+61 420 825 219
info@ahsc.com.au
About Us
Our Goal
To provide regulators and other health related organisations with the prosthetic and orthotic expertise they need to confidently deliver well understood, informed, safe, sustainable, equitable and accessible services within their allocated resources.
We are confident we can assist you with your prosthetic and orthotic profession related needs because we know the profession intimately from every perspective and we’re working in it or on it every day.
By utilising currently practicing clinicians we ensure our assistance remains informed and relevant from the ground up, yet our diversity and flexibility means we can ensure your organisations independence and confidentiality requirements are met.
Jackie O’Connor
AHSC Founder, Director & Consultant
Master of Health Services Management
Bachelor Prosthetics & Orthotics with Honours
Jackie’s 18 years of clinical, managerial, project, policy, education, research and consultancy experience are a unique blend of skills which facilitate the holistic and practical perspective she brings to health service regulation and delivery. Jackie’s involvement with such a wide variety of health services, funding bodies, associations, suppliers and policy developers facilitates her informed, resource conscious, risk appropriate, tailored approach to working. Jackie’s personal, research and consumer links aid in ensuring all perspectives are considered.
Learn more about Jackie in this 2018 AOPA Review article or via LinkedIn
Career Overview
- P&O Subject Matter Expert -National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
- State Government regulator- service, process and documentation reviews
- Service evaluations, improvement initiative implementation and monitoring
- External P&Oservice procurement
- Managerial experience within an A1 Metropolitan multi-site Tertiary Hospital
- Professional standards development, revision, implementation
- Synthesis of policy information for practical application
- Professional education and communication delivery
- Clinicaladvisory services
- Assistive technology user to manage Type 1 diabetes
- Clinical experience – private/public, paediatric/adult, acute/rehabilitation/outpatient sectors across various locations both national and internationalacross a large variety of funding regulators
- Board member– Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association (past)
- Workforce, competency standards and person-centred care research
Research publications:
- Competency standards: Ash, Susan;O’Connor, Jackie; Anderson, Sarah; Ridgewell, Emily, & Clarke, Leigh (2015) A mixed-methods research approach to the review of competency standards for orthotist/prosthetists in Australia. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare, 13(2), pp. 93-103. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/view/person/Ash,_Susan.html
- Ridgewell, Emily; Dillon, Michael; O’Connor, Jackie; Anderson, Sarah; Clarke, Leigh; Demographics of the Australian Orthotic and Prosthetic workforce 2007-2012, Australian Health Review:http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AH15147
Rebecca Bowes
AHSC Consultant & Orthotic Clinical Practice Expert
Currently practicing in NSW
Master of Clinical Rehabilitation
Graduate Certificate in Business Administration
Bachelor Prosthetics & Orthotics with Honours
Certificate II Public Safety (SES Rescue) / FESA, WA, Lean thinking workshop, AOPA Private Practice Business Course
Rebecca has been involved with service improvement and integration of new policies and procedures across both public and private sectors in most states of Australia. Backed by 18 years of clinical practice, project and peak representative association involvement, postgraduate and research studies, Rebecca’s experience is broad reaching. She is passionate about simplifying and streamlining processes whilst ensuring optimal client outcomes.
Career Overview
- Alignment of clinical and administrative processes with new policies and systems
- Establishing and streamlining protocols and procedures
- Completing submissions and managing projects
- Establishedmultiple successful outreach clinics and performed annual service reviews with recommendations for service improvements
- Coordination of conferences, seminars and education sessions
- Board member –Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association (past)
- Supervision and mentoring of postgraduate and undergraduate university students in clinical practice and research and development projects
- Clinical research and publication
- Orthotic and therapeutic effect of functional electrical stimulation on fatigue induced gait patterns in people with MS
Barr, Patritti, Bowes, Crotty & McLaughlin Disability and Rehabilitation Technology, Volume 12, 2017 – Issue 6 - Reviewer for international journal
- Clinical experience – private/public, paediatric/adult, acute/rehabilitation/outpatient sectors within a wide variety of funding regulators throughout Australia
Claire Skewes
AHSC Research Assistant
Currently practicing in Tasmania
Master of Clinical Prosthetics and Orthotics;
Bachelor of Health Sciences
Claire has clinical, operational and administrative experience within the public hospital sector. Claire is the backbone of AHSC with her highly efficient and proficient skills in the areas of professional writing, literature reviews, research and synthesizing, summarising and editing information.
Career Overview
- Development of online training module and certification process for nursing staff to expand their scope of practice and reduce costs related to after-hours call outs for orthotists
- Evidence based clinic resources for orthotic prescription
- Active Australian Orthotic and Prosthetic Association (AOPA) member, advocate and volunteer
- Editorial committee member AOPA Review
- Strategic planning guest
- Research
- Consumer experience data analysis and report writing
- Post graduate diabetes education availability
- ASD & DDH evidence summaries
- Data analysis, interpretation and reporting for nation-wide facility survey
- Clinical experience across acute, sub-acute and outpatient settings, requiring liaison with a broad range of funding regulators
- Training and supervision of staff and students
- Provision of in-services and training to nursing and allied health staff
Phillip Parish
Prosthetic Clinical Practice Expert
Currently practicing in South Australia
Bachelor Prosthetics and Orthotics
Phil has 14 years of continued practice in prosthetics and orthotics across clinical, operational and administrative areas of public health. Phil has extensive knowledge in bio mechanics, material technology and componentry for prosthetic and orthotic solutions which informs AHSC’s work. Specific areas of personal interest include transfemoral socket design, complex bilateral case management and combining P&O and surgical intervention for improved client outcomes.
Career Overview
- Coordination of and presentation within conferences, master classes, seminars and education sessions targeted at a variety of allied health professions and rehabilitation specialists
- National Council Member – Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association (past)
- Supervision and mentoring of postgraduate and undergraduate university students in clinical practice and research and development projects
- Clinical experience – private/public, paediatric/adult, acute/rehabilitation/outpatient sectors within a wide variety of funding regulators
