Over the Back Fence
Your name and position
Ann Allenby, Research Fellow, School of Rural Health, half time.
Describe your job/role
Undertaking rural health research project, particularly the Heart of the country project which is examining how well rural primary care services are managing cardiovascular risk factors and disease. We aim to come up with some policy directions as a result of the project. I am also developing a project on grey nomad health, looking at the health profile, literacy, travel preparedness and use of services by nomads and the impact that grey nomads place on rural and remote health services. Similarly we hope the outcomes to be policy directions that will assist nomads plan better, insurers to provide incentives and health services to more effectively undertake surge capacity planning.
Why is it important?
Research is important as it challenges the status quo and helps make things better and more efficient.
What is the best aspect of your work with the School of Rural Health?
I get paid to think, read and write – I am still pinching myself thinking how lucky I am to have this job. Best of all there are very few meetings!
When you are not at work, what do you enjoy doing?
Socialising, visiting and learning about new places, walking, reading, studying, and anything to do with animals.
What was your most recent holiday destination and why did you choose it?
Werribee, we took our new caravan down to visit some friends and parked it in their driveway! All in preparation for our big trip around Australia in April this year.
If you were Emperor for a day, what is one thing you would implement?
For the health system I would:
- Increase taxes on alcohol, tobacco and fast foods
- I would subsidise chefs for full time workers (joke – just a personal fantasy)
- I would take money from the hospital sector and put it into primary care with a focus on prevention
- I would co-locate health, welfare, employment and housing services to make a single, simple point of entry for consumers
- I would cut the red tape across jurisdictions so genuine collaboration could occur between the above mentioned services.
- I’d set up a health evaluation services that evaluates the efficacy and efficiency of treatments and services and only fund those that stand up to scrutiny (with the exception of pre-agreed rescue type treatments/services) – that policy WILL BE based on
- Run a personal responsibility campaign
For the broader system I would want:
- Politicians to stop sniping and each other and work collaboratively (with vigorous debate on topics) for the greater good.
- To get rid of the three levels of government (one federal, one local hub and spoke)
- Harmonisation of legislation nationally
- Reduce RED TAPE and have sensible accountability, monitoring and reporting systems
Surprise us! What is something about you that most of your peers would not know?
I don’t like to talk about myself…..