Leave No One Behind: Tackling continuum of care in stroke management
Join leading voices across the healthcare spectrum for an exclusive panel discussion mapping the complete stroke continuum of care. This session brings together experts from acute, subacute, community, and academic sectors to explore how integrated pathways improve patient outcomes from the initial stroke event through to long-term recovery and future medical research. Gain clinical insights, discover multidisciplinary strategies, and participate in a live audience Q&A.
This 60-minute panel discussion deconstructs the traditional silos of healthcare. Our diverse panel will unpack how clinical decisions in the emergency department ripple through to subacute rehabilitation, how community programs sustain long-term independence, and how the latest academic research reshapes everyday bedside practice.
Key Discussion Points:
The Golden Hours: Inside the high-pressure world of hyper-acute stroke
Rebuilding Autonomy: Best practices in subacute rehabilitation and managing the critical transition out of acute wards.
Life After Stroke: Bridging the gap with community-based support networks, outpatient therapy, and secondary prevention.
Translational Medicine: How academic research and clinical trials are actively driving the next generation of stroke care guidelines.
Panel Speakers
Acute: Beth Cunningham
Beth is an experienced titled neurological physiotherapist with expertise in clinical leadership, project management, and research. Beth has a particular interest in acquired brain injury, movement disorders and spasticity. With experience across acute, subacute, and community-based services in Brisbane, Beth is committed to delivering and improving patient-centred, evidence-based care across the continuum. Beth is passionate about service improvement, optimising healthcare environments to enhance patient experiences and outcomes, and supporting staff to deliver high-quality care.
Subacute: Daniel Innes
Daniel Innes is an APA Titled Neurological Physiotherapist and Advanced Physiotherapist – Team leader at Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) Metro North Health, Brisbane. He has extensive experience in neurological rehabilitation, with clinical interests including acquired brain injury, vestibular rehabilitation, concussion, balance disorders and visual dysfunction.
Daniel is currently undertaking a PhD at The University of Queensland, where his research focusses on improving interdisciplinary assessment and rehabilitation of visual dysfunction following stroke and traumatic brain injury.
Community: Joanne Mak
Joanne (Jo) has nearly 30 years of experience working in the field of stroke rehabilitation, both in hospital and community settings in the UK and Australia. Besides providing physiotherapy management to clients after a stroke in the community, she has extensive experience writing up Functional Capacity Assessment reports and providing specialised support coordination for the more complex clients.
Academia: Suzanne Kuys
Suzanne has more than 30 years' experience in stroke care and rehabilitation across clinical and academic contexts. Suzanne worked at Princess Alexandra Hospital for nearly 20 years and was the National Head for the Schools of Physiotherapy and Allied Health for the past 10 years at Australian Catholic University. Suzanne's interests lie in understanding how to maximise the rehabilitation potential of stroke survivors across the continuum of care and enhance participation following a stroke. Most recently Suzanne coordinated the Masters of Rehabilitation program at ACU.
Moderator: Dharsha Petrie
Dharsha is an advanced physiotherapist at the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service in Brisbane with an interest in neurological rehabilitation including for stroke, traumatic brain injury and movement disorders. She is the national chair of the APA Neurology group. Dharsha was the Physiotherapy Team Leader for Australia's first dedicated public FND Clinic at Mater Neurosciences 2015-2019 and although that clinic has since closed, she remains a leader in this space actively contributing across the continuum of care in clinical practice, professional networks, multidisciplinary education, peer supervision and research in Australia and internationally.
Please note this is a face-to-face event and there will be no recording available.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Abbvie Inc.
Orthopaedic Appliances Pty Ltd