Scott, the principal physiotherapist and co-owner of the private multi- disciplinary practice Coastal Physiotherapy on the north-west coast of Tasmania, was elected to the Board late last year and he says the position will afford him the opportunity to employ his business skills and keen interest in policy and advocacy that has developed under the guidance of the APA executive. Of equal importance in developing his skillset has been Scott’s continuation of his work to give back to the profession that he says has given him so much.

‘I always say we should give something back to what has been good to us. Physiotherapy has been good to me, the profession has been good to me, the APA has been good to me—it’s developed me into the person I am today. I think you get to a point in your life where you need to give something back to the profession, so that’s what I’m doing,’ Scott says. ‘I’ve always volunteered in some capacity whether that is with the APA or in the community in Tasmania.’

A keen sports participant who enjoys cricket, golf, recreational fishing, mountain bike riding and swimming, Scott has held many volunteer positions in his professional and community life, including with local sporting clubs. He was the first allied

health professional elected to the Division of General Practice’s Board of Directors in Tasmania, offering him a unique insight into the general practice ethos and how physiotherapy fits in with that. Scott has held positions on the APA Tasmania branch council and the Business group national committee before being appointed its chair in 2015. Peter Tziavrangos, APAM, will replace Scott as the chair of the APA Business group.

This year Scott expects the Board and the APA will face key issues around the career pathway, the collection of data to promote the efficacy of physiotherapy to funders and the broader community, practice management software and the integration of consumer-facing tenets, as well as continuing to evaluate and develop strategies for physiotherapy students’ preparedness for private practice.

Scott, who has Aboriginal ancestry in his family background, says he is also interested in contributing to the Closing the Gap process being implemented throughout the APA as part of its Reconciliation Action Plan process.

‘I think the other reason I put my hand up for the Board is that I think the direction of the APA is positive, the great skillset of the current Board, and the improved APA—and I think I can add to that. It’s a great time to be a part of the APA because it has a lot to offer for members, the community and the healthcare industry as well,’ Scott says. ‘I’m sincerely looking forward to joining the Board, and the people who know me know that I’ll give 110 per cent in any role I take on—that’s my motto in life and in business.’