Hope Alexander MPH

Hope was invited to contribute to DVD content and attend a focus group, the outcome of which will be used to to develop a DVD for WA consumers with a long term condition.

The researchers are particularly interested in learning about the experiences/difficulties we or someone we care for have encountered in managing a long term condition and ways we have overcome them.

This study has been approved by the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee. The Principal Investigator is Professor Duncan Boldy of the Centre for Research into Disability and Society, School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work, Curtin University. The Project Officer is Doctor Setareh Ghahari.

This week Hope has been pursuing her “free” hearing aids. After the hearing test and consultation on 14 June, Hope was given to understand that her aids would be free under the Federal Government scheme. Then the rules change after the 1 July, according to the audiologist, and Hope is asked to pay $800 for the aids, plus a $1000 “care plan” to cover loss, damage and maintenance over three years. This necessitated three phone calls to the Office of Hearing Services. The jury is still out.

Today Hope submitted her abstract for the Australian National Conference on Evidence-Based Clinical Leadership. The title of her paper is “Chasing the rainbow – the difficulties experienced in accessing age and condition-specific programs”. These programs include oral health, hearing services and Enhanced Care Plans. The conference is to be held in Adelaide, one of Hope’s favourite places, in November.

Hope has been appointed to the North Metro Public Health and Ambulatory Care Executive management group as a community representative. She attended her first meeting of the group this week.

Hope has skills and expertise in public health, being awarded her Masters in 2008, and is committed to the social model of health. She is also keen to see oral health become part of mainstream health instead of being an orphan.

Hope will be in Adelaide this week, arriving Monday 26 April, departing early Saturday morning.

Beyond Evidence on Reducing Health Inequities: What works, why and how

27th – 28th of April 2010

National Wine Centre of Australia
Corner Botanic and Hackney Roads, Adelaide

This will be the Final Policy Event for National Health and Medical Research Council funded Australian Health Inequities Program.

The aims of the Symposium are to:

1. Present research-based examples of Policies and Programs that were designed to intervene on the social determinants of health inequities

2. Contribute to debates about the ways in which policy makers can build social determinants of health inequities perspectives into programs inside and outside of government

3. Compare progress in the uptake of social determinants of health inequities perspectives in Australia and other countries

4. Consider how social determinants of health can contribute to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) goal of Closing the Gap.

Hope is attending the Anaesthetists Expert Working Party meeting.

Date
Thursday 15th April 2010

Agenda

10.00  Welcome and overview of meeting objectives – Linda MacPherson

10.10  Summary of results Kirsten Armstrong

10.30  Facilitated discussion:

• Feedback on report

• Identification of recommendations – Lorraine Acheson

12.15  Next steps and close – Linda Macpherson