Allied health body registers for ADHA's Provider Connect initiative

The Australian Podiatry Association (APodA) has become the first allied health body to register for the Australian Digital Health Agency’s Provider Connect Australia initiative.

The initiative is designed to help healthcare provider organisations update their business information in a single source, improving the accuracy of healthcare service and practitioner information, while reducing duplication and streamlining notifications.

APodA joins healthcare technology company Foxo as the latest in a growing number of business partners using the free PCA service to streamline their relationships with healthcare providers and remove the administrative burden of maintaining critical information.

Australian Digital Health Agency Acting CEO Peter O’Halloran said, “Our initial focus has been on supporting GPs and pharmacies to register but they are not the only healthcare providers that face large amounts of paperwork whenever health professionals join or leave their employment.

“APodA’s registration to the PCA network underscores this service’s crucial role in ensuring the broader healthcare sector can benefit from the improved accuracy of provider and practitioner information, the reduced duplication and the streamlining of notifications that PCA offers.”

PCA is a foundation program of the National Digital Health Strategy. The platform allows healthcare organisations to maintain accurate information about the services they provide and the practitioners who deliver them, in a single place.

APodA CEO Hilary Shelton said understanding the health policy landscape was essential for advancing the podiatry profession.

Mani Sahihi, co-founder of healthcare communications company Foxo, said she was delighted to have an industry partnership with Provider Connect Australia. The number of healthcare services registered with PCA has almost doubled in the last six months, reaching 3638 on 27 March 2024.

Image credit: iStock.com/Orbon Alija