Steve 'Secondment Wizard' Wallin - Director of Medical Imaging

"Island culture is so strong, and powerful, and a beautiful thing."

Steve's career began with aspirations of being a builder before he 'fell into' medical radiation.

After graduating and 'finding the light' he traded the 'big smoke' for close-knit rural communities like Cooktown that left a lasting impression on him, as he came to meet incredible people and explored the breathtaking scenery of rural Queensland.

To this day, Steve continues his career and aspirations by building a healthcare network of tiny towns spanning seas, while boasting an almost 100% secondment success rate through his 'try TI before you buy' rural immersion offer for students and locums.

Michael 'Donut Driver' Baxter - Radiographer / Sonographer

"It's a vibrant community, very friendly, and a beautiful place to live and work"

Michael is no stranger to CT but he was to Thursday Island, until his good friend and colleague, Neil, spruced the idea of 'driving the donut' in a whole new part of the world.

Going in headfirst, Michael got a healthy dose of Island life, saw the bigger picture, and sharing with his family, brought them along.

Years later, the Baxter family share a new boat, new community and no regrets, but for Michael particularly, no constraints on the size of his thinking cap and professional skillset.

'Uncle' Joe Bon - X-Ray Remote Operator & Cultural Liaison

"Being an Elder... it's the liaison between our Mob and the guys I work with."

Uncle Joe doesn't just liaise with the TI community; he's an embodiment of the word.

From the footy field to the hospital ward, there's no challenge Joe won't waiver to tackle. As he witnessed bush hospitals running short of radiographers, Joe raised his hand to become an X-Ray Remote Operator.

As a Kaurareg Elder and an experienced and practiced X-Ray Operator, Uncle Joe plays a vital role in the Torres and Cape, assisting day-to-day patient flows and in ensuring cultural safety, while inspiring others around him - like his two daughters - to get involved in healthcare.

Lee 'Sailing Sono' Williams - Outreach Radiographer / Sonographer

"We're very lucky in the Torres Cape, we're provided high quality equipment; so we get to use all of the fun toys."

Lee is greatly travelled, highly skilled and has a wealth of whit and knowledge - making her the final boss of Medical Imaging pub trivia.

As the then Senior Sonographer at Cairns Hospital, Lee took a trial of TI through Steve's secondment scheme and fell in love with the people, lifestyle and communities that spanned the Torres and Cape's many Islands.

Trading in her ordinary commute in Cairns, Lee now travels much of the Torres and Cape as an Outreach Radiographer / Sonographer. Serving the many remote primary healthcare centres like Bamaga Hospital, Lee has seen their communities and families grow first hand, all starting from the first image of a peanut on a sonograph, to people she knows on a first name basis.

Neil the 'Real Deal' Thomas - Senior Radiographer / Sonographer

"The challenges create growth in yourself - you learn from them and develop as a person"

Neil took a trip to TI and went from setting up shop to help managing the franchise.

Representing work and life on TI to a Tee (and "I"), Neil has a wealth of knowledge, infectious smile and can-do attitude that he owes to the many challenges he's conquered over his career in rural and remote healthcare.

Radiating positive energy and experience, Neil traded his one size fits all role in metropolitan healthcare to do, and be a part of something bigger, where no two days are the same.