A Healthy Exchange

This special Rural Health Month episode of A Healthy Exchange was recorded live at the National Rural and Remote Health Awards in Canberra at the start of November. Professor Peter O'Mara, proud Wiradjuri man, Director of Thurru Indigenous Health Unit at the University of Newcastle and Chair of Rural Doctors Network, yarns about his experience as a clinician and the power of cultural safety in med...

This Rural Health Month, Rural Health Pro brings you a special episode of A Healthy Exchange featuring a dynamic panel of rural and remote nurses—Clare Callaghan, Hayley Hodgson, and Karen Orchard— who share practical tips on staying motivated, building rewarding careers, and prioritising wellbeing in rural and remote healthcare. Whether you’re already working in the bush or considering the move,...

In this episode of A Healthy Exchange, paramedic Dr Buck Reed discusses his career working in a small town in north-eastern NSW. He talks about the challenges of working with the ambulance in a small town, including attending callouts to people you know, and how he was able to find strength after a negative workplace experience. Now a paramedicine lecturer, Buck uses his platform to help students...

In this episode of A Healthy Exchange, we speak to Dr Jo Braid, a rehabilitation physician and professional coach who transformed her life and career through mindset coaching. Juggling her public and private hospital clinics, and being a mum to three sons, Jo became burnt out, overwhelmed and disconnected from herself and her family. That’s when she discovered coaching and before long, she was liv...

In this episode of A Healthy Exchange, GP Anaesthetist Dr Vennassa Wong shares her incredible story of a disadvantaged upbringing marked by racism and financial hardship and discusses how she used her tough upbringing as motivation to succeed. Born to a diverse heritage, Vennassa faced many challenges on her journey to medicine and juggled her studies as a single parent with six children. She shar...

 Dr Belinda Garth is a senior research fellow and translation lead at the Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation. Together with Professor Helena Teede, she leads the National Advancing Women in Healthcare Leadership Initiative, driving evidence-based, sustainable change for gender equity in healthcare leadership. In this episode of A Healthy Exchange, Belinda uses a racetrack analogy...

Chloe Campbell grew up on a sheep and cattle farm in the rural community of Bombala. A career in medicine was never on her radar but when an anaesthetist recognised her abilities during a nursing placement and suggested she study medicine, Chloe found herself determined to become a doctor. This was the beginning of her journey to medicine, and Chloe is now a fourth-year medical student at Charles...

Having moved eight times in seven years, including one international relocation, Jeanette Del Zio is no stranger to uprooting her life. Jeanette is the spouse of a surgeon and heads up the Australian Doctor's Spouse Network, a community of medical spouses who, like herself, support their partners on their medical journey and throughout their careers. ADSN is a judgement-free collective where membe...

A Healthy Exchange podcast this week gives listeners the behind-the-scenes, insider scoop into all things recruitment, retention, and wellbeing for people seeking to get into medical school and change careers, or doctors about to enter the industry.   Dr Jenny May speaks to our guest presenter for the week, Jeremy Mitchell about professional pathways, how to increase your chances of getting into m...

In this episode of A Healthy Exchange podcast, Anna-Louise Bouvier introduces us to Physiocise, a specialised neck and back program and one of Australia's first medically supervised exercise classes.   We take a look at the psychological and social factors that can take their toll on the body and how periods of prolonged stress or changes in lifestyle can contribute to pain. Anna-Louise shares som...

The first episode of A Healthy Exchange podcast for 2024 launches straight into the importance of peer connectedness within the medical industry and advocating for your own health and well-being with the vibrant and energetic NSW doctor, Kathryn Hutt.  Dr Hutt is a GP and the Medical Director for Doctors’ Health New South Wales, an independent and confidential 24/7 phone service for doctors and me...

Rural Health Pro is thrilled to announce that nominations for the National Rural & Remote Health Awards 2024 are now open! Help us celebrate the dedication and hard work of those making a difference in rural and remote health by nominating before 8 July. https://www.ruralhealthpro.org/s/awards

In episode five of ‘A Healthy Exchange’ podcast series, Senior Healthcare Executive Dr Simon Woods, talks to host Lisa Connors about leading with kindness.    Dr Woods describes the healthcare system as complex and believes doctors, management and community all play a role in creating change.   Pervasive feelings of powerlessness, the pressures of healthcare staff dealing with rising and sometimes...

This week we are broadcasting from Rural Health Month, Rural Health Pro’s month of events for rural health professionals. Whether you're a conference attendee looking to revisit key moments or someone eager to stay informed on the latest in rural health, Conference Catch-up keeps you in the loop. Join me, Jeremy Mitchell and my guests as we dive into the rich tapestry of insights presented at...

Prue Wheelwright is a nurse, midwife, author and farmer’s daughter who has experienced careers of extreme contrast which has taken her right across the world from taking care of members of the Saudi Royal Family, to living and working in Ethopia and within some of Australia's most remote First Nations communities. Prue now works with Australia's Royal Flying Doctor Service on a roster which perfec...

Former Tasmanian Rural Doctor of the Year, Dr Natalie Burch, is a highly qualified, respected and awarded doctor who opens up to host, Lisa Connors, about how transformative multi-day hikes have been to overcoming burnout and improving wellbeing.    Introduced to bushwalking by her best friend, Dr Burch now draws on her own experiences to benefit others and aims to create environments and educatio...

Jamie Page is a Registered Nurse with more than 10 years of clinical experience. He holds a Master of Leadership (Health and Human Services) and is currently working as a management consultant in the Health, Aging and Human Services sectors. In this episode of A Healthy Exchange, Jamie speaks to host, Lisa Connors about the positive impact affirmative bias, positive psychology and virtuous actions...

A trained Zoologist working as a scientist in Beijing, Dr Ben Bravery was only 28 years old when he was diagnosed with bowel cancer and made the decision to become a doctor. Patient first, and now a fully qualified doctor, Ben decided he needed to “get inside the system” to enact change and empower patients to be seen as humans and not just a “bed number”. As a patient, “I’d been reduced to a prob...