INTERVIEWS

Overview:
• Australians crippled by mental illness will receive individual care plans as part of a Federal Government overhaul of the multi-billion-dollar sector. An online and telephone one-stop-shops will be established directing people to appropriate services, as the Government abandons the current “one-size-fits-all” approach.

• There is widespread violence and abuse of people with a disability in institutional and residential settings, a Senate report has found. After an inquiry hearings chaired by Greens Senator Rachel Siewert, across the country the report made 30 recommendations, including a call for sweeping changes to the regulation of disability workers and the way abuse is reported. The inquiry was chaired by Greens Senator Rachel Siewert.

• Medical staff at a Pilbara hospital failed to properly check the vital signs of an Aboriginal woman, Ms Dhu who died in police custody, a doctor who tried to resuscitate her has told a coronial inquest.

Guest: Robert Harris
Presenter: Wayne Bucklar
Guest Bio: After 15 years of playing drums and a growing interest in the therapeutic effects of drumming and rhythms, Robert Harris created Drum Therapy in 2013 as a resource for the science behind the application of rhythm on the mind and body. Robert’s previous career was a lawyer and financier in the UK, Asia, the Middle East and Australia for more than 20 years. His interest in hand drums led him to study in Sydney, London and Havana with some of the leading percussionists of the Afro-Cuban tradition and in the US with leading drum circle facilitators. As a former bank executive, he Robert believes the dysfunction of most teams and organisations is all too apparent.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, let us learn more about the interesting fun, effective, teambuilding and health and wellness services that Drum Therapy has to offer from their Director Robert Harris. They cater to corporates, hospitals and healthcare providers, schools and festivals. They believe that drumming, rhythm and sound can provide relief and benefit to many different groups in our communities. Drum Therapy offers health and wellness services to aged care facilities, hospitals and wellness-focused commercial and charitable organisations and support groups. This covers aged care, those living with dementia, ms, trauma, stress, addictions, eating disorders, Parkinson’s, autism, dyslexia, grief and loss, cancer survivors, cardio recovery, liver disease recovery and acquired brain injury.

Guest: Dr. Daya Sharma
Presenter: Wayne Bucklar
Guest Bio: Dr Daya Sharma is a Corneal, Cataract and Refractive surgeon. He was born and raised in country NSW, before moving to Sydney to study Medicine. He completed his Ophthalmology training at Sydney Eye Hospital and subsequently underwent fellowship training at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, in his subspecialty interest areas of corneal, cataract and refractive surgery. His subspecialty training encompassed modern partial-thickness corneal grafting techniques (DSAEK, DALK and included laser-assisted corneal grafts), intracorneal ring segment implantation, corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL), corneal laser refractive surgery (LASIK and ASLA/PRK) and phakic intraocular lens implantation (eg ICL), and cataract surgery, particularly in corneal and anterior segment disease. He trained using multiple different laser refractive surgery platforms for correction of refractive errors.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, know more about eye care and various vision-related procedures from our guest expert Dr. Daya Sharma from the Eye & Laser Surgeons of New South Wales in Australia. Dr Daya Sharma’s particular interests include management of astigmatism in cataract surgery using advanced corneal measurements, modern surgical management of keratoconus and other ectatic corneal diseases and management of corneal endothelial failure. He has expertise in multiple different types of refractive (vision correction) surgery, and is interested in management of complex cases, such as post-LASIK ectasia and high astigmatism after corneal transplant.

Overview:
• The nation’s mental health sector is about to undergo one of its biggest shake-ups, with the Federal Government preparing to hand over $350 million to regional networks.

• The ACT Government has announced an $11 million blitz on elective surgery to tackle long waiting times. There are more than 1,200 people on the long waiting list for surgery. The Government will spend a total of $11.8 million for an extra 1,000 elective surgeries planned for the first half of next year.

• Dr Cameron Webb, a medical entomologist from the University of Sydney, spends much of his time researching mosquitoes, and even more of it researching how to stop himself being bitten. His research has confirmed that homemade repellents are not effective at keeping the bities at bay.

Guest: Pauline McKinnon
Presenter: Wayne Bucklar
Guest Bio: Pauline McKinnon is a mother and grandmother, a psychotherapist and a specialist meditation teacher. She is the founder and director of the Stillness Meditation Therapy Centre in Melbourne. A popular presenter to a range of organizations, Pauline speaks to corporate, education and health industries. She is a Clinical Member of the Australian Association of Family Therapists, supports the work of ADAVIC (Anxiety Disorders Association of Victoria) and assisted in the development of meditation teaching with the Australian Catholic University. She also initiated the formation of the peak body, Meditation Australia, and is its most recent Past President. After 9/11 in 2001 Pauline introduced the Olive Green Ribbon theme ‘personal peace for world peace’.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, let us welcome Founder and Director of the Stillness Meditation Therapy Centre Pauline McKinnon from Melbourne, Australia. Pauline’s recovery from acute anxiety is a testament to the effectiveness of Stillness Meditation Therapy created by Australian psychiatrist Dr Ainslie Meares. Meditation is rapidly gaining popularity as an effective life-skill. Pauline is privileged to have assisted some thousands of people within Australia and internationally to relieve their symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. She considers Meares’ unique natural ‘stillness’ approach to be more advanced in its therapeutic value than meditation per se and fundamental to health, happiness and general wellbeing across the lifespan.

Overview:
• The plain packaging of cigarettes is being credited for a significant drop in the number of high school students who smoke. The research, commissioned by the Victorian Cancer Council in 2014, surveyed 23,000 students and found 5.1 per cent of 12- to 17-year-olds had smoked a cigarette in the week prior to completing the smoking survey.

• United States pharmaceutical company Pfizer has announced the second-biggest corporate merger in history, joining with Irish drug company Allergan in a deal worth $US160 billion ($220 billion).

• Researchers say they now know some people can die of a broken heart and are trying to understand more about what triggers such deaths, and develop prevention strategies which might help people most at risk.

Guest: Dr Ben Fernee
Presenter: Wayne Bucklar
Guest Bio: Dr. Ben Fernée currently serves as National Audiology Manager at Oticon Australia, managing product introductions, audiological and technical issues as well as training. Up until July 2013, he was the Product Manager in Oticon Paediatrics, Denmark. In his work as Product Manager at Oticon Denmark, Ben was involved in the development of all new paediatric hearing instruments from Oticon, including hearing aids and FM systems. He completed a Bachelor of Speech Pathology, then a Master of Audiology at the University of Queensland. He went on to complete his Au.D in the US. He has worked as an Audiologist for many years in both the clinical setting and also in manufacturing, in Brisbane, and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada. Ben has a special interest in new hearing instrument technology and how this can be matched to patient needs.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, we are joined by Oticon Australia‘s National Audiology Manager Dr Ben Fernee. He is here to talks about the latest developments in research being conducted around cognitive decline and hearing loss especially to our ageing population. Oticon Australia is in constant dialogue with users, listening to their personal and professional challenges; and with hearing care professionals, who are a vital link in achieving user satisfaction on all parameters. They bring together scientists, anthropologists, hearing care professionals, users and their families, to increase understanding and identify new areas of research and development, and constantly make new discoveries about users’ expectations, needs and social interaction in daily life.

Guest: Dr. Harvey Lander
Presenter: Wayne Bucklar
Guest Bio: Dr Harvey Lander is a Director at the Clinical Excellence Commission in Sydney. He is responsible for the Sepsis, Between the Flags and Medication Safety programs. Dr Lander and the CEC Sepsis Kills program have been strong advocates for prompt identification and start of antibiotics for both paediatric and adult sepsis patients.

Segment overview: In today’s Health Supplier Segment, know more about the board-governed statutory health corporation Clinical Excellence Commission from our guest the Director of Medication Safety, Between the Flags and Sepsis Dr Harvey Lander. Established in 2004, their areas of focus include engaging patients and consumers in care, improving clinical practice, building capacity in health care and using data to drive change. The CEC works closely with local health districts and specialty health networks to deliver safety and quality improvement in the NSW public health system.

Overview:
• The lack of surgical equipment to perform delicate keyhole surgery at the new Royal Adelaide Hospital has rendered it a “world-class building with second-class medical equipment”, the South Australian Opposition says.

• Women who use low-cost or bulk-billed IVF (in vitro fertilisation) clinics could be putting themselves at increased risk of health complications, the peak association of IVF doctors says. Primary IVF, has been operating in Sydney since 2014, opened its doors in Melbourne on Monday.

• A push to roll out lifesaving defibrillators to sporting venues across Australia is gaining momentum with Victoria leading the way.Up to 33,000 Australians suffer cardiac arrest each year and fewer than 5 per cent survive, often because help does not reach them in time, these deaths could have been prevented if there had been access to a defibrillator, and a quick response.