Stories

Meet our Health Professionals: Lynne Gruell, Dental Therapist

26 Nov 2021

RAHC works with an incredible team of General Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Dentists, Dental Therapists, Dental Assistants and Audiologists, one of whom is Dental Therapist Lynne Gruell.

“I have been working with RAHC as a Dental Therapist for eight years now and after stumbling across an article I wrote in 2016, I felt it was time to put pen to paper once again, so to speak.

RAHC Stories: Room with a View

23 Sep 2021

The life of Adelaide dental nurse Vicki McFarlane changed dramatically when a friend shared her experience of working for RAHC. ‘I looked at the website and knew immediately this was for me,’ Vicki says. ‘So, I applied for leave from my part-time job with the South Australian Dental Service.’

RAHC has appointed Celine Berger as the new Placement Coordinator who will be based out of our Canberra office

14 May 2021

Celine brings wide-ranging experience to the role having previously worked in a variety of roles in social justice and human connection. Her extensive background in customer service in rural and remote communities ensure RAHC delivers a professional placement experience for all health professionals coming to work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

RAHC has appointed Kristy-Lee Owens as our new Canberra-based Placement Team Leader

14 May 2021

Kristy has a wide breadth of experience making her ideal for the role of Placement Team Leader. She previously served as a soldier in the Australian Defence Force before moving into the private sector, where she spent over a decade focusing on recruitment for medical services.

Audiologist Bridget Gale shares her experience working within remote Indigenous communities

11 Feb 2020

‘There’s a lot of chronic ear disease. I’ve seen surgeries that I’ve never heard of down south, and I work in disadvantaged areas’

Victorian-based Audiologist Bridget Gale shares her experience working within remote indigenous communities and how Audiologist can “make quite a big difference” to the lives of Indigenous Australians.

Prepare to be challenged clinically and make some unforgettable memories along the way - Anna Curtin's story

11 Mar 2018

New Zealand-born nurse Anna Curtin completed a short-term placement with RAHC and thereafter moved to work full-time with Indigenous women and children in Tennant Creek

RN Anna Curtin is now sharing her skills full time in Tennant Creek - ANMF March 2018 feature

05 Mar 2018

Registered Nurse Anna Curtin's RAHC story featured in the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal - March 2018 issue.

Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association, CAAMA spoke to our 5000th health professional, Dr Vikki Tselepis

18 Jan 2018

Dr Vikki Tselepis, an Audiologist from Melbourne, was interviewed by CAAMA Radio on her experience with RAHC across 17 placements in both Top End and Central communities.

CAAMA (Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association) Radio interviews dentist, Ken Farmer

18 Sep 2017

Ken Farmer who went to Alice Springs on a three-week RAHC placement, and three years later he is still there. He has embraced the community, played local football and says he has seen things things that most Australians will never see!

Victorian dentist Ken Farmer went to Alice Springs on a three-week placement and three years later he’s still there

30 Aug 2017

The 34-year-old has embraced the community, played local football and says he has seen things that most Australians will never see.

From short-term RAHC placements to a full-time role in the NT-Dental Therapist, Natalie Bright shares her story

04 Aug 2017

Victorian dental therapist Natalie Bright is enjoying a 12-month contract with the Northern Territory Department of Health (NT DoH) after completing two three-week placements with the Australian Government-funded Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC).

There is hope

11 Jul 2017

Dr Jill Bestic, a regular RAHC team member, shares with us a brief reflection of her experience from a recent placement in the NT.

Making a real difference in closing the gap - Feature in The Health Advocate

15 Jun 2017

Feature in The Health Advocate on Dr Margaret Niemann recipient of the Annette Walker Award 2016.

RAHC sends its 1,000th new-to-remote urban health professional to the NT

24 May 2017

On Tuesday 2nd May 2017, we sent our 1000th new-to-remote health professional, Ellenie Palmer, Oral Health Therapist from Newcastle, NSW into a remote Indigenous community in the Northern Territory (NT). Special thanks to Nikki Dargan from the NT Department of Health for sharing the occasion with our team in Darwin.

There is so much more to learn and talk about

10 Apr 2017

Dr Bruce and Dr Jennifer Barker' story in CRANAPlus March 2017 issue

Working with the Remote Area Health Corps: A Fortunate Experience

10 Apr 2017

Dr Bruce Barker and Dr Jennifer Barker's RAHC Story featured in Health Advocate Magazine - April 2017 issue

Making a real difference in closing the gap

24 Mar 2017

A General Practitioner truly passionate about Indigenous health outcomes, Dr Margaret Niemann, from Bairnsdale, Victoria, is the recipient of the 2016 Annette Walker Award. Dr Niemann has been on placements with RAHC since 2011 and completed her 56th placement at the beginning of March 2017.

There is so much more to learn and talk about – General Practitioner, Dr Bruce Barker shares his and his wife Dr Jennifer Barker’s experience

20 Mar 2017

I have been a GP for 35 years now, and for most of this time, we have been in minor centres,

New-to-remote health professional in the rustic and beautiful community of Galiwin’ku

17 Oct 2016

We received some wonderful pictures from one of our Senior Dental Therapists, Angela Rankin, who recently had her first placement in Galiwin'ku (Arnhem Region). “It was a fantastic experience working remote for the first time and I will be definitely doing more!” says Angela.

Perks of working remote!

13 Oct 2016

When you join RAHC you are not only part of an effort towards improving Indigenous health in the Northern Territory, but also enjoy a change in working lifestyle from your regular urban setting.

Our RAHC health professional, Audiologist, Jana Fogarty shared some wonderful pictures that speak for themselves.

The journey of Wayne Ah-Sam who spent years as a Health Worker in the Top End before studying medicine

01 Aug 2016

For eight years, he was a health worker in eight different remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. After setting his sights on a career as a doctor, Mr Ah-Sam is now in his second year studying medicine at university in Newcastle, New South Wales.

It's the best thing that I've done in my career - Philip Stricke's story.

17 May 2016

Two years after graduating from the University of Sydney and having spent time abroad in the UK, I returned to Australia and opened my own practice in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. After eight years, the wanderlust returned to London where I spent the next 20 years.

Open yourself up for a rewarding experience - Lynne Gruell's story

07 Mar 2016

In 2009, I was part of a team volunteering in Vietnam as a dental therapist when one of the dental assistants told me about her work in Alice Springs. Her passion for this work was evident and she inspired me to also look to seek work in this area upon our return.

Dr Kate Kalloniatis shares her experience whilst on placement in the remote Indigenous communities in Northern Territory

18 Feb 2016

Growing up in Melbourne I never had any specific ambition to work in remote areas or in Indigenous health but, by one of those twists of fate, that all changed when I joined the Royal Australian Airforce (RAAF) in my final year at ANU’s Medical School in Canberra.

Come with an open mind, a sense of humour and just have a ball - Bronwyn Cox's RAHC story

06 Nov 2015

Growing up in rural Australia, I have always found it appealing to work in a remote environment. As a Registered Nurse, I’ve worked primarily worked ED but knew my chance to work in remote Australia would have to wait until my sons had left home.

Pauline Rubin wins prestigious award at the CRANAplus conference for Excellence in Mentoring.

26 Oct 2015

At the CRANAplus conference held on the 17 -19 October 2015 in Alice Springs, Pauline (Polly) Rubin won the Excellence in Mentoring for Remote Health award.

Take a friendly attitude, a willingness to learn and a big smile – Yvette Daley’s story

24 Sep 2015

Whilst doing remote nursing over the past few years, friends that I’ve made along the way suggested I do a placement with RAHC. It was the supportive nature and high level of organisation which got me across the line and starting an application.

Let’s hear it for our Audiologists: Linty McDonald's story

26 Aug 2015

To celebrate Hearing Awareness Week (23 – 29 August) we caught up with Canberra-based Audiologist, Elise (Linty) McDonald, to hear about her experiences working in remote locations across the Northern Territory.

Since 2014, Linty has completed two placements with us and next month, she will be returning to the Northern Territory and working in Central Australia.

Working remote has sparked something inside of me - Alice Burr's Story

07 Aug 2015

For the past 10 years, I’ve worked as a Dental Assistant (DA) in Launceston, Tasmania and travelling in my spare time. However, when the opportunity arose to combine my two passions through placements with Remote Area Health Corps (RAHC), I jumped at the idea and signed up without a lot of thought.

Working in remote Indigenous communities is something to smile about

04 Aug 2015

To celebrate Dental Health Week, we take a look at the service delivery our oral health (OH) professionals have provided to the remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory (NT). Our OH teams have provided a staggering equivalent of 564 weeks of service, which equates to approximately 57.6 years of service…in only six years!