I feel that we all deserve to have a better year considering the past two years of pivoting, altering plans, moving conferences, reduced face-to-face professional development and inability to connect with our fellow colleagues and loved ones.

The end of 2021 was, for me, a period of reflection on what we have achieved and on how very proud and privileged I am to be a leader of the Australian Physiotherapy Association.

I was reminded of this when I presented to the Victorian retired members group and shared not only my own personal and professional journey to the national presidency of the APA, but also the strategic direction, our policy pillars, our member value proposition, our career pathway development, our record membership numbers and a very sound balance sheet.

This group reiterated how the profession has developed and has increased the scope of practice, planning to tackle retention, funding barriers and passion for the profession.

It lightened my heart and made me wonder what 2022 will have in store for us.

How will we be prepared, how will we pivot and, more importantly, how can we use the opportunities that present to us for the betterment of the APA and the profession?

Late last year saw telehealth permanently installed for primary healthcare providers to claim a Medicare Benefits Schedule item number, and many private health insurers are following suit.

I look back to seven years ago when no-one had any appetite for this at all, but we kept up our agenda and we now see the fruits of a lot of work by many people in different parts of the APA and the profession.

We are very hopeful that this is the start of a true reform of the health system, especially in primary and preventative healthcare.

We will ensure that it is top of our pre-budget and pre-election submissions.

Stay safe and take care.