These presentations preceded the NZRA AGM, Thursday 14th May 2020.

1. Lessons from lockdown – Dr Suzie Mudge

Suzie is a Physiotherapist and Director of Neuro Rehab Results, a private neurorehabilitation clinic in Auckland. Like other rehab providers, Neuro Rehab Results has had to make a quick shift to telerehabilitation.

2. Building telehealth capability for community based allied health – Jonathan Armstrong

Jonathan is Clinical Director for Allied Health in the Community Health Services at Counties Manukau Health. Since Level 4 restrictions, Jonathan has been working with the Allied Health team to build their capability for delivering intervention via telehealth. This has included: Ensuring the availability of equipment and technology, establishing guidelines, trialling a variety of tools, developing training, and utilising outcome measures to collect patient feedback.

3. The use of telehealth for wheelchair and seating solutions – Rachel Brown

Rachel is an Occupational Therapist. She has been working for Enable New Zealand as an Equipment and Modification Services (EMS) Advisor since 2010. Her role involves coordinating outreach clinics for wheelchair, seating and lying supports in the lower South Island as well as completing requests for advice.

4. Zooming in to improve lung health and general wellbeing – Anne Fitzpatrick

Anne Fitzpatrick works part time as a researcher in the Department of Medicine at University of Otago’s Wellington campus and is a Board member of Polio NZ. Anne had polio as a child which left her with paralysis in her right leg and a foot drop. In recent years she has experienced a significant deterioration in her ability to walk, and onset of COPD. She has always actively managed her health to optimise her functionality and live life as fully as possible. She is an active member of a weekly exercise group and SYLO choir for people with chronic lung conditions (SYLO= Sing Your Lungs Out).