The Ocean Road Health Group (TORHG) is hosting the health practitioner conference at the Lady Bay Resort in Warrnambool on October 20-21.

This will be the second time the conference has been held, following on from a successful debut in 2016.

TORHG is a Warrnambool-based organisation run by Suzanne Anderton and Kylie Palmer.

Ms Anderton said the conference was community orientated and supported by organisations such as South West TAFE, Brophy Family and Youth Services, Emma House and South West Healthcare. 

She said the target audience for the event included doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, practice nurses, paramedics, allied health professionals, police and youth workers.

She said the conference would look at a wide variety of subjects including the use of antibiotics, sports injuries, dental injuries, assessment of hearing and practical sessions on suturing.

The conference will also look at mental health assessment and drug and alcohol dependence.

TORHG has organised a range of experts to deliver sessions at the conference.

These will include Emma Watty, a nurse who lost her daughter Sylvie to SIDS.

Also Heath Butler, a MICA paramedic who will talk about what his job entails.  

“We believe that this is an important event for our community,” Ms Anderton said.

“This is a conference that south-west health practitioners would normally have to travel for and outlay significant amounts of money to attend.

“This conference is great for our community because we all benefit from well-trained health practitioners.” 

While learning sessions will be held across the two days of the conference, there will also be a chance for participants to come together socially. This will come through a night out at the movies event, which will include the screening of the movie Stronger. 

TORHG was set up two years ago by Ms Anderton and Ms Palmer, who are both nurse practitioners.