Revolving Door Syndrome

Rarely in conversation, do we hear about the state of Asian health. Despite being over 15% of the NZ population, it feels like this issue has dropped completely off the map. If we take the data at face value, it appears that on average asians in New Zealand, are doing alright. But within this demographic are a superdiverse population, heterogenous in culture, needs and health risks. To help me unp...

For a long time, New Zealand has traded off the back of its agricultural and farming expertise. Producing enough food to feed 40 million, we export most of that overseas. It’s made us a pretty wealthy country and afforded us access to new medicines; precision scientific instruments; animal feed and fuel. However, our heavy reliance on agriculture has come at the cost of our environment, leading to...

On this episode we kōrero with Emily King, a food systems expert and author of the book, Re-Food. We unravel sustainable agriculture, food accessibility, and the challenges posed by monopolistic supermarkets. Emily's narratives from Cuba shed light on food scarcity and resilient island communities like Waiheke. Our conversation dives into empathy, societal collaboration, and sustainable food futur...

In this touching podcast episode, we kōrero with Bernie Harfleet to explore the profound impact of adoption, experiences in state care, and the transformative work of "Give a Kid a Blanket.", a charity Bernie co-founded with his partner, Turtle. Bernie's journey, from adoption to reconnecting with his birth family, offers a unique perspective on identity and belonging. We dive deep into the strugg...

It's been a little while since we last released an episode of the podcast, so we thought we'd share a bit about what has been happening in our personal lives that has lead to the hiatus. Just over a year ago, Nina was approached to run as a candidate for a political party. Seeing it as an opportunity to give a voice to health workers and the issues facing our health system, we jumped head first in...

In this episode, we kōrero Dr. Davin Tan, an adolescent psychiatrist. We explore the profound impact parents have on their children's lives, discussing attachment, resilience, and the changing dynamics of modern families. Davin shares insights from his experiences in Youth Justice and Forensic Psychiatry units, shedding light on the delicate balance between autonomy and safety in mental health car...

This is a special episode of 'Revolving Door Syndrome', recorded live at the ASB Waterfront Theatre after a performance of 'Things That Matter'. This production is an adaptation of Dr David Galler's book of the same name. We sit down with Dr Mamaeroa David and Rob Campbell to delve into the show. During our discussion, we address the stark realities that the show sheds light on regarding our strug...

In this episode we kōrero with Dr. Adrian Gray, an addiction specialist. We delve into the complexities surrounding mental health, societal influences, and the transformative power of psychedelic therapy. Speaking about the rise of anxiety and depression in modern society, Dr Adrian Gray underscores how psychedelic therapies offer a 'reset', a refreshing perspective that extends beyond traditional...

On this episode, we sit down with Harry Tam, a former public policy advisor and patched member of New Zealand's Mongrel Mob. Harry offers a unique perspective on crime, gang culture, and the societal and economic factors that perpetuate these issues. He criticises the media's role in sensationalising crime and the political rhetoric around being "tough on crime". Drawing from his personal experien...

This week we are joined by Dr Julian Buchanan, retired associate professor of criminology and addiction. He is now using his research and experiences to advocate for drug policy reform through the Harm Reduction Coalition Aotearoa.

 Julian is originally from Liverpool, UK and is now enjoying a busy ‘retirement’ in Waikenae beach.

Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM is an Australian emergency doctor, lawyer, author, pilot and disability advocate - and he does it all from a wheelchair. Dinesh shares his story of surviving a severe spinal cord injury to finishing medical training and showing that he has all the abilities to achieve a fulfilling career helping people in emergency situations.

On this episode we kōrero with Rob Campbell and Dave Letele, an unlikely pairing of best mates. It all began when Dave encouraged Rob to put aside the wine and sausage rolls and join him in the gym. Now bound by the Brown Buttabean creed, Rob and Dave share a joint mission and vision for a more community driven approach to health. Making no secret of his discontent with the health reforms, Rob ind...

On this episode we kōrero with Dr Carmen Basu, the founder of Milk and Honey Paediatrics. As a paediatrician who grew disillusioned with her ability to innovate within the public health system, Carmen has pioneered a fresh approach to the first 1000 days of life. Drawing upon research from Scandinavia, which vividly portrays the lasting advantages of early investments, Carmen raises a thought-prov...

On this episode we kōrero with Cherie Jaeger, a mother, teacher and principal of Marist Alternative Education school in Auckland. For students that have fallen out of mainstream education, Cherie's school offers a unique lifeline of hope for disenfranchised youth. Cherie breaks down the challenges she sees in her day to day and provides some heartbreaking stories that illustrate how hard it is to...

On this episode we kōrero with Dr Nic Szecket, an internal medicine consultant, about the inevitable nature of mistakes in medicine, why they occur and how we can reduce the chances of them reoccurring. Having trained and worked before in the Canadian health system, Dr Szecket provides some perspective when reflecting on our own system in Aotearoa.

On this episode we kōrero with Tommy Doran, a recovered meth addict and advocate for justice system reform with the NGO, JustSpeak. As somebody who has experienced the Revolving Door, Tommy offers great insight into the injustice of our prison systems; where recidivism is extremely high and rehabilitation rates, low. Tommy's story provides a window of hope to those still stuck in the cycle and pro...

On this episode of our podcast, we kōrero with Dr. Elizabeth Berryman, a highly respected healthcare professional and advocate for clinician's mental health. Dr. Berryman's journey began as a nurse working in the remote Australian outback, where she faced unique challenges and gained invaluable experience in managing a small rural hospital. This experience fueled her passion for improving healthca...

On this episode we kōrero with Kiri Danielle, Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and Ngati Raukawa ki Te Tonga. We talk about her career as an early childhood educator and what a good quality pre-school looks like. We have one chance to get child development right and the consequences can be significant. We also talk about her experience of homelessness but by continuing to advocate for Papatuānuku, Mot...

 On this episode we kōrero with Rich Rowley, an advocate and educator for neurodiversity within the workplace. With his charity, The Observatory, Rich runs workshops with businesses to help drive systems and culture change, to realise and embrace the neurodiverse skillset of their employees and solve big business problems. We discuss how the school system is letting down neurodiverse kids and dri...

On this episode, we speak with Dr Orna McGinn, a GP specialising in women's health. We discuss the many issues currently affecting women's access to basic health needs and the inequities that exist for different groups. Dr Orna advocates for a Women's Health Strategy, of which New Zealand is one of few OECD countries where one doesn't exist.

On this episode, we're joined by political analyst Josh Van Veen. Bringing with him a wealth of experience in politics and health, Josh speaks to the effects of neoliberalism on our health system and the history of how we got here. We also kōrero about the time Josh spent at The Health and Disabilities Commissioner and the limitations faced with upholding the Code of Rights and implementing change...

On the surface, it sounds like being a doctor would be one of the most fulfilling jobs out there: helping people, saving lives, effecting change within communities... But the reality is often more bleak, as many clinicians have discovered, that our ability to affect change is severely hampered by the systems we work in. This being the prime reason Dr Justin Sung left medicine, instead to pursue a...

A bonus mini episode on the importance of compassionate palliative care with Dr Natalie Anderson. We talk about some of our own experiences with providing dignified end of life care and also Natalie shares her partner's complex health story and dealings with the health system.

On this episode we chat with emergency nurse and senior nursing lecturer, Dr Natalie Anderson, on the challenges of training new nurses and retaining existing ones. With recent revival talk of hospital wait time targets, we look at ways we can create useful indicators for our health system and provide clinicians power to demand better staffing and working conditions.

On this episode, we kōrero with a friend of mine, Luke Elborough. Luke's a Criminal Defence lawyer based in the Auckland region specialising in Legal Aid. Frequently, he gets to see behind the headlines, working directly with people on the receiving end of legal judgement. Luke talks to the complexities that lead to offending and how our Justice Systems are failing to catch people and instead aggr...