my work life

Closing the health gap between city and country.

City dwellers are accustomed to visiting a doctor or health professional at relatively short notice.  There might be some inconvenience of traffic or time off work but it is generally accepted that the services are available when needed.

Imagine if the only way you could visit a physiotherapist or psychologist was to drive 800km. Imagine if your sole option for accessing a specialist was via the only GP within 500km, and that person refused to give a referral because they didn't agree with, or were morally opposed to, a choice you wanted to make about your health.

This is the reality of life for Australians living in remote areas and it is costing lives.

Domestic assault rates can be up to 11 times higher in rural and remote communities in Australia. People living in remote communities can expect vastly poorer health outcomes, ultimately leading to high rates of premature death.

SARRAH is nationally recognised as a peak body presenting rural and remote allied health professionals.  It was established in 1995 to advocate on behalf of Australian communities to improve access to health services.

I joined the board of SARRAH in 2015 as a non-executive director to drive the strategic growth of the organisation.  My experiences during the White Ribbon Ultra Marathon made me acutely aware of the substantial health gap and it became important to me to use my business strategy skills to tangibly make a difference.