July was a tremendous month where we launched the ANZAHPE ONLINE Professional Development (PD) programme, a series of online interactive sessions.

The first session of ANZAHPE ONLINE saw Gabrielle Brand lead an innovative, interactive session on Ways of Seeing in Health Care. We had 162 participants attend the session including people from Asia, America, and Europe. The session was a visual feast and included a panel discussion with four health professional artists who shared the stories behind their creative artwork including how they use art in their teaching practice.

The launch allowed members and participants to feedback back to the ANZAHPE PD team through the use of Google Docs. Ninety-six participants provided us with evaluation feedback. We are still synthesising these data, however, some key messages are:

• ANZAHPE should focus on filling the gaps that exist rather than competing with other resources/provision
• Maintain the close collegiality and the constructive community associated with ANZAHPE
• Support with online course design
• Support for running on line PEARLS
• Support for professional development pathways including research and scholarly activity.

Evaluation feedback included:

The power of image and to remind ALL health professional that at the end of the treatment is a holistic person.

Loved the imagery and poetry.  Well run session. We need to get more humanities embedded in Health professional education.   

The range of different areas that art is being used in health care education, keen to learn more.

Just how effective these strategies can be in guiding clinicians to be me patient centred and reflective.

I loved all the presentations - the breadth and depth of options was wonderful.

A new concept for me was the visual display of poetry.

I really liked the discussion about risk and the dignity of risk concept and approach.

One person ‘found their tribe’ because ‘I didn't realise so many people were passionate about this! I feel like I'm been on my own for a long time’.

Gabrielle and her team will be reaching out to interested parties over the next couple of weeks with the intent of generating an ANZAHPE HTAG in Health Humanities.

A big thank you goes to the PD team and also all the chairs and presenters involved in sessions. Thank you also to Julie Ash as the new Chair of the Fellowship Group and for the input from Associate Fellows and Fellows who facilitated groups at the launch session. We hope to continue using their expertise where possible.

Please note the following two sessions in your diary:

13 Aug - Rachel Ellaway: Confronting Contexts

10 Sept - Chris Watling: Building a feedback culture

Please go to the ANZAHPE ONLINE web site for more information and to register.