Anne Crawford is happily married and has a lovely daughter. She lives in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. Anne began writing after an accident caused her vision impairment and left her legally blind. During her rehabilitation, she decided to write a book, and this effort helped her enormously. She began her adult life caring for her severely disabled grandmother until she entered an aged care facility. The experience led her to follow her mother's footsteps into nursing. After working for a while in an acute trauma hospital in Melbourne, Anne studied midwifery. She spent time in Launceston, Tasmania, as a midwife before returning home to study for her Master's in Public Health. Back in Melbourne, Anne worked extensively across community healthcare both as a nurse and in research. It is this broad experience with healthcare, as a patient, caregiver and professional, that has enabled her to recognize the profession's shortcomings and, rather than complain of them, suggest solutions to the problems she sees. As the premiere healthcare coach in Australia, she hopes to one day see many more in the healthcare industry embracing the benefits of including a healthcare coach as part of their patient care teams.
The Australian Healthcare system has the potential to be world-class but is undermined by complexity, incongruity and a lack of systemic coordination. There is a need for patient-centric, holistic, value healthcare. In Surviving Healthcare in Australia: Get the Support You Need, Anne Crawford draws on her own extensive experience to provide insights and valuable tips on how everyday Australians can navigate the healthcare system to access better care and how our system can be improved to fulfil its potential. Dr. Elizabeth Sigston, MBBS FRACS PhD Surviving Healthcare in Australia is a 'must read' if you want to know about the support and care options available to you. Patient care doesn't have to be one dimensional, as it sometimes seems! Rachel Johnson, Founder of HAAA and wSw This book highlights the importance of putting patients and their families at the centre of decisions and working alongside healthcare professionals to achieve the best possible outcome. Lauren Todorovic, CEO & Founder of HelloCare Overall, this book is a great introduction to the history and complexity of Australia's healthcare system, while introducing us to a potential solution or mechanism that will make this journey simpler. Tom Voigt, Senior Policy & Research Officer, Australian Association of Gerontology (AAG) Anne Crawford's book demonstrates the need for modern approaches to remove the complexity that exists today in our healthcare system and restore trust back into the community. It highlights the importance for putting patients and their families at the centre of decisions and working alongside healthcare professionals to get the best possible outcome. Surviving Healthcare in Australia is a great book. Paul Montgomery, Chair, MediSecure Limited and Wellways Australia, Director, Melbourne Primary Care Network