Steere M1, Park W, Adams D, Huber E
1RFDS SA/NT, 2Charles Darwin University
Biography:
Mardi Steere has served as a paediatric emergency & retrieval doctor, educator, health executive, and non-executive director across the US, Australia, and Kenya. Her passion lies in the strategic development of accessible, cost-effective, high-quality healthcare, particularly for remote and underserved populations. Mardi co-developed sub-Saharan Africa’s first postgraduate Fellowship program in Paediatric Emergency & Critical Care and the CDU Aeromedical Retrieval programs, and is is the EGM of retrieval for RFDS SA/NT. She also serves on the boards of AMREF Flying Doctors and SALHN SA Health, as well as contributing to the development of medical content for television.
Abstract
Alice Springs is the primary and interhospital retrieval hub for Central Australia, spanning 500,000 km2 with vast distances and scant resources. While the population is small, the MRACC/RFDS SA/NT aeromedical service is one of the busiest neonatal fixed primary retrieval services in Australia, retrieving high risk obstetric and newborn patients directly from remote communities to its NICU. There are not sufficient volumes or funding for a standalone NETS-type service, so RFDS SA/NT, Alice Springs Hospital Paediatrics and MRACC specialty leadership has developed a bespoke service utilising the MRACC retrieval doctors, RFDS Flight Nurse midwives and ASH pediatricians, with alignment of equipment (bespoke prehospital critical care neocot), procedures (context-adapted prehospital UVC and VLBW kits) and training. This model of care is cost effective, high quality, and effective for the population it serves, with the potential to replicate this model in other low-resource settings.