Tell us a bit about your story – your professional journey and your experiences with AHA workforce. How did you get started, and where has it taken you?

I am a Physiotherapist by training, and I have worked with AHAs my entire clinical career, before moving into project roles and then professional governance roles. I held the professional governance lead for AHAs at Victoria’s largest public health network for 7 years, until recently moving into a larger governance role for all the Allied health workforce inclusive of AHAs. I have taught AHAs in the VET sector for the last few years also. Completed in December 2023, I led a four-year Victorian Department of Health project to develop the AHA workforce recommendations and resources to optimise the AHA workforce. They can be found here: Victorian allied health assistant workforce recommendations and resources | health.vic.gov.au. This project gave me the opportunity to consult with AHAs all over the world and get a sense of what AHAs are doing in the health, disability, aged care and education sectors, particularly in Victoria. 

Looking back on your career so far, what accomplishments are you most proud of, and why?

I am incredibly proud of the work we have done at my workplace and more broadly across Victoria and Australia to optimise AHA workforces and showcase the value of AHA roles to patient care provision. 

Can you tell us about your involvement in establishing AHANA? And why you got involved?

I was involved in assisting in the establishment of the original AHA Victorian Network (AHAVN) and when it merged into AHANA, I was delighted to be invited onto the board to assist in the establishment of a peak body for AHAs. This is something I had advocated for, for some time. 

What have some of your learnings been through the process of establishing AHANA?

The first year of AHANA has really been an incredible learning journey as to board governance, working with stakeholders, truly understanding stakeholders and how to engage with them at their point in the journey. Timing has worked well where I have had so many stakeholders as consultees in the Department of Health project – such that I feel I have been able to offer that broader lens view as to how AHAs, AHPs and Allied health leaders are really feeling about AHA optimisation and the peak body for AHAs. 

What are the biggest challenges and opportunities for AHANA currently?

The biggest challenge for AHANA is to be recognised as the peak body nationally for AHAs across Australia, by AHAs, by AHPs, by employers and by all other stakeholders. Further challenges will include ensuring AHANA evolves with the AHA workforce as it continues to evolve and ensuring AHANA has a seat at the table where decisions are being made which impact AHA workforce of the future, be it training or working conditions. 

Why is establishing a national peak body for AHAs so important?

AHAs are part of the workforce solution in care industries moving forward. A peak body dedicated to AHAs assists in recognising this and giving AHAs a voice they have not had previously. It has the potential to remove some of the optimisation barriers for employers around regulation and governance and insurance and showcases AHAs for the valuable role they play. 

Where do you see AHANA heading in the future?

AHANA can only grow from here and ideally it will be led by AHAs in the future in an effort to expand career pathways and opportunities as this workforce evolves. 

What's your vision for the future AHA workforce? What would you like to see done differently within the AHA profession and/or the wider allied health workforce to improve quality health care delivery?

My vision or the future AHA workforce are that they sit on the same industrial agreement as their AHP colleagues, that governance is clear and led by AHAs, that AHAs are treated with the same respect as their colleagues in relation to targeted professional development  and career growth opportunities, and that the Australian AHA workforce is the benchmark globally, in training and function.