Phoebe Slape Pulse Health
“Without a song, each day would be a century” – Mahalia Jackson If she hadn’t studied medicine, Phoebe Slape would have pursued her passion for music. With a taste she describes as eclectic, Phoebe has played the cello since she was 8 years old. She played in the Queensland Youth Orchestra and then performed in a string trio for many years, gracing weddings, balls and other formal events with the instrument’s sonorous sound. When she joined the University of Queensland, she played in the University of Queensland Medical Orchestra but it was in the field of medicine to which she dedicated her study, giving 11 years to become a medical specialist. “I was interested in how the body works and also wanted to work with and help people in regards to rehabilitation medicine. I had some great mentors that led me into this field, I find the vocation to be varied, interesting and rewarding,” Phoebe said. Phoebe lives on the Sunshine Coast with her husband, a palliative care clinical nurse. She commutes to Mackay weekly, working Tuesday to Thursday at Mackay Rehabilitation Hospital, formerly known as Pioneer Valley Private Hospital, then North Mackay Private Hospital. The rest of the week she works at Eden Rehabilitation Centre on the Sunshine Coast. Both Mackay Rehabilitation Hospital and Eden Rehabilitation Centre are in the Pulse Health group of hospitals. Phoebe is a specialist doctor, part of a dedicated interdisciplinary team in the field of rehabilitation medicine and also runs a bulk-billed private practice clinic. Her patients include people planning to have, or have had, joint replacement or general surgery, patients with musculoskeletal problems, amputations, stroke victims, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis, to name a few.
A keen traveller, Phoebe is hoping to visit Ireland next year to visit her inlaws. The last time she and her husband visited, she met his family for the first time. Then he proposed on Christmas Day, a moment in time she will never forget.
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Photography by: iconic bride photography
She also supervises the hospital’s busy day therapy and outpatient programs and is in the process of implementing a tele-health facility for those who live in remote locations. The hospital is an expanding service with potential to benefit many people. A large hydrotherapy pool is planned to be recommissioned to open early in the New Year.