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Trish Vogel, Vanuatu

05 May 2010
Trish Vogel, Vanuatu

AVI returned volunteer Trish Vogel's is a recipient of the 2009 Emergency Services Medal for her outstanding work at the SA Ambulance Service.


AVI volunteer receives emergency services medal.

Trish Vogel, VanuatuTrish Vogel  is the Manager Patient Services in the Murray region and has been employed by the SA Ambulance Service since 1990. In February 2008, Trish was successful in gaining a voluntary position as Paramedic Clinical Trainer through Australian Volunteers International located in Vanuatu (Trish took 18 months leave to undertake this voluntary work). While in this position Trish was responsible for developing and implementing various training programmes, policies and procedures and prepared funding submissions for corporate sponsorship.

These activities were undertaken in very trying conditions, with cultural challenges in an under developed country. Another major hurdle for Trish was her gender and the barriers she had to break down in a male dominated society in order for her to complete her tasks.

Whilst deployed in Vanuatu, Trish required medical treatment which required her to return to Australia for treatment. While Trish could have opted to not return to Vanuatu following her treatment, she did return and completed her volunteer work.
Trish's outstanding achievements during her voluntary deployment through Australian Volunteers International in Vanuatu, has been well recognised and she is using the skills she developed from her deployment in leading a review of the Upper Murray Service Delivery.