November 11, 2024 • 55 mins
Join us on a captivating journey to the heart of Australia's remote healthcare landscape with Lesley Woolf OAM, a distinguished healthcare professional whose exemplary 50-year career has earned her the Order of Australia Medal.
Lesley is the Executive Health Manager at Mala'la Health Service, where she does everything from manage the local morgue to launching critical child health programs - the challenges are both unique and challenging. But Lesley is all about the positive changes brought about by transitioning healthcare to community control. She highlights the importance of collaboration with her team and the journey towards creating a more accessible healthcare environment.
Get a glimpse into the life of a remote area nurse as Lesley discusses the essential qualifications, ongoing education, and personal resilience required to thrive in these demanding roles. Her stories from places like Mount Isa and the Northern Territory underscore the joy and fulfillment that come with a career in nursing, despite the challenges. Lesley's personal anecdotes and professional milestones shine a light on the remarkable improvements in healthcare services, inspiring listeners to appreciate the power of community-driven healthcare and the passionate individuals like her who make it possible.
This episode of It Takes Heart has CEO of cmr Sam Miklos hosting alongside Head of Talent and Employer Branding, Kate Coomber.
We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso
More about Lesley's Charity of Choice, Mala'la Health Services:
Mala'la Health Services
Mala'la Health Service Aboriginal Corporation provides culturally appropriate and comprehensive primary health care services to the people of Maningrida community and surrounding homelands under a community-control model.
Visit https://www.malala.com.au/contact for more information.
Get to know cmr better!
Follow @ittakesheartpodcast on Instagram, @cmr | Cornerstone Medical Recruitment on Linked In, @cornerstonemedicalrec on TikTok and @CornerstoneMedicalRecruitment on Facebook.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sam Miklos (00:00):
We care for the land and sea.
We care for the energy.
We care for our community.
We care.
Welcome to it Takes Heart.
(00:21):
I'm Sam Miklos and I'm KateCoomba.
We hope you enjoy theseincredible stories of healthcare
professionals making adifference in communities across
Australia and beyond.
Through our conversations, welook to celebrate the spirit of
community and care.
We acknowledge the traditionalcustodians of the land who have
long practised and sharedancient methods of healing,
providing care and support fortheir communities with wisdom
(00:44):
passed down through generations.
Kate Coomber (00:46):
Join us as we explore what it truly means to
take heart.
Sam Miklos (00:55):
Our guest today has 50 years experience as a
registered nurse.
Recent OAM recipient, leslieWolfe is currently the Executive
Health Manager at Malala HealthService in the Northern
Territory and has been workingin Maningrida for the past nine
years.
She holds a master's degree innursing, international
management and mediation, andyet she says that it feels like
she had a brain transplant whenshe created her first health
(01:18):
service in Catherine almost twodecades ago.
What she learnt there drivesher passion and purpose to
continue pushing the boundarieson what's possible in remote
health.
Our healthcare professionalsthat work with Lesley describe
her as a fearless leader who isapproachable, passionate and so
kind.
Lesley has worked with our teamfor many years and they always
(01:38):
comment on how amazed they arewith just how much she has
accomplished and continues toaccomplish in her career.
Welcome Lesley to.
It Takes Heart.
Thank you, it's lovely to behere.
I've got to ask we've had youfly in on the red-eye flight
from Darwin this morning.
We've finally got you in ourBrisbane office.
Did you have your ice bath thismorning?
Lesley Woolf OAM (01:58):
No.
No, Unfortunately there isn'tone at the airport.
Sam Miklos (02:02):
No, is that a?
Lesley Woolf OAM (02:04):
daily ritual for you.
Fairly well, yeah, I like to doit in the morning.
Otherwise, I try and go to thepool in the morning because
we've got a beautiful pool inManingrida, but the other time
it's really great.
And this week I've been welland truly under the pump.
You know, when you get to thestage where your head's just
scrambled and you can't thinkstraight.
yes, I at night I just sit in itfor an hour or so.
(02:28):
Just look at the garden, it'sit's actually not full of ice.
Uh, it's got quite a bit of icein it, but, um, you know, it's
not doable to fill it up withice wow so I just sit in it and
it's just a little cheap job,but it's lovely and I sit there
and close my eyes and think ofall sorts of nice things and you
(02:50):
get out and you feel a milliondollars.
Sam Miklos (02:52):
I think I need an ice bath.
Kate Coomber (02:54):
How did you come to find that Look?
Lesley Woolf OAM (02:57):
they're very popular at the moment.
Kate Coomber (02:58):
Yeah of course.
Lesley Woolf OAM (02:59):
And there's a lot of talk about them.
And I know, when I mentioned itto one of my sons he said mum,
don't do that.
Old ladies die in ice baths.
And I thought, oh, I don't knowwhether I should do that anyway
.
Um, my neighbour had one andshe didn't use it and she was
going to throw it away and Isaid because she, it was a cheap
one, and she's.
I said, oh, I'll try it.
(03:20):
So next thing it's on my backpatio and I'm having ice baths
and one of our doctors does itwhen she's there and, um, her
ice bath sits in my office whenshe's not there and I don't use
it at work and they're all a bitscrambled at work.
Sam Miklos (03:36):
I'm out to the team meeting, which is a regular
occasion.
Kate Coomber (03:41):
Yeah, I think we need one downstairs.
I'm I downstairs?
Yeah, we'll be ordering thatone later.
Lesley Woolf OAM (03:45):
They're great and I've Googled them, but I
can't really find one that Ilike, because I'd like a fancy
one and maybe one that could behot or cold, and I'll probably
get one of those in my old age.
Sam Miklos (03:57):
Fantastic.
So you were recently awarded anOrder of Australia medal.
Can you tell us how does itcome to be that you get awarded
an OAM and what has that meantfor you?
Lesley Woolf OAM (04:09):
Look, I don't really know how these things
happen, but somebody obviouslynominates you.
And it was interesting.
I had a couple of text messagesfrom a variety of people that
I've worked with over the years,some 20 years ago, saying that
I've worked with over the years,some 20 years ago, saying, oh,
I nominated you for that.
But I don't know whether theydid or not, so I'm not sure how
(04:32):
it happens.
Monday morning, a few weeksbefore I woke up and I had an
email and I thought, oh, what'sthis all about?
Because I do quite a bit ofwork for the just voluntary work
for the Australia Day Counciland I enjoy working with them
and, you know, meeting differentpeople, and so I just thought
it was from the Australia DayCouncil.
And then I looked at it, put myglasses on and had a good read
(04:54):
and it said that I had beennominated.
And would I accept thenomination?
And you know I could click onthe link and get more
information.
And I thought about it for acouple of days because I thought
you know, really this is a bigresponsibility and I'm not sure
what responsibility comes withit, but I felt that I really
needed to think about whether Iwas interested or not.
(05:15):
And my daughter has an OAM yes,we saw.
I rang her and said what do youthink?
And she said, mum, it doesn'tchange your life, you know, it's
just an honour to have it.
Kate Coomber (05:27):
Wonderful recognition.
Lesley Woolf OAM (05:28):
Yeah, and that was what I thought, and I
thought, you know this is, I sawit as a recognition for nurses,
because a nurse is recognised,but also for remote nurses and
rural nurses, because I'veworked many years in rural
Queensland and I see it as arecognition sort of all around
for nurses and healthprofessionals.
Yeah, because there's a lot ofgreat people doing great things
(05:53):
and you never hear about them.
Kate Coomber (05:55):
So true?
Yeah, that's wonderful.
We were talking earlier of yourjourney coming in from
Maningrida to Darwin to Brisbanethis morning.
Paint a picture of Maningridato Darwin to Brisbane this
morning.
Paint a picture of Maningrida.
You've worked there for nineyears.
You're talking.
It sounds like such a wonderfulteam down there, but what is it
like?
Lesley Woolf OAM (06:15):
Paint a picture of the location and
what's there.
I guess I had been toManingrida before because I used
to have a regional role someyears ago and so I had been
there before and I knew it wason the beach and I knew it was
nice and had a fairly new clinicin those days and had a new age
care.
So I felt fairly positive aboutgoing there.
And Charlie Gunnaburra, who'sthe chair of our board and has
(06:36):
worked at the clinic for 48years I was familiar with him
and I went up to have a look andto meet some of the board
members and Charlie said to me Iremember you.
He said you used to have darkhair.
Yes, charlie, I did.
Anyway, so I took a contractfor 12 months.
(06:58):
It wasn't long after my husbandhad died and I really wanted to
change.
And Ray Matthews, our CEO, andI had coffee one day, as we
sometimes did, and he told me hehad a position if I was
interested, and so I threw myhat in the ring and of course I
got it and went there for 12months and I knew when I took on
the role that it probablywouldn't keep me occupied.
(07:20):
But Ray also knew that I'dtransitioned clinics before and
that was what he had on his mindbecause that was what the board
wanted.
And so then, after I'd beenthere for a while, we talked
about transition and communitycontrol and he progressed that
and so that really took up allmy time, you know, developing
(07:42):
policies and procedures, gettingaccredited, that sort of thing.
So in terms of the job and therole, it's great.
You can be whatever you want tobe.
You can do.
When I say do whatever you wantto do, you know we're
constantly developing theorganisation, constantly
extending it.
But Maningrida is a communityand I've been to a lot of
(08:02):
communities all over Australia.
It's a lovely community, lovelypeople, because of its size.
It's one place where you canlead a fairly normal life.
When I say you can go out todinner, there's a lodge there
where a lot of contractors work,but you can have a decent feed
for $40, a three-course meal for$40.
(08:25):
You can.
You know there's a coffee shopand we normally we call it the
coffee club and we go for coffeeon Saturday mornings.
Somebody said to me yesterdaywhere is this coffee club?
And then there's anothertakeaway that has good food.
There's two supermarkets whichhave very good food grapefruit
and veg reasonably priced.
(08:47):
You know you can live there andnot want for a thing and not
bring a thing in.
So it's a good community.
But it's also a fairly safecommunity.
I was ramrated in the house Iwas living at in Palmerston two
years ago and I just packed upthat day and went out to
Maningrida because I felt safer.
Yeah, wow.
(09:07):
So it's a lovely community.
The people are just delightful.
They're grateful for what youdo.
You know I go to the shop andpeople are walking past me
saying hello Leslie, helloLeslie.
And I think, hmm, who is that?
But they're friendly, they loveto be, love to be, love to know
you and love to have someinvolvement.
And some of the ladies on theboard they'll always say show me
(09:31):
that photo of your grandkidsand I'll show them and they
really like that and I thinkthat's important.
We've got a very good board, agood functional board, which
some organisations don't have,and they're decent people,
they're nice people, sort ofthere for the right reasons.
I knew when I was going thereI'd worked with Ray before and I
(09:52):
knew that he's got integrity.
And I think that's importantwhen you're working with a CEO
who, you know, has integrity.
I also knew that he and I haddifferent strengths and would
complement each other, and Ithink that's a bonus as well,
but we've got an amazing team.
You know we've grown, that heand I had different strengths
and would complement each other,and I think that's a bonus as
well, but we've got an amazingteam.
You know we've grown that teamand we just have such amazing
people.
Ray and I are the only two oldones in it, but we have all
(10:16):
these wonderful, young,enthusiastic people who, just
you know they make your lifeeasy.
Sam Miklos (10:22):
Yeah.
Lesley Woolf OAM (10:22):
And I think with that, you know they're
thinking about progress, theyembrace change, that sort of
thing, and I think we'vedeveloped a really good
workplace culture.
And when you've got that, andMegan and Becky and I were
talking on our way in and wewere talking about workplaces
(10:44):
and they were talking about here, and I said what you want is a
workplace where you can laugh.
Sam Miklos (10:48):
Oh, yeah, have a joke and enjoy it.
Lesley Woolf OAM (10:51):
Because you spend too much time at work, and
I think that's something thatwe all enjoy, and it is that
extension, you know, seeing Megcome in today, and everyone's
hugging and that's such anextension.
It's a family.
It's that community feel andyou can achieve anything and you
can tackle any challenge aswell when you've got that sense
of community as well.
Totally yeah, and I might add,we actually have the nicest
(11:11):
sunsets in the world.
Oh, is that true, yeah, amazingsunsets.
Sam Miklos (11:16):
We'll have to get some photos and, when we launch
this episode, have a photo ofthat?
Lesley Woolf OAM (11:21):
yeah, so that we can have one Beautiful
sunsets.
Kate Coomber (11:23):
And this is about five, six hours from Darwin.
Lesley Woolf OAM (11:28):
Yeah, it's Well.
It's an hour on the plane andthere's daily flights which is
great.
You can fly either Air North orfly Tiwi.
We have a charter every Monday,out on Monday, back on Friday,
and that was really establishedfor our fly-in-fly-out workers.
That way, then, instead ofhaving them sitting at the
(11:49):
airport for five hours becausethe plane's delayed, they're
there at 8 o'clock in themorning, which is great.
They work a full week.
Yeah, by car it's probably sixor seven hours, some of us take
a little bit longer, but it'sthe most beautiful drive because
it's through Kakadu.
Yeah, so it's the mostbeautiful drive because it's
through Kakadu.
Yeah, so it's absolutelyamazing, and I think anybody who
hasn't driven that road hasmissed out.
(12:10):
Yeah, it's really.
It's very pretty, very nice.
Sam Miklos (12:13):
Leslie, you mentioned there about the
transition.
So Malala Health Servicetransitioned from a government
controlled to a communitycontrolled health service.
Can you tell us what that meansand the impact that has on the
local community?
Lesley Woolf OAM (12:26):
Okay, for many years the board and the
community had talked aboutwanting to have more say in the
clinic and there has been ashift towards community control
in the Northern Territory andparticularly in Catherine, where
all the services there otherthan the hospital are community
controlled.
And you know, you know peopletalk, they go to meetings, they
(12:47):
go to different sort of meetingsin town where they're meeting
other board members from otherorganisations and they were very
keen to transition.
But we had to get our acttogether first, which we did and
sort of had everything in place, and then it goes to the um, to
a board I'm trying to think ofthe northern territory
(13:09):
aboriginal health board and goesto that and um, they either
approve or not approve or makerecommendations, and we got the
go on for um transition and sosome places transition, just
transition the whole service.
It's a very big clinic, we'vegot 23 nurses and three doctors
(13:29):
and I was going to ask the sizeof the clinic, so 23 nurses,
three doctors, and then we haveprobably 30 community workers
right who work in a variety ofarrangements.
So it's it's a big clinic andjust to transition that all at
once would have been chaos andvery difficult to get the right
person to do that.
So we decided to transition, Iguess in a staged approach.
(13:57):
So the first thing we did wastook over the morgue, because
that was something that was abig passion for the community.
They wanted more control of themorgue.
They wanted to have morecultural activities, you know,
have some dancing, some smoking,all that sort of thing with the
morgue.
They also wanted freezers sothat people could have their
bodies of their loved ones inthe morgue for a little bit
(14:18):
longer, because it cost them afortune for them to go into town
.
So we took over the morgue andwe've, you know, three years
down the track, we've just gotthe freezers finished Wow, which
is great.
So, and then we took over fourprograms, which was child health
, rheumatic heart disease,outstations, and we got some
funding for men's health.
(14:39):
So we took those over and thatgave us a chance to not only
demonstrate that we could do it,but also to develop things in
the way that we could, and itwas a bonus that we'd been able
to secure some additionalfunding from NACCHO for
rheumatic heart disease, becausewe have the worst incidence of
rheumatic heart disease inAustralia.
So we're able to do that.
(15:00):
And then progressively we tookover other programs and again
that gave us the opportunity toget those programs established
and the department had someconfidence in us, which is a big
thing.
But it also gives us theopportunity to apply for funding
that the department can't applyfor.
And then we just we took overthe acute section and the
(15:23):
workforce, the local staff, andyou know that was a bit of a
battle because people don'tembrace change and some of the
NTG staff didn't want to change,but we didn't see that as a
problem because they weren'tcoming across to work for us
anyway, and I think sometimesyou're better to start with a
(15:43):
clean slate.
The other thing it gave us theopportunity to do was focus on
programs, because a lot ofclinics it's whatever comes
through the door, you justtriage it and deal with it
Reactively, yeah, and we didn'twant that.
We wanted a good preventative,proactive approach, and so we
were able to do that, implementthat, and that's been a real
(16:04):
bonus as well.
It means that people don't waitas long.
All of that.
But the other thing it's doneis we've been able to identify
priorities and new prioritiesand things like TB.
We now know that we have quitea high incidence of TB in the
community which really wasn'treally being addressed
previously.
(16:25):
So we've just secured fundingfor a TB nurse and she'll start
in the next couple of inSeptember I think she's starting
, and so that's a real step inthe right direction.
We've been able to apply forfunding, um for a new, another
building, so we'll have a 10million dollar new building
public health building.
Um, yeah, there's just, there'sdifferent opportunities.
(16:46):
And how long has that taken?
Um, it's probably taken fiveyears.
Yeah, oh, hang on, took aboutfour years before we actually
transitioned everything across,and it's been three years, three
and a half years, since wetransitioned and what it does is
gives you know in the healthdepartment.
(17:06):
I would never criticise thehealth department.
I worked for health departmentsfor over 30 years, so I'd never
criticise them.
But it gives us the opportunityto identify what our priorities
are and direct funds andservices in that direction,
whereas big machines like health, they look at what's the
(17:30):
priority for the majority and soit's not targeted particularly
at a community, and that's whatit gives us the opportunity to
do.
Gives us the opportunity to getdifferent funding and as well
as have some control over ourfunding.
You know, when I worked inpublic systems, at the end of
the financial year, any moneyyou've got, you know you don't
(17:51):
get it, yeah, um.
Sam Miklos (17:51):
And we, we find.
Lesley Woolf OAM (17:52):
we're constantly monitoring our
budgets and if it's looking likewe're underspent, we're
constantly monitoring ourbudgets, and if it's looking
like we're underspent, we'remaking sure we spend it yeah,
spend it absolutely.
Increase services, or whatever.
Kate Coomber (18:03):
And I think the fact you've had such longevity
within the service obviouslyspeaks volumes to its success.
And it sounds like a reallybeautiful team and I know that
our recruiters, who have peoplehead up there, just report back
such wonderful things.
I think if anyone isconsidering a possible remote
journey, this might be a reallywonderful place to start,
because you are supported ifyou're a doctor going out
(18:25):
wanting to do remote.
You've got the support from theother doctors and a team of
nursing staff etc.
Lesley Woolf OAM (18:29):
Absolutely, and they're very good.
The other thing we've beenfortunate to get is because it
being such a big community andwe have the opportunity to get,
is because it being such a bigcommunity and we have the
opportunity to respond tocommunity feedback.
One thing the community didn'tlike was if they because we only
saw emergencies after hours ifthey ring up in the middle rang
up in the middle of the night,the response would be man and
(18:50):
greeter clinic, what's youremergency?
And sometimes they just wantadvice.
So we were able to secure somefunding under the urgent care
clinics and so we now have a24-hour service and we're open
24 hours and people can come.
If they've got a sick child andnot sure do I give it Panadol,
do I not?
They can ring up and get advice.
(19:12):
If they're going to anoutstation first thing in the
morning and they've forgottentheir tablets, they can come up
and get them that sort of thing.
So I think it's really enhancedthe service and we have
permanent staff doing the nightshift.
We recognise that's tough forsomeone to do it permanently.
So we have a two-week-on,two-week-off arrangement where
(19:33):
they come for two weeks and thenthey go for two weeks, and it's
quite an attractive packagethat we pay and that's working
successfully and do you thinkthat this has all had?
Sam Miklos (19:44):
can you see an impact on the healthcare
outcomes in the communityalready from this transition?
Lesley Woolf OAM (19:50):
I know that we're doing really well with
rheumatic heart disease and I'vebeen able to secure a little
bit more money for anotherposition through PHN, which is
great.
But I think the good thing isfunding bodies recognise that
you're doing things well and sothey're happy to fund you and I
think that's a real bonus.
(20:11):
But certainly the rheumaticheart disease.
You can see it in thestatistics well and truly.
In all the areas our KPIs arevery good and probably top of
the pops in the NorthernTerritory, which I think is
great.
That's fantastic.
I think it's something to beproud of.
And in saying that, ourmanagers are great.
(20:34):
Jess Getty is just amazing.
She's really good.
But the staff around her youknow our quality and safety
officer, our coordinator for EDthey're absolutely amazing with
what they do and as well as that, we've had some continuity of
doctors and I think that makes abig difference as well, and
they're committed.
You know one of them was withus for five years.
(20:55):
She now works remotely from thesunshine coast, so she they
know all the community, theyknow the people we were going to
ask you about the reputation,but I thought you've answered
yeah and I guess, talking aboutthe, the staff that you do have,
what makes a great personcoming to malala.
Kate Coomber (21:12):
You know what's?
I imagine it sometimes ischallenging to get people to go
to the remote places.
In the first instance.
Perhaps and it sounds likeyou've got a really great
reputation up there You'reattracting a great team, yeah,
but you must have a.
Do you have a bit of a strategyin place for how to attract?
Lesley Woolf OAM (21:27):
Look, I think there's a couple of things.
We're pretty flexible and we,like you know, we like to make
people feel wanted.
But with people either like itor they don't, and staff will
come because there's not a lotof on-call now with the
after-hours nurses, and sopeople will come and they'll say
, oh, I need more call on thisso they won't come back, and
(21:50):
that's fine.
We accept that.
There's horses for courses,basically.
Some come and they've only everworked in a tiny little clinic
and they're totally blown awayby the size of the clinic and
very often they don't come backand we acknowledge that and we
make sure we tell them what it'sgoing to be like.
So I guess things that theyseem to enjoy.
(22:11):
We interview everybody whocomes to us and I mean it's
onerous and time-consuming, butwe interview everybody who comes
to us and I mean it's onerousand time consuming, but we so
important we interview everybodyand you can tell from that
first conversation whether it'sgoing to go well or not.
And these are for short-termcontracts yeah we don't take
anybody for less than six weeks,preferably eight, because that
(22:32):
gives them the opportunity tohave the best day and the worst
day, basically, and know whatit's all about and settle into
the community as well.
So we do that, but we also.
It's a very structured approachand I think some people people
really enjoy that.
They'll say this is soorganised and I think that's a
(22:52):
bonus as well.
They feel as though.
I think it gives themconfidence that we know what
we're doing.
Sam Miklos (22:57):
Yeah, for someone new to have that confidence
would help.
Lesley Woolf OAM (23:00):
Yeah, it does, and yeah, so I think they're
things that probably make itgood, but I think you've just
got to be nice to people.
Kate Coomber (23:07):
Yeah, create a culture, treat them well, and
what's the accommodation likefor someone coming through?
Lesley Woolf OAM (23:13):
Yeah, the nursing accommodation is pretty
good.
We've got a mixture of three,two and one bedroom units.
Some of the three bedroom unitsthe staff share, but we try not
to have people from the sameprogram or people who we don't
have, try not to have peoplesharing for six or eight weeks.
We try to make it like a bit ofa turnover and we try to match
(23:34):
people.
You know we'll meet somebodyand we'll think, yeah, they'd be
okay in that house and try andmatch them, but predominantly
they're on their own.
The accommodation we've gotfour units that are on the.
We call them seaside.
They're on the seaside, yeah,lovely, and they get the most
amazing views and sunsets aswell, and so of course, those
(23:56):
staff are long term.
Sam Miklos (23:57):
Yeah they are, they're not leaving, they're not
going anywhere?
Lesley Woolf OAM (24:01):
No, so yeah, we've got those and we've, you
know, the accommodation.
We try to make sure it's good,Like a guy come to me yesterday
and said my vacuum cleanerdoesn't work it's probably a
Kmart number and I said I'll getyou a new one.
So on Monday morning there'llbe a vacuum cleaner on the plane
going out for him so that thenhe can do it.
So I think you've got to beresponsive as well.
(24:25):
The other thing we do and thisis the way Jess practices and I
think it's absolutely amazing wehave a lot of health promotion
sort of community healthactivities.
They're community-wide thingslike vaccination drives, so
people have the opportunity todo overtime, go out after work,
(24:46):
give vaccinations to thecommunity, because that's when
you get the best response.
And we'll do that for a week.
When the breast screening buscame to Maningrida, we had
Women's Health Week and so wehad an additional nurse and she
sort of coordinated it and werounded up all the women who
were eligible and they hadhealth checks.
They got a nice bag, they got aT-shirt, that sort of thing,
(25:10):
and they got a bra bag, andthere was a bag of bras that the
bus had brought out with themand girls could rummage through
and get themselves a couple ofbras, which is really nice.
It's lovely, so special.
Yeah, we have two skin weeks ayear healthy skin weeks so
everybody in the community getsthe opportunity to have their
skin checked and in terms ofscabies and also have some just
(25:33):
discussion about avoidingscabies, things like that.
The other thing that we'veworked really hard to get and
have been able to maintain isOrange Sky, and that was a few
years ago.
We brought that in and it'sbeen great.
We don't use volunteers.
We pay our workers to run it,and the community love that as
(25:54):
well.
So you know there's a fewdifferent little things.
It and the community love thatas well.
So you know there's a fewdifferent little things.
We've got our visitingdietitian and physio and they do
a lot of community work and thephysio does exercise classes at
aged care, takes the oldiesdown to the pool, all that, and
they're things that make thecommunity happy, but they're
also so good for their health.
Kate Coomber (26:16):
Their health?
Yeah, engaging them.
You sound very innovative inthe work that you're doing.
Look, it's meeting, Not justwhat's in front of you.
Lesley Woolf OAM (26:22):
Totally, totally, yeah, and the staff
want to be involved in thosethings.
It's an opportunity for a bitof overtime, but they love to
get out into the community andmake an impact too in those
roles.
Yeah, they really enjoy it.
Sam Miklos (26:33):
I yeah, they really enjoy it.
I wanted to understand, youknow, if we've got healthcare
professionals listening to thispodcast and they've been Gold
Coast based, what do they needto know about Indigenous health,
remote health, working in thoseroles?
Because they often don'tunderstand.
No, they don't, and especiallyif they're an English nurse
who's come out to Australia,they're sort of like what is
that?
How would you describe that?
Lesley Woolf OAM (26:55):
The English nurses actually usually do very
well, they do well.
Sam Miklos (26:57):
Yes, make more English nurses, because they
want an adventure.
Lesley Woolf OAM (27:01):
The Irish are very good too, but I guess you
know you get some people and Idon't want to sound blunt, but
you get some people who've neverseen an Aboriginal person.
Yeah, they have no idea of whatit's like.
So I always think it's good ifthey do their research for a
start.
Where would they do that?
Sam Miklos (27:22):
research Online.
Lesley Woolf OAM (27:23):
Just research Aboriginal communities and you
know, read about them.
Read about how they've.
You know different thingsthey've done, how they developed
.
Some were church-based,mission-based, others just came
together.
You know, read about those,others just came together.
You know, read about thosethings.
Get some history.
I think that always helps.
The other thing I think it'sgood, you know, if they can
(27:47):
function autonomously.
They have to be able tofunction autonomously and that
doesn't happen overnight.
You get some new grads who canjust run and do it very, very
well, but you get people who'vebeen a nurse for 50 years who
can't function autonomouslybecause they've always had the
security of that hospital bed orthe doctor there for them.
So I guess they've got to beable to function fairly
(28:09):
autonomously and be looking fora bit of an adventure and I
think and prepared to have a go.
Yeah, you know sort of beenthusiastic about it.
And then, in terms of leading upto becoming a remote area nurse
, we have a fairly strictcredentialing process, and
probably more so than most,because we get people who've
(28:29):
come to us who've been workingremote for a few years, but they
have no, they haven't done anypreparation.
So we like them to have done aREC, a remote emergency course,
a MEC, if they're not a fewyears.
But they haven't done anypreparation.
So we like them to have done aregular remote emergency course,
a MEC if they're not a midwife.
We like them to have studiedthe rheumatic heart disease
modules and the rheumatic heartdisease modules are free online
(28:52):
have be immunisation endorsed.
That's probably good for astart and if they've done those
things they've got a fair ideaof you know how to do things and
I think that makes a difference.
We don't very often take new toremote people.
We like them to have experienceand yet it's probably a good
(29:16):
clinic to develop people.
Sam Miklos (29:17):
I was thinking that it's probably the best place to
have?
Lesley Woolf OAM (29:20):
Yeah, it is, it's so busy and people get
blown away by it.
But in saying that, we arelooking at developing a grant
program for remote area nursesand one of the reasons for that
is we've had a few very goodenrolled nurses work for us who
(29:40):
are studying nursing and wedon't want them to go anywhere
else, so we really want to beable to keep them.
So we're working on developinga grad program and that will
support new graduates and they'dprobably be ones we'd probably
only take one or two at a timeand they would be grads that we
knew or had had experience withthem, because there's a lot of
(30:02):
good enrolled nurses who arestudying nursing, who have
worked remote and do it very,very well.
So that's probably, but itlooks so much of its attitude.
Sam Miklos (30:14):
Yes, and what's their day look like?
You know often people talkabout in these remote clinics
that it's so much moregeneralist, the skill set that
they require.
Lesley Woolf OAM (30:23):
Yeah, it depends on where they're working
.
For instance, with most of theteams they have a meeting in the
morning, we have our teammeeting, but then they have
their own little meeting andtalk about you know what they're
going to do that day.
The chronic team, for instance,that usually consists of three
nurses and a doctor and theypull their recalls and they sit
down and talk about them.
Okay, who do we have to followup today and prioritise things?
(30:47):
Someone does the urgent,someone does the you know the
routine recalls, and somebodyelse might do what comes through
the door and try and targetthem.
So you know, there's a varietyof things that sort of set the
pace for the day In saying thatyou know we might have no staff
or we might have all new staffand it doesn't go to plan, but
that's basically the way we likeit to be, and that includes
(31:08):
your driver, your communityworker as well.
Sam Miklos (31:12):
So you said it felt like you had a brain transplant.
I hope that's correctly quoted.
When you created the firsthealth service in Catherine,
what happened in Catherine Look?
Lesley Woolf OAM (31:24):
I'd been a director of nursing for many
years and had big regionalresponsibilities.
I'd managed remote health inthe centre.
I then, as a favour to theregional director, I went to
Catherine to manage the hospitaland it was still a region to
manage that for six monthsbecause the manager of the day
(31:46):
was going on leave.
And then I was heading back toQueensland because my husband
was in Queensland and theCommonwealth asked me would I go
to Sunrise and help themrecruit to a position which
would facilitate the coordinatedcare trial, which was basically
transitioning the services, andI said, yeah, I'll do that for
(32:06):
three months, but only if I canhave a FIFO arrangement where I
can spend some time working fromhome, and that was agreed to.
So I did that and then afterthree months or six months I
went to the CEO and I said noneof these applicants, none of
them can do the job.
And he said, well, what will ittake to keep you?
And I said I'd love to stay,but my husband wants me to be
(32:28):
there Be home.
Anyway, I said, if I cancontinue this arrangement, I'm
sure he'd be agreeable.
And so he agreed, and I didthat for nearly four years and
we just gradually transitionedthe clinics.
But when we were doing that interms of and I'd managed remote
(32:49):
community clinics for years andyears because my role was
regional and I used to visit andyou know, think I knew what was
going on, but I didn't reallyknow and all of a sudden we were
looking at population healthand different cohorts of clients
and I was thinking, you know,we can actually make a
difference.
And so that was when I startedthinking this is what we can do.
(33:12):
And I think that you know thatwas.
It was a life-changing moment,I guess.
And the fact that the accountantwould say to me Leslie, you've
got this much money unspent.
What would you like to spend iton?
Well, I think we need a socialworker.
So we bring in a social worker.
You know things that you cansee you need and all of a sudden
(33:34):
you can create positions thatare needed.
And I've never had that luxuryin the public system, because
that's just not the way it works.
Yeah, so, yeah, that would havefelt so different.
Kate Coomber (33:42):
Yeah, it did so you've been nursing and in
health care a long time.
I'd love to hear about um.
You've talked about managingclinics and remote for a very,
very long time.
Where did it all start?
Were you were you always inremote, I guess?
Where were you based originally?
How did you get into it?
Sam Miklos (34:01):
You had three kids as well, along the way and you
just mentioned that you wereflying in and out at home.
So how did you?
Lesley Woolf OAM (34:08):
do all of this .
Look, I started my training in1970 in Cairns as a
hospital-based nurse.
When I first left school I wasalways going to be a
schoolteacher.
And then I was going to a danceone night and there was a
(34:28):
dentist there who was ourdentist and he said to my twin
sister and I I've got a job, ifeither of you are interested,
Laurie and I sort of, you know,poked each other Do you want it?
No, do you want it?
Anyway, I said no, I'd love it,and so I took it.
I started on the Monday.
Did you know what it was?
(34:49):
I had no idea.
I mean, we go to the dentist,we sort of see what the dental
nurse does.
So I did that and I was nearly16.
I was very young, nearly 16.
But girls in those days youleft school in year 10 or before
, if there was a reason to leave.
You were either a publicservant you worked at the
(35:12):
electricity board, a hairdresser, a nurse, or you were a nun.
Kate Coomber (35:20):
You know, there weren't many other options
Anyway.
Lesley Woolf OAM (35:22):
so I thought this is great, I'll do this.
So I did, and then I used to goup to the theatres and assist
the dentists with generalanaesthetics and things and I'd
think, wow, this is fun.
So then I decided that I wouldbecome a nurse, but I thought I
would do it in the Navy.
I thought I'd love to join theum, the services, and my father
(35:44):
just wouldn't have anything todo with it.
So I became a nurse in thehospital, which was great and I
absolutely loved it from day one.
There wasn't a day there's.
My husband always said get ajob you love and you'll never
work and I don't think I've everworked in my life yeah, I think
we're so blessed.
So I did that.
I trained in Cairns and then Imet my husband during my third
(36:07):
year and for a variety ofreasons, we got married very
quickly, because our car caughton fire and he had to stay in
Matt Iser and I went to Cairnsand so we just decided we'd get
married.
Sam Miklos (36:20):
So we got married about six weeks later.
Lesley Woolf OAM (36:24):
We'd known each other for six weeks, no,
six months.
Sam Miklos (36:27):
But the decision was a six-week decision.
Lesley Woolf OAM (36:29):
My mother kept saying to me you're not
pregnant.
No, I'm not.
The car caught fire Anyway.
So I finished my time.
I'd done all my training.
I finished my time in Mount Isaand actually graduated from
Mount Isa because he was a MountIsa man and I stayed there for
a couple of years and then wentback to Cairns and did my mid
(36:52):
and then went back to Mount Isaand ran the emergency department
there for some years.
Then I left and went back toCairns and was working around
public and private and then thethen director of nursing of the
day she rang me and said I'veresigned, do you want my job?
And I said, oh, I was 36.
I said, oh, yeah.
(37:17):
And she said just write them aletter.
So I did.
Next thing I'm on a plane goingout for an interview.
Next thing I'm going out for aninterview again.
And I got the job and I think Ispent the first two years
trying to work out what to do.
I was probably totally out ofmy depth and I recall the first
day my secretary saying to meso-and-so is coming to see you
and I said what the hell am Igoing to do with her?
(37:37):
I really didn't.
You know, you think you knowwhat to do, but you really don't
.
It gives you an enormousrespect for that person in the
chair previously because all ofa sudden you're that person.
So I was there for nearly 12years and probably the last two
years I was burned out anddidn't do as well as I probably
should have, but then our kidshad all left home.
(37:59):
So the kids all grew up inMount Isa.
All grew up in Mount Isa.
All grew up in Mount Isa and thekids had all left home, so we
decided to go to the NorthernTerritory.
But during that 12 years theone thing I'm always proud of is
the fact that I believe Icreated enormous opportunity for
nurses.
And also I always say I was acheerleader for nurses.
(38:20):
I battled to get them benefits,battled to get them incentives
and even things like we were thelast hospital in Queensland to
run the enrolled nurse coursehospital-based enrolled nurse
course and during that time weput through a lot of 50 and
60-year-olds who'd always wantedto be a nurse their whole life
and we put them through theenrolled nurse training.
Kate Coomber (38:40):
How?
Lesley Woolf OAM (38:41):
amazing is that?
Yeah, the other thing we did wehad a crazy gastroenterologist.
We all thought he was crazy,but he turned out to be very
bright and he couldn't alwaysget a nurse in theatre.
He rang me one day and he saidMrs Wolfe, which he always
called me, I want to trainnurses in Mount Isa.
And I said you, how would youtrain nurses?
(39:02):
He said no, I'm writing toevery university to try and get
nurses trained in Mount IsaIndigenous nurses.
I thought, oh, good luck withthat.
Anyway, it happened and we hadthe Commonwealth fly up.
Deakin University came up andwe ran the Deakin University
Bachelor of Nursing from MountIsa and that was an enormous
achievement yeah.
Put and University Bachelor ofNursing from Mount Isa and that
(39:23):
was an enormous achievement.
Yeah, Put through two cohortsof Indigenous nurses and with
each course we had onenon-Aboriginal person.
There's some fabulous,high-powered nurses now who went
through that course and we'llstill say you know, I was lucky
enough to get into that courseand so that was great.
But they really needed a lot ofsupport because they couldn't
afford to just be students.
(39:44):
So we employed them all asassistants in nursing or
enrolled nurses if they'reenrolled nurses gave them free
accommodation in the nurses'quarters and really tried to
look after them and got themthrough, which was great, and
that gave I guess that gave theopportunity for James Cook to
see that it could happen there,and that was when James Cook
(40:06):
started training nurses in MountIsa and almost every enrolled
nurse that we put through theenrolled nurse course is now a
registered nurse through JamesCook, having trained on home
ground, which is great.
So that you know to me that youknow, when I reflect on the
things that I've done, they'rethe things that give me the most
satisfaction.
(40:27):
They give me enormoussatisfaction because a couple of
months after I left, theregional director rang me and he
said guess what?
I said what he said the nursesare going to get incentives If
they live in Mount Isa.
They're going to get incentives.
And that was a whole newballgame.
All of a sudden you could getpeople to work there and stay.
(40:49):
So it was a whole new ballgame.
And I thought you know.
He said to me you worked for 10years for that and I thought at
least you recognise it.
But it was just, you know, to me.
That gave me enormoussatisfaction.
So then we went to AliceSprings, yeah, and initially I
was in an interesting position.
I was an executive director ofnursing of the region.
(41:09):
But it was really just a, youknow, can we do this sort of job
and policy job?
And not busy enough for me.
So I then went and managedremote health for a while and
then I went over to be theexecutive director of nursing at
the hospital, which I loved.
Yeah, I did that for two years.
(41:35):
But my husband was in Queenslandand I kept thinking you know, I
really need to be married againand go back and spend some time
with him, which I always triedto do, but that was how my
journey to Catherine happened.
Sam Miklos (41:41):
So your three kids are all grown up now and they're
all incredibly successful intheir own right.
Your daughter's also received Iknow I missed that earlier.
Your two sons are rugby leaguecoaches.
I think I'd said to you that mycousin plays for Christian and
the Dolphins and I actuallyasked him how he would describe
Christian and he said the bestthings about Christian are his
integrity, trustworthiness,support for the team and, of
(42:04):
course, his coaching ability.
He said that the care Christianhas for the team as people, not
just players, is what makes himsuch an incredibly good coach,
and he said they really feelthat Christian wants the player,
their family and theirlifestyle to be one that
epitomizes strong values.
It's lovely, beautiful words wewere talking about.
As a mother with these threechildren who've done all these
(42:26):
wonderful things, what are thevalues that you've instilled in
them?
Like, interestingly, when we'vementioned to the staff about
today talking to you, they'veall said how has she raised all
these incredible humans?
What are the tips you would?
Kate Coomber (42:36):
give so many parents here going.
How do we do?
Lesley Woolf OAM (42:39):
that Breastfed them until they were almost at
school, right.
Sam Miklos (42:43):
Oh God, we missed the boat there.
Lesley Woolf OAM (42:46):
No, look, they had an amazing father who was
prepared to do anything for them, which was great, and I worked
night duty when the kids werelittle, when the boys were
little, and Rob would always getup to them at night and you
know I'd sleep through it If Iwas there.
I'd sleep through it, and so Ithink it's not about me.
(43:07):
It's actually about a familyYou've got to have good family
values.
You've got to make sure they'rebusy all the time.
They're all incredibly occupiedwith sport.
They all did well at school.
Sam Miklos (43:18):
Kate not so well, but the boys did well, did they
stay in Mount Isa for school orgo away to board?
Lesley Woolf OAM (43:29):
We went back to Mount Isa when Katie was in
grade one, ben was in grade fiveand Christian was in grade nine
.
They all were schooled there,except Christian went to
boarding school for two years.
He loved it.
But probably they have a bittoo much freedom at boarding
school, particularly in thehigher grades.
Not too much freedom, but Ithink they take too much too
(43:49):
much freedom and they make surethey've, you know, got plenty of
outside activities.
Yeah, but they they were allgood kids, you know, and I think
that's a bonus as well, andthey were respectful.
They were always.
They always grew up withrespect and respect for family
and respect for others, and evennow you know they're very
respectful.
But I think also, you knowpeople knock Mount Isa and knock
(44:14):
country towns.
But I think they're greatbecause you know who their
friends are.
You know their friends' parents.
They may drink underage but youknow that they're at a house
where they're being supervised,and I think that's a big thing.
And even in sport it's not hardto play half a dozen sports
because everything's withinwalking distance and we lived on
(44:35):
the hospital campus, which wasin the middle of town, and so
you know they can get toeverything that they want to get
to.
It didn't stop them coming homeat you know four o'clock in the
morning after night, clubbingand drinking any bit of alcohol.
That was in the house and havinga party, but that's okay.
The doctors that lived aroundus would complain, but generally
, you know they had a good, theyhad a great life there and I
(44:58):
think it grounds them.
They're good basic people and Ithink you know, and all their
friends that they grew up withare all just amazing people.
Christian married a girl fromMount Isa who you know.
Her family are an amazingfamily with six kids and all of
whom have done well and I thinkthat you know those values that
you get in a country town likethat stay with you for life.
(45:20):
Yes, and I think that's so good.
And in terms of raising threekids, I didn't have a total of
six months of work to have mykids.
All three of them Went back towork when they were only a
couple of weeks old becausethere was never enough staff.
Yes, and I think you do that incountry towns as well, and I
think they probably you knowthey had to be resilient, they
(45:42):
had to be independent becausethey had to fend for themselves
to a great extent.
I always had good neighbours,which was a bonus, and in the
early days, their othergrandparents lived in Mount Isa,
which was great, and they weregood, hardworking people.
I think when you've got thosequalities in the broader family,
it makes a big difference.
(46:02):
So, yeah, I think it's notabout me with the kids, the one
thing that I'm very proud of,not so much about their
achievements, but they're alldecent people.
Kate Coomber (46:13):
Yeah, I was just going to say the way that the
team have obviously spoken abouthim is the way that you can see
that you encourage that withinyour staff and the way that you
look at everything.
How do we make their lifebetter?
How do we make sure that?
Lesley Woolf OAM (46:26):
they're okay and that clearly trickles down.
Yeah, totally.
And even with the nurses.
You know, when we took over theclinic we talked about nurses
and how hard they do it.
You know, often they're there24 hours for different things
and I can remember in a meetingI said to Ray we've got to do
something about this, we've gotto be competitive and we've got
(46:47):
to look after them.
And so we introduced a bonusfor them, a $10,000 bonus.
If they're our staff and theystay for 12 months and that
includes if they're recruitedthrough an agency and become our
staff member, they get the$10,000.
We also give people a travelbonus $4,000 in travel.
So you know, if someone wantsto go overseas, save it up and
(47:09):
go overseas, they can pay fortheir overseas trip.
Yeah, and that sort of thingworks out well.
We give them lunch.
have a nice lunch every secondThursday, the off-pay week, and
people say, is it lunch thisweek?
I say no, you get paid thisweek.
Kate Coomber (47:24):
You have your choice pay or lunch and that
works well.
Lesley Woolf OAM (47:29):
That's just a bit of compensation for their
hard work and the fact that theygenerate Medicare, a lot of
Medicare.
We want to recognise that.
Sam Miklos (47:36):
Yeah, that's so true .
We talk a lot about that inhere is how do we make sure that
all of these healthprofessionals you know get so
many more bonuses and benefits?
And we've looked at so manydifferent programs, especially
with our agency, locums, to makesure that they are well
rewarded because they work sohard.
Lesley Woolf OAM (47:53):
They do, yeah, and I think you're one agency
that gives them some supportwith education, and that's a big
thing, um, because otherwisethey have to pay for all their
own education and that's prettycostly.
Sam Miklos (48:05):
It's very expensive for them.
Yes, it's all of those thingswe're doing a lot at the moment
around education to see how elsewe can contribute, to just take
the pressure off for them aswell well, they've got to be
credentialed when they comeremote, and often to be
credentialed costs you a fairamount of money.
Kate Coomber (48:20):
Yeah, and then if they want those extra skills, if
they want to go more remote andthey need to add on those extra
certificates, they need yoursupport sometimes, yeah, they do
, yeah, yeah, totally, and somepeople just aren't prepared to
do it.
Yeah, so what keeps you sopassionate still now?
Lesley Woolf OAM (48:38):
I don't know.
You know, I was talking toWayne Bennett a few weeks ago
and just asked him how he was,because he and I are around the
same age, and asked him how hewas going.
And he said, you know, we madea bit of small talk and he said
to me, I'm just in awe of thework you're doing.
And I said, yeah, I think aboutretiring.
And then I think, well, I'vestill got the fire in my belly,
(49:00):
I'll keep working.
And he said you need to read mybook, which is Don't Die With
the Music In you.
I'm actually reading it now andit's good, it's very good, but
it's true, while you've stillgot the fire in your belly, and
I can see, I almost get excited,I can see there's so much needs
to be done, and you know,there's talk about us getting
(49:27):
funding for a real unit.
Well, you know, really, I've gotto stay until that's finished.
We're getting our new 10million dollar building.
Yeah, you want to see that,absolutely.
I'm in the process of.
I've recently um beensuccessful with a couple of
grants for aged care, becauseaged care is a growth industry
and we've got 10 beds, 10residential beds and then we
have about 70 community clients.
All those community clients aregoing to need somewhere to live
.
But as well as that, there'sabout 500 people over 50,
(49:50):
indigenous people over 50 in thecommunity, so you've got to
plan ahead.
So I'm in the process of doinganother funding submission for
more beds and I think you knowthat sort of thing, you want to
see it through and I get excitedabout it.
Sam Miklos (50:05):
It's like you're still on the edge of the same
things to come and all theseideas and little things you can
tweak and change.
Lesley Woolf OAM (50:11):
Yeah, yeah, and I think you know, while
you've still got that passion,but I'd say probably in the next
year or so I'll probably domore work from Cairns.
I'll move to Cairns and maybedo a couple of weeks at home and
then do a month or so inManingrida, because when I'm
away from it I miss it, I think.
Kate Coomber (50:32):
Oh, God, what are they doing now?
There's Cairns, where you'vestill got some family and
friends.
Lesley Woolf OAM (50:36):
All my siblings are there my sisters
and my brother?
Sam Miklos (50:38):
What did your twin sister end up doing?
She didn't take the nursingrole.
My siblings are there.
Lesley Woolf OAM (50:41):
My sisters and my brother.
What did your twin sister endup doing?
She didn't take the nursingrole.
She was a public servantinitially and then, once she had
kids, she worked in pubs andran pubs.
Then she owned pubs and then inher 50s she did a social work
degree and she is very high upin community corrections in
(51:01):
Cairns and you know managersshe's an area manager for Far
North Queensland and so we sortof went both in the same
direction.
Yeah, and so she still worksfull time.
And we often laugh aboutdifferent things, and she was
texting me the other day aboutwhat she was doing and I said,
oh, I can beat that and I wasdoing something equally as crazy
(51:22):
.
So I think we're both luckythat we've still got health good
health and also lucky that ourbrains still function.
Sam Miklos (51:30):
Yeah.
Lesley Woolf OAM (51:31):
And I said to the girls at work if you think
I'm losing my marbles, just letme know.
And yet you know they'll say tome do you remember?
Yep, I remember, I'll quote it.
Yeah, do you remember?
Yep, I remember, I'll quote it,because it sort of gets
tattooed in your brain and Iguess, because Ray and I have
grown the organisation to agreat extent, you've got all
that historical knowledge whichother people don't have, and I
(51:52):
think that's a bonus as well andyou don't want to lose that.
Ray and I will probably bothretire around the same time but
hopefully we'll have developedgood people.
Sam Miklos (52:01):
Definitely a good succession plan.
Lesley Woolf OAM (52:02):
Yeah, yeah, so hopefully we'll have developed
others, but I think, becausehe's been there 11 years and
I've been there nine years andthat's, you know, that's amazing
for an Aboriginal organisation.
Sam Miklos (52:12):
Yeah, I was just going to say like that tenure is
incredible and rare.
Lesley Woolf OAM (52:16):
Absolutely.
And Jess has been there.
She's four years.
And then Felicity, who runscommunity wellness, she's been
there probably maybe six years.
She's been here a long time.
And when you've got thatcontinuity, gee, it makes it
easy.
Yeah, you can actually go placesand get some momentum, yeah
yeah, it makes such a differenceand they're easy to work with.
(52:38):
You know them well Eileen, ourHR manager.
She's been in the community foras long as me, hasn't always
worked for us.
She has worked for us for aboutsix years, but you know, to me
that's gold to have thatcontinuity.
Kate Coomber (52:53):
Well, look, from every episode, CMR are donating
$500 to a charity of our guest'schoice.
Yeah, where can that money gofor you?
Sam Miklos (53:03):
Or is there something at the health service?
That that money would go to?
That would make a difference.
I'm not sure I know.
When Jess had spoke to the team, she talked about the need for
washing machines and the teamwere like, set them a washing
machine.
Is there any?
Could that money be used at theservice?
Lesley Woolf OAM (53:18):
It could be for one of our healthy skin
weeks or something like that,because we always apply for
grants for that.
But you know, there's littlethings and we have raffles for
people.
You know, if they participate,we put their name in a hut and
pull it out.
You know, there's a dear, dearold lady who lives across the
road from me.
(53:38):
There's three generations, fourgenerations live there Lovely,
lovely people.
They work so hard in the yardand that sort of thing, and last
week she won a washing machine,a lawnmower and a mattress with
the healthy skin week.
There were a lot of peoplethere but I thought that is
absolutely gold because no one'smore deserving.
So, yeah, you know somethingthat could benefit the health
(54:01):
center I think would be great.
Sam Miklos (54:03):
Yeah, we'd be happy to send that money that way.
Really good, yeah, yep.
Thank you so much, lesley.
We're so glad that we had atech fault last time.
Lesley Woolf OAM (54:12):
We had to actually get you into Brisbane.
Sam Miklos (54:14):
It has just been so nice to sit across from you and
just hear you speak.
You have done such incrediblethings in your career, but most
definitely in Maningrida, andhow fortunate all of those
people are to have you up thereand thank you.
You've been, you're such aninspiration and we've loved
talking to you today.
Thank you, it's been great.
Thanks for listening.
Don't forget to share, rate andreview.
(54:34):
This allows us to reach morepeople and share more incredible
stories.
Click the follow or subscribebutton to ensure you never miss
an episode.
We care for the land and sea.
We care for the energy.
We care for our community.
We care.
Welcome to it Takes Heart.
(00:21):
I'm Sam Miklos and I'm KateCoomba.
We hope you enjoy theseincredible stories of healthcare
professionals making adifference in communities across
Australia and beyond.
Through our conversations, welook to celebrate the spirit of
community and care.
We acknowledge the traditionalcustodians of the land who have
long practised and sharedancient methods of healing,
providing care and support fortheir communities with wisdom
(00:44):
passed down through generations.
Kate Coomber (00:46):
Join us as we explore what it truly means to
take heart.
Sam Miklos (00:55):
Our guest today has 50 years experience as a
registered nurse.
Recent OAM recipient, leslieWolfe is currently the Executive
Health Manager at Malala HealthService in the Northern
Territory and has been workingin Maningrida for the past nine
years.
She holds a master's degree innursing, international
management and mediation, andyet she says that it feels like
she had a brain transplant whenshe created her first health
(01:18):
service in Catherine almost twodecades ago.
What she learnt there drivesher passion and purpose to
continue pushing the boundarieson what's possible in remote
health.
Our healthcare professionalsthat work with Lesley describe
her as a fearless leader who isapproachable, passionate and so
kind.
Lesley has worked with our teamfor many years and they always
(01:38):
comment on how amazed they arewith just how much she has
accomplished and continues toaccomplish in her career.
Welcome Lesley to.
It Takes Heart.
Thank you, it's lovely to behere.
I've got to ask we've had youfly in on the red-eye flight
from Darwin this morning.
We've finally got you in ourBrisbane office.
Did you have your ice bath thismorning?
Lesley Woolf OAM (01:58):
No.
No, Unfortunately there isn'tone at the airport.
Sam Miklos (02:02):
No, is that a?
Lesley Woolf OAM (02:04):
daily ritual for you.
Fairly well, yeah, I like to doit in the morning.
Otherwise, I try and go to thepool in the morning because
we've got a beautiful pool inManingrida, but the other time
it's really great.
And this week I've been welland truly under the pump.
You know, when you get to thestage where your head's just
scrambled and you can't thinkstraight.
yes, I at night I just sit in itfor an hour or so.
(02:28):
Just look at the garden, it'sit's actually not full of ice.
Uh, it's got quite a bit of icein it, but, um, you know, it's
not doable to fill it up withice wow so I just sit in it and
it's just a little cheap job,but it's lovely and I sit there
and close my eyes and think ofall sorts of nice things and you
(02:50):
get out and you feel a milliondollars.
Sam Miklos (02:52):
I think I need an ice bath.
Kate Coomber (02:54):
How did you come to find that Look?
Lesley Woolf OAM (02:57):
they're very popular at the moment.
Kate Coomber (02:58):
Yeah of course.
Lesley Woolf OAM (02:59):
And there's a lot of talk about them.
And I know, when I mentioned itto one of my sons he said mum,
don't do that.
Old ladies die in ice baths.
And I thought, oh, I don't knowwhether I should do that anyway
.
Um, my neighbour had one andshe didn't use it and she was
going to throw it away and Isaid because she, it was a cheap
one, and she's.
I said, oh, I'll try it.
(03:20):
So next thing it's on my backpatio and I'm having ice baths
and one of our doctors does itwhen she's there and, um, her
ice bath sits in my office whenshe's not there and I don't use
it at work and they're all a bitscrambled at work.
Sam Miklos (03:36):
I'm out to the team meeting, which is a regular
occasion.
Kate Coomber (03:41):
Yeah, I think we need one downstairs.
I'm I downstairs?
Yeah, we'll be ordering thatone later.
Lesley Woolf OAM (03:45):
They're great and I've Googled them, but I
can't really find one that Ilike, because I'd like a fancy
one and maybe one that could behot or cold, and I'll probably
get one of those in my old age.
Sam Miklos (03:57):
Fantastic.
So you were recently awarded anOrder of Australia medal.
Can you tell us how does itcome to be that you get awarded
an OAM and what has that meantfor you?
Lesley Woolf OAM (04:09):
Look, I don't really know how these things
happen, but somebody obviouslynominates you.
And it was interesting.
I had a couple of text messagesfrom a variety of people that
I've worked with over the years,some 20 years ago, saying that
I've worked with over the years,some 20 years ago, saying, oh,
I nominated you for that.
But I don't know whether theydid or not, so I'm not sure how
(04:32):
it happens.
Monday morning, a few weeksbefore I woke up and I had an
email and I thought, oh, what'sthis all about?
Because I do quite a bit ofwork for the just voluntary work
for the Australia Day Counciland I enjoy working with them
and, you know, meeting differentpeople, and so I just thought
it was from the Australia DayCouncil.
And then I looked at it, put myglasses on and had a good read
(04:54):
and it said that I had beennominated.
And would I accept thenomination?
And you know I could click onthe link and get more
information.
And I thought about it for acouple of days because I thought
you know, really this is a bigresponsibility and I'm not sure
what responsibility comes withit, but I felt that I really
needed to think about whether Iwas interested or not.
(05:15):
And my daughter has an OAM yes,we saw.
I rang her and said what do youthink?
And she said, mum, it doesn'tchange your life, you know, it's
just an honour to have it.
Kate Coomber (05:27):
Wonderful recognition.
Lesley Woolf OAM (05:28):
Yeah, and that was what I thought, and I
thought, you know this is, I sawit as a recognition for nurses,
because a nurse is recognised,but also for remote nurses and
rural nurses, because I'veworked many years in rural
Queensland and I see it as arecognition sort of all around
for nurses and healthprofessionals.
Yeah, because there's a lot ofgreat people doing great things
(05:53):
and you never hear about them.
Kate Coomber (05:55):
So true?
Yeah, that's wonderful.
We were talking earlier of yourjourney coming in from
Maningrida to Darwin to Brisbanethis morning.
Paint a picture of Maningridato Darwin to Brisbane this
morning.
Paint a picture of Maningrida.
You've worked there for nineyears.
You're talking.
It sounds like such a wonderfulteam down there, but what is it
like?
Lesley Woolf OAM (06:15):
Paint a picture of the location and
what's there.
I guess I had been toManingrida before because I used
to have a regional role someyears ago and so I had been
there before and I knew it wason the beach and I knew it was
nice and had a fairly new clinicin those days and had a new age
care.
So I felt fairly positive aboutgoing there.
And Charlie Gunnaburra, who'sthe chair of our board and has
(06:36):
worked at the clinic for 48years I was familiar with him
and I went up to have a look andto meet some of the board
members and Charlie said to me Iremember you.
He said you used to have darkhair.
Yes, charlie, I did.
Anyway, so I took a contractfor 12 months.
(06:58):
It wasn't long after my husbandhad died and I really wanted to
change.
And Ray Matthews, our CEO, andI had coffee one day, as we
sometimes did, and he told me hehad a position if I was
interested, and so I threw myhat in the ring and of course I
got it and went there for 12months and I knew when I took on
the role that it probablywouldn't keep me occupied.
(07:20):
But Ray also knew that I'dtransitioned clinics before and
that was what he had on his mindbecause that was what the board
wanted.
And so then, after I'd beenthere for a while, we talked
about transition and communitycontrol and he progressed that
and so that really took up allmy time, you know, developing
(07:42):
policies and procedures, gettingaccredited, that sort of thing.
So in terms of the job and therole, it's great.
You can be whatever you want tobe.
You can do.
When I say do whatever you wantto do, you know we're
constantly developing theorganisation, constantly
extending it.
But Maningrida is a communityand I've been to a lot of
(08:02):
communities all over Australia.
It's a lovely community, lovelypeople, because of its size.
It's one place where you canlead a fairly normal life.
When I say you can go out todinner, there's a lodge there
where a lot of contractors work,but you can have a decent feed
for $40, a three-course meal for$40.
(08:25):
You can.
You know there's a coffee shopand we normally we call it the
coffee club and we go for coffeeon Saturday mornings.
Somebody said to me yesterdaywhere is this coffee club?
And then there's anothertakeaway that has good food.
There's two supermarkets whichhave very good food grapefruit
and veg reasonably priced.
(08:47):
You know you can live there andnot want for a thing and not
bring a thing in.
So it's a good community.
But it's also a fairly safecommunity.
I was ramrated in the house Iwas living at in Palmerston two
years ago and I just packed upthat day and went out to
Maningrida because I felt safer.
Yeah, wow.
(09:07):
So it's a lovely community.
The people are just delightful.
They're grateful for what youdo.
You know I go to the shop andpeople are walking past me
saying hello Leslie, helloLeslie.
And I think, hmm, who is that?
But they're friendly, they loveto be, love to be, love to know
you and love to have someinvolvement.
And some of the ladies on theboard they'll always say show me
(09:31):
that photo of your grandkidsand I'll show them and they
really like that and I thinkthat's important.
We've got a very good board, agood functional board, which
some organisations don't have,and they're decent people,
they're nice people, sort ofthere for the right reasons.
I knew when I was going thereI'd worked with Ray before and I
(09:52):
knew that he's got integrity.
And I think that's importantwhen you're working with a CEO
who, you know, has integrity.
I also knew that he and I haddifferent strengths and would
complement each other, and Ithink that's a bonus as well,
but we've got an amazing team.
You know we've grown, that heand I had different strengths
and would complement each other,and I think that's a bonus as
well, but we've got an amazingteam.
You know we've grown that teamand we just have such amazing
people.
Ray and I are the only two oldones in it, but we have all
(10:16):
these wonderful, young,enthusiastic people who, just
you know they make your lifeeasy.
Sam Miklos (10:22):
Yeah.
Lesley Woolf OAM (10:22):
And I think with that, you know they're
thinking about progress, theyembrace change, that sort of
thing, and I think we'vedeveloped a really good
workplace culture.
And when you've got that, andMegan and Becky and I were
talking on our way in and wewere talking about workplaces
(10:44):
and they were talking about here, and I said what you want is a
workplace where you can laugh.
Sam Miklos (10:48):
Oh, yeah, have a joke and enjoy it.
Lesley Woolf OAM (10:51):
Because you spend too much time at work, and
I think that's something thatwe all enjoy, and it is that
extension, you know, seeing Megcome in today, and everyone's
hugging and that's such anextension.
It's a family.
It's that community feel andyou can achieve anything and you
can tackle any challenge aswell when you've got that sense
of community as well.
Totally yeah, and I might add,we actually have the nicest
(11:11):
sunsets in the world.
Oh, is that true, yeah, amazingsunsets.
Sam Miklos (11:16):
We'll have to get some photos and, when we launch
this episode, have a photo ofthat?
Lesley Woolf OAM (11:21):
yeah, so that we can have one Beautiful
sunsets.
Kate Coomber (11:23):
And this is about five, six hours from Darwin.
Lesley Woolf OAM (11:28):
Yeah, it's Well.
It's an hour on the plane andthere's daily flights which is
great.
You can fly either Air North orfly Tiwi.
We have a charter every Monday,out on Monday, back on Friday,
and that was really establishedfor our fly-in-fly-out workers.
That way, then, instead ofhaving them sitting at the
(11:49):
airport for five hours becausethe plane's delayed, they're
there at 8 o'clock in themorning, which is great.
They work a full week.
Yeah, by car it's probably sixor seven hours, some of us take
a little bit longer, but it'sthe most beautiful drive because
it's through Kakadu.
Yeah, so it's the mostbeautiful drive because it's
through Kakadu.
Yeah, so it's absolutelyamazing, and I think anybody who
hasn't driven that road hasmissed out.
(12:10):
Yeah, it's really.
It's very pretty, very nice.
Sam Miklos (12:13):
Leslie, you mentioned there about the
transition.
So Malala Health Servicetransitioned from a government
controlled to a communitycontrolled health service.
Can you tell us what that meansand the impact that has on the
local community?
Lesley Woolf OAM (12:26):
Okay, for many years the board and the
community had talked aboutwanting to have more say in the
clinic and there has been ashift towards community control
in the Northern Territory andparticularly in Catherine, where
all the services there otherthan the hospital are community
controlled.
And you know, you know peopletalk, they go to meetings, they
(12:47):
go to different sort of meetingsin town where they're meeting
other board members from otherorganisations and they were very
keen to transition.
But we had to get our acttogether first, which we did and
sort of had everything in place, and then it goes to the um, to
a board I'm trying to think ofthe northern territory
(13:09):
aboriginal health board and goesto that and um, they either
approve or not approve or makerecommendations, and we got the
go on for um transition and sosome places transition, just
transition the whole service.
It's a very big clinic, we'vegot 23 nurses and three doctors
(13:29):
and I was going to ask the sizeof the clinic, so 23 nurses,
three doctors, and then we haveprobably 30 community workers
right who work in a variety ofarrangements.
So it's it's a big clinic andjust to transition that all at
once would have been chaos andvery difficult to get the right
person to do that.
So we decided to transition, Iguess in a staged approach.
(13:57):
So the first thing we did wastook over the morgue, because
that was something that was abig passion for the community.
They wanted more control of themorgue.
They wanted to have morecultural activities, you know,
have some dancing, some smoking,all that sort of thing with the
morgue.
They also wanted freezers sothat people could have their
bodies of their loved ones inthe morgue for a little bit
(14:18):
longer, because it cost them afortune for them to go into town
.
So we took over the morgue andwe've, you know, three years
down the track, we've just gotthe freezers finished Wow, which
is great.
So, and then we took over fourprograms, which was child health
, rheumatic heart disease,outstations, and we got some
funding for men's health.
(14:39):
So we took those over and thatgave us a chance to not only
demonstrate that we could do it,but also to develop things in
the way that we could, and itwas a bonus that we'd been able
to secure some additionalfunding from NACCHO for
rheumatic heart disease, becausewe have the worst incidence of
rheumatic heart disease inAustralia.
So we're able to do that.
(15:00):
And then progressively we tookover other programs and again
that gave us the opportunity toget those programs established
and the department had someconfidence in us, which is a big
thing.
But it also gives us theopportunity to apply for funding
that the department can't applyfor.
And then we just we took overthe acute section and the
(15:23):
workforce, the local staff, andyou know that was a bit of a
battle because people don'tembrace change and some of the
NTG staff didn't want to change,but we didn't see that as a
problem because they weren'tcoming across to work for us
anyway, and I think sometimesyou're better to start with a
(15:43):
clean slate.
The other thing it gave us theopportunity to do was focus on
programs, because a lot ofclinics it's whatever comes
through the door, you justtriage it and deal with it
Reactively, yeah, and we didn'twant that.
We wanted a good preventative,proactive approach, and so we
were able to do that, implementthat, and that's been a real
(16:04):
bonus as well.
It means that people don't waitas long.
All of that.
But the other thing it's doneis we've been able to identify
priorities and new prioritiesand things like TB.
We now know that we have quitea high incidence of TB in the
community which really wasn'treally being addressed
previously.
(16:25):
So we've just secured fundingfor a TB nurse and she'll start
in the next couple of inSeptember I think she's starting
, and so that's a real step inthe right direction.
We've been able to apply forfunding, um for a new, another
building, so we'll have a 10million dollar new building
public health building.
Um, yeah, there's just, there'sdifferent opportunities.
(16:46):
And how long has that taken?
Um, it's probably taken fiveyears.
Yeah, oh, hang on, took aboutfour years before we actually
transitioned everything across,and it's been three years, three
and a half years, since wetransitioned and what it does is
gives you know in the healthdepartment.
(17:06):
I would never criticise thehealth department.
I worked for health departmentsfor over 30 years, so I'd never
criticise them.
But it gives us the opportunityto identify what our priorities
are and direct funds andservices in that direction,
whereas big machines like health, they look at what's the
(17:30):
priority for the majority and soit's not targeted particularly
at a community, and that's whatit gives us the opportunity to
do.
Gives us the opportunity to getdifferent funding and as well
as have some control over ourfunding.
You know, when I worked inpublic systems, at the end of
the financial year, any moneyyou've got, you know you don't
(17:51):
get it, yeah, um.
Sam Miklos (17:51):
And we, we find.
Lesley Woolf OAM (17:52):
we're constantly monitoring our
budgets and if it's looking likewe're underspent, we're
constantly monitoring ourbudgets, and if it's looking
like we're underspent, we'remaking sure we spend it yeah,
spend it absolutely.
Increase services, or whatever.
Kate Coomber (18:03):
And I think the fact you've had such longevity
within the service obviouslyspeaks volumes to its success.
And it sounds like a reallybeautiful team and I know that
our recruiters, who have peoplehead up there, just report back
such wonderful things.
I think if anyone isconsidering a possible remote
journey, this might be a reallywonderful place to start,
because you are supported ifyou're a doctor going out
(18:25):
wanting to do remote.
You've got the support from theother doctors and a team of
nursing staff etc.
Lesley Woolf OAM (18:29):
Absolutely, and they're very good.
The other thing we've beenfortunate to get is because it
being such a big community andwe have the opportunity to get,
is because it being such a bigcommunity and we have the
opportunity to respond tocommunity feedback.
One thing the community didn'tlike was if they because we only
saw emergencies after hours ifthey ring up in the middle rang
up in the middle of the night,the response would be man and
(18:50):
greeter clinic, what's youremergency?
And sometimes they just wantadvice.
So we were able to secure somefunding under the urgent care
clinics and so we now have a24-hour service and we're open
24 hours and people can come.
If they've got a sick child andnot sure do I give it Panadol,
do I not?
They can ring up and get advice.
(19:12):
If they're going to anoutstation first thing in the
morning and they've forgottentheir tablets, they can come up
and get them that sort of thing.
So I think it's really enhancedthe service and we have
permanent staff doing the nightshift.
We recognise that's tough forsomeone to do it permanently.
So we have a two-week-on,two-week-off arrangement where
(19:33):
they come for two weeks and thenthey go for two weeks, and it's
quite an attractive packagethat we pay and that's working
successfully and do you thinkthat this has all had?
Sam Miklos (19:44):
can you see an impact on the healthcare
outcomes in the communityalready from this transition?
Lesley Woolf OAM (19:50):
I know that we're doing really well with
rheumatic heart disease and I'vebeen able to secure a little
bit more money for anotherposition through PHN, which is
great.
But I think the good thing isfunding bodies recognise that
you're doing things well and sothey're happy to fund you and I
think that's a real bonus.
(20:11):
But certainly the rheumaticheart disease.
You can see it in thestatistics well and truly.
In all the areas our KPIs arevery good and probably top of
the pops in the NorthernTerritory, which I think is
great.
That's fantastic.
I think it's something to beproud of.
And in saying that, ourmanagers are great.
(20:34):
Jess Getty is just amazing.
She's really good.
But the staff around her youknow our quality and safety
officer, our coordinator for EDthey're absolutely amazing with
what they do and as well as that, we've had some continuity of
doctors and I think that makes abig difference as well, and
they're committed.
You know one of them was withus for five years.
(20:55):
She now works remotely from thesunshine coast, so she they
know all the community, theyknow the people we were going to
ask you about the reputation,but I thought you've answered
yeah and I guess, talking aboutthe, the staff that you do have,
what makes a great personcoming to malala.
Kate Coomber (21:12):
You know what's?
I imagine it sometimes ischallenging to get people to go
to the remote places.
In the first instance.
Perhaps and it sounds likeyou've got a really great
reputation up there You'reattracting a great team, yeah,
but you must have a.
Do you have a bit of a strategyin place for how to attract?
Lesley Woolf OAM (21:27):
Look, I think there's a couple of things.
We're pretty flexible and we,like you know, we like to make
people feel wanted.
But with people either like itor they don't, and staff will
come because there's not a lotof on-call now with the
after-hours nurses, and sopeople will come and they'll say
, oh, I need more call on thisso they won't come back, and
(21:50):
that's fine.
We accept that.
There's horses for courses,basically.
Some come and they've only everworked in a tiny little clinic
and they're totally blown awayby the size of the clinic and
very often they don't come backand we acknowledge that and we
make sure we tell them what it'sgoing to be like.
So I guess things that theyseem to enjoy.
(22:11):
We interview everybody whocomes to us and I mean it's
onerous and time-consuming, butwe interview everybody who comes
to us and I mean it's onerousand time consuming, but we so
important we interview everybodyand you can tell from that
first conversation whether it'sgoing to go well or not.
And these are for short-termcontracts yeah we don't take
anybody for less than six weeks,preferably eight, because that
(22:32):
gives them the opportunity tohave the best day and the worst
day, basically, and know whatit's all about and settle into
the community as well.
So we do that, but we also.
It's a very structured approachand I think some people people
really enjoy that.
They'll say this is soorganised and I think that's a
(22:52):
bonus as well.
They feel as though.
I think it gives themconfidence that we know what
we're doing.
Sam Miklos (22:57):
Yeah, for someone new to have that confidence
would help.
Lesley Woolf OAM (23:00):
Yeah, it does, and yeah, so I think they're
things that probably make itgood, but I think you've just
got to be nice to people.
Kate Coomber (23:07):
Yeah, create a culture, treat them well, and
what's the accommodation likefor someone coming through?
Lesley Woolf OAM (23:13):
Yeah, the nursing accommodation is pretty
good.
We've got a mixture of three,two and one bedroom units.
Some of the three bedroom unitsthe staff share, but we try not
to have people from the sameprogram or people who we don't
have, try not to have peoplesharing for six or eight weeks.
We try to make it like a bit ofa turnover and we try to match
(23:34):
people.
You know we'll meet somebodyand we'll think, yeah, they'd be
okay in that house and try andmatch them, but predominantly
they're on their own.
The accommodation we've gotfour units that are on the.
We call them seaside.
They're on the seaside, yeah,lovely, and they get the most
amazing views and sunsets aswell, and so of course, those
(23:56):
staff are long term.
Sam Miklos (23:57):
Yeah they are, they're not leaving, they're not
going anywhere?
Lesley Woolf OAM (24:01):
No, so yeah, we've got those and we've, you
know, the accommodation.
We try to make sure it's good,Like a guy come to me yesterday
and said my vacuum cleanerdoesn't work it's probably a
Kmart number and I said I'll getyou a new one.
So on Monday morning there'llbe a vacuum cleaner on the plane
going out for him so that thenhe can do it.
So I think you've got to beresponsive as well.
(24:25):
The other thing we do and thisis the way Jess practices and I
think it's absolutely amazing wehave a lot of health promotion
sort of community healthactivities.
They're community-wide thingslike vaccination drives, so
people have the opportunity todo overtime, go out after work,
(24:46):
give vaccinations to thecommunity, because that's when
you get the best response.
And we'll do that for a week.
When the breast screening buscame to Maningrida, we had
Women's Health Week and so wehad an additional nurse and she
sort of coordinated it and werounded up all the women who
were eligible and they hadhealth checks.
They got a nice bag, they got aT-shirt, that sort of thing,
(25:10):
and they got a bra bag, andthere was a bag of bras that the
bus had brought out with themand girls could rummage through
and get themselves a couple ofbras, which is really nice.
It's lovely, so special.
Yeah, we have two skin weeks ayear healthy skin weeks so
everybody in the community getsthe opportunity to have their
skin checked and in terms ofscabies and also have some just
(25:33):
discussion about avoidingscabies, things like that.
The other thing that we'veworked really hard to get and
have been able to maintain isOrange Sky, and that was a few
years ago.
We brought that in and it'sbeen great.
We don't use volunteers.
We pay our workers to run it,and the community love that as
(25:54):
well.
So you know there's a fewdifferent little things.
It and the community love thatas well.
So you know there's a fewdifferent little things.
We've got our visitingdietitian and physio and they do
a lot of community work and thephysio does exercise classes at
aged care, takes the oldiesdown to the pool, all that, and
they're things that make thecommunity happy, but they're
also so good for their health.
Kate Coomber (26:16):
Their health?
Yeah, engaging them.
You sound very innovative inthe work that you're doing.
Look, it's meeting, Not justwhat's in front of you.
Lesley Woolf OAM (26:22):
Totally, totally, yeah, and the staff
want to be involved in thosethings.
It's an opportunity for a bitof overtime, but they love to
get out into the community andmake an impact too in those
roles.
Yeah, they really enjoy it.
Sam Miklos (26:33):
I yeah, they really enjoy it.
I wanted to understand, youknow, if we've got healthcare
professionals listening to thispodcast and they've been Gold
Coast based, what do they needto know about Indigenous health,
remote health, working in thoseroles?
Because they often don'tunderstand.
No, they don't, and especiallyif they're an English nurse
who's come out to Australia,they're sort of like what is
that?
How would you describe that?
Lesley Woolf OAM (26:55):
The English nurses actually usually do very
well, they do well.
Sam Miklos (26:57):
Yes, make more English nurses, because they
want an adventure.
Lesley Woolf OAM (27:01):
The Irish are very good too, but I guess you
know you get some people and Idon't want to sound blunt, but
you get some people who've neverseen an Aboriginal person.
Yeah, they have no idea of whatit's like.
So I always think it's good ifthey do their research for a
start.
Where would they do that?
Sam Miklos (27:22):
research Online.
Lesley Woolf OAM (27:23):
Just research Aboriginal communities and you
know, read about them.
Read about how they've.
You know different thingsthey've done, how they developed
.
Some were church-based,mission-based, others just came
together.
You know, read about those,others just came together.
You know, read about thosethings.
Get some history.
I think that always helps.
The other thing I think it'sgood, you know, if they can
(27:47):
function autonomously.
They have to be able tofunction autonomously and that
doesn't happen overnight.
You get some new grads who canjust run and do it very, very
well, but you get people who'vebeen a nurse for 50 years who
can't function autonomouslybecause they've always had the
security of that hospital bed orthe doctor there for them.
So I guess they've got to beable to function fairly
(28:09):
autonomously and be looking fora bit of an adventure and I
think and prepared to have a go.
Yeah, you know sort of beenthusiastic about it.
And then, in terms of leading upto becoming a remote area nurse
, we have a fairly strictcredentialing process, and
probably more so than most,because we get people who've
(28:29):
come to us who've been workingremote for a few years, but they
have no, they haven't done anypreparation.
So we like them to have done aREC, a remote emergency course,
a MEC, if they're not a fewyears.
But they haven't done anypreparation.
So we like them to have done aregular remote emergency course,
a MEC if they're not a midwife.
We like them to have studiedthe rheumatic heart disease
modules and the rheumatic heartdisease modules are free online
(28:52):
have be immunisation endorsed.
That's probably good for astart and if they've done those
things they've got a fair ideaof you know how to do things and
I think that makes a difference.
We don't very often take new toremote people.
We like them to have experienceand yet it's probably a good
(29:16):
clinic to develop people.
Sam Miklos (29:17):
I was thinking that it's probably the best place to
have?
Lesley Woolf OAM (29:20):
Yeah, it is, it's so busy and people get
blown away by it.
But in saying that, we arelooking at developing a grant
program for remote area nursesand one of the reasons for that
is we've had a few very goodenrolled nurses work for us who
(29:40):
are studying nursing and wedon't want them to go anywhere
else, so we really want to beable to keep them.
So we're working on developinga grad program and that will
support new graduates and they'dprobably be ones we'd probably
only take one or two at a timeand they would be grads that we
knew or had had experience withthem, because there's a lot of
(30:02):
good enrolled nurses who arestudying nursing, who have
worked remote and do it very,very well.
So that's probably, but itlooks so much of its attitude.
Sam Miklos (30:14):
Yes, and what's their day look like?
You know often people talkabout in these remote clinics
that it's so much moregeneralist, the skill set that
they require.
Lesley Woolf OAM (30:23):
Yeah, it depends on where they're working
.
For instance, with most of theteams they have a meeting in the
morning, we have our teammeeting, but then they have
their own little meeting andtalk about you know what they're
going to do that day.
The chronic team, for instance,that usually consists of three
nurses and a doctor and theypull their recalls and they sit
down and talk about them.
Okay, who do we have to followup today and prioritise things?
(30:47):
Someone does the urgent,someone does the you know the
routine recalls, and somebodyelse might do what comes through
the door and try and targetthem.
So you know, there's a varietyof things that sort of set the
pace for the day In saying thatyou know we might have no staff
or we might have all new staffand it doesn't go to plan, but
that's basically the way we likeit to be, and that includes
(31:08):
your driver, your communityworker as well.
Sam Miklos (31:12):
So you said it felt like you had a brain transplant.
I hope that's correctly quoted.
When you created the firsthealth service in Catherine,
what happened in Catherine Look?
Lesley Woolf OAM (31:24):
I'd been a director of nursing for many
years and had big regionalresponsibilities.
I'd managed remote health inthe centre.
I then, as a favour to theregional director, I went to
Catherine to manage the hospitaland it was still a region to
manage that for six monthsbecause the manager of the day
(31:46):
was going on leave.
And then I was heading back toQueensland because my husband
was in Queensland and theCommonwealth asked me would I go
to Sunrise and help themrecruit to a position which
would facilitate the coordinatedcare trial, which was basically
transitioning the services, andI said, yeah, I'll do that for
(32:06):
three months, but only if I canhave a FIFO arrangement where I
can spend some time working fromhome, and that was agreed to.
So I did that and then afterthree months or six months I
went to the CEO and I said noneof these applicants, none of
them can do the job.
And he said, well, what will ittake to keep you?
And I said I'd love to stay,but my husband wants me to be
(32:28):
there Be home.
Anyway, I said, if I cancontinue this arrangement, I'm
sure he'd be agreeable.
And so he agreed, and I didthat for nearly four years and
we just gradually transitionedthe clinics.
But when we were doing that interms of and I'd managed remote
(32:49):
community clinics for years andyears because my role was
regional and I used to visit andyou know, think I knew what was
going on, but I didn't reallyknow and all of a sudden we were
looking at population healthand different cohorts of clients
and I was thinking, you know,we can actually make a
difference.
And so that was when I startedthinking this is what we can do.
(33:12):
And I think that you know thatwas.
It was a life-changing moment,I guess.
And the fact that the accountantwould say to me Leslie, you've
got this much money unspent.
What would you like to spend iton?
Well, I think we need a socialworker.
So we bring in a social worker.
You know things that you cansee you need and all of a sudden
(33:34):
you can create positions thatare needed.
And I've never had that luxuryin the public system, because
that's just not the way it works.
Yeah, so, yeah, that would havefelt so different.
Kate Coomber (33:42):
Yeah, it did so you've been nursing and in
health care a long time.
I'd love to hear about um.
You've talked about managingclinics and remote for a very,
very long time.
Where did it all start?
Were you were you always inremote, I guess?
Where were you based originally?
How did you get into it?
Sam Miklos (34:01):
You had three kids as well, along the way and you
just mentioned that you wereflying in and out at home.
So how did you?
Lesley Woolf OAM (34:08):
do all of this .
Look, I started my training in1970 in Cairns as a
hospital-based nurse.
When I first left school I wasalways going to be a
schoolteacher.
And then I was going to a danceone night and there was a
(34:28):
dentist there who was ourdentist and he said to my twin
sister and I I've got a job, ifeither of you are interested,
Laurie and I sort of, you know,poked each other Do you want it?
No, do you want it?
Anyway, I said no, I'd love it,and so I took it.
I started on the Monday.
Did you know what it was?
(34:49):
I had no idea.
I mean, we go to the dentist,we sort of see what the dental
nurse does.
So I did that and I was nearly16.
I was very young, nearly 16.
But girls in those days youleft school in year 10 or before
, if there was a reason to leave.
You were either a publicservant you worked at the
(35:12):
electricity board, a hairdresser, a nurse, or you were a nun.
Kate Coomber (35:20):
You know, there weren't many other options
Anyway.
Lesley Woolf OAM (35:22):
so I thought this is great, I'll do this.
So I did, and then I used to goup to the theatres and assist
the dentists with generalanaesthetics and things and I'd
think, wow, this is fun.
So then I decided that I wouldbecome a nurse, but I thought I
would do it in the Navy.
I thought I'd love to join theum, the services, and my father
(35:44):
just wouldn't have anything todo with it.
So I became a nurse in thehospital, which was great and I
absolutely loved it from day one.
There wasn't a day there's.
My husband always said get ajob you love and you'll never
work and I don't think I've everworked in my life yeah, I think
we're so blessed.
So I did that.
I trained in Cairns and then Imet my husband during my third
(36:07):
year and for a variety ofreasons, we got married very
quickly, because our car caughton fire and he had to stay in
Matt Iser and I went to Cairnsand so we just decided we'd get
married.
Sam Miklos (36:20):
So we got married about six weeks later.
Lesley Woolf OAM (36:24):
We'd known each other for six weeks, no,
six months.
Sam Miklos (36:27):
But the decision was a six-week decision.
Lesley Woolf OAM (36:29):
My mother kept saying to me you're not
pregnant.
No, I'm not.
The car caught fire Anyway.
So I finished my time.
I'd done all my training.
I finished my time in Mount Isaand actually graduated from
Mount Isa because he was a MountIsa man and I stayed there for
a couple of years and then wentback to Cairns and did my mid
(36:52):
and then went back to Mount Isaand ran the emergency department
there for some years.
Then I left and went back toCairns and was working around
public and private and then thethen director of nursing of the
day she rang me and said I'veresigned, do you want my job?
And I said, oh, I was 36.
I said, oh, yeah.
(37:17):
And she said just write them aletter.
So I did.
Next thing I'm on a plane goingout for an interview.
Next thing I'm going out for aninterview again.
And I got the job and I think Ispent the first two years
trying to work out what to do.
I was probably totally out ofmy depth and I recall the first
day my secretary saying to meso-and-so is coming to see you
and I said what the hell am Igoing to do with her?
(37:37):
I really didn't.
You know, you think you knowwhat to do, but you really don't
.
It gives you an enormousrespect for that person in the
chair previously because all ofa sudden you're that person.
So I was there for nearly 12years and probably the last two
years I was burned out anddidn't do as well as I probably
should have, but then our kidshad all left home.
(37:59):
So the kids all grew up inMount Isa.
All grew up in Mount Isa.
All grew up in Mount Isa and thekids had all left home, so we
decided to go to the NorthernTerritory.
But during that 12 years theone thing I'm always proud of is
the fact that I believe Icreated enormous opportunity for
nurses.
And also I always say I was acheerleader for nurses.
(38:20):
I battled to get them benefits,battled to get them incentives
and even things like we were thelast hospital in Queensland to
run the enrolled nurse coursehospital-based enrolled nurse
course and during that time weput through a lot of 50 and
60-year-olds who'd always wantedto be a nurse their whole life
and we put them through theenrolled nurse training.
Kate Coomber (38:40):
How?
Lesley Woolf OAM (38:41):
amazing is that?
Yeah, the other thing we did wehad a crazy gastroenterologist.
We all thought he was crazy,but he turned out to be very
bright and he couldn't alwaysget a nurse in theatre.
He rang me one day and he saidMrs Wolfe, which he always
called me, I want to trainnurses in Mount Isa.
And I said you, how would youtrain nurses?
(39:02):
He said no, I'm writing toevery university to try and get
nurses trained in Mount IsaIndigenous nurses.
I thought, oh, good luck withthat.
Anyway, it happened and we hadthe Commonwealth fly up.
Deakin University came up andwe ran the Deakin University
Bachelor of Nursing from MountIsa and that was an enormous
achievement yeah.
Put and University Bachelor ofNursing from Mount Isa and that
(39:23):
was an enormous achievement.
Yeah, Put through two cohortsof Indigenous nurses and with
each course we had onenon-Aboriginal person.
There's some fabulous,high-powered nurses now who went
through that course and we'llstill say you know, I was lucky
enough to get into that courseand so that was great.
But they really needed a lot ofsupport because they couldn't
afford to just be students.
(39:44):
So we employed them all asassistants in nursing or
enrolled nurses if they'reenrolled nurses gave them free
accommodation in the nurses'quarters and really tried to
look after them and got themthrough, which was great, and
that gave I guess that gave theopportunity for James Cook to
see that it could happen there,and that was when James Cook
(40:06):
started training nurses in MountIsa and almost every enrolled
nurse that we put through theenrolled nurse course is now a
registered nurse through JamesCook, having trained on home
ground, which is great.
So that you know to me that youknow, when I reflect on the
things that I've done, they'rethe things that give me the most
satisfaction.
(40:27):
They give me enormoussatisfaction because a couple of
months after I left, theregional director rang me and he
said guess what?
I said what he said the nursesare going to get incentives If
they live in Mount Isa.
They're going to get incentives.
And that was a whole newballgame.
All of a sudden you could getpeople to work there and stay.
(40:49):
So it was a whole new ballgame.
And I thought you know.
He said to me you worked for 10years for that and I thought at
least you recognise it.
But it was just, you know, to me.
That gave me enormoussatisfaction.
So then we went to AliceSprings, yeah, and initially I
was in an interesting position.
I was an executive director ofnursing of the region.
(41:09):
But it was really just a, youknow, can we do this sort of job
and policy job?
And not busy enough for me.
So I then went and managedremote health for a while and
then I went over to be theexecutive director of nursing at
the hospital, which I loved.
Yeah, I did that for two years.
(41:35):
But my husband was in Queenslandand I kept thinking you know, I
really need to be married againand go back and spend some time
with him, which I always triedto do, but that was how my
journey to Catherine happened.
Sam Miklos (41:41):
So your three kids are all grown up now and they're
all incredibly successful intheir own right.
Your daughter's also received Iknow I missed that earlier.
Your two sons are rugby leaguecoaches.
I think I'd said to you that mycousin plays for Christian and
the Dolphins and I actuallyasked him how he would describe
Christian and he said the bestthings about Christian are his
integrity, trustworthiness,support for the team and, of
(42:04):
course, his coaching ability.
He said that the care Christianhas for the team as people, not
just players, is what makes himsuch an incredibly good coach,
and he said they really feelthat Christian wants the player,
their family and theirlifestyle to be one that
epitomizes strong values.
It's lovely, beautiful words wewere talking about.
As a mother with these threechildren who've done all these
(42:26):
wonderful things, what are thevalues that you've instilled in
them?
Like, interestingly, when we'vementioned to the staff about
today talking to you, they'veall said how has she raised all
these incredible humans?
What are the tips you would?
Kate Coomber (42:36):
give so many parents here going.
How do we do?
Lesley Woolf OAM (42:39):
that Breastfed them until they were almost at
school, right.
Sam Miklos (42:43):
Oh God, we missed the boat there.
Lesley Woolf OAM (42:46):
No, look, they had an amazing father who was
prepared to do anything for them, which was great, and I worked
night duty when the kids werelittle, when the boys were
little, and Rob would always getup to them at night and you
know I'd sleep through it If Iwas there.
I'd sleep through it, and so Ithink it's not about me.
(43:07):
It's actually about a familyYou've got to have good family
values.
You've got to make sure they'rebusy all the time.
They're all incredibly occupiedwith sport.
They all did well at school.
Sam Miklos (43:18):
Kate not so well, but the boys did well, did they
stay in Mount Isa for school orgo away to board?
Lesley Woolf OAM (43:29):
We went back to Mount Isa when Katie was in
grade one, ben was in grade fiveand Christian was in grade nine
.
They all were schooled there,except Christian went to
boarding school for two years.
He loved it.
But probably they have a bittoo much freedom at boarding
school, particularly in thehigher grades.
Not too much freedom, but Ithink they take too much too
(43:49):
much freedom and they make surethey've, you know, got plenty of
outside activities.
Yeah, but they they were allgood kids, you know, and I think
that's a bonus as well, andthey were respectful.
They were always.
They always grew up withrespect and respect for family
and respect for others, and evennow you know they're very
respectful.
But I think also, you knowpeople knock Mount Isa and knock
(44:14):
country towns.
But I think they're greatbecause you know who their
friends are.
You know their friends' parents.
They may drink underage but youknow that they're at a house
where they're being supervised,and I think that's a big thing.
And even in sport it's not hardto play half a dozen sports
because everything's withinwalking distance and we lived on
(44:35):
the hospital campus, which wasin the middle of town, and so
you know they can get toeverything that they want to get
to.
It didn't stop them coming homeat you know four o'clock in the
morning after night, clubbingand drinking any bit of alcohol.
That was in the house and havinga party, but that's okay.
The doctors that lived aroundus would complain, but generally
, you know they had a good, theyhad a great life there and I
(44:58):
think it grounds them.
They're good basic people and Ithink you know, and all their
friends that they grew up withare all just amazing people.
Christian married a girl fromMount Isa who you know.
Her family are an amazingfamily with six kids and all of
whom have done well and I thinkthat you know those values that
you get in a country town likethat stay with you for life.
(45:20):
Yes, and I think that's so good.
And in terms of raising threekids, I didn't have a total of
six months of work to have mykids.
All three of them Went back towork when they were only a
couple of weeks old becausethere was never enough staff.
Yes, and I think you do that incountry towns as well, and I
think they probably you knowthey had to be resilient, they
(45:42):
had to be independent becausethey had to fend for themselves
to a great extent.
I always had good neighbours,which was a bonus, and in the
early days, their othergrandparents lived in Mount Isa,
which was great, and they weregood, hardworking people.
I think when you've got thosequalities in the broader family,
it makes a big difference.
(46:02):
So, yeah, I think it's notabout me with the kids, the one
thing that I'm very proud of,not so much about their
achievements, but they're alldecent people.
Kate Coomber (46:13):
Yeah, I was just going to say the way that the
team have obviously spoken abouthim is the way that you can see
that you encourage that withinyour staff and the way that you
look at everything.
How do we make their lifebetter?
How do we make sure that?
Lesley Woolf OAM (46:26):
they're okay and that clearly trickles down.
Yeah, totally.
And even with the nurses.
You know, when we took over theclinic we talked about nurses
and how hard they do it.
You know, often they're there24 hours for different things
and I can remember in a meetingI said to Ray we've got to do
something about this, we've gotto be competitive and we've got
(46:47):
to look after them.
And so we introduced a bonusfor them, a $10,000 bonus.
If they're our staff and theystay for 12 months and that
includes if they're recruitedthrough an agency and become our
staff member, they get the$10,000.
We also give people a travelbonus $4,000 in travel.
So you know, if someone wantsto go overseas, save it up and
(47:09):
go overseas, they can pay fortheir overseas trip.
Yeah, and that sort of thingworks out well.
We give them lunch.
have a nice lunch every secondThursday, the off-pay week, and
people say, is it lunch thisweek?
I say no, you get paid thisweek.
Kate Coomber (47:24):
You have your choice pay or lunch and that
works well.
Lesley Woolf OAM (47:29):
That's just a bit of compensation for their
hard work and the fact that theygenerate Medicare, a lot of
Medicare.
We want to recognise that.
Sam Miklos (47:36):
Yeah, that's so true .
We talk a lot about that inhere is how do we make sure that
all of these healthprofessionals you know get so
many more bonuses and benefits?
And we've looked at so manydifferent programs, especially
with our agency, locums, to makesure that they are well
rewarded because they work sohard.
Lesley Woolf OAM (47:53):
They do, yeah, and I think you're one agency
that gives them some supportwith education, and that's a big
thing, um, because otherwisethey have to pay for all their
own education and that's prettycostly.
Sam Miklos (48:05):
It's very expensive for them.
Yes, it's all of those thingswe're doing a lot at the moment
around education to see how elsewe can contribute, to just take
the pressure off for them aswell well, they've got to be
credentialed when they comeremote, and often to be
credentialed costs you a fairamount of money.
Kate Coomber (48:20):
Yeah, and then if they want those extra skills, if
they want to go more remote andthey need to add on those extra
certificates, they need yoursupport sometimes, yeah, they do
, yeah, yeah, totally, and somepeople just aren't prepared to
do it.
Yeah, so what keeps you sopassionate still now?
Lesley Woolf OAM (48:38):
I don't know.
You know, I was talking toWayne Bennett a few weeks ago
and just asked him how he was,because he and I are around the
same age, and asked him how hewas going.
And he said, you know, we madea bit of small talk and he said
to me, I'm just in awe of thework you're doing.
And I said, yeah, I think aboutretiring.
And then I think, well, I'vestill got the fire in my belly,
(49:00):
I'll keep working.
And he said you need to read mybook, which is Don't Die With
the Music In you.
I'm actually reading it now andit's good, it's very good, but
it's true, while you've stillgot the fire in your belly, and
I can see, I almost get excited,I can see there's so much needs
to be done, and you know,there's talk about us getting
(49:27):
funding for a real unit.
Well, you know, really, I've gotto stay until that's finished.
We're getting our new 10million dollar building.
Yeah, you want to see that,absolutely.
I'm in the process of.
I've recently um beensuccessful with a couple of
grants for aged care, becauseaged care is a growth industry
and we've got 10 beds, 10residential beds and then we
have about 70 community clients.
All those community clients aregoing to need somewhere to live
.
But as well as that, there'sabout 500 people over 50,
(49:50):
indigenous people over 50 in thecommunity, so you've got to
plan ahead.
So I'm in the process of doinganother funding submission for
more beds and I think you knowthat sort of thing, you want to
see it through and I get excitedabout it.
Sam Miklos (50:05):
It's like you're still on the edge of the same
things to come and all theseideas and little things you can
tweak and change.
Lesley Woolf OAM (50:11):
Yeah, yeah, and I think you know, while
you've still got that passion,but I'd say probably in the next
year or so I'll probably domore work from Cairns.
I'll move to Cairns and maybedo a couple of weeks at home and
then do a month or so inManingrida, because when I'm
away from it I miss it, I think.
Kate Coomber (50:32):
Oh, God, what are they doing now?
There's Cairns, where you'vestill got some family and
friends.
Lesley Woolf OAM (50:36):
All my siblings are there my sisters
and my brother?
Sam Miklos (50:38):
What did your twin sister end up doing?
She didn't take the nursingrole.
My siblings are there.
Lesley Woolf OAM (50:41):
My sisters and my brother.
What did your twin sister endup doing?
She didn't take the nursingrole.
She was a public servantinitially and then, once she had
kids, she worked in pubs andran pubs.
Then she owned pubs and then inher 50s she did a social work
degree and she is very high upin community corrections in
(51:01):
Cairns and you know managersshe's an area manager for Far
North Queensland and so we sortof went both in the same
direction.
Yeah, and so she still worksfull time.
And we often laugh aboutdifferent things, and she was
texting me the other day aboutwhat she was doing and I said,
oh, I can beat that and I wasdoing something equally as crazy
(51:22):
.
So I think we're both luckythat we've still got health good
health and also lucky that ourbrains still function.
Sam Miklos (51:30):
Yeah.
Lesley Woolf OAM (51:31):
And I said to the girls at work if you think
I'm losing my marbles, just letme know.
And yet you know they'll say tome do you remember?
Yep, I remember, I'll quote it.
Yeah, do you remember?
Yep, I remember, I'll quote it,because it sort of gets
tattooed in your brain and Iguess, because Ray and I have
grown the organisation to agreat extent, you've got all
that historical knowledge whichother people don't have, and I
(51:52):
think that's a bonus as well andyou don't want to lose that.
Ray and I will probably bothretire around the same time but
hopefully we'll have developedgood people.
Sam Miklos (52:01):
Definitely a good succession plan.
Lesley Woolf OAM (52:02):
Yeah, yeah, so hopefully we'll have developed
others, but I think, becausehe's been there 11 years and
I've been there nine years andthat's, you know, that's amazing
for an Aboriginal organisation.
Sam Miklos (52:12):
Yeah, I was just going to say like that tenure is
incredible and rare.
Lesley Woolf OAM (52:16):
Absolutely.
And Jess has been there.
She's four years.
And then Felicity, who runscommunity wellness, she's been
there probably maybe six years.
She's been here a long time.
And when you've got thatcontinuity, gee, it makes it
easy.
Yeah, you can actually go placesand get some momentum, yeah
yeah, it makes such a differenceand they're easy to work with.
(52:38):
You know them well Eileen, ourHR manager.
She's been in the community foras long as me, hasn't always
worked for us.
She has worked for us for aboutsix years, but you know, to me
that's gold to have thatcontinuity.
Kate Coomber (52:53):
Well, look, from every episode, CMR are donating
$500 to a charity of our guest'schoice.
Yeah, where can that money gofor you?
Sam Miklos (53:03):
Or is there something at the health service?
That that money would go to?
That would make a difference.
I'm not sure I know.
When Jess had spoke to the team, she talked about the need for
washing machines and the teamwere like, set them a washing
machine.
Is there any?
Could that money be used at theservice?
Lesley Woolf OAM (53:18):
It could be for one of our healthy skin
weeks or something like that,because we always apply for
grants for that.
But you know, there's littlethings and we have raffles for
people.
You know, if they participate,we put their name in a hut and
pull it out.
You know, there's a dear, dearold lady who lives across the
road from me.
(53:38):
There's three generations, fourgenerations live there Lovely,
lovely people.
They work so hard in the yardand that sort of thing, and last
week she won a washing machine,a lawnmower and a mattress with
the healthy skin week.
There were a lot of peoplethere but I thought that is
absolutely gold because no one'smore deserving.
So, yeah, you know somethingthat could benefit the health
(54:01):
center I think would be great.
Sam Miklos (54:03):
Yeah, we'd be happy to send that money that way.
Really good, yeah, yep.
Thank you so much, lesley.
We're so glad that we had atech fault last time.
Lesley Woolf OAM (54:12):
We had to actually get you into Brisbane.
Sam Miklos (54:14):
It has just been so nice to sit across from you and
just hear you speak.
You have done such incrediblethings in your career, but most
definitely in Maningrida, andhow fortunate all of those
people are to have you up thereand thank you.
You've been, you're such aninspiration and we've loved
talking to you today.
Thank you, it's been great.
Thanks for listening.
Don't forget to share, rate andreview.
(54:34):
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