Working at Mareeba Hospital

Transcript from ‘Hear from our staff about working at Mareeba Hospital’

[Upbeat background music plays while drone footage of Innisfail Hospital and the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service logo is shown]

>> Dr Brian Treanor, Director of Medical Services:

Hello, I'm Brian Treanor, Director of Medical Services here at Mareeba Hospital. Far North Queensland is a great place to live and Mareeba is the best place to work. I came to Mareeba for 12 months in 2016. Seven years later, I'm still here.

And that's the story you're going to hear from many of our doctors.

I don't know what sort of rural generalist you want to be, but you can do it all here at Mareeba. But don't just take my word for it. Have a listen to what the team say about what a great place Mareeba is.

>> Dr Eliza Spann, Senior Medical Officer:

I first came to Mareeba Hospital as a junior doctor on rotation from Cairns Hospital. That was nine years ago now. I've now been back at Mareeba Hospital for the best part of six years.

>> Tori Borghero, Registered Nurse:

I actually grew up in the Mareeba district, so being offered a graduate position here meant that I'm able to live closer to my family.

>> Keerthika Pirapaharan, JCU Medical Student:

As a final year medical student, I'm always eager to gain experiences that challenge my abilities, skills and knowledge. Hence why I chose to complete my rural placement at Mareeba Hospital.

>> Jennifer Fitzsimons, Director of Nursing:

It was an opportunity for a sea change for me. I'd been living in Western Sydney for pretty much my entire life. The area really attracted me. It's a, it's a beautiful part of the world.

>> Dr Jaden Bollman, Intern:

I knew what good experience it had to offer and I knew the case mix and the skill level of the rural generalists that I was going to be working under.

>> Dr Peter Christensen, Senior Medical Officer:

I came to Mareeba Hospital when I was a junior doctor and I returned to the team after I knew how good it was to work here in a supportive environment with a great education program.

>> Bonnie McMillan, Registered Nurse:

I love working in Mareeba because it's a small knit community and a small knit community makes for a family-like work environment.

>> Dr Toby Hopton, Senior Medical Officer:

I found it really supportive and friendly staff and it's been really good working as part of a smaller group of doctors.

>> Jennifer Fitzsimons, Director of Nursing:

The team are fantastic here. They're very welcoming, passionate about providing holistic care to the community.

>> Keerthika Pirapaharan, JCU Medical Student:

My experience at Mareeba Hospital has been nothing but amazing. It's been a privilege to work alongside senior doctors who have been outstandingly supportive in helping me develop my clinical skills and knowledge.

>> Dr Timothy Cahill, Senior Medical Officer:

It gives you the opportunity to be involved in a variety of different aspects of patient care.

>> Dr Toby Hopton, Senior Medical Officer:

The best parts about working at Mareeba Hospital is the variety of medicine that we get to practice.

>> Tori Borghero, Registered Nurse:

We get all sorts of cases come in every day, and as a young nurse, I find that really great for me, personally.

>> Dr Jaden Bollman, Intern:

Today's been a great example of what it's like to work in rural medicine. I started off the day on a ward round and was pulled to ED to help in a resus. I then organized the retrieval of that patient and was then called to theatre to help with a procedure and then I've spent the rest of my afternoon back doing the ward round.

>> Dr Marianna Boscariol, ACRRM Registrar:

I found it really interesting working at Lotus Glen Correctional Centre.

>> Tori Borghero, Registered Nurse:

It's a completely different style of nursing out there and I've found that I've been able to develop versatility, adaptability, and also grow on my clinical assessment skills out there.

>> Dr Eliza Spann, Senior Medical Officer:

I truly think it is the team here in Mareeba that keeps me coming back.

>> Jennifer Fitzsimons, Director of Nursing:

Everyone is well engaged, they work together. It's a really good team environment.

>> Dr Andrina Penfold, Senior Medical Officer:

Being able to know everyone on first name basis is such a bonus, as well as only a short trip to Cairns, which offers more facilities. You know, where else can you get all the bonuses of being rural and the benefits of an international airport? It's fantastic.

>> Dr Peter Christensen, Senior Medical Officer:

I’d definitely recommend Mareeba as a place to work.

>> Dr Eliza Spann, Senior Medical Officer:

We've got such a great team of senior medical officers who are all interested in their area and their advanced skill and that are keen to teach and to learn.

>> Tori Borghero, Registered Nurse:

The staff are really supportive and I feel encouraged to grow as a registered nurse here.

>> Dr Marianna Boscariol, ACRRM Registrar:

It's really nice being able to do part-time GP and part-time hospital at the same time. So then that way you kind of have that continuity of care.

>> Jennifer Fitzsimons, Director of Nursing:

I think it's a fantastic opportunity to broaden your skillset and I think if you really want to challenge yourself, it's a perfect opportunity.

>> Bonnie McMillan, Registered Nurse:

I find working in a rural town great, Mareeba hospital is extremely well-equipped, and I definitely don't feel like I'm missing out on opportunities.

>> Dr Timothy Cahill, Senior Medical Officer:

I enjoy the fact that I can live 10 minutes from where I work. I can park at the back door; I can find a car park at Woolworths on the way home.

>> Keerthika Pirapaharan, JCU Medical Student:

It's been impressive to see the dedication and commitment of all the staff here. I've seen first-hand the positive impact that they have had on their patient's lives.

>> Dr Brian Treanor, Director of Medical Services:

Thanks for taking the time to watch our video. If you want to get in touch, we'd love to hear from you. If you want to come and have a visit, you're welcome anytime.

[Music ends with another overhead image of Innisfail Hospital]

[Text on screen] Scan here to view the CHHHS Careers page for further information with QR code and Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service logo on screen.

End of transcript