Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section)

We're committed to sustainability and reducing emissions, which is why we're excited to have joined the Hydrogen Flight Alliance (HFA) this year. Peter Elliott, Executive General Manager, Aviation, Engineering and Logistics is looking forward to working within the alliance. “Exploring various initiatives to reduce our aviation emissions, such as hydrogen propulsion, may assist the RFDS (Queensland Section) in enhancing our climate-related sustainability performance while continuing to deliver the highest quality healthcare to those communities who depend on us," Peter said. “Membership with the HFA is one avenue towards future-proofing components of our organisation and as we approach our centenary, continues our commitment to innovation in aircraft technology.” Find out more about the Hydrogen Flight Alliance here - https://ow.ly/akcw50UrvHS

We're excited to announce Wendy Sheehan, a photographer and grazier from Western Queensland, has been named the 2024 Outback Explorer Competition winner and has been awarded $10,000, courtesy of Elders. Read more: https://ow.ly/gqQW50UtOCw The competition was launched in partnership with Elders, to celebrate our organisations shared history and mutual connections with regional, rural and remote communities in Queensland. Entrants were asked to create and share a short video to showcase what they love about our state. 📸 Wendy's video 'Wonderful Western Queensland' creatively profiled her family's life at Trinidad Station, a 250,000-acre property located north-west of Quilpie, and what she loved most about living and working in the outback. Thank you to everyone who supported this initiative and to our panel of judges including Oli Le Lievre from Humans of Agriculture, Natalie Flecker from Outback Queensland Tourism Association and The McEachern Family, who won last year's competition. #RFDS #Elders #OutbackExplorerCompetition

It was exciting to have the RFDS Mobile Dental Unit open to the public for the first time at DFO Brisbane, thanks to Brisbane Airport Corporation! We were thrilled that some of the QCoal Group and QCoal Foundation team were able to visit the RFDS Mobile Dental Unit! As a Founding Partner of the service, QCoal has been proudly supporting the RFDS in Queensland for over a decade, bringing essential dental care to rural and remote Queensland communities. A special thank you to the Woolworths Supermarkets Skygate team for generously providing fresh fruit and bottled water. It was a successful morning showcasing an essential service we provide to Queensland communities.

It has been an exciting couple of months at the Aeromedical Training Academy in Bundaberg! We are proud to share that two RFDS Pilots successfully completed the inaugural B360 Type Rating course. This rigorous four week program, equips pilots with the comprehensive knowledge and hands-on expertise needed to operate the B360 aircraft confidently and safety. The required 20 hours of simulator training is designed to provide pilots with real-world scenarios where they can apply their theoretical knowledge to successfully overcome challenges.

Since 2019, the RFDS (Queensland Section) has supported 22 registered nurses to gain midwifery qualifications through the RFDS Midwifery Scholarship, generously donated by the Dalara Foundation and Maureen Stevenson. Read more: https://ow.ly/ueSm50UnWI9 As part of the scholarship, nurses receive up to $10,000 to pursue the midwifery qualification required to become a RFDS flight nurse and deliver essential healthcare and midwifery services to families living in regional, rural and remote communities. If you are interested in taking the next step towards becoming a flight nurse, visit the RFDS website for more details. Applications for the 2025 RFDS Midwifery Scholarship close on 15 December.

We are excited to announce that RFDS (Queensland Section) was awarded the State Fundraising Team of the Year and Best Transformational Gift for our RFDS Aeromedical Training Academy in Bundaberg at the Queensland Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) awards last week. It's an honour to receive recognition for the Aeromedical Training Academy, a project made possible through support from the Australian Government, QCoal Foundation, Bundaberg Regional Council and all our generous donors and supporters. These awards are testament to the passion, dedication and work ethic of our Fundraising and Philanthropy team who actively collaborate with communities to provide opportunities to support the Service. Every dollar we raise goes towards making a positive impact to regional, rural and remote communities in Queensland. #RFDSQld #fundraisinginstituteaustralia #fiacon2025 #FIAawards

Our Operations Control Centre (OCC) has become a cornerstone of our organisation. Read more: https://ow.ly/HYbR50UcmqO Since its launch in November 2022, the OCC team has used real-time data from our RFDS bases, aircraft, and personnel to strategically streamline taskings and enhance service delivery across Queensland. Staffed by experienced Flight Nurses, Maintenance Watch Engineers, Duty Tasking Officers, Duty Managers, and a Rostering and Scheduling team, the OCC operates 24/7 to support crews, with an aim to minimise disruptions, and improve efficiency. Delivering services to more patients effectively remains our focus, and we look forward to rolling out new enhancements to the OCC in the New Year.

Glencore Australia generously donated cutting-edge equipment to support the RFDS Mount Isa aeromedical team. Now equipped with a MEQU Fluid Warmer and i-STAT blood analyser, the Mount Isa team will have the ability to deliver enhanced emergency care thanks to Glencore. Read more here - https://ow.ly/oLui50Ucn7x It's partnerships like these that ensure we can continue to provide the finest care to the furthest corner.

We're so grateful to have had so many of our supporters join us for the Partnering for Impact end-of-year event. A special thank you to our principal partners Brisbane Airport Corporation, Ergon Energy Retail, QCoal Group, Rio Tinto and Woolworths Supermarkets and our national partners Isuzu UTE Australia and Viva Energy Australia for their attendance and ongoing support. This event provided an opportunity to highlight the value of our corporate partnerships, which support us in delivering more than 225 occasions of care a day to regional, rural and remote communities across Queensland. We were honoured to have RFDS Operations Manager Anthony Hooper, Data Integration & Analytics Manager Nick Warwick, and State Manager - Aeromedical Nursing Jacinta Jones participate in a panel discussion, sharing their roles and insights into our service delivery. We look forward to many more years of working together to deliver the finest care to the furthest corner.

It was a pleasure to join the Isuzu UTE Australia mid-year town hall event, where we had the opportunity to provide our Major National Partner with deeper insights into the wide range of services we offer. We are honoured to have had Dr Tim Driscoll, Elizabeth Doran and Dr Stevie Dilley represent our organisation for the panel discussion. They shared their unique roles, the challenges they face, and their motivation to work for the RFDS. This was a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the many services we deliver. Thank you to the Isuzu UTE team for having us! Photo credit: Isuzu UTE Australia