Opening Plenary

Welcome from the WA Child Ear Health Strategy Chair

Professor Peter Richmond MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP

Professor Peter Richmond is a Consultant Paediatric Immunologist and Paediatrician at Perth Children’s Hospital and is Head of the Immunology Department at the Child and Adolescent Health Service in WA. He also heads the Vaccine Trials Group within the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at the Telethon Kids Institute and is Head of the Discipline of Paediatrics at the UWA Medical School. His major research interests are in the prevention of meningitis, pneumonia, respiratory infections and otitis media. He has authored over 300 scientific publications in these areas and has worked in vaccine research for over 25 years.

Welcome to Country

Freda Ogilvie Whadjuk/Ballardong Elder 

Freda Ogilvie is a passionate advocate for Aboriginal rights and social justice, and empowerment of Aboriginal children and communities. As a retired teacher, Freda has worked in policy development to enhance early childhood education and care within the Aboriginal community

Update on WA Ear and Hearing Health priorities

Keynote address - TBC

Professor Peter Friedland

Building the specialist hearing health workforce

Professor Peter Friedland is a surgeon scientist with a clinical, teaching, and collaborative research focus at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Joondalup Health Campus. In his role as Chair of the WA ENT Royal Australian College of Surgeons Regional Training Scheme, he mentors and supervises future ENT trainee specialists. Professor Friedland will share insights on establishing a sustainable ear health ENT service in WA through the vision of the Garnett Passe and Rodney Williams Memorial Foundation. Delegates will be provided with an overview of current initiatives that aim to increase access to specialist services across the regions in WA. 

Dr Jason Agostino, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO)

National ear health key performance indicators

Virtual presentation

Dr Jason Agostino, NACCHO's Medical Advisor, will deliver an update on the revised National Ear Health Key Performance Indicators (nKPIs). As the co-chair of the Health Service Data Advisory Group, Dr. Agostino has played a crucial role in the development of these revised nKPIs. His presentation will include an overview of the nKPIs and insights into how they will impact on the reporting and data collection processes of health service providers.

Associate Professor Lea-Ann Kirkham

Telethon Kids Institute Spritz-OM Development

Hear from Associate Professor Lea-Ann Kirkham, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia and Honorary Fellow at the Telethon Kids Institute, who is currently leading the development of a cost-effective nasal vaccine, Spritz-OM, designed to prevent ear infections. Developed in Perth, Spritz-OM targets the major pathogen responsible for over 50% of the 700 million annual ear infections worldwide.

Cockburn Aboriginal Ear Health Program Partnership

Working in partnership to improve ear health outcomes

The Cockburn Aboriginal Ear Health Program partners will discuss program achievements and existing challenges in delivering timely access to ear health interventions in the metropolitan area. Operational since 2019, the program has served over 500 Aboriginal children, facilitating surgery for over 100 children requiring surgical intervention for middle ear disease. Established in collaboration with Aboriginal Controlled Community Health Services (ACCHS) and the Child and Adolescent Health Service, the program addresses the waitlists for services in the Perth metropolitan area.

Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service

Ear Science Institute Australia

Telehealth success from the Pilbara

Virtual presentation

Hear from local and visiting health practitioners in their journey to improve ear and hearing outcomes for their children and families in Newman and the Western Desert Communities in the East Pilbara. Ear Science Institute Australia has been working in partnership with Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service since 2014 to provide regular access to audiology and ENT services.  This presentation will highlight the innovation, collaboration and coordination of services as part of this service delivery model, as well as recent advances in providing ENT services via telehealth.   

Aboriginal Health Council of WA

ACCHS led ear health promotion

This session will showcase ear health promotion resources developed by the AHCWA ear health team and key ACCHS partners. Hear how to create localised health promotion messages based on best practice with a community voice.

Clinical Associate Professor Jafri Kuthubutheen

Artificial intelligence – digital advances assisting with access to specialist ENT services

Dr. Kuthubutheen is an Otology and Skull Base ENT Surgeon with a PhD from the University of Western Australia. He works as an Ear surgeon at three public teaching hospitals in Perth and is the Clinical Lead of the WA Country Health Service Kimberley ENT Program. Dr. Kuthubutheen will share his experience with how a cutting edge Artificial Intelligence model developed in collaboration with researchers from UWA can be used to assist in the diagnosis of ear disease.

Mark Fitzpatrick, Telethon Speech and Hearing

Youth Justice Assessment Protocol

Telethon Speech and Hearing Chief Executive Officer, Mark Fitzpatrick will present on a collaborative pilot project with Perth Children’s Court. The project aims to implement an integrated assessment protocol within the youth justice system to inform an evidence-based diversionary program. The diversionary program seeks to respond to identified sensory or neurodevelopmental issues underlying young offenders. 

Kathleen Stoop, Hearing Australia

Listen to Learn Screening Program

WA Clinical Operations Manager Kathleen Stoop will provide a comparison of recent state and national data related to the co-designed program "Listen to Learn" by Hearing Australia. Developed in collaboration with the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, the program aims to assist individuals working with or caring for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children aged three to eight in recognising hearing problems and taking appropriate action.

Professor Peter Richmond

Closing address

NETWORKING SUNDOWNER

Includes complimentary drinks and canapés

Network and connect with your peers, colleagues, specialist and presenters at the close of the November 2023 WA Ear and Hearing Health Forum

You can register for this event when registering for the Forum.