In this episode we sit down for a chat with Mark Fitzpatrick, CEO of PeopleKind Group. Mark has an extensive career working in the disability sector, including roles as Deputy President of the Deafness Council and a member of the Executive of the Hearing Health Sector Alliance. This range of experience, along with previous CEO roles at Telethon Speech and Hearing and St Vincent de Paul Society has given Mark a unique perspective on how things can be done differently to achieve the best possible outcomes for clients with disability who have a range of disability and non-disability-related needs. This philosophy in part drives PeopleKind Group, who are a for-purpose company that act as a parent company for a range of different organisations that provide a range of different services including learning, behaviour support, housing and disability support. By taking this approach, PeopleKind Group are able to assist clients with multiple needs that they may have. Additionally, Mark discussed the importance of collaboration with others in the sector to ensure that client care remained person-centred regardless of the client’s needs. Mark also touched on the work that PeopleKind do with people who have had justice system involvement through Outcare, as well as providing us his thoughts on the NDIS in its current form. Read more about Mark here: https://peoplekind.org.au/about-us/mark-fitzpatrick/ Read more about PeopleKind here: https://peoplekind.org.au/about-us/ As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Visit our website: https://meaningofhealth.com.au/

Dorinda is joined by Chanel & Esme as we continue our series on disability. Chanel talks us through her journey over the last few years since she acquired a brain injury due to a traumatic event, and discusses some of the challenges she has faced, both due to her injury and the symptoms she manages, including hearing loss and balance issues, as well as the complexities navigating the health system, often out in rural areas. Chanel also talks about the successes she has had, particularly in being able to return to her work working in film production. Esme discusses her experience as a leader and advocate in a range of sectors, including health (where she worked as a registered nurse), disability and road safety. She also shares her experience as a family member carer for Chanel and the mental and physical load that comes with this important, and often unrecognised role. She also reflects on her work as Chair of the Carers Advisory Council and the role they play advising the WA government on issues affecting carers. Both Chanel and Esme share their thoughts on weaknesses in our society currently when it comes to engaging with people with disabilities and their carers and provide practical advice (based on much experience) for navigating not just health and disability systems, but everyday life for people with disability. A particular focus is on people with disabilities that are “hidden” that may not be visually obvious to people they come into contact with. Read more about Chanel and her work as a Producer, Access Coordinator and Disability Advocate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chanel-bowen-b629236b/?originalSubdomain=au Read more about Esme’s work with the Carers Advisory Council: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-communities/carers-advisory-council As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Visit our website: https://meaningofhealth.com.au/

To kick off our new series that explores disability from a range of perspectives, Dorinda ‘t Hart sits down for a chat with Monique Power, founder and Director of Ripple Ability, a company set up to help families caring for young children with disability to navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme to ensure that both the children and their families can lead fulfilling and healthy lives. Monique discusses her lived experience as a mother and carer of a child with a rare disability, and the gaps that currently exist for early childhood education and care for young children diagnosed with complex, lifelong disabilities. She also shares examples of some of the work being done to identify the issues, and potential strategies for improving the services on offer to ensure that people diagnosed with disability at early ages are given the best possible opportunities to lead fulfilling and productive lives in the community. Read more about Ripple Ability and Monique here: https://rippleability.org As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Visit our website: https://meaningofhealth.com.au/

In this episode we bring you a conversation with Ina Jurga, International Coordinator for Menstrual Hygiene Day and Technical Lead for Menstrual Health and Hygiene at WASH United. Ina joined hosts Leah Roberts and Dr. Dani Barrington to share her journey from working as a civil engineer to becoming a global advocate for menstrual health, shaped by her experiences in countries such as India, Uganda, and Burundi. Ina talked us through the creation of Menstrual Hygiene Day in 2014 and the importance of raising global awareness about menstruation. We discussed systemic approaches to menstrual health, including education, access to products, disposal solutions, and supportive policies. We also chatted about innovations such as reusable pads, menstrual cups, and period swimwear, and how conversations around menstruation are evolving in high-income countries. Finally, we reflected on engaging men and boys, and the importance of broadening the discussion to include perimenopause and menopause. Read more about Menstrual Hygiene Day: https://www.menstrualhygieneday.org Read more about WASH United: https://www.wash-united.org/mhm-guide/mhm-guide As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Visit our website: https://meaningofhealth.com.au/

In this episode of The Meaning of Health, we’re joined by Associate Professor Erin Morton, CEO, and founder of Bespoke Clinical Research, to explore the often-overlooked topic of perimenopause and menopause. Erin shares her professional expertise and personal experiences navigating perimenopause, which inspired her to establish the Vital Perimenopause Registry—a project capturing community perspectives on symptoms, challenges, and priorities in women’s health. We discuss what menopause and perimenopause really mean, the wide range of symptoms beyond the well-known hot flushes, and the significant impact on mental health, work, relationships, and daily life. Erin highlights the stigma and silence that too often surrounds menopause, stressing the importance of open conversations, informed healthcare, and supportive workplaces. The conversation also touches on the need for better clinician training, especially in rural and regional communities, and the cultural and social factors that shape women’s experiences. Erin reminds us that while symptoms and treatments differ, what makes the biggest difference is understanding, empathy, and support—from healthcare providers, workplaces, families, and society at large. This insightful discussion is a valuable listen for anyone—whether you’re directly experiencing menopause or supporting someone who is. Learn more about Erin’s work here and get contact details: https://bespokeclinicalresearch.com.au/about-us/ As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Or visit our website: www.meaningofhealth.com.au

In this episode, Craig chats with Dr Juliana de Oliveira Costa, Research Fellow at the Medicines Intelligence Research Program, UNSW Sydney. Juliana is a pharmacist and pharmacoepidemiologist who uses big health data to study and improve medicine use across populations. They discuss SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists—modern type 2 diabetes medicines now known for heart, kidney, and weight-loss benefits. Juliana explains how cardiovascular benefits were discovered by accident, leading to major changes in treatment guidelines and PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) access. Topics include how these medicines work, recent PBS changes enabling earlier use in high-risk patients to be cheaper for patients, medication costs, private prescribing, and research showing underuse—especially in older adults—despite strong evidence of benefit. They also touch on safety concerns, long-term use, and the value of real-world data in guiding policy and practice. Learn more about Juliana’s work here and get contact details for the cardio-metabolic team: https://www.unsw.edu.au/medicine-health/our-schools/population-health/research/transforming-health-systems/medicines-intelligence/cardiometabolic-medicines Learn more about Juliana: https://www.unsw.edu.au/staff/juliana-de-oliveira-costa As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Or visit our website: www.meaningofhealth.com.au

In this episode we chat about the sub-committees that provide advice to the main Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. We are joined by Prof Richard Norman from the Economic Sub-Committee (ESC), and Prof Chris Etherton-Beer, Chair of the Drug Utilisation Sub-Committee (DUSC). Richard is a health economist, so talks us through some of the health economic measures and considerations that go into ESC deciding whether to recommend that a medication should be subsidised through the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS). Chris is a clinician at Royal Perth Hospital and pharmacology researcher at UWA. Chris talks us through some of the questions that around expected utilisation of drugs that are being considered for inclusion on the PBS. These include how many people would be likely to use the drug, and the health needs of populations that the particular drug may help. You can read more about Richard here: https://staffportal.curtin.edu.au/staff/profile/view/richard-norman-6fd5494b/ Read more about Chris here: https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/christopher-etherton-beer For more information about the PBAC and its sub-committees: https://www.pbs.gov.au/info/industry/listing/participants/pbac As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Or visit our website: www.meaningofhealth.com.au

In this special NAIDOC Week episode of The Meaning of Health podcast, Ingrid is joined by Associate Professor Aunty Vicky Wade and Professor Bep Uink for a discussion about the importance of heart health among Noongar women and Aboriginal communities more broadly. Together, they explore the central role of Noongar women as matriarchs, healers, and cultural leaders, and how these responsibilities connect deeply with physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. Aunty Vicky shares her journey as a Noongar woman and cardiac nurse with over 40 years of experience, highlighting the significant burden of cardiovascular disease on Aboriginal women, who face much higher risks of heart disease and early death than non-Aboriginal women. Bep talks about her background in social and emotional wellbeing research and being appointed as the first woman and first Aboriginal Director of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet. Together they discuss how cultural safety involves recognising different worldviews and building genuine connections between healthcare providers and patients. Aunty Vicky and Bep share their hope and optimism for the future as part of this year’s NAIDOC theme The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy, and how they are inspired by the resilience and strength of Noongar women and the growing leadership of younger generations. They encourage Aboriginal women to prioritize their own health and seek heart health checks, reinforcing that knowledge and empowerment are key to creating lasting change. Listeners can explore NAIDOC week history and activities at naidoc.org.au The Australian CVD risk calculator discussed can be found at https://www.cvdcheck.org.au/calculator The heart age calculator is available at https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/heart-age-calculator The 2025 guidelines for the diagnosis and management of rheumatic heart disease can be found here: https://rhdaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Australian-ARF-RHD-Guideline-2025.pdf As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Or visit our website: www.meaningofhealth.com.au

In this episode, we speak with Dr Monica Tang, a medical oncologist at the Prince of Wales Hospital and researcher at the University of New South Wales. Monica shares her clinical and academic journey, highlighting how her experience with patients and real-world data is reshaping cancer care in Australia. She discusses her specialisation in breast cancer treatment and the collaborative approach taken by multidisciplinary teams. These teams, comprising surgeons, radiation oncologists, pharmacists, pathologists, and psychologists work together to tailor care based on each patient’s diagnosis and needs. Monica also explains the critical differences between curable and treatable cancers, demystifying terms like metastatic disease. She stresses that while not all cancers are curable, many can be treated long-term with excellent quality of life. A key focus of the episode is her research on cancer survivorship. Through patient-reported outcomes and health economic data, Monica explores the challenges patients face after treatment, including persistent symptoms, reduced income, and unmet support needs. She also champions the role of real-world data to complement clinical trials, offering a more accurate picture of how treatments work outside controlled environments. This episode is a powerful reminder that life after cancer deserves just as much attention as diagnosis and treatment. You can read more about Monica and her work here: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Monica-Tang-3 As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Or visit our website: www.meaningofhealth.com.au

Welcome to a new series looking at Medicines in Australia. To kick off our medicines series, this episode features conversations with Professor Robyn Ward, Chair of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC), and Ms Jo Watson, PBAC deputy-chair. Robyn briefly discusses her work as a cancer oncologist and researcher and has taken up a new position as Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) and Senior Vice President at Monash University in Melbourne since we recorded this conversation. Robyn then talked us through the important work that the PBAC does in assessing which medicines should be recommended to the Commonwealth Health Minister for inclusion on Australia’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). The PBS is an important part of Australia’s health system, as it helps to keep the cost of a range of medicines more affordable for people across Australia who are prescribed them. Robyn discusses the range of expertise that makes up the PBAC, including health economists, clinicians, researchers, and community members, who all consider applications for new drugs to be added to the PBS from different perspectives. Jo talks us through her career as a health consumer advocate, including work done advocating for people living with HIV back in the 1990s, through to her current roles today as deputy-chair of PBAC, Chair of the Consumer Consultative Committee, within the Office of Health Technology Assessment in the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, and Deputy Chair and Director on the Board of the Consumers Health Forum (CHF), the peak national health consumer organisation in Australia. Jo talks us through how the different members of the PBAC work together to produce the advice to the Health Minister, and provides some insight into the types of questions that need to be asked and answered as part of that process. Read more about Robyn here: https://www.monash.edu/about/structure/senior-monash-staff/deputy-vice-chancellor-research-and-enterprise-and-senior-vice-president Read more about Jo here: https://genomics4newborns.sydney.edu.au/team/ms-jo-watson/ A big thank you to Prof Sallie Pearson from the Medicines Intelligence Centre of Research Excellence (MI-CRE) at University of NSW who shared her thoughts (and contacts) for guests to feature in our medicines series. Read more about MI-CRE here: https://www.unsw.edu.au/medicine-health/our-schools/population-health/research/centre-research-excellence-medicines-intelligence As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth Or visit our website: www.meaningofhealth.com.au

Continuing our series on women’s health, Ingrid and Craig sat down for a chat with respected endocrinologists Prof Bronwyn Stuckey from the Keogh Institute and Dr Kharis Burns from Royal Perth Hospital. We discussed a range of women’s health issues that endocrinologists help their patients deal with, such as diabetes, and reproductive health issues ranging from menstrual issues through to IVF and menopause. Bronwyn and Kharis talked us through some of the treatments that they prescribe, as well as stressing the importance of women checking in with their Dr when they feel like reproductive health issues are impacting negatively on their quality of life, so that their Dr can discuss the available treatment options. They discussed some of the common risk factors that they help their patients manage during pregnancy, and addressed some of the misleading headlines about supposed risks associated with treatments such as menopausal hormone therapy. We also touched on the challenges that many women face as they navigate peri-menopause. You can read more about Bronwyn and Kharis’s work here: https://kimr.org https://api.research-repository.uwa.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/390220199/THESIS_-_DOCTOR_OF_PHILOSOPHY_-_BURNS_Kharis_Alicia_-_2024_.pdf As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth

We continue our women’s health series with a chat with Dr Dorinda ‘t Hart from the School of Population and Global Health at UWA. Dorinda has a background in sociology originally, with her PhD focussing on post-abortion narratives of women who had an abortion in Western Australia since 1998 when abortions were fully legalised in the state. Dorinda talks us through her PhD research and covers many aspects of the decision-making process that women who choose to proceed with an abortion go through before reaching their final decision. This includes what female bodily autonomy actually means, the relationship between motherhood and abortion, the pre-conditions that many women feel they need to meet to proceed with a pregnancy, and the role that their partners and other family members may play in helping them to reach their final decision. To finish, Dorinda gives us some key findings that may assist people working with women facing a decision about whether to proceed with, or terminate a pregnancy, and how they may best support them during that process. You can read more about Dorinda and her work here: https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/00102012 As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth

In this next episode in our series on women’s health we sit down for a conversation with global health expert A/Prof Tim Roberton from the School of Population and Global Health at UWA. Tim’s discusses his interesting pathway into public and global health, from working for international aid organisations in the middle east and the Caucasus in the old Soviet region, to doing his doctorate at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore in the USA. Tim also talks us through the health systems in lower and middle income countries, and how they provide healthcare in the child and maternal health space, often in very challenging circumstances with limited resources. Tim also touches on the impact of the recent changes in US policy that have seen USAID funding completely cut, and the impact that this is having on many child and maternal health services in some of the world’s poorest countries, as well as healthcare workers and health researchers who have dedicated their careers to this important area. You can read more about Tim and his work here: https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/00109849 As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth

We kick off our new series on women’s health with a chat with Dr Jacquie Frayne, a GP and researcher at the University of Western Australia who specialises in mental health for women during pregnancy and in the period after birth. Jacquie discusses the work herself and colleagues do at the Childbirth and Mental Illness Service located at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Subiaco: https://www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au/Womens-Health/Mental-Health/CAMI We chat with Jacquie about the range of mental health challenges that women giving birth can face, and the importance of a range of different healthcare workers working together as part of a multidisciplinary team to assist women with their mental health during this critical time. We also touch on some of the other challenges that some women face during pregnancy, relating to social and socioeconomic issues, such as family and domestic violence and homelessness that Jacquie and her colleagues often have to help with. You can read more about Jacquie and her work here: https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/00077092 As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth

We bring you a chat with Sydney-based musician Joe West in this episode. Joe talks about his upbringing in regional New South Wales, and his life working as a musician for many years. Joe discusses the challenges that the lifestyle can pose for many, often resulting in a strained connection with society. Joe shares his own experience struggling with mental heath challenges and issues with substance use and addiction. He talks us through how he came to understand the problems he was having, and what he was able to do to address and overcome them. As part of this, Joe discusses how gaining a greater understanding of the neuroscience and neuropsychology behind mental health problems and addiction was a key step on his journey to better health and wellbeing today. Joe discusses the part that meditation and mindfulness have played in assisting him and how having structure and discipline is essential to overcome poor mental health and addiction in the longer term. You can see more about Joe on Instagram @joewestau and his latest project @analogamoeba As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth

In this episode we bring you a conversation we had with A/Prof Bevan Erueti from Massey University in Aotearoa/New Zealand in late 2024. Bevan discussed health and health research from a Māori perspective. Bevan talked us through the concept of pūrākau (Māori realities and narratives) and how this guides culturally competent health care and health research in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Bevan took us through the great effort that had gone into establishing a world-leading Māori health service in Aotearoa/New Zealand in 2022, which was then dis-established in the first half of 2024 after a change of government in Aotearoa/New Zealand. We chatted with Bevan about his journey from teaching into academia in Aotearoa/New Zealand, as well as his interest in sports providing a pathway for upward mobility for people in society. Read more about Bevan and his work here: https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/expertise/profile.cfm?stref=831630 As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth

In this episode we chat with Dr Ruth Wallace, a senior lecturer in the School of Medical and Health Sciences at Edith Cowan University. Ruth is an expert in nutrition and early childhood education, which has led her to co-write and publish the “Little Aussie Bugs” series of books with her collaborator Dr Amelia Ruscoe. These innovative books are aimed at young children, typically in childcare, and help them to learn about different aspects of health and healthy behaviours. The books are designed to be dialogic, which means that an adult helps the child to become the story teller, helping children improve their literacy skills in the process. To aid in this process, Ruth and her team have produced training materials to assist early childhood educators to use the Little Aussie Bugs books to help the young children they work with. We had a great chat with Ruth about the books, as well as how her team has been working with childcare centres to use the books in their programs to help improve literacy and health literacy for children from an early age. You can find out more about Little Aussie Bugs here: https://www.ecu.edu.au/newsroom/articles/news/little-aussie-bugs-goes-to-uni And about Ruth and her work here: https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/medical-and-health-sciences/our-staff/profiles/senior-lecturers/dr-ruth-wallace As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth

Welcome back for our first episode of 2025. We bring you panel conversation from a “Breakfast by the Bay” event recorded in October 2024 at the University Club of Western Australia. The panel conversation was moderated by Linda Savage, lawyer, former member of parliament and law reform and social justice advocate. The panellists were: Kate Chaney, Independent Federal Member for Curtin Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor Brett Hart, Pundukunu Aboriginal Service Amie Furlong, Government Relations and Research Advisor, Foundations for Tomorrow Jacqueline McGowan-Jones, Commissioner for Children and Young People WA A/Prof Rebecca Glauert, Director of the Australian Child and Youth Wellbeing Atlas at UWA The conversation covered a range of topics related to the rights and wellbeing of children and young people, as well future generations. These topics included how governments consider this group in government decision-making and future planning, which touched on how we could learn from some world-leading legislation enacted in Wales that deals with this issue. The conversation also covered mental health, education, and a move away from short-term thinking in policy making, and how young people can and should be more involved in policy development. Many thanks to A/Prof Paul Maginn and Clare Feenan from the UWA Public Policy Institute for hosting the event and collaborating with us once again. As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth

We have made it to our final episode for 2024! As is now Meaning of Health tradition, we get together for a recap of the year that was, and chat about things that went well, badly, or otherwise in 2024. Ingrid talks us through a journal article that looks at whether ChatGPT is “BS”: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10676-024-09775-5 Leah talks us through Chonkus, an algae that could assist with slowing climate change: https://www.synbiobeta.com/read/meet-chonkus-the-algae-that-eats-carbon-and-sinks-like-a-rock We finish with an uplifting chat about what lies ahead in 2025, which is shaping up to be another eventful year (we predict). Thank you for your support again in 2024 and we will look forward to bringing you more interesting conversations about health in 2025! As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth

Welcome to the sixth and final episode of our special series we recorded at the Public Health Association of Australia’s (PHAA) Australian Public Health Conference in Perth in September 2024 #AustPH2024. We had many guests come through our pop-up studio over the 3 day conference to chat about their career and recent work. In this episode we feature conversations with: A/Prof Hayley Christian from The Kids Research Institute Australia: https://www.thekids.org.au/contact-us/our-people/c/hayley-christian/ A/Prof Jacqueline Stephens from Flinders University: https://www.flinders.edu.au/people/jacqueline.stephens A big thank you to the wonderful PHAA team, and Anise Clarke who helped arrange the logistics for us to record during the conference As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com Instagram Twitter/X Bluesky @healthmeanswhat FaceBook @MeaningofHealth