Placement: University of Texas at Austin
Mentor: Jewel Mullen, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Dean for Health Equity, Office of Health Equity; Associate Professor, Department of Population Health; Courtesy Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas at Austin
Project: Advancing Health Equity — Changing the Mindset of Health Care Leaders and Professionals
Faye McMillan AM, DHlthSc, MIndH, MSCL, GCWiradjuriLCH, GCIndG, GCE, is a 2023–24 Australian Harkness Fellow in Heath Care Policy and Practice. She is currently the deputy national rural health commissioner for First Nations and Allied Health, professor of Indigenous health at University of Technology Sydney, and a registered pharmacist (community). McMillan has worked in the Australian health system in the pharmacy profession for more than three decades. Having had roles across government, academia, not-for-profit organizations, small businesses, and professional organizations, including the Australian Pharmacy Council (APC) and Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA). She is passionate about changing the participation of Indigenous Peoples within health professions, academia, and associated entities, which ultimately drives changes within health care leaders. Her interests lie in the mindset of leaders, and how this can drive change, especially that which values the full and authentic participation of Indigenous Peoples.
Project Overview: Utilizing the strength of global Indigenous experiences within the profession of pharmacy, refining the accreditation standards of the pharmacy profession, and applying strategies targeting the inclusion of Indigenous people as professionals, the quality of health services delivered by the pharmacy profession to Indigenous Peoples and Communities can be positively impacted. As such, this research aims to explore the relational activities of education, accreditation, and accreditation standards necessary for professions to be able to grow and enhance their workforce. It will focus on understanding these relationships using the pharmacy profession as a case study and explore the influence of national health policies across these domains.
This research will examine the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the leadership and influence on accreditation standards in the pharmacy profession. Drilling down into professions provides nuanced opportunities to enhance professional standards. These standards influence the educational institutions that train pharmacists and encourage an inclusive approach to curriculum improvements that reflect the history, place, and value of Indigenous Peoples and their full participation in pharmacy education. Additionally, this fosters leadership across accrediting bodies that work collegially with educational institutions, thereby illuminating positive sovereign relationships across communities and professions.