Congratulations to the finalists for the 2022 WA Rural Health Excellence Awards - Allied Health Professional category

Congratulations to the finalists for the 2022 WA Rural Health Excellence Awards - Allied Health Professional category

• Fraser Adam from The Rural Clinical School of WA
• Jan Batchelor from WA Country Health Service
• Esyltt Graham from Chiropractic First Collie

Fraser Adam from The Rural Clinical School of WA

Originally trained as an occupational therapist, Fraser Adam has committed the past 34 years to serving the Midwest, Gascoyne and Pilbara communities in varied allied health roles - all of which have aimed to improve the lives of people living with disabilities in these regions.

A hallmark of Fraser’s career has always been his unwavering client-focus, evident through collaborations with Disability Services Commission, Geraldton Personnel Inc and Community Education Centre, formulating niche training programs for people living with disability in the community through securing grant funding.

Fraser has developed numerous client programs to support jobseekers with significant disabilities into award wage work roles. Several early job seekers remain in their roles some 30 years after they were supported into employment by Fraser.

22 years ago, Fraser founded a self-funded social enterprise called G-Force Contracting who provide award wage employment options for people living with disabilities. Today, he continues that commitment as Chairperson of this organisation.

For the past 11 years Fraser has worked at the WA Centre for Rural Health, supporting Aboriginal and rural health research, community development and regional clinical placement programs for many allied health disciplines.

He has recently moved to the Rural Clinical School of WA as Team Leader of the state-wide Regional Training Hubs Program.

Jan Batchelor from WA Country Health Service

Jan Batchelor commenced her speech pathology career in Katanning in the 1980s and has been worked for WA Country Health Service – Katanning Health Service for more than 35 years.

Recognising the prevalence of children with language delays in the region, Jan has advocated for alternate service delivery models to enable young children to access support services earlier and more easily.

Jan has been involved in the development of a range of early childhood language initiatives, including A Smart Start, the Albany District Oral Language Program and, more recently, the Kindergarten Oral Language Program.

Many of these programs aim to integrate speech therapy into the classroom or family activities.

Jan has also mentored numerous student and new graduate speech pathologists, instilling in them the same desire to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Jan played a large role in Katanning being selected as one of the sites for the Early Years Initiative - a partnership between Department of Communities, Mindaroo Foundation, and The Telethon Kids Institute.

Dr Esyltt Graham from Chiropractic First Collie

Since opening her practice in Collie 30 years ago, chiropractor Dr Esyltt Graham has touched the lives of thousands of locals from Collie, Darkan, Williams, Boyup Brook and beyond.

Working with generations of the same family over many years has given her a unique insight into their ongoing health concerns, both physical and emotional.

Recognising the challenges some of her clients face in accessing health services, Esyltt travels to surrounding communities to provide care and directly to people unable to leave their homes. She provides care at her own expense to patients with limited financial means.

As part of a longer-term project, Esyltt has been developing a sustainable model of rural health practice by transforming her practice from a single healthcare provider to a training facility.

She believes that by fostering and mentoring graduate chiropractors in a supportive rural community, they will be encouraged and motivated to remain working rurally.