Author: healthprofessionalradio

Guest: Peter Merrilees
Presenter: Wayne Bucklar
Guest Bio: Peter is the Medical Business Unit Manager at Point of Care Diagnostics Pty Ltd. He has a strong background in the health and medical industries with over 20 years’ experience, the last 12 of which has been specifically focused on Point of Care Testing (PoCT). Peter is on the IVD Australia Working Group for PoCT and is truly passionate about this field. He has a background in business and marketing and has just finished studying Biotechnology at RMIT University.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, Peter Merrilees from the Point of Care Diagnostics joins us today to introduce their wide range of diagnostic products. Launched in 1995, POCD has become a leader in point of care testing in both Australia and New Zealand with many of their products the industry standard in their disciplines. Their customers include top health companies, hospitals and medical research institutions.

Overview:

• The federal Department of Social Services established a national hotline set up to handle complaints about the transition to Consumer Directed Care (CDC) it has taken only 115 calls and resolved 51 cases from the estimated 66,000 people moved onto CDC packages on July 1.

• A public campaign to encourage potential paedophiles to seek help such as the UK’s Stop Sexual Offending site, before committing a criminal offence should be considered, along with more early treatment options, to protect children from sexual abuse, mental health experts say.

• The global standard recommended by the World Health Organisation is 80 per cent and above, and in 2009, Papua New Guinea (PNG) only immunised just over half of its children under the age of one.

Overview:

• Staff at the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) have taken a novel approach to raising awareness for organ and tissue donation. They have taken part in The Rest Is Silence, a short play based on the real-life discussions held every day by forensic and medical staff about organ and tissue donation.

• The Government says that the new $200 million Women’s and Children’s Hospital to be built in Melbourne’s west will be named after Victoria’s first female premier, Joan Kirner, who died in June, she was a Labor Party stalwart and led the state from 1990-1992.

• Research by the Black Dog Institute shows that Forty per cent of patients admitted to hospital after a suicide attempt do not receive any follow-up mental health treatment and only 10 per cent receive specialist in-patient psychiatric care.

Overview:

• AMA President, Professor Brian Owler, said … that an article in The Australian newspaper by Medibank Private Managing Director.  George Savvides, shows yet again that Australia’s biggest private health insurer is out of touch with the realities of quality in health care.

• Supporters of medicinal cannabis rallied outside Newcastle court yesterday morning, saying not legalising the drug is inhumane. The Medical Cannabis Users Association’s Gail Hester said Australians should have access to the plant without fear of prosecution.

• Shivering through winter and breaking a sweat in summer can help you lose weight according to Professor Gary Wittert the head of medicine at the University of Adelaide.

Guest: Geoff Purtill
Presenter: Wayne Bucklar
Guest Bio: Geoff has been the Managing Director of Invacare Australia and Invacare New Zealand for 5 years. Prior to that he worked as the Customer Development Director for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, based in Singapore and consulted in Japan for a short period of time. Geoff was in the Army for 14 years, initially as an Electronics Technician and later as an Officer before joining the corporate world. He has worked in blue chip companies, including Nestle and Johnson and Johnson before joining Invacare. Auckland is home for Geoff and his partner and children, but working life is split between Sydney and Auckland on a regular basis.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, let us learn more about the products that Invacare Australia and New Zealand has to offer from Managing Director Geoff Purtill. Their market-leading medical products promote recovery and active lifestyles for those requiring home and other non-acute health care. With over 170 dealers nationwide, they are focused on direct sales of key products designed specifically for the Nursing Home and Hospital environment. The company conducts business in more than 80 countries around the world and has the largest distribution network in the industry.

Guest: Christina Harbridge
Presenter: Wayne Bucklar
Guest Bio: Christina Harbridge is the Business Manager and Partner of Olliehan IT. She believes every Patient deserves absolute privacy and un-compromised healthcare, while every Practitioner should feel empowered to focus on providing the best possible patient healthcare without the distraction and frustration of technical, security and privacy issues. Christina has 20 years of experience delivering Software and IT implementation management for Healthcare organisations across Australia. She holds numerous qualifications, including a Diploma of Computing with Monash University, Certificate IV in Software Development and certifications in ITIL service management and Prince2.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, we welcome Christina Harbridge of Olliehan IT – a support service company that assists in filling the gap and make a difference to small and medium sized businesses that need a quality, trustworthy IT systems. With this belief as her guide, Christina focuses on implementing a strategic alignment of the business needs with the IT Systems. Coupling this with a strong governance plan to oversee the management, security, support and ongoing education of the systems and users. They provide IT support, products and consulting services specialising in Business Computer Systems for Medical and Professional service practices.

Overview:

• Eight patients will be moved to country hospitals as Adelaide’s public hospitals implemented a winter demand management plan to ease pressure on beds. Health Minister Jack Snelling announced that most non-urgent elective surgery in Adelaide’s public hospitals would be cancelled for about 48 hours.

• An Australian-first operation has been performed on a seven-year-old boy the removal of Gary Wanganeen’s pancreas, with islet cells from the organ “re-infused” into the boy’s liver by doctors at Adelaide’s Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

• Councillor Richard Foster is calling for smoking to be banned throughout the Royal Botanic Gardens and in areas along the Yarra River.

Guest: Harish Mitter
Presenter: Wayne Bucklar
Guest Bio: Harish Mitter is a supply chain professional with 23 years of extensive experience in delivering results by managing highly effective and efficient operational teams comprising Customer service, Inventory & Logistics, Warehousing and Manufacturing across the fields of Medical Devices, Automotive and Engineering sectors.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, Chestercare Director Harish Mitter joins us to discuss the various products that they offer for the health industry. Chestercare is a retailer of Rehabilitation products with primarily focus on aid to daily living products. They offer comprehensive product range from the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of physical therapy products and equipment .

Guest: Eloise Drane
Presenter: Wayne Bucklar
Guest Bio: Eloise Drane, founder of Family Inceptions International, is a pioneer and relentless advocate of family reproduction. She began her journey in 1999 as an egg donor, and continued as a gestational surrogate – three times. Eloise found such fulfillment giving the gift of life that she began working for agencies to develop programs that allowed egg donors to travel abroad.
After earning her MBA, Eloise established Family Inceptions International with the belief that everyone – regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or creed – deserves the opportunity to create a family.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, Family Inceptions International founder Eloise Drane is here to share great insights about their unique agency offering inspired solutions to its clients. FII has made groundbreaking advancements with the installment of Reproductive Tourism. Facilitating cross-border reproduction arrangements extends the possibility for clients to complete their surrogacy or egg donation journeys either domestically or internationally to India, Mexico, Greece, and Barbados. FII is fully committed to helping clients realize their vision of starting or adding to their family.

Overview:
• The research by Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and Melbourne University investigating whether nanotechnology is a better way to treat heart attacks and strokes have developed a nano-capsule that homes in on a blood clot, then breaks it down has been published in the journal Advanced Materials.

• A major longitudinal men’s health study coming out of Chicago has found that fatherhood makes men fat. The findings, just published in the American Journal of Men’s Health, are a reminder that men shouldn’t ignore their own health at the expense of looking after their families.

• A team from QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute took a lead role in the international in a melanoma study that has uncovered five new gene regions that increase a person’s risk of developing the deadliest form of skin cancer.