In today's world, patients are knowledgeable about their health, proficient in using technology, and expect comprehensive service delivered quickly. With easy access to health-related information, both reliable and unreliable, at their fingertips, patients demand more from healthcare professionals. Sonographers are working in a challenging environment, where their role in the healthcare field is becoming increasingly important due to high patient demand, shortages in the workplace, and expanding protocols. They are concerned about workplace injuries, training and education standards, regulation, consent, communication needs, Artificial Intelligence, and the corporatisation of primary healthcare. Join the discussion at the ASA Arena as we explore the challenges faced by modern sonographers and tackle the critical issues they encounter in their profession.

Mrs Gail Crawford | IUC consulting Gail has been working as a Sonographer for over 20 years’ in Australia, the United Kingdom, and South East Asia. She is a senior Clinical Sonographer with experience working in tertiary adult, obstetric and paediatric hospitals, along with working in private practice and rural and remote locations throughout Western Australia. Gail, along with being a Director of IUE, has extensive experience working as a Tutor Sonographer, running the IUE Clinical Training Program, an intensive 12-16 week Ultrasound Training Program for student sonographers. She also is one of the Clinical Tutor Sonographer’s for Perth Children’s Hospital. Gail is passionate about ultrasound education and training. If not training Sonographers or trainee Sonographers, she can be found educating Physiotherapists (MSK/Women’s Health/Paediatric), Emergency and Respiratory Physicians, Radiology Registrars, GP Obstetricians and Midwives. Gail is proficient in developing sonographic training programs, assessing and remodelling existing programs, along with collating educational material and organising educational events. Gail holds a Certificate 4 in Training and Assessment. She is an active committee member of the Australian Sonographers Association (ASA) in Western Australia, having held the chairperson roll for many years, along with being actively involved in the Committee. Gail also worked a co-convenor for the ASA 2015 National Conference held in Perth.

Ms Kate Lamb | Australian Sonographer Accreditation Registry Kate is currently a lecturer at UNI SA in both the General and Vascular Streams. She is also a clinical sonographer, with many years of experience. Kate has been a lecturer for UNISA since 2015 with a particular interest in medical law and ethics for allied health professionals. Kate was elected to the board of the Australian Sonographers Accreditation Registry in 2016. She is the current chair of the ASAR board of directors.

Mrs Glenda McLean FASA | Monash Health Glenda McLean is the Imaging Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation Lead at Monash Health and Peninsula Health in Melbourne. She has developed a special interest in NICU sonography, particularly cranial ultrasound and is a PhD candidate at Monash University researching cranial ultrasound screening protocols. Glenda taught the Paediatric subject in the Master of Medical Ultrasound at Monash University for seven years and is now a Teaching Associate there. She has presented papers at numerous conferences and workshops within Australia and internationally and published research in international journals. She was the founding Editor-in-Chief of the Australasian Sonographers Association Sonography journal and is currently a member of the journal’s Editorial Board.

Ms Mikhaila Parsons | Canon Medical Systems ANZ Sonographer and Ultrasound Applications Specialist at Canon Medical ANZ

Mr Daniel Rae FASA | Sunshine Coast Vascular Daniel is head sonographer at Sunshine Coast Vascular and a senior sonographer with X-ray and Imaging. He has a passion for teaching vascular ultrasound and lecturing regularly on the local, national, and international stage. He is a Fellow of the ASA and consults as an Adjunct Fellow at Western Sydney University.