An innovative training program developed in Albany to give rural and remote health workers access to specialist skills has earned Lauren Irvine a major State award.

The WA Country Health Service hand therapist was named Allied Health Educator of the Year at the 2026 WA Excellence in Allied Health Awards, held at the WACA Ground on October 14.

The awards celebrate the people and teams shaping the future of allied health through outstanding care, education, service improvement and leadership across WA.

Ms Irvine was recognised for developing a virtual hand therapy training program that helps occupational therapists and physiotherapists across WA build their knowledge and skills without the cost and travel associated with accessing specialist education.

Ms Irvine has spent 15 years working as a hand therapist, including 10 years at Albany Health Campus where an opportunity to secure funding helped her turn an idea into a training program called Giving Rural Therapists the Upper Hand.

After being encouraged by former allied health manager Joe Clark, she applied for a grant through WA Country Health Service’s Pitch Your Pilot program securing just over $11,000 in 2024, when she began her idea.

“I wrote a very basic training program for therapists rotating into hand therapy to develop their knowledge and skills,” she said.

I could see that the same education could really help therapists working across rural WA and remote WA, some of whom don’t have access to specialist training and support or they need to travel which can be expensive

“Through the funding I developed a six-month virtual hand therapy training program.

“It’s a two-hour session once a fortnight — I have run that program three times over the past three years.”

Ms Irvine said the program covers a wide range of areas and has proven popular across the State.

“We cover things like assessment, hand-therapy assessment, anatomy, clinical reasoning and then different types of hand-therapy conditions and splinting,” she said.

“It was run from Albany but I had 12 to 13 occupation therapists or physios in the group that were all spread out over WA even up to Kununurra.

“I think 33 occupational therapists and physios combined have been trained and in the latest cohort I had we had an interstate therapist from South Australia join so we’re looking at potentially moving it interstate now.”

Ms Irvine said the program had been a collaborative effort and acknowledged WA Country Health Service occupational therapy lead Anne Herbert for her significant support and co-ordination behind the scenes as well as her assistance in delivering the program.

She said she was thankful to the people who have supported her.

“I was quite surprised to have received (the award),” Ms Irvine said.

“I was one of three finalists and I am really humbled by it.

“I’ve had huge support from a number of people so it’s not just about me.

“There’s a number of people that have helped me turn the idea that I had into the program that I run.”

WA Country Health Service praised the work of Ms Irvine in a social media post.

“As an educator, she’s known for her ability to create learning environments where clinicians feel comfortable asking questions, sharing experiences and building confidence,” WACHS said.

“Her passion for educating rural and remote clinicians drives her commitment to ensuring all staff have access to high-quality learning opportunities, regardless of location.”