New QAS team for FNQ

Rowan Anderson

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New Team for FNQ: Kari Arbouin, Rita Kelly and Matthew Green IMAGE: QAS Supplied

QAS reveals new team for North Queensland

They are known as our angels in our communities and to help ease the GP and staff shortages in the Far North, there are a brand new trio of senior Queensland Ambulance Service officers coming to our communities.

Kari Arbouin has been appointed the new deputy commissioner of Operations North and Rural and Remote with Matthew Green as the Northern region’s assistant commissioner and Rita Kelly as the Far Northern assistant commissioner.

The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) revealing the three new leaders who will strengthen and align the delivery of emergency care in some of the state’s most regional and rural areas.

QAS Commissioner Craig Emery said this was the first time a Deputy Commissioner, Operations North and Rural and Remote had been formally appointed, with the position created due to the strained services.

The North Queensland Deputy Commissioner oversees three ‘Regions’ which include the Far Northern Region, Northern Region and Central Region.

“I know Deputy Commissioner Arbouin will do an incredible job for the northern half of our state, to make sure emergency care means the same thing for Queenslanders living in Brisbane as it does for someone in Georgetown or Innisfail,” Commissioner Emery said.

“Deputy Commissioner Arbouin’s background in healthcare delivery and her proven commitment to the regional rural and remote areas of our state is exactly what I had in mind when I first spoke about this position being created for the QAS.”

Arbouin comes with a wealth of experience in the rural and remote health sector previously working as Queensland Health’s Executive Director Office of Rural and Remote Health and being responsible for the development of the department’s very first Rural and Remote Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

She has also previously worked as CQUniversity Associate Vice Chancellor (Townsville and North West region), James Cook University, Wesley Private Hospital and Julia Creek Hospital. She is also the proud owner of an Australian Defence Force Leadership Medal, an Australia Day Medal, a Queensland Government Entrepreneur of the Year Award and was even torchbearer for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Rita Kelly, once acting assistant commissioner, said QAS was facing challenges responding to rural areas.

“Any shortages whether it’s GP shortages or impacts to sick leave because of Covid, all of those things contribute,” she said.

“There’s an ageing population and a lot of sick people that require our services, low staffing because of people’s own personal Covid impacts, it’s a daily challenge to get the right amount of resources.

“If you have little impacts in multiple areas, it doesn’t take long before that makes its way to the other end of an emergency.”

The new Deputy Commissioner Arbouin said adding QAS to her resume just made perfect sense.

“I started my career in health as a Registered Nurse back in Glasgow in 1987, and I have never lost my passion for the health industry,” Deputy Commissioner Arbouin said.

“Relocating from Scotland to outback Queensland and living there for many years, I grew to understand and love these rural and remote communities and I found myself advocating very passionately for equity of access to the health care they deserved.

“I am incredibly excited to take on the challenges of this role.

“I want Queenslanders, no matter where they are, to continue to feel confident in the incredible care our service can provide when they are at their most vulnerable.”

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