INTERVIEWS

Guest: Associate Professor Chris Askew

Presenter: Tabetha Moreto

Guest Bio: Associate Professor Chris Askew is a Senior Research Fellow and leader of the VasoActive research group at the University of the Sunshine Coast and the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service.  He is an accredited exercise physiologist with a particular interest in the pathophysiology and treatment of chronic age-related cardiovascular conditions. Much of his group’s work has focused on the acute and chronic physiological effects of ischaemia, and how these relate to the mechanisms of exercise intolerance in peripheral arterial disease (PAD). He has published a number of clinical studies investigating the effects of exercise rehabilitation, dietary interventions and drug therapies in PAD, and these studies are underpinned by experimental investigations of muscle fatigue, limb blood flow, vascular function, and angiogenesis. Chris is a past President and Board member of Exercise and Sport Science Australia (ESSA), and he is currently Chair of the ESSA Professional Standards Advisory Council.

Segment Overview: In this segment, Associate Professor Chris Askew from University of the Sunshine Coast joins the program to discuss about a lesser known cardiovascular disease called peripheral artery disease (PAD) which is dubbed “the Cinderella disease” or Cinderella of cardiovascular diseases. He talks about the symptoms, causes and the available treatments for this particular condition.

Guest: Meshel Laurie

Presenter: Tabetha Moreto

Guest Bio: Meshel Laurie is the spokesperson and campaign ambassador of Priceline Pharmacy. Meshel Laurie is an Australian TV and radio personality, podcaster and author. She is the mother of 8-year-old twins. She is also a former stand up comedian. She’s been the host of ABC’s Stand Up! Co-Host of Ten’s This Week Live and a regular guest on shows such as Rove Live, The Glass House, Can of Worms, Spicks and Specks, Good News Week, The Circle and Adam Hills: In Gordon Street Tonight.

Segment Overview: In this segment, Priceline Pharmacy spokesperson and campaign ambassador Meshel Laurie joins the program to promote the Biggest Women’s Health Check.
In order to help Australian women take charge of their health, Priceline Pharmacy has made its Women’s Health Checks free to the next month. It’s fast, simple and convenient. Tests include for cholesterol, blood pressure and anaemia. Meshel states that women should take care of their own health despite their busy lifestyle and family life.

Guest: Robert Read

Presenter: Tabetha Moreto

Guest Bio: Robert Read is the Executive Director and CEO of MedAdvisor. Robert holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Management) as well as a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) both from Monash University and is a Graduate of the AICD Directors Course. Prior to taking the position as CEO of MedAdvisor, Robert was Managing Director of the Australian Private Equity arm of Harbert Management Corporation, a US based multi-asset class fund manager. During his time with Harbert Robert also served as interim CEO of an investee. Robert spent the early years of his career in consulting before moving to senior venture capital and private equity positions. Following this Robert gained experience as a senior executive to build on the hands-on skills he had developed in his private equity roles. Robert brings a wide range of skills to the position of CEO, in particular leadership, sales and marketing, finance performance improvement and a deep understanding of what is needed to successfully grow start-up businesses.

Segment Overview: In today’s interview, MedAdvisor CEO Robert Read joins the program in promote his company which is an advanced software platform (mobile and web apps) that supports and empower individuals and carers to manage all aspects of prescription medication use. He emphasizes that poor medication adherence is widely recognized as one of the most common and costly preventable costs for health systems. He also highlights how their existence in the healthcare market help healthcare professions and how it has revolutionized medication management for people.

Guest: Dr. Jim Finn

Presenter: Tabetha Moreto

Guest Bio: Dr. Jim Finn is the Vice President of the Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMA). He is an addiction medicine specialist and also senior medical officer credentialed in addiction medicine working at The Prince Charles Hospital in Brisbane. He was formerly the Medical Superintendent of Dirranbandi Hospital and has been a long term councillor of the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Queensland (ASMOFQ) since 2009. Jim is the current State and Federal Secretary of the Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation (ASMOF). He is the Chair of the Board of General Practice Training Queensland and was the ASMOF appointee to the Quality Assurance Committee for CliPPS, the Clinician Performance Support Service. He is currently the AMA Queensland Vice President and the representative on the Queensland Coalition for Action on Alcohol (QCAA).

Segment Overview: In this segment, AMA Queensland Vice President Dr. Jim Finn joins the program in order to promote his organization where they offer strong leadership through advocacy and support for the medical profession and in turn for the benefit of all Queenslanders. He also talks about his passion for medicine and why he decided to join AMA Queensland.

Guest: Dr. Dominique Hes

Presenter: Wayne Bucklar

Guest Bio: Dr Dominique Hes is the Director of the Thrive Research Hub at the University of Melbourne. Dominique received a science degree from Melbourne University and followed this with a graduate diploma in Engineering (Cleaner Production) and a Doctorate in Architecture 2005 from RMIT University, Melbourne. Throughout her 25 years of working, learning and practicing in the sustainability field, she has asked the question why given all the effort being put into sustainability are we becoming more unsustainable, with most ecological and social indicators in decline. Though not resolved this question resulted in the book Designing for Hope: pathways to Regenerative sustainability, which investigates both the reason for our lack of progress towards sustainability and presents projects and approaches that are starting to address this.

Segment Overview: In today’s interview, Dr. Dominique Hes joins the program to discuss the work she does at the Thrive Research Hub. They specialized in research that leads the supporting industry community to be healthier and more sustainable. She emphasizes on the health benefits of plants can offer to people in their daily lives (which is called the Plant Life Balance). She highlights the fact that the majority of the research on the benefits of connecting people to plants is from hospitals, schools and offices. If people have used that windows or have plants around them, then their use of painkillers goes down.

Guests: Dr. Jonathan Chen & Lee’or Rutenberg

Presenter: Tabetha Moreto

Guests Bio: Dr. Jonathan Michael Chen is the Chief of Congenital Cardiac Surgery and Co-Director of the Heart Center and also the Samuel and Althea Stroum Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery. As chief of pediatric cardiovascular surgery and co-director of the Seattle Children’s Heart Center, Dr. Chen oversees a team that performs more than 500 surgeries a year, and is the largest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Chen has performed more than 150 heart transplants and is Chair of the Membership and Professional Standards Committee for the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the group that oversees all solid organ transplantation in the United States. The author of more than 120 papers and 25 book chapters, Dr. Chen’s research interests lie in developing ventricular assist devices for infants and children suffering from heart failure.

Lee’or Rutenberg is the father of Sadie Rutenberg who was born with heart problems. Sadie became the first patient to receive a pediatric heart valve as part of a HALO clinical trial, which enrolled pediatric patients five years of age or younger with a diseased, damaged,or malfunctioning heart valve across the U.S.

Segment Overview: In today’s interview, Dr. Jonathan Chen and Lee’or Rutenberg come together on the show to talk about FDA approving the world’s smallest and only mechanical heart valve designed for newborns and infants with heart defects. They share their thoughts and experiences with the world’s smallest mechanical heart valve. In the case Lee’or’s daughter Sadie, she the first patient to receive a pediatric heart valve as part of a clinical trial.

Guest: Christina Korines & John Lehr

Presenter: Neal Howard

Guest Bio:

Christina Korines, 33 years old, has a Young Onset Parkinson’s disease. She showed her first symptom when she was 22, which started with a tremor in her foot and soon after progressed into a very obvious limp. Christina waited almost ten years before receiving her diagnosis. She was finally diagnosed in October of 2017 after seeing 5 neurologists over the past decade. Christina married her highschool sweetheart and have two beautiful daughters together, ages 2 and 6.

John L. Lehr brings to the Parkinson’s Foundation more than two decades of nonprofit fundraising and management experience, with a strong focus in the voluntary healthcare and medical research sectors.  Before joining the foundation, John served as President of Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI), a consulting firm that serves the nonprofit sector. At OAI, John was responsible for daily operations of the firm, as well as management of leading clients including Georgetown University, MedStar Health and Special Olympics. Previously, John also served as Chief Executive Officer of CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, a national research and advocacy organization.

Segment Overview: Christina Korines, diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease in 2017, and  John L. Lehr, CEO of the Parkinson’s Foundation, talk about her case, and how the foundation is making life better for people with PD; by funding the largest network of comprehensive clinical care centers worldwide, serving as the leading funder of training for neurologists who specialize in Parkinson’s, and conducting the largest-ever clinical study of Parkinson’s.

Guest: Dr. Grace Wright  & Maria

Presenter: Neal Howard

Guest Bio:    

Dr. Grace Wright

Dr. Wright is a rheumatologist who has been practicing rheumatology for more than 20 years. She currently practices as an independent private rheumatologist in her own clinical practice, Grace C Wright MD PC. She is also an Attending Physician at NYU Langone and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at NYU Langone School of Medicine in New York, New York. She is a founding member of and president of the Association of Women in Rheumatology, an organization for women dedicated to promoting the science and practice of rheumatology and advocating access to the highest quality health care and management of patients with rheumatic diseases. She is also a certified fellow and member of the American College of Rheumatology.  She is the recipient of several awards, including the Helen R. Downes Award for academic distinction, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society. She received her medical and doctorate degrees from NYU School of Medicine where she also conducted her residency in internal medicine.   

María

María arrived in the United States with the dream of building a better life for herself and her three young daughters. To do this, María launched a successful cheese factory. When she was 35 years old, María began experiencing extreme fatigue, which she at first blamed on her grueling entrepreneurial schedule. After her doctor ordered a blood test, she received the diagnosis of RA. Undaunted, she continued to grow her business and raising her girls, oftentimes having to resort to supervising manufacturing from a wheelchair because the pain in her legs and feet had become unbearable.

Segment Overview: Dr. Grace Wright and Maria, a person living with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), talk about ways to help manage travel triggers.

Guest: Dr. Daryl Gioffre

Presenter: Neal Howard

Guest Bio: Dr. Daryl Gioffre, author of GET OFF YOUR ACID: 7 Steps in 7 Days to Lose Weight, Fight Inflammation, and Claim Your Health & Energy is the creator of the Alkamind Cleanse, noted celebrity nutritionist, and longevity expert who specializes in the alkaline diet. A former sugar addict turned health machine, Dr. Gioffre knows firsthand what it takes to overcome adversity and challenges in your health. His specialty is uncovering the root causes of inflammation and chronic illness. Dr. Gioffre uses comprehensive, yet simple steps, to make healthy changes more convenient and sustainable. His approach is one of moderation, not deprivation. Dr. Gioffre uses cutting-edge nutrition to help you achieve and maintain an optimal level of health and energy. He is also a chiropractor, health coach, certified raw food chef, ultra-marathoner, and a passionate speaker, and educator.  

Segment Overview: Celebrity nutritionist and alkaline diet expert Dr. Daryl Gioffre, discusses several points to lose weight from his new book “Get Off Your Acid: 7 Steps in 7 Days” (Jan 2018) and ways to reduce acid and inflammation in our bodies.

Guest: Dr. Christopher DiGiovanni, MD   

Presenter: Neal Howard

Guest Bio: Dr. DiGiovanni is an internationally recognized foot and ankle surgeon. He earned his BA from Dartmouth College and MD from the Brown University-Dartmouth Medical School Program. Dr. DiGiovanni currently serves as Chief, Foot & Ankle Service, and Vice-Chair for Academic Affairs for Massachusetts General Hospital. He is the consultant for the U.S. Ski Team and team physician for Boston College Athletics. He also serves as associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Harvard Medical School. Dr. DiGiovanni has been honored numerous times as one of America’s Best Doctors and Top Surgeons. He was given the Excellence in Teaching Award by his residents and the Patient’s Choice Award by his patients. Dr. DiGiovanni is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and remains an active member of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society.

Segment Overview: Dr. Christopher DiGiovanni, MD, Chief, Foot & Ankle Service, Massachusetts General Hospital discusses research presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (March 2018) on the management of the most common foot and ankle pathologies.