20 Jul Flinders Professor ‘Inspiring Health’
Triple helix of engagement delivers shot in the arm for Australian healthcare With more than 20 years of physiotherapy clinical experience and more than 10 as an academic, Flinders University’s Professor Sue Gordon is no stranger to the many forms of community engagement. The South Australian university’s Chair of Restorative Care in Ageing is currently leading one of the nation’s most comprehensive, holistic health assessment programs to identify functional decline in seemingly healthy people aged 40-75 years. With almost 600 participants screened and 136 students contributing a combined total of 111 weeks of clinical placements, her project, ‘Inspiring Health’, can easily be identified as a first class demonstration of top quality community and stakeholder engagement. Throw in collaboration with the councils of Holdfast Bay, Marion and Salisbury; the National Australia Bank (NAB); and colleagues from Flinders and other universities, what emerges is even better … and that’s a masterclass in the ‘triple helix’ model of engagement. “This has been a win-win project for everyone,” says Professor Gordon. “Participants have completed health assessments and received individualised health reports; the councils will receive a community health analysis; NAB Bank and Flinders gain a better understanding of their workforce health needs; and students have enjoyed a fantastic, community based learning experience. “Looking forward, Inspiring Health will increase the sustainability of this initiative by providing a platform to re-engage with existing partners and connect with new ones, enabling healthier ageing in the community and the work place, and preparing students with the necessary skills for the future health workforce.” To find out more, please click here. To read more about Professor Sue Gordon, please click here.