My Story

My name is Joanna Longley, and I'm a dual-trained Intensive Care Specialist and Rural Generalist (FCICM, FACRRM, FRACGP) with a passion for teaching. I currently work at the Townsville University Hospital in ICU, and work shifts in Ingham ED. I am a CICM Supervisor of Training and Primary Examiner.

I am currently a senior lecturer of medicine at James Cook University and have previously lectured for MBBS1 at St Lucia, UQ and run courses on clinical diagnostics for MBBS4 at the UQ Rural Medical Schools (Hervey Bay).

I'm a mother of 4 children (Imogen 14yrs, William 11yrs, Christopher 9yrs and Elena 4yrs), author of "Dr Olivia Stone & the Almost Murder Mystery" (which is Almost finished), avid reader of crime fiction, slow trail-runner, enthusiastic ballroom dancer and novice gardener

My husband, Justin Pittaway, is the organised and detail-oriented planner our family needs - who can action my spontaneous idea of a medical education holiday into a business!

No, we don’t need more sleep.
It’s our souls that are tired, not our bodies.
We need nature. We need magic. We need adventure.
We need freedom. We need truth.
We need stillness.
We don’t need more sleep, we need to wake up and live.”



~ Brooke Hampton

Our Team - Dr Zaf Smith

Zaf Smith is an Emergency Physician working at Townsville University Hospital and Associate Professor at the James Cook University medical school. He is passionate about digesting complex medical concepts into bite sized portions to share with others and is currently learning about using AI bots to teach clinical reasoning to medical students.

Zaf will be joining the inaugral MedScapades Retreat on Magnetic Island (on Sunday)

Our Team - Dr Avi Charlton

Dr. Avi Charlton is a GP, speaker, best-selling author, podcast host, and thought leader in lifestyle medicine. She is the founder of Melbourne Low Carb Clinic and Breathe in Health, where she helps people reverse chronic conditions and improve wellbeing through nutrition, functional breathing, and lifestyle interventions.

A passionate advocate for empowering individuals to take charge of their health, Dr. Charlton shares her expertise on stage, in the media, through her best-selling book "Prescribing Lifestyle: A Doctor’s Prescription to Lasting Weight Loss and Vibrant Health", and as host of the "Prescribing Lifestyle podcast.

Her work has been recognised nationally, receiving an "AusMumpreneur Honourable Mention for Wellness Business of the Year".

With over two decades of experience as a doctor, Dr. Charlton continues to inspire and guide people toward vibrant health, sustainable change, and a future where lifestyle is the first prescription.

Our Team - Dr Pip McIlroy

Dr Pip McIlroy (FCICM) works as an intensive care consultant in Cairns. She knows first-hand the challenges and resource-limitations in rural hospitals through her experience working as a retrievalist for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. She's flown all over North Queensland, from Mount Isa to Thursday Island. Trying to provide critical care in a tiny aircraft cabin is a major feat!

In 2024, Pip spent 6 months living and working in the resource-challenged environment of Tonga, working in the small but high-acuity ICU in the kingdom and teaching and mentoring the sole intensivist in the country. She brought her husband and 2 young sons along on the adventure, full of ocean swimming, hanging out with humpback whales and listening to the beautiful singing of church choirs on Sundays.

More recently, Pip has attempted to expand her outdoor hobbies to include hiking. She is now unfortunately immobilised in a moon boot for 6 weeks. We will make sure our first-aid kit is stocke