About the authors

Dr Deborah Smith is an experienced Senior Project Manager and Researcher at James Cook University’s (JCU) College of Medicine and Dentistry. Since 2018, she has led and supported a range of strategic research and implementation projects aimed at strengthening health systems, improving access to healthcare, and enhancing health outcomes in rural and remote communities. Deb’s current work focuses on optimising telehealth processes to inform the development of contextually relevant service delivery guidelines.

Dr Karen Johnston is a researcher at the JCU College of Medicine and Dentistry, committed to advancing health equity through her work in health systems, health services and socially accountable medical education. She is Deputy Director for the Centre for Rural, Remote and Tropical Health Systems and a key investigator on multiple projects aimed at improving access, care and community engagement with underserved populations. Dr Johnston has a strong interest in participatory and decolonising research approaches, and implementation research.

Ms Mim Crase was recruited as the Local Connector for the project, working closely with the Hughenden community. A long-time resident of over 20 years, Mim is a retired school teacher and librarian with a deep commitment to the region. She has chaired the local Community Advisory Network and has been actively involved in numerous volunteer committees, demonstrating her strong dedication to community service.

Mrs Catherine Wilkes worked as the Local Connector for the project, supporting the delivery of activities in the Clermont community. A former long-term resident, Catherine operated a local accommodation business and was actively involved in various volunteer roles across the community. She was employed by Clermont Connect, a local not-for-profit agency, which partnered with JCU to help implement the project.

Professor Stephanie M Topp is a health policy and systems researcher with a background in global public health, political, and social sciences. Stephanie co-convenes the James Cook University Masters of Public Health – Masters of Global Development, and is the Director of the JCU Centre for Rural Remote and Tropical Health Systems. Her research focuses on the political and power dynamics influencing equitable access to health systems and improved health outcomes. Stephanie has published in texts such as the World Health Oorganisation (WHO) Health Policy and Systems Research Reader on Human Resources for Health, Maxcy-Rosenau-Last Public Health and Preventive Medicine, and The Routledge Handbook of Global Development and previously served on the Board of Directors for Health Systems Global.

Professor Maxine Whittaker is a public health physician and health systems researcher who is an international expert on improving the health systems and services to increase accessibility and acceptability of quality services to populations and a public health leader in One Health and the Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Vector Borne Diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases. Maxine’s research interests are in fields of operational and health services research and medical anthropology, with a primary focus on One Health, sexual and reproductive health, health seeking behaviour and quality of care. She has a special interest in the issue of scaling-up pilot programmes into policy and practice.

Christopher Rouen is a health economist, lecturer, and researcher within the discipline of Public Health and Tropical Medicine at JCU. He has a strong research interest in economic evaluation methodologies and the economics of mental health. In his spare time, Christopher is also a director of the Dr. Edward Koch Foundation, a suicide prevention organisation based in Cairns. Within the Clinical Psychedelic Research Lab, Christopher is interested in generating evidenced-based economic information for use in the economic evaluation of psychedelics.

Associate Professor Alexandra Edelman is Adjunct Research Fellow within the College of Medicine and Dentistry at JCU. She also leads both the Remote Health Systems and Climate Change Centre (RHC3) and Wellbeing and Preventable Chronic Diseases Division within Menzies School of Health Research. Alex leads multiple teams and programs of research relating to health systems, policy, knowledge translation, and remote health with partners based across remote and northern Australia, nationally, and internationally.

Professor Sarah Larkins is an experienced research leader, academic general practitioner, Dean, College of Medicine and Dentistry and Professor of Health Systems Strengthening at JCU. Sarah has particular skills and experience in health services and workforce research and in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research and is an internationally recognised expert in social accountability in health professional education. Sarah is also a current member of the NHMRC Research Committee (2022-24) and was Co-Director of the Anton Breinl Research Centre for Health Systems Strengthening, a centre of the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine for many years.