Keen Street Clinic
Helping Lismore rebuild
In 2022, Southeast Queensland and Northern New South Wales were hit by flood. Homes, businesses, and livelihoods were destroyed, and tens of thousands were evacuated.
One GP practice that lost everything was the Keen Street Medical Practice in Lismore.
Supporting rural practices to rebuild after devastating flood
In early 2022, the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales experienced one of the most devastating natural disasters in its history. The Lismore floods swept through the town with unprecedented force, submerging homes, businesses, and critical infrastructure. Among those hardest hit were local medical practices — including Keen Street Clinic, which was inundated with water, causing extensive damage to medical equipment, computers, and irreplaceable medical records.
For health professionals already stretched thin in rural communities, the flood was more than just a disruption — it was a crisis that threatened continuity of care for an entire town.
At Rural Doctors Foundation, we knew immediate action was needed. As a rural health charity dedicated to supporting rural health practitioners, we knew the floods didn’t just damage buildings — they shook the foundations of an already strained healthcare system. Many local GPs, nurses, and health workers were not only caring for others but also coping with the loss of their own homes, clinics, and stability.
Within 24 hours of the flood crisis, we launched an emergency appeal to support the rural health practitioners affected by this disaster. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our supporters, we were able to direct vital funds to impacted rural practices to help them begin the long process of rebuilding — restocking supplies, replacing essential medical equipment, and getting back on their feet.
It's friendship through hardship
“Remembering that for some of your patients, that lost their livelihoods,
the clinic is a special place where they look after you and you look after them.”
One of the clinics we supported was Keen Street Clinic. With funding provided through the appeal, we helped supply new examination tables and other essential items. But the support didn’t stop there. Through our network, we connected unaffected practices from outside the flood zone with those in need. These generous clinics donated much-needed equipment, allowing Keen Street Medical Practice to resume services and continue offering consistent care to the community — even amidst chaos.
During a webinar organised by Rural Doctors Foundation, Dr Bruce Chater reflected on the deeper significance of supporting rural health during times like this. The clinic isn’t just a place of medical care — it’s a trusted space, a community anchor, and often one of the only reliable services left standing in times of crisis. Our support was about more than restoring equipment; it was about helping restore hope, continuity, and compassion in the face of disaster.
At Rural Doctors Foundation, we remain committed to standing beside rural health practitioners — through floods, fires, and all the challenges that come with delivering care in remote and regional Australia. Because when we support the people who care for our communities, we strengthen those communities too
Help us rebuild in times of crisis
Your support makes all the difference. With your help, we can respond rapidly to future emergencies, ensure rural health workers are never alone in a crisis, and continue to invest in the resilience of rural healthcare.
Donate today to help us keep rural communities strong and healthy — no matter what challenges lie ahead.
