Meet the Directors Behind River Allied Health
- lanewaycreative
- Oct 1
- 7 min read
Join us as we explore what drives River Allied Health’s passionate directors, Ace Prokopec and Nigel Young, and their shared vision for accessible, high-quality rural healthcare—one that has transformed the practice into a thriving, locally owned multidisciplinary hub.
Different Regions, One Shared Vision
Nigel and Ace might hail from different regions of South Australia but their paths converge with remarkable synergy and a shared vision.
Brought up on a farm in Wandearah, near Port Pirie, Nigel experienced firsthand the health access challenges faced by rural communities. After earning a Bachelor of Human Movement and Health Studies he became an Accredited Sports Scientist and Exercise Physiologist and later completed his Masters of Physiotherapy. In recent years, Nigel has been busy developing regional allied health hubs – including Port Pirie’s Thrive Health Centre.
As a local Riverlander, Ace’s connection to the Riverland runs deep. Growing up in Renmark, Ace returned to work at River Allied Health in its former years as Renmark Physiotherapy Service, under previous owners Anthony and Jo Agostino following completing of his Bachelor in Physiotherapy. Some life changes saw the Agostino’s looking to move to Adelaide, and after meeting Nigel, Ace saw the potential to lead the clinic into a new chapter with a business partner who shared the same values, goals and vision for the practice.
This meeting of minds has led to a strong professional partnership, with Ace and Nigel officially becoming co-directors in 2020. Their mutual rural health ethos and desire to provide a wider range of care, support and services to regional communities saw the duo rebrand the business to River Allied Health to align with the future vision of the practice and better reflect the local community and lifestyle.
“Nigel and I discovered we were very like minded individuals with alignment in our vision and passion for rural health and, most importantly, our ethos and values. It was an easy decision to stay on as Principal Physiotherapist and learn from Nigel’s experience as we looked to achieve similar outcomes for the Riverland that he had achieved in Port Pirie.” - Ace Prokopec
Keeping Care Local & Why It Matters
In a landscape dominated by franchises, Ace and Nigel are staunch believers in the power of local ownership and an unmeasurable value in remaining local.
From their different experiences working in regional care, Ace and Nigel both agree that locally owned businesses better serve community health. With an already established and well known reputation like Renmark Physiotherapy Service, keeping the ownership local was important to both Ace and Nigel to continue the legacy and deeply rooted trust that was instilled by the Agostino's and founder David Manning.
Nigel and Ace’s approach doesn’t stop with ownership. Part of their approach and aligned vision is providing employment and learning opportunities for local and returning professionals, placement students, and those keen to move to the region – an investment in the future of River Allied Health and in the Riverland community by providing more diverse and accessible care.
“Whether you were born and raised in the Riverland or chose to move here, being invested in your regional community is a rewarding and fulfilling experience like no other. It gives us a more personal connection with our clients and allows us to shape services around their actual needs – not just business KPIs.” - Ace Prokopec
A Period of Rapid Growth
Since the change in ownership, River Allied Health has expanded from a two-person physiotherapy clinic to a robust team of 14, including six physiotherapists, an exercise physiologist, three allied health assistants, and four dedicated admin staff. The team is looking to expand even further to accommodate a continuous and growing demand for allied health services in the region.
The increased size and skill mix of the team has already increased the clinic's capacity to accept more patients with more diverse needs —helping more locals access high-quality care close to home, without the need to travel.
Looking ahead, River Allied Health is actively working to expand into other key allied health disciplines, including occupational therapy and speech pathology. Recruiting skilled professionals in these areas will be essential to meeting the unmet healthcare needs of the region and further strengthening the clinic’s role as a comprehensive, locally accessible care provider.
Not only through first hand clinical experience, but in their roles as regional business owners, both Ace and Nigel have become increasingly aware and educated around the disparities between both accessibility of services and health outcomes for those living in rural versus metropolitan areas. By growing River Allied Health, they hope to add to a growing voice for change, led by not for profit agencies like the National Rural Health Alliance and the Rural Doctor Workforce Agency that work tirelessly to advocate for Rural Australia and close this gap.
“In Port Pirie it was incredible how receptive the community was to our new facilities and, as we recruited, the growth came rapidly but naturally. In Renmark, we’re already seeing a similar trend with the introduction of the region’s first full-time exercise physiologist. The response has been almost overwhelming – we’ve had to line up a new graduate EP to meet the demand, which is a great problem to have.” - Nigel Young
“Such is the shortfall of skilled healthcare workers in our region that I’d wager if you can name a health discipline, there’s probably a wait list for it. The gap between the capacity we currently have as a healthcare network and the needs of our community is only growing and this is what drives us to grow, too. We know how good the other local professionals in our region are, but we also know that no one business, or even the public system, is capable of keeping up with the community’s needs on their own. We're all in it together.” - Ace Prokopec
Rebranding with Purpose: River Allied Health
In 2024, the practice rebranded from Renmark Physiotherapy Service to River Allied Health to reflect Ace and Nigel’s broader vision of expanding services and accessibility.
While moving into a new chapter that implemented change and expansion, it was important to both directors to respect the practice’s origins and the community it supports. The original colours remained a major inspiration to the new palette, while the new name, logo and imagery are all deeply connected to unifying care and community.
“‘River’ speaks to who we are – not just geographically, but culturally. We’re proud to be part of the Riverland and this name reflects the community we serve, the lifestyle we love, and the direction we’re moving in. Ultimately, the river is what connects us all together, to the region, and the amazing lifestyle that we live.” - Ace Prokopec
“We’ve been thrilled with the response from our clients, our staff, and the broader community – it’s been overwhelmingly positive. People have told us it feels fresh and relevant. The general sentiment is that it respectfully honours our past, but looks boldly to the future.” - Nigel Young
Beyond Physiotherapy: A Comprehensive Approach for the Future
With services now spanning Exercise Physiology and Allied Health Assistants, River Allied Health continues to grow as a multidisciplinary hub tackling key regional health challenges—access, affordability, and travel distance.
This November 2nd, Nigel and Ace will represent River Allied Health at the inaugural SpringBoard2026—a new rural health careers event supported by the Rural Doctor Workforce Agency (RDWA). The RDWA works to recruit, support, and retain health professionals in rural and remote South Australia, helping to ensure sustainable, local access to care.
Held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, SpringBoard2026 connects final-year and penultimate-year allied health students with rural employers offering graduate roles in 2026 and 2027.
"Many people living in rural areas struggle to access the care they need—whether due to geographic isolation or difficulty attracting qualified professionals to their region. Often, they have to travel for hours to see a practitioner, with the costs of travel, accommodation, and time away from work or family adding to the burden. We’re focused on delivering the best outcomes for our community through holistic care, and our long-term, team-based approach aims to address these challenges." – Nigel Young
"Recruitment is vital to the success of our vision. Rural health practitioners aren't born awesome but they become awesome - by necessity, experience and the support of their colleagues and community. We believe having a complementary team under one roof – but with the capacity for outreach services - makes the process simpler, more effective, and more accessible for clients. It also provides a fun and supportive environment for learning and developing new graduates. An event like SpringBoard is a fantastic opportunity to be able to promote all of the positive aspects of working regionally and how we grow and support each other in the challenges, too” - Ace Prokopec
The Road Ahead: Investing in Community to Build a Legacy
Ace and Nigel are excited to reveal that the River Allied Health team is preparing to move into a new, expanded facility in the very near future. The new space will include dedicated areas for clinical services, group exercise programs, a clinical rehab gym and student learning—allowing the team to expand both their services and their commitment to professional development within the region.
A mutual belief for Ace and Nigel, River Allied Health isn’t just their workplace—it’s their way of giving back. They’re not just building a business; they’re helping build infrastructure for the future by retaining local spending, attracting new professionals to the Riverland region, and supporting Renmark’s role as a thriving regional hub.
As part of this long-term vision, River Allied Health is now offering expanded clinical placement opportunities for university students -including those studying locally at the new Flinders University Renmark Campus, which is now in its second year of training home-grown physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists right here in the Riverland.
“Our goal is simple: reduce barriers to care, improve health outcomes, and be part of what makes the Riverland an even better place to live. As Renmark and the Riverland continue to grow and more families move to the region, we want to ensure they have the allied health support they need, right here at home for everyone.” - Ace Prokopec
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