Australia’s Hearing Health Sector Alliance (HHSA) has re-elected Ms Jane MacDonald as chair, and chosen a new deputy chair, Audiology Australia CEO Ms Leanne Emerson.
Emerson replaces Ms Jane Hedger, former deputy HHSA chair, and Australian College of Audiology (ACAud) CEO, who left the college in May 2024 for a role outside the hearing health sector.
MacDonald, a Mildura-based audiologist and CEO of the Hearing Business Alliance (HBA), was elected to serve HHSA for a second year when it met in Canberra on 18 June 2024 for a two-day meeting.
Alliance members also met Mr Miguel Diaz, the new CEO of the Australian College of Audiology (ACAud incorporating the Hearing Aid Audiology Society of Australia HAASA). Diaz replaced Ms Jane Hedger as ACAud CEO.
HHSA comprises 16 organisations and represents consumers, professionals, research and industry.
“The constructive and collaborative approach of the HHSA allows us to work closely with the Department of Health and Aged Care to support Australians living with hearing and ear related challenges,” MacDonald said.
She said the meeting agenda included issues covering HHSA priorities. To achieve improved hearing health outcomes and address challenges the priority areas are to:
- Advocate for the very best hearing health care and support for all people who experience hearing difficulty.
- Close the gap in ear and hearing health for First Nations people.
- Increase support for aged, vulnerable, disadvantaged Australians and communities.
- Significantly improve the rural and regional hearing health care workforce.
- Enhance and focus nationally funded research to achieve real, targetted impact.
Small business seminar
In her role as Hearing Business Alliance CEO, MacDonald also met with Mr Bruce Billson, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman. They discussed issues which have a greater impact on small to medium independent audiology businesses and she said it was helpful to gain insights from him.
She said registrations were still open for HBA’s small business seminar in Perth on 31 July 2024. The seminar will focus on strategies for business success.
“The day of learning, insightful discussions and networking with like-minded professionals and industry experts is open to all interested audiologists and audiometrists,” MacDonald said.
Topics will include possible Hearing Services Program changes, global audiology updates and industry trends, enhancing audiology practice and navigating the digital frontier, mitigating practice exposure in the risk and insurance field, ethics in business and improving patient outcomes with gold standard hearing aid verification.
Mr Stephen Logan, HBA business manager, and American audiologist Dr Cliff Olson will discuss a business opportunity with Olson’s HearingUp network for independent small business owners of audiology or audiometry practices in Australia who are HBA members.
The seminar at Mercure Perth costs $195+GST for all representatives of HBA member businesses or $350+GST for non-HBA members. Register here
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Hearing Business Alliance hosting small business seminar on strategies for business success
