and Health Service we are able to have a close collaboration with the Medical Education team and Medical Workforce units to create a cohesive and transparent Medical Training Pathway from Intern to an array of Post Grad specialty training opportunities.

What do you find most rewarding part of your role?
There is just so much to love about this job, The wonderful collaborations and community mindedness make our efforts to improve the health of rural and remote communities extremely rewarding.

Michelle Hardy

Coordinator Regional Medical Training - Townsville

Home Town/city:
Home is where the heart is. I have lived in Brisbane, Mary Kathleen (Mount Isa), Adelaide, Dublin (Ireland) and now Townsville.

Qualifications/Education/Experience:
Bachelor of Laws - LLB , (Queensland University of Technology); Cert IV in Assessment & Workplace Training and Allied Health Assistance (TAFE Queensland), a Graduate Certificate in Government, and a Diploma in Reflexology. I have worked as an Intern for the Parliament of Queensland and Legal Aid Qld, as a Legal Trainer in the ATO in Adelaide, as an Allied Health private practice Manager in Dublin, and as a Team Leader for James Cook University in Townsville.

Tell us about your role:
I have been based in the Clinical School sites at Townsville University Hospital and Mater NQ for the last ten years supporting the training continuum from undergraduate training through to Internship. My RTH role allows me to reach further into the training continuum. My RTH role is to operationalise the opportunities in Townsville and I have the privilege of connecting with TUH Med Education, Medical Staff Society and the many consultants passionate about medical training, as they facilitate access to networked rural training opportunities.

What do you find the most rewarding part of your role?:
Connecting people. Our people are the ones who open the way for collaboration, true integration and positive cultural shifts. I enjoy supporting current supervisors of clinical training. For example, I have recently assisted in the process of accreditation for new training positions, and supported implementation of Clinical Training Standards.

Justine Olsen

Manager, Regional Training Hubs, Townsville

Home Town/City: Townsville, Qld, Australia

Qualifications/Education:
Bachelor of Education (Sec), Diploma of Leadership and Management (current)

Tell us about your role:
I lead the teams who provide administration for the MBBS years 4-6 based in Townsville Clinical School, the Townsville GP Training node and the Townsville Regional Training Hub. My role is to support integration and collaboration, not only within our team and with our partner health facilities locally, but with the broader network of JCU teams in Townsville and across other sites. It is through this integrated and combined effort, that I can help to improve the health outcomes of regional, rural and remote Australia.    

What do you find is the most rewarding part of your role?
I have a background in and a love for education and training, so working over the past 13 years in this area of Medicine has been something I have really enjoyed. I am fortunate and pleased to work with amazing people who inspire me every day. Engaging with my team, our partner hospital staff, as well as the wonderful network of people across sites is an enjoyable, challenging and satisfying aspect of my role. I strongly believe in what we are trying to achieve – better health outcomes for regional Australia - and I am proud of being a small part of that vision. 

Kendall Hepple

Coordinator, Regional Medical Training - Mackay

Home Town/City: Auckland, New Zealand. Moved to Brisbane in 2012 then to Mackay in 2021.

Qualifications/Education:
Bachelor of Science, Animal Science & Physiology, Massey University

Tell us about your role:
I am based within the JCU Mackay Clinical School. My role is to support and promote the unique medical training opportunities available in North QLD with the aim to attract and retain doctors to address the workforce shortage in the region. The activities that support this goal are varied (too many to list here!) and no 2 days are the same which I love! I work collaboratively with the MHHS, in particular the Medical Education team to sponsor and promote education & training events as well as provide support to medical student interest groups and link them to Registrars and Consultants within the hospital. I provide information regarding medical training pathways right through the continuum from undergraduate to specialty training and connect interested people to the MHHS.  

What do you find is the most rewarding part of your role?
Even though my role plays only a very small part- I am proud to be working towards the vision of better health outcomes for underserved regional, rural and remote communities. The team I work within and the MHHS staff are all incredible people-friendly, knowledgeable & supportive. I feel very lucky!

Tullita Miller

Coordinator, Northern Queensland Regional Training Hubs - North West and Central West region

Home Town/City: Grew up in Rockhampton and moved to Mount Isa in 2017

Qualifications/Education:
Bachelor of Business, Marketing and Public Relations

Tell us about your role:
I am located in Mount Isa within the Murtupuni Centre for Rural and Remote Health. Through the North West Hospital and Health Service, I promote the training opportunities for NQ Regional Training Hubs offer to help guide doctors through their goal career path.

What do you find is the most rewarding part of your role?
I enjoy having the opportunity to represent JCU and work collaboratively with Queensland Hospital and Health Services to make a different in rural and remote health among my local community, and all of Northern Queensland.