Health Promotion - South Eastern Section
To provide additional specialist and preventative care to our more isolated patients, we also hold ‘Fly Around Clinics’ with a focus on men’s health, children’s safety, farm safety, women’s health and skin care. A team of medical specialists, often consisting of a GP, child and family health nurse, women’s health nurse, dentist, podiatrist and dermatologist visit isolated stations and towns once or twice each year to provide the medical expertise lacking in these areas. Covering over one-twelfth of the continent in five days, our teams can treat hundreds of patients at each ‘Fly Around Clinic’.
Previous Fly Around Clinics
2009
The most recent Fly Around Clinic was conducted from the RFDS Broken Hill base from late September to early October 2009.
The RFDS team for this year’s clinic consisted of pilot Capt Steve McLay, Dr Solange Costermans-Imseih, psychologist Denise Perkins, dentist Dr Alison Blundell, final year dental student Andrea Rouse and dermatologist Dr Ian McCrossin.
The team visited nine locations in remote NSW, SA and QLD, including Wiawera, Menindee, Tilpa, Louth, White Cliffs, Tiboorburra, Durham Downs, Packsaddle Roadhouse and Wanaaring – providing almost 200 consultations to patients in just five days!
Locals were asked to turn up to the various clinics for a general check up, including on-the-spot cholesterol, sugar and blood pressure tests. The main focus of the clinic was smoking cessation and new RFDS recruit, psychologist Denise, was on hand to provide counselling and motivation to patients who were ready to quit smoking, and to promote the RFDS mental health program.
Meanwhile, Dr Blundell and her assistant Andrea screened patients for oral cancer and carried out some routine dental treatments and Dr McCrossin (who has been providing free dermatology services to the outback through the RFDS for the past 24 years) was so busy that additional dermatological supplies had to be sent to him mid-week from Broken Hill!