Celebrating the diversity and unity of allied health
From social work to genetic counselling, there’s plenty of diversity in allied health but they all share one goal: keeping our community healthy.
October 14 is International Allied Health Professionals Day, an annual celebration of the range of specialised health professionals who provide therapeutic and diagnostic services across Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD).
It covers an impressive 23 different professions, from well-known roles such as physiotherapists to lesser-known jobs including orthoptists and medical physicists.
WSLHD Allied Health Director Jacqueline Dominish said she was incredibly proud of the amazing allied health teams across the district.
“The diversity of the allied health professions is our absolute strength, and we’re strongly aligned not only to each other but our colleagues in medicine, nursing and midwifery, and most importantly our patients, consumers and their families,” Jacqueline said.
“I invite you all this week to celebrate and be proud of what you do and the vital role you play in keeping people healthy and strong.”
A hundred people showed out to hear the ‘lightning’ presentations. 
The celebrations kicked off at Blacktown Hospital with a morning tea, followed by ‘rapid-fire’ presentations in front of a full house at the Westmead Education and Conference Centre this afternoon.
The three-minute talks covered key topics in professions including occupational therapy, radiography, clinical psychology, podiatry, and nutrition and dietetics.
If you see someone proudly wearing their purple allied health sticker this week, make sure you ask them what they do – and buy them a coffee while you’re at it.
