Alanna Bowen, Speech Pathologist
Alanna Bowen Speech Pathology, Victoria
Alanna completed a Master of Speech and Language Pathology at Macquarie University, Sydney in 2008. Since graduating, Alanna has worked extensively within the public health system in South East Melbourne. This experience has seen Alanna work with patients and families across the continuum of care, including intensive care, acute, rehabilitation, palliative care and outpatients. This experience has provided Alanna with a strong understanding of patient flow throughout the health system.
Alanna has extensive experience in assessment and management of swallowing, speech and voice impairments across various diagnosis and has advanced skills in laryngectomy management.
Alanna is passionate about providing person centred care that results in improved functional, and quality of life outcomes. She uses the latest research to inform assessment and management. Alanna also uses patient reported outcome measures to better understand how your difficulties impact you. Alanna is currently completing a Master of Cancer Science at Melbourne University.
Tracey Nicholls, ENT Nurse Practitioner, Head and Neck Cancer Coordinator
Flinders Medical Centre, South Australia
Tracey was the first endorsed Ear Nose and Throat Nurse Practitioner in Australia and the first Head and Neck Cancer coordinator in Adelaide. Tracey has spent most of her career in ENT and many of that was in the operating theatre. She was the president of the ENT nurses group for 11 years, won several awards including a Premier’s Scholarship, allowing her to travel overseas to observe Nurse Practitioner clinics in the USA and UK.
In her current role at Flinders Medical Centre Tracey has set up an Ambulatory clinic for patients suffering from spasmodic dysphonia (difficulty in voicing). Instead of waiting long periods of time for injections to improve their quality of life, patients are cared for in a walk in, walk out clinic. The clinic also does TOF’s, the creation of laryngeal fistula, to allow the insertion of Voice Prosthesis, laser treatment to Vocal cords, and oesophageal dilations.
In 2016 Tracey also established and continues to coordinate a Head and Neck Cancer Support Group for patients and families. She remains incredibly passionate for the ongoing welfare and support of this cohort of cancer patients that are left with lasting effects of surgery and radiation therapy, creating difficulties in the ability to talk, socialise, eat, swallow and just allowing participation in the simple things of life, we all take for granted.