DIARY OF A PARAMEDIC IN A PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CLINIC Examining the attributes and practices of paramedics working in primary health care contexts
With
Alecka Miles, Lecturer
Edith Cowan University, Western Australia &
Community Paramedic,
Dianella Family Medical Centre, Western Australia
PEOPLE IN HEALTH CARE SEGMENT
Filmed in Perth, Western Australia | October 2025
Alecka Miles is a lecturer at Edith Cowan University and works as a paramedic in a multidisciplinary team at Dianella Family Medical Centre in Metropolitan Perth, Western Australia.
Community paramedic roles have a history in Australia, dating back to 2007 in New South Wales and followed by similar initiatives in South Australia and New Zealand. Alecka’s position emerged after she sought to evaluate how paramedics could integrate into general practice, ultimately leading to a job offer post-COVID lockdown in 2020. Her skills, particularly in cannulation, proved valuable as healthcare shifted towards primary care.
In her role, Alecka conducts community health assessments, providing insights from her paramedic background. She notes a significant learning curve, having expanded her role far beyond her initial experiences in ambulance services.
Alecka’s research aims to explore the practices and demographic characteristics of paramedics working in primary healthcare contexts in Australia and New Zealand.
At Dianella, she collaborates with nurses and other healthcare professionals, emphasising patient-centred and holistic care. Their teamwork is characterised by mutual respect and recognition of each other’s strengths, fostering a supportive environment for managing both urgent care and chronic disease management.
Australian Health Journal spoke to her about her day to day experience in general practice.
Source: Written from transcript
Footage credit: ACPIC24, Australasian College of Paramedicine
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Pharmacy led men’s urological health
Men’s urological needs refer to the medical and surgical conditions that affect the male urinary tract system and reproductive organs.
A urologist can address these concerns, however a pharmacy-led model of care developed by Brad Butt, called Mens Health Downunder has offered an alternative to certain urological needs of the male adult population over the past 10 years.
Australian Health Journal met with Brad to hear about his journey, Mens Health Downunder and the impact the pharmacy-led model of care has had on patient’s urological as well as mental health.
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Investments to address health inequities in Prostate Cancer Care
Income, education, geographical location, and discrimination based on ethnicity, race, gender and sexual orientation, are only a fraction of factors that can negatively affect a person’s quality of cancer care. This is defined as the “equity gap” and it’s costing people their lives.
Timed to coincide with World Cancer Day 4th February 2025, Movember announced prostate cancer investment of $5.5 million. Eighteen grants (16 proposals and 2 community development grants) are slated to directly tackle inequities in prostate cancer care. The funding will be over three years with the grants spread across five countries – six in Canada, five in the United Kingdom, three in Australia, three in the United States and one in Ireland – each having a specific focus population and care area.
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Integrated oral health care in midwifery practice
There is limited emphasis being placed on perinatal oral health by prenatal care providers in Australia. Pregnant women have no system in place that can offer them regular oral assessment during pregnancy and prompt dental treatment at minimal or no cost as experienced in other countries. To address the oral health needs of pregnant women, a unique midwifery initiated oral health (MIOH) model was developed to promote and maintain maternal oral health.
