When you live hundreds of kilometres from a medical centre, general check-ups let alone physio or podiatry can often seem like a distant fantasy.
For people like Amy Marshall from Blinman in the Flinders Ranges, the Flying Doctor has made this a reality.
“It’s amazing – we’d never have access to a physio, dietitian or mental health support without the RFDS,” she said.
“Without them, we’d have to travel to Port Augusta for health services which is a 400-kilometre round trip.
“It can be difficult living in such an isolated place, but the RFDS is always there when we need them.
“To me, the Flying Doctor is the most important thing here.”
At the RFDS, health care is a whole-of-life service. The Allied Health team works in partnership with:
- Doctors
- Nurses
- Aboriginal Health Practitioners
- Mental Health Clinicians
- Pharmacists
- Oral Health Practitioners
- Remote Area Nurses.
With fly-in clinics that hop across the outback, the RFDS brings care to the doorstep of people in the most remote areas of the country.
Meet the team >
LIAM
Physiotherapist
After joining the RFDS earlier this year, Physiotherapist Liam Coffey-Oates has hit the ground running.
For Liam, positivity and education around self-management strategies is a vital component in delivering care to rural communities.
“I’ve seen people out in these communities that have had pain for 10 or 15 years and they’ve not once seen a physio,” he said.
“You get pretty creative with the exercises. In metro settings you can just send someone to the gym. Out here, you’re repurposing a watering can as a kettlebell.”
JOSIE
Dietitian
Josie Calderwood provides practical and non-judgemental dietetics support to manage chronic conditions, improve patient health, and build sustainable lifestyle habits.
“For me, food is much more than just fuel for the body. It’s about enjoyment and social connection, and for remote communities, it’s also about what’s accessible in town,” she said.
“It’s really special to be within people’s environments, but also to be welcomed into their environments too.”
CHRISTIE
Occupational Therapist
Christie Alexander works all the way from birth to end of life care – assisting people with how they function day-to-day.
While most visits occur in the patient’s home, Christie will often see a patient wherever it suits them.
“We’re doing these consults on the fly. Often, people in remote communities are happy to have a yarn in a roadhouse or on the side of an airstrip,” she said.
“To me, the RFDS is all about connection – connection to people, to health care, and providing the comfort that patients aren’t alone.”
KENDALL
Podiatrist
With chronic diseases like diabetes exceedingly prevalent in remote areas, Podiatrist Kendall Morrison has a strong focus on people-centred preventative care.
“When patients live in such isolated environments, having access to multi-disciplinary care is so meaningful," she said.
“Our team always tries to go above and beyond because these communities can't simply pop down the road to a clinic like you would in the city.”
RFDS allied health services are supported by Country SA PHN, an Australian Government Initiative.
Learn more about the Flying Doctor.
