Year in Review

Queensland Section YEAR IN REVIEW 14/15 Our Mission 3 Our Vision, Our Values 4 Chairman’s Report 5 CEO’s Report 6 2014/15 Highlights 7 2014/15 Overview 10 Health Services 10 Clinical Governance Highlights 10 Integrated Operations 11 Finance 14 People and Corporate Services 14 Marketing and Fundraising 15 Bequests and Trusts In Perpetuity 16 Our Patients > Shannon Smithwick 18 Map > Locations we travelled to 19 The Furthest Corner. The Finest Care. 20 Map > Our primary health care locations 22 Our People 23 Our Patients > Tayla Law 24 Our Bases 25 Our Partners and Supporters 26 About the Royal Flying Doctor Service The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (RFDS) takes the finest care to the furthest corners of our land. Established in 1928 by the Reverend John Flynn, the RFDS has grown to become the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical organisation of its kind in the world, delivering 24-hour emergency aeromedical and primary health care services to all those who live, work and travel throughout Australia. Today, the RFDS conducts more than 290,000 patient consults across Australia every year – that’s one person every two minutes. In Queensland, the RFDS currently operates from nine bases at Brisbane, Bundaberg, Cairns, Charleville, Longreach, Mount Isa, Rockhampton, Roma and Townsville. These bases form a strategic network of aeromedical services as well as delivering a broad range of health care programs including general practice, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, child and family health, social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, women’s health, oral health and health promotion activities. The RFDS is a not-for-profit organisation. While supported by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments, the Flying Doctor relies heavily on fundraising and donations from the community to purchase and aeromedically fit-out our aircraft, purchase vital medical equipment and enhance our operational facilities. 1 > QUEENSLAND SECTION YEAR IN REVIEW > 2014/15 2 Our mission To provide excellence in aeromedical and primary health care across Queensland. 3 > QUEENSLAND SECTION Our vision The furthest corner. The finest care. Our values The values that underpin the work that we do include: Care and Respect > For patients, employees, communities and cultures Reliable & Dependable > Giving our best and fulfilling our promises Safety & Quality > Continuous improvement through evidence based practices Socially & Ethically Responsible > In all that we do Collaboration > With teamwork, we can make an impact Innovation > Encouraged and celebrated YEAR IN REVIEW > 2014/15 4 Chairman’s Report William Mellor Chairman, RFDS (Queensland Section) Board of Directors The past twelve months has been a period of significant change within RFDS (Queensland Section), as our two important operational pillars – aviation and health services, each focus on the continually evolving air safety regulatory reforms and health service accreditation standards. Earlier this year, the organisation embarked > Also in October, we opened our new on an aviation program designed to prepare RFDS Charleville Base redevelopment Board Members > our aeromedical operations for the impending that now consolidates our hangar, Mr William Mellor changes to aviation regulations proposed by administration and Visitor Centre. Mr Mark Gray Civil Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA). > In November, two new B200 King Air While regulatory reform will be progressive, Mr Michael Burnett retrieval aircraft were placed into service Mr Richard Conder we are now well advanced in anticipation in Mount Isa and Cairns respectively. of these changes across our maintenance, Mr Peter Gartshore > In March, we opened the doors of a flight standards and flight safety training areas, Mrs Julia Leeds new patient transfer facility at RFDS ahead of the expected mandated timeframe. Dr Desley Marshall Rockhampton Base, at the same time This, we view as not only an investment in our Mr Russell Postle commemorating the 20th anniversary future, but also of paramount importance Prof Robert Stable of our service presence in this central to the continued safety of those who fly with Mrs Sally-Anne Witherspoon Queensland coastal town. us and our enviable aviation safety record. > Then in June, we also celebrated the Throughout the year, our Health Services 20th anniversary of our RFDS Brisbane team has also taken giant strides in the Base, which like Rockhampton, opened preparatory journey towards full health its doors on the same day – July 3, 1995. service accreditation, with the organisation > While delivering our services within the on track to have its first accreditation envelope of our State and Commonwealth assessment in early to mid 2016. governments’ funding sources remains In seeking to now measure ourselves a challenge, it’s through the continued against the National Quality Health Service & generosity of our many donors, volunteers Safety Standards, our staff have embraced and corporate supporters, that the the opportunity to translate our unique organisation was able to achieve a total clinical settings into now well-defined and surplus of over $8.1 million. measured standards of patient care. While Over the past year, a total of $9.1 million in acknowledging there is still much to be done, community support was gratefully received. it was gratifying to hear that an independent That has enabled us, amongst other priorities, clinical review earlier this year acknowledged to confidently pursue our next advance in the considerable advances being made in aviation transportation – the ordering of two our clinical governance. new B350c King Air aircraft. Although these significant change programs These new aircraft will come equipped with have received much focus, our core business an increase payload capacity, the ability > Chairman Mr William (Bill) Mellor joined the in providing the finest care to the furthest to travel from Cairns to Brisbane non-stop RFDS Qld Board in 2005 and was appointed corner continued to prosper, with our as Chairman in November 2013. and with greater air speed potential. We Queensland operations attending to in anticipate that both of these new aircraft will excess of 95,000 patient consults across be operational by mid-2016 and a tremendous our aeromedical, tele-health and primary addition to our patient care services. health care programs. Finally, on behalf of the Board, I would like In delivering these services, we heralded to thank our Principal Sponsors Ergon a number of service initiatives and Energy Retail, Brisbane Airport Corporation milestones and completed some long and QCoal Group. I would also like to awaited infrastructure projects including: acknowledge the efforts of our CEO, Nino > The commencement, in October 2014, Di Marco, his management team and all of our lead agency role for the Cairns RFDS employees, for their continued based operations of national youth commitment and tireless work this year mental health foundation, headspace; towards positioning the organisation to further testimony to our commitment continue to deliver quality health care to advance our focus on mental health. to the people of Queensland, no matter where they live. 5 > QUEENSLAND SECTION CEO’s Report Nino Di Marco Chief Executive Officer, RFDS (Queensland Section) The 2014/15 financial year proved to be another successful period of health service delivery for our Queensland operations, with sustainable demand for our 24/7 aeromedical services and primary health care programs and continued growth and emergence of some of our newer ventures in the areas of mental and oral health. In the past year our RFDS (Queensland very pleasing that all agreed to extend Section) has: their associations with us in 2015. > performed over 11,550 aeromedical In addition to their sponsorship of the patient transfers with 1,033 being organisation, our innovative oral health primary emergency evacuations partnership with QCoal Group and its > Above: RFDS (Queensland Section) Chief Executive Officer, Nino Di Marco. > conducted more than 4,935 health clinics philanthropic arm – the QCoal Foundation, in remote communities stretching right celebrated its 5,000th patient milestone across the State in 2015. The QCoal Community Dental > administered over 4,052 immunisations Service has been in operation since Year Ahead early 2013, so we were thrilled that the > provided dental treatments to 2,726 As the level of funding for health is Foundation has agreed to continue to patients across 13 rural and remote increasingly under pressure, both state fund the service at a cost of over $1 million communities and federal governments, as well as per annum through until June 2018. That private industry, are looking to partner > provided close to 13,153 remote medical brings the total commitment from QCoal consults by phone or video-link with organisations that can demonstrate Group to $6 million. not only their capacity to meet a public > flew a total of 8.03 million kms in 24,242 This year, as part of our ongoing aircraft need, but also do so in ways that are hours flying time to deliver close to replacement plans, two new B200 King Air efficient, safe and cost effective. 95,000 patient consultations aircraft were introduced into operational th With a view to continuing our influential role > celebrated the 20 anniversaries of both service in Mount Isa and Cairns. our Rockhampton and Brisbane Bases in the State’s aeromedical retrieval network, > opened a dedicated Patient Transfer In addition,

Load more