ACHIEVING IMPACT USING OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY IN EDUCATION, FOR MARGINALISED COMMUNITIES AND IN PUBLIC HEALTH
With
Associate Professor Emma George, Program Director, Occupational Therapy
School of Allied Health Science and Practice,
The University of Adelaide &
Board Director, Occupational Therapy Australia &
Australian Delegate, World Federation of Occupational Therapists
PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE SEGMENT
Filmed in Adelaide | June 2025
Associate Professor Emma George is a leader in occupational therapy, fascinated by the role and importance of occupation as a right for health and well-being. Her research projects all explore the way we address health inequities among marginalised people and communities with a commitment to social and occupational justice.
She has led and collaborated in research on national policy implementation, the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities, and the recovery from exploitation and modern slavery in Australia and India.
In all of her research she am committed to learning more about occupational injustices (marginalisation, alienation, deprivation, imbalance, apartheid and dysfunction), the recognition and realisation of rights, and the response of allied health in order to promote equity and justice, culturally safe practice and trauma informed care. She is an Occupational Therapy Australia board director and serves as the elected Australian delegate to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists.
Source: Supplied
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Raising awareness, engagement and inclusion of Allied Health
Anita Hobson-Powell holds the position of Chief Allied Health Officer for the Australian Government within the Department of Health and Aged Care. With a background as an exercise physiologist and extensive experience leading allied health professional associations*, she has been entrusted with three main priorities. First, she aims to raise awareness about the significance of allied health professionals and their role in the healthcare system. This involves ensuring that decision makers and individuals engaging with health services understand the contributions of allied health professionals.
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Navigating the health system for mental health support
Senior professionals and middle managers are experiencing increased burnout and stress, leading to higher alcohol consumption, and there is a need for better support and resources for mental health and addiction treatment in Australia, according to Ruth Limkin, Founder of The Banyans and Chief Development Officer at parent Sana Health Group.
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Australasian College of Paramedicine makes case for multi-disciplinary care
Despite being seen primarily as emergency responders, paramedics have long been providing care in the primary care space. As such, their increased involvement in primary and urgent care is a natural progression that can lead to improved health outcomes for communities. Urgent care clinics, which treat non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses, have been a recent introduction. However, when these clinics were initially proposed, paramedics were left out of the opportunity, despite being experts in urgent, acute, unplanned, and unscheduled care. They work in these types of situations every day in the ambulance service and should be utilised in these clinics to improve patient outcomes. Working as part of multidisciplinary teams with doctors and nurses can further enhance the outcomes for local communities.
