WHEN
Thursday 17 June 2021
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm (AEST)
WHERE
Via online portal
REGISTER HERE
$45 or Friends of the Alliance can register for free
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The facts
Remote Australia features some of the most stunning landscapes in the world. However, delivering health services in this environment brings with it unique and challenging circumstances. With a small and geographically dispersed population base, ensuring remote Australia has access to high quality healthcare, requires an innovative and flexible approach. This webinar explores the challenges and opportunities in delivering health services to these unique communities, including the experience of working remotely, the critical role of aeromedical support, and how to enhance the medical workforce training experience through remote placements. Get a better understanding of the remote health delivery experience – register for this webinar today.
Panellists
Mr Frank Quinlan
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
Federation Executive Director
Biography
Frank has spent his working life advocating for social and healthcare issues in the Australian community and has a passion and commitment to improving the lives of all Australians, especially those who face systemic and personal disadvantage. For the last 20-years Frank has worked in leadership and executive roles in NGOs; including most recently serving as the CEO of Mental Health Australia for 8-years before being appointed as the Federation Executive Director of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia in November 2019. Frank is responsible for relations with the Commonwealth Government and overseeing research and advocacy on behalf of the Federation, seeking better health outcomes for those living in rural and remote Australia. Frank has tertiary qualifications from Monash and Melbourne Universities.
Michelle Mason
Professional Officer, Workforce Development, Nursing (RN/RM)
CRANAplus
Biography
Michelle is a Registered Nurse and Registered Midwife currently working for CRANAplus (peak professional body for rural and remote isolated practices). Her role is a professional officer in nursing workforce development.
Michelle's background includes working in remote locations across Northern Territory in numerous positions including as a RAN, Women’s Health coordinator, Midwife, Health Centre Manager and Director of Primary Health Care Services.
Many of these positions have been working for an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation working with our first nation peoples.
Michelle has recently relocated from NT back to SA where she was originally from and now gets the opportunity to support the rural and remote workforce with CRANAplus.
Dr Sharon Varela
Senior Clinical Lead - Mental Health (Psychologist) for North West and Central West Queensland
Centre for Rural and Remote Health
Biography
Dr Sharon Varela is a Senior Clinical Lead (Allied & Mental Health) with the Centre for Rural and Remote Health, and Chair of the national ARHEN Mental Health Network. She is located in Longreach but works across the Western corridor of Queensland. Sharon is a lifespan psychologist who has held senior clinical and leadership roles across government, not-for-profit, university and the private sector. Sharon’s strengths are in translating research to practice, workforce support and engagement, and inter-professional practice. Sharon is currently focused on supervision and professional development support for the rural and remote student and early career workforce.
Facilitated by:
Dr Gabrielle O’Kane
Chief Executive Officer, National Rural Health Alliance
Biography
Gabrielle O’Kane is the CEO of the National Rural Health Alliance leading the voice for rural health. She has an extensive 35 plus year career working in rural and regional practice in NSW as an Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian. She is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Canberra and Charles Sturt University.
She promotes solutions to the Australian Government to address the needs of rural communities and health professionals, including in her position on the National Preventive Health Strategy Expert Steering Committee, the Primary Health Reform Steering Group and the National Mental Health Workforce Strategy Taskforce.
Prior to joining the Alliance, she was responsible for commissioning and governing drug and alcohol services for the South East NSW Primary Health Network, Coordinaire.