12 SpeakOut
April 2014
SpeechPathology Australia
AHPAUPDATE
2013 in review
In early February this year all of AHPA’sMembers and
Affiliates came together for a strategic planningday. The
day commencedwith a review of howwell AHPA hadmet
its three key objectives in 2013.
KeyObjective 1. Advocate for alliedhealth
AHPA’s strategic priorities in 2013were:
• Disability
• AgedCare
• eHealth
• Mental Health
• PrimaryHealthCare
• Workforce – including regulation
PositionStatementswere developed andpromoted at
everymeetingwith politicians and government bureaucrats
andmany submissionsweremade.
The appointment of DavidButt as theChief AlliedHealth
Officer in theDepartment of Health andAgeing gaveAHPA
an excellent point of referencewithin theDepartment and
goodworking relationshipswere establishedwithDavid and
his key staff members. AHPAprovided themwith a ‘ready
reference’, detailing each of the allied health professions.
During the year AHPA responded tomany requests for
allied health representatives to sit on national committees
and advisory groups. AHPA now has representation on just
over 30 such bodies, advocating for the role and value of
allied health professionals.
KeyObjective2. RaiseAHPA’sprofile
In addition to themanymeetings that undoubtedly raised
AHPA’s profile, several AHPA articles appeared in national
newspapers, health industrymagazines and eBulletins,
promoting the role of allied health professionals andputting
the allied health case in health policy.
KeyObjective3. DevelopAHPA’s capacity
AHPA’sBoardmembers and all itsmany representatives now
have access to itsweb-based information sharing system
“ahpaonline” – the “filing cabinet in the cloud”. This enables
efficient access toAHPAdocuments andplanning tools
wherever the person is – at home, at an airport, in the office
or at ameeting.
AHPAgrew in2013!
TheAHPABoardwelcomed two newMembers in 2013: the
AustralianPhysiotherapy Association and theAustralasian
Society of GeneticCounsellors; and twoAffiliates: Diversional
Therapy Australia and theHearingAidAudiometrist
Society of Australia. The 22 national organisations inAHPA
collectively have over 80,000membersworking throughout
Australia –with over 11,000 in rural and remote communities.
Planning for2014
Participants in the planningday heard from theActingChief
AlliedHealthOfficerMarkBoothwhoprovided an update
of the new government’s various reviews and views on the
Australian healthcare system.
With this informationandwith last year’s achievements as
abackdrop, further discussionswerehadandAHPA’s key
objectives for 2014wereagreedanda variety of strategies to
facilitate their achievementwereproposed. AHPA’sOperation
Plan for 2014will be finalisedat theMarchAHPABoardmeeting.
Current activities
AHPA’s year has startedhectically, not onlywith its strategic
planning, but also inparticipating in thegovernment’s
MedicareLocal Review, contributing toconsultationsby the
National Disability InsuranceAgency, selectingandappointing
AHPA representatives to theCommitteedevelopingAN-
SNAPV4and to theNDISAssistiveTechnologySector
ReferenceGroup, and last but not least –planninganevent
inParliament HouseonClose theGapDay (20March) “Allied
Health –Statingour Intent” –whereAHPAandmanyMember
organisations alongwith IndigenousAlliedHealthAustralia,
signeda statement of intent to improveFirst Australianhealth
andwellbeing.
LinOke
ExecutiveOfficer, AHPA
Advocating for the roleandvalueof alliedhealth
professionals–AHPA reviews2013
