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The January 2026 edition of Reaching Out

The latest Reaching Out newsletter celebrates the dedicated providers and practitioners making a difference in rural and remote Queensland. This edition farewells Dr Sandra Zeeman after 12 years of outreach GP services in Kilkivan and marks CheckUP’s 10-year milestone as fundholder for the Visiting Optometrists Scheme.

Readers can also find updates on patient feedback surveys, upcoming service delivery audits, and congratulations to Dr Rolf Gomes (2026 QLD Australian of the Year), Floyd Leedie OAM, and Dr Sangla OAM for their contributions to rural and Indigenous health.

CheckUP celebrates 10 years as Visiting Optometrists Scheme fundholder

Left to Right: Fiona Moore (Optometry Qld/NT and CheckUP VOS Provider), Dr Theo Charalambus President Optometry Australia, Monica Barolits-McCabe (Executive Director, NACCHO), Lose Fonua (CEO, First Nations Eye Health Alliance), Michelle Hodges, CheckUP

50 Years of Outreach Eye Care Across Australia

As the Visiting Optometrists Scheme (VOS) marked its 50th anniversary in 2025, Optometry Australia hosted a celebration at Parliament House in Canberra. For fifty years, VOS has ensured people in regional, rural, and remote communities can access essential eye care, prevent avoidable vision loss and help bridge longstanding health inequities.

As the jurisdictional fundholder of VOS for over 10 years, CheckUP were pleased to attend the event during National Rural Health Month alongside key stakeholders.

Queensland VOS Outreach: 2024–25 by the numbers

Dr Shelley Hopkins QUT, Gayle Stallard CheckUP, Tanya Morris, Country Director – Indigenous Australia Program | The Fred Hollows Foundation

Kilkivan outreach provider retiring after 12 years of dedicated service

CheckUP’s Gayle Stallard recently attended a farewell morning tea in Kilkivan to celebrate the remarkable contribution of Dr Sandra Zeeman, who has been delivering outreach GP services to the community for over 12 years.

A service built from the ground up

The Kilkivan model wasn’t your typical outreach service. Built from the ground up, it later became known as the Kilkivan Community Health Hub. Located in a house in the small Kilkivan community, the service began as a collaborative effort between community members, Gympie Regional Council, Sunshine Coast Medicare Local (now Country to Coast PHN), and CheckUP – all working together to provide access to a local GP service.

As the service grew, the need for additional support quickly became clear, along with increasing demand for allied health professionals. Today, the community has access to two GPs, a Nurse Practitioner, a Physiotherapist, and a Podiatrist. In previous years, the service also included a counsellor.

CheckUP’s Regional Coordinator, Amber Hanks, regularly checks in with all stakeholders to ensure community needs continue to be met through these services.

CheckUP’s commitment to the Kilkivan community and their ageing-in-place goals will continue, supported by the Australian Government’s Rural Health Outreach Fund.

CheckUP thanked Dr Zeeman for her years of dedicated service and presented her with a farewell gift.

Disability Action Week Highlights, 2025 QPHCN Event

CheckUP brought together health professionals, community leaders, and disability advocates for our final Queensland Primary Healthcare Network (QPHCN) event of 2025, exploring the theme “Communicate. Connect. Create.”

Hosted by Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM (doctor, lawyer, researcher and disability advocate), the event featured powerful conversations about what inclusion really means. The day highlighted inspiring examples from Joshua Bamford on practical disability employment at M&H Ward (McDonald’s) Australia, DJ on his inclusion in schools program reaching 5,000+ students yearly with Social Futures, and Chithrani Palipana on vocational rehabilitation and creating pathways for people with disability.

Debbie Rooskov presented CheckUP’s Disability Friendly Business Basics micro-credential program, designed to help small businesses unlock the disability customer base while building genuine inclusion. The credentials focus on appropriate services, challenging biases, and effective communication.

The event explored real barriers and real solutions. From employment success stories to education programs that shift how young people see disability, speakers shared lived experience alongside practical strategies.

Resources

Sponsor acknowledgement: Thank you, PSC MediProtect

We gratefully acknowledge PSC MediProtect for their support. From humble beginnings in September 1999, PSC Mediprotect has grown to become a market leader in innovative insurance solutions for health professionals, medical, and affinity groups. A commitment to these markets has seen the company develop unique products.  PSC MediProtect sponsorship means we can facilitate events to raise disability awareness.

View the 2024-2025 Annual Report on Issuu

Read the FY2024-2025 Audited Annual Financial Report (including Director’s Report) HERE

Watch the 2024-2025 Annual Report video below

MEDIA RELEASE
29 September 2025
For immediate distribution

Queenslanders unite to shine light on mental wellbeing

Communities called to connect as Queensland Mental Health Week returns this October

Queenslanders are being urged to come together in support of connection, community, and wellbeing as Queensland Mental Health Week (QMHW) returns from 4–12 October 2025.

Funded by the Queensland Government through the Queensland Mental Health Commission, this statewide movement aims to bring Queenslanders together to spark conversations, strengthen connections, and bring the importance of mental wellbeing to the forefront.

The week comes at a pivotal time, with demand for mental health support rising across Queensland, particularly in regional and remote communities. Almost half of Australians (43%) are expected to experience a mental illness in their lifetime, with one in five affected every year (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022).

Behind every statistic is a friend, colleague, teammate, or family member – a reminder that mental health touches all of our lives.

Queensland Mental Health Commissioner Ivan Frkovic said the week is a vital opportunity to foster understanding and connection around mental health.

“Mental health and wellbeing are essential for every Queenslander,” Mr Frkovic said.
“We all experience ups and downs, and over 40% of Australians are estimated to experience mental illness at some point in their lives.
“Good mental health and wellbeing helps us live fulfilling lives, build strong relationships, and navigate challenges, but it takes effort and it’s something we need to work at and protect.
“By practicing the six building blocks of wellbeing – get healthy, keep learning, show kindness, connect more, take notice, and embrace nature – we can all support our mental health and wellbeing.
“This Queensland Mental Health Week, I encourage you to get involved – host or support a local event, take some proactive steps to look after your wellbeing, and check in with those around you – it can make the world of difference.”

James Hill, a mental health advocate with lived experience, said sharing stories openly is key to building empathy and encouraging people to seek support.

“Anyone can experience mental ill-health – it doesn’t discriminate,” Mr Hill said.
“The more we talk about it, the more we create safe environments for people to reach out for help. Initiatives like this show that mental health is something we all share a role in, and they remind us how powerful connection and understanding can be.”

From workplace wellness mornings to coffee-and-chats, Queenslanders are being asked to make mental health visible in their own communities by hosting and registering events.

This year, the impact of QMHW will be strengthened by $150,000 in community grants, awarded to grassroots organisations across the state. More than 150 community-led events are being supported, from wellbeing expos and art exhibitions to workshops, festivals, and morning teas.

Queensland Mental Health Week is a reminder that communities thrive when people connect – and that no one should ever feel alone when it comes to mental health.

For more information or to register an event, visit: qldmentalhealthweek.org.au/events/register-event

ENDS

Media Contact
Alexandra McGuckin | alexandra@inthemaking.com.au | 0499 055 880
Samantha Borland-Smith | sam@inthemaking.com.au | 0447 688 450

About QMHW

Queensland Mental Health Week (QMHW) is an annual statewide awareness week held during October that aims to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing, increase understanding of mental health challenges, and reduce stigma around mental health.

QMHW 2025 runs from Saturday 4 October to Sunday 12 October 2025 to align with World Mental Health Day, celebrated annually on 10 October. This year’s theme is Connect for mental health.

QMHW is funded by the Queensland Mental Health Commission, on behalf of the Queensland Government, and in 2025 is being delivered by CheckUP through strong cross-sector collaboration.

Safe media reporting

Visit the Mindframe website for advice on how to support safe media reporting, portrayal and communication about suicide, mental ill-health, and alcohol and other drug use.

Support services

• Lifeline | 13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au/gethelp

• Beyond Blue Support Service | 1300 224 636 | beyondblue.org.au

• MensLine Australia | 1300 789 978 | mensline.org.au

• 13YARN | 13 92 76 | 13yarn.org.au

• SANE Australia Helpline | 1800 187 263 | sane.org

• QLife (LGBTIQA+) | 1800 184 527 | qlife.org.au

• Kids Helpline | 1800 551 800 | kidshelpline.com.au