On Thursday 8 June, Allied Health professionals will come together in Mount Isa in a first-ever forum for the region, to increase collaboration and share skills in order to improve health statistics.
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The Director of Regional Allied Health Services for Gidgee Healing, and former Director for Allied Health at North West Hospital and Health Service (NWHHS), Andrea Leigh, says the forum is open to all Allied Health agencies, services and private practitioners to strengthen the network between practitioners.
“Many members of the public don’t even know what Allied Health means, and basically it’s all the services that follow on from acute care, such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work, dietetics, podiatry, speech pathology, radiography, clinical measurements and pharmacy, that help the patient get home more quickly after a stay in hospital.
“Allied Health also means we can keep our patients closer to home, as we have these services right throughout our remote communities, and we use them in tandem with telehealth.”
Director of Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health (MICRRH), Professor Sabina Knight said there was now a good critical mass spread between the Allied Health Services, and the forum was timely to consolidate networks and build closer relations between the different services, with MICRRH supporting research and development for Allied Health.
“We all have a strong commitment to bringing care to our patients, and having Allied Health clinicians on the ground in our remote communities is one of the biggest drivers of change, and good for patient outcomes,” Professor Knight said.
With sponsorship from the Western Queensland Primary Health Network, Allied Health Professions’ Office of Queensland, MICRHH (James Cook University) and the Australian Council of Deans of Health Sciences, the Forum is a collaboration between NWHHS, MICRRH, Gidgee Healing, North and West Remote Health and Education Queensland.
Keynote speakers are Robyn Adams, Executive Officer, Australian Council of Deans of Health Sciences and Julie Hulcombe, Chief Allied Health Officer, Queensland Health.
The Forum will be held at Tjirtamai Hall, MICRRH and is open to all Allied Health professionals and medical practitioners. Registration is $40.
For more details see https://www.jcu.edu.au/mount-isa-centre-for-rural-and-remote-health/conferences/2017-outback-allied-health-forum2 or contact Mel Duncan, Allied Health forum lead on 4744 4424.