General News
6 November, 2025
Mount Isa-based Allied Health team wins gong in Canberra
North and West Remote Health (NWRH) provides Allied Health services across the Outback.
The North and West Remote Health (NWRH) Allied Health team has been recognised on the national stage, winning the award for Outstanding Contribution to Rural and Remote Health Access at the 2025 National Rural and Remote Health Awards.
The team's Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program (CPRP) delivers face-to-face care from the Mount Isa PCYC including exercise physiology, occupational therapy, dietetics, nursing, and Aboriginal health liaison, ensuring culturally safe and responsive care.
Over the past year, the program supported 32 clients across 404 occasions of service, with zero readmissions recorded in the 2024–2025 period.
“To see the difference the program makes for people after major life events or living with chronic conditions, celebrates our purpose and the essence of who we are as an organisation,” NWRH's executive manager of Allied Health, Rahni Cotterill, said.
Working together with the North West Hospital and Health Service (NWHHS) and James Cook University’s Murtupuni Centre for Rural and Remote Health (JCU MCRRH), the team has addressed a critical service gap for patients recovering from cardiac events and managing chronic respiratory disease.
The geographical footprint covered by these services is described as “one to boggle the mind”. Mount Isa Hospital is the main referral centre within the NWHHS footprint for patients from Burketown, Cloncurry, Camooweal, Normanton, Dajarra, Karumba, Julia Creek, McKinlay, Doomadgee and Mornington Island who require specialist treatment and care.
Further to this MCRRH’s region covers the outback, remote and rural areas of North West, Lower Gulf, Central West and the Western Cape of Queensland and spans more than 50 per cent of Queensland.
The program plays a vital role in helping patients from these rural and remote areas of the state to rebuild strength, confidence, and independence through exercise and education.
“For our Allied Health team, the most impactful part of delivering the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program is seeing people continue to live well after the program - catching up with a client in town months later who’s either back at work or being part of their community again while maintaining a healthy lifestyle is very rewarding,” Rahni said.
“Those moments show that the program is doing what it’s meant to do: helping people regain independence and stay well in their own communities.”
The CPRP also plays a vital role in workforce development, integrating student placements from James Cook University to build rural health capacity. Its success has prompted plans for expansion into other remote communities and adaptation for chronic disease management.
“The program provides valuable training opportunities for university students and new graduates, giving them real-world experience in rural and remote service delivery,” Rahni said.
She said what began as a small part of a student placement experience has evolved into a program shaped by collaboration, shared learning, and genuine commitment to rural communities.
“Watching students come through the same placement, now contributing their own skills and ideas, and seeing clients living well long after the program highlights how far-reaching the impact really is.
“When rural teams work together, the results extend well beyond the sessions themselves; they strengthen individuals, communities, and the future of the rural health workforce.”
In addition to being recognised for their Outstanding Contribution to Rural/Remote Health Access, North and West Remote Health were finalists in several categories, including the Rural/Remote Employer of the Year and Dedication to Health in a Remote Location categories.
The National Rural and Remote Health Awards were launched by Rural Health Pro in 2023 and celebrate the extraordinary efforts of health professionals and organisations serving remote and rural communities around Australia.
Taking place each November as part of Rural Health Month, the Awards bring together rural, remote and Indigenous health community members to pay tribute to their commitment and resourcefulness in the face of unique challenges.
