Dr Dinesh Palipana
Speaker
Dinesh was the first quadriplegic medical intern in Queensland. Dinesh is a doctor, lawyer, disability advocate, and researcher. While in medical school, he was involved in a car accident that caused a spinal cord injury. Dinesh was born in Sri Lanka, then moved to Australia at the age of ten during the civil war.
Dinesh has completed a Bachelor of Laws at the Queensland University of Technology, a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice at the College of Law, Emergency Medicine Certificate at the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine, and Doctor of Medicine and Griffith University. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors under a Disability Leadership Scholarship.
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Dinesh works in the emergency department at the Gold Coast University Hospital. He is a researcher and senior lecturer at the Griffith University and assistant professor at Bond University.
Dinesh is a researcher in spinal cord injury, co-leading the BioSpine research team.
He is a doctor for the Gold Coast Titans physical disability rugby team. Dinesh was a senior advisor to the Disability Royal Commission. He is an ambassador to the Human Rights Commission’s Includeability program. He is a founding member of Doctors with Disabilities Australia.
He is an advisory board member to HealthyLife, a Woolworths company. Dinesh is a John Monash Scholar. He is an independent non-executive director of George Steuart & Co, one of the oldest companies in the world and oldest in Sri Lanka. Dinesh is a non-executive director of the Housing Hub, started by the Summer Foundation.
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Dinesh was the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service’s Junior Doctor of the Year in 2018. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2019. He was the third Australian to be awarded a Henry Viscardi Achievement Award. He was the 2021 Griffith University Young Alumnus of the Year. Dinesh was the Queensland Australian of the Year for 2021. In 2022, Dinesh was listed as number 33 in the Courier Mail’s top 100 power list for Queensland’s most influential in health and wellbeing. His autobiography, Stronger, was published by Pan Macmillan in 2022.
Presentation Topic
Seamless Hospital Transitions: Setting Participants up for success – A step-by-step approach to supporting people in their move from hospital into SDA or SIL, avoiding common pitfalls.
This session will provide a step-by-step approach to ensuring smooth and successful transitions for individuals moving from hospital settings into Specialist Disability Accommodation or Supported Independent Living .
The focus will be on overcoming common challenges and avoiding pitfalls that can hinder the transition process.
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Hospital discharges, particularly for individuals with complex needs, can be fraught with difficulties.
Delays in NDIS plan approvals, accommodation shortages, and inadequate support services often contribute to extended stays in healthcare settings. This session will address how to streamline these transitions, ensuring that participants are supported in moving from hospital to suitable SDA or SIL accommodations, while maximizing their independence and quality of life.
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This session will equip healthcare professionals, SDA/SIL providers, and support coordinators with the tools and strategies necessary to facilitate a seamless transition from hospital to home, helping participants achieve successful, long-term outcomes.