Pictured above, the team from Queensland Children’s Hospital. L-R: Shelley Pain (Paediatric Cardiology CNC), Dr Ben Auld (Paediatric Cardiologist) and Natalie Bateson (Cardiac Scientist).
Bulgarr Ngaru Medical Aboriginal Corporation recently hosted a Children’s Paediatric Cardiology Clinic in Casino, bringing specialist children’s heart care directly to local Aboriginal families.
The clinic, held on 23 and 24 October 2025, assessed and treated 19 children from Casino, Lismore, Kyogle, Tabulam, Alstonville and Coraki, helping families avoid long trips to Brisbane.
Dr Ben Auld, Paediatric Cardiologist at Queensland Health, said:
“It was wonderful to see so many children close to home, without the stress and cost of travelling longer distances, and we can support early detection and ongoing management for children that need it locally in the Northern Rivers.”
Practice Manager Marnie Smith highlighted the community impact:
“By hosting the clinic, we successfully extended direct healthcare access to our children and families. The relief and increased confidence observed in parents – knowing their children received quality care locally – was incredibly rewarding for our team.”
The new children’s heart clinic complements Bulgarr Ngaru’s broader heart health programs, including the sector-leading Rheumatic Heart Disease program led by Dr Marion Tait, and demonstrates the power of local, culturally safe, specialist outreach services.
Susan Parker Pavlovic, Director of Aboriginal Health Partnerships at Healthy North Coast, highlighted the importance of cross sector partnerships:
“This clinic shows what is possible when Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations and hospital health services work together to address important local health needs. The relationships and partnerships we have built made it possible to bring this care closer to home for these children and families.”
Due to the success of the first clinic, work is already underway between Bulgarr Ngaru, Queensland Health, Northern NSW Local Health District and Healthy North Coast to deliver more Northern Rivers clinics in 2026.
