In November, the College presented an engaging seminar at the 14th annual Services for Australian and Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH) conference titled “Community Paramedicine: An untapped resource for rural and remote communities in Australia”.

Michelle Murphy ASM, our Advocacy and Government Relations Lead, hosted the panel which included Community Paramedics from around Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand: Alecka Miles, Edith Cowan University; Shell Piercy, Community Paramedic Rural PHC and Urgent Care in NZ; Travis Coombes, Community Paramedic Sunraysia Community Health Service, and Melanie O’ Donnell, Community Paramedic SA Ambulance Service.

Each panellist shared their experiences implementing the patient-centred models of care, the scope of practice and the positive impact it had had on the delivery of healthcare in their respective communities, with the discussion highlighting how flexible and adaptive this model of care was in filling the gaps in the healthcare system to deliver better health outcomes for the patients.

The College is lobbying governments throughout Australasia to implement Community Paramedicine models of care in regional, rural and remote areas to address the healthcare workforce shortages they face and provide better overall care for individuals and communities.

If you’d like more information on Community Paramedicine, please contact policy@paramedics.org.