Country to Coast QLD

09/10/2026

Not feeling like yourself? Running on empty or having trouble sleeping? A free service is available to help.

Medicare Mental Health Check In is a new mental health and wellbeing service for anyone 16 and over. It can help if you're experiencing mild challenges or simply want to build good habits to support your mental wellbeing.

✅ No referral needed
✅ No diagnosis required
✅ Work through online at your own pace
✅ Speak with a qualified mental health practitioner via telehealth if you would like extra support

It's another way to access free, practical mental health support through Medicare.

For health professional and community referrers, Check In provides a low-barrier, stepped-care option for people who may not meet the threshold for other services but could benefit from early support.

👉 Learn more or self-refer at https://ow.ly/lNJ250ZW9fo
📞 Call 1800 595 212

08/10/2026

This Ageism Awareness Day, 9 October, EveryAGE Counts is asking an important question: will AI help challenge ageism or reinforce it?

A recent survey of more than 1,300 Australians aged 60–85 found that 85% of respondents already using AI considered it helpful. Older Australians are embracing this technology and want a say in how it is developed and used..

In healthcare, AI is already influencing workforce recruitment, clinical care and service delivery. Understanding the assumptions embedded in these tools vital for health professionals and the communities they support.

Join the next round of CCQ Clinical Societies to explore the opportunities, risks and real-world impacts of AI in primary care.

🗓️ 11 CPD-accredited events across our region starting 20 October
🔗 Register today: https://ow.ly/3mlz50ZVIgj

Learn more about EveryAge Counts and Ageism Awareness Day: https://ow.ly/NLhZ50ZVIgi

08/10/2026

What a day! 💛

Thank you to everyone who came along to Manngoor Dja's Well Persons Health Check Day at the Gympie Pavilion on Saturday. It was a wonderful celebration of health, culture and connection, marking 21 years of bringing community together.

Our CCQ team loved the conversations at our stall, where we shared information about:

✅ Bowel cancer screening: screening can detect bowel cancer early and save lives. If you’re aged 45 to 74, find out how to take part.

✅ Living Well with Dementia – My Journal: a free resource developed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, families and carers to write down and share what matters to them.

✅ Medicare Mental Health: free support to find counselling, peer support and other services near you.

A big thanks to Manngoor Dja Aboriginal Health Services, local health partners and everyone who stopped by for a yarn. 🙏

👉 Read more and explore the resources: https://ow.ly/RUZW50ZVHGJ

06/10/2026

The Country to Coast Queensland Board is seeking an accomplished and values-driven Chief Executive Officer to guide CCQ through its next chapter.

This is a significant opportunity to provide strategic and organisational leadership across one of Queensland’s largest and most diverse health regions, spanning Central Queensland, Wide Bay and the Sunshine Coast.

Reporting to the Board, the CEO will lead a capable, regionally distributed organisation, steward significant public investment and strengthen CCQ’s contribution as a trusted partner in primary health care and health system reform.

Based in Maroochydore | Five-year maximum-term contract

Learn more: http://au.seek.com/job/94978820

Applications close on Sunday 1 November 2026.

04/10/2026

Get Ready Queensland Week (5–11 October) is a good time to get your household ready for disaster season. 🌧️🔥

A few simple steps can make a big difference:

1️⃣ Make an emergency plan so everyone knows what to do and where to go
2️⃣ Pack an emergency kit, including a supply of your regular medicines
3️⃣ Stay connected to official warnings and your local council’s disaster information
4️⃣ Check in with older neighbours, family and friends, particularly anyone living alone or with limited mobility

If you rely on regular medicines or ongoing care, include these needs in your plan and speak with your usual healthcare team if you need advice.

Make your emergency plan and find practical checklists:
https://ow.ly/HMoQ50ZTNoC

Find your local council disaster dashboard: https://ow.ly/xXry50ZTNoB

Local health services are preparing too.

CCQ supports general practices, Aboriginal medical services, pharmacies and other primary care providers to plan for disruptions and continue supporting their communities during emergencies.

Primary care teams can learn more here:
https://ow.ly/SxA750ZTNoA

Queensland Reconstruction Authority

29/09/2026

Bring your judgement. Strengthen regional health care leadership. Help shape better health and wellbeing.

Country to Coast Queensland is seeking three Non-Executive Directors to join our skills-based Board and help guide the future direction of primary health care across Central Queensland, Wide Bay and the Sunshine Coast.

We are looking for strategic, independent thinkers with strong governance capability and a genuine commitment to our region and its diverse communities.

We particularly welcome candidates who bring:
- strong regional connections or experience in rural, regional and remote communities
- deep knowledge of primary health care, health reform, commissioning or integrated care
- experience across general practice, allied health, community health or hospital systems
- an understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and a commitment to reconciliation
- established relationships across health, community, government or other relevant sectors.

One vacancy must be filled by a general practitioner.

These remunerated Board appointments offer an opportunity to contribute to better health and wellbeing across one of Queensland’s largest and most diverse regions.

Applications close 5.00 pm AEST, Sunday 18 October 2026.

Learn more and apply through SEEK:
https://au.seek.com/job/94934345?ref=cm-ui

25/09/2026

AI tools are becoming part of everyday primary care. But how can clinicians and practices decide where they add value, understand the risks and introduce them responsibly?

Join Country to Coast Queensland’s Clinical Society events: Artificial Intelligence in Primary Care.

Hear how AI is being used across clinical care and practice operations, which clinical, ethical, governance and medico-legal risks need to be considered and what responsible implementation looks like in practice.

Each evening includes expert presentations, a primary care case study and an interactive panel, with opportunities to ask questions and connect with local healthcare colleagues.

✓ Free to attend

✓ Two hours of CPD, accredited by RACGP and ACRRM

✓ Dinner and refreshments included

Find an event near you:

📍 Sunshine Coast and Gympie: Noosa, Nambour, Caloundra and Gympie

📍 Wide Bay: Bundaberg, Mundubbera and Hervey Bay

📍 Central Queensland: Biloela, Emerald, Rockhampton and Gladstone

📅 20 October to 5 November 2026

Register: https://ow.ly/Me8e50ZRjKx

Clinical Societies Local connections. Stronger primary care. Come together with healthcare colleagues across the Country to Coast Queensland region. Share ideas, explore locally relevant topics and take practical learning back to your work. Find a local event View the current round CPD-accredited le...

25/09/2026

Dementia care doesn’t start in a clinic—it starts in our community. 💙

This Dementia Action Week (21–27 September 2026), the focus is on breaking down stigma, supporting earlier diagnosis, and making sure everyone affected by dementia feels heard, valued and supported.

Whether you want to better understand the early signs, find practical ways to manage daily life, or connect with support, you don't have to navigate it alone.

Together, we can help build a more dementia-friendly community across our region.

👉 Find practical information, advice and local support:

https://c2coast.org.au/dementia-action-week-2026

25/09/2026

💙 What a morning!

Last week, our community came together at Sunshine Coast Health Institute for the Healthy Brain, Healthy Body, Healthy Life Forum, proudly supported by Country to Coast Queensland alongside wonderful HAP partners.

CCQ Director of Healthy Ageing and End of Life Care Julie Dymock said it was encouraging to see so many people from across the region come together to learn about brain health, dementia and healthy ageing.

Forums like this help empower people with trusted knowledge while strengthening community connections and conversations about ageing well.

The final healthy ageing forum for 2026 is coming up:
🎄Healthy Ageing: Festive Season Connection & Preparedness
📅 Thursday 5 November, 9:00am–12:30pm
📍 Sunshine Coast Health Institute (Birtinya), broadcast to Gympie, Bundaberg and Yeppoon.

Attendees will receive friendly, practical guidance on staying socially connected, finding local supports and services, and preparing for summer storms and heatwaves. It’s about building confidence, not worry, ahead of the season.

Tickets are $11.90, with parking and morning tea included.

Register via Eventbrite. https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/healthy-ageing-forum-festive-season-connection-preparedness-tickets-2000936153900

10/09/2026

Want practical ideas to support a healthier brain, stronger body and better wellbeing as you age?

The next Healthy Ageing Forum, all about Healthy Brain, Healthy Body, Healthy Life is coming up on Thursday 17 September!

Designed for older people, families and carers, the morning will explore practical ways to:
🧠 keep your mind active
💪 support strength and mobility
💬 look after emotional wellbeing
🌱 build healthy habits for later life

There’ll also be time to connect with others over morning tea.

Presented by Healthy Ageing Partnerships and supported by Country to Coast Queensland, the forum will be held on the Sunshine Coast and broadcast live to events in Gympie, Bundaberg and Yeppoon.

📅 Thursday 17 September 2026
9am to 12:30pm
Sunshine Coast Health Institute, 6 Doherty St, Birtinya
$11.90 (includes booking fee and morning tea)
Free parking via P2 on Bullwinkel Lane

Places are limited.

Grab your tickets now via https://ow.ly/24eE50ZKtCm

EveryAGE Counts
Comlink Australia
Sunshine Coast Council
Sunshine Coast Health
Sunshine Coast Health Institute