From cyclones and multi-trauma emergencies to maternity care and end-of-life medicine, rural healthcare demands doctors who are ready for anything.
Few understand that reality better than Dr Hannah Trimble, whose career across Far North and regional Queensland has shaped both her clinical expertise and her commitment to rural communities.
A highly experienced rural generalist, Dr Trimble now steps into a new and challenging leadership role as Director of Rural Medical Services at Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS).
Her career journey through rural hospitals has given her a deep appreciation of the complexity, responsibility and resilience required of a medical workforce.
“To be a rural generalist you have to be practical, adaptable, decisive and be comfortable with uncertainty,” Dr Trimble said.
“We are very experienced and passionate consultants who are not anonymous to our patients – outcomes and experiences matter in any facility but I think that runs really deep in smaller communities where we are known much more intimately,” she said.
Dr Trimble has been the Acting Director of Medical Services at Proserpine Hospital since October 2022 before taking on her latest role this month while still maintaining a clinical role there as a rural generalist obstetrician.
“Proserpine Hospital is one of the busiest rural hospitals in the state with a large medical team, I am very proud to be part of that and to have had that experience in leadership,” she said.
“It has helped me prepare for this role and given me a large network of colleagues and other leaders to draw on.”
After her rural GP training with ACRRM (Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine), she joined the Proserpine Hospital team in 2009 as a senior medical officer and later completed obstetrics and gynaecology as an advanced skill at Mackay Base Hospital.
“Although I thought of other specialities early in my career, I have the best of everything as a rural generalist, you can literally be anything and everything,” she said.
“There is not a more rewarding or challenging job and I am very lucky to be doing it here in the Whitsundays.”
Dr Trimble’s extensive rural experience and scope of practice ensures she understands and is well-equipped to face the demands and challenges as Director of Rural Medical Services.
“Workforce is our biggest challenge and there is unfortunately, no quick fix for this, so developing sustainable models that attract and retain staff as well as addressing a huge supply shortage with our own pipeline and training are important,” Dr Trimble said.
“We have excellent rural generalist training and progression opportunities here that we can build on. Strong foundations build strong buildings; and this is the same with our workforce in our healthcare facilities and across the Mackay HHS,” she said.