Celebrating more than 250 years of combined service was a chance for the Fraser Coast Child Health team to reflect on careers that have helped transform the lives of children from birth to school age and provide support to parents and carers.
Underlining the commonly used phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” this community-based service is carried out either in clinics, with in-home visiting programs or at various childcare / playgroup centres so a child’s full potential can be reached.
Coincidentally located at The Village in Hervey Bay, the team decided that gathering to celebrate their service was timely given the recent return to their refurbished site which sustained significant damage in the 2025 floods.
Acting Nurse Unit Manager Grace Sewell said the celebration was an opportunity for the staff to reminisce about their varied chosen careers as midwives, paediatric, surgical, and mental health nurses, all bringing a particular skillset to the team.
Putting into perspective the progress of child health and acknowledging the service of the current team, Grace said it was in 1922 that the Maternity Act in Queensland for Maternal Child Health as it was called, was introduced.
“Ninety years on in 2012, Suzy McKenna became the WBHHS Fraser Coast Child Health team leader, later appointed to her current position of Nurse Unit Manager,” she said.
“Over time, team members have broadly been Child Health Nurses, School-based Nurses, Lactation Consultants, and staff providing services in Child Development, Child Protection, Indigenous Health and Early Intervention Parenting.”
Receiving the team award for the longest career milestone of 35 years at Wide Bay Hospital and Health Service was Child Health Nurse Helen Harvey.
“During the celebration we spoke about the changes we’ve experienced, even comparing the different hospital badges to what we have today,” Helen said.
“Innovation and change, including those brought about by the digital age, have been strongly embraced by the team and community for a range of services.
“This includes the Telehealth Healthy Hearing Program where audiology diagnostic assessments are made on babies up to 3 months of age with SCHUH and PIMH programs.
“Team changes have also occurred with the newly named Child Advocacy Team in 2024/25 and the Child Development Service becoming a separate group where they continue to work closely with Child Health and Paediatricians.
“After the 2025 floods other changes emerged, and we are grateful for the community partnership with Galangoor and Hervey Bay Library which supported us in providing services during the rebuild of our premises.”
Recognition was given to Lactation Consultant Debbie Butters who started her career journey 50 years ago as a registered nurse and midwife and now includes annual overseas trips visiting Papua New Guinea and Fijian neighbours to share her knowledge.
The support of the Child Health administration staff, who receive numerous calls, emails, messages and schedule appointments, was also acknowledged for their contribution to the efficiency of day-to-day operations.
Developing peers is an additional focus for the Child Health team, whether they are new child health nurses, nurses completing immunisation programs, midwives, physiotherapists, occupational therapists or speech pathologists, to name just a few.
A new chapter of support is the Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home-visiting Program (MECSH), which commences in Aprill. More information about this program will be communicated soon.