Topic: Foot Forward – a toolkit of resources for health professionals and people with diabetes

Speakers: Natalie Wischer and Georgina Frank

Natalie Wischer is the Chief Executive Officer for the National Association of Diabetes Centres (NADC) and Executive Director of the Australian Diabetes Online Service. Natalie has extensive experience in clinical and management roles across acute, aged care and primary health care settings.

She has also been involved in designing and delivering education and training across these various roles. Much of her experience has been in rural and remote communities including having lived and worked in one of the most remote Indigenous communities in Australia for 3 years.

Having focused on diabetes care and services for over 20 years, her passion has grown to include a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities and benefits of available technologies including telehealth, apps and social media in self-management, education and support of people living with diabetes as well as for healthcare professionals.

Georgina Frank is a podiatrist specialising in diabetes-related foot disease (DFD). Currently, she is employed as a project officer for the national Foot Forward Project which aims to develop an Integrated Diabetes Footcare Pathway to support early referral for people with diabetes-related foot diseases. During this time, she is on secondment from her position as Deputy Director of Podiatry for the Sydney Local Health District where she usually works with a wonderful team of podiatrists providing preventative foot care and acute management for DFD within and part of integrated teams.

Georgina currently practices in outreach with the Outback Vascular Health Service, Endocrinology team from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Diabetes Centre, working with the fantastic Maari Ma Aboriginal Health Service in Broken Hill and Wilcannia. Georgina has completed her Master of Public Health which was a labour of love while working full-time and has made her more determined to improve health equity within the Australian health system.

Georgina has been on the APP-HRF committee since 2019 and Vice President since 2020.

Georgina is the Project Officer for Foot Forward.

REGISTER HERE: nadc.net.au/footforward/footforward-webinars/