Business View Oceania | April/May 2022

67 68 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 AUSTRAL I AN ASSOC I AT ION OF PRACT I CE MANAGEMENT frontline workers. When it was introduced, it included doctors, nurses, and other clinicians, but excluded Practice Managers. These are the people who are literally the frontline; Practice Managers have to be able to manage staff teams, coordinate with doctors, clinicians, nurses, specialists, and all sorts of external providers. In addition to that responsibility, they deal with patients who are angry, frustrated, and often suffering in one way or another- during the pandemic, this led to an influx of verbal and at times physical abuse. Our Practice Managers were really struggling mentally, and to not be included in The Essential Network was a serious oversight. I’m happy to report that we stepped in and were able to get Practice Managers on the program, which was a great win, but it just shows that there is still a lot of work to be done in terms of recognising the profession as essential.” Looking to the future, AAPM plans to continue focussing on their ability to advocate for and on behalf of members. Miranda concludes, “The future looks very bright for our members as far as their recognition goes. We will certainly remain very much focussed on advocacy and policy, to get our voice heard at the federal and state government level. As part of that, we will keep developing our value and offerings to members concerning their professional development and upskilling. Through our CPM accreditation, we provide Practice Managers with the resources and skills they need to thrive in their position; when Practice Managers thrive, so do their practices, and the patients that visit them. It’s in everyone’s best interest to support Practice Managers as essential to our healthcare ecosystem.” Media Enquiries: Alex Makin, AAPM Corporate Affairs Manager, 1800 196 000 or amakin@ aapm.org.au our cause and support neighbouring sectors; we work closely with the Australian Medical Association (AMA), the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), the Australian Primary Health Care Nurses Association (APNA), the Australian Digital Health Agency, and also with industry software providers including HotDoc, MedicalDirector, Healthsite, and others. Everything we do, we do with our members in mind.” Examples of AAPM’s impact include support from government for Practice Managers’ mental health during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Miranda elaborates, “The Black Dog program ‘The Essential Network’ is a government funded mental health service for The AAPM is led by a team of eight staff and approximately 60 volunteers; skilled individuals fuelled by a passion for the industry. The national board is supported by state-based branches in Western Australia, South Australia / Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales / Australian Capital Territory, and Tasmania. The association’s network communicates to over 6000 individuals in the sector on a regular basis, Miranda explains. “We are a small but highly engaged, highly educated team. When you work for a not-for-profit organisation, you have to have a love for the industry that you represent. Our work is so much more to us than just a job. We really have the desire to support, grow, and promote our sector. Our team also regularly collaborates with industry partners to further