QBIC's Townsville Roadshow a vital forum for knowledge sharing
QBI's Queensland Brain Injury Collaborative (QBIC) Townsville Roadshow events in late August brought together an exceptional lineup of speakers and stakeholders to advance brain injury care across North Queensland.
Our Clinician Roadshow event featured insightful presentations and local insights across all stages of patient care, starting with the inpatient journey from trauma bay to rehab ward. Ms Vivienne Neilan, Dr Matan Ben David, Dr Siva Senthuran, Dr Joanna Longley, Dr Caitlin Arthur and Dr Paul Chapman examinined critical care innovations, family-centred support and evidence-based rehabilitation strategies. Presentations then shifted to managing the realities of life after discharge, with Dr Dylan Flaws, Prof Karen Barlow, Ms Anna Grant, Ms Fiona Whaley (showcasing Townville University Hospital’s innovative Trauma Connect program) and Dr Sarah Kleinman addressing mental health care, community reintegration challenges and system barriers in primary care.
QBIC's Community Roadshow event brought together people with lived experience, clinicians and community support providers, creating a platform for local community connection. The morning focused on practical independence, with presentations by Jacinta Draper (NIISQ), Angela Kalantzis (TBIC), Sarah Willey (ConneCTErs), Leezah Moran (NQ BICS) and Glenn Regondola (ATS) exploring goal-setting, daily living skills and returning to work and recreation. The afternoon addressed long-term health and mental health, with Dr Rowena Mobbs, Dr Omer Shareef, Dr Alexander Lim, Prof Zoltán Sarnyai and Mr Adam Schickerling (Synapse) examining lived experience, the chronic effects of head trauma, neuropsychiatric care and culturally responsive support for First Nations communities.
These events provided a vital forum for knowledge sharing, network building and partnership development across the entire spectrum of care. The collaborative discussions identified exciting opportunities and gaps in care that QBIC is now actively working to address with our fantastic speakers and partners. Our sincere thanks to NIISQ, Townsville Hospital & Health Service, James Cook University, The Brain Injury Community Inc, the Townsville City Council and all our guest speakers for their amazing support.