IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTION TO STAFF AND PATIENTS Allied health leader shares career insights
With
Mirella Vagnarelli, Director of Allied Health – Women’s and Children’s Division
Southern Adelaide Local Health Network, SA Health
People In Health Care segment
Filmed in Adelaide, South Australia | March 2025
Mirella Vagnarelli is a distinguished healthcare leader with proven expertise across South Australia and the United Kingdom, where she has successfully led large, multidisciplinary teams. Holding a Master of Business Administration (Health) from Flinders University, she earned Fellowship status with the Australasian College of Health Service Management in 2022. In 2023, Mirella was honoured as a scholarship recipient for the prestigious ‘Women in Leadership’ Program at the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation.
Mirella thrives in dynamic, complex environments, demonstrating situational leadership and an exceptional ability to navigate challenges and drive strategic change. She is currently expanding her expertise by undertaking the AI in Healthcare specialisation at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, building upon her experience leading digital transformation and deploying emerging technologies aimed at improving patient outcomes, staff satisfaction, and overall service safety, quality and efficiency.
A registered Physiotherapist, Mirella is passionate about fostering meaningful connections with patients and embracing a person-centred, holistic approach to care. She continues to practice as a hospital-based clinician across a broad range of specialty areas. Her background, particularly in critical care and cardiorespiratory specialties, has provided her with deep insight into evidence-based practice. Before transitioning into leadership roles, Mirella developed skills in advocating for advancing the role of Physiotherapists and Allied Health Professionals in delivering high-quality, collaborative care. This is something she continues to do now with more impact than ever before as a Director of Allied Health.
Source: supplied
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Lower back pain presentations in Emergency Department
Around 70 percent of people will experience lower back pain at some stage of their lives.
A recent study conducted over five years found one in three people suffering from lower back pain presented to hospital via an ambulance.In many cases people will attend an emergency department when they feel they can’t manage their pain or when treatments by community healthcare services have been ineffective or inaccessible due to location or cost. However, 90 per cent of people can get better on their own in a few weeks.
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Rapid trend shift in radiology technology and accessibility
Dr Mansoor Parker obtained his medical degree from the University of Tasmania. He then completed his specialist radiology training at Nepean Hospital, Sydney with subspecialty interests in Interventional Radiology and Pain Management, Musculoskeletal, Cardiac and Abdominal Imaging. Dr Parker is a qualified specialist since 2005 and is a member of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists and the exclusive Australasian Musculoskeletal Imaging Group (AMSIG) as well as the Interventional Radiology Society of Australasia (IRSA).
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Awareness campaigns and HCP Toolkits for thyroid health
In 2021, the Australian Thyroid Foundation released analysis to show, well over 1 million Australian are living with an undiagnosed thyroid disorder, including thyroid cancer, lower IQs, lifelong disability, and a causal or possible contributory factor – in the development of other neurological disorders such as ADHD and autism. Some of the challenges for diagnosis and treatment can be addressed by producing material for health care practitioners during patient presentations.
‘Recent statistics show well over 1 million Australians are living with an undiagnosed thyroid disorder, awareness and testing can prevent unwarranted outcomes for mothers and their babies’ says ATF CEO Beverley Garside OAM
The Australian Thyroid Foundation has lodged a Pre-Budget Submission for the Federal Budget 2024-25 to counter increasing misinformation on social media creating dietary deficiencies such as an increasing number of young women, who are planning pregnancy or already pregnant opting for plant based milks such almond, soy or oat milk coffee as an alternative to standard cow’s milk, which is a source of iodine and alternate milks do not include.
