Award promotes opportunities for physiotherapy in WA

Document Type

Media Release

Publication Date

Winter 12-6-2012

Publisher Name

The University of Notre Dame Australia

Publication Place

Fremantle

Abstract

Associate Professor Shane Patman, Senior Lecturer in the School of Physiotherapy at The University of Notre Dame Australia's Fremantle Campus, was announced as the annual recipient of a much-coveted Professional Development Award on Wednesday 23 May 2012.

Offered by the Perth Convention Bureau (PCB) as part of their Aspire Program, the professional development award offers financial support to assist university staff members to attend an international conference of their selection.

Associate Professor Patman received $5000 to cover air travel, accommodation and registration expenses associated with attending the World Confederation for Physical Therapy's 3rd Education Congress on Physiotherapy in Vienna, Austria this coming November.

A long-standing member of the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) and current Board of Directors member, Associate Professor Patman has been actively involved with, and is the inaugural Chair of, The International Confederation of Cardiorespiratory Physical Therapists, a subgroup of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy.

He is a specialist cardiorespiratory physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2009) who has been an active researcher with his current research focussed on physiotherapy within critical care, chronic respiratory disease and neuromuscular disease .

The PCB's Aspire Program has been responsible for generating export income worth an estimated $80 million to the Western Australian economy.

Through the Professional Development Awards offered it has played a key role in securing conferences that have contributed to advancing the State's expertise and knowledge across a broad range of industry sectors and topics.

It is hoped that Professor Patman will have the opportunity to attract support for Perth to host future conferences.

"At the World Physical Therapy Congress in Amsterdam last year it was decided that the APA would offer its services as secretariat. This places Australia in a unique position to assist future planning. We have an opportunity to share knowledge, learn from our overseas counterparts and ultimately increase the standard of professional expertise both here at home and worldwide," Associate Professor Patman said.

"Australia was a founding member of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy and yet in the 50 years that have passed since, a regional conference is yet to be hosted here."

A future World Confederation for Physical Therapy Asia West Pacific region meeting combined with the Australian Physiotherapy Association’s annual conference and/or an inaugural International Confederation of Cardiorespiratory Physical Therapists International Scientific Congress is hoped to be hosted in Perth by 2017.

Associate Professor Patman said that he was looking forward to attending the upcoming European conference particularly because it is directly related to his role at Notre Dame.

"We have an excellent course and standard of teaching here at the University. For me, it's an opportune time to visit with colleagues overseas with the intention of networking, promoting potential research collaborations or higher degree by research opportunities, and bringing these world-class conferences to Perth," Associate Professor Patman said.

MEDIA CONTACT: Michelle Ebbs: Tel (08) 9433 0610; Mob 0408 959 138 Leigh Dawson: Tel (08) 9433 0569; Mob 0405 441 093

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