Recently departed from his role as Director General of the Western Australian Health Department for nearly 9 years, from 2015 to the end of March 2024, Russ reflects on his diverse career, including relocating from the UK to work as a doctor in Outback Australia in the Royal Flying Doctor Service, then a multitude of other clinical then leadership roles, culminating in leading 55,000 staff in WA Health, including through the challenging COVID19 pandemic.

Russ shares his thoughts and experiences about: working in rural and remote health; the commissioning of the $2b new Fiona Stanley Hospital; how clinically trained staff can transition with ease into leadership positions if they are inclined to do so; the criticality of making decisions and backing your staff; the most challenging public health issues in the next ten years; building a strong team around you; and collaboration across the sectors and governments during the COVID19 pandemic.

Show notes

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Di Murray | Coming up 4 air | People & Culture Business Consultant, Executive Coaching, training, offsite, Facilitator, Speaker, Perth, Western Australia

Building Personal Resilience - A Guide to Overcoming Adversity (donnasbalconyviews.com.au)

Aged 14, Nio figured out she was gay. Realising it would be difficult for her to be accepted in her conservative homeland of Venezuela, she dreamt of relocating to a new country, Australia. Over the next decade, through developing a strategy, hard work, determination and a 100% certainty that she would make it happen, Nio turned that dream into reality.

Nio discusses her period of depression when she realised she was gay and cultural expectations meant she had to hide her true self; how no one else believed she would be able move to Australia; her feelings when she arrived in Australia 10 years later; and new challenges and opportunities faced in the following 10 years in her adopted country.

Show notes

Nio can be contacted

@niorangel on Instagram.

Nio Correa on LinkedIn

Sponsors

Di Murray | Coming up 4 air | People & Culture Business Consultant, Executive Coaching, training, offsite, Facilitator, Speaker, Perth, Western Australia

Building Personal Resilience - A Guide to Overcoming Adversity (donnasbalconyviews.com.au)

Spotify link: Double Ds Podcast | Donna's Balcony Views (donnasbalconyviews.com.au)

Mother to young daughter Willow, Sarah wanted to give her a sibling. Sarah shares her deeply personal story about the joy she and her husband Marvin experienced when they found out she was pregnant, which was followed by confusion and devastation when they found out their unborn daughter had structural problems and was unlikely to survive the pregnancy. Sarah discusses her decision to continue with the pregnancy and then meeting and then losing Emmy.

Universal themes covered include dealing with grief and feelings of isolation after losing a loved one, slowly figuring out how life can and must go on, and how as a society, we struggle to know how to discuss the most difficult topics, such as death and grief.

Show notes

Sarah can be contacted @sarahsaolele on Instagram.