NOSE, throat and respiratory patients are among the winners from the 2022 QSuper Cardiac Challenge.
Two pieces of equipment bought from last year’s event are already being used by patients and trainee doctors to improve health outcomes.
Cairns Hospital Director of Thoracic and Sleep Medicine Dr Stephen Vincent thanked riders and donors of last year’s event, for their support.
“It’s really pretty amazing that you can ride your bike to Cooktown and these cutting-edge pieces of equipment suddenly appear and they help the patients we serve,” Dr Vincent said.
The virtual bronchoscope is a training device used by doctors in training, as well as consultants, to learn or upgrade their skills in performing bronchoscopies.
“It’s a bit like pilots learning to fly a plane before getting in a jumbo jet. Simulation is the best way to learn these skills as you’re not limited to a patient list – you can use the equipment when it’s available. It’s a computer simulator where you insert the tiny camera into the virtual nose, past the mouth, into the lung. Anyone who needs access to the airways can use the device – anaesthetists, intensivists, emergency consultants, it’s a great way to update your skills. The benefits for patients is that the physician has already undertaken a lot of training before using their skills on a patient,” Dr Vincent said. “This is the only one outside the southeast corner of Queensland and it’s ich is another tool to make Cairns Hospital attractive for doctors undergoing specialist training.”
The second piece of equipment bought by the Far North Queensland Hospital Foundation through 2022’s bike ride, is a Naso endoscope to diagnose and manage conditions of the nose and throat.
“It goes up your nostril, past the back of the throat and it’s used to monitor bad sinus or nasal disease, laryngeal cancers and polyps,” Dr Vincent said. “Previously a patient with nasal polyps would undergo multiple surgeries, the polyps often reappear. Coincidentally, a few months after we got this equipment, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme approved a new treatment that can reverse severe nasal polyps so it’s wonderful timing for our patients,” he said.
Foundation Fundraising and Marketing Manager Glenys Duncombe said the QSuper Cardiac Challenge was an amazing example of the community working together.
QSuper, now part of Australian Retirement Trust, has been proudly supporting the event for four years. The partnership enables 100% of funds raised to go directly into healthcare facilities in Far North Queensland.
“Here we have the doctors riding their bikes, helping with fundraising and then we can provide equipment that makes a difference to patients in our community, as a result of the fundraising that occurs,” Ms Duncombe said.
“I would strongly encourage anyone thinking about doing the ride to take up the Early Bird special registration fee to save money and get started on training and fundraising.”
Australian Retirement Trust’s CEO Bernard Reilly said the super fund was proud to partner with the Foundation to deliver this event.
“As one of Australia’s largest superannuation funds, it’s incredibly rewarding for us to support the QSuper Cardiac Challenge and help support such an important cause for Queenslanders,” Mr Reilly said.
• Registration for the 2023 QSuper Cardiac Challenge is now open, with entrants able to take advantage of the Early Bird special registration fee until May 31. Sign up at www.cardiacchallenge.com.au
Photo: Foundation Fundraising & Marketing Manager Glenys Duncombe with Cairns Hospital Director of Thoracic and Sleep Medicine Dr Stephen Vincent.
